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

[wolfcut]

[ GROANS. Of course it has to be a kid. Where is Snow's patience when he needs it? ]

Look, I'm not—ugh. [ Just. Running a paw down his face. ] Just sounds like they need to get backups around here if they're that valuable. But, fine. Fine. [ Deep breaths, Bigby. ] Why do they even have a kid working at this place anyway?

[ He so desperately wants to make a quip about how a kid would be more accident prone than him (definitely not true), but he's reeling that one in. ]

[seacub]

[You're stuck with him now Bigby. Stuck.]

They still have to make those by hand, and they'd still have to be stored here, [Emporio points out.]

And it's a matter of guild association. I was taken in by Lum, so I've been taught what is or isn't the right way to handle these. I can show you the same, that's the point. There isn't normally so many taking refuge in the archives.

[A beat, and he asks-] What are you looking for anyway?

[wolfcut]

[ Who is he, Phoenix Wright? He doesn't do sidekicks. ]

No pens and paper does make it a pain, huh? [ Sighs. The kid knows more than him, and he just has to accept that for now. ] So, now you're just going to spill all your guild's secrets to a total stranger? I guess I should be appreciative. [ He's teasing, but the baritone of his voice might not make that obvious. ]

But I'm not looking for anything, just exploring. Most important things aren't in plain sight. [ He circles his hand a little, trying to find something relatable and kid-friendly. ] I'm like, you know... Inspector Gadget?

[ Is that a show kids like? He wouldn't know. ]

[seacub]

[Too late you're Layton now sucker-]

More like having pyrokinesis makes it a problem. They had to fire everything in clay so that all types of pokemon could readily read these, and a lot of fire types have open flame.

[He gives the morpeko a somewhat withering look.] They're not secrets...Lum normally gets one or two people at once to teach proper library handling, there's at least 20 more Pokemon in here than usual who don't know how to safely maintain anything...

[Honestly!!!

He does kind of relate to that though. Exhibit everything, the place he grew up in.

But, he double takes at the, uh. Inspector Gadget comment?? What??]

Uh...

...the...cyborg cop?

[WHAT ARE YOU A COP THEN?? HUH???]

[wolfcut]

Right. Types. Read about those. [ Briefly, and only because of his condition. He smirks a little, seeing how serious Emporio is about this. ] Alright, I got it. More Pokémon, more stress. The teapot just didn't seem the sharing type about this whole place, that's all.

[ He shuffles through his pockets (???), pulling out a little seed to run through his fingers while he talks. ]

Yeah, that one. You like him? [ Children raised in prisons must love rules and authority. ] 'Cause I'm just like him, except not a cyborg, less funny, and actually a sheriff. [ He puts the seed in-between his teeth like a cigarette, speaking out the side of his mouth. ] Am I allowed to sm—eat in here, or is that against the rules too, Mr. Librarian?

[seacub]

[Emporio shrugs.] There's certain records that are a case-by-case basis; if a text holding a folktale, or basic information about a known species gets cracked, it's not that hard to replace. Delicate information would be harder to pull back together.

[Also, if he's being real, there's probably absolutely stuff that just shouldn't be out and about. And he'll trust that.

Unlike Bigby, who perhaps to the morpeko's surprise, is not getting a positive response. Emporio outright grimaces.]

...I'm not really a fan of police officers, sorry.

[This is the kindest he's going to be about it.] You can eat though- that's fine, and if anything you'll probably do less damage to a tablet than a piece of paper with food. It's like I said, we're just supposed to act as guides.

[wolfcut]

[ His ears twitch at the mention of folktales. ] Delicate information is still information. No good if it's always locked up.

[ There's a very obvious pause after Emporio's comment. He’s heard worse — a lot worse — but from someone who sounds so young? That's the part that phases him. Bigby frowns, sympathetic, knowing there’s a story there. ]

... Yeah. You and me both. [ The sarcastic lilt of his voice is absent. He chews on his seed pensively. ] I haven't gotten the official tour of this place yet. How about we just start with that?

[seacub]

That's assuming you can't see it if you ask, you know.

[He's not seen any proof of Polteageist hoarding it at this point.

...

But, the hardness in the cubone's eyes eases off when Bigby's tone changes. There's no sarcasm there, and to him at least, that means the message got through.

He won't press- it's only fair.

And he can do a tour. Happily, the boy nods.] Sure- have you been upstairs yet? We could move up and work our way down. Plus, the higher up you go, the more care goes into what's there.

[In other words, that's where the stuff that's considered most vital is kept in the first place.]

[wolfcut]

Huh. Got me there. [ He should know what they say about assuming, not having personally asked himself. ] I'll... put in a request someday. [ Asking nicely is not his usual go-to, not when everyone has some kind of beef with him! ]

I haven't, but— [ He glances up, curious. ] —that sounds like a plan to me. Hopefully we don't need spare wings to get up there easily. [ He's back to assuming, this time about the lack of elevators, but at least he's probably right. ]

[seacub]

Yeah!

...and if he says no, then we can talk about what that means. [That's not cool, after all.

So! To the upper floors-] Haha, nope, just stairs. Well...they're more like ramps, with how they're constructed. Some Pokemon don't even have legs- I saw one that looks like an orb.

[A pause.]

...I'm not really sure how they can grab anything though...

[wolfcut]

We? [ Bigby raises his brows, a little amused at the thought. ] Glad to know I'm not the only one interested now.

[ But right. Upper floors. He's mentally preparing himself for the trek. At least being about the same size means he won't fall behind as easily as he does with others.

The mention of orbs does give him pause, though. ] Do you... not have a permanent librarian on staff to help those kind of Pokémon? If anyone was going to break anything, my money would be on the guys with no hands. [ He looks down at his paw, suddenly appreciating his thumbs. ] I guess it could've been worse...

[seacub]

Well, if he's refusing information, then I want to know why as well after all.

[So of course it's 'we', keep up Bigby.]

We have a librarian though- I guess that's a good point, that they'd probably help those Pokemon... ...but, they also have to live their lives outside the Archives too, so I can't help but wonder if they're more self-sufficient than it feels...

[...hmm. ...He pauses, and then looks over Bigby's form a bit more closely.] ...Probably.

I think most of us don't get thumbs... ...I'm a little self-conscious when it comes up, actually...

[As of course, he has them.] Anasui didn't even really get arms...

[wolfcut]

... Yeah. Probably. [ His ears droop a little, wanting to move on almost immediately. ] Anyway, better to just use what you got, kid. Being ashamed doesn't help anyone. There's plenty they have that we don't.

[ Just as he's about to take a bite, he shoots a look at Emporio. ] Ana—the bird?

[ SILENCE IS A VALID OPTION, BIGBY. ]

[seacub]

I- I didn't say I was going to stop using my hands..!! It's just weird to be standing next to someone complaining about it...

[And-

...Hello, yes, there's only one possible Pokemon that outburst could mean and Emporio grimaces immediately.]

Oh...great...you've met him huh...

[Well that's the sound of someone who knows what the bird is capable of at least.]

[wolfcut]

Yeah, I met him. He was part of my welcoming committee. [ He rubs his still-healing shoulder, for no reason at all. ] You two friends? Not exactly a pair-up I would’ve expected.

[ Between the difference in size and demeanor, it just seems like an oddball comedy in the making. ]

me slowly looking over towards bigby-miette, football extraordinaire,

[seacub]

We actually came from the same world. He hung out in my ghost room a lot, [he answers casually, as if half of that sentence wasn't completely nonsense.

...Huh weird that this guy's rubbing his shoulder, anyway-] He's...not really a people person though, so I'm surprised he went out of his way to do something other than fight wild Pokemon this time...

[great news bud]

OH!! anasui KICK bigby??

[wolfcut]

[ For a guy from a land of living fairytales, most nonsense feels right at home. ]

You're telling me. Got some real great bedside manner with that one. [ As if Bigby wasn't the problem to begin with. ] I hope he at least knew how to be a good guest. [ He huffs with a little smile, hoping Emporio knows he's joking. Mostly.

But, ghost room. Room for ghosts? Room made by ghosts? He's still puzzling that one out. ] So, what is your world like, then?

JAIL! JAIL FOR ONE MILLION YEARS

[seacub]

Pfhfhfhf...

...That's one way to put it. Uh... ...I don't know if I'd call him a guest, we shared a place at home too after all. So...he's as good a roommate as I can expect?

[Don't worry about the expectations.]

...Mnh...Probably pretty normal? ...Where I lived, things got pretty violent...but I stayed in my room to avoid that, and no one outside of it knew the room was even there.

anasui, most likely: and i'll fuckin do it AGAIN

[wolfcut]

Maybe that's no so bad. At least roommates are expected to clean up after themselves. Guests can just barge in uninvited and steal all your food. [ Definitely not speaking from experience. ]

... But I see. [ His expression shifts, though he tries hard not to make it too obvious. Quietly, he glances at Emporio, before looking ahead with a frown. ] You must be pretty clever to find a secret place like that. Was Anasui the only one you told about it? The room?

HE WOULD. HE WOULD-

[seacub]

Hahaha, yeah, that's one way to look at it, sure..!

[He's not really had to deal with that kind of problem, and Anasui is far too particular to leave clutter.

The kid shrugs though, shaking his head.] ...Not really. I was born there so...it was kind of easy to know where the room always was.

Anasui wasn't actually someone I brought there to start though, [he clarifies, turning ahead to focus on leading the way up these many, many stairs.] ...That was Weather.

Anasui's just the only one who came here. ...that's all.

[It somehow doesn't feel like that's 'all', at all.]

[wolfcut]

... Mm. I’ll take your word for it, kid. Ghosts aren’t really my area of expertise. [ Never mind him being haunted by his past. ]

Yeah? Well, I won’t tell him he didn’t get your first invite. [ He bites thoughtfully on his seed before letting out a small sigh. It’s a long way up. ] Weather’s an interesting name, though. [ There’s plenty to be suspicious of, but even he knows better than to push a kid too hard too quickly. He segues for now. ]

Speaking of, I never got yours. I’m Bigby.

[seacub]

Well, I don't know that they're literally ghosts is the thing...

[But that's a whole other can of worms. He'll focus on easier topics, they're on the stairs after all.]

Mn. Yeah, he couldn't remember anything- not his name, his life...nor even how to be a person. He had his Stand though, and he could figure out his Stand's name, so he just used that. 'Weather Report'.

...Bigby...uh, right. I'm Emporio.

[LIKE THE BRAND????]

[wolfcut]

… Uh huh. [ He’s listening, really, but from the droop in his ears, it’s obvious he’s distracted by just how horrible it feels climbing each step with such short legs. ]

Can’t say I know what a Stand is, either— [ Because context clues is telling him it’s not a regular nightstand the Cubone is talking about. ] —but sounds rough. Figuring out how to be a person... been there. [ That one kind of slips out. Pivoting. ]

At least he had you to help, huh? Not that that should’ve been your responsibility, but. [ He shrugs. For those wondering if the man who can wear the same white shirt for years will recognize a fashion brand, the answer is no. ] Emporio. That'll be easy to remember.

[seacub]

It's like a super power, but with a few more rules, [he answers somewhat easily. He's getting better at this!

...He's not blind to the exhaustion behind him though, and he does come to a stop.] I think he did a pretty good job, yeah. And no one else was doing it, so...

...um. Anyway. Do you want to maybe check this floor first? I think there's still two more, but at our size it takes a while to get from one to the other.

[After all, when your floors are meant to accommodate much larger beings as well...well.]

[wolfcut]

[ Super power? That manages to get a smile out of him. Despite how mature Emporio might be, he's glad the kid isn't entirely devoid of a less-than grown-up explanation. ]

Sounds a bit more like magic to me. Always some rules to using it in the stories, right? [ Bigby nods in understanding regardless. A part of him wants to ask more about this Weather Report, but considering the Cubone's hesitation, he treads lightly for now, simply sighing when they come to a stop.

He stares up toward the next floor before tossing the rest of the seed into his mouth, motioning for Emporio to follow despite not being the tour guide. ] Feels bad taking a break already, but fine. Let's explore. [ He scratches his cheek in thought as they move along. ] So, are super powers a normal thing in your world? Or just for your friend?