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bopbay2025-05-10 10:00 am
bayhelpers) wrote in 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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
✩ 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!
⟡ 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!
no subject
It's probably not the best weather for climbing...
[He shakes himself off, and some steam rises out of his fur as he tries to dry it out. It's very much a losing battle.]
But, um... I wanted to see how you were doing, after exploring the forest. I haven't been able to find you since then.
no subject
[It's very convincing! What with, you know, being up here alone in the wet!]
[...while they are smiling, they've forgotten to fake some of the more natural signs this body has - their tail hangs limply behind them, instead of being raised cheerfully.]
[They don't answer about being missing for a few days. They don't know how to answer that. They need to think of an excuse.]
no subject
Well... do you want to come back down, then? You're gonna catch greencough if you stay out for too long. And... we're really far off the ground, you could faint if you fall down.
[Or die. But he'd rather not think about that.]
no subject
[Unless, haha! They shift their weight from paw to paw, branches creaking alarmingly. Maybe they won't faint! If their wish was going to be granted by leaving their friends behind to die, then why didn't it do the same for them?? They should've died, properly, they should just be dead -]
[...]
[Selfish, selfish, selfish. And leave Firepaw and the rest of the Cheri Berries to clean up after?]
[And. Even though they've been here for a couple months, now, and it hasn't happened yet. They're still terrified of the idea: what if they die, and then they loop back?]
[Firepaw will have to wait a long few moments without any sort of response, but eventually Siffrin will crouch and miserably drag themself back to a more stable position, clinging to the tree trunk.] ...fine.
no subject
You went to the Middle Forest, right? Seems like everyone ran into trouble during their quests... maybe not as much as my team, but still.
[At least, no one else needed to turn back before they learned anything. Firepaw isn't as upset about it as Akechi and Ren, but he does feel very guilty for letting Akechi get hurt.]
no subject
[Whatever happened in the forest, it seems to have undone all of that. Siffrin doesn't actually protest, but they flinch every time Firepaw's tongue rasps gently over their forehead.]
[They don't want to talk about the forest either (they don't want to talk about anything) but now that they're committed to climbing back down... they probably can't get out of saying something. And it's a comparatively safe subject. It's written down somewhere in the archives already, it's not a secret, so.]
...yeah. We had to go back eventually.
[...]
It started being impossible to tell what was real.
[Ha. As if Siffrin could tell even at the start.]
no subject
I know the feeling. I'm... actually sort of glad we turned back early this time. When I went into the Southern Forest, we completely lost track of which direction we were going in, and... some wild Pokemon tried to replace me.
[He feels like a mouse-heart, getting more and more anxious about the forest every time he comes along on these exploration quests.]
...It must be a lot worse when your memory is shaky, right?
no subject
[They feel stiff and tense against Firepaw's side. But they were also starting to shiver, and the warmth is helping that go away.]
...maybe.
[That's the easiest thing to say, right...? If they don't want to elaborate, but they don't want to claim that they had it worse than anyone else?]
Someone tried to replace you...?
no subject
I got separated from everyone else, and something else joined them pretending to be me. I think it was called.. a Haunter. But um... it didn't know the words that cats used, so they figured it out pretty quickly.
[In retrospect it is very funny to imagine Emporio calling the Haunter out for saying 'month', or 'city'. Although it also makes him worry that picking up the new words will make it harder for him to avoid a repeat experience.]
Every time I've gone into the forest, it's been terrible... but if we all lose hope, we'll never make it easier for other folk to travel through it.
no subject
[They can't think of it. Even though they really are trying now. (Might as well; what could they remember that would be worse than what they already did?)]
[Very haltingly - they want to be genuine about this, but it's hard to summon emotion - Siffrin says,] I'm... it's good that you're still you.
[...ah. Is that what Firepaw's nervous about...?] ...don't worry. I'll still go into the forest.
[They really don't like or trust it, now more than ever, but it's also not what drove them up here. Not exactly.]
no subject
[Is he projecting? Maybe a tiny bit. He's been fighting the urge to never go into the forest again since February.
He pauses.]
I think those ghosts are only in the Southern Forest, though. You ran into something else, right?
no subject
[Tired.]
[...]
We were seeing visions, of... ways we could die. It was kind of helpful, at first... [They want to laugh and cry at the same time, saying that. Wasn't that what they once thought about the time loops? The future visions were awful immediately for them, but Siffrin did try to pretend they were helpful while they could!]
But there got to be too many of them. We were spending more time having visions than moving. [And... Siffrin kind of has the suspicion that:] ...maybe because we were getting closer to a point where there was no way to avoid dying?