bopbay | 004 ⟡ JULY TEST DRIVE

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004 ⟡ JULY TEST DRIVE

⋆✩ test drive 04 ✩⋆

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

STRANDED ON A BEACH

Beneath your body is wet, thick, sand. In the early dawn hours, one would think all color drained from the world. Eyes open to the shadows of distant buildings, with massive cliffs looming ever closely in the faint twinkling of sunlight. Water, for those particularly unlucky, laps at the body to leave a persisting chill — sinking into bones that no longer feel familiar.

It’s impossible to tell how you got here. All you have is those last moments before it felt as if your entire being was being broken down and stretched into this uncanny shape, this thing that doesn’t feel like you. Even the ground itself seems to agree. It shifts, and rumbles. Gathers into mounds, rising up and over with the sounds of dying gasps. But wait.

That isn’t normal sand. That sand is alive. That sand, gathering into shades of pink, of blue, of green, it all forms faces before your very eyes. An enemy, you may think? A monster? A threat?

“OhhhHHhHH…What has happened to us..?”

Or perhaps, someone in the same predicament as you?

“Someone…Someone get Mightyena!!”

Albeit someone who clearly knows more than you do here, on this beach that slowly regains its color.

CASTLES OF SAND⟡ Severity of dysphoria and disorientation symptoms are entirely up to the player, as is the duration of time these symptoms last.

⟡ The Sandygasts on the beach of Bottlecap Bay are in fact residents of the town by proxy. They are at their most active during the summer, and can thus act as helpful NPCs to help player characters toward the town.

⟡ These Sandygasts are very strange in color. The colors they appear in include — Pink with lilac stones and a blue shovel; Moss green with brown stones and a black shovel; Deep red with black stones and a cyan shovel; Dark purple with white stones and a black shovel. They don’t know how their colors changed either, but they certainly remember being normal Sandygast before everyone arrived.

ii. see the sunset

COPPERAJAH-TONE

With newly arrived Pokemon settling in from the beach, the town quickly moves to adjust existing plans until they’re certain the shores are clear. It only takes a few days before they’re back on schedule however, and every Pokemon including those same arrivals will find themselves with an open invitation to the shoreline.

With the recent successes of Bottlecap Bay, public opinion is at an all time high, which is reflected in the activities pulled together in response. Through much of the Summer season, the beach of Bottlecap Bay becomes a literal hotspot of activity. Beach activities that many will find familiar take part at all hours, with equipment set up at small stands for public use.

A volleyball net is a particularly popular feature of the beach, with a particularly spooky form of gameplay spotted in the evening hours where Ghost types reign. Multicolored buoys float out to section off a safe zone of the water for Pokemon capable of it to swim at their leisure as well, with Bottlecap’s very own Dondozo and Tatsugiri acting as lifeguard.

The most popular game by far however is sand sculpting. Tools of wood and stone can be gathered up to shape the sand into any number of shapes, and some Pokemon may even offer small rewards to those who make especially impressive ones.

Be sure not to accidentally use the sand of one of those colorful Sandygasts however.

Beach Day Breakdown⟡ During the entirety of July, beginning on the 15th, the beach is open for public summer games.

⟡ While examples listed above are available, Players are encouraged to include their own Beach traditions within reason. If you are unsure, please ask under questions.

⟡ Beach fun will happen during the day and night alike. During the day, the beach is far more active; Pokemon are livelier, and enjoy much more cheerful activities. At night, while many Ghost and Dark type Pokemon enjoy the games, there are also often small campfires where quieter traditions such as apple roasting and scary stories happen.

⟡ Alcohol may be present at the campfires of the evening. Please be sure to mark threads including alcohol with a warning, and remember that characters under the age of 21 may not partake.

iii. mentorship methods

BUDDY SYSTEMS

A whole host of new Pokemon arriving is no longer a fully unanticipated scenario for Bottlecap Bay. While the town has persistently done their best to seek a solution to so many displaced new citizens, they have also come to recognize a growing pattern in their arrival. Every other month, these new Pokemon have appeared.

Therefore, the combination of their recent peace and the local nature of these particular arrivals has given them an easy option for guiding these lost new souls. Rather than any of the Guild leaders seeking out ideal Pokemon among their ranks, those who have arrived from other worlds themselves are tasked with a new assignment. Help their fellow interlopers!

At minimum, each Guild Leader suggests a few basics to cover, but the methods with which they do this is ultimately left up to them. A tour of the local sights? A chance to test their mettle with brand new powers? Or perhaps simply a listening ear from one who understands the strangeness of these new bodies. The world is truly their Cloyster.

A MENTOR MINDSET⟡ Each of the Guild Leaders will offer to their existing members few points they consider most vital to teach to the newcomers. Mightyena focuses on making sure the new Pokemon have a place to sleep, and insists that they be taught how best to fight. Ribombee emphasizes a need to show the necessary work ethic of the community, so that an understanding of how much they need to work together is understood. Polteageist in turn, gives a list of necessary establishments to familiarize themselves with, beginning with the Clinic, Archives, and Questboard.

⟡ During much of the month, various Pokemon maintaining stores and eateries within Bottlecap Bay will be offering their own helpful advice to guides and their charges. This trivia is minor, but typically focused on what the food is like, or what the benefits of certain articles of clothing might be.

⟡ Any Pokemon who helps another newcomer will earn 50 points for their Guild! As well, newly arrived Pokemon who put up with the guidance will receive a voucher for a custom, non-magical accessory, such as a hat or scarf.

ADVANCE TRAINING

After considerable research and effort, Polteageist has once again teamed up with Dr. Denne to craft a series of ever popular escape rooms, hinting that participating in them will be very useful in the future. Joining the effort is none other than Cheri and Oran's own Ribombee and Mightyena as well, making it a truly unified project. With so much investment going into these exercises, it's no wonder that every Pokemon from another world, new and old alike, is offered the chance to try at least one when they have the chance.

THE NORTH⟡ Located just between the Canopy and the beginnings of Bottlecap Bay’s southern coastline, the lush greenery of the Northern Forest's entry has been sectioned off into a training ground. Pokemon are grouped into random pairs, and tasked with finding the end of a hand-crafted maze within this early area of woods.

⟡ While many threats within the Northern Forest are well documented, some may still come as a surprise. Wild Pokemon such as Bug and Grass Types may still be encountered, as well as mushrooms releasing rage spores.

⟡ The Forest itself is also a threat — though it seems to understand these Pokemon mean no true harm, vines and plants will move when not directly looked at, creating added navigational challenges.

⟡ Pokemon who show no signs of escaping on their own after a certain point will find themselves retrieved by a local Grafaiai or Mankey, as enlisted by Bottlecap Bay.

THE MIDDLE⟡ Located a good distance down the southern coastline of the Bay, a section of the Middle Forest's entry has been carefully sectioned for a training ground. Supervised in part by a recently recruited Bloodmoon Usaluna, Pokemon will be grouped into random pairs, and tasked with finding the end of a hand-crafted maze in this early area of woods.

⟡ Due to the presence of heavy supernatural fog, Pokemon participants are warned heavily in advance of what to expect. The fog is known to literally reach into others, creating visions and hallucinations, as well as a deep loss of identity the longer they're exposed.

⟡ The end of the maze does not lead out of the Middle Forest. Instead, Pokemon must find their way back from the uniquely marked bone pile; because of the fog, this return is far shorter than the journey in.

⟡ Pokemon who spend too long within the Middle Forest while showing no signs of successfully escaping will quickly be retrieved by Ursaluna, whose Mind's Eye grants relative immunity to the Fog's effects.

THE SOUTH⟡ Far to the south of Bottlecap Bay, beyond the farthest stretch of wooded coastline, the Southern Forest lies shrouded in darkness. While there is no longer a thick haze of fog, its unique dangers mean that numerous Ghost Pokemon have been recruited to monitor a simple challenge within the woods. Specifically, two Pokemon will be paired at random, led a short ways in, and told to find their way out.

⟡ Due to the mechanics of the Southern Forest, nothing within this 'maze' has been crafted personally. Pokemon are sufficiently disoriented by the forest's own ability to alter its surroundings when none are looking directly at them, as well as the significant time dilation that occurs here.

⟡ Local Ghosts who have entered an agreement with Bottlecap's recently recruited Spiritomb will be available as both obstacles, and guides. As obstacles, they will intentionally lead Pokemon astray by joining the team in disguise, playing on the Forest's ability to create inconsistencies in memory and experience both.

⟡ Any Pokemon who spend too long within the Southern Forest with no signs of being able to return on their own will be led home by Ghost Pokemon acting as guides. These Pokemon take care to not shapeshift into anything other than themselves.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: Disorientation, Dissociation (Escape Room Prompts), Body Dysmorphia, Possible Pokemon Injury

⟡ 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, they may assume themselves to share rooms within any one of them during the course of the TDM.

⟡ 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ah, but there's yet more to speak of. Firoza shakes the tender memories to the side, puts them back on the shelf of her mind, and settles in to hear of Laios's dungeon foods.

And oh, she is not disappointed. Her gaze brightens again at the description of Living Armor - not just what it really was, but that he and his friends had discovered their secret on accident, when no one else had ever thought to try! And he had one of those little guys in his sword? It was just his buddy?! She - well, no, apparently there were ways of imbuing one's weapon with a soul, but who has time to grind relic weapons when the world is begging to be saved all seven days of the week? This was different, this was a whole living organism!

And the idea of sorbet made...from ghosts? By ghosts? With the help of ghosts? Omelets made with harpy eggs - which kind of harpy she cannot decide, the Source and the First called different beings harpies - and then phoenix? Actual, honest-to-gods phoenix?! The only phoenixes she'd heard of were considered a legend in the Far East, not real in any sense of the word...unless Suzaku counted. Either that, or the Primal Phoenix, of course. She can't think of eating either, but who's to say a phoenix in another world would be the same as its cousins in hers?

That lil stubby, funny Nidoran tail of hers is wagging excitedly.]

See? I'm glad I didn't insist you pick a favorite! The fact that you were all able to do such things with the resources available really speaks of - augh, what's the word? Resourceful...no, not...oh! Ingenuity!

[Who was in charge of the Archon Marks in Sharlayan. If Laios wrote a fucking paper on this shit, he'd have to be inducted. Clearly. She'd vouch for him on the spot.]

So, then, a different question - what out of all of it was the most unique? I know that's got to be a hard one...

[ (Okay, but what if turning into a dragon might actually be awesome just this one time. He’s built different.)

His eyes widen mid-bite on his apple, tail loudly thwapping against the sand as he listens to Firoa retell the feats of one miraculous catboy. While barely a magic-user himself, he sure knows how to appreciate when it’s used to its full potential. Aether, he assumes, might not be so far off from the mana of his world, though he does mentally note the distinction between White and Black magic. ]

So not that big of a transition after all! What a perfect party member... like combining my sister and Marcille into one person... [ Weird take, but whatever. He adores both of them, too. ] But sounds like there must be a lot to learn from him, even outside of adventuring. Is he a scholar, too? I mean, duty aside... [ From what Firoza has mentioned so far, G’raha’s past responsibilities sound like a heavy burden all on their own, not to mention grave enough to keep one more than just preoccupied. His smile falters just a bit. ]

I’m glad you both made it through together, though. He must be really grateful, to have had you there when he needed you most. [ In spite of everything, knowing that his party made it out of their last adventure relatively unscathed is something he himself realizes is incredibly fortunate. ] I... I know what it’s like to almost lose someone, too. I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done with myself, either.

[ But he doesn’t linger on that thought for too long, instead switching his focus back to dungeon meals once again. ] Honestly, most of it was really tasty, so I wouldn’t have been able to pick a favorite anyway! But the most unique... [ He trails off. Dragon — and more specially, that dragon — might not be the best choice here, despite all the effort going into making that feast happen. Instead, another idea quickly springs up. ]

A bit deeper into the dungeon, we ran into these mushrooms called Changelings. They’re very rare on the surface, but there’s been a lot of myths surrounding them. Basically, walking through a ring of them releases spores that alter your appearance. It’s all part of its lifecycle in nature, you see. [ As much as he wants to go down that tangent, he’s determined to stay on point. ]

But anyway, we used those spores to turn a bunch of dumplings into different things, too! They all had different shapes and fillings at the end. Sweet, savory, even some unknown flavors... [ His ears flick as he gives a hesitant grin. ] But I enjoyed it! Most people probably wouldn’t even think to try using Changeling spores for food, so the fact that even worked was amazing!

[You are going to send every Ishgardian within a fifty malm radius into a panic,

But yes, if Laios describes mana, the aether similarity will be very clear to her.]

Mhm, he is a scholar. He's part of a particular group of them, like Krile is - the Students of Baldesion. Their order is nowhere near the size it used to be, so they've been working to build it up again. [A pause, and a little bit of sadness to her expression.] Krile really is the heir to the organization. She's Galuf Baldesion's adopted...daughter, granddaughter...she calls him grandfather, but essentially, he raised her. But, part of why we ventured to Tural was to help her find out his past business there, when he'd never mentioned such an expedition before. G'raha loves adventure - frankly, I find myself enjoying them even more when he is with me, to have a fresh perspective on things. But for Krile's sake, he stayed behind to mind their order, until we had to call on him for his particular expertise.

[She would have liked it if he was there from the start. Always. But there's no bitter feelings in her heart about it. Krile, too, deserved to set out on her own and experience an adventure. Everyone does. Adventure is just good for the soul.

Her gaze softens when Laios speaks of loss. She wants to know...she'd like to know. Who were you able to bring home despite everything? Did it involve the slaying of that chimera? But she doesn't know how to ask.]

If you wish to speak of that...of that almost-loss. Know I will ever lend an ear. Alright?

[All she can do is offer to listen.

But the mention of dumplings - oh dang, her mouth falls open and her eyes go so so wide.] The mushroom spores could change anything that entered their circle? That's incredible...! Ah, I'd love to try different kinds of dumplings, I've been lucky enough to have a few...

[Her mother's, of course, were by far the very best, even if they could only have them on rare occasions, filled with popoto and cheese and onion and sometimes a little bacon too. They never could quite get things in order to make sweet versions. But the Far East had gyoza and those soup-filled dumplings, shumai...did steamed buns and buuz count? Aaah...that stubby Nidoran tail is going nuts.]

Edited 2025-08-17 22:58 (UTC)

I see! So people of different disciplines can join together, then. Almost like an academic party... [ Somehow, Laios manages to pick up on that change in expression, his brows knitting slightly as he looks over at her. Perhaps a slight redirection would help. ]

It’s funny, actually. Did I ever tell you that I thought about becoming a scholar, too? It was only for a little bit when I was younger, until I realized I could never know half as much as they do! All the research those specialists can put out every year is amazing. [ He’s selling himself a little short, if only because keeping up with studying is definitely a feat all on its own. ] And, to be honest... I think adventuring suits me better anyway. I’d rather learn from experience than a book, if I can help it, so I get how your friend must feel.

[ As a companion, G’raha does sound like one he’d miss just as much as Firoza does. Laios can only imagine the knowledge he’d have to share on an adventure together. ]

Oh, you also have dumplings back home! Which have you tried so far? We were stuck eating the same kind for a while, so Izutsumi was getting tired of them until we got lucky with those spores. Somehow, we didn’t even need the actual mushrooms! Just the spores we were spreading around wound up being enough. Shows how persistent their lifecycle is. [ A beat. He didn’t mention Izutsumi before or the fact that they also transformed for a bit, too. ] Oh, yeah. We were also dealing with the spores ourselves at that point. I got to feel what it’s like to be a dwarf, can you believe it?

[ All their shared tail wagging is going to launch them up into the air at some point. He hopes Firoza knows just how much he adores this, being able to share even the most silliest of experiences with someone who just gets it. ] But, that other thing... It’s kind of a long story, but it has to do with my sister. [ He pauses to look at her, smile faltering again as he hesitates to keep going. ] It wound up being okay, obviously! But I don’t want to bring down the mood either...

They go adventuring, too. The thing that sets them apart from other Sharlayan scholars is that they are often out in the field, discovering and learning things in person. Not that they don't stray towards obscene amounts of tomes when the opportunity arises...

[Sharlayans love their books. Firoza doesn't mind them herself, but she never did get into the habit of reading for pleasure. Maybe if it was a storybook that could stir the heart and soul, rather than an academic piece, she might like it. Ooh, or something on textiles? Sword techniques and makes? Yes please!]

Well, that just means you'd fit in with them very well - at least in my opinion. [She really does like that they're similar in that way, she and Laios. Going, and experiencing, and growing from the experience.] Much that I've learned, I've done so first-hand, too. And if it works best for you, then it's the best way to do it. Much better than trying to push yourself to follow the methods of others.

[Oooh...so these spores were very, very powerful, then. Not just changing objects, but people as well. And Itsuzumi, that's a new name.] Well! I got to try a lot of kinds in Kugane and Doma. Gyoza, and shumai, and - and they make these funny little dumplings with soup in them, I don't know how it's done but it is...you have to be careful not to burn your mouth. And then, my Mother made some of the best...

[A sigh, as she closes her eyes. More Firoza lore for you!] We didn't always have a lot, so actually making the dumplings was reserved for special occasions. Mother was very in tune with nature, you see. A lot more than our neighbors. What we couldn't buy, we'd forage, so usually if she made the dumplings they'd have mushrooms and herbs in them, maybe wild onions if we found some. But if we could get our hands on popotoes and cheese? Bacon, even? [She giggles, ducking her head to put her paws in front of her lil snoot. It's such a...such a light, sweet sound, coming from her. You'd never think a grown adult who'd gone through so much could make such a sound.] The best! Simply the best. I wish we'd had the time and money to make sweet versions, apparently that's possible...

[Gods. She never gets to talk about her childhood. About Mother. Even back home, the topic was still new, having been kept close to the chest out of caution and worry. After all, how do you explain that you were adopted and raised in the mountainous heart of a sinister and power hungry empire? Laios, you're a special person to get this sort of backstory.]

[But the mention of the other thing, of Laios's sister...that gets her to sober up, ears perked, eyes alert. She notices that faltering smile. It makes her brow crinkle slightly in concern.]

...It wouldn't bring down the mood. If it would help you to speak of it, please do. But if you'd rather keep it to yourself, I will not force you.

[She wants to know, but at the same time...it's nice to give people the option to keep their secrets. Especially since the Echo won't force their hand for them, here.]

They do sound like the sort of group I'd join, if I could! A lot scholars back home hired help with adventuring, especially down any dungeons, but I bet they could get a lot more done without having to worry about recruiting the right people. [ Oh, to be a scholar and an adventurer. It's a nice thought to imagine, and perhaps not to out of his reach now to establish something similar. Natural dungeons still exist, after all, but actually convincing his roundtable to let him lead those expeditions is another matter entirely. Someone in his position has other responsibilities to tend to. He gives a wistful sigh, appreciative that Firoza understands. ]

Yeah, the stuff I've read was all helpful, I can't deny that, but there was always more to discover in practice, too. Seeing all those monsters as actual living, breathing creatures outside of books — there's no other feeling like it. [ Well, there might be one, but he'll get to that. ] Oh, but I bet it'd be like you finding a new sword technique in-person! Getting to practice with real experts in new places, try out what weapons they use... [ Unfortunate, that her new form makes it hard for Firoza to show him all that she knows, but she managed weaving so far! Maybe one day!

But for now, back to dumplings. These apples might not keep him full for long, if they keep talking about food. (Though, dumplings filled with spiced apples. Maybe even fried. He should remember to mention this to Sanji.) ] Isn't it great how so many places make them in so many different ways? Almost like trying them for the first time wherever you go. Well, not that I travelled far for them, technically, but still! [ Suddenly, his head perks way up. New Firoza lore has his full attention. Not to mention her laugh — he can't help but match it with his, far less sweet sounding, but endearing in its own way. ]

Really? She sounds so resourceful. Like my friend Senshi, actually. He made a lot with what the dungeon could offer. [ A bit of his tongue sticks out as he imagines how they must have tasted. ] Mmm. Potatoes and cheese were the common filling in my hometown, too! Actually, I had... quite a bit of those growing up. [ Huh. That feels weird to say, after just hearing that she had to scrape by. Being the son of a village chief did have its privileges, some he hasn't even thought much about at all. ] B-but I bet wild veggies and herbs tasted way better! Much more fresh then what you can get from the farms, anyway! [ Did that save it? No? ]

... Besides, it probably meant a lot that she went through all the trouble to make sure you could have something tasty.

[ The invitation to speak further about his sister isn't unwelcome, especially from Firoza. A very different experience than having it all spilled out during the rain to Flowey, of all people. He tilts his head, eyes closing, but his soft smile still there. A happy ending is still a happy ending, he reminds himself, even if it is bittersweet. ]

No, no... you're not forcing me to talk about it at all. I'm just still not really sure how to think about it... it still felt a little fresh when I first got here, is all. [ His ears flick. He tilts his head with a soft hum. ] The whole reason I went on that last adventure... it was to save her. Falin.

[ His voice cracks a little. It really shouldn't have happened the way it did. ] We were up against a red dragon, one of the stronger monsters in the dungeon. Honestly, my original party... we could have taken it down easily, but we were tired. Hungry. Me, especially. She pushed me out of the way before it could grab me, and she still managed to transport us back to the surface. [ His ears start to droop again. ]

But the thing about that dungeon is... resurrection is still possible, as long as we could get her back in time. Marcille and Chilchuck came down with me, and that's how we wound up meeting Senshi. We didn't have time to get more money for rations, but like I said, he knew how to prepare food made from monsters. It was kind of perfect, actually.

[ He sighs in between his words. A lucky coincidence during a difficult time. ] Eventually, we made it back down and managed to find the red dragon that ate her. Even with just us four, we figured out how to slay it, but... it'd been too active that whole time. Usually they rest for a while after a meal. It helps slows their digestion. So by the time we could open it up, Falin, she... all it had in its stomach were bones. [ He lingers a bit on that, remembering the pit in his stomach at realizing what had happened, at seeing what was left of her, his sister. ]

A resurrection like that isn't usually possible, but Marcille knew a lot more about magic than most do. Ancient magic. [ Some might call it black magic, but he respects her enough to know better. ] Marcille used the dragon meat to reconstruct her, practically the same as she used to be... and then we had her back. [ An almost-loss, indeed. But the way he hesitates with his last words is an easy indication that the story has a bit more to it than that. ]

[He'll never know if he doesn't ask his roundtable! And look, when it comes to certain things...who's better to lead an expedition into an unknown dungeon than the man who spearheaded the conquering of a truly dangerous one?

Even if, as it turns out, it didn't start that way.

But we'll get to that! For now, Firoza nods about sword techniques.] I haven't had the time to really go and learn some properly, but I always make sure to watch, and pay attention. To actually take up a new vocation would require a job stone, and they don't exactly grow on trees...they're sort of, they pass down the knowledge of their previous holders? So they aren't especially common. But the more you hold onto it yourself, the more you learn, the more your experiences add to it, too, for the next person. I like to think some of the techniques I've come to hone will pass down to whoever takes up mine.

[It won't be for a long while yet. And hells, who knows, maybe she'd be buried with her job stone. Maybe she'd get to have children, and pass it down to one of them, the one who was drawn to swords and shields as she was. Maybe she'd have an apprentice someday. Who could say? It is hers for now, and hers it shall stay until the time comes. That's all there is to it.]

...Er, so, things like learning the proper swordplay of Red Mages or Samurai or even Vipers...if I'm just learning through observation and experience, it's going about it the hard way. But it's really heartening to be able to pull off something someone doesn't expect of you in the middle of battle. [Like being nimble and doing a gotdang Red Mage flip in her spar with Flowey...] I think it's worth it to learn that way, when you can't actually get proper experience in the role itself.

[Oh! He'd had it easier, then! That's good! Firoza smiles warmly at Laios's laugh, it's a good sound.] We probably would have had more popotoes around if the growing season was longer...and the earth more hospitable. We were far off from the capitol, so it wasn't as if we had access to all the convenient workarounds they had for produce and the like. [Heck, her mother had never gotten a proper heating system installed, relying on a fireplace all Firoza's life. It had been perfectly cozy in her opinion, but others would have balked at the lack of a ceruleum heater in a Garlean house. Shit's expensive though, especially when you're having it hauled out and up into the mountains, and then to keep it fueled, or to have a fuel line run up and installed...who had the funds for that? Not them.] Where I grew up...mm. It's not easy to say, even after all this time, but. They were...covetous, in a way, of the warmer lands. I can't blame them for that.

[A really nice way to describe a ravenous empire, it's true. But even after all this time, Firoza can't hate the people of Garlemald. She cannot.]

...It always meant a lot. Everything she ever did, all she continues to do - she is still alive, after all. Eighty-three summers strong. But we've gotten her out of the mountains and somewhere a bit easier to visit, and live in.

[And now is the time for Laios's story.

Firoza is silent as she listens. There is no judgement in her expression, only curiosity and patience, and a touch of empathy, a bit of relief and awe, that she was being trusted with the tale. Even this bit doesn't seem like all of it, though one would argue that delving into a dungeon and conquering a dragon, and reviving someone through difficult and arcane means, is a whole tale on its own. That last bit especially is something she can't help but feel a tug on her heart about, in the kindest way, for who hasn't wanted to bring back those they've lost? Who didn't wish there was a way? How lucky they were, that the dungeon seemed to be an impossible place with impossible attributes...

She certainly wouldn't be the type to look down on Marcille for her magic. Not when she'd seen the magic of the Ancients of her own star do far, far more.

Not when the Alexandrians worked so hard to preserve the memories of their dead, in a golden fantasy.

But Laios's tale isn't like that. It isn't generations upon generations of souls being kept in a limbo of paradise, drinking deep of aether until all that was left for the living was a shriveled husk. It's like Ultima Thule. It's like forging onward, not knowing if she'd ever be reunited with her friends as they sacrificed themselves one by one, at first unaware of the gravity of their actions, then accepting it wholeheartedly, for the sake of the universe. For her to have just one chance to make things right.]

...There are those where I am from who would do anything, to work such magic. And there were those who could do so without nearly as much sacrifice, in days far beyond our ken. But we can speak of that later - that's not where your story ends, is it?

[ His head tilts at the mention of job stones, wondering just how such things could manifest. Passing down knowledge like transferring mana — it seems almost too foreign a concept for him to imagine. Marcille, he thinks, would be more curious about its mechanics, but to him, the tradition alone is enough to hold his interest. Instead, Laios wonders where Firoza's may have come from, but his head perks back up as she speaks of her mother again. ]

Oh, but that's good at least! Someone that age should be comfortable! I grew up near mountains too, so I think I know how it is. The barbarians around there would raid my village a lot. It got pretty bad sometimes.

[ (He doesn't think that, maybe, there might be some implications there, especially in contrast to Firoza's very mindful way of describing Garlemald's people.)

It’s also a shame he doesn’t think to speak of the Golden Country, of the reason why this dungeon in particular kept the dead from moving on so easily. There’s much to be said about those who love their people too much to let them go. His gaze drifts toward the fire. Firoza's words strike a chord. ]

Mm. The sort of magic Marcille used... people don't exactly look at it all that favorably in my world. [ He supposes there's a reason to be wary of that kind of power, and yet... ] But, no. It's not. That dragon was part of the dungeon, and using it to bring my sister back... made her part of the dungeon, too. Something like that, anyway. Enough for the dungeon lord at the time to take notice.

[ He shakes his head, remembering that night, remembering the mix of fear and something else in his sister's eyes. ] We killed his dragon and used it to bring back Falin, then he used her to make his chimera. A red dragon with feathered wings, with incredible strength and the ability to cast magic. Greedy, but... there was nothing else like her. [ He doesn't sound as upset as he should be, describing the monstrosity she became, but his tone does shift to something a bit more expected as he continues. ] When the dungeon lord took control of her, we had to keep going deeper, to find her and to put a stop to him. It was all we could do at that point, really.

[Well, it probably wouldn't work if she got hers back, but she could always possibly get hers back, you never know. Maybe she can show Laios her Paladin one in person someday.

Again - Firoza is keyed into the story, listening attentively. Using something that was part of the dungeon to bring someone back made them part of it...it makes sense, there's a logic to it that she can understand. And when Laios speaks of a chimera, she fears the worst, but...his description is not like the one she recalls from the memory that had come to her. That had been a lion with wings. Falin had been changed to something more akin to...a harpy? Maybe? There's still a clear sadness to her eyes, though. To have your sister with you in one moment, and then snatched away the next...and to have it happen again, with no other choice but to forge onward...]

...I can imagine it was difficult. Painful. To have her taken from you by the dungeon once more. [All the more because Laios seemed to love the dungeon. Its monsters, the friendships he'd forged there...everything. Something you love taking someone you love is even harder to accept.] But you went after her regardless. That takes incredible courage. Had anyone ever confronted this dungeon lord before, or even gone so far?

[ He lingers on that word — on how painful it must have been — as if he hadn't considered the thought before. Was that what that was, that strange feeling he carried deep in his chest? He never did dwell on it at the time, did he? So focused on trekking deeper and deeper down, so determined on finding her one more time. There was no other way for him to go about it, he thinks, and yet now he's left to face the question of whether he should have stopped just once to take it all in.

Though, considering the state Shuro was in, maybe his way really was what got them to the end. ] Huh. I guess, in a way... [ Courageous, when he simply saw it as being a big brother. His ears do perk up though, not exactly dismissing it. ] Oh, actually, a lot tried, but I don't think many made it that far! There was a rumor that whoever defeated him would be crowned the next ruler of the Golden Country, a kingdom that vanished, I think, a thousand years ago. [ He never paid it much mind until it suddenly hit him in the face. ] And, well, it turned out not to be a rumor after all.

[ His head tilts slightly, still under the belief that he technically didn't defeat the Mad Mage, as if that was all there was to it. ]

Your world must have had something similar, right? The dungeons you've adventured in... was someone controlling them? [ Not to detour from his story, but it hasn't occurred to him until now that Firoza may have experienced other kinds of adversaries in her dungeons, unless mana and aether really are one in the same. ]

[You never have time to dwell on the pain. But it lingers, drives into you, walks with you. Sometimes it's not nearly as bad. Sometimes it changes its shape to find a way to harm you anew. Firoza lives with her own, and knows it lives within all people. If it helps lessen the hurt, to listen and share, then she'll do so.

But yeah no he dodged a bullet with not going through this as Shuro did.]

Hm...we do, actually. I've never gone especially far in them myself, but the deep dungeons, they're called...it's frustrating to gather enough people to go in, let alone make significant progress. But there's the Palace of the Dead, and Heaven-On-High, and I think Eureka Orthos is considered one too...

[Just wait until Feo Ul opens up one for you on the First, you'll have a great time]

But the idea is that they go on for many, many floors, with enemies growing stronger each time, and usually at certain intervals you can find truly terrible fiends, sometimes even those who exert a measure of control over the area. Or at least, that's what I've heard. It takes a lot of preparation over several attempts to really press into them.

[But you haven't distracted Firoza from your story, Laios!]

Well, you weren't aiming to rule a lost kingdom, of course, but you still had to confront the dungeon lord for your sister's sake...what happened?

[ Those names certainly paint an image all on their own. He offers Firoza a bit of a knowing smile, fully aware of the difficulties in assembling the right party for such a job. Time, money, skill — all resources that are never in abundance all at once. Luckily, it was the last of that list that his party had plenty of when they needed it most. ]

That definitely sounds familiar. Except, maybe, without so many floors, but they did get pretty big the deeper we went. The layouts could change too, depending on the dungeon lord.

[ Speaking of. He hesitates again, expression faltering as he tries to lay out all the pieces. Some can’t happen without the other, he realizes. ]

That’s right. We confronted him eventually, but... now he had my sister as a kind of personal guard. To get to him and get her back, we — I — [ The words are struggling to come out. It shouldn’t be this hard to say, knowing it was for the best, knowing how it all turned out, and yet the guilt persists for letting it get to that point in the first place. ] — we had to put her to sleep while he was preoccupied. I... I knew she must’ve been starving at that point. A body that big with a head that small comparatively... and because dragons usually sleep after a big meal, that was our next plan! We made the biggest plate of dungeon rabbit curry any of us had seen, all just for her! And getting enough rabbits wasn’t easy either...

[ He might be deliberating detouring for a bit, but! It’s fine! He’s fine! ]

[Her brows furrow, unsure if she wants to push for more details as Laios hesitates. He might not want to divulge everything, which was fair, even if she couldn't help but be curious.]

...Putting her to sleep, eh...and did it satisfy her? I'd hope it would...

[There's a deep down part of her that can't stand the idea of those she cares for going without.]

[ He smiles at first. She looked so happy, eating what might have been her first real meal since, well. ]

I think it did. Everyone worked so hard on it. [ His tone is wavering just enough to be noticeable. ] Especially Marcille. Those dungeon rabbits were just as dangerous as the rumors said. She was the only one of us that survived them, actually. But I knew she could do it. [ Even if he does feel bad about it now, knowing how hard it was for her to see everyone like that. ]

Anyway, after Falin fell asleep... [ Again, he hesitates, but he steels himself this time, managing to get past the guilt with what may sound like an almost callous tone. ]

... I was the one that dealt with her, before we faced the lord of the dungeon.

[Firoza's gaze is nonjudgemental. Her face, soft, concerned.

Mm. She won't press.]

...I'm glad, then, that you were able to do good by her in that way, if the dungeon lord couldn't be bothered.

[Wow Thistle feed your guardian harpy girl, geez.]

But the real confrontation...said lord themselves. I can't imagine it was easy.

It's funny you say that, Firoza. [ His brows furrow at her expression before he dips his head. ] If he had been bothered, I don't think we would have survived. We... I was only able to handle her because she was so hungry in the first place.

[ The strange truth of it, really. He glances back up, contemplative. ]

Thistle... that's his name. He was desperate enough to summon all sorts of dragons to stop us. It almost worked. They took out my entire party, but I was lucky enough that he didn't really understand their behavior at all either.

[ Lucky, Laios says, as if it wasn't his quick thinking and knowledge base that helped him survive a complete disaster. ]

[You know what let's focus on this angry little elf so Laios doesn't have to go deeper into the sads about Falin, he's suffered too much.]

He didn't? And yet he would be a lord of where they reside, and wish them to do his bidding? That's...incredibly poor thinking on his part.

[Thistle I'm so sorry, I know you had your reasons, but like. If the Warrior of Light is saying your methods are poorly executed...]

He didn't! He summoned all those dragons into the same room without even realizing the problem! Apex predators compete with each other. Their strengths don't even work together most of the time. And not to mention my sister... if he just made her smaller, maybe even gave her a second mouth...

[ But ragging on Thistle's poor planning isn't the point of this story. Not really. He sighs, shoulders slumping forward. ]

... I think he just felt backed into a corner. We were the first party to get that far, and with all those rumors... [ What animal wouldn't lash out mindlessly to protect their own head? ] I tried to get him to listen. We even had a meal to talk it over, but after a thousand years, he was probably too far gone to help.

[Ah, gods, he'd lived that long?

Firoza's gaze softens a bit.]

When someone lives for so long...especially isolated, as I suppose he must've been, as the lord of a dungeon where no one can plumb the depths to reach him with ease...your thoughts can become your greatest enemy. Even when you're convinced they're your only friends. I have seen...some few, who have changed and suffered because of their years and their circumstances. Even fewer who could hold fast to their purpose and emerge from the other side still themselves.

[ Laios sighs quietly in agreement. ]

... That's a good way to put it. His greatest desire was to protect his kindgom, but I don't think anyone asked for immortality. Even his closest friend, the king...

[ Another sigh. He still feels bad, knowing how it all played out for the elf in particular. ]

When he vanished, I think that's when Thistle finally started to break down. It took a few years, sure, but all he could focus on was finding him. The dungeon was just a means to an end, not something he cared to upkeep more than he had to. Obviously, that just meant things could get dangerous enough of for a total collapse, or... worse.

There is something worse than a total collapse of a dungeon full of adventurers and its own ecosystem...?

[That just. That sounds like so much life could be snuffed out in an instant. What's worse than that? Does it get weird and existential?]

... Mm.

[ Oh, Firoza. They're really getting into it now. ]

Everyone getting taken to another world by a demon?

[ Huh. Kind of like how they ended up here... ]

004 ⟡ JULY TEST DRIVE

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cracks open the list of meals in FF14...

i have the cookbook still somewhere....almond croissant (extreme) always on my mind

I have it! I gotta make more than the coffee biscuits sometime... 1/2

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maybe i should make coffee biscuits this long weekend actually mmmm (1/2)

just broadly: spoiler territory time (1/2)

WOO SPOILER TIME YAAAY 1/2

also YEAH GO FOR IT MAKE THE COFFEE BISCUITS 2/2 (also ff14 spoilers)

UNFORTUNATELY i did not pick up the ingredients in time but it is now on my sept to-do list!!!

\o/

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