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pumpkinhollow) wrote2000-02-08 08:52 pm
TDM #4 - Aurora Borealis Bust? [REPRINT]
[Find our plain text version here!]
Pumpkin Hollow Gazette
2/8/24 | TDM #4 - AURORA BOREALIS BLITZ BUST?
Content Warnings: "Further Details" section has independent CW labels.
Forecast: SEVERE BLIZZARD WARNING
REBUILDING HELP REQUESTED
By Cecil Gershwin Palmer
A photo taken of the damage.
ACROSS PUMPKIN HOLLOW - City government is requesting aid with repairs to public buildings and local fixtures after the recent earthquakes on Tuesday, January 8th. While there was minimal damage to Town Hall itself, several important buildings sustained damage, including the Magpie National Bank, the South Train Station and the Clock Tower, which is now stuck with hands at 8pm.
Regarding the cause of the earthquake, local biologist Dr. Elias Coldwood was heard to say “There's never been seismic activity here.” And he’s a scientist, so he would know! But clearly this is no longer the case. Perhaps Pumpkin Hollow has a mysterious tiny civilization underground worshiping a destroyer god, planning to attack through the bowling alley, the moment we create a bowling alley. Perhaps not. More on this story as it unfolds, faithful readers.
In the meantime, volunteers to help with the damage to city buildings are invited to meet with Mayor Hellen Poe for assignments.
AURORA TURNS VIOLENT - MYSTERIOUS BLIZZARD INTERRUPTS CHAOS
By Yorick Aberdeen
An artist's rendition of last year's view.
ABOVE MARROW ISLE - Despite our earlier report, it turns out that this year's annual aurora borealis season did not turn out to be a pleasant or romantic viewing experience. Instead, starry monsters based off of classic constellations have been attacking the town each time the aurora is in the sky! However, due to some extreme blizzards that have been occurring most nights each month since late January, the aurora has been interrupted more nights than not and the monsters intercepted. Still, the Pumpkin Hollow Safety Board would like to remind everyone to take appropriate precautions during inclement weather, and to tread carefully on clear nights as monsters may still be attacking until late February!
HOROSCOPES
By Cecil Gershwin Palmer
What do the stars say about you today?
Capricorn: Do you feel as if you’ve lost something? If not, it’s wise to double-check. Perhaps it’s not something like a button or a key, but your sense of wonder or your self-confidence. Remember, things tend to be in the last place you look.
Aquarius: Something about the year ending made you feel lighter, like taking off a heavy wool coat. Ride this burst of energy as far as it will take you, because the shiny of a fresh beginning tends to wear off quickly.
Pisces: Don’t worry, I don’t believe what everyone says behind your back. You’re not too sensitive or too naive. They’re just jealous. Really, most of the time when they’re whispering, it’s not even about you.
Aries: You’re the sort of warm individual that babies and animals are drawn to. Unfortunately, this may include hungry wolves and swarms of insects. But don’t let that bring you down! We need that sort of personality around here.
Taurus: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, until you work to stop others from also being the best. That’s called cheating and may lead to you being disqualified from competitions. If you get caught, that is.
Gemini: You know those riddles about the two guards, one who always tells the truth and one who always lies? Well, everyone hates those riddles with a passion. You’ll see for yourself, soon.
Cancer: Wouldn’t you like to know?
Leo: Your incandescent personality often makes you the center of attention. However, that’s not the only thing about you that glows. Moths may flock to you in the dark this week, and so might children afraid to sleep with the lights out.
Virgo: Be careful with your words–they aren’t just the precursors to your deeds, but the manifestation of your will. This is not a week for idioms and metaphors, not for you. Even something like bemoaning a lack of spoons may make eating cereal harder.
Libra: You are, inevitably, the first one heard to say a situation isn’t fair. And it’s not, nor will it ever be. Instead of getting upset, have you ever considered getting revenge? That’s usually more satisfying in the long run.
Scorpio: Ugh, Scorpios. The position of Venus means your usually volatile emotions will be in the doldrums instead. Enjoy this while it lasts I guess. Who knows if you’ll ever experience such peace again, given, well. You’re kind of an emotional mess and no one likes you.
Sagittarius: There will never be another day like today. You must strive to make the day everything you want it to be. No mistakes, now! Consider your choices very carefully. Consider your choice to consider, very carefully.
SUNFIRE'S HEARTH
By Yorick Aberdeen
A photo of Mayor Poe's cats, Toffee and Butter, enjoying the view.
ASSORTED LOCATIONS - As the coldest part of the year settles over our fair isle, it is time for Sunfire’s Hearth--- an informal celebration of bonfires and hearth flames, for those unfamiliar! For the months of January and February, a raised platform for bonfires will be lit on weekends, and restaurants and taverns across town will keep their fireplaces lit. Unlike many of our other festivities, there is no structured celebration--- simply make some time during this time to bask in the warmth of a fire! You can even celebrate at home.
An additional benefit of this time of year is that Merrymeet is well on its way. So take this time and get snuggly in front of a fire with your special person to get in the mood for romance! (Or they could be platonic snuggles. Whatever suits you best.)
LOCAL ALCHEMIST REPORTS MISSING POTION
By Yorick Aberdeen
Some of Mx. Sallek's usual stock. Could stand to have better labels./p>
LOCATION UNCERTAIN - Early Monday morning, local alchemist Aeryn Sallek reported that a large container of magical potion has been swapped with another, and it would seem that the mistaken jug has been sent out for delivery. According to Mx. Sallek, they sent a number of jugs out for delivery in a case with our local delivery extraordinaire, Sam Porter Bridges. The jugs were meant to contain a harmless, potable freeze-resistance potion for our town’s various water sources, in the interest of keeping water reserves drinkable in sub-freezing winter weather. However, when they returned to the shop, one of these potions remained on their counter while a love potion they’d been working on went missing.
“‘Love potion’ is kind of a misnomer, honestly,” Mx. Sallek is quoted to have said on the matter. “But ‘emotional acuity’ potion doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Basically what it actually does is enhance existing romantic desire and embolden the user to be emotionally open. But Yorick should already know all this, since he’s the one who ordered it.” [Editing note: don’t forget to cut the last part of that comment before publishing. Cecil, you don’t need to include personal statements directed at reporters from these interviews!]
It’s unclear which area of town this particular potion ended up being injected into the water source, but according to Mx. Sallek, the potion was not particularly intense to begin with. It should be significantly diluted as to be harmless. Still, if you notice any strange symptoms such as butterflies in your stomach, a desire to burst into song, or inexplicable yearning, please file a report with the Safety Board at your earliest convenience.
FOOD SHORTAGES PUT STRAIN ON ISLAND ECONOMY
By Yorick Aberdeen
MARKET DISTRICT - While there are many things to celebrate this time of year, Marrow Isle is not without its adversity. Over these past months, many new members of our community have arrived by ferry after our numbers remained small and stagnant for many years. And the presence of our newfound neighbors has been a boon to all of us. Many artisans have opened useful businesses, medical professionals have expanded our access to healthcare, and a new fishing vessel has taken to the seas. However, despite a few additions, our farming community remains quite modest and planting was not planned with such incredible new growth in mind.
The unfortunate result of this is that food reserves on the island this year are uncharacteristically low. As such, Town Council has made the difficult decision to allow for the temporary inflation of food prices and the rationing of food staples.
“We understand the hardship this will place on the residents of Pumpkin Hollow,” said Mayor Poe in a statement after this decision was made. “But please know that we are all in this together. We hope to be able to offer a better incentive package for those interested in farming in the coming springtime.”
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Aurora
The dead of winter sheds all colors of the trees and flowers across Marrow Isle, but tonight, there are no stark whites and grays and browns.
Tonight, in the sky sprawling with stars above the dreary town, there are lights.
Sprawling trails of violet and green twist and wave through the sky, brightening the earth below and the sea beyond Jack's Marina in magical colors. The return of the borealis is something many Pumpkin Hollowites look forward to, and their reactions are very clear: people scurry down to the shores to watch with wide eyes, many retrieve telescopes, and some even borrow the decks of ships, abandoned for the night at the docks, to watch the sights.
It doesn't take long for this to change, however; the sea nor land are safe from the curse, and it's made quickly apparent that the sky is no exception.
At first, the sight seems like none more than an illusion, perhaps someone blinking and missing a strange shift of the lights. A glimmering outline forms around a cluster of stars, only slightly harder than any of the lines that define the aurora's rays. Several of these shapes form, each array of stars different from the last, some larger, some smaller.
And then, the stars begin to fall.
Seeming to peel off the painted sky, the ebbing colors surrounding the starlight drop, crashing to the world below. Some fall to the streets and beaches, while others fall into the forest, leaving view, or drop into the sea, leaving splashes and waves in their wake that ensure any watching knows full and well that this is not a trick of the light. At first, these shapes are unmoving, glowing masses of aurora-light with stars shining brightly within them. Most townsfolk are uneasy, but this seems to pale in severity to the other disasters, even if they lack any idea of what it could mean for them.
That is, of course, until the masses begin to move.
Each one is as varied as the constellation it stole from the sky: stars form suggestions of skeletal structures, and their "flesh", only consisting of swimming lights and liquid sky that steals any lights around them. Two identical glowing shapes rise to a face finally taking form, and slowly, moving more like gel than animal as it rises to freshly-formed legs, it settles on the closest living thing it can find.
There is no calculation in it, nor what seems to be a glimmer of thought.
It simply lunges with intent to kill.
Cecil’s disconcerting horoscopes have the following effects for the next few days:Horoscopes
[CW: Altered emotional states ]
(Don’t know your character’s sign? Feel free to just decide on one!)
The effects are not particularly intense. However, anyone who drinks any of the tavern’s housemade ale or cider, drinks the coffee, or eats any food that might require water to cook will experience symptoms of “emotional acuity”. This involves feeling more emotionally open, more receptive to positive feelings about others, a strong desire for physical or verbal affection, and the intensification of romantic or sexual attraction that you might already be experiencing. It will last about half a day. Just in time to help potentially land you a date for Merrymeet, a flower and fertility festival in early spring!Love Potion
[CW: Altered Emotional States ]
Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, the “love” potion ended up in the water supply of the Oak & Iron. As promised by Aeryn, it is thoroughly diluted, as its recipients believed it to be a normal freeze-resistance potion to be mixed with their water.
Food rationing and inflation will have the following impact: Grocery budgets for apped-in characters will be reduced in their efficacy. Bonuses and Discounts associated with the Farmer and Fisherman jobs are also reduced. Oak & Iron Residents will only be able to receive bland, repetitive meals with their food vouchers consisting of simple broth, plain bread, bland potato dishes, and the like. It is enough to be fed and comfortable but it is incredibly unsatisfying. (This includes all new characters that are not apped-in.) Drinks, however, are still plentiful. Characters who do not eat will find that their respective sources of fuel will be reduced to just barely enough to keep them functional, provided that they ration carefully. (Ex. Transformers may want to be less active. Vampires will find that victims cannot handle excessive blood loss without fainting and generally prefer to stay home.) Characters who were present to fight the Mother Crab back in late summer and chose to can some of their crab can use it now! Hunting, foraging, and fishing can help reduce the impact of these reductions, and people can share their food. You can absolutely die of starvation. After Merrymeet in February, food will return to normal.Famine
[CW: Starvation and food scarcity ]
Basic groceries will be only the most minimal of staples. You will likely go hungry if you do not find a way to supplement this.
Bountiful groceries will be reduced to the amount of food normally contained in basic.
Lavish groceries will not be available at all.
Your grocery choices from Activity Check are not able to be modified for this month unless otherwise stated.
Level 1 bonuses will be reduced to standard, which is to say how they would function for a non-Farmer/Fisherman character during a normal, pre-famine month. (ex. Whereas normally a Level 1 Farmer would get free Basic groceries, they will now have to pay the 50 Brass, but do not have the efficacy of Basic groceries reduced as described above.)
Level 2 bonuses will be reduced to that of a Level 1 Farmer/Fisherman. (ex. Whereas a Level 2 Fisherman would normally be able to have Bountiful groceries discounted to 50 Brass, they now must pay full price for Bountiful groceries. However, they can still get Basic groceries for free and don’t suffer from the famine induced efficacy reduction for either budget.)
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"No, none of that," she chastises him gently. "You were off doing what you were supposed to, right? Finding support, ending the fakes... I can only hope that the others didn't just take his insolence lying down."
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"Oh trust me," There's a small bark of a laugh. "He definitely didn't get away with that shit. Tomura turned his whole operation inside out and in the end...well we got revenge for you and Compress' arm. Just cost Overdick everything, including his quirk."
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A bowl of soup that's held up mostly by western sweet potato and offal thanks to the shortage is put down in front of him, though something tells her that it will probably need to be reheated before he touches it.
She opens her mouth to immediately reply that, good, he shouldn't have his power if he was just going to use it to treat his underlings like shit, but an offhand part of what he says hits her belatedly.
"What about Compress' arm?" There is already murder in the set of her jaw. They'd been briefed on Chisaki's abilities before Jin had brought the man to them for the meeting. If he really had used Overhaul on one of her people...
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The bowl of food does get eyed, he'll probably eat later. For now he wants to talk to her.
"Yeah," He sighs, rubbing at his face. "After you went down apparently Compress tried to attack too. He survived but he lost his arm. In the end...Tomura dusted one of his guys but still worked with him. Had his own agenda of course. After the heroes caught Overhaul we stopped the transport and decided to take his hands. Shigaraki decayed on while compress...well did what he does. He got a nice mechanical arm out of it in the end, but there's no replacing you." There's a moment where he picks at his sleeve, a stray thread catching his attention.
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Quietly, Magne considers the information given to her. They'd gotten back at the yakuza boy for killing her and maiming Atsuhiro. As far as she's concerned, if they ruined him and his operation, then it was enough.
Well, almost enough.
"I've already had the chance to be angry about already but... I will never, ever forgive the fact that he could have undone what he did, and that he chose not to. I didn't have to- he took away my agency. I would have killed him for that myself."
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"Toga and Twice both talked about how awful he was." Shaking his head he finally decides to take a couple bites without her prompting, the last thing he wants is her fussing more right now. Not when they can be talking and shit instead. "Shit got really intense after that...like...a literal war with the heroes."
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"We actually got the numbers for that? Color me impressed." The tone is facetious but she genuinely is pleased to hear that Tomura was able to get together enough people to front what one of the least hyperbolic people she knew actually called a war. "I know you have to have gotten your licks in. Do I dare ask why you decided to go au naturale?" With a look at the white fluff that she had previously helped keep under wraps.
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"Ended up in a pretty nice place with hero spies and all that shit. Had the number two hero pretending to be a spy too, fuckin bird brain thought he was slick." He doesn't want to mention that Twice was dead, not here. Not now. Later. Instead he focuses more on the question about his hair, that does bring a grin to his lips.
"All my plans finally came to fruition. Got to show the world who I was, the ghost of dear old dad's past." He looked back at Magne. "Touya Todoroki, that's the name I never gave you all. I don't mind if you use it."
He'll just...let that sink in. Todoroki.
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She can't help but smile listening to Dabi run through what they'd achieved. The fact that they'd had a double agent that was apparently caught out gives her a measure of hope too, simply because he won't give her the details. It's easy enough to take what he says at face value. When the other shoe drops later, it would be a different story.
Proud of what the League seems to have become, Magne almost misses the bombshell that her friend has just dropped. She's halfway through saying "Oh, Touya's a nice name-" when the rest sinks in, and she stops, staring him down.
"You're kidding..."
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He'd done so much more than just air some dirty laundry. He'd apparently brought his family together against him. Imagine that. To think they had tried to stop him to save that trashfire of a human being, Enji Todoroki. It was sickening. Instead of letting him have his revenge they ganged up with all their ice powers to stop him from getting what he felt he was owed.
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A glance sideways at him, and she picks up that preoccupation. Her hand moves to rest over his wrist, thumb just shy of the row of staples keeping the seam between skin and scar sealed. "If you managed to pull that off, then the others will be able to finish the job, I'm sure. Then it's just a matter of the rest of the country. Nothing worth doing has ever been done peacefully anyway."
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"Y-yeah..." He has to clear his throat. There are so many things he wants to tell her but right now all those things are devastating. They are things that would make her sad, things that would have her worrying over people that she can't help. "I won't lie....it's...it's not been good, Mag. I don't wanna get into it here but..." He trails off but looks p at her with a serious look in his eyes.
"You aren't gonna like a lot of what I have to tell you about."
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When he looks at her like that, with earnest emotion rather than the flat expression that he gives the rest of the world, she knows that it has to be bad. She nods, and takes her hand back so that he can be more comfortable and move as he needed to.
"If you're here, I can't imagine that it's going all according to plan," she replies gently. "You said Compress lost his hand to that monster... What about Himiko-chan? Or Jin?" She knows that Tomura can handle himself; he's always been quick and ruthless, just as much as Dabi is. The other two... She can't help but worry.
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Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had started to hold he let his hand fall away and leaned back a bit before looking at her again. "I'll tell you everything, but I don't know if you wanna hear it out here where others could over hear. And it's not gonna be pretty."
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"Not here," she agrees quietly. And carefully, she lets herself sink against his side, shoulder pressed to his arm, her lips pressed tight together to keep her composure. When she speaks up again, it's quiet so that nobody else can hear the way her voice cracks. "When you're ready to go and rest, I can show you to your room upstairs. You can tell me then."
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He couldn't talk like that with her though, Magne wasn't the same as him. She actually cared for everyone as more than just pawns.
"Yeah...I'll finish this and then we can go. Sound good to you?"
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Hand over his wrist, Magne nods and straightens back up again, though her elbow continues to rest against his.
"Sounds good. I'll warn you now, the bathrooms here aren't particularly private. I've been having to take whore's baths in my room just to keep the prying eyes away. You'll probably have to do the same. Let me know when you do, I can look over the sutures and make sure everything is holding," she offers.
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"I mean, can't be worse than the warehouses, or the derelict buildings, or the fuckin' woods. Compared to the shit we've had to deal with...this place is practically like the bar." If he was honest he'd mention how much he sort of missed those days. Running water, beds, alcohol, tv, anything they needed they had.
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With a small smile into her drink, she nods at the idea of this being like their first hideout. "It's better, but I miss the old drinks. Nobody can make a proper old fashioned like Kurogiri."
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"Yeah, your boyfriend found me because I was looking for my fucking piercings. Thought they fell out when I wasn't looking." No he doesn't need them but he still wouldn't mind those back. Thanks.
"You're tellin' me. We ended up at a new place later that had alcohol but it still wasn't the same..."
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"Maybe we can figure out how to do them ourselves. There's a man that brews his own liquor here, I'm sure we can at least get decent gin." Hawkeye, making good gin? Absolutely not.
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"Start perfecting your own liquor? Could be fun."
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"Mag," He can't help but chuckle. "Do you really think I ever had someone 'qualified' to do them pierce me in the first place? Fun fact, I did them all myself. Including the ones below the belt." Sorry Magne, he's comfortable with you so....have fun with THAT knowledge.
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"Come on, I was trying not to think of all that! We all might have wondered but now Jin owes me fifty, if he shows up."
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