An Assortment of Happenstance (Random Events Wave 2)

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Community Bulletin

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It's been a while since the community board has been redone! The weather hasn't really been permitting long excursions into town square to do up the board, especially since the blizzard, but today is a clear day for once and Yorick is in a hurry to get it all set up for Merrymeet.

He helpfully posts a few announcements.

COMMUNITY GATHERING AT TOWN HALL TONIGHT

A community gathering is scheduled in Town Hall tonight for all new residents ("offworlders") to discuss their recent experience with a mass shared dream event. Locals who are native to Pumpkin Hollow will be present to listen, learn, and help make sense of this strange dream. The intent of the gathering is to ascertain the meaning of the dream and share details to create a bigger picture.

Sweet potato muffins will be provided, courtesy of Cecil. The meeting will officially commence at 6pm. Dress warmly!

MERRYMEET FLOWER QUEEN VOTING

Voting for the Flower Queen of our upcoming Merrymeet celebration is now officially open! Please cast your vote for one of the following candidates from our final pool of nominees:

Dahlia Leeds, town councilwoman and Historical Society leader.
Annabel Lee Whitlock, seamstress and chess extraordinaire.
Mary Dahl, shop employee and freelance theatrical performance artist.
Magne Kikiishi, Oak & Iron employee and Fight Club leader.
Zelda of Hyrule, captain of the Mipha's Grace.
Sally Boyle, chemist/herbalist and proprietor of the Blackberry Apothecary.

Merrymeet will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24th, so all votes must be cast by then. This year's celebration will also feature our first Flower Princess in a while, Bobbin Kaspbrak, escorted by her keeper, Eddie! She is a chicken. (Note: the last Flower Princess was Butter Poe, a cat. She will sadly be unable to pass on her crown in the ceremonial manner due to being a cat, but she wishes Bobbin the best of luck.)

[ Ballot Box ]

BOTTLE COLLECTION NOTICE

ALERT TO ALL CITIZENS: down on Tawny Beach there have been sightings of bottled messages washing ashore that appear to be addressed to various offworld citizens. Please scan the beach or check in with Jack's Marina Port Authority to see if there are any intended for you at your earliest convenience.

[ Those who go to the beach to investigate may find a bottle carrying curled parchment with their name on it. Within, they will find a letter from a loved one from back home. The messages read more like prayers or thoughts about their subjects, often in third person rather than second, but contain important insight about how the writer truly views the recipient that may guide them in this world. They are also obviously written in the handwriting of the person who sent them. It's unclear how they got here, but perhaps they can help. ]

After Yorick has long since walked away, another strange message also appears. Nailed to the bottom of the board haphazardly, a piece of twine with a large tooth tied to it and a piece of parchment. The text is written in a neat but jagged font, ink seeming to almost fray at the edges, outlining agreed upon terms for some manner of agreement. A shot that must be discharged within a lunar cycle, a soul to be taken from this plane by King Eligos, and a mandatory betrayal of trust. It is signed by both Eligos and Vika. A line in the terms is underlined.

For whatever purpose I deem fit.

Beneath the signatures a note is scrawled that reads,

"Never let it be said that syntax doesn't matter. You didn't think I was going to help you kill my own grandchild, did you?"

Those going to Town Hall for the community gathering will see that the Pine Devil skull that Vika had hung there is now shattered, and her notice gone. The Pine Devil is loose once more.

Comments

OTA

[pineapplesalmon]

COMMUNITY GATHERING
"Ooo, there's still muffins!" César's a simple man sometimes, and this is one moment. Because he really doesn't want to think about how his brother was the age he should have been and how Rex isn't here.


MERRYMEET FLOWER QUEEN VOTING
César puts his ballot in the box, grinning like a loon, and he shrugs to the person behind him. "I'm... probably obvious for my first pick. Even if it's supposed to be secret."


BOTTLE COLLECTION NOTICE
There was a bottle addressed to him. César's sitting at a table in the Oak & Iron, turning it around in his hand. It hasn't been opened yet, and he looks pensive.


WHAT THE FUCK, VIKA & CÉSAR COULD USE SOME PLOT HELP
César's staring at the contract, the note, and then Vika's note. "... His grandchild? Who is Eligos?"

Oh. Oh, no, honey. (Look, he got flash frozen and then his love interest BLEW UP and also he's focused on his farm and also on getting the supplies he needs to look handsome BECAUSE PRIORITIES so he hasn't asked around.)

Community Gathering

[tisnotthehouse]

Hello, César. Guess who is still a giant fucking spider?

Did you guess Tarantulas?

You are correct.

Anyway, he's here now, with his winter coat strapped to his back with a few strands of web. He picks up a muffin with a foreleg and carefully transfers it to his pedipalps, which proceed to stuff it past his fangs and into his mouth. It's not a very neat process. There are crumbs.

"Good morning," he says, in grumpy tones.

[pineapplesalmon]

He did not guess this, but he now knows this very precisely. César looks over to Tarantulas and then... stops looking over to Tarantulas and gets very intensely interested in his own muffin. Staring is very impolite.

"It's, ah, evening. Unless that's the joke." César trails off awkwardly; he can remember the shriek, the change, Tarantulas attempting to murder him, the fight, the death of Tarantulas. "How... are you doing?"

César's question is cautious, but it's also meant sincerely.

[tisnotthehouse]

"I can't transform." The muffin eaten, Tarantulas begins cleaning off his pedipalps and fangs with careful, insect-like swipes of his forelegs. "I'm given to understand that dying comes with certain adverse side effects, after one comes back to life. Hopefully this one is only temporary. I need my hands for my work."

He tilts his head, glancing up at César for a moment before facing forward again. "I hope I did no more than harm you, yesterday," he says quietly. "It's all a bit...blurry."

[pineapplesalmon]

Intrusive thought that César fights off: pet the spider. He does glance again and watch the cleaning a bit, impressed by the gracefulness of the motions.

César's eyes soften, and he looks at his own muffin. "... honestly, not even the scariest thing that's happened to me. I'm got some bruises from dodging away, but I'm otherwise fine. It might be for the best that it's blurry."

[tisnotthehouse]

"Good..." Tarantulas taps César's calf with one of his spidery feet, careful to keep the claws away from the clothes. "It would be a shame to drive off such an interesting colleague, especially when we only just became acquainted. And I expect I'll need your help catching up on my back orders."

Back to business as usual, then? Just, hyeh, just forget about that epic flip out he had over someone no one recognized...Or the fact that turning into a giant spider is apparently just a normal ability he's had this whole time...

[pineapplesalmon]

"I'd hate to end a budding friendship myself." César agrees, starting to smile a bit. "I hope you can transform again soon. I'll be happy to help catching up orders, of course."

César wants to ask about it. But he also knows it's impolite. So he doesn't!

[tisnotthehouse]

Oh, César! Haven't you noticed by now that Tarantulas loves over-explaining things?

"I'd appreciate it," Tarantulas agrees. "And what about you? Have you been keeping yourself well?" He hasn't seen César since the dinner...what has he been up to?

[pineapplesalmon]

Yes! César has to fight those same tendencies. Also, he doesn't want to ask in public.

"I have! I've been working on my farm and starting to learn some druidic magic. Which means I have to get eight hours sleep no matter what now. And I'm spending a lot of time with Magne."

... yeah, he's ENTIRELY SMITTEN.

[tisnotthehouse]

...Awwww.

Yeah, Tarantulas has seen enough lovestruck humanoids in action to recognize that look. He immediately sidles closer, nudging César with a foreleg? "Oh? Is this Magne someone special then? How did you meet?"

[pineapplesalmon]

César laughs, his face lighting up because apparently even people who can turn into spiders like gossip and affirmative teasing.

"Magne works at the Oak & Iron. She saw me spacing out and startled me out of my thoughts by plopping a tankard of ail down in front of me. Talked me out of my own head and flirted. So I flirted back. And then we just... kept flirting. And then I died, and she was the person I finally sought out for comfort when I was ready." César waves it off. "... don't worry about the died, thing, that's a whole complicated thing that's resolved now. But, yes,s he's very special to me. We're dating."

[tisnotthehouse]

Oh César, nobody can gossip like Cybertronians can gossip. It's the near-immortality.

"How adorable," he says sincerely, still standing a little too far into César's personal bubble. "And don't I seem to recall seeing a young lady named Magne assisting on the barricades during clear nights? She seems highly capable."

With some more off that affirmative teasing and a wide streak of sympathy, he adds, "Perhaps she can help you avoid dying again? It is a terrible discomfort, isn't it?"

[pineapplesalmon]

They've got a lot of time to practice... and be bored.

César doesn't seem to mind the invading, being a big brother; his smile broadens at the compliment towards Magne. "She is highly capable. Honestly, sometimes I do watch her fight from my window if it's safe. God."

He gives a little laugh, surprisingly. "She.. actually did. And she's fussing at me to stay safe so I don't forget when night falls. The last thing I want to do is come back to her in shock like that again."

[tisnotthehouse]

"You already sound halfway to conjunxed!" Tarantulas points out with a quiet little titter. "Pardon me, I mean married. Her fussing over you, you making all these changes to improve your quality of life...if you both stick with it, I think you'll have a very good thing going."

His eyes are like little golden beads as he gazes up at César and says warmly, "I'm quite pleased for you."

[pineapplesalmon]

César can feel his cheeks start to burn, and he laughs warmly, looking at the spider with sincere gratitude. "... well, we should be boyfriend and girlfriend first. But it does feel perfectly natural... and really nice. Thank you."

He chuckles and looks around to find her in the people who have already arrived, watching her talking to someone else. "She's the type of woman my parents hoped I would find."