Much to the disappointment of Doris Delatante and the Concerned Citizens, the sudden spell of forced wholesomeness has faded away much like the memory of life before wi-fi… or overly spray-tanned politicians. In its wake, the city seems to have breathed a sigh of relief. Where before only wall-to-wall frozen yogurt machines spun merrily away, vendors of all types are now producing their varied and assorted goods with a fervor never seen before. Half-off bagels when you buy a dozen? Free upgrades to a super-deluxe ultra-large coffee when you order a small? Extra butter on your movie theatre popcorn? Call it what you will, but it’s definitely a welcome change of pace from all that “whole” foods garbage.
Of course, that’s not the only thing new and different in the city. By mid-month, the traditional rites of spring have begun to take hold in the parks and forests and lakes around town — the soft cries of baby birds have begun to echo from nests hidden well within the canopies of the southern forest and the tree lines in the city parks, and plenty of infant animals of all shapes and sizes can be spotted foraging for food anywhere they might find it. Those with a keen ear might even spot the clicking sounds of young bats learning to fly at night, practicing their echolocation skills as they search the grounds for flowers just recently blossomed.
However, it’s not just the city’s parks and forests that have attracted those animals with a maternal instinct. On the morning of the 21st, an all-call message is broadcast out onto the city’s network, delivered by an face that’s unfamiliar to all but a select number of residents. Those that participated in the recent Match Meetings and were sent to Nahtazu for a day of wild fun might remember the rugged jawline of Warden Wilson, but for everyone else… well, his words might speak best for themselves:
Good afternoon, Cadellians. My name is Warden Wilson, and I am the chief animal care specialist for Nahtazu Animal Reserve. Today, I must call upon you for the most urgent crisis our reserve has ever faced.
Last night, our horticulture team discovered a dashed nest, one filled with dozens of oversized, iridescent eggs. They are unlike any specimen we have ever seen, and wholly unrecognizable to any of the seasoned experts we have consulted with thus far. It appears as well that the mother bird has not returned, and we fear she may not for some time, or at all.
Citizens, while we would traditionally incubate such nests ourselves in our animal care centers, there are simply too many of them to incubate in one place. This is why we need your help: we need volunteers for brooding, for feeding once the eggs hatch, for general care and husbandry efforts.
Should you be willing to help, we will meet a boarding party at the station in town tomorrow morning at ten sharp.
Warden, out!
His words aren’t the only thing the message contains. There are photos, too, of brilliantly colored eggs of all shapes and sizes — some no bigger than a thimble, speckled in robin’s egg blue and the faintest hint of gray amongst the cream of the shell, while others are the size of basketballs and watermelons, decorated with splashes of black and gold and purple all glittering in the sunlight. There’s no telling what kind of animal would lay such varieties of eggs, but one thing’s for sure: these eggs certainly won’t hatch themselves.
For those that agree to meet Warden Wilson and his team at the North Station for an early morning ride, the journey in will luckily be a painless one. The city’s been kind enough to clear aside an entire train for the reserve’s volunteer forces, so there’ll be plenty of space to sit and get comfortable during the hour-long commute, and those that have taken the journey may remember the experience comes complete with thematically appropriate drinks and snacks — from chocolate-and-cream cakes affectionately referred to as “zebra domes” to piping hot pours of faintly green-hued “black forest tea”, there’s certainly opportunity to fill any grumbling bellies before getting to work.
Upon arrival, volunteers will be sorted into groups. They’re mostly random, but volunteers are welcome to request a particular task or area if they feel more comfortable or experienced; the wardens are glad to have the help however it comes and won’t be too fussy one way or the other. The important thing is that these creatures are cared for while they nest and hatch, after all, so get to work!
While tasks for volunteers can and do vary, those that opt to tag along may experience any (or all, if they feel particularly motivated) of the below:
▸ In the incubation room, row after row of gently humming incubation machines keep a variety of eggs toasty warm under glowing red lights. However, each egg requires the reassurance of touch, so volunteers will be asked to envelop their assigned egg in a soft ring of pressure, just enough so that the growing creature inside might feel the weight of its carer without any fear of cracking the delicate shell. In laymen’s terms? Hug it. Not too hard, not too soft… just right.
▸ Oh? What’s this? In the hatching room, eggs that have begun to breach their variant-colored shells are brought to pillow-lined tabletops where they can rock and wreck havoc on their captivity without risk of falling or rolling away. Volunteers are tasked with the delicate job of sweeping aside the abandoned shell pieces, and when absolutely necessary, assisting a baby creature with pulling off any particularly stubborn pieces. (Bonus: any volunteers who help a hatchling fully escape their shell prison are also eligible to help name it… even though, officially, it’ll just be referred to by its identification number. These are wild animals, after all, not pets.)
▸ Wasn’t that exciting? Now, in the learning rooms, newly hatched creatures big and small will have the opportunity to be greeted by their first sets of watchful eyes and ears. Volunteers in these rooms will be asked to guide new babies through the most important steps of life: feeding, nesting, and even playtime. Of course, seeing as how these baby creatures are still new to the world, patience and understanding are incredibly important. (Especially since the rumor mill has been saying some of these creatures can spit a lot more than just saliva… )
▸ And, of course, there’s the reserve itself. Once the newest residents of the reserve have been successfully hatched and taught their first life lessons, and have proven they’re ready for life unassisted, the wardens will open up the reserve to them completely. Volunteers who wish to help guide the animals out will be given a few suggestions for suitable locations — chosen, of course, based on the biological needs presented by the animal during its first few hours or even days of life — and a pack of supplies. (While not a requirement, per se, those with more experience on what animals themselves need in the wild are certainly encouraged to volunteer for this particularly special assignment.)
It’s a wild opportunity, to be sure, but it's not just a one-time-only opportunity. Though the reserve operates as a primarily hands-off experience, the wardens would like to learn more about these unique animals, so they’ll be bringing them in to the animal care centers periodically throughout the spring and summer to observe them a little more. In addition, many of these creatures simply won’t be ready for release right away, so volunteers are always welcome to help provide care and companionship in the coming weeks!
And, of course, the wardens wouldn’t want anyone to come all that way for nothing. Though it’s not in Nahtazu’s budget to pay for all those helping hands, they are happy to extend complimentary membership to any volunteers who complete a day’s work in the reserve. Feel free to come back any time, whether to volunteer or simply to explore, and greet your new friends in their newfound wild habitats. Who knows, you might even find that elusive baby hippo… we hear he’s pretty cute!
Whatever you do, remember this: a wilderness explorer is a friend to all, be it plant or fish or tiny mole!
Surprise! As a spring treat, this special event introduces a much-requested animal group to the city: Pokémon! While characters won’t have the opportunity to potentially burn down their houses with a pet Charmander or electrocute their neighbors with a friendly Pikachu, they will have the ability to help raise and nurture these strange creatures from eggs to full-grown adults over at the animal reserve.
Of course, there’s more to raising a magical creature than just hugging eggs and bottle feeding. Players should feel free to explore the practical or silly side of things — if your character wants to have a relay race with a team of Magikarp or practice fire-breathing with a Growlithe, go for it! The reserve is filled with plenty of places that are safe for experimental animal husbandry, so as long as the character’s actions wouldn’t cause undue harm to themselves, the reserve, or the animal in question, they’d be given a green light.
In addition, players can absolutely continue to utilize this location and its new inhabitants from this point forward. If your character would like to continue volunteering or perhaps explore the job opportunities available at the reserve in order to get a better chance to work more closely with these animals, please don’t hesitate to chat with us to work out any ideas or to get any questions answered.
If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.
Peace out, cuddle scouts, and remember: the wilderness must be explored! |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cuddlemods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
cuddlecity2018-04-21 01:05 pm
▸ QUESTIONS.
Any questions? We've (probably) got answers!
If there's anything we can answer about this event, whether it's specific to your unique plotting dreams or more of a general gameplay inquiry, please don't hesitate to let us know! We know there's a lot to see and do, and we're here for you to make this event one from your wildest dreams... or not. Let us know, cuddlers!
— xoxo
The Cuddle City Mods
thea ♔ open
𝕚. 𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞
𝕚𝕚. 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞
ii. for reasons.
Nope. ( sorry, not sorry. ) You type loud, it'll totally wake him up.
( is it a him? we just don't know. )
no subject
Excuse you, I'm not a middle-aged white suburban dad, I turn my keys to silent immediately. Besides, he's dead asleep.
no subject
What kind of thing is that anyway? Mine got stuck in his shell.
no subject
[ narrating instead of texting. she looks down at her sleeping pup and shrugs. ]
No clue, but he's so soft. It's like holding a cashmere kitten.
no subject
( doesn't matter. caroline's just going to flop down beside her anyway, taking advantage of the opportunity to pet the sleeping babe. )
Did you name him yet?
no subject
I can't decide, there's so many disappointing men in my life I could name him after.
no subject
What about Noah?
( after ryan gosling's character in the notebook, thank you very much. )
no subject
[ pet pet pet the thing is frighteningly soft, a fluffy breathing pillow. ]
i.
Have you ever seen animals like this before?
no subject
[ which may explain why thea had an all white ensemble at the ready to begin with. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO COSPLAY AN ATTENBOROUGH. ]
I've seen Jurassic Park like thirty times, I've got this.
no subject
[Not that she thinks that Jurassic Park is an accurate frame of reference for this sort of thing, but you do you Thea.]
I'll just stay back here.
no subject
[ much like roy wasn't allowed to break up with her, laurel isn't allowed to just sit this one out. ]
This little guy is going to have two mommies, get your ass over here, Lance.
no subject
So it's official. I'm totally Ian Malcolm in this scenario.
no subject
[ paws hatching from a egg? sure. ]
no subject
I didn't know mammals could hatch that way.
no subject
[ thea might have skipped 90% of her anatomy classes in high school, honestly. that donation her mom and walter made really cemented her graduation because her grades sure as shit didn't. ]
Birds and reptiles are the egg things.
[ doesn't stop her from petting the little paw, peeling away some of the shell helpfully. ]
no subject
[Like a gryphon or something. Those are birds right?]
Or maybe mammals hatch from eggs on other worlds?
no subject
Buckbeak.
[ first of all, no, buckbeak's front feet are eagle claws, god, thea you ignorant slut. second, it's a wild cat but let her live in her hope it's a fictional hippogriff and only she can save his life without the interference of hermione, harry, and a time turner. ]
no subject
Sure, maybe.
[She doesn't remember the details of Harry Potter enough to know whether or not that works, she's just rolling with Thea's pop culture knowledge here.]
no subject
[ even when she's being a weirdo. ]
no subject
I just want you to be happy. So if being some kind of egg mammal wrangler is what makes you happy, then go for it.
no subject
no subject
[Because she does, and eventually the mammal wrangles himself from it's shell, and there's a gorgeous plume of curly tails to go with it.]
Aww, it kind of looks like a fox.
no subject
[ thea tickles under its chin before looking for one of the keepers to wave over so they can find out if it's a girl or a boy. after a cursory inspection in which all of the tails puff up unhappily, thea and laurel are rewarded with a baby girl. ]
Laur, can we keep her?
no subject
[She's not opposed to pets, she's just never had time to take care of one.]
As long as it's okay with the experts.
Stiles || Open
Crikey. Isn't she a beaut?
[Stiles is crawling along the floor, following a baby Psyduck as it takes its first steps He is trying to film himself and the pokemon at the same time. And yes, he is totally dressed in a green shirt, khaki shorts, and has a khaki floppy hat on to imitate Steve Irwin]
This is the wild psyduck. Look at those webbed feet, and little wings! Waddling around, trying to find its way into a world it doesn't know. Let's see what happens as it approaches the tiny caterpie.
ii. The Hatching Room
[Stiles had been watching this one egg since he started volunteering. The markings on it just seemed soothing, and he had spent a lot of time in the incubation room hugging the egg, talking to it, and telling the little creature inside just how big and strong it was going to be. Never too early to start giving the pokemon inside a positive self-image, right?
So of course, he checks on it every time he is there, and he just happened to walk in on the day it was starting to hatch]
Oh awesome. Come on, buddy, I know you can do this.
[he's hoping for a dragon. So when the tiny, fluffy vulpix pops out and looks up at him with the big, doleful eyes, Stiles will give it a traitorous look, then smile]
You're just lucky you're cute.
iii. Dealer's Choice
[choose your own adventure here]
no subject
so when he spots how different things are this time, how excited his friend is when he comes to visit, scott is quick to set aside his duties so he can head over to watch. just in time to see that furry little head poke its way out of its shell.]
Dude. You're a dad.
[is he joking? isn't he? that's anybody's guess.]
no subject
[he's not if he doesn't get to keep it]
Wait, when did you get here man?
i.
I don't get it.
Re: i.
What don't you get?
no subject
[For one thing, at least.]
no subject
no subject
Not that I can remember, anyway.
tomas ortega ♰ ota
[ At first Tomas is skeptical but curious so he comes to the hatching room fully intending to observe while staying out of the way. But then a tiny lion hatches and tries to nibble his arm and Tomas' soul immediately belongs to it. ]
I'll name you Marcus.
II. Learning
[ It turns out Marcus can spit fire, which is hilarious up until you learn that you wear very flammable pants and are forced to drop and roll. (Then it's hilarious for anyone who happens to witness it. ]
ii.
but um, he has nothing better to do today, so eventually he does wander over to the reserve when he knows the volunteers are close to done for the day. in a mostly supervisory capacity, he'd said good-humoredly to the warden upon arrival, which was very openly code for i'm not doing shit except maybe pick up my friend for later.
the first thing he sees doesn't disappoint, because it's an odd and precocious-looking tiny black lion setting tomas' pants on fire and tomas very responsibly hitting the deck immediately. and look, of course marcus' first instincts are protective, so he does jog over to help pat the fire out with his jacket, but also it's very hard to focus when he's laughing so hard. ]
no subject
[ tomas tries to sound serious but marcus' laughter is contagious so he misses the mark by a lot. ]
This is what I damn well deserve for naming him after you.
[ the little lion looks stupidly proud of himself. ]
no subject
[ the words are hard to squeeze out, he's so unused to laughing. he gives tomas' burnt pants one last doleful pat with his jacket and huffs. ]
no subject
[ he'll need new pants but he's fine. ]
no subject
[ he reaches a hand out to help tomas up. ]
no subject
[ his hand lingers on marcus' and when he finally lets go, he pats his back :) ]
Do you want to give it a try? He's— almost friendly.
no subject
[ for, you know, volunteers. because he pointedly isn’t here to volunteer, he came to be a dick and has largely fulfilled his mission. ]
no subject
[ he digs into the toy basket for a ball of yarn. ]
Here you go.
no subject
And it hatched from an egg, eh?
no subject
[ he's a little jealous lion marcus is taking to marcus so immediately, but he was kind of expecting it. children and animals seem to like marcus immediately always. ]
no subject
Bit relieved you can’t take it home if it’s a firestarter, but yeah, cute isn’t a bad word for it.
no subject
[ this is a very cute scene. they should get a cat, marcus would be a great pet owner. ]