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TODAY IS AN EVENT DAY: New Years Day [01/01] New Years Day is a local holiday that occurs when the first tree within the Mayors Garden begins to show its first sign of leafage. By this afternoon the Mayor himself sees to getting the word out as well as gathering up enough food to feed the whole town for an impromptu picnic party.

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"Ah."

"What Goddess?"

"Yes, Goddess what do you need?!"

"Aha." The Harvest Goddess said once more, stretching her limbs outs, "It is the first day of Spring my friends, so we have a lot of work cut out for us." her group of four Harvest sprites all responded in different tones of cheer. It was true, Spring was a busy time for the Sprites, they had to get all the flowers started in their bloom. They had to get all the animals up from their slumber. They also had to get rid of all that snow from the previous winter! The Goddess sent out her friends as she sat near her red bridge near the river that she called home. Root River was the Goddess' pride and joy. She had looked over the town for hundreds of generations. She watched it grow from a small seed to a bustling town with tons of joyous faces. She granted plenty of wishes and made sure that people took care of themselves and the land that they lived on.

It had been exactly a year since the BigCo company had came in with plans of destruction for their amusement park and resort. The Goddess often wondered why couldn't people find amusement in the things Root River had to offer at the moment? They had amusement! They had places to live and be happy. Perhaps it wasn't enough though. People were odd in that way, they could have everything they wanted but still have the drive and urge to receive more and even more. The Goddess let out a soft sigh, hopefully this new year would be a step in the right direction.



"That tree!"

"No, that one!"

"No, I want that one!"

The Sprites fought over which tree they would have start off the first growth on. The little hooligans found it hilarious to watch the village's mayor come out into his orchard and look frantically for any sign of bloom so that he could throw a party for being the first place to have any sign of Spring. The foursome fought for a few more minutes before deciding on a large tree near the front entryway of Eugene's home. This way people in town could spot the tree right away as well. After the decision was made, they began sprinkling seeds and the like around town to get the season on it's way. Most people could not see Sprites unless you were very still and quiet, in tuned with the earth or the Goddess herself. Kids were the ones that saw them most, as their minds were not so preoccupied with work and other responsibilities.

After finishing their jobs they returned back to the Goddess' riverside so they could have some fun of their own.

When Eugene slept his beard wrapped around his head so that you could only see and hear his whistling nose. It was very comedic to say the least, but the Mayor lived alone so no one was able to witness the sight for themselves, just rumors. As his own snoring woke him from his slumber, he turned to his bedside table and placed his small wireframe glasses on. "A new day!" he exclaimed, jumping from bed. The Mayor of Root River could be described as eccentric if anything, being the face of the town for what seemed like centuries, his parents the mayor before him. He promptly ripped the page from his calendar circling the first day of Spring. "Time for my day, my day, my day!" he sung to himself in an off-key tone as he proceeded to get dressed in his best attire. Going down several flights of stairs, slowly but surely he made his way outside to see which tree was in bloom that he could show off to the town.

With luck, he found the tree at the end of his walkway, a large cherry blossom tree with a bright pink blossom facing the town. "Good golly, she's a beaut!" he said rubbing his bald head as he looked up at the tree. As if this were a new idea, the Mayor would say to himself that this was a call for celebration! He waddled his way back into his home and started making phone calls to the residents of Root River.

"Yes this is the Mayor! I want you and your family to come to my home this afternoon. Everyone bring something to share with the town and to share with me. Maybe presents to me?! It's almost my birthday and it's the first day of the year for GODDESS sake, that means we have to start off the month celebrating me- I mean not celebrating me, but MY tree having the first bloom. That's a pretty nice thing isn't it? How do I turn this thing off- oh there it goe-"

This is what everyone woke up to on their message machine this morning, do with it what you may, but today is considered a holiday. Everyone is invited to meet at the Mayor's home this afternoon for a celebration. For now, enjoy your morning!

Location: the Wheeler Residence --> the Forest Shrine deep in the Woods

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Every day, Ferris rose at the crack of dawn - sometimes before if the sun was being particularly shy that day. His father used to say that it was best to get one’s work done as early as possible. “You’ll have all the energy you need if you rise with the sun,” he’d say. Ferris had been working twice as hard as usual as of late. This was the only time of year when the sap of maple trees could be harvested en masse to turn into delicious syrup, and it was the first maple harvest that Ferris had to do without his father’s help.

The maple harvest kept the Wheeler family occupied for most of the late winter and start of spring. Ferris’ mother Isa spent hours distilling buckets and buckets of sap down to its sticky usable form as Ferris brought it in from the woods. In a good year, they would have enough syrup to sell not only to the town, but the rest of the city, more than making up for the drop in firewood demand that accompanied winter’s thaw. It was the success of the maple harvest which decided whether the Wheelers would be able to afford things like new tools, and if they would have a fund saved for emergencies. Freddy had broken his leg four years ago, and it was the maple fund which had permitted Ferris to continue working eight or ten hours rather than twelve or fourteen. The year after, his mother’s spice and flower garden was torn apart by agitated wild animals, and the lack of a maple fund meant that they had to sell one of their cart horses to reseed and repair it.

Ferris was laser-focused on the maple harvest this year, but would be tapping the trees alone. His legs still ached from yesterday’s work, particularly now that the family’s horse was too old to pull Ferris’ lumber cart. “It’s just a bit of fatigue, Ferris,” he said to himself, “It’ll be over soon, and you’ll have enough to buy a new horse.” Of course, that is what he had told himself for the last four mornings in a row. He desperately needed a break, but knew he couldn’t take one. Ferris got out of bed and began an intense routine of stretches to prepare himself for the day, glancing around at his room as he did so. It was far smaller and simpler than where his parents slept, but newer, better-insulated and less prone to a leaking roof. He slept on a small single bed next to a wooden nightstand he had made for himself, with an old desk and computer in the corner. Ferris really only used the computer to keep track of the town folks' orders for wood, furniture and repairs.

Ferris exited his room and walked into the main kitchen and living area, where he saw his mom resting her head on the counter. She had fallen asleep doing her half of the maple rush’s work. Careful not to wake her, Ferris began to fry up the last four eggs in the fridge alongside some old baked beans from a few days prior, and placed two pieces of bread in their toaster. It wasn’t a big breakfast, but the sausages they’d once enjoyed as a side had become somewhat cost-prohibitive. He placed half of the food onto his own plate, and the rest onto another one for his still-sleeping mother. Frowning at the relatively meagre portion, he moved some of the food onto his mother’s plate before covering it with a bowl to keep it warm. I bet if I ask nicely, Nat will take me hunting later. We can have fresh venison tonight. I can tough it out until lunch. His lunch was still in the fridge, having been made days before: a bowl full of hearty chicken and vegetable soup. He poured it out into a pot to heat it up, then into a thermos to keep it warm.

When Ferris opened up his lunch pail, he found a small note left there by his sleeping mother.





The message was punctuated with hearts, and it appeared as though she had snuck a tupperware with a small maple-flavoured cake into the lunch box last night. It made Ferris smile. Here he was, almost twenty-one years of age, and his mother was still leaving notes in his lunch box as though he was in elementary school. Before leaving, Ferris gently lifted his mother off of the kitchen stool and carried her over to the living room couch, then laid an intricately-patterned quilt over top of her. Isa stirred slightly, but seemed more comfortable once she had settled.

Ferris was already finished with his breakfast and out of the house by the time the mayor’s message got there, and so didn’t actually get the chance to hear it.

Maggie was in her usual spot on the porch when Ferris went outside. Ferris greeted her with a pat on the head, causing her tail to start wagging. The old dog didn’t move around much these days, but her presence was comforting. The bird she had recently befriended was busy eating at its feeder, although would likely resume its sitting inside Maggie’s fur once breakfast was over. The area immediately outside the Wheelers’ cabin was not thick with trees, as Freddy had cleared them long ago to make room for the lumberyard and connect the place to the town’s road. Just beyond that, however, the area was covered in small saplings. The Wheelers had a long-time policy to replant any trees which he cut down not directly adjacent to the main roads. Family tradition had been very clear: “People have their place, but so too does nature, and you ought to respect it.” When Ferris took from nature, he wanted to make sure that it had enough left to regenerate its own bounty.

Of course, BigCo’s clear-cutting teams did not necessarily live by the same policy. There were a lot more cut stumps on the landscape as of late, and to find good forage one now had to venture deep into the woods where monsters were rumoured to gather. Ferris usually only travelled that far out to pay tribute at the family’s forest shrine, or if one of the town’s hunters was with him. He tried not to think about the changing landscape for now: it was time for the maple rush!

Ferris went to work, pulling the cart himself as he went between the maple trees, collecting the last of the season’s sap from the taps that he’d left out. With fifteen dollars and a free afternoon, even an amateur could collect easily more than a gallon. With dozens more taps and buckets, well, let’s just say the maple rush usually took a few trips.

It was not uncommon for a single round of collection to yield hundreds of gallons of sap... which was good, since it took about forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. The limiting factor for syrup production wasn’t the amount of sap Ferris could bring in; it was the labour-intensive process of separating out the water. All of the machinery at the Wheeler House was quite old, either bought second-hand or purchased upwards of fifteen years ago back when the town was still thriving and Freddy was reinvesting his money from law practice into the old family property. Thankfully, enough of it still worked to process sap, although Isa sometimes had to boil it down using a big black cauldron when the distiller was acting up, hence her current exhausted state.

Even after the labour costs and the costs of heating the sap, quality syrup was worth its weight in gold. Thankfully, Wheeler’s Organic wasn’t just quality; it was the best in the region, if you believed the slogan on the bottle. The Wheelers, especially Isa, were accomplished cooks and bakers. They provided Root River and the surrounding area with syrup, as well as maple cakes, maple toffees, and even maple liqueurs.

After the sap collection was done and over with, Ferris left the sap outside with the syrup-making equipment, then loaded his lumber cart with the saws and axes he’d need to collect firewood. He needed to take a short break first, however: the hauling of so much sap had exhausted him. Ferris’ favourite place to relax, aside from at home with his mother, or at the Red Bridge with his best friend Ollie, was the ancient and serene shrine to the Harvest Goddess deep inside the forest. He had a small wooden carving of the Harvest Goddess that he had made himself, its base having been inscribed with a rune for each of the four elemental harvest sprites. Ferris was pleased with his craftsmanship, but lamented not having anything more valuable to give.

The shrine itself was simple: a stone monolith surrounded by flowers, erected who knows how many generations ago to act as a gathering spot for the forest spirits. It was inscribed with a simple message: “May the Harvest Goddess bless these woods with her tremendous bounty. May we take care of the land as the land takes care of us.” Even though nature’s bounty seemed to shrink every month BigCo continued working, Ferris still had hope. Kneeling down in front of the statue, Ferris placed his wooden carving down along with one of the delicious maple cakes his mother had made for him. He then repeated the prayer on the monolith, and added a few lines of his own: “... I know you’re still out there, Goddess. A lot of people have stopped believing, but I haven’t. I’ll do my best to keep this place safe from the bulldozers, and keep the shrine tidy. And if my dad is still alive out there, please keep him safe. And if he’s not... tell him that I love him, and that I miss him every day.” Ferris allowed a single tear to fall onto the engraved stones below, then wiped his eyes and steadied himself. He had no time to cry; there was work to be done.

Spring, Day 1 - New Year's Day
The Huntsmen's Guild; Becks' House

Ah yes. Another year, another adventure awaits. Due to the Beck siblings having to work in shifts thanks to the whole “monsters-appear-at-night-now” mess, people would barely see both Natalie and Michael up until near the afternoon. There are still cases where both manage to wake up early, to either's dismay.

A tarantula making it's way into their house? Well, that's one of them.

“Nat- NAT, PUT THE RIFLE DOWN.” Michael had to restrain Natalie from shooting the eight-legged arachnid on the wall to not run the risk of said wall being damaged. Again. Nat herself was low-key freaking out. Anything with more than two legs was unnatural, and no, the monsters don't count!

“I'm not letting the demon of insects in my home, not now, not ever! BEGONE, FOWL BEAST!” Natalie freed herself from her brother's grip, and shot the tarantula in it's abdomen, letting it collapse onto the floor. “Blegh, now I gotta clean it up...” she repressed a gag, and went back upstairs to grab their cleaning supplies.

“Anyways, got a call from the mayor, gotta bring something for the New Year's picnic, dinner? later? Not sure what to get him though.” Michael explained, mumbling the last part as he walked by the staircase.

“Weeeeell, wanna head out to kill something? Bear? Deer?”

“Don't we always bring roadkill to the event?”

Natalie faked pout at Michael. “Ya don't have to put it like that.” she continued to clean the bug guts off the wall and floor. “Besides, what else can we bring other than our recent kill?”

“Flowers? Fruit? Monster loot?” Michael listed out to her.

“....Good point. So! You got the Guild this time, right? Thanks, bro!” Natalie got up to grab some of their equipment, regardless of her brother's answer, she left for the woods anyways, even if he was slightly ticked. He was. He couldn't blame her though.

Astrid Peterson

First day of spring - Year one - Mayoral Moaning

Peterson's Cottage - Red Bridge

Astrid Peterson
Astrid rolled over and woke up with a grumble as the phone rang in the living room at some hour that phones should not be used. Or in her opinion anyway, the raven-haired semi newcomer to the village still was getting used to the rise at dawn mindset that was popular among some. Hard work was one thing but a lady needed her beauty sleep. Shouting over to her Twin sister though she definitely was the girly one of the pair. "Tora, leave it... Anyone can wait until a decent hour."

Waking up while later still dressed in sleep shorts and an old t sleeveless T-shirt that was too small but super comfy and soft. Only Tora about. Not that part of her mind would not mind a certain villager to keep her warm at night, possibly in something more interesting. Checking the message on their machine left. The mayor... Well, that made sense. He was an oddity. Who else would cultivate a huge beard and make the fact they where bald more obvious? Jokes of vampire, immortal sprites or just eccentric Astrid sighed. What did they get the mayor? They were new. What did he even like? Tora made a rather good lemon meringue pie when she wanted to bake and there signature stores speciality took multiple hours and way too much work for a small serving to do properly. Her thoughts, however, were a tad distracted when fluffy made her jump flopping onto her lap and behaving like 200 pounds of the puppy as she scratched her canine companion behind the ears lazily. She loved Fluffy, rescued Astrid just wanted to give her rather a furry friend a good home. "Hey.... What.

Oh, come on Fluffy. I know, we have to go to the mayor this afternoon. Are you going to behave this time? Yes, you have to, but I make sure you get a treat. Good girl. You really are a fussy one this morning." She swore her dog understood, especially from the look in her mixed colour eyes. She had played up a bit first time they arrived though now fluffy was calm enough not to really need a lead. Who was she kidding? She could drag her off like a stick! "Come on. Lemme up. You know how Tora is pre-coffee in the mornings."

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Moving to the village, we'll it was cheap and the area had little in the form of rivals though it was in a bit of a dive, the monster rumours and from reading up before they left, the village must have errors or mayor had never changed going by the names.

Getting finally dressed after greeting her sister and handing the zombie her coffee and a bagel to naw on for a while before she gained sentience. Finding her leather jacket and boots by the door Astrid decided to make most of there new start and freedom. Both had worked in city to save up but this, this felt free in its own way, they had own home now, garden and the feasting hall while not packed was making a fair to good trade. "going for a walk Tori, be back in time to change. And DO NOT BORROW MY DRESS, you know which one... I'm wearing it today." Sharing a home was one thing. When both twin sisters where the same size roughly that was "interesting". Though to her advantage too, Tora however poor they were always found a bargain and items that should cost many times their price. "Ok Asti. I'm going to open the Hall up for Brunch later, I'm hurt...its soo nice though. Knock em dead... Or him..." Closing the door before her Tora could keep going on, they where friends... Just because they were close...

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Waving to a few people on her walk, the Village had yet to fully start up, open up etc. It was a nice time to get a walk despite not being an early bird some days she just appreciated a chance to have some time away from all her lists, work and a large pile of things to do.

Red bridge, the myths and local lore of the goddess had her curious, even though her beliefs were very different. Astrids fairly simple silver Thors hammer she always wore now, a symbol of protection and strength based on an original found from the Viking age. Tora and Astrid each had one as a gift from there, dad, before they left, even if leaving home they would still have a connection, reminder and hopefully the strength to succeed and protection while they made their own path.

Astrid's less notable nod to her alternative belief was a Viking arm ring, silver with a pair of dragon heads. The oath thing was a bit of a myth based on Odin, it just used to be an easy way to carry wealth but it was a nice idea. Still, she had got it from one of her first paychecks. She was so happy buying it with own money. It reminded her of what she could achieve if she kept going.



Smiling her musings as the reached for the necklace, leaning on the red bridge watching the water flow, fish and wildlife, watching Fluffy chase a bird a bit until the rather large dog got bored and lay against her legs. Protection, maybe not directly but fluffy definitely could be considered a gift? Who knew how gods and spirits worked.

People here seemed nice, they shopped local, tried to fit in even though the post was busy or the general store with orders that the local area could not supply. It seemed to be working even if she still got a few odd looks for there choice of a Feasting Hall from time to time from the ardently traditional.

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Mentions.
N\A

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It was winter when Oliver Reed had gone to sleep and it was still winter when he awoke the next morning.

That didn't stop the mayor from ringing him at an un-goddessly hour, however. The first signs of spring were apparently in bloom and all were invited to see for themselves. Doubtful, but okay. That was still fine with Oliver. He truthfully had little to do today and welcomed the opportunity to leave home for a few hours. Cinnamon and Storm were his only saving grace at the homestead yet even they did little to ease perpetual anxiety. He hated acting idle. Between throwing together a last minute dish and keeping social appearances, it would be hard to get lost in his own head for right now. Winter was hard like that, but spring was alright. Oliver liked spring for the most part. "Yes, of course! I'll be there for sure! I greatly look forward to what bounties our Goddess has blessed us with this year!"

The optimism was as fabricated as his carefully crafted life of lies. These people were fools to be excited by the first sign of flower petals, but who was he to ruin their fun? The least that he could do was throw together a dish of some kind as a peace offering. He was atrocious at baking and fishing, so those options were ruled out. There was other alternatives, however. "Pancakes? Those are easy to make and I'm sure that Ferris would eat them if nobody else did."

"Yeah, pancakes. I'd have to be an idiot to ruin those." The commentary was directed towards an oversized rabbit that was silently moving about the household. The poor thing was probably freezing from this cold - Oliver certainly knew that he was. Winter was literally the worst season to exist and he saw no benefits to it. When the chill came on his birthday ever year, he had grown to dread the coming weeks. Winter slowed certain businesses in Root River, killed crops, and came with snow that piled upon every pathway. He had truly hoped that spring had actually come if it meant returning life to this otherwise desolate town. "Alright, Cinnamon. I'll be back in a few hours with the ingredients. Don't die or anything."

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He hated winter.

At least the thaw was obvious and most of the snow had begun to vanish by the time that he stepped outside. He still wrapped a scarf around his neck and grabbed a white winter coat to stave away the remaining cold. He had half the mind to pop in and see how Ferris was doing so far, but decided against it. The kid had likely already been awake for hours anyway. He was probably deep in the woods or offering a prayer of some kind. He was naive like that, but Oliver couldn't blame him. He was once a believer too and grief had always brought people closer to the Harvest Goddess' message. Helping people was, admittedly, why Oliver had pursued his career as a priest in the first place. He knew that it was probably heresy and he also didn't care. If the Harvest Goddess was real, then she could strike him down with lightning where he stood. Maybe then, he'd actually believe in her existence again. It was these idle thoughts that led him to the local red bridge on the first day of the new year, every year, like clockwork. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of Her, but he had come to terms with the brutal reality. He would never see her as she did not exist.

"Ah. Good morning to you, Miss Peterson!" Speaking of outlandish belief systems, there was the Peterson sisters. They were outsiders like himself, but had only come to the village within the past few seasons. Their food was delicious and he was a regular, but they themselves were rather quite odd. Eccentric, even. He was fonder of Astrid than her sister as the latter had the tendency to flirt with anything that had a pulse. Both believed in a deity or deities that were foreign to Root River, however. This much was reflected in their strange trinkets and accessories that were scattered across their dining hall. It looked like Astrid had her religious memorabilia on her now as well. How strange it was to come across one of them at the site of where the Harvest Goddess was rumored to be seen. Could this be considered heresy for them? "I'm surprised to see you here this early. What bring you to the red bridge today?"

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Astrid Peterson

First day of spring - Year one - Mayoral Moaning

Peterson's Cottage - Red Bridge

Astrid Peterson
Astrid was giving fluffy a fuss as the large dog turned and seemed to smell or hear someone coming, it had taken a while to learn the signs but Astrid did trust Flurry and her abilities. She was also a fairly good judge of character and usually could work out a bad egg pretty quickly. Her rather large furry companion who was more often than not seen with her equally dark-haired mistress. Bounding over the large dog left a muddy pair of paw prints on his upper robes and gave him a lick or 3 before she got her fuss and returning to Astrid resting at her feet lazily as her rather loyal protector. Well resting near her or lazing near the slow-burning fire in the Feasting Hall on cold nights.

Astrid missed home, well her family. The city she did not miss, though her overly large rescue dog helped fill in the gap, she had to have Fluffy on seeing her first time, there was no option and they had been hard to separate since. Laughing at Fluffy's antics and the muddy large paw marks. He was a regular, Oliver knew what her animal friend was like. "Astrids fine Oliver or il set Tora on you again saying you want a date. Preist Reed...or is or father... I am not sure with harvest goddess. It would keep her out my love life..." Smiling, she did not mind people using her given name, Miss Peterson reminded her too much of her old stuffy boss back in the city. Part teasing, part genuine question, Astrid grew up in City, the Harvest goddess was not exactly mainstream there. Yes, they did follow a fairly alien religion to these parts, it did not stop them learning about what else was about and what people beloved in. Their beliefs did not bar them learning and exploring. Quite the opposite really."Well for one the Mayor's sense of timing is... Questionable to say the least. Did not get much sleep after.

Red bridge, oh...here. I was curious, there's so much talk of this place, I kind of had to see it for myself. I wondered if it was a place blessed by the Vanir Freyr, and Freyja. Twins who bless the land and households. Just something about today. Felt. Different." She never had hidden her beliefs, sure they would not convert anyone or force the issue, but had no shame in embracing what they believed however different. Sure she meandered a bit but the first day of spring. There felt something special about it, something was just different when winters icy grip was broken.

Turning back to more earthbound and practical subjects. The mayor's spring celebration. "What's the whole thing with the mayor? Formal, a village gathering? I hope he likes lemon meringue pie. All this is rather new to us. The mayor is also " hoping he might know more of what to expect she played a little nervously with her pendant, a symbol of strength though it never was that courage was the absence of fear only the ability to keep going regardless of it. A small smile randomly remembering Tora reaction to the little false rumour he might want a date, and her choice of outfit involving a top that less Norse, more naughty tavern wench. She had saved him and got Tora to back off, not before she had turned him pink a few times. Just because she did not play many jokes, or still happened.

The twins shared quite a few aspects, similar sizes, night-black hair and hard to mistake for anything but sisters. Though more though once you got to know them there where also quite a few differences between them.

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Mentions
Meeting n teasing @Shinobu

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Spring, Day 1 - New Year's Day
The Forest

Although the forest shrine was located fairly deep into the woods, Ferris always felt safe around its clearing. Something about the shrine put him at ease and made him feel as though he was protected from nature's most vile predators while he prayed here. He wasn't sure if this was the case any longer, though. He had caught glimpses of creatures far greater than your average bear or wolf, some having been suspiciously humanlike. Ferris' instinct in those encounters was to run away as quickly as possible, and he believed this to be the smartest course of action. The hunter's guild had been able to confirm his reports, but seemed equally as puzzled as to the exact nature of these creatures. Finishing his prayer, Ferris stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves off of his pants, letting an audible sigh escape his lips. "May the Goddess keep this grove safe as it once was." Of course, this very grove was where his father had disappeared. Where Ferris had discovered the Woodcutter's Axe which was all that remained of Freddy. Ferris began his walk back to the lumberyard, a bit calmer after the spiritual catharsis but a great deal hungrier than he'd been a short while ago.

"What to do, what to do..." As Natalie wandered into the forest, she thought back to her brother's suggestions for what to bring to the picnic. "Maybe I could pick some fruit and bring a deer. Or should I mix things up and shoot a rabbit? A wolf? Would they be up for steak?" She talked to herself, looking around.

Ferris thought out loud to himself about how he might be able to avoid hauling all that lumber by himself. "Maybe I can borrow a horse from someone in town. If I'm lucky I'll be able to--"

His musings were cut off when he absent-mindedly colided into a familiar and heavily-armed figure. The collision caused Ferris to topple over forward as he lost his footing. "Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry--" he had apologized several times before his immense figure even hit the ground.

"Oof-!" ...And she forgot to look where she was going. Nat ended up getting toppled over onto her back by a flustered Ferris. Not to say she wasn't embarrassed herself. But she chuckled it off. "M-Morning, Ferris, heheh." Natalie slightly waved hello to him.

"Uh... hi, Nat. Sorry, I need to watch where I'm going." Ferris pushed himself up off the ground, then extended a hand down to help Natalie. Collisions aside, the lumberjack was thrilled to see her: he always felt safer when Natalie was around to take care of the wild animals that roamed these woods. "Have you seen any game today? I was hoping we could make some of that maple-roasted venison later."

The huntress dusted herself off after she was helped up. "Eh, not yet, just hoping to find something for-" Natalie's eyes seemed to light up when Ferris mentioned venison. "Oh, maybe we can take some to the picnic later! If that's okay with you!" She grinned.

"Picnic? I didn't know there was--" Suddenly, everything clicked in Ferris' mind. "Oh no, I must have left for work before the mayor's message came in..." Scratching the stubble on his chin, Ferris nodded at Natalie. "Well, I'm sure we can find something before the day's out, right?"

"Right!" Natalie nodded.

"Just warn me before you start shooting. I get squeamish sometimes." Ferris confided.

"Got it." The huntress patted him on the back, then walked ahead.

Ferris collected himself and followed, blushing slightly when Natalie patted his back. While normally he would be rushing home to get his lumber cart, if the thaw was happening soon, he reckoned the Wheelers' lumberyard would have plenty of firewood for what little remained of the cold eason. A few hours of collection wouldn't be horribly missed. "Where to, Nat?"

Natalie held a finger up to her chin in thought. "Hmm...let's not stray too far from town. I'm not risking us getting lost and ending up in the depths. Something about monsters and darkness, I dunno." She shrugged. "If you see anything else we could bring, let me know."

Ferris nodded. "I saw one of them. I thought I imagined them at first, but according to your brother I'm not the first to report a monster sighting in the area." He paused, his voice growing quiet: "Y-you don't think a monster will show up around here, do you?"

Though her expression turned serious for a moment, it changed to slight concern. "As far as we know, the monsters only appear in greater numbers at night as we explored deeper in. We're doing our best trying to protect the town, even if our sleep schedules are haywire now." Natalie joked a bit to try and lighten the mood. "But if we end up wrong about that, I'll protect you, okay?"

"Well then I have nothing to worry about," Ferris said, smiling warmly, "I've um, been meaning to ask you..." he paused, trying to work up the nerve to ask the question. "I'm sorry, it's a silly thing, I just..." Ferris couldn't seem to get the words out. "Would you, uhm..."

"What is it? You can ask me." Natalie looked back to Ferris, curious.

"Can you teach me how to shoot!?" Ferris blurted out, "I don't want to get caught alone and get mauled by a werewolf or something!" Taking a deep breath, he continued: "I know I'm not as tough as you or whatever and I get scared easily but you know, I want to be able to defend myself if the time comes, and I always used to get nervous whenever I was aiming, but I think if I gave it another try I'd be able to make it work!" The tone in his voice indicated this definitely wasn't the first time he'd tried this.

The huntress couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Sure! I can lend you one of my smaller weapons to start, if you want."

Ferris smiled back. "I'd like that. It's funny, my dad actually used to use a bow. Said it was quieter."

"I do have a few crossbows back home. I'll have to get them later."

Ferris nodded. "Anything would be good. I just don't want any monster-attacks near the lumberyard!"

Sierra Hamilton woke moments before sunrise. Freshening up, she sees her mentor, Cletus, looking wistfully out over the early morning scenery, clutching a warm cup of tea. The old man was prone to waking up earlier than Sierra, though as the town smith, he had nothing to do this early in the day. Since she came to Root River and became Cletus' apprentice, he had given her the one bedroom in his residence, and took to laying out a roll and sleeping by the forge. And although Sierra sees the bedroll tucked away in the corner every day, she had never seen it in use, since Cletus woke earlier than she did and went to sleep later than she did. He had often commented on the irony of old age: that though he felt tired and fatigued more often, he found that he required less sleep. Perhaps his body was taking advantage of every waking moment before the end. And though Sierra protested being given the bedroom, Cletus had insisted for propriety's sake; that a lone woman deserved privacy lest unsavory talk circulated.

Surprisingly, the phone rang, and as if he expected it, Cletus picked it up immediately, congratulating the mayor on a new year and sending his blessings. He turned around, as if just now noticing Sierra was up. "There's an event today to usher in the New Year at Mayor Eugene's place," Cletus said with a surprisingly serious tone, "We will need to bring gifts."

Cletus got up slowly and wandered over to the forge, picking out a small rosewood box with a hinged lid. Opening it revealed a pink silk cushion, upon which sat a small, stylized gold ingot in a vaguely boat-like shape, inlaid with runes and characters Sierra was unfamiliar with. Sierra had noticed in the previous days the old man was working on something, smelting down gold, using a special mold, and ordering the special box from the General Store.

"You're giving the mayor gold?" Sierra said incredulously, and almost rudely.

Cletus' brow furrowed in disappointment as he reached for a stack of red envelopes, "That's not all," he added, "As the eldest member of Root River's community, I am handing these out to all the other villagers as well." He put them within arm's reach so Sierra could inspect them.

Opening the envelopes, Sierra saw that they were filled with varying amounts of money, based on the age of the recipient.
"You can't just give away money!" Sierra said. She had been in Root River for less than a year, so this was her first New Year's celebration, but she was sure that what Cletus was doing was something from his own culture.

"And why not?" Cletus retorted in a huff, "It's my money. I can do whatever I want with it. What am I going to do with wealth, at my age? I can't eat it, and I can't bring it with me when I..." Cletus sighed. "You only lose to poverty when you let others see that you are poor, do you understand? What's that saying...'Keep calm and carry on'? It's...it's...the power of perseverance and belief. By pretending that you are wealthy, the spirit of poverty will give up and leave you, and prosperity will return. But poverty latches on and doesn't let go if you make being poor a part of who you are."

Sierra couldn't accept the nonsense Cletus was saying, but held her tongue out of respect.

"Anyways, you're still young, so you don't have to give these out," Cletus mentioned the envelopes, "But you still have to pay tribute to the Mayor."

"Tribute?!" Sierra blurted out.

"Yes," Cletus picked out a second cushioned, rosewood box, but it was empty. "I think a nice gemstone would make a fine pair with my ingot. This is not a request."

Sierra was speechless for a moment. Most of her mining efforts had yielded little more than stone for construction projects around the village, though she happened upon the occasional ore vein. One day she had gotten extremely lucky and dug up a small chunk of sapphire. Cletus had already smelted down most of the gold she had discovered to make his ingot, and now he wants her to just give away the one gemstone she had managed to find in the entire time she had spent in Root River. Her incredulous gaze was met with an intense glare that bore the weight of an ancient culture and a lifetime of hardship and sacrifice. Sierra put her hands in front of her in a foreign gesture of salute and said, "I hear and I obey, Kang ShiFu," turning her face down in deference.

Cletus relaxed, "Thank you for understanding. The party won't be until the afternoon. So you should have some time to mine before then."

"Please excuse me, then," Sierra saluted again, before heading out, and picked up the boxed brunch that Cletus had prepared for her that day.

Overall, Xavier found Root River to be a sleepy little town. As a child, he'd had no lack of surprises and adventure both in and around the small settlement, but as the years passed and people moved away, the community quieted down and now the days were mostly peaceful. At least, that was the impression the young new owner of the Root River Clinic got since moving back to town recently. Although threatened, the current clean air of nature kept most of the residents in good health, and Xavier hadn't seen a lot of patients with major health concerns - mostly just minor cuts and scrapes, the occasional stomach bug, etc. No emergencies yet.

Which is why, when the clinic's phone rang in the early hours of the morning, Xavier laid in bed upstairs perplexed about what had woken him up. The constant, monotone briiiing briiiing briiiing didn't click with him at first, but once he finally processed the sound as the clinic's phone Xavier all but scrambled out of bed and stumbled his way downstairs. It seemed like the sun was just beginning to rise - no light came through the clinic's windows, which was all the better because Xavier, in his rush to answer, was dressed only in his sleeping shirt and boxers.

"Hello?!" the young man answered in a bit of a panic, snatching the phone from it's receiver, but all he was met with was an even dial tone. Missed call.

He set the phone back down, and as Xavier was about to fiddle with the buttons to call whoever it was back, the blinking red light of a new message! came to life. The not-yet-a-doctor wasted no time in listening to said message just in case someone needed help immediately. Why else would they be calling at such an early hour? ...of course, after hearing the words left behind by the Mayor, that didn't seem to be the case. It was simultaneously frustrating and relieving. With all the panic suddenly gone from his system, Xavier's body was instead flooded with sleepiness. He sighed and briefly rubbed his eyes with one hand. Back to bed... or not. It was a special day after all, might as well stay up and get ready for it.

The rest of Xavier's early morning thankfully passed in peace. He groomed and dressed himself before heading outside to the yard behind the clinic he currently called home. There, a large rabbit hutch sat with three well looked after bunnies inside.

"Good morning girls," Xavier greeted to the rabbits softly, cleaning the hutch and giving the fluffy creatures their breakfast. As the rabbits munched away, Xavier took the time to watch the rest of the sunrise of the first day of the year. There was a slight chill in the air, both the last grips of Winter and the mysterious "Rot" that sullied the attitudes of the residents, but even so it was a time of happiness and hope! Clinging to that notion, the young apothecary went back inside to finish up the rest of his morning routine.

One small breakfast later (and the realization that his fridge and pantry were getting dangerously close to barren), the phone rang once again. This time on the other end was Xavier's father, a pleasant surprise.

"Morning Xavier! Happy New Year!"

"You too Dad! Hope you and Mom are doing okay."

"We're fine, don't worry about us. How's it going in Root River? You know I saw on the TV that BigCo.--"

"I've been fine," Xavier interrupted, not really keen to discuss the potential town leveling on the first day of the year. "I even got a call from Mayor Yuletree already, about the New Year's Picnic. I completely forgot about it - actually, I'm kind of surprised it still happens."

"Oh, yeah, those were always fun, huh? ...wait, Yuletree? Not the same Mayor since I was a kid, right? I swear there was even a 'Mayor Yuletree' when your grandfather used to tell me stories about when he was a kid."

"Um... Maybe? Anyway, it's been nice to hear from you, but--"

"Wait, you remember you have to bring something to the Mayor's place, right? It's like a potluck."

"He made that very clear," Xavier laughed. Indeed, he'd need a trip to the local market to restock not only his own home with food, but figure something out to bring to the picnic. The Price men exchanged a few more words before signing off, and after that it was out the door for Xavier.

First thing's first: what should he bring to the picnic? The young man considered that question as he hung a sign on the clinic reading "Out for the holiday. Need medical attention or advice? I'll be in town, please come see me. - Xavier Price." and made a beeline for the general store. He hadn't gone to a 'New Year's Picnic' since he was a kid, so he had no clue what would be nice to bring. Something to appease the Mayor, sure, but also enough to share with everyone. Xavier dabbled in cooking every now and then, it was fun and... cathartic, in a sense, but he wasn't particularly amazing at it. Not only that but he wasn't exactly making bank at the clinic. Lack of business combined with his general aversion to charging a lot for care, and his loan payments, meant Xavier was living on a strict budget. Well, it doesn't really bother me, he thought, just means I need to get kind of creative... maybe... something apple-y?

With "apple-y" on the mind, Xavier arrived at the town market and went in.

---

As the first rays of the spring sun filtered into the large bay window that was so charming and allowed that most picturesque view of the Root River as it snaked its way out of the mountains, through the town that bore its name and off towards some unseen goal, the occupant of the room those beams of light were hitting let out a soft groan. The woman turned over in her bed, away from nature's alarm clock, hopeful to grasp at a few minutes of sleep to fight off the impending hangover headache that was certain to make itself known at any moment. She knew it would be a futile maneuver, but she had to try. There was so much alcohol consumed the night before, so many bottles passed around as the town was feeling gay. Someone mentioned bagpipes, but as far as she was concerned, that music wouldn't play. And given the party was at her vineyard, she had final say on the tunes. But now it felt like an entire highland contingent was about to start marching on her temples. As she rolled over for a second time, Mahina Wolff cursed her generous nature, with both her own glass and others.

"Ugh.... this is gonna be bad... Not Spring Break '14 bad, but bad...

At least there were come positives to come with the daybreak. It was Spring now, so it would be time to plan the year's batch of grapes that would become the sweet summer wines and autumn stocks of the later seasons. It was also the season when Mahina officially moved to Root River, a couple years ago. It was meant to be a punishment, and yet it turned out to be the best thing that could happen to her. She had her own life, she had her own goals, she had freedom. It's why she loved it here.

Which is why BigCo starting to hack down the surrounding forests was a bit of a blow. As if she needed her parents' true love encroaching any more on the town. It was bad enough they got her the property for illegal purposes. It was worse when they ex-communicated her from the family. But with her sister still willing to talk to her, Mahina could do without her money-grubbing parents. She just wished she majored in computer science to hack into their bank accounts as opposed to English to write stern letters about their activities.

Still, the life she had built absconding with her parents' property was a good one. It was their fault for putting it in her name, and Mahina did pretty well with the help of the local towns folk. The main house was built to her liking; open concept on the main floor for easy entertaining, yet cozy on the top floor. The guest house was similar, with some added bunks up top for traveling workers who wished to earn some extra money before moving along. The grapes wouldn't pick themselves. It was a good system.

And it meant that even after the celebrations of last night, Mahina still had plenty of reserves to draft from when it came to selecting a pair of bottles to bring to the mayor's big shindig. She remembered what happened the first time when she showed up just expecting to stand around for a moment and bail. She got no pre-orders during that spring and had to really hustle to get her product out to enough customers to make a solid profit. This time, she would be ready. Even if she had to talk in hushed tones for her own benefit. But she had to start somewhere, and that meant getting out of her comfy cocoon. At least it would be warmer today.

After a quick shower and a greasy breakfast of scrambled eggs and hashbrowns, Mahina was ready to hit the town for another year. "All right. Wine, check. Hat, check. Feigned interest in the mayor's blatherings... Mahina smiled into the mirror hanging in the hallway next to the door. "...Check. All right, let get this done." Content that she would clear the low bar that last year set, Mahina headed out towards the orchard.

---

TODAY IS AN EVENT DAY: New Years Day [01/01] New Years Day is a local holiday that occurs when the first tree within the Mayor's Garden begins to show its first sign of leafage. By this afternoon the Mayor himself sees to getting the word out as well as gathering up enough food to feed the whole town for an impromptu picnic party.

---

The Mayor became a whirling dervish as he spent the hour demanding that the house be cleaned by his trusted maid, butler and chef. He felt like this was a lot of work for him! After spending about thirty minutes of writing a detailed list of what foods needed to be served for his guests he settled down into a large arm chair in his living room and took a nap. "I can't wait to impress everyone with all the work I did." he said dozing off, his head falling to his chest as the sound of snores filled the home.

His staff spent the next few hours cleaning up the mayor's mess and setting up two grand tables outside under the blooming tree. One table sat over twenty black chairs, ten on each side of the table and one large one at the head where the mayor would sit. It was covered in a pink blush table cloth that had white designs that resembled a cherry blossom tree. Each seat had a plate arrangement including several odd shaped forks, knife, spoon, charger, napkin, and mint. The Mayor believed heavily that the more forks you had the more fancier the meal tasted. On the outer lying table they placed several platters for people to place their brought meals on. The shown meals on the table contained the following:

- An entire broiled squid
- A large bowl of tomato salad
- A pot of cream of corn soup
- A single jam sandwich
- A pitcher of cherry blossom lemonade
- A three tiered strawberry shortcake
- A pan of cornbread



The four happy-go-lucky sprites had finished their first big task and because the Goddess had not asked them to return right home they felt like it was time to get in a little mischief while they could. The sprites were almost always helpful to the people of the town, but every once in awhile they wanted to cause a little trouble. Racing from the mayor's house they decided to pay a visit to each and everyone's home before they would return to their homes.

First they would go the Abernova General Store. Luna was feisty like the fire sprite; Ember. The other sprites urged her to be the one to give Luna a little surprise. She decided to leave some soot on one of the shelves filled with apple products. Four sets of different footprints could be seen running through it by accident.

Next they visited the home of the new person in town! They began to understood her name was Ana, and was pleased to see that Irina had already came over to introduce herself! The sprites agreed that this was very sweet of her and slipped a small blue gem into her postal bag while she wasn't looking. They decided to take a small nibble of Ana's pie on the way out the door, talking amongst themselves that they would have to let the goddess know about the new person in town, perhaps they felt something special about her?

As they made their way to the feasting hall the sprites were allured by the wonderful smells of delicious food and beautiful interiors! Oak frowned looking at the use of animal furs around the establishment but knew very well that it was part of the circle of life and hoped that the sisters made use of every part of the animal, perhaps in a delicious stew. The sprites played around for quite a while enjoying the warmth of the fireplace before spotting the large dog. Quite scared Ember, Trout, and Misty started to run away. Oak however loved all animals and received a small kiss from the dog. He gave the dog a treat before running out with his companions.

Due to the nature of the scare the sprites decided it was time to go back to their respective favorite spots. Ember made her way to the The Smithy; as the young sprite loved to nestle in the warmth of the forge. While there she noticed Cletus and Sierra arguing. Though Ember quite enjoyed a good debate she didn't like to see the two at odds. Instead of going in to rest, she decided to follow Sierra as a bit of a good luck charm if she decided to go to the mines before the party at the mayors.

Oak preferred the forest, he loved being with all the animals, trees, and even the dirt! He was one of the most responsible of the sprites and felt that he always had a duty to take care of the town and the townspeople around him. He decided the first thing he would do is check the forest shrine; he quite enjoyed the treats people left for him and also tried to help the people who came their often. As he approached the shrine he noticed that Ferris had came again today and was giving a small offering. Oak hid behind the stone monolith as he listened to the boy's prayers. Oak became overcome with sadness and his eyes filled with tears. He felt so badly for Ferris, and knew that not even The Goddess could bring back those that were lost.

He decided that he was going to help Ferris find his father himself, even if the Goddess had told him it couldn't be done. Oak ventured farther into the woods on his journey, unbeknownst to him- creatures of The Rot were watching and knew that if he wasn't paying attention that they could sneak in.

So they did.

Six small blobs of the darkest sludge could be seen sneaking around, they devoured flowers whole, toads, twigs, and mushrooms along the way as they grew in size with every bite. Soon they would be as large as a small child, and when coming together they would be over six feet tall! They made disgusting gurgling sounds as they made their way through the forest heading towards where Ferris and Natalie spoke. "Grumble grumble grumble!" they shouted as they got closer to the two. What will fate decide?

Trout and Misty as the younger of the sprites felt most comfortable living closer to the Goddess herself. Trout lived down stream, amongst the sand. He used plastics and other garbage that he found along the shore as a makeshift hiding spot. Misty, the younger of the two preferred to live with the Harvest Goddess. As she arrived to the bridge she sent a whirlwind of air through the area leaving anyone near it with a shiver up their spine, this was to alert the Goddess that she was home. The Goddess embraced her youngest sprite as Misty told the Goddess of what was going on in town and the other trouble they had gotten in to today.

Astrid Peterson
&
Tora Peterson

First day of spring - Year one - Mayoral Moaning part 2

Red bridge - Peterson's Cottage - Mayors House

Tora Peterson
Tora or Tori to her friends and family was busy in the kitchen of the cottage mixing up the last of the Key lime pie ingredients before settings the final stage to bake and an old fashioned egg timer with her. The first-ever be years celebration was not a time for a burnt desert and indelible gift. Singing along to an old radio playing cheesy pop hits.

Life had not been this easy at the start, days had been long, a lot of work to turn the cottage and hall back to a place humans could call home. Extensive work needed doing and the building had even had them questioning if it could have been achieved at times. Yes, she was a shameless flirt and not one to deny it, however, the "Vacuous" woman drove a hard bargain and a sharp eye for details and ways to save money and materials. Oliver, the priest did not seem to quite like her as much as her rock chick sister but he was a good customer and a regular.

Not even hearing but feeling, something about the hall, it was not a danger though. There was no cloying dark feeling that had tried to take the building. No this was positive. Whatever it was this presence or feeling was not going to harm or hurt her leaving the knife on the side table. She was told this place had monsters, maybe but until more solid proof came no need to be armed in a small village. They were already pagans, looking like a raiding party not help the cause. Heading back to the wardrobe and throwing open the doors, it was a little full... Ok, a lot full. Mayors party, might as well look nice and make q good impression. Gold, chain mail, barely there and no underwear...nope. Hopefully, find a use for it eventually though.

Digging something less proactive out, a metallic cocktail dress though still enough oomph to make her feel confident. She was not a wallflower and never would try to hide her personality. It was snug but it fitted well and years of working her feet left her legs well-toned and attractive. Fumbling a little but zipping it up and am getting her long wavy Raven black hair into some form to a suitable order, matching Thor's hammer to Astrids proudly on show round her neck and glittering in the light. Luckily the egg timer beeped as she just finished her makeup and ran over pulling out the desert and plating it onto a decorative platter more appropriate than her slightly battered but perfectly serviceable bakeware. "Phew. Not quite mums but close enough. Munin... No. This one's not for you. It's for that slightly eccentric mayor. Go, behave you. Foods on your perch."





Making sure her unconverted and familiar knew. The Raven was a strange one form a bond with but Munin had soon become her rather an intelligent friend. Letting it fly off her arm feeling the sharp cold talons on her skin reminding her Munin was not fully "Tamed" or "docile". Though she seemed to follow commands when she wanted to anyway.

---

Astrid Peterson
Leaving the red bridge and making the walk home, she felt a little confused meeting Ollie at times, he was... Layered,when you think he had it down the answer was just more questions. She did like Oliver in his own way, he was abit tough round edges but interesting. Fluffy was playful though she would need a bit of clean before they went to the party, where you allowed to take dogs? Because Fluffy was hard to separate from Astrid. Not that she minded, her dog was a loyal friend and companion.

Spotting Tora on the way in sat dressed up doing of all things placing an order from the city for a few supplies that were hard to acquire locally. "Hey Tori. Add on some more bits on the list in pink, got to get ready, the mayor is a strange one" Grabbing a list, Tora agreed mayor was a strange one. Who else had a full beard and nothing on top?"Got Ya Asti, already done. Sky blue? You look good in sky blue. Mayor. Eccentric definitely is his picture next to meaning" Laughing, he meant well but by the many gods, he was a strange character and hard to get a solid gauge of if it was real or a clever mask and ruse.

Astrid found her dress, little short but it was cute and would be fun to get out and meet some of the locals in a none working capacity. They met many but often they were customers. Finding some heals, light makeup and a matching clutch bag. She did not do the whole thing as well as Tora, Twins yes, but get to know them they were rather different under the surface.



A small twirl in the mirror and check everything was working out from the back as well as the front. Be a rather embarrassing moment to find the dress did not cover up properly! "Ready Asti. See... I can do dressy, don't act so surprised Asti, I have legs you know. Pass me a glass, white one by the milk"

Grabbing the pie, some light coats as leaving. They were not exactly dressed in practical options for the weather by most standards but they would get a little cold to look good. It was a short walk to the mayor's place, Fluffy trailed next to Astrid with some meandering smelling the shops and things along the way. Reaching the rather large property and courtyard. "Mr Mayor, why hello, thank-you for inviting us hon" Smiling, her typical flirty self and placing down the Key Lime pie. "Oh Tori, don't get us kicked out before we arrived. Thank you, its a shared gift from us. Your always welcome at Freyas" obviously joking, the two sisters were pretty relaxed, especially after they had cracked open a bottle from the local vineyard before leaving. "Im not that bad Asti, Fluffy... Asti can you calm her, Munin...stop bothering her..." Calling back her Raven who was teasing the rather large dog giving a minor dog glare to Munin. The two animals did not exactly see eye to eye.

Mentions
The Mayor and spirits @MissCapnCrunch
Oliver "Onion" Reed @Shinobu

After the rough wake-up call, the chime of the general store's doorbell and the soft music inside was quite nearly the most pleasant sounds Xavier had ever heard. He breathed in the various scents of produce and smiled lightly. At the counter the store's proprietor, the pink-haired Luna, was standing. Upon seeing her, Xavier's smile wavered just a bit. He wasn't very familiar with her, but after the few times he'd been in the store before he'd learned that she wasn't... the most friendly inhabitant of their little village. Still, she was the owner and there was no need to get on her bad side - not that Xavier wasn't a perfectly polite person either way. He gave Luna a small wave and quickly moved on.

Scooping up all the basics he needed for home - milk, eggs, bread, the like - Xavier moved on to the produce. He picked a couple of items up and tossed them in the cart before heading to the baskets of apples. He had a vague idea of what he wanted to do... maybe some turnovers or a pie... lost in thoughts, Xavier reached to pick up the nearest apple but his hand brushed something unusual. Upon closer inspection, his dark skin was tinted darker by...

"...soot?" Xavier brought his hand close to his face and gave it an experimental sniff. Indeed, it smelled like burning residue. Blegh. He glanced briefly around for something to clean his hand with, not wanting to wipe it on his nice spring outfit, when the black powder had a certain effect on him.

"...ah... ohno-achoo!" Like any good medical practitioner, Xavier brought his arm around to cover his face as he sneezed, but it was still enough to scatter more of the soot around the area. Those poor fruits and veggies! Nothing a little rinse couldn't fix, but the soot, though thin, was all over the floor and other shelves now too. How did this get here in the first place? he briefly wondered. Some local playing a prank perhaps? Either way, this wasn't really the time to speculate - he'd better let Luna know before she found out herself and possibly blamed him. Hell, she still might.

"I - I'm sorry, there was - there's ash and soot all over here," Xavier sheepishly informed the shop keep. He stepped away from the area but not before shoving a few of the sooty apples into his own basket to show poor Luna she wouldn't be losing a sale.

---

Location: Deep in the woods...

---

Ferris’ trip through the woods had become considerably more pleasant now that Natalie was accompanying him. It was nowhere near the first time they’d traveled this area together, and Ferris had known Natalie since she’d moved here. The woods were her domain as much as his, and though Ferris said precious few words to her, he liked to think they had an unspoken understanding as fellow people of the wilds. The lumberjack was no good with a weapon, but had keen eyes and made for a decent spotter. He did look away before Natalie started shooting, though.

Fear of firearms-related accidents aside, Ferris felt a great deal safer with Natalie around. Living on the edge of the woods meant that Ferris was usually the first to see any odd goings-on around the area, and Ferris could swear he’d been seeing ghouls and monsters. “I heard a rumour about werewolves in these woods. I didn’t really believe it, but there’s something around here...” Ferris trailed off, going from speaking to Natalie to muttering to himself. “... something monstrous. And spooky.”

It wasn’t a while until Ferris started to hear a mysterious, gelatinous noise, accompanied by what sounded like the snapping of twigs and crunching of leaves.

Ferris watched in horror as the blob creatures began to shamble towards he and Natalie. Quaking with fear, he screamed out, hiding behind and instinctively grabbling the shoulders of the comparatively smaller huntress. “DO SOMETHING, NATALIE!” The massive woodcutter’s ax he’d received from his father was noticeably still affixed to his back. Clearly, Ferris was too paralyzed by fear to do much of anything. Except cower and scream.

@Majoras End