JULY MINI EVENT - Branching Out!

[pumpkinhollow]

Branching Out

A cool breeze threads through the trees of Lockwood Forest as Teddy Pennyburrow and his gaggle of volunteers begin to set up the camp.

It's been a monumental occasion, receiving enough funding to the Autumn Leaves Dormitory House to give it some much-needed upgrades and expansions, but the process hasn't been without its trouble. Finding somewhere to keep the children while the construction is under way took a great deal of thought and deliberation--- after all, the Oak & Iron doesn't exactly have the space to accommodate so many displaced kids, from toddlers to teenagers--- but with some assistance from those working so closely with the House, a seasonally-appropriate consensus was reached.

What better way to pass the time and make it fun for everyone involved than to have it be a camping excursion?

Summer Camp Season

In a wide clearing within the centermost area of the woods, Mr. Pennyburrow has gathered as many volunteers as he could possibly manage to keep the children active, engaged, and most importantly, safe. Among the roles called for in his volunteer-seeking notice on the public bulletin board, Pennyburrow called help for:

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Teachers, to educate the children on survivalism and nature, as well as any other subjects that might be easily taught to a gaggle of children in the woods. Math might prove to be challenging, here. (Anyone aspiring to teach full-time at the Dormitory House are encouraged to join them, as with the expansions and additional funding, Pennyburrow will be looking to hire a few offworld teachers to create curriculums!)

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Storytellers, especially anyone with a knack for tales of mystery and terror. (Campfire for ominous lighting while telling the stories will, of course, be provided. The teenagers would be willing to settle for no less.)

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Foragers and cooks, especially with skill in campfire-cooking.

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Warriors and guards, for assistance with keeping the campsite safe from any threats that lie in the forest.

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General attendants, particularly anyone with a keen eye (and potentially with the ability to guide rowdy groups into games to pass the time).

Though the position is voluntary, Pennyburrow still offers a humble 100B to anyone who comes to assist. (Mod note: if your character attends the event, feel free to go ahead and add 100B to their ledger!)

♥

Comments

[lovethyneighb_or]

Mulcahy has a certain knack and affection for children, and a seemingly bottomless well of energy that comes with feeling useful--a terribly rare and certainly welcome feeling. As dutiful as he's been during the Dormitory's normal days, he is even more so now, moving with the flow of the work and managing the whims of the children. Especially the smaller ones.

There's no chance of the two of them catching up with each other properly until well after the day is done. There's far too much to do before then. But the hours tick by, and eventually, as it must, there comes a moment of rest.

Next to Pennyburrow he sits, after poking one of the campfires out.

"I'd say that was a good first day," he chirps amiably. "Not running yourself too ragged now, I hope?"

[in_for_a_penny]

It's a pleasant sort of fatigue that Teddy's found himself in as the day winds down, slumped back and soaking up the cool night air. The campsite grows dark, but the warmth of lanternlight casts everything in a comfortable glow. He doesn't bother cracking open his eyes until whoever's come to join him has spoken, and he sits himself upright at last, offering Mulcahy a little grin.

"Not too ragged just yet! Just don't ask me that towards the end of the week," he jokes. "How about for you? Little ones not adding any grey to your hair? I think this is the furthest they've been into the woods, so I'm sure there were no shortages of things to catch their attention."

[lovethyneighb_or]

"I'd be quite impressed if they did," he laughs, his own hair having gone all silver-white. "Though they seem to be surprising me all the time with the sorts of things they get into. I had to pull one of the very little ones out of a badger-hole not too long ago."

He stretches, quite a few bones cracking along the way. "It is so very nice to be out here, and for such a lovely reason. What exactly is all being done for the Dormitory? Is it just expansion, or are there renovations too?"

[in_for_a_penny]

"A badger-hole! I tell you, they'll find these things before even the badgers do!"

A laugh of his own is shared, before he sits a little straighter. He's excited, of course, but there's a sort of sheepishness to him, wringing his hands gently while he picks the right words.

"I'm glad you asked, to be honest, because, well... I've meant to talk to you about it all day, in fact!" Another laugh, a smaller one, at his own nervousness to speak up sooner than the end of the day. "Expansions and renovations, in fact! Some of the expanded space is allowing us to extend and adjust some of the classrooms, some of the bedrooms, even updates to the dining hall. We'll also be getting a greenhouse attached to the back! But... most notably is the new wing to the east. They're versatile spaces, still in planning, but I've set aside a few areas to be tailored to collaborative working, socializing, or simply relaxation, should they just need some light and quiet... that sort of thing."

[lovethyneighb_or]

His demeanor softens as Pennyburrow goes sheepish. "That all sounds wonderful," he says. "The Dormitory has come a long way, hasn't it? I'm so relieved. The last orphanage I worked at, it was... very, very, very shoestring, to say the least." A warzone. "It's nice, to not have to worry so much about the ones here."

And then: "Is there something you wanted to say?"

[in_for_a_penny]

"Ahaha, you know me well. Never quite rushing to get to the point, am I?" Pennyburrow's embarrassed grin widens.

"Well, a couple things. First... thank you," he starts, quieter now, undeniably fond. "We wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you. We've gotten more funding in these last few years, and, well--- you've done so much more than just financial assistance! You wouldn't believe how often the little ones come asking after you, asking when you'll be coming by, telling me about what you all have been up to, and...

"I'll be honest, in all the years I've run Autumn Leaves, the town has been good to me, but--- no one's offered a helping hand as much as you have. I owe you deeply, Mulcahy. And, while I know you'd likely turn down repayment, I still wanted to do something to... show my gratitude! To really show the impact you've made on Autumn Leaves. So--- if you'd indulge my sentimentality, I'd like you to name the new main wing we'll be adding."

[lovethyneighb_or]

There are a lot of things he means to say by the time Pennyburrow is finished talking. How it was really on problem at all, how he was just happy to continue the work he'd been doing before he'd been taken from home--all of which flies out the window the moment he says that he wants... that he wants to commend Mulcahy. That he wants to memorialize him.

"Oh." He... he...

He wipes at his face. "Oh. Oh, well--oh my. That's... quite an honor you're offering me, Mr. Pennyburrow, I... well!" He beams, hands still wringling a little anxiously in his lap. "Yes! I accept. What, ah, is there any kind of name that you would prefer?"

[in_for_a_penny]

"No preference! None at all, I trust that you'll give it something worthwhile," Teddy assures him, clasping his own hands, excitement growing ever-more thinly veiled. What can he say? Of all the reactions he'd been hoping for, this one was truly the best he could've wanted. "If you need time to consider, as well, I'm happy to give it! I can arrange to have the plaque made at any time."

[lovethyneighb_or]

"No need," he assures. "I, I think I already know what I'd like it to be."

A quick decision, but not an unconsidered one. Naming it after himself is absolutely off the table. The next thing he would like is a nod towards his faith, for the mercy he has tried to use his own life to profess--but it wouldn't do to be too upfront about it. He isn't here to proselytize. But he can impart a shred of those ideals, at least.

"How about the 'Sanctuary Wing?'"

[in_for_a_penny]

What an apt name, Teddy's quick to decide. Every space that Mulcahy's helped to tend certainly has felt like a sanctuary, in their time working together. Even with the smaller children, rambunctious and loud as they can be, coming to check in has always felt like stepping into a place of peace, shielded from the weight of the world just outside of it.

Perhaps that's simply the energy he carries into his work, or perhaps it's a well-curated sense that he puts into a room with great intention, but no matter the process, the much-appreciated result is the same.

"The Sanctuary Wing it is!" he enthuses softly, all warm-yet-quiet delight, to avoid stirring any of the children still winding down for the night. "Thank you. Truly. I know I've likely repeated myself, over and over again, but... the Dormitory House wouldn't be what it is today without you. You've not only helped me with the children, but--- this is my life's work. I never could've imagined I'd see it flourish this way. On a cursed island, no less! It's amazing how things work out, isn't it?"

[lovethyneighb_or]

Mulcahy stares, taken aback.

"... I... yes. Yes, it is, very much." A tender smile descends upon his face. "Theodore, you're a fine one, doing—" (holy, sacred?) "—worthy work. You deserve this, and I have simply been so very, very honored to be able to take part in its flourishing. This kind of work is part of my calling, and each day I have been happy to assist the one at the head of it all. I thank you for what you've done here."

[in_for_a_penny]

Delight turns flustered beneath all the praise, those pointy ears atop his head splaying, and his tail stirring leaves behind the log. He worries with his hands, clearly not used to such words of enthusiasm, especially nothing quite so meaningful, but the smile doesn't begin to leave his face.

"Oh, well, I--- won't try to say it's nothing, of course it isn't, but it's certainly no trouble. I'm just very, very fortunate to do what I love, and--- giving those with an unfairly difficult start to their lives a comfortable place to lie their head, and an opportunity to show them what joy there is in the world around us, is reward enough for me. Between the children and everyone I've come to know in my work, I couldn't ask for more, really."