The 'Shroom:Issue 229/'Shroomfest Highlights
'Shroomfest Highlights
Written by: Ninja Squid (talk), Waluigi Time (talk), and Sparks (talk)
Staff Notes
Welcome to 'Shroomfest Highlights!
The Ducks vs Rabbits 'Shroomfest is now over, and we certainly had a lot of fun. Kudos to everyone who took part in the event! Plenty of interesting facts and tidbits were shared by supporters of both sides, and several of them are highlights just below this note, so be sure to check them out if you have not done so yet.
As much as I would have enjoyed the chaos of keeping both ducks and rabbits around in our new courtyard, it seems like we could only keep either ducks or rabbits. A choice had to be made, and you will find out which animals will officially take up residence in our courtyard, thanks to our final results.
That's all from me. Enjoy reading the highlighted posts, the ending story, and the small notes from the leader of the winning team!
See you around!
—Ninja Squid, Judge
Team Ducks
"How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks." --- Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night
On the waterside, treading upon bent reeds, the dabbling wood duck settles into a hollow. Isn't it a lovely picture?
Let it be known that the one and only time I didn't write Director's Notes for Pipe Plaza (I was veeeery sick that week in my defense), I left readers a link to look at pictures of baby ducks instead, because they're that freaking adorable and healing to the soul. (proof)
my favourite twitch streamer vinny vinesauce likes ducks and is great at making ducks noises as well, just in case if you were wondering if ducks are truly epic
—WACCA Lily R (talk)
(Editor's Note: this is a rough translation to Modern English from the original Han script)
Warrior's Log #28 (Year: 200 CE)
I was in the restroom, washing myself up, and getting ready to go to a fight against Zhuge Liang when out of nowhere some dog (it looked like a dog) jumped on me, deposited a note on my recently polished helmet and asked me, tail wagging, excitedly, "On the ninth round of the 'Shroomfest, thou shall prefer the following, Ducks or Rabbits? -Signed Ninja Squid" I was like, are you kidding? I just did a 'Shroomfest a year ago, where I was on Team Fantasy, because I mean do I even look like I'm Team Sci-Fi?
I tried to go. I really did. But that dog kept following me. And following me. Why does it want an answer from me? I'm just a lowly general on army rations. As far as I'm concerned, both rabbits and ducks are delicious delicacies.
I couldn't see because of that sticky note and I ended up hitting myself on a wall. Then all of a sudden, a bunch of ducks appeared on my arms. What am I supposed to do with all these DUCKS?
The dog is still there! Help!!!
Hello??? HELLO? Sima Yi??? Xiahou Dun?????? DAD??? HELP!!!!
ENDORSE: DUCKS
-夏侯霸 (The Nasty Warrior, lover of rocket spears, hater of Shu)
Team Rabbits
Hello, everyone! It is I, DryBonesBandit, here to bring knowledge of the many rabbits we have come to know and love across the years! Emphasis on the love! They do not attack me like ducks do! Cataquacks can be very mean! Anyway, I'll start off by going over two interesting species inhabiting the planet we... well, inhabit.
Snow Bunnies are known to many as a sweet treat to enjoy during the summertime, but it would surprise you to know that this dessert is based on an actual species! They aren't seen too often, but these docile creatures are known to live in the cold settlements of Snowflake Lake and the islands of Slippenglide and Heatfreeze; residents of the latter two love making sculptures of these chill creatures. Snow Bunnies were the inspiration for a delicacy known by the same name, which is cold enough to freeze anyone who eats it (it heals them too)! I've heard that Snow Bunnies made with Turtley Leaves have negative effects on those around you, however. Also, try mixing one with a Pink Apple. It's to die for.
These large lagomorphs are known as Mega Rabbits, for very obvious reasons. Bigger than the average rabbit, they have the strength to carry Mega Mushrooms, along with Green Stars like their smaller cousins. From what I've heard, the bunnies of the Sprixie Kingdom took action when Bowser and his minions attacked, hiding valuable Green Stars from them and presenting them to a hero with the necessary skills to free the land. Haroic, isn't it? Large rabbits have also been found in Lake Lapcat, but they aren't the same thing as these Sprixie Kingdom specimens. Oh, and if you ever see one of these bunnies poof away, don't be worried! They can just do that.
—Cloudwalker (talk)
Going to put my support behind Team Rabbits this go-around. My main reason is the cultural iconography of rabbits. Them and their cousins, hares, are regularly found in worldly folklore, be it as a trickster character or a symbol of a larger deity. East Asia recognizes a rabbit when they look up at the moon (as opposed to the man in the moon), and several stories and mythos reflect this observation, including the Chinese zodiac. The most famous of Aesop's fables is the tortoise and the hare. Rabbits also exist in the cryptic world, with the jackalope. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland prominently features both the White Rabbit and the March Hare, and several literary allusions to these characters have since followed.
All of that is to say, with how impactful rabbits have been to the world of storytelling, they tend to have my favor. I couldn't immediately tell you nearly the same amount of instances of ducks acting as this sort of historic cultural touchstone.
Quick later edit: speaking of storytelling, let us not forget the impact that rabbits have had on our community storytelling. Awards Killing Game 4 and Odyssey both had exceptional rabbit-themed villains
Magic is pretty dang swell, wouldn't you say? And magic can come in many forms, like stage magic, for example. Stage magic is a performance where a person utilises ingenious tricks and sleight of hand to create the illusion of magic, which is pretty magical in its own right.
If there is one symbol that represents stage magic, it is undoubtedly the rabbit in the hat trick. This is a famous magic trick where a magician appears to pull a rabbit from their hat. This confuses and amazes the audience, as this is clearly impossible, how would the rabbit fit in there without moving around?
This trick can be performed in a few ways, which I won't list here as that would spoil the magic of it, but has become so iconic that rabbits and hats are both prominent symbols of magic. Ducks can't say that, can they?
Cream has a very positive outlook on life and is kind, polite, and considerate towards others. She does not have a bad bone in her body, as such, she is honest, friendly, and has a generally happy attitude. For someone her age, she is quite courageous, brave and noble, and not afraid to face danger in order to protect her friends. When she sees something she doesn't like, she will point out her anger and disgust, but never in a rude way. She detests both violence and cruelty, furiously condeming Zeena of the Deadly Six for her show of it during their battle in Sunset City within IDW's Metal Virus Storyline.
I like a Cream a lot as a character because not only do we share certain interests, like baking and gardening, but I'm also a very peaceful person who tries to see the best in others and help them out when they need it. I believe that in a lot of real life situations, negotiation is better than confrontation when trying to solve problems. Not only do people understand what others are saying, but their feelings aren't hurt as much this way.
'Shroomfest results in, Ninja Squid out of ink
| RESULTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| DUCKS | RABBITS | |
| 58.14% | VOTES | 41.86% |
| 55.81% | ENDORSEMENTS | 44.19% |
| 35.29% | EFFORTS | 64.71% |
| 2 | 1 |
|---|
'Shroom Research Lab: Hello, everyone! Following last month's report about the springtime renovations to The 'Shroom HQ's courtyard, excavations at the site of the old building have revealed the outcome of the scuffle between Sparks and Waluigi Time. We now present our latest findings.
After deciding that the only way to settle their differences on which animals should be allowed to populate the new courtyard was to gather support in the court of public opinion, Sparks and Waluigi Time wasted no time going out into the city to draw the citizens to their side. But it wasn't long before Waluigi Time noticed a problem... Everywhere he went, he kept encountering duck supporters! Sure, he'd gotten quite a few people to support his favored rabbits, but Sparks clearly had the numerical advantage. What he needed was more rabbit supporters, and what better way to get more rabbit supporters than to get more rabbits? Clearly, if so many people were being swayed to Sparks and his ducks, it was because they didn't have the right frame of reference to truly appreciate rabbits!
Sparks, meanwhile, was having no trouble gathering more supporters to the cause. Precedent had shown that birds carried quite a lot of sway in the city, and ducks are birds, after all! He figured that it would be no time at all before the courtyard was filled with ducks happily paddling in the water. So when he got back to the office after a long day of campaigning, he was shocked to find the building itself filled with rabbits! He could barely even find anywhere to sit! Ducks were clearly winning in the popularity contest, so what gives?
You see, Waluigi Time may have overlooked something in his plan... He wanted to get more supporters by bringing in even more rabbits, but rabbits are already pretty good at multiplying on their own! The population in the courtyard exploded and they made their way into the building, resulting in a situation known in scientific circles as "way too many rabbits". They may be cute, but having your entire workplace covered in fluff gets old fast.
Waluigi Time tried to insist it wasn't a problem at first, but even he had to admit that things may have gotten out of hand once they started tearing into the cafeteria... and the sections he was preparing for the next issue in his office. By now, everyone was starting to realize the implications of having a courtyard full of rabbits, and even the staunchest rabbit supporters on the paper agreed that it probably wasn't a very good idea.
As for how to get rid of them? Well, Waluigi Time had to personally foot the bill for relocating them back into nature. Cleaning up problems the director caused himself wasn't in the budget reallocation, after all.
Meanwhile, with the rabbits out of the way, Sparks was free to work in his garden undisturbed, and soon he'd be sharing fresh produce with the rest of the staff. Even the ducks pitched in, ensuring that the soil remained healthy and pest-free. But they'd need a better home than Waluigi Time's fountain, so the remainder of the renovation budget went toward building a new duck pond for them, which turned out to be very serene and a lot less splashy.
And after all this, a certain director was the perfect person to clean out the pond scum! Well, maybe that job could've gone to the janitor instead... but it wouldn't have been as funny.
'Shroom Research Lab: Well, doesn't that wrap everything up nicely? From what we've excavated, it was quite a nice duck pond, and probably filled with many ducks in its prime. Hopefully no one tried to feed them any bread.
Leader's Notes
Usually rabbits have strength in numbers, so it's ironic that ducks were the ones to win because of numbers. I'm just as surprised as you are!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 'Shroomfest! Although it wasn't as grand as last year's, it was still a solid event and got the community active in supporting their favorite animal of the two. Waluigi Time was certainly a worthy opponent with his incredible bunny rabbit knowledge, and I do feel kinda bad my team prevailed twice in a row. Maybe next time things'll be different? To be honest, I know more famous rabbits than I do ducks, so I did run out of ideas near the end.
At least now the ducks can stay! I'm sure nobody will mind them... before I finish, did you all enjoy the 'Shroomfest? If you wanna talk about questions, comments, suggestions, feedback, etc. regarding 'Shroomfests, feel free to reach out to Waluigi Time (talk), myself, or Ninja Squid (talk)! See you next time!
—Sparks, Leader of Team Ducks
| The 'Shroom: Issue 229 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight • Poochy's Picks • 'Shroomfest Highlights • Credits |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
| Specials | Cloudgazing |
