003 ⟡ MAY TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ 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 MOODS

⟡ After 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

Comments

i hope this is okay cw: domestic abuse mention

[rindouweed]

[ Her ears perk at the sound of his voice, attempting to tear through the mixing memories that are made worse by the temperatures freezing more and more within the small caverns. White furs bristle along her back as the small touch of a hand reaches out along her side. A sense of shock hits her, only because it's been so long since she felt something so tiny touch against her skin, and when she turns her head, she sees a child there instead. He looks up at her with eyes full of love - each one a different color. The pain that surges through her body as she instinctively cowers is more physical than emotional. She was hurt again, because she hadn't raised them as he wanted. Rei fears turning the other way, afraid to see his face.

Rei focuses on the small, tiny child, with white hair and red, how he calls out to her, how he cries and says - Now let me protect you this time. You don't have to be in pain anymore.

Rei remembers he would say something like this, would cry, and ask his father to stop hurting her. It hurts more than she expected. She's older now, far past her prime, removed from the place that once tormented her. Rei can now think back on her past - on this memory - as if she's reliving it but judging it. As if given the chance to act anew. Rei doesn't know what to do - she's so confused.

She does know, she should have done more - should have done better, not for him but for them. Even in the memory she has, there are mixed feelings of herself trying to justify leaving, going back to her family couldn't be an option - they would sell her off again. Take the children to do the same with them. She tries to rationalize that she could make it on her own, but she has never worked a day in her life. How would she afford to take care of 4 children?

The part of her that is now, the Ninetails, looks over to the tiny little mouse, whom she thinks is her child, as the memory flickers in and out. Afraid she is forgetting him, afraid she is going to lose him - afraid he is going to come for them. Afraid that - something is going to eat them...

Older now, and faced with the words she had heard so many times - let me protect you this time. Rei aches with a sorrow so deep. Instinct starts to take over, maybe now more than ever as a Ninetails - she needs to leave and run - to go quickly, because there is danger all around them. In the form of scavengers in the form of him - even if that danger was more the self-imposed blizzard she started within an enclosed space. The danger that flits into her heart is real, and it terrorizes her — making her unable to turn around.

She reaches her arms out towards the small thing, realizing she has no hands. It's instinct alone that makes her mouth move forward, and with her teeth momentarily bared, Rei will find a purchase of extra skin along the back of his body and grip him there. She holds on gently but firmly - she won't lose him, not here. Not another son gone from her -

And she runs, quickly, swiftly, but having just learned to run on all fours, she stumbles a bit here and there. Never once stopping, even so, her heart races and she runs, fearing whatever is behind her. Using her nose to guide her to something else - anywhere else outside of the encroaching walls. Racing down the tunnels, she cries - she does not know where to go. ]

yes of course!! always open to anything ❤

[wolfcut]

[ For a moment, Bigby sees him too, the little boy with eyes full of love. It's not for me, he reminds himself. No, it would never be for him. He pulls his hand back slowly, pressing it against his head. Should have done more. But how could he atone now? They all look at him, fear in their eyes, just waiting for the monster to jump back out again. But now, he feels the fear in himself too, memories of treading lightly, of taking the brunt of it all — he doesn't even know her name, and yet, the anger rises out of him easily at the man who did this to her.

He hesitates at the sight of her bared teeth, but he pushes down the instinct telling him to run, accepting what comes next. The urge to fight against her hold is absent. Instead, he leans into the familiarity, a far too distant memory now flooding back into the forefront. His mother loved all her children, but for him, she saved a special kind of warmth. When his brothers got too rough, when he would cry, alone, hungry, scared, she would gently lift him up and away by the scruff, just him and her, safe together again. A strange comfort washes over him, even if the white-furred beast holding him now isn’t the same.

He only looks up when he hears her cry, recognizing it immediately. It makes his heart ache, unbearably so, but finding a way to soothe her now almost feels impossible. ]

Where should we go? [ His voice is as soft as it can be, trying hard to be gentle, not accusatory, lest he rile her up more. ] The scavengers—I don’t think they’re after us. Not anymore. [ As for him, he doesn’t speak on it. Thinking about another father’s cruelty would only make this harder. ]

[rindouweed]

[ The voice that beckons to her is quiet and calm, entering into her frame of mind once more. She is entirely panicked, and the run that she makes while following the air her nose breathes. Leads her to the end of the tunnels and out into the open, where she immediately scampers around. Not knowing where to go from here. Her paws pattered against the floor, understanding from the voice that perhaps danger had been behind them. So when she turns, she sees that the tunnel is no longer their surroundings. In a situation where the trees are all around them and the air is far more open and easier to breathe, she starts to relax. ]

??? [ A muffled noise escapes through the back of her throat, but she is pleasantly aware of her grip on the small "child" gently held in her teeth. Are they out? Are they safe? She looks around, ears pricking up at every small sound that lingers within the quiet yet peaceful forest.

The grey clouds above them are ominous, but nothing is odd about them. The scent of rain is in the air, it's yet to come... Where does she go from here? Her attention is fleeting - but she is mindful a bit more than she was before - ]

[wolfcut]

[ Feeling the air outside the tunnel makes his small body shudder. It's far from warm in the traditional sense, but compared to the insulated freeze down below, he takes it for what it's worth. His ears flick, nose twitching. Softly, he sighs to himself, recognizing when his own senses lack their usual capabilities.

As she looks around, he looks with her, though mostly because he has no real say in the matter, not yet. From her memories alone, he can deduce that this is new to her, a human turned fox. He has to help guide her, at least a little bit, until she can get her bearings. ]

What do you hear? [ Cautiously, he glances up at her again. ] What do you smell? We're surrounded by trees, but that's not all there is. Fruit. Water. A clearing, maybe. [ He's mostly trying to get her to focus on finding safety, away from the potential dangers lurking in the unknown. ]

[rindouweed]

[ She listens, the soft huff of her breath exiting from either side of her maw. She listens and starts to think about what the voice that calls from the small body says to her. Immediately, she asks herself the same questions: What does she smell? Does she remember what fruit smells like? What would a clearing smell like?

Momentary thoughts that feel like mush blend together in her mind, and she is unable to really think through what could be sensible in the moment. Everything feels together at once, but the need and desire to survive stays true, and naturally, she is inclined to move. Heeding the voices' questions, she listens intensely, stepping in one direction and stopping only to listen again. What she thinks are voices, people, the sounds of bustling, the presence of living - safety. Is out in the distance, after a few paces of her walking, she manages to come to a point where some sense about her tells her what is in her mouth isn't hers.

Nor should she be carrying it, in a place that seems to be a path leading somewhere. Rei sets him down and steps back several paces before softly speaking as someone very tired - ]

I am sorry.

[wolfcut]

[ He hears it too, the faint sounds of something else out there. Answers, for one, but more importantly, safety. Navigating the unknown, however, is a concern he doesn't take lightly. Eventually coming across a path provides some sense of ease, at the very least.

Too focused on what's ahead, he doesn't even realize when Rei lowers him back down until his feet touch the ground. He stumbles a bit, having to regain his balance in a form that he's not used to yet. When he finally manages it, he looks up at her fully, mind clear of past memories, both his and hers. ]

... Don't be. [ He wonders if that might be too rough. ] I'm fine. We got out much faster that way. [ He brushes a paw over his ear, partly from instinct. ] How... how does it feel? You weren't this way before, is that right? [ He's referring to her appearance, unable to bring himself to ask about much else. Of everything to take in, somehow, turning into an animal seems to be easiest. ]

[rindouweed]

[ His voice is deep, not that she didn't notice before - if anything, she was almost apprehensive about it at first. It's hard to be continuously, though, when he is a small mouse with a cute physique. Having been the only living thing around her at the time, giving her any sense of actuality in a situation where she felt she couldn't breathe. There was an innate gratefulness that overcame any fear; perhaps the memories granted to her previously made her feel more comfortable in his company.

Her eyes are fixed on his small stature, watching as he brushes a paw over his ear absentmindedly. Again, his question grounds her, makes her present in the moment. Aware of her physique, she looks down at her paws and then raises her head to crane over towards her back. Looking to her many tails. It was odd, all of this, something truly of a dream. ]

I've never.... No. This is a first, the ice no, but the body yes. The body is unfamiliar to me... But it feels...? [ If she were to be honest... ] Nice... My lower back doesn't hurt anymore, and my hips feel like new again.

[ Said with the gratefulness of someone older enjoying a body that feels new. ]

Does that mean... [ Those memories that came before this moment sit in her mind. ] Why a mouse I wonder?

[wolfcut]

[ Quietly, he watches as Rei looks herself over, not quite as interested in doing the same. There's only so much he cares to know about a body that most definitely shouldn't be his, and the less he acknowledges it, the better. Still, upon hearing her contemplate the good, a soft smile crosses his face. ]

I see. So not all bad, then. You picked up walking on all fours pretty quick. [ He glosses over the ice comment without realizing; she's not the first with that kind of power who he's familiar with. When the topic turns to him, though, Bigby hesitates initially, knowing she saw just as much as he did. ] ... That's right.

[ He glances elsewhere, frowning slightly, but his ears easily give away what he's feeling when they lower. ] Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose a curse has to be a little ironic sometimes. Just leave it to me to pull the unlucky draw.