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peckishmods) wrote2019-05-13 05:44 pm
ELFLOCK FALLS
--things to do-----
THE RIVER WALK ELFLOCK LANES FUN, ETC.--things to eat-----
DEZ'S DINING ROOM THE GASTROGNOME PIZZA PI(E)RATES ZIPPY DIP FOOD, ETC.--things to buy-----
DISPEL & THAT SPELL DOC POTTS' ELFLOCK LIQUOR JUNEBUG'S PECK 'n' PAW POMPEL & SWINT SPELLUNKING--services & etc.-----
CITY CIVIC BUILDINGS CEMETERY PAYLESS PORTKEYS TOPThe town, which sprang up around Peckenpaugh in the mid-1800s, is named for the region's most dramatic geographic feature: a network of creeks and streams convening into a series of terraced waterfalls north of town, The Elflock Falls. The Falls feed Lake Peckenpaugh, and the lake in turn drains into the Greentooth River, which cuts right through Elflock-the-town.
Elflock Falls is twisty-turny, old stone and brick homes and narrow brick roads built into the hillsides where space allows. While residential neighborhoods in Elflock sprawl out across the hills, most of the action is found downtown on a long drag of quaint buildings that runs parallel to the river. Here, Peckenpaugh students will find plenty to do, with entertainment, eateries and the town's civic centers all roughly in the same area.
Where is Elflock Falls exactly? Well, that's hard to say. By virtue of its proximity to Peckenpaugh, Elflock Falls is Unplottable on a map — specialized magical maps can chart its exact location, but that sucker is nearly impossible to pin down on normal paper. That said, it's convenient to Morgantown, WV, headquarters of the MACUSA's Bureau of Magical Beings, and near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border. Elflock Falls is also Passbyable — that is, there's one road in and one road out, and most non-magical vehicles will drive right on through without ever realizing they've done it. Even the most perceptive muggles will see only a particularly large Mail Pouch Tobacco barn off the side of the road. Not that many people are out here for much other than ridge riding, anyway—not with a rumored coal seam fire still burning in the hills after twenty odd years.
Visually, Elflock Falls takes some aesthetic inspiration from the town of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.
THE RIVER WALK ☆
The already very scenic Elflock Falls is bisected by the Greentooth River. The local government went from dumping a whole lot of trash in its waters in the 70s and 80s to dumping a whole lot of money into clean up and beautification from the mid-90s through the early 10s. Now, the River Walk runs the length of the Greentooth’s banks. It’s a lovely park, cut through by bike and walking trails that are dotted with art installations and monuments celebrating West Virginia’s magical history. There’s a playground and picnic areas, a waterfront amphitheater, a small dock and marina, plenty of open space to play and a few wooded areas to find some privacy.
ELFLOCK LANES ☆
Elflock Lanes is one of the BEST bowling alleys in this specific, isolated wizard community — boasting not one, but TWO arcade machines (Ms. Pacman and Dance Dance Revolution), hot dogs guaranteed to be less than a month old (or your money back!), and up to SIX lanes of action. There’s even rumors that somewhere in the basement, behind a hidden door or in some dark corner, intrepid explorers can “meet God or maybe just a regular ghost” if they know where to look. Elflock Lanes has truly got it all. While not the most popular hangout spot – the pizza is a little too greasy, and the music is a little too strictly modern country – the bowling alley is a good spot to while away an afternoon. As long as no one’s trying to order beer or hunting for ghosts, the staff isn’t looking to kick anyone out for not picking up a bowling ball.
CITY POOL
When it gets too hot, come cool off in the Elflock City Pool! There's a water slide! It'll give you a wedgie! Open June 1 through September 1. Please use caution as the lifeguard on duty has never actually had to save anyone before.
GARDENS & DOG PARK
A Community Garden and Dog Park for the whole town to enjoy, just off Elflock Avenue. The two sections are separated by hedge wall, but industrious pups can still slip through, so mind that your dog doesn't dig up any of Mr. Swint's mandrakes.
DEZ'S DINING ROOM ☆
For the authentic greasy spoon experience, Elflock Fallers flock to Dez's Dining Room. Here at Dez's, the lights are always on, the grills are always hot, and the peanut butter pie always kills it. It's a homey little joint with well-worn booths, where the servers call you "hon" and Desdemona can usually be found slinging burgers in the kitchen or bussing her own tables. The menu is mostly good ol' fashioned diner food but with a Greek twist, and a surprisingly extensive salsa bar. Who knew gyros and jalapeño were the cure to hangovers? Open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, Dez is a known friend to respectful curfew hoppers — just don't ditch, and she won't snitch.
EMPLOYEES (2/2): Presley, Mary Grace
THE GASTROGNOME ☆
Feeling run-down? Need help going from white-eyed to bright-eyed? Pop into the Gastrognome for a shot of caffeine, daily news, and sweet treats baked daily. Here Clara Puddifoot works her magic, crafting obnoxiously bright (and punnily named) pastries with suggested literary pairings. Don’t you dare take on Infinite Jest without David Froster Wallace cupcakes for energy! Student employees will get plenty of chances to practice their charmwork behind the counter, as everything on the menu comes with just a little splash of something to make it truly special, whether it’s how it looks, smells, or even sometimes how it sounds.
EMPLOYEES (3/3): Atlas, Harrison, Mia (barista, baking assistant)
PIZZA PI(E)RATES ☆
An old staple of Elflock Falls, Pizza Pi(e)rates is the best place in town to go for pizza by the slice, fresh pepperoni rolls, and teenagers doing bad pirate accents. There are some seats inside, but most of the business is of the walk-up, slice-and-a-soda variety. Pizza Pi(e)rates is owned and operated by Bruno Ellerby, who is dead serious about his employees dressing and speaking like pirates while on the clock. Arrrr.
EMPLOYEES (4/4): Echo, Edgar, Kermit, Winter (making, serving pizza)
ZIPPY DIP ☆
Zippy Dip is the place to go if you’re young, hungry, and can still digest lactose. Nearly everyone in town has celebrated at least one birthday in the popular burger and ice cream joint, where the fare ranges from simple hot dogs to a boat-sized sundae you can get for free if you finish it before closing time. Zippy himself loves to work the counter and mingle with the customers, dishing out floats and malts and using his sleight of hand (Muggle) magic to (not quite) wow his (literal actual magic) customers. A much-beloved fixture in Elflock Falls, Zippy is very involved in the school and the community, and his employees are the best fed in town.
EMPLOYEES (3/4): Felicity, Jupiter, Scarlett (open; ice cream engineers, waiting tables)
Fortuna Festa
Fortuna Festa, home of the finest dining in the Falls, is a relatively new addition to the community. It’s not the most teen-friendly establishment, and the staff won’t hesitate to boot you if they think you’re disrupting someone else’s quiet night out, but it’s the best place to go for a fancy dinner date and some good steak. While FF hasn’t exactly landed itself any awards for its steakhouse fare and above average wine selection, it lends a dash of class to the town, and it’s already become Elflock Falls’ third-most popular marriage proposal spot. Maybe someday it’ll unseat Zippy Dip as #1, but it will take a lot more than a good Argentinian Malbec to do the trick.
Hap's Place
At the end of the main drag is a shabby old bar called Hap’s. Students aren't allowed inside and the staff has a sharp eye for fake IDs, so they're best off not trying their luck here. It looks dark and gloomy in there anyways, and there's always someone smoking out back.
DISPEL & THAT SPELL ☆
Dispel & That Spell (the “Dis & Dat”, according to the locals), is a one-stop shop for all your basic wizardy goods. Groceries and gobstones, common household potions ingredients and cheap brooms, generic wands and packaged pepperoni rolls, Dis & Dat has all the thises and thats witches and wizards need to keep their homes running smoothly. It’s not a huge store, but employees will get to experience all the joys of working in a big box store, like stocking shelves and being yelled at by impatient old people while they’re just trying to take their lunch break.
EMPLOYEES (2/4): Aristotle, Joshua (open; checkout, stocking)
DOC POTTS' DOWN HOME SOLUTIONS ☆
Squeezed into an alley just off the main road is a cluttered little shop, where a hillbilly hedgewizard peddles whosits and whatsits and tchotchkes just this side of legal. Or just that side of legal. Whatever you're willing to pay for. It's hard to tell just what will show up in Doc's inventory from day to day, but students are generally discouraged from visiting for a reason. It ain't just biting teapots and single-use "burner" wands on these shelves; Doc's got his fair share of dark and dangerous objects lying around, and he don't see no problem selling them to unsuspecting schoolchildren if they got the cash. Student shoppers should be careful showing off their hauls, though. While Doc has never turned down a paying customer, even the most lenient faculty members will confiscate his goods on sight.
ELFLOCK LIQUOR ☆
Just your typical liquor store with your atypical wizard liquor. Get tequila that’ll turn you turquoise and scotch to make you sing, or I guess just some regular Muggle whiskey if you want. Technically students shouldn’t even be going in, but they can always try their luck with a fake ID or overconfident swagger anyways.
JUNEBUG'S ☆
Tired of your wardrobe? Need a last minute prom dress? Did the cutest boy in school just ask you on a date but your nicest pants just ripped? No matter what kind of fashion fiasco you have on your hands, Junebug’s can help. It’s a cramped little boutique store that looks about the size of a closet from the outside, and a slightly bigger closet on the inside; the shelves and racks are crammed full, with clothes, accessories, even décor made by local artists for sale. The tastes run a little quirky and eclectic, with oversized costume jewelry and flower-festooned sunhats dominating several displays, but there are plenty of clothes for men, women, and everyone in between.
PECK 'n' PAW ☆
The Peck ‘N’ Paw is here to help all the furry, feathered, and fanged friends of Elflock Falls. The pet store has food, toys, and supplies available for all familiars, be they magical or mundane, and even has adoption services available to help you find a (school-sanctioned!) familiar of your very own. Student employees are limited to retail work, but there is Peck ‘N’ Paw staff proficient in grooming, training, and basic veterinary services to keep every pet happy, healthy, and smelling good.
EMPLOYEES (2/2): Gideon, Wyatt (checkout, stocking)
POMPEL & SWINT, APOTHECARIES ☆
It’s a testament to the quality of goods found at Pompel & Swint’s that Fallers don’t even bother fussing about the inconsistent hours and irregular pricing anymore. There’s a wide array of wares available, from poultices to panaceas, crafted by the finest potioneers in Appalachia. Unfortunately, the finest potioneers in Appalachia don’t really like each other, and it’s not uncommon to walk in on the pair arguing over names, prices, displays, or even what time to open and close the shop.
Any student brave enough to inquire about their “Help Wanted” sign in the window is sure to learn a lot, but first they’ll need to learn when to leave the room.
EMPLOYEES (1/1): Laszlo
SPELLUNKING ☆
A lot of weird stuff ends up in wizard thrift shops, and junk diving is something of a WizAmerican pastime. Spellunking is a classic, cluttered thrift shop, with everything from brand name robes to haunted trinkets lining the walls, and lucky visitors can sometimes find something truly unique and/or cursed. It’s a small store and not terribly busy, so employees will spend a lot of time cleaning and trying not to get bitten by teapots while the shift manager, Kyle, smokes a joint in peace in the back.
EMPLOYEES (3/3): Audrey, Constanza, Maisy
CITY HALL
The center of government in Elflock Falls! See important people here, at least twice a day! Occasionally, Mayor Hull will take to the front steps to give a speech or kick off a festival. She's great, but the speeches were cuter when a cat was mayor.
CITY LIBRARY
Not quite as comprehensive as the Peckenpaugh library, the Elflock City Library focuses more on providing community services, like adult literacy and after-school activities for Elflock Local students.
ELFLOCK LOCAL
Almost all young Fallers got their start right here at Elflock Local Grade School. Offering classes for kindergarten through eighth grade, most ELGS alumni stay nearby, filtering into either Peckenpaugh or Malstrom Academy.
POLICE STATION
Adjacent to city hall is an unassuming little brick cube of a building flanked by docked workhorse flying brooms. The headquarters of Elflock Falls’ girls (and boy) in blue is a podunk police force befitting a sleepy Appalachian town. Elflock's upholders of the law are dedicated both to public safety and single-handedly keeping the Gastrognome in business with donut purchases.
POST OFFICE
Every town needs a post office, and Elflock Falls is no exception. While the school has a selection of owls for sending and receiving mail, the Elflock Falls Owl Post is especially useful when you need to send something internationally, or a gift has to get somewhere post-haste. The postmaster has intimate knowledge of every owl's speed and abilities, and will always take the time to pick the perfect bird for the job.
GOODLIFFE FUNERAL SERVICES & CITY CEMETERY ☆
While you’re in Elflock Falls, don’t forget to swing by and pay your respects at the place everyone’s dying to get into! Elflock Falls Municipal Cemetery is a sprawling hillside graveyard with plots and dramatic mausoleums dating back to the early 1800s. This historical site is haunted, though not as densely as one might expect given its lengthy history. Adjacent to the cemetery is the Goodliffe Estate, home to Goodliffe Funeral (& Post-Life) Services and the prestigious Pureblooded Goodliffe family, pillars of the Elflock Falls community.
PAYLESS PORTKEY PLACE ☆
Headed somewhere? Payless Portkey Place can (probably) get you (kind of close to) there! It's a dinky office with cheap Portkeys to destinations about fifty miles north of popular and severely outdated travel brochures. Students aren't allowed to Portkey away without permission from a guardian or staff member, though, and they'll be promptly turned away if they try to forge a permission slip. This ain't their first rodeo, kid.