006 ⟡ NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ test drive 06 ✩⋆

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

OUT OF THE FRYING TUBES…

The first thing you notice is the heat. It’s dry and sweltering, a pressuring thing that surrounds you in darkness. Opening your eyes reveals that it’s not just the temperature doing this however - no, all around you is a near total darkness, broken only by the soft glow of red gold that creeps in from distant cracks.

And perhaps, in some circumstances, yourself.

The tunnels here appear to be lava tubes, long faded from primary use by the caldera nearby. While the occasional pool of hot molten rock can be spotted throughout this impressive maze, it never seems difficult to avoid. In fact, the deeper you go, the more evidence you find that someone - or at least, something - even lived here!

Staying here is probably not going to feel comfortable however. Not unless you’re Fire or Ground type. Escaping the tunnels is only half the battle, too, as the exits lead to a desolate plain of ash and dust. The caldera of Furnace Mountain is hot indeed, and it seems that’s precisely where you wound up! But perhaps, another kind Pokemon will appear to help lead you to somewhere safer?

AND INTO THE FIRE

⟡ Furnace Mountain’s regions all return to the settlement of (Death Blood Murder) Skull Town easily, but it’s not impossible for Pokemon to get lost and wander from the tunnels to other locations:

The Caldera Crater is a maze of molten lava and narrow walkways, where one can eventually find a crooked Obsidian Spire - making contact with this will cause a chorus of shouts to echo through one’s mind.

The Plateau in the meantime is covered with numerous geysers, with safe paths marked by what appear to be skeletal remains. They lead to a valley filled with even more such skeletons, many of them partially melted.

⟡ Worry not dear Pokemon, for Lurantis, the Mayor of Skull Town, will be sending rescue crews to your location; in addition to current Players, various Ghost Pokemon will likely answer the call to guide others out.

⟡ For those who remain in Skull Town for a time, they will find the village primarily focused on either rescuing newcomers or preparing for winter: Characters may find themselves swiftly recruited to help dry foods, or gather wood.

⟡ While TDM events specifically will occur here, Players are welcome to have their Top Levels involve other locations as well.

ii. BRISK BREEZES

KNOCK ON SUDOWOODO

For the most part Pokemon are encouraged to return to Bottlecap Bay as quickly as possible - rather, to be brought there for the first time. The Guilds are all located there after all, and it will be far easier to settle Pokemon into their new homes if the Leaders are able to meet them in person. With the winter season right around the corner, everyone is trying to avoid travelling unnecessarily; they held that mayoral vote for a reason after all!

While much of the food stores have been prepared, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do either. In addition to putting together warm materials for beds, or cutting and preserving the last of the autumn harvest, a good number of Pokemon have started their own efforts to prepare the guilds, and gladly accept extra help from these newcomers! In Cheri Guild, everyone gathers to build stronger, more weather resistant rooftops for the otherwise open tree houses, with some even gathering large leaves to make curtain walls - the more that the wind can be kept out, the warmer they will be, and starting a fire in these buildings is ill advised.

In Oran in the meantime, an enterprising Tinkaton has started work on a bilge pump system - an incredibly relieved Mightyena is happily telling everyone who will listen that if they’re lucky, they won’t have to worry about flooding until the seasons warm up again.

Even the Lum Berry Guild has their hands on something, even if it isn’t anything quite as impressive; given the weather preparations they haven’t had time to put together any special escape rooms this time, but they’re at least willing to send out less busy members to give tours of the town.

Though of course, the quality of the tours vary, and it’s hardly as if the new Pokemon can offer to help tour themselves!

…Right?

YOU JYNXED IT!

⟡ Pokemon who assist in any of the three projects - including the tours, which they can indeed attempt for themselves, will find themselves granted an article of warm clothing. Stay warm everyone!

⟡ For current players, Player Quests as referenced can be found here, along with many other wonderful submissions!

⟡ As Guild Leaders will be taking their time to decide on who fits best in each group, housing is at the moment an open bag. Players are free to assume anyone from Oran, to Cheri, to even Lum opened their room to other Pokemon to be shared - they can even assume residence at Skull Town for the time being if they wish!

iii. FREEZE THE DAY

WINTER HAS COME

It happens without warning. A sudden chilled wind from the coast - a darkening of the skies that would normally entail thunder, and rainshowers. Rather than the anticipated storm however, weather experts at Lum are quick to sound the alarm: a blizzard is here!

With just moments to spare, all Pokemon residents - and even some visiting wild Pokemon, who are confused but grateful all the same - are herded into the nearest shelter. Houses, Guilds, even storefronts become temporary homes as the snow blasts through the streets, freezing anything in its path. While some Pokemon might find the conditions tolerable, the leaders of each region are enacting a No Exceptions policy to the rule, even making use of Pokemon abilities to locate anyone who might be in danger.

With the snow storm in full force, it’s on the various guilds to find methods to pass the time. The winter storm can’t last forever, but if it does they’ve fortunately prepared. At this point in the year, there was very little food that would need to be sourced from outside each building - each and every location has at least a small connection to the storage tunnels below, and the Oran berries even have access to sheltered portions of the ocean. Even the newly planted Winter Gardens are well protected, with one of Lurantis’ first orders of business being to put enough fencework up that they could roof things in if need be.

Entertainment will be the true struggle, and each Guild Leader has their own method at the problem - as does Lurantis, back in Skull Town. And fortunately for those with Grumpig Pearls, it’s possible to make your own fun as well!

Unless you actually enjoy the ice breakers, of course.

HOW ABOUT SOME ICE BREAKERS?

⟡ There are a variety of ways Pokemon will be catching others outside, including methods such as ‘Future Sight’. Players are free to get creative with how other Pokemon might find their characters (and vice versa, with Player permission).

⟡ Each Guild has their own unique set of ‘Ice Breakers’:

The Oran Guild involves various races, as well as seek-and-find games through their more sheltered tunnels, capitalizing on their ability to remain active. They also host a number of slumber parties to help keep everyone as warm as possible.

The Cheri Guild also hosts sleep overs, as well as various crafting circles within their huts - that way, they can do something useful! As the buildings are connected via bridges, Teleporting Pokemon within the guild have offered to graciously lend their power to get everyone between the necessary buildings.

The Lum Guild has access to the archives, so a similar Teleport use is offered on a case-by-case basis to get Pokemon into the Archives; try not to abuse this, everyone! Once in the Archives they’ll find plenty to read and study, and some Pokemon are even hosting ‘board game’ parties! Though they seem somewhat confused about how these board games work.

Last but not least, those in Skull Town will have found themselves herded into the primary housing facility to sleep together. Lurantis, despite her anxiety with crowds, has actually arranged a variety of simple ‘Get to Know Each Other’ activities such as word games in the hopes of keeping everyone entertained. She seems stressed, but she’s clearly trying to keep the peace.

⟡ It’s more than possible for members of one Guild to end up sheltering within another. Due to the distance between them however, someone stuck in Cheri won’t be able to simply teleport to the Lum Archives, and vice versa. Long Distance Teleporters are too focused on the clinic!

⟡ Grumpig Pearls will be working perfectly despite the blizzard, due to their use of Psychic energy rather than anything that relies on a signal - because of this, characters may feel free to get creative about how to use their Pearls to entertain themselves and others.

IT’S SNOW MUCH FUN!

When the winds and snows of the blizzard settle down, Bottlecap Bay and Skull Town wake to a beautifully sunny landscape covered in white. It’s just warm enough during the day that snows start to melt, and trees drip water and handfuls of snow onto everyone’s heads. (Sometimes entire heaps come sliding off at once - if you’re a smaller Pokemon, careful you don’t get buried!) The ground cover is far too deep to disappear completely, though, so the first order of business everywhere is digging walkways through the snow.

Once that’s done and everyone’s had a breath of fresh air, though, Pokemon find ways to take out all the pent up energy of being snowed in! It’s very easy to find a snowball fight, or join in on building a fort - or both! Or if all that’s a bit too frivolous for you… there’s rumors going around of a giant snowbeast that’s been glimpsed around the borders of Bottlecap Bay, ducking in and out of forest. Descriptions aren’t consistent, so it might just be gossip that’s been blown out of proportion, but maybe it’s worth investigating?

Over in Skull Town, Lurantis flits to and fro frantically, visibly stressed. The harvest was practically done, so very little has actually gone wrong. However, it’s very early in the year for such a bad snowstorm, and she has terrible feelings about what it might mean for this winter. Pokemon who don’t seem busy with something else might get pointed toward collecting more firewood, or better insulating Skull Town buildings, or other winter preparation tasks.

On one particular day, one of the mountains around Crowncork Valley experiences an avalanche - snow shears off near the top and tumbles down in a giant sheet, piling up at the bottom and invading the very edge of the valley. It’s an impressive sight - nearly all Pokemon in town pause and watch in awe before returning to their tasks. Good thing that wasn’t closer! Hopefully no one was out there…

EVERY DAY I’M SHOVELIN’

⟡ There are numerous ways to get rid of snow, with some Pokemon moves more effective than others. While Fire is strong against Ice, it results in a lot of snowmelt that gets everything wet - Pokemon will find that as long as they can push the snow elsewhere, it’s a lot more effective than trying to just vaporize it.

⟡ Pokemon who investigate particularly deep into these ‘Snowbeast’ tales will find themselves incredibly confused - at least until the end of the month, where one such ‘beast’ finally slips up. It appears a group of Solosis were inspired by scary tales of something their Uncle Reuniclus saw just at the end of October. A big, tall monster, with frozen clouds at its feet, and horns of ice…what could that be?

⟡ Those who help Lurantis won’t receive any points for their guild, but she’ll be incredibly grateful for the assistance given how new she is to her position! She’ll speak to any such volunteers individually, and while she admits she can’t give them anything now she tells each one to come visit once spring is here.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWS: Skeletal Remains, Hard Wintering conditions, Pokemon Typical Violence

⟡ 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.

⟡ Rough Timing on the prompts are as follows: the Blizzard will begin on November 20th, and lasts until the 23rd for a full three days. The avalanche in Crowncork occurs on November 27th. Thank goodness it didn’t happen to the town somehow right?

⟡ 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

Takiishi Chika - Wind Breaker - Blaziken (TDMing for fun, will not be applying)

[furanki]

1. My Heart Still Thumps As I Bleed [Arrival; Caldera Crater]
There is nothing, and then there is something. In the heart of a mountain, in between steam vents, a Blaziken opens his eyes. It smells of sulfur and rock, and there are strange sounds, and it's hot, so very hot he wants to take his shirt off. But he's not wearing a shirt, and the hands that grab for cloth are instead talons that tangle in feathers.

It's a lot.

On edge, he begins to explore, trying to figure out where he is, what he is, what is going on.

"Endo?" His voice echoes through the crater, the uncertainty in it magnified as it bounces off rock.


2. One Burn, one Red, one Grin [Preparations for Winter]
Quiet, broody, people might notice the Blaziken lingering on the edge of ongoing projects, watching but not participating. He...doesn't seem to be big on talking. Or jumping in to help.

(He's not good at talking, and doesn't really know how to ask to jump in to help.)

Still, he wants to be around everything, so perhaps when you're working on the bilge pump and realize something needs welded, or if you're a smaller Pokemon struggling to reach high enough to secure some part of the Canopy waterproofing, there's suddenly a Blaziken looming and staring.


3. My Love, It's Very Late [Snowed In, Grumpearl Network]
Someone has made a connection through the pearl, but it's pretty clearly not deliberate. Instead of an actual message, you're treated to the Japanese metal song stuck in Takiishi's head. It is loud, pounding, thrumming with screaming and growling instead of singing. Intense.

Head empty, just metal. Enjoy.


4. 'Til Morning Comes, Let's Tesselate [Wildcard]
Hit me up on plurk or discord at darkersolstice to plot other things. I am very open to other things. Flip me to brackets if you strongly prefer them, I can do either!

Note: those who are close with Umemiya may recognize the name "Endo" in the first prompt; Umemiya arrived alongside a Thievul by that name, but he's since disappeared.

3. (part 1 of 2)

[friendlyflower]

[Bored out of his mind, Flowey has been attempting to talk with people via Grumpearl who won't immediately log out (so to speak) when he connects.

He connects to a newbie who isn't aware of his screaming incidents and gets treated to a loud as fuck metal song. Alone in his treehouse, he jumps into the air out of shock.]

... ...

(part 2 of 2)

[friendlyflower]

[Once the song ends and/or Takiishi notices something's off, Flowey finally speaks up.]

That was awesome! Got any more like that?

[furanki]

...the fuck?

[Like, he does. He's the kind of person who usually has something going in his head. But also, whose telepathic tween is this talking at his head?]

[friendlyflower]

[He can't help but laugh a little. He loves swearing.]

Whoops! Sorry to startle you. You must not know how the Grumpearls work yet, huh? You broadcast that sick metal song over an entire psychic network!

[furanki]

Oh.

Hm.

[He isn't sure how he feels about that yet. Actually, there's sort of a vagueness about Takiishi's emotions in general. Like, some people have Big Intense Feelings over the Grumpearls (looking at you, Flowey, and that one Siffrin). This guy really doesn't.]

[friendlyflower]

[Not much of a response, huh?]

What's the band called? Actually, play another one! You've got good taste, stranger!

[furanki]

The band is Sigh. Here, you might like this song, too.

[He thinks of another song, perhaps emphasizing the pounding of the drums more within his memory.]

i quite enjoyed the song as well

[friendlyflower]

[One feature of the Grumpearls: he can't hide his genuine enjoyment. This is the coolest music he's ever heard, even if it is through the lens of memory. He suddenly wishes he had arms so he could play instruments. (Maybe he could get drums working with vines? Hmm....)

He patiently vibes until the song ends and/or until Takiishi gets tired of looping it mentally.]

That was awesome! Those drums were so SICK!!!

[furanki]

Right? It's real good for when you need to drown everything and anyone out.

[Which happens sort of a lot.]

[friendlyflower]

Golly, sorry to interrupt your 'drown everything out' time! I know it's rough being turned into a Pokemon. I was too!

[It was admittedly easier for him since he had already been transformed against his will once... but he's trying to be nice.]

[furanki]

It's fucked up. All of this is.

[He probably should have something more meaningful to say, but. Fuming is just going to happen instead.]

[friendlyflower]

[... not everyone has experience being transformed against their will, of course. Without empathy, though, he can only fall back on his own past experiences.]

... You get used to it.

[That likely doesn't help.]

2

[edgewater]

The grind never stops for Parvati Holcomb, or something. It probably ought to, but the site won't manage itself, and she's doing the bulk of this work on her own anyway. The Blaziken lingering a bit too close but not actually helping is irritating her, though. That's a surefire way to get injured.

"Heeeeeey!" She shouts, waving with both of her hands. "Can you come help out? Or leave if you don't wanna! I don't care, but you'll get hurt if you just stand there!"

Well, that last part isn't entirely true, but she'd like to avoid it where possible.

[furanki]

"I don't know how to help."

Which isn't the same as not wanting to, necessarily. But he takes a few steps back, away from the work in progress unless Pavarti has instructions for him.

[edgewater]

Ohhh. Right. Yeah.

Parvati awkwardly tries to hide the fact that she's just embarrassed herself (hopefully she's far enough away that it's not noticeable?), instead bounding over and putting her hands on her hips. "Okay, but you want to? You're a... Fire type?" She tilts her head to the side as she measures him up. "I'm sure you can help me, I need to weld two bits of metal together."

[furanki]

"Okay." He gives a bit of a nod, clenching a taloned hand(?) into a fist, the flames flaring around his wrists.

Does he know how to weld? Not in the slightest. But having something to do is better than not, right now.

[edgewater]

Parvati nods back, beckoning him to at least come back within the main site. Then she takes off to go and grab her metal, returning with them as quickly as she left.

"Okay. So, if you just do your, uh, Fire type stuff, it should mean that these pieces can bond together. Just try not to hit me."

She only realised the innate risk of this sort of procedure midway through construction when it occurred to her that she has a very pronounced weakness to Fire types. She sets down the pieces just to be sure, stepping aside a little. "I'm Parvati, by the way. Sorry if this is all a bit sudden."

[furanki]

"Why are you sorry?"

It's just that she's settled in and started a Project™, whereas he's...adrift. Back home, he has someone to do all the hard people stuff, the interactions he doesn't have the scripts patience for, a barrier between himself and all the rest of the world. Here, he's sort of...flailing.

Not that he has any expectation of her giving a fuck about that. She has metal she needs welded. He has Flamethrower. That's what matters, as he lets out an avian sound and punches toward the metal piece, letting out a gout of Big Strong Flame, hot enough to do the weld.

[edgewater]

"You're new here, right? I'm pretty green myself, and this whole place is weird as Void." She's patiently watching, arms folded.

Parvati still feels out of water herself, what with being grounded and all. Adjusting generally is weird, never mind all of the stuff all of the newcomers have to do to get by this time. At least it's not Froslass...?

"So, uh, if I'm going too fast just say. Everything here's so quick if you don't get it."

[furanki]

"I'm fine."

It's a snapping defensive tone, the sound of someone who can't admit to being scared or overwhelmed, who's learned it's safer to be mean than to be vulnerable.

"Does the weld look right?"

[edgewater]

After an initial few seconds of being stunned -- seriously Parvati you've been snapped at so much in your life -- she comes back over to peer at his work. "Yeah, that's close enough!" She grins up at him. "This your first time doing it?"

She picks it up, turning it over to ger a better look. "I'm sure this'll do the job just fine."

[furanki]

"Yeah, first time. I couldn't do anything like this back home."

On the surface, it sounds like he probably means the fire. But it's also the work. He dropped out of high school, doesn't have a job. Endo takes care of him, has always taken care of him. But. Now Endo isn't here.

[edgewater]

"Well, never too late to learn! Between you and me, I've learned a lot of new stuff while working on this, and I'm the one in charge."

Parvati's expertise in these sorts of things is actually not that substantial, her specialism is in far more complicated mechanics. Sure, she could fix something like this just fine, but having to reverse engineer that knowledge (heh.) into being able to design and build one was a Herculean task in and of itself. She still wishes she was fixing up spaceship engines in stead, but any busywork will have to do. "Thanks a lot."

[furanki]

"Sure. Do you need more welded?"

Because it's not like he has anything else to be doing at the moment. Nowhere else to be, nothing else planned.