With Summer in full swing, Redwood Hollow has seemingly forgotten all woe. We know that, despite it all, the Hollow really can't resist a party.
Posters for a new festival had been springing up since late February, though details were revealed in dribs and drabs. Coming soon! one ominous poster, depicting some trees and a beat up guitar, read. Details to come, read another.
Finally, all was revealed. The Redwood Hollow Nature Reserve, after much organisation, had agreed to host a music festival out in one of the nearby stretches of land usually reserved for cows. A fundraiser, mostly, with proceeds going to further the nature reserves reach and non-profit activities.
Three days of live music, food, carnival rides and more, with the added promise that security for the event would be better than any event Redwood has ever seen. Whispering of concerns about public safety seemed to dwindle after the annual Hollow Hootenanny was the most uneventful one in a long time.
Locals are in for a treat, as some big name bands are set to make their Redwood Hollow debut. Local artists, including Prodigal Daughter, Rotten Royalty, and James Bell, will be performing in the B-Stage tent between main stage sets.
Buy your tickets now! (Over 14. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.)
An OOC information post is to follow with more details for players, and will be linked in the source once posted.
“Hey you! Are you going to the into the woods play! You totally should because everyone worked hard!” She said as she pointed at the direction of where the play would be held. She couldn’t wait to put on her cinderella dress and sing in front of well (hopefully a lot) of people.
Elsa felt a bit conflicted as she arranged a room for herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share one with Anna, it was more that she shouldn’t. Ever since the accident Elsabeth blamed herself for hurting her, even if it was years ago it was never truly forgotten. Feeling as conflicted as she was she found herself walking outside, clenching to herself as she watched the snowfall. The power was still not back and the hours passed without many answers. Now and then she thought back of the blue glow she had seen emitting from the sky, it was something she never had seen before and it was beautiful in a way. Almost magical. She heard the door open and turned around to see who it was. “You taking a breather as well?” She said in a weak attempt of small talk.
In following with tradition, the Daily Hollow made it a point to impart important information to the people of Redwood Hollow, through unbiased articles printed in its daily broadsheet.
While, for the most part, the news was simple, in reflecting the sleepy nature of the town, it had, as of late, been selling more papers than ever, with new, unsettling things happening every few months for the past couple of years increasing in rapidity as they drew on.
The Redwood Review, however, thrived mostly on mindless gossip, drawing its main inspiration from the likes of tabloids and TIKTOK conspiracy theorists. They, too, had their fair share of sell-out issues, though it was rare that the Daily Hollow and the Redwood Review ever approached their stories from the same angle.
One report, appearing in both papers that morning, however, was factually identical.
Newlyweds James and Tina Bell return from honeymoon one week early.
What a strange update for both. The Redwood Review had to speculate that there were already troubles in the water, and that the Newlyweds must have waited till the honeymoon to decide that they couldn't stand each other. Trouble and an annulment must surely be on the horizon!
The Daily Hollow, however, took a different approach. They sent someone to the door to find out what was going on (a more invasive strategy than they would have liked, but it was all about journalistic integrity!) The answer they received, from a seemingly rough looking James Bell né Hook, was simply "illness".
That was seemingly the end of the story, or so the journalists at both papers thought. The couple had scarcely been seen since their return, and all siting confirmed that both of them did, indeed, look worse for wears.
Another five days passed.
"Redwood Hollow Town Square is to receive an upgrade on all plaques."
"Local farmer now able to harvest potatoes at twice the speed thanks to new combine harvester!"
Day six.
"Breaking News: Owner of the Neverland Hotel's new bride in hospital after mysterious illness.
After returning from their honeymoon one week early due to an unknown illness, James Bell's new wife, Tina Bell, has been rushed to hospital amid fears for her life. Reports close to the couple say that this illness closely resembles the symptoms of the attack on Mr. Henrik Hera months prior, where it was found that Mr. Hera had poison in his system at the time of hospitalisation. Mr. Bell has also been admitted for close monitoring but was unfit to give a statement."
Day seven.
"At time of printing, it was reported that Mr. Bell né Hook was admitted to hospital following concerns for his health, after his wife Ms. Bell was rushed to Redwood Hollow Hospital after falling unconscious. We can now report that shortly after going to print, mere hours after his wife, that James Bell has too fallen into the same sleep-like state."
As you all know, every year we have our annual Hollow Hootenanny event in celebration of Founder's Week. In game, Founder's Week is the first week in April, ending with the Hollow Hootenanny at the end of the week.
Now, going off feedback from everyone, I know folk were struggling with events being so close together, so this is just to gauge if we should hold the event in April as planned, or wait another month to allow everyone to finish their tasks and get their replies done.
In character, the event is still an April event, we can just hold off actually writing it if need be. This year's theme is a masquerade, and I'm hoping to choose a few more characters to fall fate to Mr. Borovsky's plan.
Edit: Made the poll a week long instead of 24 hours!
When should we hold our annual Hollow Hootenanny event?
Now that the event has passed, Redwood Hollow is now on a community wide clean up mission! There are fallen trees blocking roads, street signs in all the wrong places, and at least 3 sheds are upside down.
Your character can volunteer as part of the clean-up campaign through the next few weeks!
As you can now see, everyone's characters are stuck at their party location of choice due to the extremely sudden turn in the weather.
This means that your character CAN NOT LEAVE their current location until an update post is made. They may try to find a solution, but in keeping within the event parameters, they will not be able to leave.
You can find a list of everyone's current locations on the main in the event tag.
Please make sure you have let me know in the OOC Community where your character currently is for the event, so that players know who they're trapped with.
Regarding starters, the same rules apply: you can make some but you must also reply to others. As before, no pre-plotting is allowed.
When making starters from this point forward, please tag them with PRE-DROP or POST-DROP so others are clear at what point in the timeline they are writing in.
You can create inner thought posts reacting to the events if you wish too.
As a man of many secrets, a deliberate and small paper trail was what he preferred. Mirage handled the digital footprint, and the mail man knew it was best not to leave junk mail in his PO Box. He was a busy man. Casimir Borovsky did not have time to flip through coupon books or order half-price pizza.
The green envelope, sealed with gold wax and smelling distinctly of lavender, was hand-delivered. A brave feat for anyone who had some sense about them. The drive up through the craggy hills and looming trees was an ill-advised one. It must have been important.
While the envelope never passed hand to hand, it did fall gently through the letter box of Borovsky's grand estate. How it had been managed was anyone's guess, but when he hadn't answered, it seemed the only other option.
Casimir let the envelope sit on his desk for a few days, for no particular reason, except to assert that he chose when people were granted his attention in any form.
The lavender lingered, demanding it.
A pristine blade sliced open the envelope from the top, revealing the beautifully written invitation that had waited impatiently inside all this time.
‘It is with great joy that we invite you, Mr. Casimir Borovsky & plus one, to join James Hook and Tina Bell on the first day of the rest of their lives together.’
Mr. Borovsky did not have any strong opinions on the matter. Not immediately, at least. He had known James for quite some time, the Neverland Hotel becoming somewhat of a home away from home when he had business to attend to in the town below. He had stayed there many nights, sometimes for long periods of time, keeping much to himself but acquainting himself with James Hook enough to keep him as a contact in case he needed anything in the future. Tina Bell was nothing more than a receptionist, who had quite clearly been told to keep out of Casimir's way to avoid causing James and the hotel any headaches.
The invitation was surprising for two reasons. The first, that Casimir was not generally invited to such things, unless he had some hand in it. Mainly affairs related to Town Hall and the founding families of Redwood Hollow. The second, was that Casimir Borovsky was an imposing figure, known mostly to keep to himself. He was not a typical wedding guest.
The invitation lay open on his desk for another week, aligned perfectly with other documents of greater importance. He considered the paper a few times during that week, picking it up, turning it over.
The lavender perfumed his hands.
-
"How is that boy's… playing coming along?" Mr. Borovsky asked Mirage as she scanned an impossibly dim screen.
"Mr. Gold?" she clarified. "He seems to have created a bon-bon of sorts. Convinced that it will cure whatever… befell the Hera boy. Are we sure letting him this close with such good intensions is a good—"
"He hasn't tested it, has he?"
"Uh— No, he— He hasn't had anyone to test it on. He has been working off some lab samples from the hospital."
Casmir paced, hands stuffed deep in his pockets.
He gazed out of the window, into the depth of the woodland surrounding his home.
Mirage's typing slowed to a snail's pace, hovering above the keys. Borovsky didn't care for the incessant clacking of keys when he was contemplating, and thus she allowed a silence to fall over the hollow room for some time.
"Mirage… how would you like to attend a wedding?"
Casimir pulled the small sprig of lavender from his pocket, twirling it gently between two fingers.
"Have Guinevere prepare a special bottle of wine for our friend, James Hook."
