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

[thrashmachine]

"Wait--- you can throw knives?" If she didn't already have Susie's attention, she sure does now. "That rules! What the hell? I thought that was just something people did in movies!"

[thethirteenthchild]

"Oh, it's absolutely a real skill. It's all about managing the weight so that it hits just right." She pulls a knife out of her skirt pocket, grinning wryly. "Want to see?"

[thrashmachine]

"Uh, yes? Obviously???" Susie scans around the clearing, squinting in the dark. "What about--- can you hit that weird tree over there?"

True to her gesturing, there's a tree just across the clearing, with a large, gnarled knot where the trunk begins to split into two.

[thethirteenthchild]

"Which tree?" Dahlia asks without looking, as she casually flings it over her shoulder, and hits the tree in question squarely in the center. "That one?"

[thrashmachine]

"HOLY SHIT!!!"

Susie throws her arms up, in a so-surprised-and-thrilled-that-she-almost-looks-outraged sort of look, wasting no time to hurry over and check out the knife. Not only did it land, but it didn't even fall out after! Dahlia's climbing the ranks of Coolest Adult She's Ever Known with blinding speed.

"That's so cool, what the hell!? Can you teach me how to do that??"

It's not often that Susie signs herself up for any kind of lessons on her own, even less so with someone she doesn't know all that well - but this? If there was ever an exception to be made, this is it.

[thethirteenthchild]

"It takes a lot of self-practice and time," Dahlia tells her, "but I can show you the technique to get you started. When I was your age, I basically spent my entire autumn splitting pumpkins with throwing knives."

[thrashmachine]

"That would be awesome!! I don't got anything booked up this fall, I can totally spend it tearing up some pumpkins!" Susie agrees, giving an enthusiastic little shake of her fists. She's so excited it's unreal. Man, could she have been hearing about stuff like this all day? Why'd she wait so long to finally talk to her? That'll show her that hesitating makes her miss out, but better late than never. "Is it too dark to try it right now? There's nobody else out here, I don't think I'll kill anybody, I could definitely do it right now."

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia can't help a warm grin. "It's a little too dark right now, unless you see in the dark. Plus, it's late. How about first thing after breakfast?"

[thrashmachine]

"Man, I wish I could see in the dark, but--- yeah, that sounds awesome!" Susie nearly cheers, but reels herself back in, clearing her throat awkwardly. Definitely not making a cool and collected first impression on this Incredibly Cool Adult, Suz, take it down a notch. "I mean, uh... I'll try to be there?"

Nice save!

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia snorts out a laugh. "You don't have to impress me. I'm really not that fancy. I already think you're lovely. Want to walk back with me?"

[thrashmachine]

"Oh. Uh... okay. Sure!" Susie scratches her arm awkwardly, but as soon as Dahlia steps off, Susie follows.

"...Are you fancy? I mean, like. I didn't know you could be fancy and also be kind of a... hardcore man-eating monster. Nothing wrong with that, obviously, I think it's awesome, but. I thought fancy was... tea parties, and all that sort of stuff. Is it different here?"

No flattery because she's high class to be found here, Susie's meaning is unspoken but clearly seen: she's trying to put on the best front she can because she wants to impress someone who she thinks is very cool and interesting. Aspirational, even.

[thethirteenthchild]

"I can be fancy when I want to be. I'm versatile. Here, let me show you my usual disguise." She winks, and begins to shift her appearance again, hair turning pale gold and complexion fading to a more human-like hue.

"Being a man-eating monster and being a high-class lady don't have to be mutually exclusive. It's all about knowing when to clean up and when to dress down. It even becomes kind of fun if you don't take it too seriously."

wrap? :3

[thrashmachine]

The change is just visible enough in this deep darkness to be a shock, Susie's brows shooting up as she turns that much more human all of a sudden. So she is fancy! That's what Susie gets for doubting her, apparently. She's got the range.

"Huh. I'll... keep that in mind, I guess!" She definitely sounds like she's going to be stewing on that for a while. "...Can you teach me how to do the shapeshifting trick, too, or...?"

wrap!

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia laughs warmly. "No, that one's a consequence of how I was born. But there are other ways to mix up how people see you..."