peckenpaugh | wow, that's a lot of pollen...

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wow, that's a lot of pollen...

wow, that's a lot of pollen

what's up? Hard to believe the temperature today is a record setting 91 °F what with all that snow in the air. Wait, that’s not snow. It’s cottonwood fluff! And boy is there a lot of it. Over the last three days, the seed fluff and yellow pollen have steadily collected, though not quite like this. Students wake up to a white out on Wednesday, and it just keeps on piling up through morning classes, sticking to everything and causing rampant sneezing with no end in sight.

By lunch, some parts of campus have several feet of fluff on the ground. Central Campus is still manageable, but Thorntrail’s woods and Mothgarden’s grounds look like a blizzard rolled through, the hillsides around Wildgulch are a not-quite-winter wonderland and the pollen is ankle deep in Deeplurk’s meadows. Bub is working his special brand of magic double time to clear paths as fast as possible, but keeping up proves a challenge even for him.

The relentless pollen explosion is a considerable nuisance and staff has trouble keeping students focused after lunch. Junior Pre-Healer Studies is canceled outright when Healer Greatheart decides to move herself to the Central Classrooms lobby to keep a better eye on students. She passes out allergy medicine to those who seem to need it.

Several students spot unfamiliar wizards in long black robes wandering around the upper floors of Central Classrooms before fourth period. By the end of fifth, the day’s called a wash and Administrator Kwan announces that the last period has been cancelled. She advises that students stick indoors — not just because of the pollen, but because it’s hot as hell! Of course, y’all aren’t about to listen to good advice, are you? At the very least, enjoy the rest of the day. Throw on a Bubblehead Charm (or not) and brave the fluff!

As the sun dips low, the endless rain of fluff finally slows and it seems to have petered out after dinner. Staff and student volunteers spend the evening helping to clear fluff.

At the end of the night each Head of House stops by their respective Common Room with a bit of explanation for the day’s events: while the pollen itself was mundane, it seems the cause was magical. Local magical flora and fauna took issue with an invasive grove of Ents moving into the area north of Peckenpaugh, above the falls, and the excessive pollen was the result of magical beings attempting to intimidate the Ents into leaving. Ms. Treetops and Mr. Trullinger are collaborating with the BoMB to help mediate the dispute. Things aren't quite settled, but at the very least, going forward our sinuses should all be spared.

volunteer slots! A harried Ms. Gunzenhauser, unable to track down her TA, asks 💯 GERTRUDE MCGILLIGUDDY and 💯 LIONEL LOVELACE to teach freshmen the Bubblehead Charm. Assuming they at least try (make a thread with 3 replies each) they’ll each net 5 Points for their House(s). Ms. Gunzenhauser knows how difficult the freshmen are, though, and if TRUDY & LIONEL make real headway (make a thread with 6 replies each), they’ll each get 10 points for their House(s).

As soon as classes are let out, TYBALT ZETTLER digs up some makeshift sleds in the athletic building and organizes a fluff-sledding session on the hills around Wildgulch.

Whether or not 💯 LASZLO PATAKI knows that cottonwood seeds go up like flash paper, they go right to a pile of it with a bit of flame. Just the right amount of mayhem for them, they try this again in several other spots, netting a crowd and ultimately taking their little lightshow to the Mothgarden hedge mazes. Lighting the fluff on the ground at the eastern hedge maze causes quite a scene as the fast burning fire rips through the greenery. It looks cool, but it seems to catch on some mulch. Luckily (unfortunately?) Mr. Berzelius happens to be nearby, with a “Dude,” and a quick Aguamenti he stops a real fire before it can spread. LASZLO loses 10 points for their House and has to turn in a two page paper about fire safety to Berzelius by this Saturday.

HOLLAND GRAVES and FREYA NORRIS use their free time to do some detective work, following a Muscheron scout around campus sure it’ll lead them to the source of all this pollen and fluff. In fact, the Muscheron does not, and instead takes them on a winding adventure through the deepest, densest areas of fluff before returning them to the Surly Stump, which trips FREYA as the Muscheron giggles.

ARMANI’s eyes are so bleary and itchy from all the pollen that they can hardly see, so they decide to head back to their dorm to nap once classes are cancelled. The wheezing mess barrels right into MERLIN PLETCHER outside Central Classrooms after fifth period going in the complete wrong direction. So, MERLIN finds themself tasked with escorting ARMANI to their dorm.

Something’s moving in the fluff near the Greenhouses and CORIANDER PICQUERY can’t tell what it is. It’s kind of freaky, the way it moves, and they scramble to get away, but whatever it is gives chase. CORI leaps into the arms of EDDY WAXWEILER seeking escape when the tiny predator leaps to attack—it’s the FEROCIOUS cactus kitten! Covered in so much fluff it almost looks like a regular cat! CORI and EDDY return the kitten to a very thankful Mr. Trullinger, whom they find speaking with a bearded wizard in long black robes.

locations! ⬦ WHAT'S UP: Well, this has been a weird day! Did you get an allergy headache? Collect fluffy seeds for a craft project? Celebrate when classes were cancelled? Tell us in brief how your student spent their day here!

⬦ SCENES: A place for threading around campus during the Pollenpocalypse!

⬦ OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

"No," comes the smothered reply. "Similar, but no. This is unexpected, this is—close to the plan but not the—" Laszlo fumbles through the disaster he's created, and grabs a handful of someone's hair. Is it Tybalt's? He won't be sure until the other person yells.

Edited 2019-10-04 03:49 (UTC)

"You are, though," he adds quickly, not giving Merlin the satisfaction of deflecting his compliment.

He turns his face away from Merlin to hide it as he dabs at his eyes with the inside of the neck of his shirt. "I did, but it wore off while I was sleeping. I re--r-reh... choo!-- reapplied it but then I kept sneezing inside it." And, well. It was gross. "I ca--... caaaAaaa--... nnhh-- can't do quality charms in this state. Doesn't last."

Felicity's eyes are puffy and red, her nose is dripping, and yet she wears a big fat smile on her face and she runs around in the fluff-pocalypse. This is amazing.

"Yoooo!" Felicity lets out when she's close enough to properly see what Pax is up to. "Dude needs a friend." She immediately sets about to making a second tiny figurine. She delicately scoots her creation toward Pax's. "This is Frederick Flufferson. He works on a dairy farm but is working with the cows to plan a big escape. Who are you?"

"Think what heroes we'll be for cracking this case! They're all relying on us!" Okay, so the other students aren't literally dying... And they probably don't even know Freya and Holland are out here trying to save them... But why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

Holland's intuition proves to be right, and the cottonwood is quickly up to their thighs, then their waists. Struggling through it gets harder with each step, until even Freya begins to wonder if they should turn back. Then, mercifully, it thins out. Freya adjusts her goggles and peers around at where the Muscheron has led them. Wait a minute... "We're back at central campus?!" she exclaims. This is a plot twist she did NOT see coming.

"Yo!" Pax responds in kind, waiting until Felicity has created a friend for her dumb fluff ball before she looks at the other girl. She's... not looking too hot, but Pax isn't one to scold her for braving allergies just to have fun. She will at least ask, though.

"Man, are you ok? And what's got Mr. Flufferson in such a tizzy that he's got to split from the farm?"

She's still fiddling with her small fluffman as she talks, after a long moment of consideration trying to add a second head before quickly giving an introduction of her own.

"This is Mister McFluff. First name Mister. He absorbs fluff from his surroundings and grows extra body parts so he can fight crime."

Edited (dumb) 2019-10-05 21:53 (UTC)

While being a hero sounds a little tempting, not being covered in junk also sounds tempting. It's too hard to turn back now, and she doesn't want Freya thinking she's a wimp, even though everything about her body language suggests that she's trying to not be the big baby that she is. "They are, have you seen how bad some people are reacting? It's terrible."

The trudging continues, and Holland has a strong desire to claw off her bare legs. She squints from behind her charm and sunglasses. "...what the h....eck?" She releases the other girl to do a full turn; she'd been so focused on her agitation at the fluff that she hadn't even made note of their path. "Were we just duped?"

"There could be a hidden clue...?" Freya, optimistic until the last, marches forward and starts kicking up fluff in the hopes of uncovering something. (And also because, come on, she's been dying to do this for ages.) Unfortunately, the only thing her foot discovers is a root from the Surly Stump. It trips her, and she goes flying. The landing is not as soft as she imagined.

Sitting up, spitting cottonwood, Freya hears giggling and twists around to see their Muscheron guide pointing and laughing at her before he hops behind the Stump and disappears. "Yeah. Definitely duped," she attempts to say, but it's at this point that her body objects to all the pollen in her nose, and she starts sneezing uncontrollably.

... Not her most successful investigation ever.

"Horny trees sounds like a nickname for Thorntrail," Jupiter offers with a one shoulder shrug and an unwavering smile. She senses that things aren't quite right. Val's full of big emotions—that's something Jupiter's always enjoyed about their friendship—but these days it feels pulled too taut and scraped rough around the edges when she eggs Val into a reaction.

Jupiter's always pushing buttons, but quitting Quodpot seems to have knocked things askew, and now the buttons press doesn't bounce back like it used to. She sets the tissues down on the table, in case Val wants more. Still grinning, still jovial, but maybe a bit softer she asks, "Want me to get you some wiz-zyrtec from Greatheart?"

Edited (rises from the grave) 2019-10-06 21:19 (UTC)

Holland succumbs a little to her fussiness - she releases Freya's arm as she moves forward and begins kicking, keeping a bit of distance between them; she really doesn't want to be up in there. Unfortunately, it means she can do nothing when the other girl goes flying... though fortunately it means she's not in danger of the same fate. Letting out a little yelp, Holland darts forward to help her friend, incredibly mindful of the Surly Stump.

"Are you alright?" In the world of potential injuries this is fairly minor, but she's still worried.

As she kneels at the other girl's side, she grabs up some fluff and throws it in the direction of the fleeing Muscheron in attempted retaliation, though it barely goes anywhere. Whatever. The intent was there.

Even if there were more bite to Bijou's words, Hawthorne isn't much of a sleuth when it comes to sarcasm. "You're welcome?" He says, more of a question than a proper response the way it tips up high at the end.

Still, he thinks he should probably try to reiterate that he wasn't launching a seed-based offensive. "I was just helping to clear the path and I—there were some difficulties with my charmwork." There are always difficulties with Hawthorne's charmwork.

Oliver sniffles, which likely only makes his inability to breathe worse. A laugh, a little embarrassed maybe, at how disgusting he must look, tumbles out of him. He cannot even begin to imagine what Laszlo might have to say to him and that smile turns unsure as he puzzles over whether he should meet that statement with yet more Customer Service Decorum, or concern, or surprise.

"Um, yes, absolutely!" He settles on chipper and eager to help. His resting state, really, aside from the slight rasp in his voice from all the pollen. "I'm all ears, Laszlo. What is it?"

Val sighs heavily. Sometimes she wants to be waited on, but not by Jupiter. There's a nebulous line dividing those whom she wants to be subservient, and those whose subservience offends her. Valkyrie's yet to suss out who falls where and why.

"I can get it myself," she objects, but her exasperation is friendly. She takes a tissue, and for a moment looks at the difference between her perfect manicure and Jupiter's rougher hands. Both of them have plenty and callouses, despite the contrast in presentation. "Don't baby me."

What is it?

Laszlo freezes. This is usually easier. Well, actually, he doesn't do this with other people. Or does he? He's been harsh with Tybalt (who laughs) or Presley (who gets mad) but this is uncharted territory. He suddenly looks wide eyed and a little panicked. Oliver's cheery smile spins the whole situation into further confusion, but he can't not say anything now. There are a lot of things Oliver actually looks like, that Laszlo has seen before. You look ill, you look like a painting of someone dying of tuberculosis, you look like The Death of Marat, you look like—"

"You," he forces out, "look like a chi— chia pet."

Edited (i'm so sorry) 2019-10-07 01:21 (UTC)

Awkward, yes, but then, what about Jupiter isn't a little bit askew? The protest she takes as invitation to go right on being the shit that she is naturally. A cooing little cackle, a touch Wicked Witch-y in delivery, rushes out of her as she leans forward with matchingly wicked intent.

"I can't help it," she whines, trying to pinch Valkyrie's cheek. "You're just so baby, babes."

Val shrieks, but doesn't resist as much as she could. Jupiter grabs her cheek and she bats her away a second or two too late. Her face feels hot, and her hands that can normally push aside the strongest player are oddly weak.

"Strop it!" Val objects through a giggle. "You're the worst!"

"I'm sorry?" Oliver blinks. At first he thinks he's misheard—maybe something in the pollen's taken root in his ear canal or his brain. But alas, today Oliver does not begin his life anew as a plant zombie. There's no mistaking what Laszlo's just said to him. Furrowed brow, Oliver touches his chin, then his jaw, then his hair. His fingers flutter over the wild waves, coming to rest on the back of his head.

Ah, yes, of course. This old song and dance. He should be used to how everyone engages him, and yet somehow he's always surprised. Uncertainty gives way to an even grin, though. Smile a shield, a screen. Charming all the way up to his eyes, which don't quite meet Laszlo's gaze anymore. "And here I was going for more of a moss-covered marble statue in a hidden garden thing," he jokes, then angles his head a bit. "A little bit off, huh? Oh well, plenty of people like chia pets just fine." He wiggles his eyebrows, for effect.

Trudy purses her lips and lifts her chin in a way that makes it easy to imagine that some day, she might make a career of being a terrifying librarian. It doesn't actually make her any taller, but something dark seeps into her demeanor. "LISTEN!!!" she shrieks. The bubble charm pops. The freshmen stare.

Edited (better late than never????) 2019-10-08 01:13 (UTC)

Merlin's only response to Armani's insistence is a monosyllabic grunt that could either be interpreted as continued denial or reluctant acknowledgment. Either way, he doesn't seem to have anything else to say on the matter. Instead, he listens to the other boy and considers the situation he's found himself in.

It's not good. And it's pretty disgusting.

"...Sucks," he murmurs after a long moment, seemingly at a loss. He doesn't owe Armani anything but knowing that he can't handle the problem...just rubs him the wrong way. Glancing back, he watches Armani rub at his wet eyes and adds, "...Close your eyes if you want. Not like I'm going to lead you into anything."

Edited (A Million Years Later.) 2019-10-08 01:48 (UTC)

Trudy's command cuts through the chaos and noise. But with all the freshmen's eyes on him, Lionel isn't so sure this is better than before. "Oh um, so uh-- the Bubblehead Charm. Yes, the Bubblehead Charm, so."

He pulls up the sleeve on his wand-casting hand just a little for ease of motion. "Everyone in positions," he instructs and waits for the freshmen to follow suit. They do. He then points his wand at his face and waits for the freshmen to follow suit. They do. "Now, it's important you say the incantation correctly and clearly. You don't want to fire the wrong spell at yourself."

His voice is a bit muffled and distorted by the bubble around his own head. Hopefully that won't be a problem, though.

Edited (i missed you) 2019-10-08 05:03 (UTC)

Even if it's only a glance, Armani doesn't like Merlin looking at him in this state. He self-consciously lowers the bill of his cap, hoping to conceal more of his face in shadow. This is how the Phantom of the Opera felt. He's exactly like Erik, destined to hide his grotesque face forever. Or at least until the pollen lets up a bit.

He wants to talk, but talking is miserable and the words are hard to get out. A quiet, "Thank you," is all he says before letting Merlin take the lead to Thorntrail.

"Oh yeah, I'm good--" but her claim is undercut by a building sneeze, which by some act of god she's able to stifle. Her whole body gives a little pop instead, as the sneeze 'detonates' inside her. But nothing comes out her mouth or nose and both their flufflings live to see another day. It's hard out here for a fluff.

"Well Mr. Mister McFluff," Felicity continues, addressing the small, soft vigilante, "maybe you can be of help. The owner of the farm is poisoning the milk." Felicity lowers her voice in case crook might be listening. "And he's shipping this diseased dairy all over the country. Including to some heads of state."

Edited (dumber) 2019-10-08 17:09 (UTC)

"Just bruised pride," Freya says, when she finally stops sneezing. And, okay, bruised knees and sore wrists... but nothing that can't be easily fixed. Holland's attempt at throwing fluff at the Muscheron coaxes a smile out of Freya, who appreciates the gesture even if it was futile.

"I don't know about you, but I could really use a shower. A long one," she adds, trying not to scratch. Someone else is going to have to get to the bottom of this mystery.

The smile Trudy wears once Lionel has the freshmen's undivided attention is unpleasantly pleasant, a little too wide and devoid of actual positive emotion. She's content to let Lionel do the instruction, and she strolls behind the freshmen, eyeing their stances. "No funny business!" she chirrups frighteningly. At least one of the freshmen glares when she isn't looking.

"Right. It's important to be extremely precise as—" Trudy begins, but one of the children is already casting. Instead of a bubble, though, his wand issues sparks and a concussive BOOM.

"AaaaAaAAaaAa," Lionel wails in surprise, and the sound echoes unnaturally inside his bubble. He quickly gets his bearings and performs a hasty Aguamenti on the singed hair of the over-eager freshman.

He addresses everyone. "You need to wait until we've expla--" Another BOOM from elsewhere. Okay, maybe it's Expelliarmus time.

Look, if Felicity wants to claim she's fine, that's her business, and there's not really anything Pax can do about it in either case, so... it'll be fine! The other girl is tough. Even though she maybe just imploded a little.

"Holy cow," Pax murmurs after learning the situation at the dairy, pausing for appreciation of the ?joke? she just made before continuing on. "Mr. Mister McFluff will happily get on that case, because poison is rude. Even if sometimes heads of state deserve it. He'll get his clobbering arms on."

She attempts to stick a tiny twig into her fluff creation as an arm, but it immediately falls out. "Bummer."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 6 of 7

wow, that's a lot of pollen...

Dashing through the seeds with two crime boys

91% booty, 100% hero

Pax & Felicity

Freya & Holland are ON THE CASE

Pax & Felicity

Freya & Holland are ON THE CASE

Freya & Holland are ON THE CASE

Val & Jup & Allergies

Freya & Holland are ON THE CASE

Hawthorne ?Helps?, Bijou Pays the Price

Laszlo Negs Oliver

Val & Jup & Allergies

Laszlo Negs Oliver

Val & Jup & Allergies

Re: Val & Jup & Allergies

Laszlo Negs Oliver

Lionel & Trudy to the Rescue

91% booty, 100% hero

Lionel & Trudy to the Rescue

91% booty, 100% hero

Pax & Felicity

Freya & Holland are ON THE CASE

Lionel & Trudy to the Rescue

Lionel & Trudy to the Rescue

Pax & Felicity