ph_logs | [Cukefest] June Event

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[Cukefest] June Event - Vegging Out!

VEGGING OUT!

Come on out, the weather's vine!

Happy Summer, Pumpkin Hollow! May the blessings of Kora be ever at your shore and the summer sun bring Serranai’s gifts to life. The days are long and the nights are alive, and the cucumber harvest has arrived. That can only mean one thing--- it’s time for the annual cucumber festival!

2 years ago, in the year 16:53, the festival was cancelled due to all of the cucumbers being turned into turnips by a prankster witch who remains at large. As such, last year the Green King election from the bungled year was honored. But this year, Pumpkin Hollow has opened voting to its newer residents, and with an exciting turn-out! So join us for this beloved summer holiday, and enjoy cucumber-based delicacies, dance at a fancy ball, check out Pumpkin Hollow’s first-ever Pride parade, and honor our new Green King!

This event (ICly) is one week long, running from June 8th to June 14th. It is a brief reprieve from the spooky shenanigans of Pumpkin Hollow and is therefore horror free. Come get a slice of life--- and a few cucumbers too!

Gherkin this party started

Easy Being Green

The first day of the Cucumber Festival is always dedicated to the crowing of the Green King. Last year, this was Theodore “Teddy” Pennyburrow, the foxfolk man in charge of the island’s dormitory house for children without family. This year, it will be his honor to crown the new Green King.

Unlike the airy, floral affair that is Merrymeet, the Green King procession is rustic and raucous, taking place in the cobblestone streets under the fierce glow of the summer sun. Drums beat and cowbells jangle as the sidewalks crowd with cheering neighbors and the members of the Green Court are asked to strut their way to the town square, where each receives a green sash embroidered with vines.

Bringing up the rear are the two runners-up--- Father Mulcahy in third, and Radar O’Reilly in second. Each one is gifted with a pin for their sash (one bronze, one silver) with their names engraved and an enormous jar of artisanal pickles from Miann Farm in their choice of spiciness. Then, it’s time for the man of the hour to make his way forward.

A breeze whips up a fine cloak embroidered painstakingly with cucumber vines, a collar of cucumber leaves adorning his broad shoulders. He is all smiles, and what a winning smile it is. The town’s beloved baker, voted Handsome Offworlder of the Month by the Northwest Hollow Senior Ladies Knitter’s Club for three consecutive months! The man, the myth, the legend, with a name so nice you say it twice--- Max Maximum.

When he reaches Teddy, he has to bend down to receive his leafy golden crown and scepter, but he stands tall to face the crowd as their 16:55 Green King! Congratulations, Max!

From there, it’s time for the commencement party, which is held both inside and outside of the Oak & Iron. Loud and joyful music, dancing, and tons of great food are on the docket for tonight, along with a sacred ritual. It’s time to get the Green King pickled!

The rest of the Green Court is tasked with each buying Max a drink until he’s unable to continue (though Crichton is given permission to present Max with a glass of pickle juice if he chooses). It’s up to Max to earn the right to graduate from Green King to the coveted rank of Pickle King. How much can our fearless leader handle? Can he hold his liquor well enough to beat Archie Brenning’s record? The night is young--- let's find out!

Barrel of Laughs

Once the first day of the festival is out of the way, it’s all fun and games--- literally! There’s a ton of carnival games, tests of strength, cooking contests for pickle-related dishes, and even a contest for biggest cucumber. There’s also some rides, some magically powered and some kinetically powered, as well as “dragon rides” that allow townsfolk to ride on the back of a red, flying leviathan around the island! (It’s just Inspekta in an enormous dragon mask, but he’s hamming it up.)

As with last year, there will be a raffle--- this year hosted by Calloway’s Curios, and with a very interesting selection of items.

Third prize is a Talking Water Companion. An apparatus worn on one's back that carries a substantial tank of water that it can expel for various uses. The nozzle also talks for some reason. Don't worry, it's friendly. Probably.
Second prize is a Bicolor Teleportation Circle Cannon. Using one blue magical ring and one orange one, it can be used to designate the entry points of a makeshift teleportation circle, apparently by clinging to the celestial and otherworldly magic lingering on surfaces around town. Can only be used on flat surfaces with enough area to allow entry to an average-sized person standing upright. Use with caution.
And first prize is a Triangle of True Sight. A teeny tiny triangular arcane construct worn on the ear. The wearer can use it to see monsters through solid surfaces and track their movements, spot otherwise hard to see tracks from animals and people, access a map of the island and receive guidance to specific locations, and translate languages---- including R'lyeah. It also includes a health monitor that can track your heart rate and count your steps. Fancy!
The consolation prize, given to all players who do not win a major prize, is a Chatty Rectangle, which is a little red object with a panel that opens on the front, which can tell them factoids about the island's Pokemon residents. Calloway has a whole box of them. Please get rid of them. (More will be available for purchase after the festival ends as well.)

Tickets this year have a significant price hike, because of course they do. They are each going for a whopping 300 Brass. Despite Calloway’s protests, Town Hall has asked that the purchase be limited to 5 tickets per person still, in the interest of fairness. If you'd like to purchase any, please use the "RAFFLE TICKETS" thread below to do so!

A Dill-ightful Array of Colors

For reasons some of you may be familiar with, Pumpkin Hollowites tend to be a bit dubious about the idea of parades. So when the idea of a Queer Pride parade was pitched to Town Hall, it was met with no small amount of side-eye from the locals. However, after a thorough explanation of the tradition and its significance, the event was approved wholeheartedly!

On the Wednesday of the festival week, the morning schedule features a parade of brightly colored horse-drawn floats, beautiful men wearing very little clothing, muscular women in heavy knight’s armor, androgynous people in fantastical clothing, and people of all genders clad in symbolic color palettes or different flavors of drag. It’s a splendid display that offworlders and locals enjoy, and the parade leads to the Greymare Library lawn, just off of the main area of the Cucumber Festival that is designated for Pride-specific booths and activities.

Gerry Keay will be hosting a repeat of his popular seminar, “Gay Shit 101”, and various speakers will also be asked to share speeches, performances, art, and poetry about their experience with sexuality and gender. Drag shows will be held on a small stage, the lady-knights will be sparring on a section of lawn for entertainment, and booths will be selling special craft pieces, clothing, and street food themed around the event. This festival will run alongside the main event from Wednesday to Friday, but will close on Saturday to allow the folks running it to attend the closing festivities of the Cucumber Festival.

Town Hall would like to extend a huge shout-out to Pinhole Printing and Binding, the Velvet, Ambrosia, and Silk brothel, and the Bizzyboys for helping to sponsor and organize the event! Pumpkin Hollow is excited to incorporate this celebration of identity and expression into their summer traditions going forward!

A Slice of the High Life

On Saturday, it comes time for the closing ceremonies. Many of the food and game booths are still open in the main area of the festival for the morning and early afternoon, but they close up early to prepare for one final event.

You see, Pumpkin Hollow’s last major celebration was for Merrymeet back in February. The normally delightful spring cotillion was interrupted by Efrain himself, preventing people from fully enjoying the party for the second year in a row. To make up for lost dancing time, this year’s closing celebration of the Cucumber Festival will feature an indoor-outdoor fancy dress party in Town Hall and in the plaza.

As before, if you would like a custom outfit for the occasion, you will need to foot the bill. However, if you aren’t able to pay for one, there will be 50B rentals available, with one catch---- everything that is available for this offer is in a shade of green, since the clothes made for this purpose are made of excess fabric from the festival decorations. Seems like Yorick, in a distracted state after his breakup from Mayor Poe, ordered double the amount needed, and Town Hall is very much hoping that the rentals will help make up for some of the lost budget.

As usual, there will be an impressive array of food (much of which will still be cucumber-based), plenty of music, and good times with friends! Perhaps a little interpersonal drama for later gossip as well? Time will tell! Let’s end the Cucumber Festival with a bang!

Speaking of bangs, once the party ends, there will be fireworks lit outside, so grab a seat on the Festival Green for a romantic evening or grab a complimentary potion of Deafen on your way home for a good night’s sleep. Happy Cukefest!

| CONTENT WARNINGS: alcohol use |

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Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Radar, some of the most enthusiastic planning for this day had been put on by the Bizzyboys, and so of course they're going to be present. This includes their Captain of Celebrations, one Daisuke Kawashima, dressed in a pair of shortpants in flower patterns, and nothing else, unless a lei similar to the one that Radar is wearing counts as a top (It probably doesn't.)

So now sitting right beside Radar in his daze is a surfer boy with little freckles here and there along his tanned skin and a bright, beaming smile, one arm wrapping around his shoulders and squeezing him against a bare side. "Heya dude! You havin' a good break over here?" He has to shout a bit over the crowd. "Nice lei! Me n' the Boys were workin' on 'em for hours!"

Radar yelps, startled, as he's yanked from his thoughts and into a half-naked hug. Well, at least it's no worse than seeing guys in their swimsuits, right? Even if they're, uh, real small swimsuits in this case.

"Oh, uh, thanks!" he shouts back once he's floundered closer to recovery. "I like yours too! You did a real nice job on all of 'em!"

When in doubt, delay answering the how are you question by complimenting the other person! ...Unless. Oh no. Does it mean anything if he compliments another guy right now? Is he still allowed to do that??

As far as Daisuke is concerned, this totally counts as a swimsuit. There aren't necessarily board shorts available here, so he's making do with what he can get without going out of his way to bother the various tailors.

Totally oblivious to Radar's personal crisis, Daisuke picks up his lei in pink, purple and blue. There's another in pink, yellow and blue folded a few times around his wrist into a bulky little bracelet. "Thanks dude! We're all pretty proud of 'em too, it's awesome seeing everyone wearing them out here along with like, all the beads and stuff? It's almost like a regular Mardi Gras out here!"

Watch out, cute boy, he's sparkling right at you.

"Oh, yeah." He smiles tentatively. "That's the big party in New Orleans, right? I heard some of the guys talking about it back home. Sounds pretty crazy."

It's hard not to get swept up in Daisuke's enthusiasm -- and when Radar just spent an hour going oh no they're pretty at a bunch of guys in dresses, he's kinda primed to look at Daisuke and think, oh, he's got a nice smile. Oh no. Radar can feel his cheeks heating up. Scrambling to distract himself again, he says, "Hey, do the colors mean anything? It kinda looked like they did, the way people were, uh -- dressing in the parade."

Or not dressing, as the case may be.

"Yeah! It's like, totally meant for partying out in the street and listening to zydeco and stuff. Some people are like, you gotta get your tits out for the parade but I think mostly that's propaganda from old reality tv?" Daisuke shrugs, totally unaware of how scandalous other people are going to find the idea.

With his smile still right in place, Daisuke looks down at the lei around his neck, then that around Radar's. "Okay so don't quote me on this, the whole flags thing kinda goes over my head, y'know? Because there's so many around. But all of 'em stand for like, who you are and what kind of people you like because there was this huge long era where if you weren't a cis-het person, people were super down on you, y'know? So like, people started arguing back that just because they're a guy and they wanna kiss another guy, they were gonna do that because it wasn't hurting anyone. That's what the ones in the green and blue and white are. These-" he holds up his own, "-are basically like, I don't particularly care either way what someone's gender is up to, if I like 'em I like 'em. Then there's the ones in pink and white, those are for girls that are into girls. Then there's the ones in purple and white with some black, we had to paint those ones special, those are for the people that aren't really into much of anyone?"

He continues to give a rundown on the flags that he could remember as he and the rest of the Bizzyboys went down the list of flags the community might want, kind of getting lost in just having the chance to talk about it (or anything really) and have someone listen to him like they actually cared about what he was saying.

He pauses after a minute, looking back at Radar. "I could grab you another one if you want. If something else fits you better than that one."

...

Oh jeez that's a whole lot to absorb when he's already got a million other things clanging around his head. Radar tries to keep up -- who knew there were that many ways to date other people? Who needs that many ways to talk about kissing somebody?? -- but eventually has to admit defeat and just let everything Daisuke's talking about wash over him. He thinks he's got the important stuff at least: no matter what colors you're wearing, it means, this is what I like and it's no big deal.

Being in Korea around guys like Hawkeye changed Radar's perspective a lot. Everybody he knew up until then talked about it like it was a big deal, if they talked about it at all, but after two years of being around stuff that actually was a big deal, like a whole entire war and people his own age dying and little kids losing everything, even their parents, even their lives -- well. You figure out real quick what matters. And Daisuke's right, it shouldn't matter at all if a guy wants to kiss another guy. After a year in Pumpkin Hollow, Radar doesn't even think it's too weird anymore.

(Unless he's the one who might want to kiss a guy. Apparently. And only if they're dressed like a girl. Oh, no, he almost managed to stop thinking about that for five seconds AND NOW HE'S THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN.)

It takes a second to realize Daisuke asked him a question. "Um. I-I." Radar looks down at his lei, which is done up in pretty basic rainbow colors. "I dunno. I'm still kind of..."

He hesitates, then blurts out, "Is there something for if you like girls most of the time but might like guys a little bit but only sometimes? Oh, gee." He buries his face in his hands, like admitting it out loud is the worst thing he could've done. "I dunno."

That was really the whole point, at the core of it all. That it shouldn't matter so damn much to the people that don't actually have anything to do with who someone is, or who someone is with. Daisuke is very much behind the idea of a protestation of really stupid prejudice by wearing the loudest colors possible.

Radar's brief resumption of his personal crisis gives Daisuke a moment to sip on his jug of lemon and cucumber water, and then when there's finally a revelation, Daisuke looks back at him, thinks about it a moment, and then he pulls off his bisexual flag lei and drops it onto Radar's neck. Maybe it isn't completely the same, but it's a good start.

"I know there's a flag for like, the guys who are more femme and stuff like that, but I can't remember what order those colors are supposed to go in. This works in the mean time though."

Just like that. No judgment, no questioning. There's nothing wrong with you, Radar O'Reilly.

It's funny. Despite literally being at a parade for this kind of thing, Radar kinda expected Daisuke to flinch when he confessed what's going through his head. It wouldn't've surprised him, you know? It's what Uncle Ed and pretty much everybody back in Ottumwa plus half of Korea would've done. Just one more thing for the guys to mock him about. One more test to fail.

But Daisuke doesn't. All he does is take his blue and purple and pink necklace and add it to Radar's own. Radar looks down at the two leis half twisted around each other; carefully, he closes a hand around a couple of the flowers, gentle enough that he doesn't squash them. There's an odd weight settling in his stomach, but it's like the weight of something real. Something he could really hold and look at, if he wanted.

Does he want to? Oh, he doesn't know. But if he does, it'll still be there, he supposes.

Without realizing, he smiles the tiniest bit as he examines the new lei. "Thanks."

That smile is so sweet where it grows on Radar's face. Daisuke beams back at him, and leans to nudge his bare shoulder against Radar's before offering a hand in a belated handshake.

"Name's Daisuke by the way, resident Bizzyboy and party planner! Coming from a spot that's like, way in the future from all this stuff. Me n' Anya were in the same crew, if you've seen her around. She's basically like, my best friend around here."

Sorry Radar, he likes to talk.

It's okay, Radar likes to talk too!

"Oh, I'm Radar," he says, already perking up as he shakes Daisuke's hand. "I work out at Baker Ranch now but was over at Town Hall for a long time before that. And yeah, I know Anya, she's great! So that means you've been to space a bunch too, huh? Gee, I always thought that was incredible, all the people here who've done it -- we haven't even made it to the moon yet where I'm from." A pause, and a considering scrunch of his nose. "When I'm from? It's 1952 back home so all the guys from the future said we got about another fifteen years."

"Uh-huh! I was hired on as the apprentice to the ship's maintenance man but I don't have like any real engineering know-how or anything like that. I was just learning on the fly, y'know? Literally!" He laughs a little at his own joke. Then he nudges Radar with his arm, just short of a little slap. "Actually Russia was sending like animals and stuff up to space in the fifties! From your P-O-V it'll be like five years and then they'll send up a little dog named Laika, she's super cute. She didn't make it back though, space is hard on little dogs. But she's like a symbol for spacefaring stuff."

Just looking at Radar's face might be enough to give someone whiplash. Space! Animals in space! A cute dog in space!! ...a cute dog who dies in space?

"Oh no." As small and heartbroken as if it'd been his own dog who went up in a capsule and didn't come back. "Was anybody with her?"

Nobody oughta die alone. Especially not little dogs.

Radar's face journey is definitely the appropriate sort of one for learning about poor Laika.

"It was just her in her capsule with, like, radio communication from her ground team I think. So...yeah, it was just her up there. It super sucks." Because nobody should die alone, especially little dogs, that much they definitely agree on. "Everyone remembers her with the same kind of feelings that they get about this little rover on Mars that would send back all kinds of reports, and as its internal clock ticked over it would tell its team what it saw, and after a year it sang happy birthday to itself..."

Oh, no, pretty soon Radar's gonna start crying just thinking about poor Laika and that poor rover, both of them all by themselves so far away from home. But wait a second --

"We're gonna make it all the way to Mars?"

Look, he's gotta latch onto something good in all the sad stuff Daisuke's telling him about space!

And Daisuke didn't even tell him about the last thing Opportunity said before it shut down.

"Oh I'm about to blow your mind, my dude," he replies, perking back up substantially in kind. "We made it to the moons of Jupiter, and them we went further out than that to build like, space stations and stuff. I used to work on the space version of a long haul container ship."

Radar's jaw drops.

"You mean you can live in space, not just travel in it sometimes?"

Oh man, Daisuke just wants to pinch Radar's cheeks, he's so friggin' cute.

"Uh-huh! My ship was delivering a huge load of mouthwash all the way out to one of those colony stations to stock the on-site stores. At least, I think that was what it was all for? We never actually made it out there." His smile falls for a moment, and he looks a little confused at the patches of his memory that still haven't quite recovered (Thanks for protecting him from the worst parts, Mortanne...) but he blows past it with his usual roll-with-the-punches attitude. "Anyway we were heading all the way out toward the far tail of the Orion arm and hitting up Telos station, I had a friend there that I was super excited to hang with! He was in his own medical practice and everything. Man I hope he's doing ok..."

"Wow," he breathes again, but it's tempered a little by Daisuke's faltering. Boy does Radar know what it's like to worry about your friends on the other side of the barrier -- not to mention how unnerving those weird blank spots feel, when you can't even remember how you might've wound up on Marrow Isle in the first place. Briefly, he chews his lip, then gives Daisuke a little nudge with his shoulder. "I bet he's fine. Hey, I bet once the barrier's down you'll even get to see him again like you were planning! There's a lot of people I can't wait to see again too even though I got a lot of people here I'm gonna miss like crazy."

The nudge that Radar gives him prompts a smile in return, and Daisuke nods.

"I heard through the grapevine that there were some people that were gonna like, work on some tech to make it possible for people to come back and forth sometimes after they figure out the whole barrier thing. That'd be cool, especially for the people that have families at home and stuff but they like living here better. My mom n' pop are back home on Earth too so I at least wanna make sure they know I'm okay."

"Yeah, me too. I still got a little more of the war to get through first, but I really wanna get back to Ottumwa to see my mom and Uncle Ed soon."

He falls into a brief, contemplative silence.

"You know what I'd like? A house that's here and home at the same time somehow. Where you could walk out the front door to Pumpkin Hollow and out the back door to Ottumwa. So everyone can visit, y'know? And so I don't have to pick. 'Cause even if I can come back here and go home whenever I want I'd still be away from somebody."

He's kind of tired of missing people no matter where he goes, after a year away from the 4077th and three years gone from Iowa.

"Ohhh yeah!" Daisuke nods enthusiastically at the idea. "I definitely wanna be able to come back and visit Capo and the rest of the Bizzyboys for sure, and come and see Anya and make sure she's doing okay. I wonder if we could big-sad-eyes the local deities into making it happen..."

Radar looks a bit shifty. He glances over his left shoulder, then his right, before leaning in and lowering his voice.

"I bet we could try. Serranai likes me a lot."

And it's very mutual, if the little blush creeping over his cheeks is anything to go by.

Daisuke leans toward him in kind, nodding and then putting a finger up as he adds, "I hung out with Kora before and she's cool as hell, I bet with them on our side we'd be doing good." Not to mention just how sweet to him Mortanne had been when he'd arrived.

Radar nods solemnly before sticking out a hand. "Okay, so you talk to Kora this summer and I'll talk to Serranai next spring, or maybe say hi at her altar sooner."

A good word to Mortanne wouldn't hurt either! She's been pretty nice to Radar too, after all. He's still got that reassuring letter she mailed him right after he arrived, when a goddess of death still made him real nervous.

"Deal?"

Daisuke grips that hand without hesitation and gives it a firm shake.

"Deal. We'll make it happen," he assures Radar with far more confidence than is probably warranted.

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[Cukefest] June Event - Vegging Out!

Dill-ightful!

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