jan event.

[crescentviewmods]

summer has arrived

As the last of the sakura blossoms fall away and the leaves on the trees grow into ever more vibrant greens, the familiar buzz of cicadas begins to echo all throughout the isle. Summer is quickly approaching and bringing brighter days and blazing temperatures along with it.

Summer also signals the start of the wine production season. Grapes growing on trellises are a common sight on Crescentview during the summer and a notice on the town memo board from the local barkeep encourages farmers to consider growing some varietal grapes of their own.

Temperatures are rising, so put on a comfortable pair of shorts and head to the Town Plaza to see what’s cooking! While you’re at it, take a look at the calendar for Summer 1st through 15th.

This season’s crops are corn, onion, pumpkin, watermelon, and pineapple. Summer’s seasonal flowers are poppy, rose, sunflower, lily, and hydrangea. As for mushrooms, shimeji, trumpet, and common brown spores are available for the summer.

hot! ...or not

Posted prominently at the top of the Memo Board is a cartoonishly-written advertisement for the first annual Hot or Not hosted by the Goddess herself. Contestants will take to the stage while the audience votes on whether they are as hot as the blazing sun or cooler than a dead fish. Leave your egos at the door! ICly, this event takes place on Summer 8th.

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 January 1st to February 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.

---

This month’s tasks are centered around getting to know your fellow neighbors on a deeper level. As such, the Goddess has put together a small human scavenger hunt to encourage people to learn more about the people they are living with — and hopefully falling in love with.

Find someone who...

1. Was born in the summer
2. Pours milk into their bowl before the cereal
3. Plays a musical instrument
4. Has more than 3 siblings
5. Works out 5 times a week or more
6. Doesn’t like animals
7. Would like to date the Harvest Goddess
8. Has traveled around the world
9. Speaks two or more languages
10. Is wearing socks that aren’t black or white

Each submission will earn you two random bags of summer seeds. Specify whether you want crop, flower, or mushroom spores in your submission. This task can be completed a total of 10 times.

---

Many ingredients used in wine production grow in the summer, but so do a variety of tea plants and grains. Grapes, tea shrubs and grains like wheat and barley can all be grown on your farm or in your greenhouse, if you have one.

Complete the following tasks to earn yourself some nice beverage-producing crops for the farm:

1. Take something from last month’s harvest and gift it to a neighbor. You can give it to them directly, cook it into a meal, etc. Alternatively, craft them a bouquet, flower crown, or another gift from the flowers you grew last season. Complete 3 times for a total of 6 grape starters.

2. Share a piece of hot gossip with a neighbor or exchange secrets with them. It doesn’t have to be your secret! Complete 3 times for a total of 6 tea starters.

3. Exercise with someone. Go on a run, swim in the ocean, help them stretch out! Complete 3 times for a total of 6 grain crops. You may choose from wheat, barley, rye, or rice.

---

Summer is the perfect time to hang out on the beach and splash around in the ocean. Participate in some summer fun at the beach and earn more animals for your barn and coop.

1. Swim in the ocean, build a sandcastle, or bury someone in the sand. Do any of the following for one of the following animals: cow, sheep, alpaca, or goat. This task can be completed once.

2. Participate in Hot or Not. It’s an annual tradition! Submit yourself or comment on someone else for a single chicken or rabbit. This task can be completed once.

local happenings

The Crescentview Times newspaper has chronicled the latest happenings around the island. A physical copy of the paper will arrive on your doorstep early in the morning on Summer 1st.

Recently, a group of townspeople have taken it upon themselves to check out the abandoned mine. They’ve made good headway on opening up the path in the hopes that would-be explorers will be able to take to the mines and find some of Crescentview’s fabled gems and minerals buried in its depths. They expect to be done by Summer 15th.

A strange “gurgling whisper” has been reported by some concerned townsfolk living in the mountains. The concerning sounds are coming from one of the lakes at the foot of the mountain. Supposedly, the voice is asking for offerings of... something. The townsfolk have yet to identify what exactly is being asked for.

A hurricane has been brewing off the southern coast of Crescentview. Meteorologists have yet to determine whether the hurricane will make landfall or not, so stay tuned for more updates.

mod notes

⬥ Welcome to our second event! We want to thank you all for participating in our game and contributing your efforts to it. Thank you for playing!
⬥ A second event post will go up in mid-Jan.
⬥ Please plot over at the Jan 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

[associative]

[ He smiles a little, leaning his head back against the couch to refocus a little bit before he looks back at Ellis again. ]

Does what I'm doing now make you nervous?

[ He's trying to see what exactly Ellis' boundaries are here. ]

[framestory]

[ Ellis nods while gesturing over at Gaku's hands. He's very nervous, but he's trying. His own hands didn't tell Gaku to stop either. ]

[associative]

[ He thinks about moving his hands, but he decides not to, since Ellis hasn't done it himself. Maybe he's trying too. ]

What is it that makes you nervous?

[ Gaku feels his own nerves, but he wonders if it's for a different reason. ]

[framestory]

"I think it could be because of the vulnerability."

[ Ellis can't really pinpoint it, but to him, the reason seems to be the same as not wanting to sleep in the same room with someone else.

But we know why. It's definitely not that. ]

[associative]

Really? Can I make you more comfortable so that you're not worried about it?

[ Not even for this, but because Gaku wants Ellis to be totally and completely comfortable around him. He wants Ellis to be able to feel relaxed whenever he's around him. ]

[framestory]

[ Ellis frowns—not because of Gaku, but he's thinking back when he's accepted Gaku into his trust circle. That's how he can deal with sleeping in the same room as Gaku willingly. So that should be the end, right? That should be it.

Then why does he feel nervous? Is this normal? Because it's about intimacy and vulnerability? He thinks it should be okay, since it's Gaku, but something doesn't feel like it adds up.

... ]

"I'm comfortable around you, but I can't figure out why it's just this that I feel nervous about."

[associative]

So if I touched you… no good, right?

[ He wonders if it’s lack of experience and that it’s something Ellis just needs to do before he stops being nervous.

…It doesn’t seem like it, though. ]

[framestory]

[ ... ]

"I really don't know, and I don't think you want to test that."

[associative]

Not without your permission, no.

[ He kisses the side of Ellis’ head. ]

Maybe it is the vulnerability. Or you don't like me enough.

[ He grins. ]

[framestory]

[ It's nagging inside his head and it's annoying now. There might as well be a small tornado of frustration over his head.

But also, he doesn't like how Gaku said that while grinning, so he pulls his cheek. ]

[associative]

Ow!

[ Rude!! ]

So I guess you do, huh?

[ He squeezes Ellis’ hip. ]

[framestory]

[ HEAD

CHOP ]

[associative]

[ He laughs. ]

I'm right, aren't I? You like me.

[framestory]

"Don't look so smug about it."

[ He pouts a little, but ends up getting off of Gaku's lap anyway. ]

[associative]

[ He reaches out and takes Ellis' hand, but he doesn't pull. ]

So you do. Would you say it back if I told you I like you?

[framestory]

[ Gaku already said it so long ago, so why is he asking that now—is what Ellis is currently thinking. But he supposes... that after everything—the talks, discussions, "heart to heart" moments—Gaku should at least deserve an answer for the unanswered question several weeks ago. ]

"I. Like. You."

[ He's going to run away to the kitchen!!! Bye!!! He signed that so fast. ]

[associative]

[ Oh.

He wasn't actually expecting that so plainly—even if it was fast—that all Gaku can do for a moment is let the words he just interpreted sink in.

But then he wastes no time in following Ellis into the kitchen, reaching out to take his hand to get his attention. ]

Hey. I like you too.

[framestory]

"I know!"

[ He's so flustered when Gaku takes his hand. Ellis wants to hide in the corner of the kitchen now. Help. Don't look at him. ]

[associative]

You're cute.

[ Even when he's being a bit of a jerk. But Gaku doesn't mind it, not at all. It's a more honest look at who Ellis is, and that's what he likes the most... it's why he likes Ellis as much as he does, as against Gaku's type as he might be.

But even so, he can't help himself from asking: ]

Would you allow me to be your boyfriend?

[framestory]

[ ...

Ellis lowers his head. He doesn't look up at Gaku, but he writes "yes" on the back of Gaku's hand that's holding his other hand at the moment. ]

[associative]

[ Ah. Just like that, huh?

It feels anticlimactic and yet all too perfect at the same time. Gaku wants to grab onto Ellis' chin and force him to look up so he can kiss him, but... he has something much, much better than that.

He pulls him into a hug instead, warm and full of affection. ]

[framestory]

[ Gaku made the right choice, because Ellis likes hugs more than kisses. He hugs him back and rests his head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck a little. ]

[associative]

[ He's so cute... Gaku squeezes him a bit, turning his head to kiss his temple. Although Ellis gives off massive short guy energy, it's nice that he's close to Gaku's height so he can do this. ]

[framestory]

[ Everyone gets punked by his short guy energy... Ah, but there are some things he needs to do because he just thought of them just now, so he slowly pulls away from the hug so that he can sign properly. ]

"There are some things I want to go over with you. Can I still have fun with people?"

[associative]

…What kind of fun?

[ He knows there’s no chance in hell that Ellis is sleeping with anyone, but he still makes a face. ]