Pumpkin Hollow Inbox

[actuallyawolf]

idk finish this later, but it's here

Comments

Sending stone, during the March TDM, Farming Scientist

[pineapplesalmon]

[The first message is simply:] Mushrooms!

[The second message is:] We can cultivate mushrooms in basements! They're not the best protein source in the world for vegetarians, but they'll help increase our food supply! And they're low effort once they're started!

[Blame Fever.]

[actuallyawolf]

[She likes sending stones so much better than texting.]

Mushrooms are good. I don't know a lot about farming them, but I can help you get them started.

[pineapplesalmon]

[And César likes texting better than sending stones, go figure.]

Mushroom farming is big business back on Earth. I'd appreciate any insights you'd have. ... and, ah, passing the knowledge freely to anyone that wants to help. If I lead a full-scale project by myself, I'll end up overworking myself to exhaustion for sure, and then I'll never hear the end of it from my girlfriend!

[Yes, girlfriend. Because his ask was successful!]

Oh! Speaking of which, thank you for all that foraging. Both Magne and I having full stomachs was a gift in itself.

[actuallyawolf]

I'm glad! I like Magne a lot. Did she like it?

[pineapplesalmon]

[The warmth in César's voice cannot be overstated.]

Oh, Ylva, she loved it. What you did made a real difference. We've both been stressed about the food supply here, and for a night and several meals after... we didn't need to worry. You brought us peace of mind, and just reaffirmed I'm going down the right path to be a farmer here.

[actuallyawolf]

I'm really glad. Everyone's really stressed about it, and I can actually help with it, and I thought you two should be able to have a nice dinner, even with things like they've been.

[pineapplesalmon]

It was a very nice dinner. We finally got a chance to be absolutely domestic together. And she hasn't had a chance for that since she got here.

[Mushroom discussion after Magne discussion.]

[actuallyawolf]

I'm glad. And I'm glad you two are dating officially.

[She sounds wistful.]

[pineapplesalmon]

[There's something in that tone there that César doesn't know her well enough to ask. A lost love, perhaps.]

Same. We're settling into a good pattern. She won't let me not rest.

Also before I mention mushrooms again—Goodberry is amazing??

[actuallyawolf]

[There's a pause before she answers. This is because she is laughing. She still sounds amused when she does answer.]

I never used it much, but yeah, it's pretty useful to know, just in case.

[pineapplesalmon]

[He's also amused at himself.]

It is! Such a relief in case things get bad.

[Then, more excitedly.]

I felt magic properly for the first time! It was amazing! It's everywhere!

[Oh, he's gone on a tangent.]

Visit A New Neightbor (As I said, no rush)

[hereticofthewilds]

The trees have been whispering of a new neighbor. A new burrow. Maybe... a new friend? Elsie has finally gotten up the courage to go see for herself.

She sticks her head in through the hole of Ylva's burrow. Her hair happens to be moss green today. "Hello?"

[actuallyawolf]

You come from a world without magic, huh?

[She has to feel sorry for him for that, anyway.]

It is everywhere. Or it should be.

[actuallyawolf]

Ylva's den is warm and snug, and she has been having a nice afternoon nap, but she's awake immediately, with a start. She bares her teeth initially, a reflexive territorial urge over this place that she's made herself, but that doesn't last long.

She blinks at the new face, and relaxes a little.

"Are you... Elsie?"

[pineapplesalmon]

... I'm no longer sure it doesn't. I discovered the laws of the universe were malleable in a way that, well. Magic's a possibility!

[A laugh] No one from back home would expect me to be a druid. But it feels right.

[actuallyawolf]

Well, even where I'm from, and I think here too, there's different types of magic. Maybe this one does exist anywhere there's life, even if no one knows how to use it.

[She kind of hopes so, honestly.]

[pineapplesalmon]

Makes sense. There are already so many different types of non-magical forces. Why shouldn't there be multiple types of magic? The idea's comforting.

[So does he.]

Anyway, like I wanted to talk about. Mushrooms! I'd like to brainstorm figure out what would be needed to get the kits started sometime in April or May for later in the year.

[actuallyawolf]

Oh, like... mushroom farms? I could harvest some spores for you, but you need to give it something to eat. Wood, maybe? You need a happy fungus if it's going make mushrooms for you. I don't know how farmers do that.

[pineapplesalmon]

Helping me take a look at it out in the field and showing me how it grows would probably help me figure that out. But one that could grow off of wood could make it a lot easier to deal with.

[actuallyawolf]

I can do that. I can at least help you find a mushroom that would do okay on your farm. Some of them wouldn't, you know, but some would. Maybe oysters? I think most people like oysters.

[pineapplesalmon]

Oysters are pretty good. Enough people would be interested in those that they'd actually keep their mushrooms going. You'd get however many kits you'd want from this yourself, too.

[actuallyawolf]

I mean, it would be handy to have mushrooms growing nearby.

[Ah! Agriculture! It continues to have advantages!]

[pineapplesalmon]

Exactly. Sometimes you just want to be able to go into your basement and grab some mushrooms.

[Many!]

[actuallyawolf]

Okay. We should, um, meet soon. We can go looking for mushrooms that would work. Right?

[pineapplesalmon]

Yes, it would! Mushroom hunting with you is a lot of fun, beyond just it being druid training.