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Baymod Helpers ([personal profile] bayhelpers) wrote in [community profile] bopbay2025-05-10 10:00 am
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003 ⟡ MAY TEST DRIVE


⋆✩ test drive 03 ✩⋆



The day begins like any other.

Routines, eventful scenes, and boring errands — no matter what you were in the middle of, there's a moment where everything begins to feel wrong. A searing pain tears through your body, so intense that it feels like every nerve has been struck at once. Muscles spasm, joints scream in protest, and as you double over, you find yourself clawing or clinging at anything within your reach. As your attempts to maintain composure fail you, your bones begin to twist with an agonizing force, the pain rising in a crescendo until it becomes unbearable to even breathe. Then, as quickly as it began, everything stops.

For a single, terrifying moment, there's nothing. No sight, no sound, no touch, no taste, no smell — just the weight of nothingness swallowing you whole. The absence of sensation might even be worse than the pain, leaving you adrift in a void you can't escape. Hopelessness threatens every fiber of your existence, and try as you might to fight it, your darkest thoughts begin to surface, flooding your mind in an onslaught of suffocating feelings and ideas.

In the darkness, you hear a voice.

It's faint, a gentle flashing of something warm along the edges of your mind, like sunlight itself. It's a voice, but you can't identify who or what it comes from, how it sounds, or what it means — still, you know it's directed at you. Something tugs at your heart, a powerful ache that throbs once and ripples outwards. You can feel the aches again, like fresh sores throughout your body. You feel off, like something isn't quite right, like you're not where you should be, or who you should be. But the voice continues, whispered just beyond your understanding. The sound is warm like hope, and it wraps around you, distant yet intent, before you wake up.


i. arrivals
FROM TUNNELS DEEP





The scent of must meets your nostrils, perhaps more strongly than it normally would. To open your eyes is to meet the dark — though if you're fortunate it could be that something about this new body, or perhaps the body of another, leaves some faint illumination to see by. Either way it soon becomes clear that where you are is somewhere underground. They are deep and sprawling tunnels, with corners of some unknown civilization storied away in their many carvings and ruined pottery. Portions of the cavern walls even bear the appearance of old structures and dwellings, as if the earth itself swallowed a city whole.

Trickling through the tunnels in quiet streams are tendrils of fog. It's difficult to see, but not in the least hard to feel. The mist is damp and cloying, clinging to every inch it finds on you to the point that it seems to grasp at the very soul; and the longer one lets it have its way, the worst it feels. You begin to question your body. Your mind. Your very memories — are they really yours?

Staying underground may be unwise anyway. Diglett and Dugtrio soon make themselves known to the weary arrivals here, and unlike these newcomers they have had far too long to succumb to the mist. They will attack without hesitation, and the only options are to fight or flee above ground.

The forest above unfortunately is not much better. The fog here is thick, even if some light somehow makes its way through the canopy above. What could have once been helpful landmarks become sources of dizzying misunderstanding, and the gnarled trees seem to move when no one watches. Rescuers from the city will have their work cut out for them once it becomes clear how many could be stranded out there, and time will be of the essence. The sooner that these wanderers can be brought to the clinic to be treated, the better!


CAUGHT IN THE BRAIN FOG⟡ While the fog does not cause illness specifically, it is still incredibly dangerous to spend extended periods of time within it. Disorientation, hallucination, as well as mental and physical dysphoria are all symptoms noted from the fog and it is vital to remove oneself from its presence. Fortunately, the symptoms fade quickly once exposure ends.

⟡ The severity of the above varies; characters may feel that time is moving too quickly, or simply become incredibly aware of their inhuman limbs. Players may increase or decrease symptoms as they desire, at this time.

⟡ In addition to the above symptoms, memories become scattered across characters in the fog. The longer one remains within it, the more memory they lose to it — and the more foreign memories they gain. Players are encouraged to offer memories within their top-levels for others to use, but unlike other symptoms, characters need to come in contact with the memory's source to be free of them.

⟡ As many within Bottlecap Bay can guess, the location of all of this is the Southern Forest; which means all the dangers discovered in earlier quests apply. In addition to the disorienting fog, this particular branch of forest is rife with time and space distortions, making it difficult to navigate safely through.



ii. under the weather

RAIN RAIN, GO AWAY



The first thing anyone will notice as the month of May truly sets in, is the rain. Light or heavy, sunny or cloudy, a near constant rain pours down upon Bottlecap Bay and its surrounding areas. There's no escaping it; it pours, and it pours, and it pours ever long, until it becomes impossible to do even basic tasks outside one's dwelling without getting soaked to the bone.

While it's not unusual to receive rain at this time of the year, the amount of rain is unnatural according to the Guild Leaders. To ensure no one suffers any more than they already have, all three are quick to open their doors to these new Pokemon in their midst. Or at least, they're quick to offer other foreigner's doors. Pokemon who originated from other worlds soon find themselves with new bunkmates and housemates, and with the rain as bad as it is there’s no good way to refuse.

It's best to remain in similar company after all, and until there’s time to sort out who fits where, it’s all these newcomers have.


RAIN CHECK⟡ Though the epidemic from earlier in the year has now passed over, Dr. Denne does not let his guard down. New pokemon are herded to the clinic for mandatory check-ups, to be absolutely safe. The clinic will house pokemon exhibiting any sign of illness, but otherwise send them off to rest in their temporarily assigned housing.

⟡ Unfortunately, many of the offered Guild rooms belong to those recently admitted into the fold. At these lower tiers, rooms are often exposed to incoming water. Rain causes floods to rise up within Oran Guild, bringing at least an inch of rainwater along the shared ground. In the Cheri Guild, it pours between leaves and over walls during particularly stormy weather. The only guild with surefire methods to avoid the rain is Lum Guild; all of these buildings are fully enclosed.

⟡ Even if Pokemon are able to avoid getting wet while sleeping, this won’t spare them when they go outside; it is at minimum drizzling at all times for the rest of the month.


THE WATER CYCLE



While Pokemon begin to settle into their new lives at Bottlecap Bay, the rain continues to fall. On some days it’s harder — hard enough to bring sheets thick enough to blot vision, sharp enough to leave unprotected pelts stinging for minutes after retreating inside. Thunder booms, and lightning flashes, a clear message to all within the city when they see it. These storms are bad. Dangerous. And the danger is in more than just the weather itself.

At first the signs are subtle. Those same symptoms from the forest can be felt, lasting only as long as a Pokemon is damp from the downpour outside. Even the gentle drizzle causes absent thoughts, an empty mind staring into the distant grey skies as you forget.

Staring longer still, as you remember. But is what you're remembering actually yours? Something about the concentration of forest mist in the form of raindrops changes the effects as the days go by. The body and mind rebel against what it knows doesn't belong, and it finally comes bursting out with a shout! Those memories you've seen, they aren't yours! They're someone else's!

And the world needs to hear it!


STORMY MOODSAfter May 10th, the rain for the rest of the month is constant. Severity of the downpour is up to the player to decide, but it never stops drizzling at the least.

⟡ While symptoms from earlier prompts can still be in effect, additional consequences are caused by the rain. Light drizzle carries lighter memories; happier thoughts, caring moments. Pokemon capturing these from the rain are drawn to quietly whisper their opinions on such memories, and can pass them to the original owner in this way. Raging storms bring the opposite; Pokemon will inherit despairing, or wrathful memories from another in the rain, and feel compelled to instead shout their opinions to cast the memory aside.

⟡ Despite the above, Pokemon do not need to pass the memory to their original owner to get rid of them. NPCs can be used as well, and it can be assumed the memory eventually made its way home.

⟡ Side effects of the rain carry over into any puddles formed. Sleeping while soaked in water will cause effects to manifest as sleep-talk, and potentially affect their dreams.



iii. the archives

RECORDS KEEPING



The longer the rainfall persists, the more clear it is that staying outside is unwise. Not only is it dangerous to non-water type Pokemon's health for the most part, but the full scope of side effects only increase the risks. After one too many shouting matches caused by vitriolic memories, Polteageist offers a simple but beneficial solution. The doors of the archives are opened up, as senior members in the Lum Guild offer up their time as temporary librarians.

Polteageist's solution is as follows; instead of training their bodies out in the rain, everyone will be training their brains. There have been many questions raised over the last number of weeks, and now is the time for everyone to investigate the mysteries. Entering the Archives means entering a building of clear splendor, filled with couches and beanbags for sitting and beautiful flowers and plants to accentuate the green hues within the halls. The shelves are well stocked with records kept on stone tablets, and the additional guides within the guild are eager to help everyone find what they're looking for.

The illustrious leader of the Lum Berries is well aware however, that not everyone is willing to spend all their time reading. As it would be counterproductive to expect anyone to sit twiddling their thumbs (or tails, or ears) he has thus arranged for a few of the archive meeting rooms to host additional activities. They are simple things; there's classes on recording writings properly in clay before firing, minor history lessons where newly arrived Pokemon can share in what many others already know, and even community building exercises. They're nothing like the escape rooms organized during the last two months, but they're good for passing the time.

And eventually, the rain will hopefully calm down. A few skilled Psychic Pokemon are offering their services to keep others dry until then however, at least so that everyone can get home safely.


SHUSH!⟡ The Archives, while acting as the base of operations for the Lum Berries Guild, additionally acts as a library. Players are encouraged to come up with their own available texts within these halls, but should keep in mind that not all knowledge is publically available. If a player is unsure about whether or not something can be easily accessed, please comment about the topic under questions.

⟡ Examples of available topics include general folk tales and fairy tales (with examples given here), as well as non-fiction matters such as pokemon types, species, and moves. As a note, paradox pokemon and canonically synthetic pokemon such as Type: Null are not included.

⟡ The history of Bottlecap Bay is no different from what is noted within the game's premise; guild members teaching the history will explain that the settlement came about when a number of Pokemon escaped from human lands, seeking refuge where no humans could be found.

⟡ Players may be creative with team building exercises, provided they would not cause damage to their surroundings; examples include bonding activities such as 'two truths and a lie', '20 Questions', and even scavenger hunts within the public Archive limits. The focus is always upon getting to know one another.


✩ OOC NOTES.
TDM CWS: body horror, disorientation, hallucinations, dysphoria

⟡ TDMs are game canon and act as events for the month they are posted.

⟡ New characters can link to their top level beneath the NEWBIE DIRECTORY

⟡ All new arrivals are not assigned to any one guild. However, if they participate in the Archive's bonding activities, they may receive a unique reward.

Remember that at least one thread for your application must come from the TDM! There is no comment minimum, but we will be looking for engagement, as well as for players and characters who take the time to delve into things like character thoughts, emotions, morality, and other deep themes. Take this time to engage with the setting as you would in game!

⟡ As a reminder, reserves and applications are permanently opened. Please see their respective pages for details on processing time.

⟡ Have any questions related to the TDM? Ask here! If your question is more general for the game, please make sure to direct it to the FAQ page instead. Thank you, and happy threading!

FULL NAVIGATION
loopsiedaisy: (🌑 Past and present)

sif: absolutely misses the double-dead. that's just slang for normal extra super dead right

[personal profile] loopsiedaisy 2025-05-21 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[...oh. That makes sense, they guess. If he could just tell them, and then move onward, and get further.]

[For a moment Siffrin burns with jealousy, but - honestly they're too soggy to be mad at someone who they've never even met and who isn't actually here. Their tail twitches once, and then they deflate fast enough that there might or might not even be time for Shoka to notice.]


...I didn't want them to know. That we always all died at the end. [They knew, and that sure didn't stop them from dying! It wasn't like everyone just wasn't trying hard enough, or there was some trick they could've used... Sif tried so many tricks, early on. The King was simply too strong.]

If they didn't find out - I mean, they were all still stressed, and nervous. But... [But that's different from knowing you're walking to your death, right? Let their last few hours at least not be that.]

[...it doesn't seem like Siffrin's lying. But it also really doesn't explain why they outright panicked at the idea, does it?]
foreversembrace: (113)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[...]

If you try anything funny I will kill you. Got that?

[There's something to be said about the logistics of "killing" a being made of energy but at least he's got the spirit.]
foreversembrace: (52)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Who indeed...it seems like Till is having that very thought, judging by the way his muzzle wrinkles.]

Months? How is that even possible?
foreversembrace: (75)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[And that's the kicker, isn't it? Till wants answers...but he's still not sure how much he trusts this little bird to get him out and somewhere safe, as opposed to leading him in deeper to his death.

But then, why go to the trouble to GIVE him all of this information? To gain his trust, perhaps?

...]


...Fine. Do you know the way out of here?
foreversembrace: (116)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[Till's never been outside...at least not for long. The few moments of freedom he did taste were when he was very young, and very brief.

What is it like above, he wonders? It's so dark and damp down here...he can't help but feel anxiety rising in his chest, the perpetual fear of the unknown.]


I'll follow you, then.

[Because there's no way he's turning his back on anyone.]
technusrulez: (THAT GHOST CHILD WILL BE SNOOPING...)

[personal profile] technusrulez 2025-05-21 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
...Sorry.

[He looks sufficiently embarassed, at least.]
foreversembrace: (65)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Public or no, Till still doesn't 100% trust someone not to still try something, but...it's better than, he doesn't know, being forced to room with someone which is a lot like what it was sounding like they wanted.

He shifts a bit where he's laying, lifting his head a bit.]


What do you mean?
foreversembrace: (38)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[WELL...hard to let your temper cool when Flowey- at least unintentionally this time- pokes a hornet nest the moment he questions Till about the collar. The red light on it flashes more aggressively for a second as he growls lowly under his breath while they walk.]

I don't want to talk about it.
technusrulez: (...YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS.)

[personal profile] technusrulez 2025-05-21 08:22 pm (UTC)(link)
GOT IT!

[Technus does an impromptu little salute, then reaches out for the collar-

Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon. An Electric and Ghost type. With a body made of plasma, it can inhabit all sorts of machines. It loves to surprise others.

-and zaps into the light on it.

To be honest, he wasn't really sure if it would work. But Rotom's ability to possess machines is far more versatile than Technus's.]

[So... the entire collar turns orange, and blue eyes appear on top of the light.]
foreversembrace: (101)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[Imagine his surprise when she not only comes closer, but jumps into the fray to intervene. He wants to yell at her to stop, to just run away like he told her to, but then she tells HIM to run...

His fight or flight kicks in, and without giving himself much more time to think, Till turns tail and starts to flee through the small opening Rei created...and while he could just run and not stop, saving himself...

He does pause, chest heaving, to look back over his shoulder to check if she IS actually following him.]
foreversembrace: (12)

[personal profile] foreversembrace 2025-05-21 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[The pause that follows is tense, and unsure. He doesn't even know if he should tell this guy anything. And what was that he just saw...?]

No. I don't.

[Plain and simple, he's just as lost and confused as Flamebringer is. Perhaps moreso, as someone who has never once been let out of the sight of his captors, and if he was, it's into the "safety" of a solitary confinement cell where they can make sure he doesn't cause trouble.]

I just...woke up here. Like this.
telewarped: (The shroud encroaches ever closer)

yeah man. don't worry about it

[personal profile] telewarped 2025-05-21 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
But what if they could've done something to stop it, if they knew what to expect beforehand? Or at least help you figure things out?

[Maybe the chances of that were slim, but they were in a truly desperate situation. And yet she has no memory of Siffrin even trying that.]

I mean... You were all alone out there.

[Eventually, their team didn't feel much like a team, or even like real people at all. Just static dolls reciting the same lines over and over.

She wonders if Rindo ever saw them like that, in the longer Replays. There were times he did interrupt them, after all, to cut short dialogue he'd already heard who knows how many times. Sometimes he chose not to mention that he'd already turned back time at all.

Regardless, she can't imagine that he did. She also wonders, sometimes, how many times he'd talked to her before that fight with Ayano—how many horrible things she'd said to him in the timelines that failed and how many horrible ways she'd gotten them all erased. None of that must have mattered to him, because he still kept talking to her anyway.]
rindouweed: (f3)

[personal profile] rindouweed 2025-05-21 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rei doesn't realize until she hears some honest grumbling of someone attempting hardwork, her ears flicker in their direction before she turns completely over. Standing up and padding over until she is close enough to speak, ]

Oh, please, may I help? [ Rei at least, has been through life enough to know better than to assume that someone else can do something or not. She wants to help, but asks before even moving to. ]
rindouweed: (a5)

[personal profile] rindouweed 2025-05-21 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She did, very honestly did, but some part of her wanted to know - ]

Does it happen to everyone?

rindouweed: (f6)

[personal profile] rindouweed 2025-05-21 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
No, [ She shakes her head, and with intention to help adds - ] it doesn't have a physical shape.
rindouweed: (f5)

cw: abuse implied

[personal profile] rindouweed 2025-05-21 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't stop - [ The moles were troublesome, and with him having passed her by. She was able to set ice crippling from her paws to enter into the ground around her. Ice was easy for her to command, at times, but she still struggles to understand why or how her quirk in this body is so often too responsive to her command. It's strange, but she does her best to adjust and try not to accidentally cause ice to form closer to the small form.

The weight of her legs shift, and she is too slow to move away from the other mole that hits her again - finding that it hurts. Feeling as if her side is bruised, but she's fine with this, as the feeling of it isn't inherently unfamiliar. Instead, she disengages from the present fight and does in fact follow him. Lowering her head just a bit in case he still has yet to move, to try and push him forward so he doesn't stop. ]
technusrulez: (THAT GHOST CHILD WILL BE SNOOPING...)

[personal profile] technusrulez 2025-05-21 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
...THERE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALIVE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME, AND AT LEAST ONE PERSON DYING AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME.
AND ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF ABSENCE.
THEREFORE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW IF EVERYONE BECOMES A GHOST WHEN THEY DIE OR NOT!

[That's the gentlest way he can put it.]
truthdecided: (perplexed)

[personal profile] truthdecided 2025-05-21 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I had special abilities, if that's what you mean, though any association with birds was more distant than directly linked with my powers.

["Quirk" is such an odd way of putting it, though. The way she said it gave it a weight like a proper noun... How curious.]

I excelled in combat and could wield curse... or dark elemental magic, as well as almighty skills, physical and gun skills, and an ability that let me weaken my foes.

[He'll leave Call of Chaos out, for now. It's not the sort of ability that warrants being brought up in idle conversation.]
truthdecided: (thinking)

[personal profile] truthdecided 2025-05-21 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
True. It's extremely likely that both of them were afflicted... which doesn't bode well.

[He flutters to another shelf, trying to find anything about the fog or the ocean.]

If the fog is spreading from beyond the forest, it could influence others who consider the ocean their home. The psychological effects could drastically endanger not only the ecosystem, but any travelers who seek refuge here.
rindouweed: (m46)

[personal profile] rindouweed 2025-05-21 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rei nods her head in response, mind still burning with thoughts. She isn't thinking of any sort of memory, and instead, just going through logic in her mind. Finding herself sometimes feeling at odds with this new information she keeps coming to. ]

I think I will do some reading at this.... ? Archives?
telewarped: (The hatches are battened)

[personal profile] telewarped 2025-05-21 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
... Thanks.

[What was he saying? Double-dead?]

Anyway, do you have to do your figuring out right here? You're kinda crowding the hall.
loopsiedaisy: (🌑 But it never stops)

[personal profile] loopsiedaisy 2025-05-21 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[Siffrin shakes their head furiously. They couldn't, they couldn't, they couldn't. If anyone ever found out - something terrible would happen. There's a sense of dread, that they don't want to examine too hard...]

[And! Haha! They have proof! Isn't that wonderful?? Because the time their friends did notice Siffrin was off, was hiding something, something terrible did happen. They crumbled like something rotten, and -]

[And now they're here. So.]

[...]

[Either way:]
...it doesn't matter anymore. It's too late.

[They     don't want to talk about this anymore.]

[The urge to get away from this subject is what pressures them to ask a question they were hesitating over:]
You drowned, in one of your loops...?

[It must have been a loop, they're assuming, since she's alive - though they have no idea how she remembers. But that's not really the part that's bothering them most about that memory, even with it already fuzzy.]
offtracks: (🚇 ping)

[personal profile] offtracks 2025-05-21 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[His ear flicks slightly, a little surprised, but Ingo's not put off by the abruptness!]

Ah - well, I have suffered from memory loss for many years. But when I see new Pokemon, they often seem familiar to me! I must have encountered them before - I was evidently some sort of professional trainer back then, so I suppose I must have seen quite a number of them! Besides, I think travel between regions was easier then!

[Was? Will be? Whatever.]

In any case, I rather feel as if I have seen Druddigon before. It's rather striking!

[He'll lift the book to show a scarlet-and-blue spiky dragon. Definitely memorable!]
loopsiedaisy: (🌑 Everybody’s telling me to run)

[personal profile] loopsiedaisy 2025-05-22 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
Well, if you end up having to stage a library heist, maybe I'll help out.

Sounds... ex-cite-ing~

[Tragic. The worst library pun you've ever heard.]
bladeofnymeia: (unfortunate)

[personal profile] bladeofnymeia 2025-05-22 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[She shrugs, reaching up with a forepaw to scratch behind one of her ears. Haven't gone totally native yet, to do it with her hindpaw.]

That I couldn't say. But I am...uniquely used to being thrust into new and unusual lands, so it hasn't been as difficult. The change of form is new, though.