[HUB ISLAND | IT'S NOT HALLOW BUT I'M FEELING WEENIE]

[spellbindmods]

Who: All coven members
Where: Coven base camp, around the island
When: Day It's Not Halloween, What Do You Mean
Open/Closed: Open to (h)All(oween)

Tonight is a night like any other. There's no calendar with no holiday...but some tiny events seem to line up with a coincidental, theoretical holiday. A ▢ The hub island is quite large, which means there's still a lot of unexplored territories. Were you there when the pumpkins were discovered? Why were they discovered? Who is roaming around in the forest in the middle of the night like some wild animal in order to stumble upon these pumpkins??? All good questions, all with no answers. The important thing is that in the central part of the island, a fast growing gourd plant has taken over a lot of the trees in the area. The long, thick vines have choked out a lot of trees, with bumpy green pumpkin-type plants growing along them and hanging fatly from the trunks. Inside are fragrant seeds and a milk-like substance that's sweet. They're all very thick and squatty, making them good for soup. For carving? Well, you can try! B ▢ As a pre-celebratory gesture, Brie has brought out a festive little chest. If you happen to complete your Bonus AC, you're welcome to your customized dagger right now, complete with your name inscribed on the hilt. Everyone can take stuff from the chest, though. Inside are hundreds of pieces of candy -- some are pretty well preserved, but others have that weird ass grey separated stuff that happens to chocolate after a while. What kind of candy? If you can dream it, it's probably in there. Just only take a couple pieces or Brie might stab you. C ▢ ...Actually, she doesn't really have time to stab you. Brie is quietly taking people aside and showing people this little map she's found. Well, it appears to be a map. The outline on the paper is roughly the same shape and size as the island, scaled down, and it's covered in tiny red dots, scattered throughout the landscape. She's got a hunch that these dots mean something -- buried treasure. She's only one person, and there are tens of dots on this map. Her price for letting you in on this little venture is half of whatever you find...or at least access to it. She's digging up holes on her own...here's a shovel, go dig for yourself! D ▢ What can you find located in the group? Honestly, the item variety is wide and expansive. Most of the items are small tins, containing a piece of paper with a small story (more on this later, huhuhu), clipped photograph and little item -- these are up to your discretion! However, despite the island being absent of magic, these tins all seem to have an enchantment or hex placed upon them. The effects are varied. Some tins fill up with a black, inky tar-like substance that won't stop pouring out. Some tins act like vacuums and attempt to suck your arm into a black hole they contain. Others will emit a disgusting smell, begin screaming...and these are just a few of the weird wonders they contain. The verdict? These appear to be time capsules that are unhappy they were lifted from the ground too early! (OOC: The tins are the size of those Danish butter cookie tins we all use as sewing kits; you know what I mean.) E ▢ Some lucky coven members actually get something better than a broken toy. Others contain tons of cold coins, beautiful antiques (like compacts, compasses and pocket telescopes. Stuff like that)!. Are you lucky enough to dig up actual treasure? (OOC: Want to test your luck? See if your character finds an actually worthwhile find when you reply to this thread.) F ▢ Those with the cursed items will eventually find that midnight strikes and the carriage has become a pumpkin...well, sort of. At midnight, all of the cursed artifacts (not those nice shiny ones) become potatoes. That's good news in its own right -- potatoes are a food! But it's sort of disappoint and very starchy.

Comments

[cherrypuncher]

...You're on the right track! Is your eye okay?

[how can she possibly demean his efforts... he's trying so hard. As is to be expected, Yuna's all bright smiles as she skips over to Gaelio.]

You'll want to set it down first— [She pats her hand on the counter.] —and then we have to scoop all the guts out!

[reckoner]

[ Whatever the varying traditions or the promises of television, Gaelio hadn't been allowed messy indulgences as a boy. Decorations appeared in polished, final forms.

The past several weeks have been a solid introduction to a less tidy life, but aspects continue to throw him. Aspects like greenish pumpkins with milkish innards.

Yuna sounds and looks like she knows what she's doing, so he obeys, ignoring the question because of course it's okay, okay? okay. And because it's Yuna, that stubborn girl.

Gaelio fetches a wooden bowl, setting it beside the pumpkin, at which he casts a dubious look. ]

Maybe we should try pouring first.

[cherrypuncher]

[Yuna moves to pick up the pumpkin, minding her balance so she doesn't get weird pumpkin juice in her own eye?? But she does look into the hole cut into the pumpkin and shakes it a little before she pours the weird pumpkin milk into the bowl.]

Usually it's not so ea—ooh, there are seeds in here! [She grins, glancing up at Gaelio for just long enough for him to see how excited she is before refocusing on the bowl before she pours pumpkin fluid on the floor by mistake.] We can have roasted pumpkin seeds!

[she seems largely unfazed by the fact that this is only kind of a pumpkin, really]

walks in late with starbucks

[antemeridian]

[ If Starbucks was a USELESS TIN OF ENDLESS OOZE, anyway.

that is to say, Homura did go digging after one of the spots on brie's map after she received her dagger. it wasn't too far out of the way, relatively, so she made good time, but. too bad about the treasure, really. she only barely managed to save the items inside before the container started to fill with black ink, and fill, and fill, and fill . . .

so here we are, ducking carefully into the kitchens in search of some container to catch and store away at least some of the ooze in. it might be useful. who knows. and this is the scene she comes across. ]

Ah. I didn't realize you were busy here. My apologies.

[ her intonation's flat as is her expression.

...meanwhile, beside her appears to be something of a small fountain of ink caught endlessly falling in midair, bounded at source and end by a glimmer of pale violet magic. now and then there's a glimmer of the original tin somewhere in the black. ]

don't drink the ooze

[reckoner]

[ Watching the fluid fill the bowl, Gaelio's focused on noting the consistency (is it in some way comparable to coconut milk, could it be consumed as is?), leaving him vulnerable to her abrupt and startling joy. All those teeth just for seeds.

At least others took the risk of testing the innards, so he needn't worry wonder if the seeds or milk might have deleterious effects. Unless roasting or cooking would cause a different reaction.

Still, discomfited by her smile, he glances away (by happenstance toward the door), bypassing addressing the seeds to begin a query, ]

Do we throw out the rest --

[ At which point Homura steps inside, and the visual proves arresting enough to divert his train of thought.

That's new. ]

No, we aren't busy.

[ Blankly.

... ]

Do you need a... container?

[ Little of this he understands, but she has headed to the kitchens with what looks like a constant flood of ink. A single container wouldn't help much, but perhaps dumping it out doors had seemed unwise. Preemptively he steps back, reaching for a cupboard. ]

[cherrypuncher]

No, not busy at all, don't be sorry! In fact—

[...

every time Yuna thinks she's getting used to magic, something happens. this is happening]

...Oh—that looks really pretty! [the glimmery purple magic is doing a lot for the weird ink effect?!?! oh no hold on let her put the pumpkin down before she starts spilling pumpkin fluid everywhere and makes more messes to be cleaned up in here.] Wh-what is it?

[antemeridian]

[ very seriously, and very truthfully: ] I have absolutely no idea.

[ the continuing saga of flat deadpan. and that's a wrap, folks. ...but more seriously, ]

It feels slightly thicker than water, but is neither viscous or sticky. It's coming from a tin that I dug up, following Brie's announcements of treasure. [ she sort of just nods her head in the direction of the fountain, indicating the original sewing kit cookie tin whenever it surfaces in the muck... ] Regardless of my not knowing what it is, I thought I might try to collect some of it in something. In case it turns out to be useful.

[ and, ah. ]

... Please do not try to touch it. I do not know how my magic will interact with your hand if you do.

[reckoner]

[ Surely a cough, his abrupt exhale for Homura's matter-of-fact answer, rather than a clipped laugh. Pretty wasn't the word Gaelio would have used, even with the violet shimmer. The flowing substance seems too oily, and given his own "treasure," he suspects it's trash.

But, there were idioms about that. It could yet be useful. He fetches another bowl down, setting it beside the sinks. ]

And if it isn't useful, you might be able to aggravate the local wildlife.

[ Or contaminate and make it disgusting.

Then, as Yuna's distracted by Homura's anomaly, Gaelio picks up the pumpkin to finish pouring out the fluid. To a drawer next, to find a long enough spoon to scoop out the seeds. ]

Have you tried to use your magic like that?

[ Against organic matter, like a limb. A worthy experiment. Though, no, he won't be shoving his hand in there, and hopes (not that he cares) Yuna hadn't been considering it. ]