{"sf1_id":2005718,"sf2_id":"B1Q8O4gn","title":"Bulletin","author":"The Fire Tiger","words":2304,"posted_at":"2023-06-21T03:43:00.000Z","tags":["Armadillo","Article","Bulletin","Dillo Adventure","Epic","Experiments","SFW","Story","newspaper","tribe"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2005718-bulletin","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/B1Q8O4gn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/a8/d8/a8d8dfa9-b188-4b18-a105-2cb9afecd928","description":"#7 of Experiments\n\n\"Come take a look at this, son. It's an old newspaper article from just days before the Primal Reset, from our tribe. I still remember it like it was yesterday...\"\n\"Yeah, I think I saw it before. I still can't wrap my head around how suddenly it occured. I couldn't even understand that the Wishing Stone wasn't real back then when it happened, right?\"\n\"Hah! Yep, back then, it was all tall tales and whatnot, but look at us now! Somehow my wildest dreams came true, all thanks to you.\"\n\"Aw, Dad... and I couldn't have gone on that adventure without your help.\"\n\"You're too kind to your old man, kid... heh. Let's look through this newspaper now, shall we?\"\nConductor's Notes: This is a fair bit different from my Composer's usual affairs. The first part of the story he wants to tell is not different from a children's tale: daring heroes go in search of a legendary artifact and restore order to the world. But who says it must stop there? What happens after when everything is right again? Does the evil actually banish from whence it came? And what about the artifact, if it's that important? When fiction becomes reality, and the story comes to a close, the world still keeps going... with time, who truly wins?","content":"Hey, all! Natalie here with the May special report on the News Bulletin! Oh, no, not the one here, we're talking about the PHYSICAL one in Villa Aguila's central square!  \n  \nAs you're probably aware, our sizable tribe congregates in the main square near the tourist entrance. Most of the crew maintaining this very newspaper reside in this area, and a few years ago we decided to set up physical versions of our iconic News Bulletin segment so that both residents and tourists alike can catch a glance at what makes the headlines here. Since then, we've set up three other similar bulletins deep in our forests that also receive frequent updates, and we can't thank you all enough for your support!  \n  \nHowever, our focus on these bulletins today isn't what's printed on the front, but rather, another side to them, hidden in plain sight -- the BACK of the board! The bulletins themselves are just corkboards framed in stone, but this newspaper only utilizes the front. This has led to an interesting phenomenon where some residents use the backside of the board for themselves, be it for advertising, friendly banter or art showcasing.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Now, this is unintentional, and we should state that any and all opinions expressed on the backside of any of our on-location News Bulletins is not indicative of Villa Aguila's views of the world, and neither is it the opinion of El Halcon News. However, making this backside inaccessible would probably go over badly for the people that genuinely use this. We've been keeping an eye on it for a while, and you've all had such nice things to say and promote on there, so there's probably no harm in keeping it available!  \n  \nTo showcase just how much this board fluctuates and updates, we've been taking an image of it every week when we pass by to update the board with our latest news, as well as noting any significant change made in between. We think you'll like the messages posted! Here, let's take a look:\n\n## Week 1 (April 6, 2009)\n**URGENT**  \nTAILOR REQUIRED  \nAsk for Mina in Marina Way 98  \n  \n**HELP WANTED**  \nPersonnel for gas station on Liberators St.  \nw/ or w/o experience  \nContact us: XXX-OOOO  \n  \n**Healer Maurice  \nFor all your romantic needs**    \nVilla Aguila Zone B7 West  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;As you can see, we've got the usuals who use this space for advertising. Not surprising, our tribe is always looking for ways to innovate in this quickly modernizing world! But let's draw your attention to near the bottom of the board here: It's a cute drawing of a dragon breathing fire! And the note attached:  \n  \n_My Son Was Very Proud Of This  \nPicture He Made And Wanted To  \nShare It With Everyone :)_    \n  \nSo cute! We think he'll become a great man someday! But it seems he's not the only artist on this board today, as we can see that the left side of the board has been dominated by poets:  \n  \n**Literates Anonymous**  \n_Today's theme is: fate_  \n  \n_today i lay  \nhopelessly bound  \nto fate's chains  \nbut one day i may  \nthrash and pound  \nthese lowly reins_    \n-Jackal  \n  \n_If I Dare Look Back  \nAnd Regret The Life I Lived  \nTell Fate She's A..._    \n-Bull  \n  \n_A man went to fish with his bait  \nBut his trusty boat quivered with hate  \nThe rod bobbed a sign  \nThe man pulled his line  \nBut, too hard! ...the rest was just fate_    \n-Kangaroo  \n  \n_O inescapable flow of time! Cruel sands  \nthat scar the soul forevermore,  \nwhen Fate dictates that my time has come,  \ncradle me in your arms and soothe me  \noff to a quiet slumber, that I may be  \nat peace with all._    \n-Parrot  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;_(Want to be featured here? Join us at Zone C1 North  \nevery Tuesday at 3PM and meet other likeminded  \npeople! -Organization Leader)_    \n  \nAn incredible display of poetry this week! Let's fast forward into the following week to see what else the village has to say.\n\n## Week 2 (April 13, 2009)\nToday the board has a few new additions to the advertisements:  \n  \n**RECRUITING INDIVIDUALS**  \n_We need boys and girls of all ages to participate  \nin coloring the local school's mural! Anyone  \ncan sign up for this opportunity to leave their  \nmark on our village for years to come._    \nContact Ms. Hannah at  \nVilla Aguila Elementary  \nbetween 8AM - 5PM  \n  \nLooking for a female companion  \nFind me at the visitor gate in zone a1  \n  \nSomething else appears to be attached at the bottom of these advertisements, however:  \n  \n**EFFECTIVE NEXT WEEK,** all advertisements on this board must  \nbe removed and placed on the new Advert Alley board located  \nbehind the Aguila Farmer's Market. Depending on your  \nrequest and income, you may be charged a fee for keeping  \nyour ad weekly. We are doing this to free up space here for  \nmore creative outlets. We apologize for any inconvenience.  \n-AFM Administration and Villa Aguila Committee  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Seems like as a result of this sudden change, throughout the week most people have scrambled to pin their ad before the deadline. By Thursday we can see that there's a bunch of them scattered about and covering the whole board... There's concerts, healers, help wanteds and sellers all over the place! Only a single resident's comment manages to float in this sea of capitalism:  \n  \n**????????????????????????????????????????????????  \n???????WHERE DID ALL YOU FREAKS COME FROM???????  \n????????????????????????????????????????????????**    \n  \nBy Saturday, however, the back of the board was completely wiped out, leaving a single note from the Committee:  \n  \n**EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,** all advertisements on this board will  \nbe removed. You must now place them on the new Advert Alley  \nboard located behind the Aguila Farmer's Market. Depending  \non your request and income, you may be charged a fee for  \nkeeping your ad weekly. _PS: Please do not do that again._  \n-AFM Administration and Villa Aguila Committee  \n  \nLet's move on to the next week and see the board filled with life again!\n\n## Week 3 (April 20, 2009)\nAs expected, the ads are almost gone by this point, and the previous note left by the committee has now been glued up at the top of the board in the stone, perhaps to warn people to go to the new venue. Despite this, a few stragglers refuse to budge:  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;urgentlyLooking for a female companion  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Find me at the visitor gate in zone a1  \n  \n**LAST CALL! Reclaim your virility!  \nBuy our miracle solution and enjoy your  \nrelationship again, with Maxigrow!  \nLimited stock remains, don't delay!  \nCall OOO-XXXX**    \n  \nSelling used freezer, works like new  \n**W/. 100**  \nPick up only, ask for Jib at C5 South  \n  \nTo combat this, it appears the visual arts got the spotlight this week! Many different drawings adorn each area of the board, some covering up a few ads. There are pictures of buildings, landscapes, a few self-portraits and whatnot... One of them even recreated our newspaper logo! A black eagle flying across the village with a quill in its beak -- normally it's as minimalist as it can get to save on ink but this fan recreation in color truly captures what we envision this publication as!  \n  \nMoving down below, however, a few poets are taking their own works again:  \n  \n_life's worth living, right?  \n'cause sometimes it just doesn't  \ni need just a push_    \n^^ Want You to know You're not alone in This,  \nSometimes just being Here is Enough  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; **The Creature From the Sky**  \nby **Anonymous**  \n---  \ni actually don't know how  \nto start this oops  \nit sounded cool in my head  \n  \n_To the person taking pictures of this board:  \n  \n  \n  \ni know what you are._  \n  \n  \n    \n  \nOops, looks like we've been found ahead of time! Let's peek one more week in, though, shall we?\n\n## Week 4 (April 27, 2009)\nThe final week of our observations is here, and not surprisingly, you all managed to surprise us once more: gathered this week was an incredible collage of creativity from all walks of life! Every aspect of our tribe, from their vistas to the cuisine, has been graciously laid out on the back, as an unofficial tourist guide, and we think that's pretty neat!  \n  \nPhotographs of various landmarks of our zones dot the border of the board, like the legendary Panther Totem to the west of Zone B2 which was said to once have guarded our rainforest from colonizers, or the River of the Swift, a lengthy stretch of rapids that we use for our annual canoeing contest. Beyond this, many families have taken pictures of themselves in their homes, to show that we also live here, too. Among them is Alex Armone, an armadillo and the current mayor of Villa Aguila, as well as his wife, a white fox named Valerie Spade, and their 5-year-old son Terry, who was born an armadillo just like his father.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;But that's not all we have. Within the bulletin itself is poems and art of all kinds, as well as a lengthy recipe on how to make our most prized festival plate: stuffed green rice! A delicious ball of green-coated rice with eggs, olives and chicken dotted inside, served with a healthy portion of fried bananas... simply too much of a delicacy to keep to ourselves! Perhaps this little ode from Literates Anonymous sums up our feelings about this dish well:  \n  \nWrapped  \nin a blanket  \nof banana leaves, you are  \na fine delicacy to behold on the inside...  \nPeer within your smooth sac to find a gift most  \nprecious; a healthy heap of verdant grains and   \nsweet olives, tender meat and salty yolk! If  \nonly you could save me a few for later...  \n  \nLooking further down, we can see brief snippets of our own reports attached, where we point to other famous landmarks in our land! For example, here's one about the Zen Camp, a campsite which houses the Origin Point:  \n  \n_Zen Camp also includes a mythical location: the Origin Point. Speculated in ancient texts  \nto be the beginning place of all life, in our day and age this fifteen-meter diameter  \ncircle where the flowers bloom and the grass remains green year round is considered the  \nepicenter of our tribe. Many say this is where the first families of Villa Aguila formed,  \nand they say that, if you step inside the circle, you may even feel their warm embrace,  \ncongratulating the people for keeping the promises they left undone._    \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;And here's another that details quite possibly the most famous legend of all from our tribe: The Wishing Stone...  \n  \n_A supposedly multicolored crystal that has the ability to grant the holder  \nany wish they desire. Said to have been created by three lonely friends  \nafter wandering the jungle. With their virtues of determination, kindness  \nand craftiness, they forged the crystal that would shape the world to what  \nit is today, then hid it away so that no one else could misuse it._    \n  \nThis is a legend that has been passed down for generations across our tribe, and today it may be the most written fairy tale in the world. As for the Origin Point, it remains a hot tourist attraction, and it has allowed this tribe to experience unprecedented growth.  \n  \nOf course, we wouldn't be here without a few bumps in the road as well. As one resident would like to remind us in a little snippet of their own writing located just below every article:  \n  \n**THESE LANDS ARE OURS ALONE  \nYOU CANNOT SELL OUR HISTORY**    \n  \nTo put it lightly, the fact that we even still possess our rainforests is possibly a miracle of the Wishing Stone itself. We've been under direct threat from politicians and innumerable companies trying to take a slice of our land for themselves, yet every time we've fought back valiantly, even if it was a clearly losing battle, our village still prevailed. For that we must extend our thanks to not just our local government body, but to our residents and especially our allies across the world.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;We'll close off this somber patch in our publication with an example of fate twisting its threads in our favor: Last year, the mayor of Hannenway, the closest city to us, wanted to expand their city by wiping out our village entirely and using it for \"labor opportunities\". Once we fought back, the mayor took it to the Supreme Court of Peninsula Baja in a seemingly coordinated attack to finally rid us off the earth. It eventually came down to a vote between lawmakers in the court on whether Hannenway would expand or not, and, well, we'll let this snippet speak for itself:  \n  \n**UNBELIEVABLE:** Villa Aguila keeps their jungle in  \nan incredibly close 82-81 vote in court  \n  \nIf we may, perhaps these are the three virtues of the Wishing Stone at work. Our kindness makes us proud enough of our village to share stories about it with the rest of the world, and we may have been just enough crafty to maintain our position, but above all, we clawed our way to here with determination in the forefront. With all these qualities combined, we can achieve just about anything, from herding cattle inside a corral to saving an entire tribe from desolation.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; **V**** E**RyurgentlyLooking for a female companion  \n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Find me at the visitor gate in zone a1  \n  \nAnd yes... even finding love is in this too. Somehow this announcement from weeks ago remains up, no matter how many times it's been taken down under the new policy. We're not one to judge or make any sort of demands, so all we'll say in this situation is: Hope you find the woman of your desires soon!  \n  \nAnyways, that's all from us at the News Bulletin. This has been Natalie with May's special report, and we hope to meet you again next month!  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Experiments","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1988228-prelude.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2027505-hatred.json"}}