dec event.

[crescentviewmods]

prologue

You awake to find yourself in a bed that creaks with your every movement, motes of dust flitting about the sparsely lit room. Whether you wake alone or with another by your side, you exit the worn-down building to find yourself on an old, abandoned farm. It isn’t long before a familiar voice lilts in your ears, carried to you on the breeze—

“Hurry over to the town square. Chop chop!”

Whether you go willingly or find your feet inexplicably compelled to trudge into town makes no difference. Once you arrive, you find yourself surrounded by a small ocean of new faces— some confused, some angered, and others quite chipper. At the center of the crowd is a bright-eyed woman with an otherworldly allure, her white hair tied up neatly in a bun, pamphlets and assorted papers tucked in her grasp.

“Welcome to Crescentview, farmers!”

Spreading her arms out wide — as much as she can without her papers blowing away — she eagerly regales the crowd with some fun facts about the island and the town while also reminding everyone of one very important fact:

“Remember, you’ve been brought here to tend the earth, fall in love, and begin your new lives together. You’re not leaving until you do. It will be quite the experience for you, I’m sure.”

Complain, grouse, or rejoice if you like, but don’t expect the Goddess to budge. Oh, right, there’s that too: she, the Harvest Goddess, is the one presiding over this land. Don’t get on my bad side, she gently warns as she stuffs pamphlets into the hands of Crescentview’s aspiring farmers.

spring breeze

While you’re here, you may as well check out the pamphlet the Goddess insistently pressed into your hands. Within it, you’ll find a handy infographic on each of your neighbors detailing their likes, dislikes, and... ideal dates? Even the Goddess’ profile is there. How invasive! Each farmer’s picture is hand-drawn by crayon into simple stick figures with the only difference being how the hair looks on top of their heads… if it can be called hair with the mess of crayons, that is. Every single stick figure is smiling. In front of each personalized pamphlet, there’s a stick figure on the cover with the same style as the photo. It’s definitely yours with how the hair color seamlessly matches yours. For the ones who have multicolor hair, you might notice the goddess seems a little more huffy with you.

The pamphlet also includes a map of Crescentview and lists the services available in town. There aren’t many on this small, remote island. Learning how to fend for yourself seems like the best course of action. Finally, a hand-printed bingo card has been made up for each new island resident. The Goddess must have spent quite a bit of time making these...

The Goddess gives her new questionably loyal followers a chance to mingle and mix before speaking up with another announcement. A small group of haggard-looking fairies appear at her feet, and clapping her hands, a notice board springs into existence. When the fairies fail to react, she gives one a nudge with her foot, prompting them all to burst into the world’s smallest round of applause. It’s a little... pathetic.

“Ta-da! Behold: the task board. Every season, I’ll give you new tasks to complete, and in exchange, you’ll be richly blessed by me, the Harvest Goddess. Spring is the season of new beginnings, so let’s take a look at what we’ve got cooking, hm?”

task board

The task board is located in Town Square and changes from season to season. In real time, a season is one month long. The following tasks are available from December 1st to January 1st and more tasks may be added mid-month.

Certain rewards are only available through event participation, so please keep this in mind when planning your threads. Multiple tasks may be completed within a single thread, but when turning in, please link to the individual tags in which each task was completed.

Finally, rewards are per character, not per farm, so those with housemates may want to coordinate with one another with regard to what animals you’re bringing home to your farm.

1. Greet your neighbors. For every person you meet, you will be given a random bag of spring seeds. Potato, cabbage, turnip, strawberry, and cucumber seeds are available at this time. Alternatively, random mushroom spores are also available. These include morel, matsutake, and common white mushroom spores. This task can be completed a total of 10 times for rewards. Please specify how much of each you would like when submitting your threads, i.e. “I’d like 5 random spring seed bags and 5 random mushroom bags, please!”

2. Exchange names. Start learning some names and faces: you’ll be seeing a lot of these folks! For each name you learn, you’ll earn a random bag of spring flower seeds. Daffodil, tulip, forget-me-not, primrose, and hyacinth are available this season. This task can be completed a total of 10 times for rewards, and yes, you can cheat the system and introduce yourself to someone you already know, but the Goddess won’t like it.

3. Check out your new farm. Take a look around and settle in! After a bit of wandering, you’ll notice a small cat or dog following you around and looking up at you with them big ol’ eyes. Looks like it wants to stay with you, but will you adopt it? This task can be completed once.

4. Till your field and begin planting. Find the beat up farming tools in your beat up house and begin beating your farmland into submission. Plant some seeds and be rewarded by the Goddess with a single chicken or rabbit to keep in your coop. This task can be completed once.

5. Visit another farm. Pay one of your neighbors a visit to receive a stationary set blessed by the Goddess herself. There are no cell phones or Internet on the island, so get used to sending all your “LOL”s and “XDDDD”s by hand. This task can be completed once.

6. Make a new friend. Isn’t friendship wonderful? For each person you proclaim to be your friend, you will receive two random gacha items. This task can be completed 3 times.

7. Pray to the Goddess. Whether you do so grudgingly or willingly doesn’t matter much to her so long as you’re doing it! Clasp your hands together and bow your head or throw an offering into her pond— she’ll hear you either way. Praying to the Goddess will net you a barn animal of your choosing: a cow, sheep, alpaca, or goat. This task may be completed once.

Caution: throwing certain items into her pond may have consequences. Choose your offerings wisely.

mod notes

⬥ Welcome to the game's opening and our first event!
⬥ A second event post will go up in mid-Dec.
⬥ Please plot over at the Dec Plotting Post.
⬥ As a reminder, please keep all plotting on the OOC post as not everyone has Discord or Plurk.
⬥ Please submit your completed tasks at the top-level below.
⬥ Have fun!

navigation

Comments

[sluice]

(1) SPRING BREEZE

[ Once the crowd's largely dispersed, Childe's sitting up against one of the fences— dilapidated, fallen into disrepair, begging to collapse upon itself— to begrudgingly leaf through the booklet cover to cover. Nothing coy about it; his lack of discretion is as blatant as his disdain for reading, but he can't exactly overlook this matter, either.

In particular, stragglers slow to leave the scene suffer his attention. Singling out anyone who dares to make eye contact with him, Childe offers the half-opened pamphlet infographic-side up for inglorious perusal. Come closer. ]

Secret's out, huh? Guess there's no escaping it now! Here's mine. [ Ha, ha. ] Mind cluing me in on yours? Is it— [ FLIP, FLIP, FLIP ] —this one?

[ Right or wrong? ]

(2) LIFE'S A BEACH

Ah, wait! Hold on— over here!

[ Please notice him! Down by the shoreline, Childe's waving his hand, inviting so much vicious scrutiny. The normally crisp lines of his uniform are disheveled; he's ditched his jacket at some point, sleeves rolled up. Not like those half-measures helped him avoid this splashing ocean, though. He doesn't seem too put-off about it, either way. Who knows how long he's been here, honestly.

Upon further inspection, Childe's also brandishing an old, rusty farm shovel, the curving edge of it jammed silt-deep in the sand. It's taken quite the ferocious beating; one heavy look and it may just come apart. Supposing that some poor, unfortunate soul wanders over, he'll smile, guileless and open. ]

Any chance you're willing to get your hands dirty?

[ what does he mean by this ]

(3) THE... MOUNTAIN OPTION.........

[ Up on the peaks, Childe can be found legitimately anywhere. Trespassing into someone's mountainous farm, trekking up the slopes, dragging company along for the ride? All of this and more. Whatever the case, that feeling— burning out of his skin with the rush of being alive—is evidently what he's pursuing without reservations. In any case, he has plenty to say about the matter: ]

It's a wonderful sight, isn't it? The trees covered in frost, the chill in the air... really, it gets my blood racing!

[ Alright. ]

(4) WILDCARD

[ catch him anywhere. he'll introduce himself as childe and/or tartaglia, choose whichever name you want. no preference on brackets or prose! i'll follow your cue. dm me here or on discord if you have questions. here's my intro comment if you want ideas. you can also just fight him unprompted, that's a-okay. he'll be over the moon. ]

spring breeze;

[esurientabyss]

[ He Xuan is one of those slow to leave, on account of the fact that he's using the time in order to try to get what he wants or needs, though he is not going to be the best at making 'friends'.

Regardless, he finds himself suddenly approached by someone who appears to be as bright as the sun above them in his general demeanor. Which, considering the amount of people he has spoken so far, seems to interestingly be in the minority. ]

...There'd be no point in lying. The page you're landed on happens to be correct.

[ Which amounts to this one, essentially. But he recalls what Childe's had said on one of his 'likes'. Someone who cherishes his family... ]

Do you have a family of your own?

[sluice]

[ If he could erase that, he would! He absolutely would! It's no good having this information in the public domain. Barring that, he'll preempt it himself— all he'll need to do is connect these profiles with their namesake, starting with He Xuan. Already, Childe's giving it a more thorough glance-over, nothing that He Xuan... dislikes most people... anyways, that's nothing but a challenge to overcome. ]

I do. Last I saw, they were well. [ Some reluctance enters his voice, like he's hesitant to admit anything more damning. ] I hope they haven't caught wind of my absence yet. I wouldn't want to worry them...

[ The Fatui may have already caught wind of his disappearance; it's more than his life at stake here. He doesn't have time to waste, not with the risk of being deemed a traitor gone AWOL hanging over his head. ]

... and you? I take it that you have a family as well?

[ He Xuan's phrasing seems to insinuate that, at least. ]

[esurientabyss]

[ He Xuan listens closely to the way Childe speaks his words, hearing the tinge of reluctance in them float up to his ears, like a school of fish. ]

...A natural consequence. Maybe you will finish this sooner than later.

[ Maybe a bit of a funny comment to make, given what the Harvest Goddess demands of them.

Anyway, of course it is only natural family would be concerned with the sudden disappearance of their relatives. That being said, he should have expected in turn that, given his initial inquiry, the other would ask the same. It's reasonable, even if in this he is slow to answer. Sometimes timing of revealing things happens just because it does; such is fate. ]

Once upon a time. But, the importance of them hasn't dulled with time.

[sluice]

[ Wouldn't that be nice? To that, Childe smiles. It isn't particularly unkind, but it's also a ploy. Something he doesn't say: even if escape were immediately available to him, he wouldn't take it. Not with his powers in this state, suppressed or tamped down. It's worth investigating, the reason why the Tsaritsa's grace can't reach him in this place.

It's also something he entirely neglects to mention. Oops. ]

Once? [ Pausing, Childe regards him with curiosity. ] ... Care to tell me about them? I won't begrudge you, either way.

[ Perhaps he'd just like to understand. It's such a strange contrast, harboring a soft spot for family despite He Xuan's noted distaste for other people. In a screwy way, the sentiment rings true. He can relate, to some degree. The world truly only belongs to the strong. ]

2

[framestory]

[ Ellis walks on over when he sees Childe wave and then he asks that. Huh. What.

He'll assume it's nothing bad, so he nods. Sure. Dirty hands, let's go. ]

[sluice]

Before anything else: get down on your knees.

[ ?????? ???? ????? ? ???

Listen, Childe's getting down on his knees as well. They're in this together. He motions to the soft... moist hole in the ground, roughly a couple centimeters wide, that may or may not be spurting water at periodic intervals. ]

See, I'm digging up clams, so all I need you to do is grab them as soon as I lift the shovel out of the way. You have to be quick; the sand will fill them before long.

[ If Ellis takes a good look around him, he'll see quite a number of those holes scattered about them. Someone's been hard at work! ]

Admittedly, I've had some difficulty doing it on my own. [ Hence, the beat-up shovel. ] I'll share the wealth afterwards, of course. Think you could pitch in?

[framestory]

[ Is it bad that Ellis got on his knees without hesitation? Because that's what he's done. After seeing what Childe has to say about what he's been doing with all these holes, Ellis nods. Sure, he'll help out. He's never done this before and thinks it could be fun, even though he'll have to focus his eyes on the ground instead of up at Childe's mouth.

Nevertheless, he gets ready. His eyes seemed to be focused on the ground, wherever Childe will dig next. Let's rock. ]

[sluice]

Hardly one to mince words, I take it? [ Not that he minds the silence. ] Tell me when you need a breather!

[ Or else they'll be at this all day... anyways, here goes! What follows is a solid hour of this monotony: Childe stabbing the ground until he hits pay dirt, then lifting the shovel to give Ellis ample room to grab the clams from their hidey-holes. Over and over again, repeatedly, really driving home the utter ridiculousness of his request. There's also a large bucket nearby— battered, missing a handle— for him to deposit them in, if he so chooses.

Either way, it won't even be half-full before Childe's shovel breaks on him, leaving him holding only the shaft. So nice of it to grant Ellis some reprieve from sand hell... ]

... Ahaha— seems that's it for today! [ Like he didn't just decimate part of the beach... ] Doing okay down there?

the mountain option

[blankpoint]

[ They've always run a lot warmer than most people, so the cold doesn't bother them much. It reminds them of their childhood, more than anything. Despite the fact that a lot of their memories are hard to grasp onto, they very clearly remember the time their brother had taken them up the mountain to spend days there.

Just like their memories and the fucked-up nature of their soul, it's still something special that shines as one of the times they'd been really, truly happy. They're pulled out of their thoughts, though, and they tilt their head slightly before nodding. Even if they're not as outwardly... enthusiastic as he is, they get it. ]

Yeah. I didn't expect to find a place like this here, but I'm not gonna complain. It makes you feel more alive, right?

[sluice]

[ Seems like it's a commonality they share! Nostalgia might addle his mood some, but Tartaglia's pick of vices veers towards self-destructive: the closer to death he strays, the more enthralled he becomes. Not like farming takes that furious edge off. ]

It does. [ Maybe not enough to satisfy, but his smile's wandering towards genuine nonetheless. ] Planning to share why you feel the same way?

[ Whether or not Mira's feeling called out, Tartaglia's completely nonjudgmental, pausing mid-stride to glance back at them. ]

[blankpoint]

[ Luckily, they don't feel called out! It's a valid question, as far as they're concerned.

They glance out toward the expanse of the mountain for a moment before looking back at him. ]

My brother used to take me up to the mountains. He said it was where I thrived most and that if it were up to me, I'd never leave. He wasn't wrong. [ A small, bittersweet smile tugs at the corners of their lips. ] I trained up there regularly, even after he passed on.

[sluice]

[ Listening to this is a little too hyperreal; too much crispness in the air stinging in the lungs, and no objectivity besides. Not like Tartaglia's distant from the sort of vulnerability he's never been able to shake— the part of him that's deathly afraid to lose what little he has.

It's hard not to respond to kind. He doesn't bother disguising his intent. ]

... And now? Planning to keep training?

[ The offer's there to help, right on the tip of his tongue, to help. It doesn't really matter what it entails, in that regard. But he won't toss out the suggestion if Mira's already succumbed to regrets and little else. ]

wildcard!!

[accredit]

[ who knows what physical cues achilles may have seen for him to approach this stranger in the manner he had. maybe it was the look in his eyes, the stance he took, or some other promising aspect of his appearance or behavior. whether the case is, he is all but prepared to give him an appropriate fight. naturally, here, he lacked his usual weaponry. doesn't have access to his noble phantasm, or anything else, but he presumes with his current body— he didn't need it.

hence, he merely prepares his stance for his next move, he crouches down, if just to jump up, enough to try and throw a combo of kicks in the direction of the stranger, an easy smile spreading across his lips as he does. ]

Let's have a fair fight! [ because suddenly, this isn't about farming or anything else at all...

what a more charming way to meet someone. a meet cute... ]

[sluice]

[ listen............ some things you just do.

Pounding through him is all of that adrenaline, rushing in as some headstrong wave to overcome. One false move and he might not make it out intact; as it stands, he can't possibly retreat. Not when the challenge is this irresistible, and his opponent so entrancing, his movements plunging straight into remorselessness. Oh, he's strong! Perhaps more indomitable than anyone he's faced yet. Only time will tell.

Tartaglia advances into it, instead, into the only feeling he's ever loved. So much devotion towards these sick delights. No weapons to fall back upon, his powers stifled, but he could care less as he dodges the first kick and parries the next, the soles of his boots skidding along the ground. ]

Gladly. I expect you to give it your all!

[ Or just suffer for it, as Tartaglia accepts the next kick only so he can twist into terrifying proximity. Lurching forward with his fists swung up, laughter drips into his voice. ]

Hold out on me— and you'll pay the price—!

[ Miss, miss, miss— but he throws the next punch and if it finds its mark, it'll be a clean hit. Does he stick the landing? ]

[accredit]

[ it's rare for him to feel just unadulterated excitement, and that true element of the unknown. he doesn't know who this man is, can't even fathom his real name or identity and that was kind of fresh in its own right. it wasn't as contrived as battles of war, but almost as if they were truly free and as if the passion and vigor of their movements could speak for themselves.

there's something like slack evident in the others voice. an almost carefreeness that relieves achilles. maybe they had a lot more in common than he thought. when he dodges the kick, there's an instant whistle he makes, genuinely oo'ed by the sudden show in tenacity. then when the stranger parries, he just barely recaptures his balance as he attempts to move straight out of the way.

when the fists come his way, he does his best to dodge but considering he just landed on his own feet after his kicks, it's enough where, he's caught off-guard by his final punch. it hits him on the cheek, but he doesn't seem to mind. he seems to take it boldly, if just to throw several punches of his own. a certain unpredictability to his movements as he fakes a few before attempting to land one near his chest. honestly, he's not focusing too much on mitigating any potential damages coming in, if anything more obsessed with landing a blow on this mystery man.

the price of wanting a good fight, he supposes. ] For you, I think the price would be worth it. [ as always, even with getting a punch to the face, he speaks with an inflated sense of confidence. ]

Think, I could even handle two of you at once. [ that feel when battle dialogue always feels so... filthy. ]

[sluice]

So quick to run your mouth. Show me everything, then. Let's see you give it your all!

[ Someone's overconfident here, and it isn't Achilles. Then again, Tartaglia's raw-boned and vicious and always raring for a fight in the end, like trying to still that compulsion towards battle that swims around him at all hours. He's not blind to what separates them; in contrast, he still has so much to learn, idling even in retreat, too slow to completely evade that pummeling fist as it rears up with so much strength behind it.

Imperfectly, he takes it; those knuckles clock his ribs, and Tartaglia laughs, a harsh, punched-out sound even as he's wrenching backwards. Now, the skin's blistering and scraped, bound to bruise by the end of the day. ]

Yield to me. I'll even let you beg!

[ THIS IS THE DIALOGUE OF ALL TIME

Struck momentarily off-balance, Tartaglia blocks the next couple of blows with his arm, then drives himself forward. So breathless, he doesn't even pause for air as he tangles Achilles up in his grip, attempting to hook a leg around him long enough to bring them both crashing to the floor. ]

spring breeze

[passthrough]

[Here he is, uno straggler, though he doesn't seem to mind the apparent bait for a conversation, squinting at the open pamphlet for a moment before easily shaking his head, a brief laugh in the back of his throat as he turns back to Childe's info in his own booklet]

Ah, no. Wrong brunette. Sorry about that -- guess I don't have many outstanding features.

[He gives an apologetic shrug, turning his eyes back to the pamphlet.]

"Dazzling opposition" sure is a way to set the bar high, though, huh? Are you eager for a rivalry, or just a challenge?

[sluice]

[ Oh, shoot! These scribbly drawings leave so much to interpretation. ]

Think you could point yours out? [ LIKE WHAT'S WITH THE INFLUX OF REDHEADS... anyways. Childe, ostensibly a ginger, shrugs. ] What can I say for myself? There's no better pleasure than a thrilling fight!

[ Especially waging his all against the indomitably strong, but he's underestimated plenty of people before. The Traveler can attest to that much. Every day is another opportunity to improve. ]

mountain time.....

[sugarnaut]

( satoko's still exploring, having given up on figuring anything more to the situation out. may as well, right? and a hike is always good- especially once she's able to replace her high heeled boots with normal hiking boots.

when's the last time she want on a hike? she thinks it was with yosuke.

...

she'd paused to look at the view of the island from this spot, but before she can get caught up in memories and what-ifs, someone speaks and she almost jolts right out of her skin- ahem. )

Oh- uh... it's certainly beautiful.

( ... is this guy, like, okay? )

[sluice]

[ No, he can only be abnormal at best, Satoko. Run far, far away or deal with the consequences of sharing the same space as him. ]

Yeah. It makes me think of home. See, I grew up in a cold place... so I prefer it!

[ And that's enough of a reason to wander around up here like a hooligan, even if he'd be better served by questioning the locals or checking where this region of the world must be situated. But he's always mixing business with pleasure. Actual productivity can wait for the time being. ]

Are you up here by yourself? Would you mind company?

[ This is so suspect, out of nowhere, completely unsolicited... anyways, he won't bother rephrasing it. ]

[sugarnaut]

( how is one man so intense yet so chill in just four sentences? granted, his previous statements only add to the intense part, so maybe 'just four' isn't fair to him. satoko gets the feeling that this guy's a hit-or-miss sort in terms of reception...

but that's no reason to be rude. )

I get that. My brother loved hiking, so coming up here felt like he was here for a moment.

( though... the almost-wistful smile freezes because dude???? )

... Eh, why not?

( because a weird russian still beats being alone with her thoughts! )

[sluice]

[ A cool cucumber is all he can be, right up until the moment Childe loses his temper and decides to turn into a horrific monster instead. Welcome to his brand of casual villainy. ]

Your brother was quite the adventurer, I take it? [ Dang, now he's even more endeared. ] I would've liked to meet him.

[ Noting the past tense, Childe moves on without lingering too long on the subject. ]

If you have the time for it, why don't we go hiking up the rest of the way up? I hear there are hot springs at the top.

[ Listen, it sounds suspicious. And it is. But the hot springs are real, probably? He's making this offer in earnest. ]

mountains

[bravesteel]

[ Spotting a trespasser (not that "trespasser" is all that accurate a term. The sense that this farm is "his" hasn't quite hit him yet — and it probably won't for a good long while) isn't that odd considering the circumstances. People are bound to wander around, whether it's out of anxiety or a desire to get the lay of the land. For that reason, Rean's not too bothered to see someone wandering the outskirts of his farm.

He is a little concerned, though. Does this person even have enough layers to be wandering around here...? It isn't super cold or anything, but the air is brisk and if they plan on venturing higher, they could be in danger. So he starts toward Childe and plans to offer something warm to drink, but when he's close enough to actually hear what Childe's saying, he stops.

Oh. He probably didn't need to worry at all, did he?

A warm smile finds its way onto his face and he nods, then turns his gaze to the nearby trees. ]

I know what you mean. [ No. No, he really doesn't. He only thinks he does. ] There's nothing like that first, fresh breath of air up in the mountains or the feeling of frost on your skin. And the view...

Honestly, I prefer it from higher up but this isn't bad either. [ His smile turns sheepish. ] Though, I might be a little biased. I grew up in the mountains. It's hard not to feel nostalgic whenever I see them.

[sluice]

[ Good day to beat tedium to death, Rean. Like any other day, recognizing that his bloodlust never cools off, only abating in the face of peril. Taking these moments one at a time, he's meeting whatever's willing to greet him, ally or foe. Case in point: this oh-so-friendly stranger, drinking in his gaze. ]

Truthfully, it reminds me of home. [ The chill in the air is blotting out even the skies; it's cloudy today, the threat of rain following the horizon, but Childe's in good spirits, like that'll drive the cold out of his skin. ] So I understand the sentiment. I grew up in a fishing village. Anywhere you looked, the mountains were always somewhere in view. And just about every day, it'd snow. Never mind the howling wind. It's not a sight you easily forget.

[ Making a show of folding his arms, Childe's posture remains open and inviting nonetheless, far too languid in the cold. ]

Well, enough reminiscing from me! Looks like I've wandered somewhere I shouldn't have. [ So there is some self-awareness in him as an intruder, enough that he's sparing a glance away from the outcropping of trees to regard the farmland. ] Tell me, are you merciful with trespassers?