007 ⟡ JANUARY TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ test drive 07 ✩⋆

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

SNOW MAN'S LAND

Where you felt the warmth of hope, there is now only a numbness - which grows colder and colder as you begin to wake. While a small few may find themselves graced with bodies appropriate to the environment, for most this field of ice and snow is the worst possible place to appear.

All is not lost for those without appropriate defenses, fortunately. A short trek through the deep and frigid snow leads one to any number of cave entrances. Some are as large as hangar doors (if of course, your world had vehicle hangars at all) - and others just small enough to squeeze into, but all of them offer at least a temporary respite from the biting chill of the wind. Once you can catch your breath and your body stops shivering long enough to observe the surroundings, it becomes clear that wherever you are is always like this. Cold. Covered in snow, with more snow still falling. Icy and foreboding, with even the trees reaching out with gnarled and bare branches which sheen with frost.

Can one even dare to hope for rescue in such a place as this? The caves at least provide shelter, but something dangerous seems to linger in the air within. One thing is certain, as stark and cold as the temperature:

Nothing here will leave you in peace.

ICE TO MEET YOU

⟡ With the Arrivals finding themselves in the far reaches of Icefall Lake, it may be no surprise that initial rescue efforts won’t begin as such - in fact, the first teams to go out into the snow will be investigating the potential for more avalanches, due to requests from local Pokemon! They will quickly send word back to Skull Town that rescues are required.

⟡ While the region may seem entirely inhospitable, many of the wild Pokemon of Icefall will in fact take mercy on the new arrivals if they find them; either offering space in dens formed of heavy packed snow (which are surprisingly warm inside), or even guiding them to cave tunnels themselves. Of course, some of these Pokemon may demand a fight regardless, so watch out!

⟡ The caves may not carry the same environmental hazards as the outdoors, but they do have their own: this is the inside of a hollowed-out mountain, and it's very unstable and prone to cave-ins. Characters will constantly hear the sounds of falling or shifting rock, as well as their own voices echoing back - sometimes after a significant delay or from an unexpected direction. And those who stay inside longer will start hearing voices of people who aren't present at all.

ii. COLD PAWS

WARM HEARTS

The cold does not abate once you finally receive rescue.

But it does improve a little. As Pokemon - creatures of all manner of shape and size - bring the newcomers out from the region they call ‘Icefall Lake,’ the utterly inhospitable cold surrounding them dies down to a gentler, crisper sort of freeze. Where before the sky had been shrouded most constantly in clouds spewing sheets of snow or even hail, the skies above the small settlement up ahead are clear and sunny.

That settlement? Death Blood Murder Skull Town…. or just Skull Town for short.

“It was determined by popular vote,” explains one Lurantis, and despite the clear discomfort with the cold around them she seems to be an incredibly dedicated leader. Every newcomer - and rescuer for that matter - is immediately herded to their small clinic for a check-over to determine if injuries are present. From there, Pokemon are just as quickly shown the great communal living hall, where they’ll reside until it’s a little safer to journey to Bottlecap Bay itself. The hope, Lurantis will shyly explain if approached directly, is that by the time everyone gets there the Guild Leaders will have sorted out housing.

(They won’t.)

Even just wandering the village itself displays just how dedicated this bug-like plant appears to be to her job though. The roads are constantly being worked on; paths are being pounded into place and then salted to prevent ice, while helpful rails line the few streets that exist. Other Pokemon can be seen carefully clearing snow where it’s gathered too heavily, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to stick around and help out before following the convoy back to Bottlecap itself.

If you follow back at all of course. After all, it’s quite tranquil here! Like something out of a story book.

NEVER A SKULL MOMENT

⟡ Newly-arrived and -transformed Pokemon, once rescued, will be taken back to Skull Town. Most will have to stay for at least a couple days before Lurantis puts together an escort through the forest - it's at least a day's journey back to the larger city of Bottlecap Bay, particularly through the snow. But existing characters may escort newbies back if they so chose!

⟡ Quarters in Skull Town are somewhat tight, with both housing and meals being communal - but the overall environment is friendly and tight-knit. Lurantis will happily accept help with town chores from anyone who the clinic has cleared, but won't insist on it, even in exchange for food and lodging. However, other NPC Pokemon may start growing resentful if it continues for a while. The town doesn't have as many resources to spare as the city, so everyone here needs to contribute!

⟡ As usual for new arrivals, Guild Leaders will be taking their time to decide on who fits best where. So once characters make it to Bottlecap Bay, housing can be found with any guild. Players are free to assume anyone from Oran, to Cheri, to even Lum opened their room to other Pokemon to be shared - or new characters are welcome to remain at Skull Town!

iii. KICKING AND DREAMING

SLEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET

It’s shortly after the new arrivals have all been accounted for that the Grumpig Brothers make their announcement.

“We noticed our adopted outsiders get a lot of use out of our Pearls,” claims the more outspoken of the two, “And we’ve received a lot of new feedback as a result! So after working with some other Psychic Pokemon, we think we’ve found a way to refine them!”

Pokemon may have noticed a Hypno hanging around the workshop quite a bit, among others, and that certainly explains it. But what do they mean by…better? Grimpig and Glumpig are talking about ideas such as blocking certain mental frequencies, or even alarm transmissions so you won’t miss a call in your sleep!

Later, that last feature will stand out quite a lot.

The night starts normally. Those who intend to sleep, curl up in their nests or beds to do so. The pearls they own could be anywhere - under their pillow, in a drawer, in a sack. As long as they're somewhere nearby, it doesn't seem to matter.

Because that night, your dream isn’t necessarily…your dream. It’s not as if it doesn’t start that way; the dream is just as bizarre as any dream is. Perhaps you’re eating a giant marshmallow. Maybe you’ve gained the power to fly all around the world despite being a wee little Wurmple! Or maybe it’s even just something you remember from earlier in the day - dreams are the mind sifting through what it’s learned after all. But something shifts. Something changes, and suddenly you can feel that what you’re dreaming isn't your own.

Trouble is, you can’t just wake up.

GOOD NIGHT

⟡ Due to the changes to the grumpearls, characters have been afflicted with a curse of dream-sharing! Created accidentally by an overload through the pearl communication network, Pokemon participating will find themselves drifting into others' dreams whenever they sleep.

⟡ While dreams can include things like memories, we encourage players to emphasize the dream focused nature of this event! Anything can happen in your dreams, for good or for ill. Maybe you’re at home, and you’re the only Pokemon there. Maybe you’re driving your cool old motorcycle around Bottlecap’s clouds, because who said bikes can’t fly in your dreams? Nothing has to make sense - just please make sure to respect other player’s opt-outs and preferences!

⟡ Characters can encounter each other in dreams, or they can find themselves taking the role of the dream's original recipient and simply interact with the dream itself.

⟡ Once a character is caught, even leaving their grumpearl behind will no longer help. However, players who wish to opt out may say that their character's grumpearl was nowhere near their bed on the first night, and that in the morning they were warned to avoid using it for now.

⟡ Shared dream sleep isn't restful, and as the month goes on, characters who are experiencing it at night will find themselves dozing off from exhaustion during the day more and more often. (Which only makes it worse!) In the most severe cases, some may even become trapped in an extended sleep!

⟡ When characters are not asleep, they'll find that the Grumpig brothers and the less-affected Psychic Pokemon are doing their absolute best to resolve the problem as soon as they can. Unfortunately, while the clinic can make sure that the most severely affected Pokemon are looked after in their beds, nobody can guarantee you won’t end up in someone else’s dream once you fall asleep again.

⟡ It’s not all bad though. Aside from many dreams being bafflingly zany at worst, victims will find themselves granted a pack of hot drink mixes once they wake up. Just a little token of apology while the Grumpigs iron out the remaining kinks. Especially after what happens on the 30th…

DREAM BLOODY MURDER

Amid all the dreams, it’s no surprise that not all of them are pleasant.

It happens to the best of us, doesn’t it? Some terrible mistake, some long buried trauma, rising back again in the form of something incomprehensible. Maybe that pitfall you almost avoided grew teeth and started eating the world around you. Maybe something you said while awake comes back to haunt your nightmares in the form of the absolute worst consequence. It’s something that shouldn’t happen. It’s something that would never happen - and maybe, just maybe, if other Pokemon couldn’t interrupt, it would be something you dread never waking from at all.

One nightmare stands out though.

One nightmare doesn’t seem relevant to anything you know. It’s a swirl of pressuring heat, and volcanic chaos. It’s rivers of violet and red melting into one, cascading impossibly upwards into waterfalls. Strange and alien beings fill the air, battling themselves as well as others - though what these creatures (Pokemon?) are?

You certainly can’t tell in the nightmare.

But what you do know is this: it is a nightmare, and it’s one that doesn’t belong to you. It’s one where your power has been unleashed in the worst way possible, and one where calamity has become unavoidable. Toxic fumes and eldritch cries surround you utterly, bathing you in their might, and when at last you can’t take it any longer...!

You wake up.

DON'T LET THE BLIPBUGS BITE

⟡ It is up to players if they experience the final nightmare, but the majority of Pokemon in Bottlecap Bay seem to have experienced it at the very end of the grumpearl backlash. On the bright side, the intensity of this dream seems to have pointed the Grumpig brothers to the source of the problem. They’re quick to quarantine some faulty pearls and make adjustments to all the others.

⟡ Pokemon who were affected by the dream-share will be asked to visit the clinic, where local Musharna and Hypno will be aiding Dr. Denne in making absolutely sure there are no more lingering side effects! Optionally, this can cure anyone still affected by last year’s nightmares… but that part they can't guarantee.

⟡ And what was that final nightmare anyway? When pressed, none of the Guild Leaders seem to know for certain - however, Polteageist is certain that a Pokemon who left to live beyond the Spire may be able to help. They will be quick to assure others that it’s nothing they need to worry about, as they have a team in mind to do some investigating. For now there is plenty of other work to be done right here, within Bottlecap’s already-explored regions!

⟡ For some who experienced the final nightmare, they may find themselves feeling unusually energetic, or even aggressive. Alternatively, some Pokemon will turn up at the clinic bearing symptoms of poisoning.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWs: Body horror/Dysmorphia, Freezing conditions, Canon-typical Pokemon violence, Unreality (within dreams), Mental influences, Apocalyptic imagery

⟡ 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.

⟡ Arrivals should all be gathered to Skull Town by January 15th ICly - though, naturally, players may tag the TDM at any time they like. The dream-share event will begin ICly on January 20th, ending after the last nightmare on the 30th.

⟡ 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

QUESTIONS

[bayhelpers]

[33elk]

So, in the FAQ, it's stated that newbies only get Grumpearls after signing up with a guild [which is part of the being accepted with an app and all]. If this is the case, can that be handwaved so they can also be part of the dream sharing event?

NEWBIE DIRECTORY

[bayhelpers]

If you have posted a top level with a new character, please feel free to link it here!

oko - magic the gathering

[33elk]

he is glad he does not need a shirt here tbh

Emporio Alniño | JJBA: Stone Ocean | Cubone | Current Character

[seacub]

[SNOWMAN'S LAND - PEARL CONTACT!]

[Emporio isn't supposed to be going out into the deep harsh snow, on account of multiple older Pokemon looking him sternly in the eye, bundling him in at least five layers of protection, and saying 'Not after last time'.

Which, fair. But that doesn't stop him from being the Guy in the Chair over the Pearl, especially since they're very good at relaying whatever someone else is seeing.

Which. Wow.] ...It sure looks like avalanches happened here...

[Are those trees just..Gone??? Yikes.]

[COLD PAWS, WARM HEARTS - PROMPTS UNDERLINED]

While Emporio of course can't go out and start shoveling snow or anything, that hasn't stopped him from lending a helping hand! The fact that he convinced anyone to bring him with to Skull Town at all aside, he's thus made himself quite at home in the local clinic here. He did plenty of that sort of work in Bottlecap Bay itself after all- even if it's usually more about ferrying trays to and fro, or watching to see if certain patients attempt to flee the coop- so it just makes sense to help here!

Of course, Clinic help aside, he does have a life of his own. So when he isn't carrying in trays of berries to guilt someone into taking their medicine, he's probably working on some sort of Floor-plan.

"...Oh, uh-" He'll stammer a bit if questioned on it. "...Polteageist told me he's almost ready to start building on a house better suited for me, so..."

Honestly Emporio's not really sure what that...means? But he's at least trying to work out some ideas, since apparently he gets to customize some things.

Of course, no amount of distraction lasts long enough to avoid looking wistfully out at the snow outside. A sigh escapes the helmet-free cubone, and again, if called on it, he'll frown. "...I'm. Uh. Grounded," he mutters in explanation.

It might not be much explanation.

[SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE - PROMPTS UNDERLINED]

Emporio dreams.

Most people dream, probably, but Emporio's dreams for the most part tend to be relatively nice. Or at least, they feel like dreams. There are some dreams, which seem more like Memories, to the left. One moment, it's like you're both just walking down the path in the woods, the two Pokemon that you are. The next, the path turns into some kind of Escher stair situation, and also it appears to be a prison in Florida.

Emporio continues to be a cubone.

Other dreams are more Obviously fantastical. He's riding a Dondozo. They are still in Florida. He's painted all in black and silver and gold, and chatting excitedly to what seems to be a woman formed entirely of gold dust. "Does being like that give you allergies?" you might hear him ask.

"It's okay! I'm hypoallergenic." is the reply, because of course it is.

And then there's just... Dreams. Dreams where Lucidity is King, and he obviously just really wants to do something cool. ...Cool meaning, of course-

"So, this is a helicopter."

You are already in the helicopter. It is also already in the air. You do not get a choice.

[DREAM POLICE]

The place of Emporio's worst nightmares is, much like his dreams, Escher-like. ...If Escher had ever tried his hand at drawing illusions through an American Prison, that is. Stairs that go one way, and turn another. Halls that bend around courtyards, cells, and cafeterias, yet impossibly lead back toward the same dreary room with a piano and a shelf. There's a conspicuous crack featured in the walls of all these rooms, but Emporio- still a cubone, albeit a cubone wearing a baseball uniform- ignores them every time.

He's looking for someone you see. And there's such a sense of dread that occurs whenever he goes near those cracks. Like what should be safe, isn't.

Most people won't likely join him this early. Most, if anything, will arrive closer to the middle. Right when a dream reveals its ugly head to be something else.

Right when a dream truly becomes a Nightmare.

"H-Hermana!!" He calls out to a group of prisoners and pauses. Their backs are to him, and he can't help but feel something is...off. "Jolyne-"

Emporio's call cuts short. By all accounts it should be Jolyne there. It should be Hermes, FF, Weather Report and even Anasui. It should be them.

But something is Off.

"Emporio, what's wrong?" they ask, as he stares.

"Y...you're not..."

A heavy feeling- whether the figures are Pokemon, or human, or a blend of the two, settles over the nightmare, sinking into the bones of even any visitors.

Those aren't Emporio's friends.

Dream Police!

[gimmeeyeballs]

Catrina has fled the dream of the stage, still in her moth eaten dress and as what she actually looks like, a horrible blue amphibian lady. Emporio, those sure look like some serious abominations there that's pretending to be your friends, but don't worry, Catrina is coming in hot and fast like a linebacker!

"HOLY SHIT! HANG ON EMPORIO! I'M GETTING YOU AWAY FROM THESE SIDESHOW ATTRACTIONS!"

....Catrina don't do it, don't pick up Emporio like a football, he is clearly a baseball kid...shit she's gonna attempt picking up Emporio like a football.

Narciso Anasui | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean | OTA

[dripdrive]

I. Snowbody's business | Arrivals

Like so many others, Anasui has volunteered to head out to Icefall Lake to investigate if the region is prone to more avalanches. While he doesn't have any experience when it comes to predicting natural disasters, he has been to Icefall Lake before and has sharp eyes.

And he's tall enough to not be buried in 6 inches of snow, unlike most.

Whether you're an arrival in the frigid cold or a cave, or even if you're another Pokemon investigating the avalanches, it's almost impossible to miss Anasui. The Espathra dressed in a bright pink winter hat and pink cloak, with a long scarf looped around an equally long neck. His attired and bright orange and yellow feathers shine brightly, making him stand out amongst the pristine white snow. However, if you somehow miss him, you'll be unable to miss the ostrich walking up to you and staring at you with cold, unblinking eyes.

"Either you're stupid or you're incredibly lost. What the fuck are you doing in an avalanche-prone zone?"

II. Did you actually need that? | Death Blood Murder Skull Town

Are you working on the road? Have you spent the last few hours in the cold, hammering down the bricks with shaking appendages? Possibly been shoveling away at snow or salting the ground in an effort to help out?

If you were, I'm so sorry.

Because whether you're a road worker or a new arrival, heading into Death Blood Murder Skull Town, you'll absolutely be able to see Anasui the Espathra dismantling the road or even one of the tools someone was using. Is that a shovel? Nope, it's a stick and a shovel head. Was that a completed path? Not anymore, Anasui is pulling up the pounded in path, flattening the ground, and moving it maybe two inches to the right. He's not even being subtle about it either and clearly doesn't care if anyone sees him. Heck, if you don't make the first move, he'll eventually look up from what he's doing and stare back if he notices you looking at him.

"What?" he asks irately.

III. A dream is a wish your heart makes

Strangely, Anasui is incredibly annoyed when the Grumpig Brothers make their announcement. You may see him stomping around, grumbling very loudly to himself.

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to disassemble a pearl when that random Tapir is allowed to do what it wants?"

Someone may have some issues he wants to talk about...

But whether someone talks to him or not, he'll thankfully make no attempt to barge in and offer his unwanted help. Instead, he goes about his day and forgets about the pearl business, even as he places his pearl on his writing desk and heads to bed.

At least, until he falls asleep and dreams.

a. Anasui's best dream ever

Perhaps the first thing you notice is your form -you could be in your natural state, a Pokemon, or some fusion of the two- but you will also quickly notice you're in a little white church. It's not a grandiose thing but it's beautiful all the same, what you would picture in your head if you thought about a little church in the countryside.

The next thing you'll notice is that you're at the very front of the church, overlooking a small crowd of people of all shapes and sizes. Most of them have indistinct features, a hazy recollection of unimportant people, but all of them have 'G.D Prison' emblazoned somewhere on their clothing. Criminals, perhaps, but criminals who just were here for the wedding.

Next to you is the celebrant. The celebrant actually has a face, unlikely many of the guests, but he seems to be wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and a codpiece (Also, is that a hat or hair?). He doesn't seem to notice you, instead, his stony, almost blank gaze locked on the two other figures in front of him.

One of them is... strange (or at least stranger than the celebrant). It's a faceless diver with bright teal... skin? A suit? It's unclear. They seem to be passing pens over to a tall human with long, pink hair wearing a fishnet wedding dress. The pink-haired person takes the offered pens and expertly dismantles them, letting plastic components drop onto the floor.

"Ah... I'm so nervous. What if she doesn't come?" Anasui asks in his usual voice, despite presenting fairly femininely.

b. A terrible fate | CW: death, body horror, blood, stone ocean spoilers

The marshland is humid and heavy with the thick smell of the swamp. Yet, the smell of blood cuts through it sharply and a deep red trickles through water too-blue to be natural.

There's little time to get your bearings. All you can acknowledge that you're in a few inches of water with other figures around before Anasui falls with a loud splash right in front of you. He's been pierced through the back and the sternum by a blue hand, shattering bone and tearing flesh alike.

Anasui gasps loudly and writhes in place. But before he can do anything, a second hand comes up from the water and punches another hole into his chest.

"No... No... No! Jolyne!" Anasui yells, somehow able to still speak through mouthfuls of blood. He looks at you, panicked but not for himself. "Help her! Help them! Get them out of here!"

II !

[sharpjustice]

Mayaka has been making her way around Skull Town, double checking that the works on the roads are going according to the plan agreed with Boufflant. She crosses a few checkpoints, ticking them off her list, only to stop abruptly when she spots Anasui doing whatever the heck he's doing.

"You're messing up the road, that's what!" she yells back at him. Come to think of it, she still doesn't know what this bird's name is, on account of only vaguely acknowledging his presence, with Emporio as the buffer.

"Hatenna-chan and I spent time planning this out!"

oko - magic the gathering

[33elk]

+1 never a skull moment;

[ It had been a bit since Oko had slipped in. He'd been staying in the forests - almost amused by how they twist around and seemed to twist and turn. This was far more his style then being seen in town - perhaps that's why most didn't notice him.

Yet, now, he found himself in Death Blood Murder Skull Town. What a name. Just... what a name. But he had not arrived as himself, a Zorua--

No, he was in the form of an Alolan Vulpix, for now. Watching some of the snow being tended to...

Or perhaps making sure the snow is blocking you, before darting away. Even now, he can't help but prank!

But, during the times he's being helpful, Oko is sounding a little thoughtful. ] This sort of community... it almost seems quaint. I hope nobody snored too loud last night?

---

+2 sleep you off your feet:

[ It was a calm dream, that Oko would see as a dream.

Around Bottlecap Bay, in the dream, there were no Pokemon. None at all.

No, there were only elk. Including Oko, who was a very pretty elk. He seems a little confused, seeing how people are struggling with these forms. ]

...You know, you could use your mouth for that.

[ He comments, as he's watching you. No matter what you're doing. There's a smaller elk calf besides him, leaning into him. (Perhaps, in another life...) ]

---

+3 dream bloody murder;

CW in future threads: Body horror, depersonalization, medical trauma.

[ You look up. The forest you find yourself in is dark, so dark. The leaves blow around you - the moss of the ground feels like it feeds on the darkness. Perhaps, in a way, you can tell - this is a memory of a place where the sun never rises.

And then, you hear a laugh. A man stands in a clearing, looking up at the sky, as the moon moves, days passing in moments. Well, not days. The sun never rises. He slowly turns to you, a grin on his face. Perhaps you're a Pokemon. Perhaps you're an animal, or perhaps you're even your previous self. A temple is visible behind them, at dusk or dawn without the sun. ]

Welcome, welcome! Take a seat - or make one yourself!

What brings you to my court, little one?

[ None would know that Oko would see this as a nightmare - placed into the role he had run from. Oko, himself, would not notice the ground as well with an odd oil bubbling from it... ]

---

+4 post-dreams;

Possible CW: medical trauma.

[ Oko did not like being at the clinic. He felt naked - he had to even be a Zorua for this! But he seems to be very snappy at everybody. Is he even more aggressive then normal, or is he just upset at the situation? Oko would not clarify, honestly. He'd hate to think these weren't his feelings. ]

And how do they aim to aid us, hm? Hypnosis until we feel better? Memory manipulation? I'd rather not.

[ But he's being kept to be checked over, anyway. Especially since he's got scratches and scrapes from roughing it out there, even in the cold. ]

---

+5 Wildcard;

[ remember, if you want other stuff, feel free to proud at me on plurk [shslivalice] or discord [dodola] !! ]

taking the "little one" literally and going for 3

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ before oko stands a very small little girl dressed in white, her hair done in twin braids. she's used to being lost in very dark spaces, she thinks to herself. she is very brave. she's the bravest of all of the girls, because she has the best daddy. only, her daddy isn't here. she's alone and lost, wandering. where did he go...? she spun on her heel when he laughed and skipped over with all of the childlike innocence that fit in her tiny body.

she's holding a doll - one cobbled together from junk - behind her back. she looks up at oko. ]

I think I'm lost, Mister. Can you help me?

courier six | fallout

[shotinhead]

torpor and the day

[ Ever since being frozen, something's been off about Perrin. Perhaps it's the fact he hasn't been doing his daily rounds. Perhaps it's the fact he's bundled in all his clothes, giving a little huff. Including all the gifts he got. But, if you happen to be close to the Archives, he offers you a warm drink. ]

Patrollin' this sorta snowscape makes y'wish for a... well, hah. Nah.

You keepin' yourself warm? [ :) Look! He's actually feeling himself! It must be a wonderful time! He's barely looking at who he's giving the drinks to, though. ]

---

sleep you off your feet;

[ It seems that in this dream you are neither Pokemon or person, but a mix of the two - but, also, it's a mix of the Bay and the Mojave Desert. The air is arid, but it seems... well. Livable. And Courier Six is there, with a motorbike. It looks like a scrap heap, but he has a massive grin.

...Before flapping his wings. ]

Hey, wanna go for a ride? [ He doesn't seem to know this is a dream. Perhaps it's because of his own Mental Issues (tm). ] You can cling to me.

[ ...he is 150cm tall. And quite thin. There's a joy in his good eye - and the light blue glow around him is actually quite unsettling. Or maybe it's the fact his voice sounds like some sort of struggling gravel-y thing. Like some sort of undead. ]

---

dream bloody murder;

cw for thread: Murder, religious trauma, cave-ins, suicide/martyrdom.

[ Are these the tunnels of the Spire...? It sure feels tighter. And there are no lights on the tunnel sides, yet you feel you can see in it. It's complex, every branch seems to break into more.

Wait.

There's sound. Loud sound. The sound of metal shuffling, people in armour approaching. Pokemon? People? It isn't sure.

And then you see him next to you. Perrin coldly looking from you to the wall. Again, it seems to be your influence if you're human, Pokemon, or something between. ]

We collapse it. They die. We probably die too.

[ His expression is detached. ] They want the Treasure. Compared to it, we're nobody.

[ His hands grip the side of the wall. He looks ready to die. ]

---

four: post-dreams;

[ It was known that Perrin hated the clinic. But this time, looking sickly, he's letting himself be fussed over. There's a bit of a gravelly sound to his voice for a bit, as well, as he talks. ]

...I think th'main worry is if that thing is listenin' to us. I mean, if this was psychic interference...

[ He doesn't finish that thought, it seems. ]

People who've seen th'end often... aren't doin' well.

---

wildcard;

[ remember, if you want other stuff, feel free to proud at me on plurk [shslivalice] or discord [dodola] !!

1

[tragicthegarnering]

Can't exactly wish for a nuclear winter if it's already cold. [ the arcanine's sat with her paws crossed and tail wagging. ] Nuclear summer, maybe? Nah, that ain't it.

[ she can't exactly take the drink, though. paws and all. ] Could you, uh, set that down for me?

Dolly Mancer | OC | Sylveon (Current Player)

[autumnrainrunaway]

Prolog (Dreamshare)

Birth of One and a Zillion Sideshows~

It wasn't much of a secret that Dolly was slowly getting use to the grumpearl, too much of a risk of revealing things she rather much hide. The news about an exciting upgrade had Dolly a bit worried even. The grumpearl sat beneath the pillow, something Dolly had done before back home with her cellphone when she didn't want to interact, though with a sock drawer rather than a pillow.

It was the one thing she could do while living in the Pokemon World. Today was a long day, Dolly was ready to just crawl right into bed and have that per usual Museum trip once more, which she very much did as sleep over took the small Sylveon. The cold winter night was like a lullaby, hiding the fact the grumpearl was about to have one massive hiccup of sorts...

Broadcasting in the late of night, welcome to those who find themselves at the Museum tonight. Should one decide to tour the Museum, they'll be accompanied by a tiktaalik tour guide on this nocturnal journey. Be nice to primordial grandpa, he is empty of thought and only good of vibes. The curator of this Museum, Dolly in her true form dressed to the nines, at the moment, is pretty frantic about the surprise people here as she hides a bit in the background, hoping no one figures out this is her dream. In the meantime, the tiktaalik tour guide goes to give Beaker-like meeps as though trying to give rules for the Museum.

A. It is Still Not Time, It is Still Not Time (Worlds Exhibit)

These Dreams~

The feeling of having entered a paper cutout animation was strong upon entry of the museum. The ceiling looked like a starry night as the lights above glowed softly, the deep navy blue feeling like comfort. There is a three way path one could take with labels above that reads as followed: Earth, Doriene, and Pokemon.

1. Earth: The dioramas are framed by silvery blue branches of the trees bordering them, but there is nothing to keep those from entering inside. It's as though it's trying to welcome others in to explore. There are two that can be entered, medieval Ireland and the other, Cheddarburg, a small midwestern town with a lot of hills surrounding it. With Medieval Ireland, it's...odd..very odd, it starts from the medieval ages, but progresses through the centuries ending in the late nineteenth century as it prepares for it to enter the twentieth. Perhaps whoever is dreaming is an eccentric historian?

Cheddarberg upon entry, one could land in either in the the 1910s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, or 2020s. It's odd, unlike the Ireland one, it only seems to cycle through only the 20th and early 21st century before abruptly stopping at 2020s, it becomes weird afterwards. The buildings, the props, everything, starts to fade in and out as though they were disappearing into the ether or even fusing together before restarting at the 1910s all over again.

The buildings regardless of which time frame one may enter, they will find it to be fully interactive with items found during that decade including the college and movie theater. Books when opened will reveal animated illustrations carrying out scenes from the selected story, horror movies play in the movie theater in their entirety, and even the mannequins, clothing can be removed as well as worn by those wanting to try on different styles, magically fitting them immediately.

2. Doriene: The mental scent of sun heated plant life and river breeze comes to those who enter this hall. While there are many exhibits here, unlike Earth, it isn't rotating in decades or centuries like before. No, this seems to be in current times, but where? It wasn't Earth, that was for sure, it looked like a river based city on the water in a jungle? There were no roads, but water ways that could be traveled in by small boats like Venice.

The only thing that is solid walking was the mosaic sidewalks that boarded between the brightly colored buildings and water road. There are seven dioramas to be entered: Lupe's Cocktail Lounge, The Starsail Library, The Woozel Worm Market, The Magical College, Club Rio, Tortoise Shell Grove Tree Sanctuary, and the Market Square. It's odd...they all seem to be from the same location, this 'Estrella Del Rio'....

Of the seven, Lupe's Cocktail Lounge, The Starsail Library, and the Magical College have the interactive books like Earth's did, though filled with stories one has never encounter before. Though, another trait of Earth's hall, the mannequins one can definitely steal clothing from to wear once again. The mannequins are odd...they're not human, but some sort of amphibious creatures of bright colors and hand tails?

3. Pokemon: Even weirder than the other two, the Pokemon hall is incomplete and oddly given a painterly look to it as though walking into a world of an impressionist painting. There is a diorama of Bay City, the Archive, and unfortunately a diorama of the then incomplete Skull Town, though oddly enough it's out of focus compared to the others. The same could be said for the mannequins inside of there, one looked like smudge painted blob for Froslass where as Malamar, poor dear Malamar has been unfairly branded as a flying pickle!

The mannequins in all three dioramas thought...how odd..how strange...why do they look like impressionist painting versions of those in Bottlecap Bay? Have these exhibits been memories? Who is the curator of this dreamscape museum?

B. Wonder What Color the Morning Will be?(The Biology Exhibit) (CW: Animal Death(?) It's more of a Schrondiger's menagerie here, are they alive or dead deal and body horror transformation of the evolutionary kind for the displays.)

Go on when I close my eyes~!

The museum darkens much like entering a dense forest of trees from different lands, both present and long extinct. Echoing as though they were like raindrops softly tapping, cries of animals could be heard. Some being highly familiar while others sound absolutely alien. Welcome to the Biology Exhibit!

1. The first half of the exhibit is brimming with animals, darting about in the forest either on the ground or the canopy above. If one knew their animals, they'd realize that it's a mixture of creatures that exists and while others have been long extinct. If one were to walk too close, the animals will shift, one moment being of flesh and blood then the next, a skeleton that is animated. It's as though to show how the organism works both outside and beneath the skin. A constant state of being between alive and dead.

2. Upon clearing the forest, the opening is a contrast from before. Instead of a forest, it is an ocean inspired area, the lighting rippling from above as though sunlight reflecting the waves. The scene is eerily calming, all too calming as the first display comes up. What an odd rodent looking deer this thing is, the template stating it's something called 'indohyus'...why is it changing? The indohyus starts to change, bones rearranging and growing before displaying a new name template, 'pakicetus'. It would cycle through each and every painful transformations, losing its fur, its limbs becoming fins, monstrous jaws straight from a nightmare, and until finally, it concludes this horrific series. Before all is a toothed whale, but of which is up to the viewer spectating. It was as though evolution sped through the entire process without the eons needed. It's normal to want to leave this exhibit, flee if anything else, but one might feel that temptation. What if one would touch the display? Would the figure evolve further or would nothing happen? Maybe something worse...

C. Still The Night is Only Half-Eaten (Tir Na Nog Exhibit)(CW: implied violence, implied gore, peril of a falling island, very vicious mannequin violences, and an actively dying island/dying animal(?))

Every second of the night~

One reason or another, one may have found themself in this exhibit that was closed off. The sense of it being scent of warmed honey is delivered into the minds of those that entered, the grass reading as being as soft as velvet upon entry. The hall is narrow upon walking down, massive mannequins of strange humanoid creatures and human-like beings in elaborate costumes with massive insect wings looming menacingly as though ready to attack the moment there isn't any attention placed upon them. There are small templates beneath theses horrifying mannequins that read as followed:

Queen of the Summer Dusk

Queen of the Summer Fruits

Queen of the Summer Fields

Queen of the Spring Showers

Queen of the Spring Twilight

Queen of the Spring Bloom

Queen of the Winter Frost

Queen of the Winter Nights

Queen of the Winter Winds

Queen of the Autumn Blaze

Queen of the Autumn Mist

There is no telling what would happen if one doesn't acknowledge them, but it's clear, the mannequins' eyes are following those who enter the exhibit, waiting. Upon surviving the corridors, one finds themselves before the Tir Na Nog Exhibit. The ceiling above flickers of star-like lights and what looks like floating islands overhead upon entry, the floor feeling like walking on a ship that's sailing. There is a touch screen board in the exhibit that displays a rather massive island divided into twelve districts. The names match up with the mannequins in the corridor before with one extra: the Autumn Rain District. Touching one of the districts on the map will transform the exhibit into an interactive replica of the chosen district.

The mannequins like the ones in the hallway are very much a huge diverse population of beings that resemble humanoid creatures or eerily human-like in appearance. As before, the mannequins have clothing to be stolen and books to be watch, though depending on which district, one may be able to travel inside of the story. Periodically, depending on where one travels to, scenes play out as though a recording had been switched on. Echoes of past conversations, arguments, laughter, cries, and lessons can be heard from time to time from each area. Be cautious, there are severe cracks and periodic tremors on this tour of the island. Perhaps it'd be wise not to stay too long in this closed off exhibit...

D. So Good Morning, Nightmare! (Hidden Exhibit Closed to Start Again-Siffrin)

I live another life!~

Perhaps it was luck or the scent of baking spices, but one way, the path in the Cheddarburg diorama was easy to navigate towards a small, wooden cottage that looks like a dollhouse with the gingerbread trims on it. From the shades of the trees, its could be autumn here as the cobble stone path leads the way to the front door. The door itself is painted in vivid shades of leaves and chrysanthemums to carry on the autumn tones. The metal door knob glints in the light, inviting one to open the door to go inside...

E. Post Dreams

The mandatory clinic visit was only a small thing, getting warm drinks and being checked over for any unforeseen side effects. Dolly isn't doing poorly, no, she's fine, definitely fine. The only thing she was worried about was being confronted about what she really is after the massive dream share. Dolly goes to calmly sip her warm drink as she waits in the clinic for the check up, a small sewing project poking out from the side in her gingerbread house shaped bag.

"I could definitely go for a bit of raspberry jam to mix into the tea, that always helped with my nerves. Are you holding up well?"

Dolly decided it was best to try small talk to pass the time with whoever she was sitting next to.

D. I Had a Dream Last Night, It was the Morning (Wildcard)(Please feel free to slide in for a different prompt, use this for the all three prompts with NPC tiktaalik, PM me on my character journal, or PP me at Dolly_Mancer for what you'd like to do :'>)

slides into prompt D

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin has been wandering aimlessly, more or less - drifting through the Pokemon exhibit first, as the only word in the Worlds exhibit they recognized. At some point they put their hand on a wall and started following it; in that way dreams have, they felt like they were looking for something, though they didn't know what. The curve of the wall leads them back out into the Worlds room, and around (where did the entrance door go? It's a dream, and they don't even think of it) to Earth and Cheddarburg, where the walls drop away into the giant diorama of the 1910s.]

[Here they wander some more, for a while: staring up at the spires of the college roof, or pausing for a long time at the post office (but who would ever send them mail? That's not what they're looking for, they're pretty sure). They never actually enter a building - they're tempted to check inside the pub, but the lack of voices makes it feel off, and they wander further. A few times they stare closely at one of the mannequins as if they're searching for a real face, but no matter how detailed it might be, it never moves. So Siffrin keeps going.]

[Eventually their feet end up on the cobblestone path to the cottage. The colors of the door are lost on them, but the glint of the door handle catches their eye.]

[...the cottage doesn't look anything like the buildings they've just seen. It feels almost like they've just stepped into a fairytale. It always pays to be polite in a fairytale, doesn't it? Who knows what could happen if they just barge in? But if this were a game of hot and cold, the door would be warmer than anything else they've seen.]

[If this were Vaugarde, the front door would be fair game anyway - it's just deeper into the house that would be rude - but this isn't. They're pretty sure. So...they knock...?]

Eleanor Lamb | Bioshock 2 | Brionne | current player/character

[notyourbloodymessiah]

1] Baby It's Cold Outside

Eleanor is, perhaps, the least surprising person to see herding in new arrivals to anybody who knows her. She may have only showed up last time this occured, but still. Once a Big Sister, always a Big Sister. She's here to swoop in to the rescue, hitting any hostile Ice types with her Flamethrower attack (do not question where she learned how to do that). Granted, she still isn't the strongest Pokemon ever. But she is still very strong despite her small size and overall freshness to this body. When whatever is being a nuisance is downed, she glances over her shoulder at the newcomer.

"Are you all right? My name is Eleanor, let's get you somewhere safe. Come on."

2] Mister Sandman, Bring Me A Dream

CWs - Bioshock typical warnings (thalassalphobia, needles, drugs, body horror, child abuse, etc)

You dream of a city beneath the sea. One deep beneath the sea, made of metal and glass. Blood floods the streets. Barefoot young girls walk hand in hand with large men in diving suits, carrying large needles full of red liquid in their hands. Worse still are the screaming adults in tattered clothes, skin melting off of their bodies. This dream is not your own.

After taking a moment to gain your bearings, you are approached by a young girl. She is perhaps no older than seven, dressed differently than the other girls in tatters. She wears a clean white dress. Her hair is in twin braids. She even has shoes. In one hand, she still holds the needle. In the other, a doll. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, but have you seen my Daddy?" She asks, staring at you with big, pupiless eyes. Her voice is eerie, overlapping unaturally between an American and British accent.

3] Cause I'm The Boogeyman

Eleanor's in the Clinic not long after the nightmares, a bit shaken up. Eldritch horrors beyond mortal comprehension aren't wholly unusual to her. She arguably is one of those, but still. She still feels suffocated by it. The nurses at the Clinic aren't too impressed by her restlessness -- "I will not be bound to my bed again!" she breathes with an exasperated tone -- but just have to deal with it. Come say hi to her, if you want. Perhaps she will recount her recollection of it, or some other strange dream she had. Maybe you experienced one of hers, and wish to enquire within.

4] Don't Fence Me In

Don't see one you wanna do here! Send a wildcard or contact me at lesbiankrile!

2.

[friendlyflower]

... He's a flower again. Six golden petals, a paper-white face, a green stem disappearing into the ground. As far as upgrades go, it's like going from a punch in the face to a kick in the teeth, but it's at least pain he knows.

The rest of the dream isn't too far off from one of Flowey's normal dreams, though the underwater city gives him pause-- didn't someone tell him about coming from a place like this?

And then, there she is, though he doesn't know it. He only knows her as a Pokemon, after all.

"Uh, no? I don't think so. Is he one of the screaming guys with melting skin?"

Parvati Holcomb | The Outer Worlds | Tinkaton | Current Character

[edgewater]

1] Frozen Logic

Parvati can't be out and about to help the new arrivals, unfortunately. But you know what she is doing? Ten bits to whoever guessed "the road to Skull Town"! Because of course she is. She's mostly focusing on doing it up in the Bay's end, but you might catch her around Skull Town too! Don't worry about the travel - her roommate can pick her up later. Come say hi to the Tinkaton in overalls, she don't bite.

2] Sweet Dreams (Jingle)

It's a rainy city-street - like some weird hybrid between the Bay and some sci-fi town. And, for some reason, everything is in black and white. Water splashes into the puddles and down storm drains. You pull into a nearby cafe, and take a seat in the booth. A woman is sat opposite you -- tawny eyes and a messy bun, looking languidly into her coffee. Some smooth jazz (that definitely isn't a bunch of company jingles mashed together) plays over the wireless, and she glances up at you.

"Any leads yet?" Parvati tilts her head to the side before lifting her mug to her lips. "You've been around for a few days, surely you got somethin'?" In spite of the noir setting, her accent is still very much there. Yours, however, may not be. Give her your finds, detective.

3] The Ale To Cure What Ails You

Parvati also lands herself in the Clinic after the incident - a first for her, if you'd believe it. She's reasonably shaken from the horrors, nursing a nice soup she sips at gingerly with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm all right," she insists when pressed, "you got other folks to worry about." Thoughts flicker through her head regardless -- in typical Holcomb fashion, she's massively overthinking it. More soup down the gullet it is.

4] Beware The Freelancer

Don't see one you wanna do here? Send a wildcard or contact me at lesbiankrile

2 - listen putting the child in this role is just really funny to me,

[seacub]

There are many questions one might have in this situation. What's with the (lack of?) accent. Why is Parvati reporting to a twelve year old. Why is a twelve year old apparently a stone cold PI (albeit one ordering a hot chocolate instead of coffee because he has standards dammit)?

Where did all the color go?

There are a lot of questions, but those aren't really that important, because none of them relate to the current state of affairs. There's a mystery to solve. Probably. Maybe?

He's not really lucid dreaming here, so things are just moving based on unconscious vibes.

"There might be something." Might, because nothing is ever simple in a Noir, probably. "I got a tip about the docks." Does that have anything to do with what Dream Parvati is even after?

Who knows...

The Chosen One | (Post-)Fallout 2 | current player, for funsies

[tragicthegarnering]

OOC note: characters who cannot be apped can be tdm'd for the funsies! only the funsies though. so, as the surprise i've been teasing - ta-da! it's nana! come see her while she's still here!

1] Anything Goes - Arrival

Ananta Cole is an old woman. Well, being almost sixty counts as old in the Wasteland. Living to thirty is optimistic. But she'd done it all and lived to tell the tale. No more Enclave (she thought), her people were safe. She'd been allowed to grow this old through her hard work and ingenuity. Well, and a little help from her little sister. And all of her friends, who she missed so dearly. Talking Deathclaws, friendly Super Mutants... Cassidy. So, in other words, she's just about seen it all.

Well, almost. She hasn't woken up as a fire dog before now, but she sure as hell won't go down without a fight. It's almost shocking how well she can hold her own despite her form (this is what canonically having 10 in every SPECIAL stat does to a protagonist). "Come get some, you piece of shit!"

2] Dream A Little, Dream Of Me

Nana dreams of home. Well, almost home. It's her car, if you think that counts. And she's sat in the driver's seat, cruising through the desert at a full-throttle, breakneck speed. Having the time of her fucking life. She's probably wagging her tail in delight in the real world.

The woman in the driver's seat is dark-skinned and middle aged, her hair tied up in locs which are in turn in a ponytail. They're decorated with various mismatched clasps and beads made of gold and bone. Her face is old, scarred from above her right eye to her left cheek. She's wearing a blue jacket with yellow trim, a large 13 visibly emblazoned on the back should she lean forward. Besides that, not much seems to be happening yet. Old ladies are simple dreamers, perhaps.

3] Maybe, by The Ink Spots

Don't see anything you like here? Send me a wildcard or contact me at lesbiankrile!

2

[positivestars]

[Who doesn't dream of just getting out on the road and going, without restrictions? Maya turns to the driver and grins.]

Are we going right out to the horizon?

Catrina Calavera | OC | Litwick (Current Player)

[gimmeeyeballs]

A. The Worst Welcome Ever

Maybe it was a good idea or an incredibly awful one to let Catrina loose to greet newcomers arriving in Skull Town, but here she was, the worst candle out there to keep you warm! Catrina has a concerning scent of pinecones around her, likely thanks to consuming them recently. What was she supposed to do again? Oh right, be 'helpful'. Now what's the most helpful thing to offer to a newcomer? Oh right, WARMTH

The heinous candle's flame gets bigger as she holds up her wax arms for a hug...oh sweet Arceus..

"Come on! HUG ME, I AM WARM AS TOASTER PEANUT BUTTER!"

Catrina...what the hell is 'toaster peanut butter'....CATRINA...


B. A Very Jan Svankmajer Wizard of Oz (dreamshare)

SHE'S GONE WHERE THE GOBLINS GO~

The stage is set, its hue in sapia as dust danced in the suspended stage lights. The wood of the aging stage creaked as hoards of monstrous looking puppets of taxidermy scattered about like bugs after their log had been pulled up. They surround a prop house, their skeletal, wire hinged jaws clattering and jittering as though they were conversing amongst themselves as the collective group of horrors look over what was underneath it: a pair of mannequin legs of this dream’s wicked witch of the east, her silvery tarnished shoes having a dull gleam in the light.

Slowly, the prop house’s door opened with a rusted creak, revealing Catrina holding Plague Bird in her arm, her antiqued, moth-eaten dress that would’ve been best suited for a disturbed porcelain doll rustled upon exiting the prop house. It didn’t take long for the misshapen taxidermy puppets to surround Catrina, their teeth clattering on in joy for the apparent third degree murder. A slow, off tuned piano started to play as Catrina pantomimes a face of shock and horror on where she ended up as the dry ice fog drifted on the right of the stage.

The figure in the fog is hard to make out at first, being a blob of sorts before Catrina’s eyes could make out just who it was coming down the stage. An ahuizotl skeleton, clad in purple robes, acidic green flames flickered around its head as though it were hair came walking down the stage in a bombastic voice that echoed,

“AS MAYOR OF THE MUNCHKIN CITY AND CORONER IN THE MERRY OLD LAND OF OZ~ I’M HERE TO THOROUGHLY EXAMINE THE WITCH AND DECREE SHE IS INDEED MOST SINCERELY DEAD!~” Catrina’s professor, Professor Lich Juan Maldito sang out in full dramatics for the setting.

“How the fuck did I get myself into this!?” Catrina gasped out in shock, clutching her absolutely diseased plush toy upon noticing she has an audience.

C. For Whom the Organ Toils....(CW for: Verbal assault, decomposition while alive, and body horror elements.)

Nobody likes you and you're better off dead~

Woah, you were like incredibly unlucky there to not only NOT be in the show or audience, instead you're in the orchestra pit with a weird, tiny yellow amphibian in a pure white suit playing the pipe organ in a sinister fashion. He glances back at you, voice soft and melodic as he goes to rip into you verbally of past things you've done in a mocking fashion. How accurate they are is up to the unfortunate you, it could be laser targeted or completely made up, but whichever the case, it strikes deeply in an unsettling way.

As the amphibian verbally lashes into you, his vivid yellow coloration darkens towards being brownish green, sliding off like sludge, the organ music playing faster and more maniacally. It's clear the organ player is decomposing into this putrid substance not unlike M. Valdemar, laughing away in a high pitched fashion before completely dissolving into a puddle of putrefaction. Emotional distress for all involved...

D. Aftermath

Catrina is at the clinic looking like she's not only hungover but also got hit by a freight train on top of it. She's sipping her hot drink with a bit of a manic laughter interspersed in-between, glancing a bit from side to side at the others suffering from this 'hiccup' too. Not being rested has made this booger more or less far more unhinged than normal, often hissing at other Pokemon if they walk too close.

Maybe it was sleep that kept Catrina a bit more well maintained after all...that is a very disturbing thought to even realize for all involved.

"You're no beauty queen either pal!" Catrina screeches after noticing she's being stared at.

E. Wildcard! (please feel free to do a different prompt, mix n' match prompts, or CR with me through PM on Cat's Journal or PP me on Dolly_Mancer )

Worst welcome ever (oh he's had worse for sure)

[doomed_gambler]

Aventurine had been wandering this snowy hellscape, searching for shelter....he'll take snow over rain sure but with no shoes or clothing to speak of it's...not great. He's a child of the desert, not the tundra. Where in the cosmos did he land himself this time...

His strange cat body had started shaking uncontrollably by the time he spots...some sort of settlement?? He thinks?? He hears shouting. A little, abrasive voice. He looks over and there's a. Uh.

Candle? Offering hugs?? No. Demanding.

Wow. Maybe he's still in Penacony if he's hallucinating this bad. Ah well.

He smiles, meowth body shivering for all he's worth. "Well now, can't t-turn down such an earnest r-request now c-can I?" He replies, opening his arms up for the critter.

Maybe he's hallucinating. Or maybe they want something unsaid. Still. Warmth at his paws is hard to turn down. High risk, high reward!

Ren Amamiya | Persona 5 Royal | Current Player

[colorsflyinghigh]

A. SNOW MAN'S LAND

It's no surprise that Ren volunteers to help the newcomers the moment the news arrives.

Part of him had been starting to expect it. It hasn't gone beyond his notice that new arrivals tend to appears around the start of every other month; a pattern that has held since the beginning. He may be no detective, but even if his boyfriend wasn't one it would be hard not to notice.

Regardless, his new (old) outfit is more resilient than it looks, and provides some much-needed insulation for his grass-type self, leaving him more capable of helping others in the cold enviroment. The snowfall limits his vision, but it's not long before he notices movement.

"Hey! Over here! Are you okay?"

B. SLEEP OFF YOUR FEET [CW: Psychological horror, Unreality, Gun Violence, Implied Death/Death Imagery.]

Considering his previous experiences with the magical nightmares, it perhaps shouldn't be a surprise that Ren finds himself trapped in one. Perhaps it was triggered by the time of year, perhaps by the snow, perhaps by whatever entity unleashed them the first time. Regardless, Ren can't wake up as the nightmare plays out for all to see, and as he himself falls into others' dreams.

It's Tokyo on what appears to be a beautiful winter day. Snow gently falls out of the sky, and people are dressed up in warm coats, scarfs and hats, the landscape dusted in white, but something about it all is... off. Despite the snow, the sky is clear in a way it shouldn't be, allowing rays of sunshine to illuminate the natural beauty of the winter-wonderland. There's a slighter shimmer to everything, an almost oily vignette overlaying it all. People are smiling, but... that's just the thing. All of them are smiling. Not a single other emotion is present, only smiles, smiles, happy happy happy.

In the middle of Shibuya's scramble crossing, Ren stands, frozen. He can only watch as people, far too happy people, walk by. He feels his own face twisting into a smile against his will, watches his old friends laugh and laugh and laugh about things that don't matter. People he knows to be dead are alive, smiling just as brightly, like nothing ever happened in the first place. Everyone is happy, everything they've ever wanted has become reality.

Deeply, instinctively, he knows this is wrong. In the corner of his eye, dark tentacles slither through the city, but as soon as he turns to look, they're gone.

Nothing is wrong. Everything is wrong. He feels someone's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head, and when he turns around-

Akechi. The human version, that is, but he, too, is all kinds of wrong. His smile is too soft, not a hair out of place. He's laughing alongside his friends, like everything is ok, like he didn't kill the parents of two of them. Like they've always been friends. Like nothing is wrong.

But his eyes.

His eyes.

Dull. Dead. Like a fish. They're locked onto Ren in a way that makes his skin crawl.

Ren can't look away. He can't no matter how hard he tries. Their eyes stay locked together.

The imposter Akechi turns to him fully, and his friends' laughter gets more distant.

"Hmm? What is it?" the imposter says, his mouth moving, but his voice is dissonant. Wrong in ways Ren can't explain. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ren knows he doesn't. He face is smiling against his will, while the imposter's eyes narrow, ever so slightly.

"Isn't this exactly what you wished for?" he says with a hum- did he just get closer? His smile widens. "Isn't this what you betrayed me for?"

Ren's throat is dry. He can't stop smiling.

"Is it not to your liking? Am I not to your liking? Would you have preferred me to stay dead? I would've preferred it, and yet now that the deed is done, you're unsatisfied? How horrible of you!" the imposter(?) laughs, breathily and airily against his cutting words.

Of course not, Ren wants to reply, but his mouth doesn't move. It only smiles, smiles, smiles-

"You truly are the worst, aren't you?" Akechi hums, reaching into his coat. He tilts his head coyly. Ren smiles. "If you prefer me dead, then..."

There's a gun pointed at Ren's forehead. Akechi smiles, with his dead, fish eyes.

Ren smiles back.

"Perhaps..."

Ren smiles back.

"This is how your justice ends."

Ren smiles Ren smiles Ren smiles Ren smiles Ren smiles Ren smiles-

There's a bang. Red on the white snow. Nobody notices anything.

Everybody smiles.

C. WILDCARD

Not interested in either of the above prompts? Reach out to me in Ren's OOC Inbox!

B

[truthdecided]

"Ren, snap out of it!" Akechi, the real Akechi calls. It's a dream. It has to be a dream. That is not him.

It's a grisly sight, but he knows, he knows it's just a nightmare, so he dashes to Ren's side, glaring daggers at the impostor.

"You're alive. I'm alive. This isn't..."

It isn't real. The blood isn't real. Ren is fine. He shakes him, wipes away the blood with a sleeve.

Bigby Wolf | TWAU | Morpeko ✨ | Current Character

[wolfcut]

cold as ice

[ Lack of weaknesses to ice notwithstanding, his size leaves him less than able to withstand the sheer cold of the season. So while he won’t be joining any rescue missions out to Icefall Lake, he can at least help out around Skull Town and get any newcomers situated.

Defog, he’s found, has been particularly useful in clearing out large piles of snow, but there’s only so much huffing and puffing his little body can take before he tires himself out. Of course. As an alternative, he’s picked up a small shovel — or maybe more of a trowel — and a satchel of salt, which he tosses to the first person he sees around. Hopefully they have a shovel of their own already. ]

Look alive. We need to clear this spot out.

you make my dreams (come true)
possible cw: body horror, gore, animal violence

[ You dream of nothing. No sights nor sounds, merely an endless void empty of all sensation. What finally breaks through is not another gentle light, but a sudden scratch at the back of your throat. You can start to taste the air around you, thick with the putrid smells of a dying city and rotting forest. The more you gag, the more it overwhelms you, until it becomes all you’ve ever known.

Eventually, you open your eyes to an abandoned city in decay, an amalgamation of skyscrapers and stone towers being ripped apart by overgrowth. There’s no birdsong nor chatter, only a mismatched assortment of abandoned offices and taverns lining the street ahead. Above, the sky seems as though lit on fire, a deathly orange hue shrouding the landscape below.

From behind, a voice speaks, perhaps familiar, perhaps not. Suddenly, everything comes into focus. You are as you remember yourself to be — human, Pokémon, or something else entirely. ]

You shouldn’t be here.

( ooc: for fun, flip a coin and share your results, or let your dream be decided for you. )

wake me up before you go-go

[ Bigby is not an uncommon sight at the clinic, but admittedly, this might have been his longest record since needing to come in last. Bundled in a blanket, he takes his medicine without much fuss, not exactly keen on staying poisoned if he can help it.

With a shudder, the antitoxin goes down, which he’s quick to chase with a bite of a seed. He’s quiet, exhausted, antsy, but he stays where he is, instead looking over at his fellow patient nearby. As much as he'd prefer to avoid idle conversation right now, this question has been haunting him since he woke up. ]

... Did you see it too?

wildcard

( ooc: want to mix anything up? need to avoid any possible triggers? feel free to let me know, or message me at esnupi! )

dreams! offers the coin flip to you

[loopsiedaisy]

[For Siffrin, the smells of dying and rot only start acrid and musty. What they associate with rot is sickly-sweet sugar, faintly burnt, growing stronger and stronger until there's nothing else and they're choking on it -]

[(Time is a prison, and something's broken, failing, rotting -)]

[They're lying on the ground when they open their eyes (the one working, the other not, even in dreams. It's been a long time). Thankfully, the sensation under their back isn't grass. Broken skyscrapers loom overhead, the shape entirely unfamiliar and baffling; the scent of burnt sugar still clings to the air around them.]

[Their shape is strange and indistinct, like their own mental image isn't clear - mostly human, but the outlines of their hair keep sparking and fizzing. Sometimes, for a moment, they don't seem to have a mouth. Sometimes there's a suggestion of Shinx ears, particularly when they hear something new. The pair of ears appears and rotates backwards when Siffrin hears that voice, then vanishes just as quickly; simultaneously, their shoulders tense. Siffrin forces them back down.]

[...]

I shouldn't be anywhere! [they respond, their voice chipper.] So why not here?

Flowey | Undertale | Current Character

[friendlyflower]

i. Snowy

[Nobody expects to see a Sunkern in Icefall Lake of all places... even if he is wearing a beanie cap with flames on it. (Did he think it would make him warmer or something?)

Fewer expect a Sunkern to be cursing up a storm, but that's what Flowey here is doing. He had partnered with a Ponyta from the Oran Berries guild to help guide him through the snow and rescue new arrivals. Ponyta has the warmth, speed, and power; Flowey has a great memory that was meant to help prevent them from getting lost.

Sadly, a rumbling sound spooked the Ponyta and caused it to kick Flowey off and run away, leaving him stranded in the snow.

The rumbling was not an avalanche incoming, but actually a Beartic peeking its head out of its den. When it sees the abandoned Sunkern, it lumbers towards him, overshadowing him easily. Flowey is frozen... in terror, anyway.

Then, the Beartic scoops him up and takes him back to her den. She places him among her Cubchoos and curls around them to go back to sleep.]

Hey! I'm not lost! I'm a respected member of the Cheri Berries guild, darn it! Let go of me!

[Unfortunately, the Beartic has already fallen back asleep. It also appears this is not the first time this has happened.

a. If your character looked lost, you may also wind up in the Beartic's den.

b. Though perhaps instead they saw the scene unfold and have come to rescue Flowey. Be careful, though! Beartic might get aggressive if she starts thinking you're threatening her Cubchoos.

... though, if nobody shows up to save him, it's okay (and expected). He's not really in any danger of anything except a long nap. They'll probably let him go after, right? ... Right?]

ii. Hopes and Dreams

* You're drifting off... (OTA unless marked)

a. Mysterious Place (cw: unreality)

[You're walking down an endless set of stairs. Further and further down you go. If you turn around, the staircase you've already passed looks endlessly tall. Just thinking about going back up makes you feel miserable and exhausted. Only one way to go, then.

As you descend, you think you see things in the darkness. Eyes... smiles... hands. Though, none are ever close enough for you to touch.

As you descend, the oppressive darkness gives way to distorted views. It's almost like a distorted panorama or even 'tunnel vision'. You're in ruins, wrapping around you like an embrace, purple columns and abandoned buildings. You're lost in an endless frozen forest, trees hanging above you like stalactites, but none of the snow in the pine needles falls on your head. You're sinking into lava, so lost and choked by smoke that the only sensation that can keep you going is still descending step by step.

... but sometimes, just sometimes, you might make out entirely grey figures in the distance. Usually, when you get a good look at them, they disappear. Sometimes, they don't. Sometimes, they're you, and then you're lost in a world where you don't exist.]

b. Your Best Nightmare (cw: lots of death, violence, body horror, unreality. Undertale spoilers, too.)

[Your first sensation is seeing your own soul.

Maybe it's a cherry red, maybe it's a golden yellow, maybe another shade of the rainbow. It's shaped like a cartoonish heart, bobbing gently in front of you like it's floating on waves of darkness.

Your next sensation is seeing a massive leafy arm covered in red thorns reaching to steal it.

A primal, utter terror will run through you. Maybe people have hit you, mocked you, done terrible things to you in the past. But to have your very soul, the essence of your being, stolen? It's a violation in the deepest possible way.

So you jerk back, you struggle, you fight. The strange 'hand' retracts. And only then do you get a good view of its owner: an unholy fusion of flesh, plant, and machine. A monstrous head with bulging eyes and a sawtooth mouth; giant eyes tracking your every move; ever-growing plant matter, vines and thorns and leaves; wires and veins and worms; a TV atop it all, flashing between a wicked smile and distorted images of people screaming in pain.

You're helpless before a being infinitely stronger than you. Even looking at it, trying to comprehend it, makes it feel like your head is splitting open. It laughs- a distorted, echoing, and familiar sound- and then it kills you.

And again. And again. You're ripped in half. You're burned alive. You're shot by dozens of magazines worth of bullets. A bomb tears you to shreds. You feel the pain of each death, but each time, you're brought back as if it hadn't happened... except for your memory of it.

There's no escaping. And if you try to fight back? The amount of damage you can inflict is infinitesimal. The being makes a mocking little "ow", noise, clearly amused.]

c. Small Shock (cw: disassociation, depression, soullessness, UT spoilers)

[You open your eyes.

Why can't you feel your arms and legs? What happened? Where are your friends, your loved ones?

It occurs to you, then: you've been reborn as a flower! You can't move! If you cry out for help, though... nobody will come.

The dream shifts between moments, as dreams are wont to do. You're with your mother. Her shape is vague- did she always have white fur?- but you know you're supposed to love her. You can't feel a thing. She smiles at you, and you feel as hollow as if you were looking at a complete stranger.

You're with your father. He might not look like you remember, but it is your father, right? Then how come, when he says "I love you," it doesn't make you feel warm and safe like always? You search in yourself trying to feel something, anything, but you can't.

They look at you and see someone who isn't there. Someone who died. Someone who can never come back-- and the more you pretend, the more painful the emptiness inside grows.

The type of flower you've turned into may vary-- and maybe, the more the dream adapts to you, you'll find yourself encountering your own loved ones (though they may appear to be monsters)... and still, unable to love them at all. They look like characters in a game. Lines of code repeating what they always will.

And you can never escape it.]

d. Dogsong (no CWs except flight? heights?)

[You're on the back of a large white shiba inu. It looks back at you and lets out a happy little bark. Oh, and you're flying through the air! Clouds are just whizzing past you! The dog takes a bite of one like it's cotton candy.

Next to you, flying on rainbow wings, is someone you've never seen before. He's a young anthropomorphic goat boy with a sweet smile, white fur, and a green and yellow striped sweater. He seems to be having a great time!]

Wheeee! Let's go higher!

[The next thing you know, you're in space! (Breathing? What's breathing? This is a dream, don't worry about it.) You're surrounded by cartoonish, twinkling stars. You're pretty sure the moon just winked at you. The dog is now wearing a little astronaut helmet which looks like a fishbowl with an antennae on it.]

e. Home (closed-- for Shoka)

[You're home.

Any thoughts of 'this isn't your home' are quickly pushed out of your mind by the dream. Of course it is! You're sitting on a wood floor in front of the warm fireplace drawing next to your best friend, Asriel.

(Asriel...? Who?)

If you look down at yourself, you're a child again, wearing a green and yellow striped sweater. Asriel is wearing his matching one, of course. He's laying on his tummy, drawing with crayon. It looks like himself, but with rainbow wings and a huge cartoonish sword.

Your mother, Toriel, comes by and leaves you both mugs of hot chocolate. Asriel beams up at her, then at you.]

How's your drawing coming, Chara?

iii. It's Raining Somewhere Else

[A horrible shared nightmare with aliens? Business as usual for Flowey.

Other people having seen his dreams? That's the real nightmare.

The lack of restful sleep and lingering poison are contributing to his foul mood. He's wrapped up in a blanket at the clinic, refusing to talk to anyone. But rather than his usual stubborn brat attitude, he looks really... defeated. Small. Depressed.

'Energetic' and 'aggressive' are his usual two moods. Other Pokemon who wound up in one of those two states might find it unusual. For Nurse Chansey, what's unusual is seeing Flowey so compliant. When she brings him food, he thanks her. When she has to do check-ups, he doesn't call her a quack and ask to see her medical license.

That doesn't mean he's a pleasant child again. There's just no will to fight left in him.]

iv. Wildcard

[Hit me up at friendlyflower or on Discord.]

II b (+ CWs: disassocation and suicidal ideation probably,)

[loopsiedaisy]

[The first time Siffrin's soul is pulled out of their body - what shade is it? They can't tell, they're still dreaming without color - they panic and fight. They have a knife again somehow, rather than teeth and claws, though their Craft has more of the buzz of electricity to it than it ever did before. Their eyes are wild, but they resist with a surprising amount of finesse, and they're razor fast.]

[It doesn't matter. They die anyway.]

[The second time around, they're frozen in shock and dread. They take maybe one step, reacting purely on instinct to the feeling of their soul yanked out again, but they don't move in time to dodge even the first attack.]

[The third time they struggle once more, though they don't muster the same intensity as the first attempt. It almost feels like they're on autopilot. Even so, you can practically see the moment that they think of something and start scanning their surroundings. They're increasingly more distracted by it, but they're not expecting to get hit for a while yet, and dream logic helps them out here; they're somehow always not quite in the spot they last were.]

[What really gets them is the moment when they just as visibly give up on looking. They're alone here.]

[Their expression goes distant. They fight for maybe four, five seconds more... but it's half-hearted. A vine spears them through.]

[The fourth time they don't move. They just stare up the monstrous shape - though their eye doesn't focus, and they barely seem present at all - and wait.]

Kinger | The Amazing Digital Circus | Morelull | Current Character

[0dchess]

1. Warm Hearts

[Kinger hangs back at the Spire training rooms when the arrivals are reaching Skull Town. He says he wants to be in tip-top shape to demonstrate the best of the Orans to new recruits, but more than that he just feels ill-equipped to deal with icy conditions. The training room he's chosen is one with plenty of shaded areas for him to gather his thoughts in.]

Okay, powder moves, powder moves...

[Kinger shakes his mushrooms a bit, and pollen flies off of them, but nothing concentrated enough to be an attack.]

How did I do that before?

2. Cold Tablets

[During the hustle and bustle of arrivals, Kinger can be found not at The Spire, but at the Archives. He is researching Pokémon moves, particularly Psychic and Fairy type moves. Some of the Psychic moves he finds info on seem incomprehensible. Someone in the Archives might find the tiny mushroom muttering to himself looking over a tablet.]

Slower Pokémon get to move first? How does that work?

3. Today's Adventure Is...!

[One of Kinger's dreams you may be pulled into is back at the Digital Circus, an absolutely massive circus tent. A strange being with a face that is just teeth and eyeballs floats above you and Kinger.]


"A new human has entered this realm! Well, time for adventure!"

[A portal opens below you and Kinger, and you both fall in.]

(ooc: Keeping the actual "adventure" vague because I feel like it can be something surreal shaped by both characters' subconscious, if you want to discuss feel free to hit me up at any of the contact methods for Wildcard below)

4. Barely Lucid (spoilers for Episode 3 of the Amazing Digital Circus)

[Another of Kinger's dreams that you might find yourself in is also back in the Circus, though you might not know it at first and might not even recognize the person as Kinger. You find yourself in Kinger's absolutely colossal pillow fort, and in front of you is a chess man wearing a purple robe with fur lining, sitting next to a towering black blob covered in multicolored eyes.]

Oh, hello! I figured this would be a good time to try out lucid dreaming!

[However, as anyone who has tried lucid dreaming before knows, losing focus on lucidity for a second will bring the dream back to subconscious dream logic.]

5. Waking Nightmare

[Kinger awakens with a bloodcurdling scream after the Ultra Beast dream. After some deep breaths (that may have also involved him running out of the room, so people other than his roommate can find him) he will notice someone looking at him.]

Sorry, I- I thought I was abstracting.

6. Suggestion Box (Wildcard)

Any other prompt ideas for Kinger can go here! I'm open to other dream or reality ideas. You can PM me, message me on Plurk at hollyfrosty, or on Discord at hollyfrosty! You can also just pitch a wildcard below without prompting.

cold tablets

[sharpjustice]

[In the middle of another day of trying to make sense of the cataloging system in the Archives, Mayaka spots an unfamiliar Pokemon talking to themselves in a corner. Of course, her librarian instincts kick in as she walks up to check on the Mourelull.]

Hi there! I'm Mayaka from the Lum Berries. Did you need help with something?

Nico Robin | One Piece | Cofagrigus✨ | Current Player, New Character

[poniglyphics]

I. Icefall Hellebore

[Robin's body feels stiff and cold. The cold was expected- she could feel the air getting colder as she was hurtling through the sky, so it seems she's landed on a Winter Island. The stiffness, too, would normally be unsurprising. Falling unconscious in the frigid weather would have chilled her to the bone. But she does not feel any burning pain associated with frostbite, or numbness that would be hiding such feelings.]

[She moves experimentally. Her arms move freely, feeling lighter than normal, but she can't manifest more than four. Her face muscles are the only other ones that respond, but they move in stiff grinding ways, as though made of stone. She needs to get to one of the nearby caves to warm up. She crawls towards it on her back, using her four arms as legs to carry her.]

[The cave she chooses is already occupied, however, as a confident voice inside calls out.]"Agh! Cofagrigus! This is my cave, not yours!"

[Before Robin can explain, an icicle covered armadillo creature of some sort launches itself at her, razor sharp claws slashing around her as she narrowly avoids them. She has to fight back. She crosses her lower arms- her real arms? - with a battle cry.]

Dos Fleurs!

[She brings down two Shadowy Claws on the Sandslash in front of her. Wait, shadowy claws!?]

II. Skull Town Snapdragon

[Robin has been here a few days, long enough that she has gotten a bit more used to moving in her ghostly body, and long enough that Sanji and Robin have had enough reunion time that it makes sense for her to interact with other characters. She will float up to someone who seems friendly enough to ask:]

Hello, is there a bookstore in this town?

III. Ohara Forget-Me-Not (CW: Trauma, active warfare, government oppression. Spoilers up to Enies Lobby (2014) arc of One Piece.)

[Robin's dream brings her back to an unfortunately familiar place, the island of Ohara under seige by a Buster Call. Anyone else pulled into this dream will see an island covered in burning forests, including a massive central tree. The island is surrounded by naval ships firing cannonballs into the island.]

[One change from Robin's memories is that she is still in her Cofagrigus form, and the island is dotted with Cofagrigus-like sarcophagi, with one particularly massive one covered completely in ice.]

IV. Wildcard Wildflower

Any other prompt ideas for Robin can go here! Showing her around the Archives, pulling her into a different dream, or anything else? You can PM me, message me on Plurk at hollyfrosty, or on Discord at hollyfrosty! You can also just pitch a wildcard below without prompting.

II

[timeexistseverywhere]

[Every now and then, Aegiomon finds himself in Skull Town, usually for mission reasons. He's still not as used to the area as, say, Bottlecap Bay, but it's not like anyone could tell that just by looking at him. What he does look like is a very easy to approach baby goat.

He looks up at the Cofagrigus, eyes widening instantly. Not out of fear, more out of...recognition. Cofagrigus definitely has the kind of face he can imagine on a Digimon.]

Woah...

[Aegiomon says it without even thinking, right before blinking a few times and realizing she just asked him a question.]

I-I mean, uhhhh, a bookstore? [He spins around a little, as if a bookstore would just manifest somewhere around here.] Maaaaaybe? Does it have to be a bookstore? 'Cuz there's totally a library filled with all these stone books back at the Bay.

[Tablets. He means tablets.]

Mayaka Ibara | Hyouka | Hisuian Sneasel | Current Character

[sharpjustice]

warm hearts: helping out

As you wander around Skull Town, you might come across a tiny Hisuian Sneasel wearing a purple scarf, with gloves on her claws, and a small frown on her face. She holds a big parchment up and examines the road building plans, which continue despite the weather.

"What to work on next? There's stuff to move, mark out the new roads, double check the roads have been salted properly, put the railings up. Argh, so many things to do!" she exclaims, which might surprise some given her diminutive stature.

While listing out the tasks ahead should have helped organise her thoughts, it's only made her frustrated!

warm hearts: leaving town

Before leaving for Bottlecap Bay, Mayaka drops by Skull Town's clinic and living hall, poking her head into each building to see if there are any newcomers who might want to journey back with her.

"Hey! I'm heading back to Bottlecap Bay if anyone wants to tag along!" She'll wave her claws to get your attention.

"You've got to be fine with the cold, though. It won't be safe to travel otherwise."

mayaka dreams of... a chocolate mystery, and a dazzling school festival in bottlecap bay, and running from ghosts!

the case of the handmade chocolate (spoilers for hyouka ep 21)

In this dream, you'll find yourself in a modestly furnished classroom, with bookshelves along the walls, and a row of windows looking out over a soccer field that's been covered in snow. In the middle of the clubroom is a rectangular meeting table, with four chairs neatly arranged around it. The room may appear strangely familiar to you, like you've spent many afternoons here poring over books, figuring out homework, and solving innocuous school mysteries with your friends -- or it may be completely foreign to you.

The only thing you do know, is that today is the 14th of February and the homemade chocolate that was placed here for someone special, is now missing.

Perhaps you'll see Mayaka (still a Sneasel?) standing at the head of the table, with a dejected look on her face. Or perhaps you'll be in her place, and you'll know that she spent the entire week trying, failing, and eventually figuring out how to make chocolate from scratch, to deliver this Valentine's gift. After her confession last year was rejected on the grounds of Satoshi "not accepting store bought chocolate", she resolved to make a chocolate that he would definitely accept--as if that was the key to getting him to acknowledge her feelings.

She left the handmade chocolate here just an hour ago, too embarrassed to present it to Satoshi directly.

And now, it's gone.

the bottlecap bay school festival!

You'll awake in the heart of Bottlecap Bay, except it looks all decked out for a grand festival - even grander than the celebrations of the Longest Night and the Shortest Day. After all, this is a school festival, the only time of year when we can all forget about impending tests and neverending studies, and focus on creating something fun, and sharing our passion and hobbies through club showcases! Our youth only comes once, after all!

Amid the banners, flags, balloons, and signs beckoning you to come into the shophouses which have been converted into maid cafes, haunted houses, magic performances, and the choir club of Jigglypuff and the odd Psyduck performing in the square, you will find a Hisuian Sneasel sitting behind a table along the road, next to a sign which reads:

"Manga Club Drawing Commissions: OPEN!

Cost: 5 Berries"

Mayaka is too focused on her art to notice you staring, as a bead of sweat trickles down the side of her face. She has to get this perfect!

Perhaps you have your own club or class activity to help out at, or perhaps you recognise this Sneasel and want to approach her to ask what's going on?

g-g-ghosts !!!

Mayaka is running with tears in her eyes down a never-ending road. She is being chased by what appears to be a gigantic clay figurine, sculpted to look like a ghost, with a mishappen hair bow dangling from its head. While the figure itself does not look particularly aggressive, and it floats along at a relaxed and languid pace, its eyes are unblinking as it stares down at her. Obviously, the correct reaction is to panic and scream.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE!!" the Sneasel shrieks as she continue running from her worst fear made real by a certain Litwick.

school festival!

[edgewater]

Parvati hasn't been to school in a very long time. Well, that's if what she had for education even counted. Beyond basic colony education, most of her teens were spent apprenticing under her dad so she could take his position when she grew up. She's almost thirty now. In spite of how overwhelming the crowds and signs and general noise of the place should be, she's wading her way through without thought.

She hasn't exactly been to a market like this before. Not unless the Groundbreaker counted, anyhow.

That's when she finally catches a familiar face out of the corner of her eye, striding over to the Manga Club's humble little setup through a crowd of excitable Froakies blowing bubbles. "Hiya, Mayaka," the Tinkaton smiles, "what's, uh, 'manga'?" She tilts her head to the side, welding goggles glinting a little in the light. It's not exactly a word she's heard before.

Agnes Montague | The Magnus Archives | Ninetales

[pyrodulia]

1. Warmth Shared
As new arrivals are brought to Death Blood Murder Skull Town, those who are shivering the most, those who were frozen, those weak to Ice are brought to a Ninetales with ashy brown tips to her tail.

Agnes had gone to Skull Town of her own volition upon hearing new arrivals were showing up at Icefall Lake. She's gotten used to taking on the duty of space heater, with bodies laid against her. As they recover, she can answer some of the questions about the town.


2. Dreams Shared [Pay attention to TWs, please!]

a. Rope [CW: death by hanging, murder, implications of suicide, fire, severed limbs, teeth where teeth should not be]

There is a house. Or perhaps, there was a house. It seems to have been burnt down, mere charcoal beam skeleton standing smelling like sulfur and charred marshmallows. There is no door.

There is a body hanging from a rope visible inside, wearing a white dress that seems pure, clean, untouched by the destructive fire around her. Her skin is ashen grey. Tied to her waist is a severed hand. At her feet is half an apple, the skin perfect, shiny and red.

b. Candle [CW: body horror, fire, pain]

You are sitting in a cafe, a very normal cafe, where people are walking around, ordering drinks, talking with friends. No one acknowledges you, though.

You might be a Pokemon, in this dream, or your original self. When you look down to check, regardless of what your form is, you realize you are made of colored wax, instead of flesh. As if you're a candle.

But you're not the only one. Everyone in the cafe is made of wax, flesh faintly translucent.

3. Passions Shared
The big nightmare, you know which one, leaves Agnes feeling aggressive, but also paranoid. You might notice her walking patrols or viewing new arrivals who she hasn't already met with suspicion. She's more likely to snap at people over tiny offenses like spilling food or getting in her way. Her temper flares, and if Pokemon don't back down, it may lead to actual fights.

...hope you're prepared for a tough battle if so, she's got some surprising coverage moves.


4. Test Drive Shared
Wild card option here! Find me at darkersolstice on plurk or discord to plot.

Warmth Shared

[sharpjustice]

A shivering Sneasel appears before Agnes, having been ushered here by the helpers once she stumbled indoors. Her claws are covered by a pair of hardy gloves, and she wears a light purple scarf around her neck, but it seems these accessories haven't helped in the recent flurry of snow and wind that visited Skull Town.

"I spent... too long outside... working on the roads..." Mayaka tries to explain between chattering teeth.

She doesn't quite know how this works. Is she supposed to just stand over here and wait for the heat to thaw her frozen bones?

Umemiya Hajime - Wind Breaker - Lucario

[fromsprouts]

1. Radar Dish [New Arrivals]
One of the great things about being a Lucario is Aura Sense. Not an ability or an attack (though Aura Sphere is pretty cool), it allows Umemiya do do the equivalent of acting as a St. Bernard dog in avalanches, seeking out those who are trapped and buried, especially if they have strong emotions like fear and confusion.

So, if you're waiting for a rescue, it might be this blue dog jackal Set animal Pokemon poking his nose into the little snow cave after some digging, ready to scoop you up and bring you to safety.


2. Hot Dish [Skull Town Living]
As people settle into the communal living hall, Umemiya decides this is when the last of the winter garden vegetables get harvested...and cooked. Perhaps you're hanging around and there's suddenly a Lucario in a green gakuran jacket offering you a bowl of broccoli cheese soup or roasted brussel sprouts or a whole grilled cauliflower steak. He's grinning, clearly expecting you to just take the food.

"Here, hard to help out if you don't eat and have the energy to work!"


3. Satellite Dish [Dreams]

1. Lightning Crashes

You are at the foot of a mountain, in a raging storm. There are two gods fighting, at the top of the mountain, but you also see them in the sky, like a projection.

One is a Hindu god, white haired and dressed in green clothing wrapped like heavenly robes around him, holding a sword with the handle shaped similarly to the end of a vajra. The other is a garuda, the coloring of its feathers calling to mind a Blaziken, perhaps.

The ground shakes as they fight. It feels as though this battle may tear the world apart.

There are steps that lead up to the top of the mountain.

2. Lakini's Juice

There is a tree. It towers above, and in its shade, there is a garden. The sun is shining. The tree is a bridge. The garden is a haven. There are weeds in the garden, and gravel too. There are animals coming across the bridge, from a cage with an open door.

What do?

4. Alright, So Dish!
Wildcard option. Hit me up at darkersolstice on most social media to plot.

3a!

[edgewater]

There's something to be said about the woman who shares a name with a Hindu goddess not knowing what Hinduism is. In theory, were she from Earth, she perhaps could recognise these figures. But she very much isn't, and the dominant religion in space is science. And what a crappy religion it is, for it lacks any of this cool imagery. So what she instead sees is two very over-exaggerated figures - one man and one bird - duking it out as if the world would end if they stopped. Or maybe it'll end if they keep going, she isn't exactly sure.

Wait a minute, doesn't she recognise the colouring on the bird..?

Laios Touden | Dungeon Meshi | Boltund | Current Character

[dunchies]

the snow loves the trees and fields

[ Despite being one of the first to volunteer to join the rescue efforts, in truth, Laios merely needed the excuse to venture out into Icefall Lake. After exhausting his searches closer to the Bay, he sets his sights beyond Skull Town now, still hopeful to find the one person he's been looking for the past month already.

Carrying his pack of essentials, he heads out alone just as the dawn breaks. Laios can only spend so much time finding nothing and no one before he has to hunker down. The winds are picking up, pushing him to find refuge in one of caves to warm back up. Once he does, he immediately realizes he's not alone. ]

... How long have you been in here?

a dream is not a reality
possible cw: dunmeshi spoilers, body horror, depersonalization, violence, cannibalism (opt-in only)

There you are.

[ One by one, torches come to life with a burst of flame. There's a loud creak of a steel door closing shut behind you, but looking back reveals no such thing. If an exit exists, it's certainly not where it should be. Here you are, just as the voice declared, and here is where you will be.

Within these four walls is a ballroom already filled with dancers who pay you no mind, their faces hidden with gilded masks resembling all manner of animal. Tables that never seem to empty line the edges of the floor, covered with an overabundance of food that's unrecognizable yet smells almost too intoxicating to resist. At the head of the room, a man rises from his throne with his arms outstretched. The two suits of armor at his side twitch at attention.

Suddenly, all at once, the dancers stop, turning their heads toward you. ]

We've been waiting! Come! Eat!

[ Whatever you may have been before, you're nothing but a human, for now. ]

one can’t believe impossible things

[ Laios can't remember the last time he was awake. He jolts up from the last nightmare with a sharp gasp, as if still struggling to breathe. A few of the nurses make their way to check his vitals, but he snarls and snaps before any can get too close. Words fail to reach him, but before they can try more drastic measures, he leaps past them, darting through the clinic halls.

His legs tremble underneath him, but he pushes onward, desperate to find a way out and run. But before he can, he reaches a dead end, leaving him no choice but to bare his teeth at anyone who may be in his way. The growl rumbling from his throat sounds more like a wild Pokémon than a former human; he may not be willing to listen to reason. ]

wildcard

( ooc: want to mix anything up? need to avoid any possible spoilers or triggers? feel free to let me know, or message me at esnupi! )

2

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ eleanor isn't supposed to be here. she knows that. not only does she tower over the other guests, but she sticks out like a sore thumb. her dress looks as though it would be more at home at a prom than this ball, to say nothing of her mask, which is butterfly-shaped yet decorated with peacock feathers.

this is not her dream. she looks around almost uncomfortably at the guests, before casting one more cautionary glance at the door behind her. well, the lack thereof. shit.

she looks back at the man... a king is he? she can recognise that much from storybooks. ]

For me?

Aegiomon | Digimon Story: Time Stranger | Shiny Skiddo | Current Player

[timeexistseverywhere]

A. Warm hearts

[If there's one thing Aegiomon has a hard time with, it's when locals start growing...resentful. He's not even a newbie or takes up a lot of resources, but every time he overhears someone complain, or someone gives him a look, he can't help but become tense.

Eventually, it becomes too much to bear, and going back to Bottlecap sounds really good right about now. ...But he still wants to be helpful. So instead of heading off by himself, he waits. Waits and watches for any Pokémon who may be showing the same signs of wanting to leave that he has.]

H-Hey, were you thinkin' about going to Bottlecap Bay? I know the way! There's way more stuff over there.

[If the Pokémon in question isn't too big, he may even offer to give them a ride.]

B. Sleep you off your feet

[The dream you've wandered into is surprisingly normal for the most part. You find yourself on a train, nothing too fancy, it's comfortable enough. You'd almost not think it's a dream at all if it weren't for the fact that Pokémon don't have their own trains and according to the window, you're in the sky.

Probably just dream nonsense, don't worry about it.

Besides that, the car you're in is incredibly empty save for the single passenger sitting by himself. Aegiomon leans against the window as he watches the clouds roll by, frowning to himself as he kicks his feet idly. Although he's told plenty of people that he's always been goaty, Aegiomon's regular self is incredibly human looking at first glance. It's only when you get closer that the horns and goat legs become more noticeable.

Likewise, Aegiomon startles the moment he notices you, too.]

Woah, hi!

[Whether you're still a Pokémon or yourself again, the reaction is still the same. A tiny jolt of surprise, suddenly he's not alone. He only calms down if he recognizes you, though.]

[[ooc: The train will eventually end up in one of the areas from the game, most likely the Digimon settlement, Central Town. I can shake it up if anyone's interested, or even take it someplace it can't normally go, like Shinjuku. I tried to make this as open ended as possible. c:]]

C. The big end game spoiler option, you've been warned (cw: parental abuse)

[This dream isn't as peaceful, unfortunately. Like many others, eventually Aegiomon's dreams become strange and twisted. The area you find yourself in is...fragmented. White space takes up the majority of your vision as chunks of land of all types scatter throughout the space that can barely be called a sky. In the distance, you can't miss it, what appears to be a giant robot floating in the middle of all existence. The moment it slowly turns towards you, a feeling of anxiety fills the air. It may not be your heartbeat, but the feeling of a heartbeat radiates from...somewhere.

No matter where you're standing, Aegiomon is suddenly standing next to you, his breath is quick and unsteady. Rattled. He looks up at you with worried eyes, like you aren't supposed to be here. You aren't supposed to be here. His pupils shrink from the looming fear. Not of you, not of the robot monster in the distance, not even the fact that he knows he has to fight that thing.]

S-Stay back, I can handle this.

[He hates to say it, especially because he knows the power of friendship teamwork was the only way Chronomon was able to be defeated, but not everyone he knows here is a super powerful Digimon. They could get hurt. Although...if you happen to be a Digimon, he may look at you expectingly, as if hoping you have a super powerful form you're hiding from him. ...Because for whatever reason, he can't seem to access his.]

D. Clinic aftermath

[Did you get sent to the clinic, too? I mean, of course you did, everyone did. Aegiomon gets extra fussing for being both a child and a type that's weak against poison. He's currently bedbound, acting sheepish over the attention.]

I-I'm fine, really...

[He says with a weak smile and ice pack on his fluffy head. It's a little embarrassing for him, but he can't deny these pecha berries are really tasty.]

E. Wildcard

[Anything else you want to do instead? Let me know! I can be found over at Gesomon for plotting. c:]

B! (I am fully on board with Central Town >:3c)

[autumnrainrunaway]

[ Dolly never realized how much she would miss being on the train as she finds herself there. It takes a moment or two to realize from glancing at the window that this train was in fact having some Chitty Chitty Bang Bang like shenanigans going on. ]

[ Deep breath in...deep breath out...its a train, no airplanes here...oh look a faun? That was a normal sight but...that's an aisling though? How did a faun aisling manage to get here? ]

[ It wasn't until hearing the voice that Dolly was able to piece it together. ]

Hey there Aegiomon! So...where is this train heading off to?

Siffrin (Start Again) | In Stars and Time | Shinx | Current Character

[loopsiedaisy]

I. Sleep Your Heart Out
[CWs: loss of bodily autonomy(??), dream unreality, and potentially Siffrin's other warnings]

[Enter stage left.]

[You. Yeah, you. You're coming on stage whether you want to or not! There are glittering threads attached to your limbs and body, and if you don't take the cue of a gentle tug you're just getting yanked along. No matter how hard you pull and how powerful you're used to being, the strings refuse to snap - they even seem to push back if you try to loosen their grip by making them go slack. You can be fighting back with all your might, you can be a dead weight hanging limply off them... regardless, whatever's piloting you doesn't seem to care.]

[If you don't resist, there's a little more give - you can turn your head, motion with your fingers, choose to place your feet an inch more toward the left or right. Look up: even though you have a wooden floor underneath you, and curtains hang around you, the strings vanish into the open night sky overhead.]

[Look at the audience next, if you want to feel dizzy and disoriented: it's night sky, too. The stars in the audience are brighter and closer, though - they hurt to look at. If you stare for long enough anyway there's a faint suggestion of theatre seating. No walls, though.]

[There's someone else on stage with you. If you're in a fully Pokemon shape, after a second of blurry confusion they resolve into a possibly-familiar Shinx. If you're in any other shape, it's still Siffrin, but even if you know them you may not recognize them immediately - they're in human form, and they're missing their hat. The shape of their hair fizzes and glows, as if it's made of electricity.]

[They spin gracefully around their marionette strings, and if you're not looking close it might even seem as if they're the one in control, using one thread after another as a fulcrum and moving however they want. But they don't have any more influence over their stage directions than you do; they're just so used to following along that they know how to make it look good, no matter the situation. Or do they? When your gazes meet, and they register that you're actually seeing them, their eyes go wide. They stumble, their mouth opening:] You -

[Their strings tug them several steps further before they can regain their feet properly, and they swallow their initial reaction.]

[Speaking of which, what's the backdrop on this stage? The set? It's blurry - about all you can tell is that it's in black and white, no color to be found - but perhaps it'll clear up in a moment...]

II. Wildcard!

[[Contact at stocke or by PM if you'd like to do something else! :> Happy to provide them for a snow rescue or think of another dream for you.]]

I

[dripdrive]

[Oh.

Anasui despises this. Anasui wanted to be back in his human-form as much as anyone else did but not at the cost of his freedom. His autonomy. The pink-haired man kicks and fights as best as he can against the pull of the puppeteer, even though his head still spins after staring at the stars above and around him. It's exhausting and fruitless, but Anasui struggles so much that it takes him a while to realise he has company. A fellow prisoner, as Anasui carefully observes...

Siffrin's human shape is unfamiliar to Anasui, especially without their hat, but when they open their mouth, Anasui knows exactly who it is. Fighting through the dizziness, Anasui tries to turn his body to the other person.]

What the actual hell is going on, Siffrin? How did we get in this mess?

Archer // Fate Stay/Night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime) // Current Player, New character

[strayarrow]

[Archer is a Blaziken! He's Post UBW and Post the HSR x Fate collab but I don't think that'll be relevant for most people. He doesn't remember anyone from the last TDM he was in... at first. He will get a strong deja vu around people who interacted with him previously (and feel free to handwave assume he interacted with your character MORE since I didn't get back to those threads) and maybe, just maybe, he'll remember you with enough time!]

I. Stranger in the same strange land

He wakes up and the cold washes over him. Its not what he was expecting. There’s no one else in sight. No individual who could be his master, no enemies to fight, just endless white.

He’s- he’s in a strange body. He sees his hands and it causes him to do a double take, they’re clawed and bird like and… familiar? There’s a strong sense of deja vu that unsettles him to his core.

But first things first. If he doesn’t move, he will freeze to death before he can fulfill his purpose here.

He trudges through the snow, the strange familiar but unfamiliar feathers on his body fluffing up on their own to try to protect him from the endless gale and pelting of snow. It doesn’t make much of a difference.

He finds a cave.

Its not very big. Although it looks like it could be deep. But he can walk in it as long as he’s crouched down or crawling and well… beggars couldn’t be choosers. He hadn’t seen any sign of civilization at this point. It was either accept this meager blessing or freeze to death.

Something told him he still had things to do, so he chose the first option.

He crawls in, getting a few feet from the edge of the cave before settling down, shaking the snow off of his feathers and body and onto the cave floor. He was still wet… not good. Ideally he needed to start a fire of some kind, but he wasn’t sure if he even could.

He ponders his options for a few minutes. There were so many risks and unknowns… tch. Would he ever get summoned into a situation where everything was simple?

As he thinks- there’s a whisper. Somewhere near his ear over his shoulder. He whips around, attempting to summon his twin blades- but they don’t appear in his hands. He doesn’t feel the flow of mana like he should. But there’s nothing there. He narrows his eyes at the darkness… was there someone deeper in the cave playing a prank on him?

He waits for a sign of movement. Nothing.

There’s more whispers, this time all around him, but no matter what direction he looks, which direction he turns, there’s nothing, nobody. Its like someone or something is mocking him.

Some of them sound familiar, some of them are people he’s never heard before. This has to be some kind of psychological attack. Was another servant attacking him right now and he couldn’t even properly detect them?

He stands [as well as he can anyways] in the cave, at the ready and glancing around like a paranoid man, ready to strike back the moment something suspicious showed itself.

II. Step in from the Cold

Archer is grateful for all the care Lurantis shows for the new arrivals. It saves him having to go through the effort of figuring it out himself while he’s still freezing half to death.

He wants to pry her, or really any of the Pokemon up and about with so many questions. The Grail didn’t supply him with information for this world. Something wholly unusual. Even when he was summoned into an entirely different universe before, it had provided. So why not this time?

But everyone was so busy, he felt like it would be better to leave them be.

It becomes quickly apparent however, everyone is VERY busy. And he soon feels like a sitting duck [or whatever he is] just watching everyone else mull about while he twiddles his not-thumbs.

Eventually he stops one of the hard working Pokemon milling about, “Hello, pardon my intrusion. But can I do anything to help? I am a new arrival, but it seems like you could use every hand you could get.” He’s got an assortment of skill sets, he’s sure he could manage any task handed to him.

III. Then Wake To Weep

A. Isolation

He finds himself in the kitchen of the Tohsaka mansion. Rin’s house. Its just another morning. Don’t mind that his hands are still bird shaped. Surely things are business as usual.

At least business as usual while the Holy Grail War lasts.

Not that he minds. Routine is nice. He gets a kettle out, putting it on the stove top filled with water, waiting for it to boil. He hears Rin come down the staircase with the same normal, incomprehensible sleepy muttering he’s grown accustomed too. Privately he chuckles to himself.

She shouts for him, graceless with her morning attitude as ever. He calls back. Going to see if his water was ready.

He opens the lid of the kettle. Its empty.

What?

He tries again. Waits a few minutes. Opens it again. Empty again.

He glares down into it. Rin calls his name again. “Hang on a moment.” He calls back.

He tries a third time. Still nothing. Rin shouts impatiently from the other room and this time he doesn’t respond, having a strong immature urge to throw the kettle against the wall, or stab it through. Neither will actually help him.

What prank is this? Rin wasn’t usually the type, but he also couldn’t put it past her.

But she doesn’t come running. Despite shouting impatiently, Rin never arrives to badger him about his absence. He stares at the doorway for a few minutes, waiting for something to happen. Nothing does. Just her shouting. Like the perfect intermittent ticking of a clock.

He goes to turn the facet again for more water. This time nothing comes out. He stares at the empty sink.

He tries to leave the room to ask Rin if this was a prank, but the moment he sticks his head out the doorway, he’s met with an empty void. There’s no house. There’s no Rin.

He pulls back into the kitchen. Its the same as always. There’s light fading in through the window. He can hear the chirping of what birds are left mulling about before winter properly arrives.

And he appears to be trapped in his routine. All alone.

B. Emptiness

Archer finds himself lost in a snow storm, not all that dissimilar from the one he woke up in earlier… but this time its different. There’s a sense of desperation gripping him. He’s- he needs to finds something.

No.

Someone.

His Master.

He whips his head around, feathers ruffled by the wind. Trying to listen, look, smell- whatever he can to detect their presence. They’re out here- he knows it. He knows it. He needs to find them before its too late! He-

They were going to bring him peace.

They were… no. She, she was his master, she had promised him rest. She had promised to help him. With her he’d felt happy- Whole. He needed to find her! To fulfill his duty! Before-

But every time he spots her silhouette out in the snow, he loses it just as quickly. No matter how fast he forces his stiff muscles to walk in her direction. No matter how quickly he reaches out. She’s always gone with a desperate shout of “No!” and flecks of snow scattered by the wind.

C. Call me a fool from under your mask [CW: Attempted murder/choking to death + Honkai star Rail x Fate Stay/Night Unlimited Blade Works collab spoilers (but no spoilers for normal UBW)]

He’s in a dark room. For a moment there’s nothing but the darkness, but then a spotlight switches on. He flinches at the light, blinking until his eyes adjust.

And then he sees-

He squints, eyes widening in surprise. “Aventurine?”

It was him, certainly. But. Different. Instead of his normal outfit, he was in his other form. Something twisted and unnatural looking. And far more powerful from what little he’d seen up close.

It was strange. But he’d seen Aventurine this way before.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, there didn’t seem to be anything in this room besides the two of them. “How did you get here? And how do you look well. Normal?” Archer can see that he's still a Pokemon. But Aventurine looks the same as he always did.

Aventurine doesn’t answer for a second, head hanging. And then there’s a rasping, distorted laugh that grates on Archer’s ears and sets him on edge.

“Oh dear, you sure are unlucky my dear friend.”

Archer opens his mouth to ask what Aventurine was even referring too- he just woke up here- But before he can the other rushes towards him, intent clear.

Maybe its strange from any outsider- to see a Blaziken fighting such a tall figure who seemed to fight primarily with weaponized gambling devices and coins- but Aventurine pressures Archer relentlessly, pelting coins at him and locking him in place temporarily until he can win a small game of chance. Once in a while his long claw like fingers lash out to scrape a mark.

The whole time Archer shouts back, asking, begging for answers. His blades appear in his hands and he uses them the best he can to stand his ground- but he doesn’t strike back.

Him and Aventurine left on good terms, there’s no reason why his former and most recent master should resent him so- Archer couldn’t find it in himself to strike back.

Aventurine was too… no, he couldn’t do it.

As the desperate struggle goes on, Archer is clearly losing, until a coin shatters the blade in his left hand, and Aventurine takes this opportunity to reach out, large, gangly hand wrapping around Archer’s neck and slamming him into the ground.

It takes a second for him to blink the stars out of his eyes, and by then Aventurine has wrapped his other hand around Archer’s neck, knee digging into his stomach to keep him pinned.

Archer gasps for air, eyes darting around wildly, looking for some way out of this, but the room their in is as nondescript as always, lit by only the one strange, source-less spotlight.

“A-Avent-urine. Please.” He gasps.

Aventurine just laughs, distorted and raspy.

He could- if he drew his bow. He could shoot Aventurine. His arms weren’t pinned. He raises a hand for a second, tempted, considering it.

The image of Aventurine’s limp body bleeding out on the floor flashes through his mind.

He closes his eyes.

He drops his hands back down to the floor, and smiles back up at the monster choking him to death.

E. The Endless Pilgrimage [FATE STAY/NIGHT UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS SPOILERS CWs Below cut for Spoiler reasons]

[CWs for blood, violence, and character walking around with swords sticking through them.]

He wanders a desolate land peppered with blades. The ones he’s gathered. Some might say earned, others might say stolen. He doesn’t care. They’re here now. How they got here doesn’t matter anymore.

There’s even more blades sticking through him. By all accounts he shouldn’t be able to move, but he carries on. Blood dripping down the blades and off the pommels. But he pays it no mind. He’s wandering. Searching. Sometimes he stops. An indistinct figure will talk to him, he’ll smile, asking them if they need help.

They always need help. A sword joins the desert wasteland if he’s lucky. If he’s unlucky he feels another blade pierce his body. But he continues anyways. He has more people to help…

“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?” He asks the next lone figure in the desolate wasteland.

F. I can take this pain if you are the one to deliver it to me. [FATE STAY/NIGHT UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS SPOILERS CWs below the cut for spoiler reasons]

[CW FOR: Death by hanging, allowing someone to shoot you without resisting???? gun violence]

This is a familiar place. The crowd doesn’t look familiar, they’re all kind of strange shapes and creatures, not disimilar to the ones he’s ran into in the waking world. But he knows where he is.

The noose settles familiar around his neck.

He will bow and take it. There’s nothing else he can do. This is where he meets his end.

And yet. A figure catches his eye. A familiar form. The only human in the crowd.

His eyes widen.

“Kiritsugu? Dad?” He mutters. Practically a whisper to the crowd surrounding him.

By all logic, the man standing far past the crowd shouldn’t hear him. He’s too far away. But their eyes meet. And Archer freezes.

Kiritsugu’s eyes are cold. Unyielding.

His gaze pierces through Archer’s soul, and he bows his head.

“I’m sorry. I broke our promise. I didn’t become the hero of justice I said I would.”

Kiritsugu doesn’t say anything. His expression doesn’t change. But Archer can feel the disappointment from here. The weight of the blood on his hands. He hadn’t changed the world for the better. Just stopped it from becoming worse.

He's ashamed to look Kiritsugu in the eyes… no… this was the least he could do.

He looks back up, meeting his adoptive father’s gaze again. Smiling as best he could as tears threatened to overcome him.

“Please. Do as you see fit.”

The cold expression on his father’s face doesn’t change, but a single hand raises, holding a pistol.

Yes. If this would make up for even one of his mistakes. Then it would be good.

He makes no move to stop this, unless someone interferes by cutting his neck and hands free- or by interfering with Kiritsugu then well… you can always watch the drama unfold.

IV. Drowning in Shadows

The final dream is. Hah. He doesn’t want to try to express his feelings out loud.

He keeps expecting to see blood coating his hands, or catch glimpses of it splattered across his face when he sees himself in reflective surfaces. But his hands are clean, so is his face. It was just a dream. Just a dream.

It felt so close to reality.

At the clinic he finds himself pacing. His hands are shaky, his body is thrumming with energy. Its unusual. He wouldn’t expect this of himself. But he can’t seem to find it in himself to sit down.

Multiple members of the staff have asked him to. And genuinely- he’s tried. But within a minute or even seconds he’s back on his feet again, pacing. Apologizing sometimes, voice a little shaky and chuckling in embarrassment- but nobody laughs along, simply shooting him sympathetic looks.

He keeps crossing his arms to ignore the way they shake when he tries to hold them still. His mind keeps mulling over the dream, trying to find answers, piece together the reason for this. But once again he’s greeted by all the same questions. The Grail still hasn’t provided him with answers- or even a minor baseline for why he’s here. He feels empathetically that he has a purpose here, but what? And to whom? It feels like its on the tip of his tongue. Scratching at the edges of his memory.

He normally knows so much when he’s summoned. And for the first time in a while, he knows so little. And the nightmare hangs over his head like a guillotine.

So he keeps pacing. Trying to be as little a bother as possible to the hardworking staff Pokemon.

V. WILDCARD!!!!

[Hit me up with whatever!! I match to brackets if you prefer!]

III - C - i promise i considered as many other prompts as possible before throwing him...a bone...

[seacub]

Emporio has, quite frankly, no idea what's happening. He knows, vaguely, that something isn't quite right- while he's comfortable enough with clothing as a cubone, he's equally comfortable without, and thus has yet to even consider recreating his baseball uniform- but that's about all he does know.

It's a step away from a lucid dream, which is perhaps why he initially...freezes.

Watches.

As one man attacks another- well, attacks a Pokemon, but it's all the same thing really. As they fight, a brutal, one sided dance, until it ends with someone on the ground.

(You've watched plenty like this, a thought echoes. ...Or at least...one thing, haven't you?)

(He doesn't want to think about whose voice the thought is in.)

If he had hair to raise, it would stand on end. Every part of him tenses, and every moment he hesitates is a moment less for Archer.

Dust rises from the ground to form a bone, gripped by a shaking hand. As if it were another baseball, the boy takes aim.

(He's done watching friends die, even if he barely knows them.)

"AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!"

And throws a bonemerang as hard and fast as he can.

Cater Diamond | Twisted Wonderland | Newbie / Shiny Lopunny

[selfie_centered]

Snow Man's Land

[are you #srs rn

so not only is Cater in the body of some kind of oversized femmeboy rabbit, but it's freezing! it's like way, major cold! as much as Cater's not super digging the shape, at least Lopunny's big ass ears are wooly and warm.

he's crouched down as compact as he can get, wrapped up in his ears and peeking out from them. if you pass him in this cave and seem like you know what you're doing, Cater's got a question for you.]

Heyyyyy there cutie! You look like someone who knows their stuff.

How about you get on over here and tell a guy where he's gotta go to get out of the chill? Or like maybe find a pair of pants. #LOL.

[...as cutesy as his voice still sounds, it almost sound like he's trying to pitch it a little lower? don't think too hard about it.]

Cold Paws, Warm Hearts

[someone's having fun participating. it's not Cater, but by the Seven is he going to make it look like it. instead of Split Card, using double team, Cater's pretty much able to be in multiple places at once!

you can catch him happily humming while he uses his bipedal advantage to help move and organize supplies in the communal living hall, or you might catch him outside shovelling. either way, he's eager to check up on others and get networking.]

Hey hey, lookin' good! Need any help on that, pal?

[don't mind him hovering over you, likely. all that pink fluff is probably harmless.]

At the Bay

[once he's out of Skull Town, though, Cater takes himself to the bay to walk by the shore, figuring it's about the best chance he has at some solitude.

it's not like he should be surprised, or anything. something was gonna separate him from all the guys he met and all, but did it have to be coming to a new world and losing his whole face? his body? his magic?

Cater plops his bunny butt in the sand and leans one arm out, the other crossing over his knee to create the perfect resting place for his head. watching the waves lick the shore as evenly as breathing, Cater just lets himself chill, takes off that exhausting happy mask for a moment.

of course, he's got absolutely nothing making him keep track of his surroundings right now. it'd probably be easy to spook him.]

Sleep You Off Your Feet

[are you in a circus, right now? that's sure what it seems like with lights and colors abound, but it's more like a courtroom.

a shiny lopunny with a huge white diamond painted over one eye is dressed as the ring leaderhere, but he's got such a strange twist to his fashion; is he a judge? is he a cop? it's impossible to tell.

there is some sort of dance music pumping. the Lopunny does a little dance with a Roserade, spinning him away while a Plusle and Minun play tug of war behind them under the watchful gaze of a Decidueye. there are falinks absolutely everywhere. The Lopunny seems to notice you though, and zips over on a skateboard he's pulled out of nowhere.

all of a sudden, another one of him is standing next to you, posing with two of his lile paw-fingers visible in what's probably a peace sign but is hard to tell past the fluffy arm-cuff of a Lopunny. the first Lopunny is still skateboarding, and holds up his hands to an imaginary camera, instructing;]

Say cheese!

[whether or not you pose with the Lopunny, the one holding up no camera still manages to make a flash appear while taking a 'pic' of you two together.

what?]

Wildcard

[I don't have any immediate ideas for Bloody Murder but am game to tag in to other stuff! Or, if you've got some idea/we've plotted one out, go for it. I'm open to p much everything, and mostly just fit testing. sorry if I'm slow to start!]

1! for the funny

[notyourbloodymessiah]

[ eleanor's found herself digging out in the snow near icefall lake for newcomers, something that's been pretty easy with her flamethrower ability having returned to her. it feels stronger now, too. the brionne shuffles through snow she's melted, scouting around for both hostile pokemon and anyone left adrift in the freezing cold.

that's when she hears what she can only assume to be the strangest possible catcall in the history of all catcalls, which causes her to spin around to see the lopunny she'd accidentally passed. ]

You can come with me, I'm from the nearby outpost in Skull Town. It isn't far.

Cedric | Sofia the First | Murkrow | Current Character

[cedricthegreat]

Snow Man's Land (for new arrivals)

[As fun as it was cooping up in the tunnels, and exchanging gifts, and admiring his new collection of stones, Cedric is now itching to get out and stretch his wings. So when there was the mention of new outsiders appearing in Icefall Lake, he sets out right away, boldly donning his new robe to block some of the biting wind. He's particularly on the lookout for Pokes wandering aimlessly or being harassed by others. Once close enough, he will let out a shrill caw in their direction.]

Fear not, stranger, I am here to help!

Sleep You Off Your Feet

[The first thing the dreamer will notice is that they're entering a massive castle ballroom. The second is that they're not themselves but an oddly-familiar fairy tale-adjacent figure, visiting this castle as a royal guest. Everyone gathered stands waiting until a tall man enters, prompting uproarious applause. Those who know him will sense familiarity right away, particularly when his face lights up at the sudden public attention.]

Happy birthday, Mr. Cedric! [The call comes from a princess and her family, who seem to appear out of nowhere.]

Thank you! Thank you, everyone!

[Cedric replies with enthusiasm, but the family and the guests turn around just as he steps forward. The dreamer can hear someone shout, "Come see your presents!" but there are no gifts to be seen, nor can Cedric seem to reach any of the floor spaces to partake in the celebration. It's like there's an invisible bubble around him, leaving him alone and ignored, despite still being called to.

He looks like he's threatening to panic. Care to try and intervene yourself?]

((OOC: As implied, any participant in Cedric's dream will appear as a Disney character of your choice! Doesn't have to be one that appears in Sofia the First, or even originally animated, have fun with it!))

Dream Bloody Murder

[Yes, of course Cedric witnessed that... thing at the end of the month. But do you think he's ever going to talk about it? No, of course not, that would mean having to talk about that other thing some got to see - and only them are going to know about it, thank you very much!

So instead of going to the clinic, the Murkrow is found expelling much more energy than usual, flapping to and from the Spire with supplies, food, whatever he assumes is needed at a given moment. If he spots anyone idle, he will fly a little too close to their face to get their attention.]

You, did you dream that terrible vision the other night? At least, that's what I heard it was... But, you saw the clinic, yes? No? Well, how will I- you know you'll be fully cured if you do, right? Come, I'll take you now!

[He may or may not have actually given the Poke time to answer those questions before insistently ushering them in the clinic's direction with a wave of his wing.]

Wild Card

((OOC: Anything else you want to drag Cedric into? Heard about his birthday and want to address it in the waking world? Write up a prompt here, or poke me on Plurk at LilCosgrove!))

dream bloody murder

[sharpjustice]

[While Mayaka had witnessed that horrific dream, she's able to run her daily errands without much fuss. Perhaps it's because she squeezed her eyes shut out throughout it, or because she's somewhat desensitised thanks to being chased by an equally scary ghost in her nightmares earlier in the month...

Still, this Sneasel is definitely irritable thanks to the poor quality of sleep she's been getting, and this stranger flying into her face in a frenzy is not helping!]

Hey, slow down! I can't keep up with what you're saying.

[She regards Cedric with an arched eyebrow, trying to make sense of his words as she gets pushed along towards the clinic.]

I haven't been to the clinic. Do I need to?