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

(continued cws)

[dunchies]

[ You’re just like me. That smile easily makes his eyes narrow in protest, but as his lips curl into a snarl, he can’t bring himself to refute what the Sunkern is saying, not entirely. Kill or be killed—it’s just another side of the same coin. Eating is the exclusive privilege of the living, and he made certain to keep on living, eating and eating until he finally made it back to her embrace.

His gaze settles away from Flowey and onto his basket of treats. ] ... No, that’s not really it. I needed to be strong. Eating monsters was part of understanding how.

[ To be just like them, he thinks, to shed those bits of humanity holding him back. But despite everything, he would always be human. He would always feel fear and love both, no matter how desperately he wanted to swallow those parts of himself until he couldn’t feel anything at all. He suffocated her and devoured the pieces that didn’t belong, all with the faint sliver of hope that somehow, maybe, he could see her again.

That kind of affection and desperation—it's all so deeply human, no matter how he looks at it. ]

Do you, after everything they did to you and your sibling? Or did your new friend change your mind? [ His tone is even with no hint of accusation, if only because he does understand. Even in another world, the cruelty of humans knows no bounds, and yet, feeling the warmth of friend's hug after so long seems to help wash it away, if only for a moment. ] Either way, those kind of feelings... they don't really matter to me, not anymore. I have people I care about and want to make happy. Being mad at humans just gets in the way of all that, and if that's naïve, so be it.

[ He can't bring himself to outright say no to Flowey's question, but his last journey in the dungeon certainly forced him to reflect on those buried feelings regardless. ]

[friendlyflower]

[Laios turning the question back on him surprises him enough that the evil smile drops right off his face.]

Unlike you, I wasn't a human. My own failings weren't because of humanity, it was because I was... [Now that the high of terrorizing someone is fading, he just feels pathetic. Does he really still need to act like this, even in another world? He's such an idiot.] ... weak. Stupid. Or whatever.

[For a while, he thought he hated humans. Chara did. And they're certainly different from monsters, who are all warm fuzzies and happy vibes even when they're supposed to be at war with humanity. But hate them? Probably not.

Once, he thought there must be other good humans like Chara-- that's why he hesitated, even when they were closing in to kill him. Now, he wonders, is a human still 'good' if they'd do terrible things for the sake of someone they love? Isn't that why Asgore, monster that he was, killed six human children...?]

... But, no. I don't hate them. I think they're stupid, but so are monsters.

[He's silent for a moment, turning his stare up to the sky.]

Those humans just wanted to survive. Same as you with eating monsters. Is that right or wrong...? I don't know and... it doesn't matter. Whether it's right or wrong, it's real. [He spent too long thinking that the world was 'kill or be killed', that he could 'solve' the world like a game and peel back the curtains to reveal the ugly truth to everyone. It's not so simple, now. Everyone has to eat to live, and most have to kill to eat-- even plants will kill other plants or consume organic material. But that's just nature.] I still think eating other Pokemon is weird, though.

[Flowey looks back at Laios.] Listen. I don't have a soul and I can't feel regret. So if I said 'sorry for tormenting you', it wouldn't mean anything. I'm not really sorry.

But... you're not the type of person I thought you were. Okay? I'll say that.

[dunchies]

[ His head hangs low while the Sunkern speaks, internalizing the other's words despite the lack of any clear expression on his face. Briefly, his brows furrow as Flowey finds his answer, a weird mix of emotions stirring in his chest. To neither hate nor love, to lack any connection to humans or monsters both — what an interesting existence indeed. ]

You're right. It doesn't matter. Humans might have feelings about it, one way or another, but nature moves on regardless. [ A beat passes. ] It sounds like your monsters had similar feelings, too. [ It's weird for him to say, but seeing how human those monsters acted, he has to believe it to be true. He sighs, looking out into the rain. ] ... Anyway, most people around here do, but that's just how it is. Luckily, there's options.

[ As he says this, he scoots his basket closer toward Flowey, then motions with his snout. ] The breads — Poffins — they're mostly just berries and seeds. You can try one, if you like, but you probably don't need it. [ Being a plant and all. Still, his expression softens slightly at the last comment, his guard lowering just enough to offer a knowing look back. He says nothing, but it's clear he's heard that line before, and for what it's worth, his eyes brighten as if to accept it, even from Flowey. ]

[friendlyflower]

... I actually don't know if I do. [He sounds surprised by that.] I didn't need to eat before, so I thought this body would be the same.

[But does he want to? The poffins do smell good, and they are a sort of peace offering.

After a moment's thought, Flowey leans forward and wordlessly takes a bite from one. His cheeks puff out a little. His eyes widen in surprise-- it's sweet and a little chewy.]

... Huh.

[He tries to act all cool about it, but after a second, he stuffs the rest into his mouth.]

Not bad. [He's getting crumbs everywhere.]