June Event - Cukey-Scary [The Cucumber Festival]

[pumpkinhollow]

**Plain text version here.

CUKEY-SCARY

Come one, come all!

The long-awaited festival to enjoy vegetables and welcome in the summer months has finally arrived - and this time, completely uninhibited by curses!

Pumpkin Hollow's streets are bright and bustling, adorned with green ribbons, baskets of flowers, and freshly arranged shop stalls to market their goods to the festival-goers as they mill about the streets surrounding the Festival Green. Cheering crowds watch performers perched upon stages, jaunty music played by thoroughly energized bands fills the air, and the smell of freshly-cut cucumbers is carried on the breeze.

Welcome to the Cucumber Festival, a sorely-missed holiday held exclusively on Marrow Isle. It is a festival begun at the town's inception to encourage the newly-established farming community, which was rapidly embraced from then on. Many smaller-scale gardeners dedicate vast amounts of energy in joining farmers to make the festival possible, and this year is more abundant than ever, thanks to the efforts of the new arrivals taking up the farming mantles. The merriment sprawls all over the Festival Green, and even further into the town.

One question yet remains: where to begin?

Cucumber Celebrations Commence!

Copious Cucumber Cuisine

With the cucumber harvest more bountiful this year than it'd ever been, the booths have a wide assortment of offerings - cucumber chips, fried pickles, bowls of salad, breads with chunks of vegetable in them, fritters, among the wide tide of other culinary delights. If you can make it with a cucumber, these people have!

Almost as abundant as the attendees are, the stalls and booths set up with cucumber-centric meals are easily found. much of it is cheap, even free in many cases, and scattered with them are other booths peddling artisan goods.

Challenges of Chance and Cheer

As much as Hollowites enjoy their food, there's rarely an opportunity that they pass up to incorporate games or rides into festivities, and the Cucumber Festival has an extremely wide variety to offer!

The Whirling Wyvern is a ride that stands shortly behind a neat arrangement of picnic tables. Rope fences wind around the ride, giving it a safe distance from any bystanders, and the surrounding area is littered with flour bags, densely stuffed to offer padding.

Watching it even briefly makes it very clear why the padding is needed: the platform, raised about two feet off the ground in the middle, begins to spin its seated riders, rotating faster and faster until they topple, roll, and fall off the sides, into the padding below. People can often be heard nearby making bets with friends to see who can stay on the longest. (It's not a recommended ride for anyone who's been drinking!)

Bumpermobiles is another ride, operating on enchantment instead of electricity and a switch, that may look familiar to some of Pumpkin Hollow's residents from more modern times! Though they lack the distinctive roofed building in favor of a section of paved road closed off with wooden beams, the small carts of the bumpermobiles resemble automobiles of the current time, outfitted with wide-edges to brace the impact they'll inevitably have on one-another! Each one seats two, but are able to be driven on their own, if you'd prefer to focus your conversations on heckling your fellow driver.

Hot Air Balloons are set up not on the Green, but just outside of it, taking a spot just off to the side that's unoccupied by booths or frequent foot-traffic. Each ride carries a maximum of three, not counting the operator, and gives any rider an impressive view of marrow isle for thirty minutes.

The Carousel stands in the center of the Festival Green, chiming cheerful music from the pillar in the center. Horses are joined by the addition of shimmering unicorns, beaked pegasi, and colorfully painted pony-drawn carts (which are crafted to be seats, for those who cannot climb on one of the other mounts).

The Wheel of Chance is a vertical wheel, perched between artisan's booths, offering low-stake prizes for a small payment! 5 Brass allows you to spin the wheel, offering one of ten available prizes:

1. a cucumber, covered in batter and fried, on a stick.
2. a goldfish in a decorative bowl.
3. a pair of pants, with several varieties to choose from.
4. a deck of playing cards.
5. a fine leather-bound notebook.
6. a set of six shot glasses.
7. a bottle of wine.
8. a basket of assorted fruits.
9. a glass-blown animal native to Marrow Isle, palm-sized, in assorted species and colors.
10. 10 Brass. Double your money!

(For any concerned about the wellbeing of the fish: the person operating the wheel assures the health of these goldfish, and that the bowls are simply for festival distribution. They do note, however, that you'll be on the hook, no pun intended, to provide the new home for the fish.)

The Cucumber Festival's Raffle is one of the most coveted opportunities to spend a small sum of brass and win one of the many prizes donated by the community, with all contributions going into community services and upkeep.

Each ticket costs 20 Brass, and each person may purchase up to 5 tickets. There will be three drawings total, granting a small prize, a medium prize, and a grand prize to each winner. One person cannot win more than one prize; if the same person draws a second prize after their first, it will be re-rolled.

To purchase a raffle ticket, please reply to the Pumpkin Hollow mod account comment with RAFFLE TICKETS as the title, also linked here, stating how many tickets your character will be buying. On JUNE 14TH, ticket purchasing will be closed, and the prizes will be rolled!

The prizes are as follows:

1. 1st (small): a telescope, with elegant engravings in the metal, donated by Elias Coldwood.
2. 2nd (medium): a set of two enchanted tea puppies, one glass and one metal, donated by Neil West.
3. 3rd (grand prize): a basket-hilt sword, well-weighted, masterfully crafted, and delightfully ornate, donated by Dahlia Leeds.

Contestants Convene for Competition

Of course, what's a festival without a little bit of friendly competition! Over the week of celebrations, the Cucumber Festival hosts the following activities for any and all participants interested in joining in the fun.

The Cucumber Growing Competition is a celebration of the farmers who made all this possible, as well as a flexing of gardening prowess. Each cucumber is measured in weight, length, and color! The prize for the best cucumber in show is simply a ribbon, but among the Pumpkin Hollow farmers, it's quite a statement to have. Career farmers, hobby gardeners, and onlookers alike gather to see the town's farmers' handiwork!

The Cooking Competition follows directly after the Cucumber Growing Competition. While the larger of the vegetables don't make for very good foods, sacrificing flavor for size, the rest of the entries are cut up and used for a variety of dishes. Chefs of all varieties are encouraged to participate to show their culinary prowess!

The Great Turnip Smash-Off is a cheeky jab at the prior year's failed festival. Wielding any tools they like, including but not limited to one's hands themselves, each contestant is allotted three minutes to destroy as many turnips as they possibly can. The prize for the cucumber festival's first annual turnip slayer is a small trophy for bragging rights!

The Water Walk is a fun sport for all ages! Lined up in rows with metal spoons full of water, the participants must walk carefully to the end of the "racetrack" to a small glass of water, with a line denoted on the side at the middle. The first person to fill their glass to or above that mark wins!

The Variety Show occurs throughout the week, offering the stage to many people of assorted talents. The first day is booked up for magicians (sleight of hand, specifically - mages are politely requested to refrain from participation), and on the following Monday, a "feat of strength" competition will showcase the might of those strongest in Pumpkin Hollow! The other days are yet to be filled, and several festival attendants are waiting with clipboards to accept submissions. Many newcomers have talents they've never seen before, so new submissions of the musical, magical, or other remarkable talent alike are not only welcome, but strongly encouraged!

Carnival Complications

Of course, not all things can go entirely peacefully in Pumpkin Hollow's festivities, and the Cucumber Festival has never been exempt from this. Though the prior years' incident was far more disruptive to the festival's celebrations, several things begin to crop up over the span of the week.

Capricious Crashers

As the festival goes on, it seems that some poltergeists have seen fit to invite themselves to the party. Two games are affected, with varying results.

The Whack-a-Mole Game, during the first night, becomes the first item to start experiencing a mild haunting. Though the specters only make themselves known when the participant is alone, there's a distinct feeling of guilt that comes with each smack, not unlike stepping on a cat's tail without realizing it. Instead of the triumphant jingle that the machine lets out when the game is complete, a stark silence settles in, as though the entire festival has frozen in time. Only then does a whisper, no louder than a breeze, brush past your ear.

Rolling a D3, the spirits haunting the whack-a-mole machine will tell you the following:

1. a secret that isn't yours to have about someone in town.
2. a piece of gossip, a shocking recent happening that may or may not be getting around in whispers.
3. a lie, carefully crafted to impact the way you see one of your fellow townsfolk.

(Mod Note: the information given is always going to be about someone nearby. When tagging into someone's top-level with the Whack-a-Mole Game who's got secrets or gossip, provide a piece of information about your character that the spirits might've said! Additionally, feel free to request a piece of information about an NPC, major or minor. For a lie, anything goes. Have fun with it!)

The Candle-Shooting Game is the next to become haunted, though the haunting is significantly more straightforward. In an act of simple mischief, the flame will occasionally withstand blasts from the water gun that should have surely snuffed it, or the flame will go out just as you line your shot up. These spirits are aiming to ruin this particular game, but not your night.

Cards and Consequences

On the outskirts of the festival, there is a strange building set up. Just a small shack, decorated with celestial trappings and a mysterious air. Above the door, a sign painted black with gold lettering says "HOUSE OF CARDS". Is it a funhouse? A fortune teller? No one's sure who set it up. Perhaps another effort of Captain Tuttle or something.

There is a sign on the double doors that make up the entrance, which reads, "Admission is free, but you must enter in pairs." And true to its word, the doors will not open unless two different people take each door's handle. Otherwise it is definitively locked.

So, choose a companion and go explore! What's the worst that could happen? All you have to do is open the door.

| CONTENT WARNINGS: mild manipulation, unreality, snakes, possible character death. |

Comments

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS

[pumpkinhollow]

Let us know here!

Raffle Ticket Purchasing

[pumpkinhollow]

Each ticket is 20 Brass, to be deducted from your ledger at the time of posting the comment. You can purchase up to 5 tickets.

Prizes will be announced on June 14th!

John Rambo || OTA (overall CW for mildly disordered eating habits)

[theydrewfirstblood]

Cucumber Cuisine

John still isn’t feeling exactly comfortable at big events…but this time he actually attends the Cucumber Festival on purpose.

Co is a happy passenger in her satchel, and almost immediately John is glad he brought her because…well, maybe he subconsciously blocked out the fact that this was a food-based event. It’s everywhere, it’s all delicious looking and smelling…

…and he gets more and more uncomfortable every time someone tries to offer him something.

It helps that a few of the vendors offering free samples of their wares simply press a package upon him—a wrapped up square of cucumber bread, a warm fritter in wax paper, even a couple jars of new pickles and some kind of cold cucumber soup that smells really great.

Still…all that food, and eventually John starts to get genuinely hungry. He doesn’t want to leave yet, though…

It’s only when Co starts pecking at his hip, like she knows he’s upset and needs to take a break, that John finally starts to look around for someplace he might be able to hole up alone for a snack without getting so worked up he can’t hold it down.

Wheel Of Chance

…if it ain’t one thing, it’s another.

John steps up to the wheel, spins—and tries to look happy about the fried cucumber on a stick he gets as his prize. It’s nowhere near as convenient as the samples and take home treats he’s been acquiring all day…

He spends a while wandering with his “treat,” visibly not eating it—hoping he can run into someone he can palm it off on.

Great Turnip Smash Off

After struggling through the whole damn festival, dealing with his bullshit regarding eating in public? The turnip smashing thing looks like real therapeutic fun.

Once he gets the rules, he considers his options carefully before he settles on a good, solid sledgehammer. It’s familiar, thanks to the prison quarry, it can do a lot of damage when used properly—

And as he gets into it, destroying turnips under its weight is just plain satisfying.

Even Co, who has been left to nest on the sidelines in her satchel, seems to enjoy the show, clucking raucously and flapping her wings whenever John obliterates an especially messy turnip.

[mindflayed]

No matter how much he reads about them, how many times his previous traveling companions have tried to explain about festivals, Imbros just does not get these events. What is the purpose of any of this? Why is everyone carrying around deep fried things? Spinning wheels? What is that music? And why does it smell like that? (And he smells through his skin so he can't avoid that one).

He pauses to watch someone absolutely annihilate some turnips while a chicken cheers him on.

Somehow he understands even less than he did five minutes ago.

It's weirdly fascinating though, and he stands there with his hands folded behind his back, tentacles undulating gently, as turnip viscera covers the area.

Claude von Riegan | OTA

[inaurate]

Chance and Cheer

The Whirling Wyvern grabs his attention, because it's loud and attention-grabbing, and he is absolutely going to go on that thing more than once. Same goes for the Hot Air Balloons-- neither ride fully scratches the itch of going for a fly with his wyvern, but it's better than nothing. The Bumpercars don't have that kind of draw for him, but he'll still go a round or two.

If rides aren't your thing, maybe you'll run into him frowning thoughtfully at the goldfish in a bowl he's won from the Wheel of Chance. He's never had to care for an animal that couldn't fend for itself for the most part-- now full responsibility for this tiny life has been foisted upon him by the whims of fate! This sort of thing is why he doesn't like games of chance, ugh... and he definitely needs something else to keep it in, this bowl is way too small.

Secret Secrets Don't Make Friends

Claude has never played anything even resembling this 'whack a mole' game before, so he has no context for what they're usually like, but this one seems-- off somehow, even still.

The sense of unease only grows once he wins and everything comes to a standstill. This is a game, meant to be played for fun? Who enjoys this?

And then a secret about someone nearby is whispered in his ear.

House of Cards - first attempt (closed to existing CR, only one person may claim for obvious reasons)

Claude has spent some time investigating the mysterious shack, and yeah, there really is no other way in-- and the doors won't budge the tiniest bit for him. If he wants to find out what's in there, and he very much does, he's going to need a partner in crime.

For that, he will seek out a familiar face-- things aren't always as harmless as they seem, after all, and if he needs someone with him to investigate an unknown, he'd rather it be someone he does know.

House of Cards - again! (ota)

Regardless of the results of his first attempt (or any other previous ones), Claude will be back at the House of Cards for another go at it. It's an intriguing place, and he wants to explore more of it. Having gotten the gist of how it works, he's far more willing to enter with anyone else curious as to the puzzle within, stranger or no.

Wildcard

[y'all know the drill. catch him at any number of food booths, checking out the artisan goods, or taking a break to watch the variety show. He will definitely give the Candle-Shooting Game a go until it's clear that the game cheats lol. For anything not specifically mentioned, he'd be down to give it a go if someone else he's with wants to but it isn't something he'd do on his own.]

HoC take 2

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia catches sight of one of her prospective Town Hall colleagues outside the House of Cards and decides to say hello.

"Looking for someone to go in with?" she asks, eyeing the door with interest. "I've heard some interesting rumors about this thing."

Arilanna Tayrey | OTA

[astrogator]

1. Hot Air Balloons [this one is for friends only]

It isn't a starship, or even a hovercar or helicopter, but this is as close to a proper flight as Tayrey is ever likely to get in this town. She spends the first day studying it from a distance, determining how the balloon functions, what exactly the operator is doing. It doesn't look so difficult, she reasons.

After that, it's a matter of persuasion. Won't they give her a lesson, let her take control of it? She'll be exceptionally careful. It takes some strong negotiation , but ultimately she's successful. Tayrey learns to fly, all over again, and it might not be as high or as far as she's used to, but it's been so long since she had a carefree flight that she doesn't care at all.

She makes time for it almost every day. When it's very quiet, it might just be her and the operator, but if she spots a friend, she'll rush over to them excitedly.

'Peace and prosperity! Will you fly with me? It'll be fun, I promise!'

2. Wheel of Chance

Tayrey doesn't have money to waste, it's true, but when she sees this wheel costs only five brass, she can't help but try it out. Her first spin gets her a deck of cards, which makes her grin. A very satisfactory result!

It does mean that she needs only the lightest encouragement to spin again, and this time, her five brass is converted into ten. Even better! 'Well, I'll stop there!' she tells the woman looking after the wheel. 'Breaking even, and with a nice prize, can't hope for better than that! Probability smiled today.'

She turns to the person behind her. 'Let's hope it smiles on you too,' she says, stepping to the side to watch them take their turn.

3. Whack-A-Mole

It's late when Tayrey decides to take a turn at this game. She's had a long day, and her bag is full of very reasonably-priced cucumber delicacies. (As will surprise nobody who knows her, she rejected the free offerings entirely - but that doesn't mean she can't appreciate a bargain when she sees one.

Her reflexes are quick, so she's good at the game, but she's beginning to feel uneasy about it. It's very quiet, and maybe the enjoyment she's taking in hitting this machine with a mallet isn't altogether healthy? She'd thought it would be fine, that there's no reason she shouldn't have fun here, nobody to judge her for not being constantly on-duty. Only now there's a creeping sense of guilt.

And then the whisper. 'Elsie was born out of wedlock, and no one knows who the father is.'

'Who said that?' Tayrey demands, but there's no answer. 'I was born out-of-contract too, you got a problem with that?' Elsie's her friend, and while nobody out on the Tradelines cares about that sort of thing, it can be a problem in upper Company circles, on the corporate colonies. She's not sensitive about it, but she knows there are people who think she ought to be.

The ghostly whisper won't be overheard, but Tayrey's indignant response might have been, if anyone's close.

4. Wildcard

Contact me to plot out something else!

Wheel Of Chance

[adreamtorise]

"Fortunately, I'm loving the food so far!"

The cheerful, buxom blonde standing next in line grins at the other young woman's sweet well-wishes. She's an absolutely devastating beauty, small and dark and lean as she is, and Anne Forsythe is simply envious of her good looks.

Anne...well, she's not overly worried about being a little taller, but if she had he druthers, she'd dye her hair and get a breast reduction. Still, it pays the bills from time to time to leave well enough alone, black sheep or not.

The other young woman is just about to walk away when Anne suddenly feels that familiar flutter in her stomach, and then the same simple knowledge that brought her to the game so she could win one of those delightful baskets of fruit...

"Oooh! Waitwaitwait--hang on just a moment." Anne urges, one hand fluttering as she reaches out to gently tap the girl's shoulder to try and keep her close. "You'll like this!"

She pays her five brass, spins the wheel...and a moment later, has her basket of fruit in hand. Rummaging around for a moment, she frowns when she doesn't find the oranges she thought she was going to get--but beams again when she finds something that looks like a tangelo or tangerine. Citrus still, not too severe...should be good, right?

"Yes!" she squeals happily, popping it out and offering it to her. "It's always a good day when I can make a beautiful girl smile, and this should do the job...and sharing goodies is always a great way to make friends anyhow."

Bronwyn Thysania [THEY/THEM ONLY] | Test Drive | OTA

[withthemooninoureyes]

[ OOC Note: Bronwyn has a number of psychic abilities. Please see their bio for more information and to opt out if necessary! Additionally, I’ve test driven them before and have made excuses that they’ve been hiding in Paradesium so I’m just gonna keep rolling with that lol ]

-Reintroduction-

It’s hard to go from a society whose entire lifestyle is carefully structured around staying hidden from humans and then suddenly being surrounded by them. What’s harder still, however, is going from being a cornerstone of one’s community to having no community at all. And it is for this reason that the 9-foot tall moth person from space finally emerges from their hiding place in Paradesium not under the cover of nightfall for once and decides to reintegrate into society, humans be damned. (No offense to the humans, of course.)

And what a time to do so! When they arrive back in town, attempting to be somewhat inconspicuous despite their size, they come upon a festival! Lunari adore festivals, so despite the crowds, this goes a long way toward making them feel more at home. And there’s so much to do!

-Cucumber Cuisine-

There’s very few things as good as a home grown cucumber. Bronwyn used to tear through their mothers’ cucumbers like tissue paper when they were a caterpillar. One of the benefits of living on a veggie farm is that there’s always more where that came from.

At this point, Bronwyn has put away two entire containers of gazpacho, tried six different cucumber salads, and was allowed to eat the third-place cucumber from the competition. They are currently working on a bowl of cucumber noodles tossed in some sort of lemon sauce. “Mmm, this is good!” They turn to the person next to them, who may or may not be staring. “Have you tried this?”

-Fortune Telling-

After gorging themself on as much food as they could get their hands on, Bronwyn set up a makeshift fortune telling station on one of the tables, pulling out handmade or found divination items from a rucksack woven from plant fiber. A piece of labradorite, a metal bowl from the dwarven ruins (taken with permission from Esmeray), and a set of homemade tarot cards.

“Anyone care to get their fortune told?” They ask aloud. “Just for fun! No cost but your time.”

-Variety Show-

Signing up for a slot at the variety show, Bronwyn takes the stage when it is their turn.

“I’m Bronwyn Thysania, the magnificent mind-reading moth!” Their tone is playful. “I can read your thoughts! Volunteers only, of course.”

Cucumber Cuisine

[adreamtorise]

"No, not yet--sorry, can I just?..."

Grateful for the chance to talk to the strange, absolutely fascinating moth person she's been failing not to stare at while inhaling food, Anne shuffles a few steps closer and hovers a hand in the air near the general vicinity of their wings.

"I've always been told you shouldn't touch a moth's wings or they won't be able to fly anymore--your wings are just so pretty!" she gushes. "I've never seen anyone like you before, and I just really wanted to look but I didn't want to be rude..."

She trails off, she peers at their bowl of noodles and breathes in the delicious lemon fragrance of the sauce they've been tossed in.

"...okay, that does smell good. I'll find some meat later--could you show me where you got that? I could normally sniff it out but there's just so many yummy things in the air!"

Malcolm Carver | Test Drive | OTA

[md_ceased]

-Arrival-

Having been alive as long as Malcolm Carver, it’s challenging to conceive of the idea of ever truly dying. And yet here he is, in an office with a woman with white hair who has politely informed him that he has died. “Completely this time,” she adds, for good measure. “But it doesn’t have to stay that way…”

Of course he accepted. There was no question. Even if he cannot make it back to his own world, he has too much to do. He took up immortality so that he could help people. He’s not about to let something as trivial as death stop him now.

He did not expect to be thrown headlong into a festival, though. That’s new.

Carver came through to this new world with nothing but his glasses and some unfamiliar clothes on his back, but is relieved to find that the ferryman has a large black umbrella for him to carry. For the …sunlight impaired folk like himself, this is basically an essential medical device. And so he disembarks from the ferry, umbrella shielding him from prolonged sun exposure, and wanders into the funny little festival which seems to be centered around cucumbers.

-Fun & Games-

Unable to eat more than a little bit of “human food,” Carver decides to start with some of the games.

So of course the thing he wins at the wheel of chance is food! Greasy, fried food no less. Incredible. He clears his throat and approaches someone. Anyone. “Ah, excuse me--- I won this but can’t eat it. Would you like it?”

Then it’s off to a few other games with less edible prizes. Over the centuries he’s gotten quite good at ring tosses and roller ball games, and is even able to set aside his umbrella for a moment to do the test of strength. (He aces it, despite his mousy appearance.) So now he has a new problem--- a plethora of plush animals, including a grotesque, vacant-eyed plush of what appears to be the Jersey Devil? He approaches someone else. “Pardon me, I don’t suppose there’s anywhere I could--- donate these to charity? I can’t really carry all of them and my umbrella, and I do need the umbrella…”

-Rides-

Throughout the day, Carver can be seen watching the carousel, the bumpermobiles, and the Whirling Wyvern somewhat wistfully. He never seems to get on any of them, he just watches other people ride them and sighs.

-Drunk Doctor-

As things wind down for the evening, Carver decides that, screw it, he can live a little. He gets himself a cucumber gin and tonic and nurses it slowly so as not to upset his undead stomach--- he’s accustomed to eating a bit of normal food, but alcohol is always uncomfortable if he doesn’t pace himself.

Unfortunately, this has left him a bit of a lightweight.

“This holiday is great,” he starts rambling to literally the nearest person. “Cucumbers are so good for you. I mean--- they have a little bit of sugar. Just a little. But they’re also an amazing source of vitamin K. Do you know what vitamin K does? Most people don’t. Cucumbers have 57% of your daily intake of it in them. And so much potassium. And such high water content! And don’t even get me started on electrolytes in pickle juice---- Oh but pickle juice has a lot of sodium, you shouldn’t eat too much sodium. Did you know you can overdose on sodium?”

He can keep this up all day.

Drunk Doctor

[astrogator]

It's getting late. Tayrey's had a couple of drinks herself, but not enough to do more than enhance her already relaxed, sociable state of mind. The young woman in the blue spacer uniform listens intently to this unsolicited information from her neighbor.

'It's good for blood clotting, right? The vitamin. And sure, you can overdose on sodium, but isn't it an absurd quantity of the stuff? Same as you can overdose caffeine, but you'd have to be trying to make it happen.'

Yes, as far as she's concerned this is a totally reasonable conversation.

Gabriel Van Helsing | OTA unless otherwise noted

[now_you_know]

Early Festival

“Not a-fuckin’-gain…”

Gabriel has just played the Wheel of Chance and is considering the deck of playing cards he’s won when he hears the next man curse his prize.

“Problem?” He asks curiously as the man departs the boot with a fried cucumber in hand.

The man seems surprised to have been spoken to, then blushes. “Eh…already got one of these.”

“Mmm…is it good?”

“Sure smells good.”

“…perhaps you’d care to trade?”

Which is how John Rambo gets shut of a second fried cucumber, and Gabriel Van Helsing ends up wandering the festival with a fried cucumber on a stick, feeling…strangely carefree.

The cucumber is really quite good—and soon finds Gabriel sampling more of the local cuisine when he’s not trying some of the carnival games. He figures out the fix early on, but doesn’t play much for himself. He takes on a few for prizes he’s actually interested in—a strangely pleasing little plush of a local creature called the Pine Devil, and after a couple more trips to the Wheel of Chance he acquires a goldfish and new pair of trousers.

None of it feels natural. None of it feels right.

…but every time he considers retiring to the Oak & Iron, he finds himself loathe to do so. He’s…not well versed in it, but he’s actually having a good time.

And he doesn’t want it to end.

Later Festival (closed to Valdis)

Gabriel has borne witness to a few of the later events, and even considered entering the turnip smashing competition, but ends up passing on the opportunity. He is, in truth, considering heading back to the inn when he catches sight of something near the fringes of the grounds. As he draws closer, it doesn’t seem like much more than a cheap carnival fortune teller…

…and he realizes, as well, that he isn’t alone. Someone is inspecting the sign.

“…Valdis?”

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis turns, giving him a little smile.

"Hey, you look like you've been enjoying yourself," she says, noting the things he's carrying. She nods toward the tent. "What do do something potentially more dangerous than running around a festival?"

fever | ota

[abhorrently]

celebration.

This is the first festival she's been to in recollection, and Fever's thoroughly enjoying herself for it. The rides sweep her in quickly, and she finds herself on the Whirling Wyvern more than once, laughing bright and genuinely amused, even when she's inevitably thrown off to fall amid the bags, stumbling out to let the dizziness wear off before going on again. The hot air balloons are a good place to see the sights and to take a breather, and the bumpermobiles are curious contraptions to at least watch. There's scents and sounds and music in the air, and everyone's high spirits contribute to her own - the occasional stabbing stirrings not withstanding.

And of course, with music, there must be dancing, and if the song moves her, there's no reason why not if others are also enjoying it. With some of the locals happy to teach new steps, she's glad to be part of it, to welcome another in with a look or find someone else there. Of course, for the wallflowers, sometimes one does have to sit down and rest their feet a moment..

cards. (closed.)

"You must enter in pairs."

Speaking the words aloud doesn't make them any less intriguing, and Fever looks the shack over with great interest. It feels out of place, strange. And absolutely worth going into. But even without the sign, she wouldn't deeply want to enter alone. So, she steps back, until she catches a particular set of eyes.

"What do you think? Interested?"

wildcard.

[something else in mind? anything's open! she'll be interested in sampling the cuisine, poking around any of the booths, and generally getting involved anywhere a body can. only thing she will not be involved in is the ghost secrets. will match format of tagins, can write custom starters if asked. opt out post.]

Celebration

[astrogator]

Tayrey's here, looking relaxed, eyeing up the Whirling Wyvern. Spotting Fever, she rushes over towards her.

'Peace and prosperity! Tell me, how do you rate your chances on that?' She''s in two minds about trying it out herself, but there's no better incentive than a little healthy competition, right?'

Imbros | OTA

[mindflayed]

Snack Time
Imbros hasn't quite figured out this joint custody arrangement he has with Jamison over Sir Radishly Stunsalot the First, but he currently has the little oddish sitting on the palm of his hand as he walks around the festival. A vendor presses a small paper package of fried pickles into his other hand and the confused mindflayer just accepts it because he doesn't know what to do.

Standing off to the side at the end of the row of vendors, and out of the overwhelming confusion of unfamiliar sights and sounds, he can be found feeding the fried pickles one at a time to the Oddish who bounces for joy after each deep fried disc is eaten. At least someone is enjoying themselves.

House of Cards
While Imbros can't eat the food, and has zero brass to spend on spinning the wheel, the shack with mystical symbols is basically calling to him. He tries the door, but apparently the Oddish doesn't count as a second person because it's not letting him in. He glares at the structure as he considers telekinetically knocking the whole thing over.

If he can't find out what's inside, then no one can.

House of Cards

[saltwaterlungs]

"Do they not have doors in like the ocean."

Hi. There is a very dead teenager just kinda hanging out nearby with what appears to be a fried cucumber, entirely uneaten. They're subjecting Phil to it later.

"I guess it would be hard to have doors in the ocean. Since water is like water and not air."

Yorick Aberdeen...? [Just kidding, it's Doopliss from Paper Mario: TTYD!] | Voicetesting | OTA

[creepysteeple]

Arrival / Early Festival

Right after seeming to perish one way or another, according to the lady in the office, Dooplis' luck is really starting to turn around!

There's a festival going on, and the people of this town are way friendlier than any other town he's moved into. It was a no-brainer to steal the tour-guy's mustachioed face, judging by how many people seem to really like the guy. No "body stealing" without some extra power charge, so there's the trouble of two of them running around, but after Yorick lamented having to miss the first day of the festival, what kind of new friend would Doopliss be if he didn't try to help the poor guy out? No disappointed friends missing out on their bowler-hatted buddy, and free food with enthusiastic reactions for borrowing his appearance! It seems like a win-win no matter which way he turns it.

(It's such a win-win that telling Yorick isn't even necessary. How's that for easy?)

The second Yorick is much more bombastic than the classic one, and writes off anyone's questions about that as him just having a really excellent day. He gladly butts into people's games, invites himself to share food with other "new friends," and is incredibly nosy about what his fellow festival-goers have going on. And, unfortunately for you (or him), you're his next object of interest!


Cards and Consequences

For how gladly he's invited himself to anything and everything else, the House of Cards has given Doopliss pause.

It's been nearly ten minutes, and he's been staring at the door, looking around to see if anyone else was seeing this building, before looking back at it. The vibes are... strange. It just looks like some kind of funhouse, but something about it just isn't sitting right with him. He generally considers himself pretty bold, markedly unafraid, but he hasn't even moved to try the door yet.

He's only just considering moving to check it out when someone's approach makes him jump, and he whirls around, all but barking at the new face that'd joined him.

"HEY! Don't you know better than to sneak up on people, Slick!? Sheesh!"

Early Festival

[pumpkinhollowites]

"Hey!" A woman comes up to him, seeming very familiar with the man who Doopliss is pretending to be. She has dark ringlets and a stern brow, but she lights up warmly at the sight of him, taking his hand and leaning in to steal a kiss. Very familiar, indeed. "I thought you said you weren't going to make it today. Did you manage to catch up on your work?"

Well, Doopliss, looks like today you have a girlfriend.

Peter Starr (Aka Number 6) | OTA | Look what the Mr. Mime dragged in...

[be_seeing_you]

[CW: For trauma of surviving a week in the wild, and for terminal illness]

A winged man in tattered clothes with a scraggly beard and messy strawberry blond hair (but hardly any eyebrows) stumbles into the festival clearing on the first day. He's practically being held up on the shoulders of an extremely worried looking Mr. Mime.

"You've done it," Number 6 rasps to his Pokémon companion, as they both hobble up to the nearest stall with any kind of food. "You got us back. Please... water..."

"Mime! Mime!" the Mr. Mime fusses, trying to get Number 6 to sit down before he fully collapses. The Pokémon reaches out a hand to the stall-owner in front of them, gesturing for a cup most likely, or some food. Either will suffice.

[Wildcard/Festivities]
A few days later, once he's showered and rested, Number 6 insists on going back out to the festival to enjoy it properly. Those tea puppies are handsome and he'd like a chance to win them. He'd also like a chance to discuss growing techniques with some of the other farmers here. He could be easily enough convinced to try a few rides and fair food, too, with the right encouragement. But the pace will have to be slow going because he's still a little winded from his week-long excursion to get out of the deep caves of Paradesium. Also, his Mr. Mime will insist on coming along.

[decohere]

Ava doesn't intend to attend the festival at first. With her husband missing several days after his death, she's more preoccupied with trying to track him down...

But then she realizes the crowd might be the best opportunity to seek out anyone who might know something. She stays up late the night before the opening, painstakingly drawing 'MISSING' posters with her best attempt of portraits of Peter, with varying angles and facial expressions from one poster to the next.

She's handing them out to the attendees, to those she recognizes and those she does not, until somebody finally gestures her in the direction of a batch of nearby food stalls. Ava hurries over, the remaining stack of posters dropped and fluttering everywhere as she flickers from view, only appearing again when she's right in front of him. "Peter!"

She doesn't notice the Mime yet.

John Crichton | Not technically apped yet but 100% planning on it | OTA

[ss_buttcrack]

"You guys really like your cucumbers, huh?" Crichton says as he wanders aimlessly around the festival grounds checking out the various attractions and sampling any of the food he's offered for free. He's very obviously a new arrival since he's only got that one pair of clothes he showed up in. Shame, they don't do his bubble-butt any justice. Maybe he'll try to win some new pants from the wheel of chance.

But first, bumper cars!

Crichton laughs like a maniacal mad man as he steers his magically propelled car around the track, flooring it in an attempt to ram the bumper in front of him. Sorry not sorry if that's you.

"Maybe I should try that Whirling Wyvern thing next? What do ya think?" he asks to whoever is within earshot. "Bet I can hang on longer than anyone else. Been there, done that in space camp."

Everything seems all hunky-dory right up until he takes a turn on the Whack-A-Mole. [Rolled a 1]. His blood runs cold as the silence sets in and a whisper comes to him from out of the wind. It's not Harvey. It can't be Harvey. But, if not that then... what?

[Wildcard/House of Cards]
I'd love to take Crichton through the house of cards so please pick me! (More than one is fine). Also, hit me with anything you want here, I'm wide open.

Rides!

[md_ceased]

"Hm?" Carver had been admiring the rides and people watching, big black umbrella over his head, when a stranger begins musing on the Whirling Wyvern. He's handsome, which is incredibly stressful, so he turns on Doctor Brain and just pretends this conversation is professional.

"You're an astronaut, then?"

George Elsworth | OTA

[stonecoldtop]

Around and about

Does George actually want to be at a festival right now? He's not sure. But he knows himself, and knows what he's like if he's not seeing anyone other than clients on a regular basis. So to the festival he goes.

He can be found at various points, eating cucumber chips as he wanders, watching the rides or the talent show, without ever really participating. Occasionally he turns to one side, mouth open to say something, but whoever he was expecting to see isn't there. So he sighs, and moves on to the next place.


Wheel of Chance

Most of the games George doesn't even glance at, his dignity right now wouldn't survive losing a carnival game. The wheel, however, is low stakes and almost all the prizes look useful or enjoyable.

So he pays his money, steps up to spin the wheel, and.........

It's a fish.
Of course it's a fish.
The single prize he didn't want.
What's he even supposed to do with a fish?


House of Cards [closed to Siebren]

A strange building with a suspicious sign and enchantment should trigger alarm bells for George, and maybe it would if he weren't off kilter. As it is, he's just curious, and it's not long before he spots a familiar face.

"Siebren! It's good to see you again," He greets, warm and bright with no trace of the strange mood he's been in for the rest of the festival, "I don't suppose you'd be interested in joining me for the house of cards, would you?"

This is my prompt! It was made for me!

[spaghettification]

"I would be interested in exploring it with you, yes."

He holds the door open for George, and then startles when he realizes the landscape is hardly what he expected the inside of a funhouse to be.

"Are...are you seeing this too?" His voice shakes a little. He is very accustomed to doubting his perceptions, but having someone else to check him may help.

Gwen Stacy | OTA

[thismaskismybadge]

Gwen hasn't been to a something like this in so long. Maybe ever since she was a kid, the days when even when her father was busy with work May and Ben would take the kids out to have some fun. She doesn't want to dwell on that, the nostalgia hurts, but she does want to enjoy herself.

The Whirling Wyverns is just the right kind of exhilarating. With strangers or friendly acquaintances that don't know about her powers yet, she shamelessly offers, "I bet I can stay on longer than you," which... well, those who watch or ride alongside her will find that this teenager holds on for a frankly implausibly long time. Whooping and laughing the whole time, until even she's too dizzy and stops letting herself stick to her seat to go flying off into the flour bags.

Friends may also get urged into joining her on the carousel, where all she really wants to do is chill out—except for when she suddenly decides to change mount mid-ride, which in practice means leaping from one pole to the next free creature. Being told off will not stop her.

She'll also take part in the Turnip Smashing, where her super-strength is quickly put to use taking all of her restless energy out on the poor unfortunate turnips. She makes a hell of a show of it, too. Doesn't even bother with a tool she just gets right in there.

And outside of all that, she spends plenty of time eating cucumber snacks (and man, anything that reminds her of street food really reminds her of home) and playing her way through the various games. She's got quite quite a knack for those that require good aim or other physical skills, and she's happy to win prizes for friends or new acquaintances alike. (Though she will shamelessly invoke girlfriend rights with a certain many-armed young man to get him to win her something, should he join her. So what if she could win it herself, it's the principle of the thing.)

[ Wildcards also welcome. ]

[dupli_arms]

Shouji had just brought it up offhand the last time they'd talked about what they might be able to do here, but now? Now he's got this. It's a festival. There are rides. There are games. There are things to do and prizes to win and he has a mission.

"What would you like to do first?" he had asked her when he'd showed up hand in hand with Gwen at the same time that he'd had an eye up to scan the fairgrounds for something that looked interesting. Of course, just letting himself be pulled around and pointed in various directions was easy enough to do, given he really wants to make this a good first official date.

Degas Clayton | NPC

[preacher_in_reticence]

Turnip Smashing
Truth be told Degas hates turnips. Melly had a strange fondness for the root vegetable so he gladly suffered many a meal with them included, but she was, ahm, not skilled at cooking vegetables. It was one of her very few flaws he'll acknowledge.

Between that and the ruined festival last year, Degas has a lot of disdain for the roots laid out for destruction. It might surprise some to see the local preacher enacting brutal pipe murder on these poor unassuming taproots, especially after he mentioned he doesn't do violence during the game of Never Have I Ever. But he sure is exuberant about it!

Catch him during his smashing spree, or afterwards grabbing some water and catching his breath.


Shopping Spree
In the afternoon, Degas lingers over some of the artisan booths, a thoughtful frown on his face as he examines a handmade wooden clock, or a set of plates. Mostly home goods. He seems hesitant at the idea of buying anything, but he's very pensive about it all.

Perhaps he just needs some suggestions?


Wildcard
[find me on discord to plot, or yeet yourself at me. i'm easy.]

Cadence | Crypt of the Necrodancer/Cadence of Hyrule (post-game) | 20

[wighttoremain]

(Shopping Spree)

A nearby young woman also seems to be trying to make up her mind.

"Huh. Not a lot here for fighting skeletons, huh?"

Max Maximum | OTA

[maximumcake]

He loves cucumbers! (Not like that.) Even better, he loves competitions. So he is, predictably, all over this festival partaking as enthusiastically as one can. Catch him flitting from booth to booth tasting every dish on offer, while sniffing them first in the way a wine connoisseur swirls a glass of wine to detect the flavor scent notes before tasting.

He takes his food very seriously, but that doesn't mean he doesn't also play hard. He can't resist a good carnival attraction, so he gives the wheel a spin. "Aw..." he whines a little when it lands on 10. He was hoping for one of the fun prizes, but double his money does mean he can try for the raffle instead. He'd love to get those tea puppies for Valdis and Ylva.

The rides and games are all great fun, of course, but the main attraction for Max is the cooking competition. He came prepared with his apron and extra ingredients. Sometimes simplicity is the best answer, so he's decided to make a nice summery cucumber and blueberry salad. Fresh mint and feta cheese are paired with the acid of the vinaigrette in just the right amount to bring out the sweetness of the blueberries and the crisp refreshing bite of the cucumbers. Personally, he feels he should get points for how he talks through every step as he does it right there in front of the judges, just to show off how easy it would be for the folks of Pumpkin Hollow to replicate it at home. Cooking should be for everyone.

[House of cards | OTA]
Later into the day he finds himself wandering around munching on a pickle absently when that House Of Cards shack attracts his interest. Okay, now this really reminds him of festivals back home. There was always that one really iffy looking building at the back of the festival that kids would all dare each other to go into. But, when he tries the door, he finds it locked. Oh, duh, he should have read the sign.

"Enter in pairs? I wonder who else I can dare to come in with me?"

House of Cards

[redlightgreenlight]

Though she's been through the House of Cards with variable success, she's not about to let Max go alone.

"Hey."

She takes his arm.

"I'll go with you, just be aware it may not be a happy ending."

Hawkeye Pierce | OTA

[notinflictthem]

My whole life's been a torid affair [meta]

Hawk drags himself out of bed for the festival. People have most certainly been checking in with him during his sabbatical of sleeping a lot and drinking and waiting to hear if someone’s got shrapnel in their bowels and need him. But there’s one big issue with this place. Without a constant stream of injured, he has no good reason to get up and out of this funk like he does back home.

Maybe this is a good enough reason. Hawk looks scruffy and weary as he schleps in. But hey, his spirits have always lifted quickly, this is no exception.

'Cause I've had too many bottles of gin

His nose leads him to the food stalls first. Mostly he’s had cucumbers in salads, but the strange preparations of it are a welcome novelty. He quickly becomes animated in his compliments to the cooks, offering “this is incredible” and “how’d you learn how to make this?”.

Bystanders won’t be allowed to be bystanders for much longer, as he grabs people to offer-
“Have you tried this?! Try some-“
Or
“Split this with me? I’ll pay.”

Marriage and babies were never for me

Hawk wins a little glass bird from the wheel, menaces some strangers on the bumper cars, and demands the carousel pegasus take him to the corner of 34th and right here. And if that’s not bad enough, later on he convinces the organizers to let him do a comedy routine. And a monologue from Richard III. And a song. And a second song. He has to get physically dragged off-stage, quipping about his encore as he goes. Hawk remembers how his father sighed in relief when he went into medicine and not the stage, but he’s still an incorrigable showboat who lives on people’s laughter. He can be found afterwards nursing his ego with good humour and offering autographs.

But neither is living in sin

He throws himself into the dancing like a man possessed, adding his own flourishes and flirting haphazardly with anyone he ends up partnered with. Come dance with him willingly. Or if you’re a wallflower, this lanky bastard will appear, holding a hand out with a-
“You get a better view of the dancing from the middle of it”
Or
“C’mon, dance with me- I’ll lead, all you have to do is look gorgeous”

Blame the man who sleeps in my bed

[wildcard, contact me here or via discord @ hyenapie]

never for me

[goodweather]

Phil hangs out of immediate sight from the stage. His hearing and vision is certainly more than enough to make up for the distance, and he's mostly away so that he doesn't kill Hawkeye's nice little performer's mood. He prattles like someone's wound him up with a key in his back and let him run. Huh, who'd have thought he'd have memorized Shakespeare.

(And fine, maybe he's been feeling off-kilter himself. The slowly building headache isn't helping.)

After he gets pulled offstage, he remains some ways away for a little bit before he comes around.

"Hey," he offers. "Nice work up there. Didn't even look like you broke a sweat."

Darcy Lejeune | OTA

[saltwaterlungs]

Down among the dead the wide-eyed

The last time there was a carnival on, Darcy was back on the ship and didn’t attend from a period of low mood. Here now, they’ve been doing fine. It’s been quiet and boring, long shifts at work punctuated by visits to the graveyard and looking after Mephistopheles (who they’ve successfully taught to sit on their shoulder like a parrot). A… nice? Kind of boring?

They’ve been working enough lately that the idea of entering the cooking contest churns their stomach a little. So instead they pick through the food for the weirdest options they can find.

If you’re a friend, you may have a curious dish handed to you with a mutedly amused “hey have this. You’re welcome.”

Otherwise, Mephistopheles (with his dark adult feathers coming in, looking like a scruffy teenager) may decide that your food is more appealing than the raw cucumber he’s been given, and will start helping himself.

And the legless only half ahead

On a lucky wheel spin, Darcy gets a nice leather notebook, and she spends a moment just enjoying the leather smell before her eyes drift to the grand prize of the raffle, her eyes wide.

“Hey-“ if she sees you buying a ticket, “I will straight up trade you nearly anything for it if you win that sword. Swear to God, any favour you want, I need that fucking sword.”

Half a mouth to laugh in the porthole

Very quickly, Darcy’s competitive spirit comes to the surface. He isn’t the best at turnip destruction, but he slashes them to pieces stylishly with Tristesse. Many of the mundane carnival games fall to the strength of his arm, which does mean that he ends up with a stupid amount of prizes.
So as you’re walking past, you’ll get a stuffed animal pressed into your hands.

“Here. Take it. Don’t thank me.”

The only one he holds onto is a small rabbit, which he sits and examines with a impenetrable expression.

With the mold and faded epitaphs

[wildcard, hit me up here or on discord @ hyenapie]

Half a mouth to laugh in the porthole

[thismaskismybadge]

"Do I look like I need more of these things, Darcy?"

Gwen, already carrying around a few small prizes from various games and now holding a stuffed unicorn, is grinning at him the second she realises who she's finally run into.

Alice Dyer | OTA

[closureisformovies]

Alice seems to be here mostly for the food, going by the way she can be seen stuffing her face around the festival. She's never been one to turn down cheap or free food (unless it's Lena offering it) and even if most cucumber snacks wouldn't usually rate all that high for her (she's partial to a good pickle, at least), right now she's wolfing them down. When she's not also feeding them to Snookums the Snubbull who's following her about.

She doesn't touch the rides much, though those going on the Whirling Wyvern might find her standing nearby a little ways from the flour bags and commenting, "What is the appeal of getting yeet at high speeds into the ground? There's gotta be better ways to make the world start spinning."

There's also some customary British grumbling about the games being rigged, whether or not that's true—it may as well be a tradition of going to these kinds of things, after all, and Alice isn't doing great at the games. Though she gets lucky sometimes. In some ways she really is aggressively normal, what can she say.

Occasionally, you might also hear her snapping her fingers and admonishingly saying, "Dennis, don't you dare," for seemingly no reason, until you look and spot an Impidimp currently about to try and sabotage some game or another. It's entirely hit or miss if he actually listens to Alice.

[ Wildcards also welcome. ]

Games!

[apocryphalarchivist]

Jon's just about to toss a ring at the nearest game's booth, when the snapping catches his attention, even for a moment. All it gets is a glance, a curious skim of the situation, but he can't quite figure out where, who, or what Dennis is. It's not exactly something for him to worry about, he doesn't imagine. Maybe it's a dog, or a rowdy friend that she's trying to get under control. Best of luck to her.

It starts becoming his problem when his Dusknoir, a ridiculously tall creature even taller by the virtue of floating, has picked up some poor pink critter by its head from where it seemed to be angling to topple over the ring-toss itself.

It doesn't take Knowing to know that right there, gracelessly lifted off the ground and held there, is Dennis.

Aw, shit, here they go.

"Grimmley! God's sake, put it down! Put it down." He sits the ring aside, waves frantically at the Dusknoir, who looks offended in the same way a pompous old man might, and opts to indignantly not do that. Is nothing easy?

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, he's--- a poor listener," Jon tries to explain Alice's way, clearly flustered by the ordeal. "Thinks he knows better than anyone on this goddamn island, I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to let him tag along."

Shen Qingqiu | OTA

[xiaoxiuya]

Cards and Consequences

"Well, this isn't ominous at all," Shen Qingqiu says wryly as he and Doctor Menelikov stand in front of the brightly labeled House of Cards. "What do you suppose lies inside?"

The evening has wound on long enough for a few signs of hauntings to pop up -- Shen Qingqiu has in particular received several reports of disturbing sensations and whispering around the Whack-a-Mole game, although his efforts to exorcise it were unsuccessful -- but this, an enclosed space calculated to lure people inside, is especially suspicious.

Shen Qingqiu would love to find out what's inside, but for the moment he plays it cool, idly fanning his face as he waits for Anzu's thoughts.

Wildcard

[I might add more prompts in the comments as inspiration strikes, but for now if you'd like to interact with SQQ at the festival feel free to DM me or simply post a tag here! Come at me bro <3]

Cards and Consequences

[amourtician]

Anzu pries himself away from the sight of Shen Qingqiu fanning himself, poised and cool and elegant in the twilight; he's rather hoping the other hasn't noticed him blatantly staring.

It'd be easier if his husband hadn't been so enthusiastic about encouraging Anzu's wistful idle talk and even idler speculation. It wouldn't be easier if Lev was monogamous, of course, it would merely be easier if he wasn't as equally boy-crazy as Anzu himself.

"I would hope, darling, all one would find find inside is the local amateur theatre troupe, and some contraptions containing dry ice," Anzu says, drily. "Alas, this place is too small to have an amateur theatre troupe, or indeed a theatre at all. One must go to the mainland for such things. And I cannot imagine Mayor Poe or, nu ..." he casts around for names of locals he knows, "the Leeds girl, the poor orphan. I cannot imagine either of them willingly putting on bedsheets and wandering around dark rooms, moaning."

He bites his lip. He was present for the failed exorcism, and he had been singularly useless, too. Really, the fact he might've made an arse of himself in the attempt almost worries him more than the haunted carnival game in the first place. Hence the pre-emptive scoffing — he is rarely prone to anything resembling bravado, but ah. Anything to impress a charming younger man. Or at least try to.

César Salazar | Generator Rex | OTA, Current Character [28]

[pineapplesalmon]

1. Giant Plushies
César is carrying two giant bear plushies, one under each arm, and a matching set of small bear plushies in each hand. He stumbles on a divot in the ground and drops one of the small ones, then stares down at it in a bit of a loss.

The man looks up and grins in embarrassment at a passerby. "Ah, could I ask you to pick that bear up for me? I don't want to dirty the larger ones bending over."


2. Fried Cucumber (César discovers a food texture he doesn't like)
Well, there was a chance at losing at the Wheel of Chance, and boy did César lose. Or perhaps win. Because for the first time in a long time, he's found something he doesn't like.

César is off to the side of the festival, trying to eat his fried and battered cucumber, but... the texture is all wrong. Chips would have worked. But this? No, nope.

But he doesn't want to waste food, so he keeps swallowing down bites.


3. Haunted Candle-Shooting Game
César's eyes narrow as he stares directly into the candle's flame. "That's physically impossible." There's a note of complaint in his voice, frustrated as he is. "I've hit that candle five times!"

1.

[worstorganplayer]

"Eh?" Snakes blinks at the request, takes in the scene, and bends to pick it up. "You must really like bears, pal," he comments as he straightens and holds it out.

Nimona (and "Ballister") | OTA

[yournewsidekick]

YES! PARTY TIME! Nimona is here for it.

And... maybe it'll cheer up Ballister a little bit, too? She's gotta hope. Tentatively, the last time she opened the locket Efrain gave her, she asked if he was feeling okay; he tried to smile and said no, not really, and talked a lot about how worried Ambrosius must be every time Nimona brought him here. She tried to ignore the weird bite to his voice when he said it. Like brought wasn't the word he wanted to use at all to describe his visits.

But -- at least they can see each other, right? And there are just enough times when the sadness leaves his eyes, like when they spot something cool around town or when Nimona tells him about the latest friend she met, that she thinks it'll be okay eventually.

They're all over the festival together. Nimona hits up the raffle and Wheel of Chance, walking away with a fruit basket and a tiny glass wyvern; she drives like a Grand Theft Auto extra on the bumpermobiles, cackling the whole time as the spectral Ballister in the passenger seat screams and white-knuckles it. He can't join her on the Whirling Wyvern, but she has a blast riding it over and over in a different shape each time. (Gorilla's particularly fun; she's so big and heavy that she really goes flying when the ride finally launches her off!)

But toward the end of the day...

He's so tired, and so miserable, that he says it outright for the first time: Nimona, I just want to go home.

She shuts the locket. The apparition of Ballister dissolves into nothing. For a while, she just kinda stares off into the distance.

Then she turns on her heel and heads straight for the Turnip Smash-Off.

Have you ever seen a hydraulic press in action? Have you ever seen it operate at lightning speeds that'd probably set its gears on fire within three seconds? Because, as she zips in and out of what looks like twenty different animal shapes, pink sparks and turnip guts erupting all over the place, Nimona's doing a pretty good impression of one.

When the three minutes are up, she shrinks back to human, covered head to toe in smashed turnip. The front row of spectators won't get the pulverized vegetables out of their hair and clothes for weeks. There's probably even a little glob of turnip all the way over on the top of the carousel.

"....I may have overreacted," Nimona says, straight-faced.



[note: "Ballister" is not really Ballister! If you want to chat with Nimona by herself before the Turnip Smash-Off, feel free to say he's wandered away for a second.]

around and about

[hate_gettin_older]

"Nimona! Hey!"

Off in the crowd, several yards away, Edgar's shouting and waving. He's spotted her brush of vivid pink hair, but hasn't yet clocked the tall stranger trailing after her.

Zivia Birnbaum | OTA

[tehilim127_1]

Zivia's having a great time. The only thing that would make this perfect is a handful of her little nieces and nephews to tug her around to all the games and booths. But even in the absence of small children, she'll still unabashedly enjoy the rides, seating herself with dignity in one of the carousel's painted carts and later careening around the bumpermobile track with no dignity whatsoever. The hot air balloons get a long wistful look, but that doesn't feel like as much fun to try alone -- maybe you'd like to go up with her?

She comes away from the wheel of chance the proud new owner of a set of six shot glasses that she's very happy with, and a bottle of wine that she might be looking to trade if she can't confirm its provenance. If you prefer the look of a bottle of wine to whatever you won from the wheel, it might be worth asking -- though, fair warning on the part of the narration, she's not going to take the fried cucumber.

As a matter of fact, anyone paying close attention will spot that she isn't eating any of the prepared foods available at the fair, except for raw vegetable-only dishes such as salads or cold drinks. However, she's going to volunteer to join the cooking competition -- and will bring her own cutting board, knives, spoons, grater, and nesting bowls. If ripe tomatoes and peppers can be found to add to the ubiquitous cucumbers and maybe some nice green onions, she'll be making a killer gazpacho; if not, she'll be looking for fresh mint, yogurt, and hopefully lemon or lime (or apple cider vinegar in a pinch) to make a cold cucumber soup. And ... avocado is probably too much to hope for, but might there be white rice and seaweed on hand?

However the competition turns out, she will later find herself frustrated by the candle-shooting game, as the candle keeps going out right before she fires her water gun at it. Her mutterings of annoyance escalate from "phooey" to "uuugh" to "oh come on" to an unintentionally loud "Motherf --" cut off before the last syllable quite happens. Hope she didn't startle you?

[Hit me at any of the above prompts or a wildcard! batyatoon on discord if you want to consult first.]

Hot air balloon

[xiaoxiuya]

Shen Qingqiu had been amusing himself by watching the hot air balloons come in for a landing, and thought he might just stick around and watch them take off again as well, when to his surprise he notices an older lady likewise watching the balloons, before turning away with a wistful sigh.

"Not going up?" he asks as she walks by him.

Charon | Hades

[bloodorobols]

There Is A Boatman At The Festival
It isn't terribly often that the boatman of the river Styx puts in a personal appearance above the surface of the realms that make up his domain, but sometimes, there are favors to be done, and festivities to be had. And coffee handed to a certain gold-winged messenger to cover the duties for a bit. This has freed him up for the curation of the Cucumber Festival, and if one is to wander down toward the docks, they will see the tall, imposing, behatted figure of the Boatman himself. From a distance, he merely looks like a faintly glittering pillar of black festooned in sparkling gold and emitting a faintly shimmering purple smoke. Up close, face-to-face, one will either see a fair face with high cheekbones and a single glowing purple eye, or if they are inclined toward the supernatural with the ability to see the truth of things, the skeletal, desiccated face of the Stygian god.

Either way, someone coming to peruse his wares will be greeted with a soft, reverberating Hhhhhraaahhh and a gesture toward an array of offerings, all with little placards beneath the stones above which they gently float.

Food, 50b: A combo meal consisting of a pita wrap, fries, and a drink. This will energize the buyer and provide some limited healing if they've been recently injured. (Note: cucumber does feature heavily in the wrap, either in the tzatziki sauce or as toppings)

Pomegranate, 100b: Consuming this fruit will empower one of the buyer's abilities until their next death on the island.

Centaur's Heart, 150b: Keeping this glass trinket will allow the buyer to tank more possible injuries, until their next death.

Nectar, 200b: This glass bottle of heavenly concoction tastes slightly different to anyone who imbibes, enjoyable by all, good for use in cooking, consumption, or gifting to someone special.

Daedalus' Hammer, 200b: Using this enchantment will permanently upgrade one of your weapons, imbuing it with a new power, or changing its function slightly.

Godly Boon, 150b: This is a lightly thrumming grey silk sack with delicate embroidery about the edges, gold leaves decorating its circumference. The warning under it states that its contents are randomized, so buyer beware.

Each thing may only be purchased once per character, with stock to be refreshed from the boat in which his wares are held floating just behind him. Attempts to take more, to haggle him down, or to shoplift, will be met with a very firm smack with the broad end of Charon's oar, hard enough to send one into the water on the opposite side of the dock.

There Is A Boatman In The Village
If he's not on the dock, he may be sighted here and there wandering about Pumpkin Hollow, taking a brief break from his duties. Come and meet the ferryman. Pretend you understand what he's hrrrrghing about.

[mindflayed]

Nothing like a skeleton wearing robes breathing out purple smoke to remind one of home. Well, the robes are a little too padded out for a normal skeleton but close enough.

"You brought your own boat." Curious, he didn't realize that was an option.

link | ota, but be gentle

[dubiousfoodie]

water blurs into sky [food]

[ The thing first and foremost for him is, of course, the food.

He pays his fair share of course, but it's the stalls of free things that face the brunt of his edible wrath; his metabolism has always been high, not helped by the physicality of his day-to-day or the fact that he loves good food and will still eat bad food. Throughout the entire week his plate is piled high and his cup is full, and it seems he's on a mission to try out every single thing that's been put out for the festival.

Not to necessarily say that he's greedy. In fact, anyone passing by who stares for too long is getting something plucked from somewhere in the pile and offered eagerly towards them. ]

both gem-green [turnip smashing]

[ Oh, a combat minigame. Now this is something he can do.

Have you ever played Fruit Ninja? You know how fruit would be thrown into the air and you were encouraged to combo by chopping up as many fruit as possible in a single stroke? It's like that, and with just as much swiftness and dexterity in wielding an entire actual sword instead of just swiping a finger across a mobile phone screen. The more thrown at him at once, the better.

There are multiple instances where he will leap out of the way of one on a direct collision path and suddenly he gets very swift, or--or it's more like time bends around him?--and in a flurry of lethal strokes, the ground around him is scattered with turnip gore.

Has he beaten the high score yet? (Was anyone keeping track...?) ]

blossoms hide the trees [house of cards] [locked to zelda]

[ Now this. This is something he can't turn away from. He's stuck his nose into and tread his boots on every single corner of Hyrule, and he's certainly not about to stop his habits now.

The House asks for people in pairs. Easy.

Zelda and Link stand side by side at the foot of the entrance. He's as prepared as he can manage with his state of affairs; he's got a few weapons on him, he's got cucumber food, he's got a few rocks to throw in a pinch.

Link glances aside to Zelda. Ready? his expression asks. ]

all garish-red and crimson [wildcard]

(( ooc: hit me! ))

Blossoms hide the trees

[hyliasblessing]

[ Zelda takes the other doorknob, and nods. ]

Let's go!

[ She turns the knob, steps into the bright light, and--- Oh shit it's a cliff. With a light shriek, she stumbles back a step. ]

Be careful, Link, it's narrow!