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

[peckishmods]

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!

Comments

91% booty, 100% hero

[teratophilia]

Dressing like an idol with mask, cap, and sunglasses? Fashionable, but largely unhelpful with this amount of pollen assaulting his sinuses. But it at least hides his dripping nose and swollen eyes so he can preserve some dignity. (When he's not making very wet, very gross, very miserable sounds.)

Thorntrail isn't exactly the best spot to be, but it's where he's headed. The plan is to chug a potion, maybe pop some benadryl, and sleep it off. If he dies, he dies.

Except he can't see well enough to even know if he's going the right way. Soon, it doesn't matter because he's stopped by plowing into a roadblock named Merlin Pletcher. He tries to apologize, but it comes out as a wheeze and a hacking cough. "Sso-HUHAHUHHHH."

91% booty, 100% hero

[merlinpletcher]

Mostly identifiable by his stature at the moment, the Merlin-shaped roadblock is obscured by an over-sized hoodie with the hood up, a cap, and a face mask but looks at Armani with bewilderment visible in his dark eyes. Luckily, he doesn't suffer from allergies and this bizarre phenomenon is more curious and inconvenient for him than actually detrimental. Being outside to check this out might not be comfortable, but it isn't going to kill him. He's not so sure the same can be said about Armani.

"It's fine," he murmurs absently, shaking his head and giving the younger boy a look that's vaguely judgmental and vaguely concerned, "What're you doing out here?"

91% booty, 100% hero

[teratophilia]

"I just want to-- hhhhh-- go back to my room," he whines pathetically, sounding like he's on the verge of tears. Unfortunately, his room is in the opposite direction of where he was originally heading.

He sneezes into the crook of his arm through his mask then coughs some more. Ughhh, he doesn't want to be SEEN like this in front of Merlin "Bad Vibes, Cool Aura" Pletcher. It takes all his willpower not to give a very wet sniffle to relieve the dripping he starts to feel.

"Shower, sleep. Maybe die. I'm giving up on my goal."

91% booty, 100% hero

[merlinpletcher]

Merlin regards Armani. Even with his face hidden by a mask and sunglasses, it’s not difficult to notice how thoroughly, pitifully miserable the Thorntrail is. It makes him reluctant to respond, but someone needs to tell him.

“I’ve got bad news for you, then,” he answers, lifting one hand to point in the opposite direction, “Thorntrail’s that way.” This is all he intends to say on the matter, but almost immediately he feels a pang of something that won’t let him leave it at that. Abruptly, he grabs Armani’s forearm and pulls him around, apparently intending to lead the way, “...Come on. Nobody likes quitters.”

91% booty, 100% hero

[teratophilia]

Armani is glad to be manhandled if it means being guided in the right direction, and he rests a hand over the one grasping his arm like a grandma being escorted across the street by a kind young gentleman. "You really are... very kind," he gurgles, then starts to cry. This is normal behavior for him-- being a crybaby, at least. Not the snot and congestion.

91% booty, 100% hero

[merlinpletcher]

Momentarily bristling, Merlin is almost certain that Armani is making fun of him until he shoots a glare back at the boy and...notices him sniffling. Awkward. He jerks his gaze forward again and starts to walk a bit faster. "I'm really not," he murmurs and, desperate to change the subject, adds, "...did you try the Bubble-Head Charm?"

91% booty, 100% hero

[teratophilia]

"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."

91% booty, 100% hero

[merlinpletcher]

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."

91% booty, 100% hero

[teratophilia]

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.