008 ⟡ MARCH TEST DRIVE

[bayhelpers]

⋆✩ test drive 08 ✩⋆

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

IT’S RAINING, IT’S MOOR-NING,

The first thing you notice is that it’s wet. Not wet in the way it would be if you were submerged in a pool, or beached at the edge of some mysterious shore line - just wet, damp, a pervading layer that covers every inch of you.

The next thing you likely notice, by virtue of this state of wetness making it impossible to ignore, is probably the fact that this is not the body you had just a few moments earlier. Whether covered in fur, feathers, or scales, they aren’t what you knew.

Nor is the land you’ve awoken in. It appears that you’re in a building - one that’s not been in use for a long, long time. Dust and leaf litter are scattered near openings to the outside world, and melted snow explains why that pervasive dampness surrounded you so entirely. That and perhaps the rain falling through any holes in the roof…which might be falling on you, if you’re unfortunate enough.

It almost looks like a library. Almost, because anything that could resemble a text has been smashed into dust; clay tablets, the scraps of some sort of writing upon them, lay in scattered fragments across the floor that you were once asleep on.

As do the forms of other creatures, be they awake or asleep themselves.

The land outside is a perpetual rainstorm, and aside from the building you’re in there isn’t a single scrap of civilization to be seen. Just where are you all?

No one can say. But perhaps banding together, you’ll be able to find your way to some form of civilization. …Provided of course, it’s not all ruin like the one you’re in.

THE CASTFORM ARE SNORING

⟡ Welcome to the region of Heavy Downmoor; a perpetually rainy place, which fortunately isn’t experiencing the snow it had in earlier months. While Pokemon will eventually realize where the arrivals have appeared this time, player characters will have ample time to make their own way out to Skull Town.

⟡ Whether guided by their own determination, or current residents, Lurantis of Skull Town will be fairly welcoming over all; while apparently occupied with a personal gardening project of some kind, the absence of snow combined with some kind of recent ‘success’ has the residents in a good mood. Characters can certainly be escorted to other locations, but why not rest a while? There’s shelter, food, and most importantly - it’s not raining.

⟡ Did we say it’s not raining? We meant it’s mostly not raining. It’s spring after all, and such weather is to be expected; but it might just be raining a little too much thanks to some over-eager Pokemon doing something called the ‘Rain Dance’. How rude!

ii. STARLIGHT, STARBRIGHT

A MINIOR INCIDENT

The Starfall meteor shower this year is unfashionably late, but perhaps it's for the best - at least this month's newly transformed Pokemon have a cheerful, friendly introduction to the city! Once Psychic Pokemon finally receive the date, all of Bottlecap Bay bursts into activity, dusting off starry decorations and accessories. But thanks to so many Pokemon starting to prep food ahead of time last month... whoops, it seems everyone's a little bit sick of the usual festival food? The bakers and cooks of Bottlecap Bay are scrambling for new ideas, particularly from new arrivals.

In exchange, they're happy to explain the festival to anyone who missed last year's: it's a celebration of wishes, excitement for the unknown, and hope for the future! Legend even says that if you close your eyes and wish upon a falling star, there's a strong Pokemon that can make it come true. All Pokemon agree that it's the strength of someone's willpower and heart that makes the biggest difference, but there are many superstitions about what will make your wish more likely to be heard. The most common this year seems to be that you should share your wish honestly with one other Pokemon - though there's a lot of light-hearted debate about whether it should be the first Pokemon you see after you open your eyes, or whether a friend of your choice is fine. Others will say that you should keep your eyes closed after you wish and stumble all the way home like that, or that you should draw a representation of your wish on the ground before moving.

Perhaps everyone's anticipation and all those superstitions do have some effect, because shortly after the festival begins - days before the peak of the meteor shower even arrives - occasional shooting stars start falling all the way to ground. They impact with loud cracks, scoring gouges in the ground and breaking chips off stone... and leaving broken shells behind them as they bounce. There's something very colorful inside: is that a Pokemon?

Miniors emerge from their shells dazed and confused, and while they respond and react to speech, the noises they make are practically impossible to understand in return. What is quickly clear, though, is that after falling they're too exhausted to immediately shoot back up... and that without their protective shells, their cores are starting to fade! Pokemon scramble to help, looking for safe containers the meteor Pokemon can recover their strength in. Sometimes, if a Minior is lucky, the pieces of their shell are still pretty intact and can just be tied together around them. Other times the nearest intact container is... less optimal.

Quick, grab that jam jar! Surely there's nothing more likely to make your wish come true than rescuing a fallen star, right?

CRASH, AND BURN

⟡ The Starfall Festival might be off to an awkward start, but that doesn’t mean there’s no games - from March 10th to the 18th (as long as the meteor shower), small luck based games such as card guessing, and dice rolling can be had. How do Pokemon do this without hands? Well, you’d best learn!


⟡ Another staple of the Starfall Festival are Farigiraf Fortunes; one time Fortunes that Pokemon can draw will include simple statements of how good, or bad, their luck will be. Bad fortunes are tied to festival decorations to dispel ill fortune, but this, too, may be tricky without hands…

⟡ OOCly speaking, Farigiraf Fortunes are little omikuji fortunes with an included ‘lucky Pokemon’ and ‘lucky color’. You can make up your own, but if you’d like one randomly generated for you, reply here.

⟡ The Stargazing Club is having an absolute ball during all of this, and even non-members can take a gander at the falling stars through their telescope. While everyone has to share- so please, no more than five minutes per run, there’s a line! - even a glimpse at the stars through the crisp lens shows just why this club is so passionate.

⟡ Just what’s wrong with the Minior? They’re not sure; those who were awake during the initial disruption that brought them downward remark on a strange vibrative force that struck them through the air, followed by…well, the sensation of falling. They’re very grateful to the Bay for helping, but they hope to return to the sky as soon as possible. It’s very dangerous for them down here!

iii. CHARACTER GROWTH

GROWING PAINS

The Pokemon across Bottlecap Bay and Skull Town - and the regions surrounding - are in high spirits for more reasons than just the ongoing festival. Every so often, they’ll see it; one of the locals stops mid-gait, and a brilliant glow seems to surround them. Their figure grows, or shrinks, or sometimes even stays the same size, but with a burst of energy it’s clear that the Pokemon has visibly changed. ‘Evolution’, it’s apparently called. A natural part of most Pokemon’s growth, and something that simply hasn’t been happening for a while for some reason.

A few scholars from the Archives can be heard debating on just what it was that caused this change. Some theorize it’s something to do with the weather; that visitor during the Longest Night evolved first, didn’t they? That was during record breaking waves of snowfall, so it must be meteorological.

Others point instead to the rifts that were appearing and creating so much havoc. Didn’t the brave Pokemon who fought those bounties remark on their strange appearances, as if it were an evolution gone wrong? The only problem with that theory is those bounties were encountered after that evolution during Longest Night…

It sounds like there was another theory that the rifts were the source of the otherworldly arrivals all along, and that Bottlecap Bap wouldn’t be seeing any new ones this time. So much for that one.

While the arguments continue with no end, the fair weather and festive moods have allowed the more innovative Pokemon of the region to pull together something they haven’t had the energy to pull off in quite some time - specifically, training mazes! As they explain it, Evolution is often sparked when a Pokemon acquires enough power to do so, taking that final push from battle to go even farther. The mazes are also just good for practice in the first place, and with rumors of a rescue operation for those missing scholars beyond the cliff, every bit of training counts…

…after all, they’ll only be sending Pokemon they think are capable!

BODY ROCKING

⟡ With the variety of body types unique to each Pokemon, it’s no surprise that some of the first obstacle mazes to be found come in the form of simple race courses. Those suited to the water will find hoop-ring challenges littered through the bay and its underwater caves, while those with wings will find similar challenges put together in the Canopy.

⟡ What of those who have nothing but legs (or even no legs at all)? For those Pokemon, the general understanding is that it can take time to adjust to things like an overly large tail, or having four-plus legs where there might have been two, so more simple pop-up mazes are found sprung about the city. Some even include a task- get those flowers up to the shelves, but only after going through this precise set of roads. Collect all these flags, and return them to the place you started. It’s a lot easier to walk now that you’ve done hours of it now, isn’t it!

⟡ Naturally not everyone really wants to run a footrace, or swim, or fly in one for that matter. But for that reason, the beach is getting cleared for some good old sparring tournaments, courtesy of Mightyena! Get your practice in by having a good battle! As a bonus, there are more experienced veterans on site to help explain just how best to tackle an ‘impossible’ foe.

ROCK-PAPER-LIZARD

⟡ There’s a lot of Pokemon types, and it can be hard to keep track of what they do. So aside from the generalized courses, a fun incentive to make it stick is happening through both towns - specifically, after signing yourself on for ‘practice’, you’ll find you get ambushed quite abruptly through the day! Learn to defend super-effective moves, or power through weaker ones! …And don’t forget those first aid kits scattered through the streets either.

⟡ Every type is unique, and that involves more than just the types. As the weather warms up, the spring weather brings out the strangest things in everyone; ground types might want to burrow a safe den, while electric types seek out places most likely to attract lightning. There’s a number of struggles that, fortunately, the local Pokemon are happy to help with!

⟡ Of course, not everyone is a tactile learner…which is why the Archives are also open, and ready to help everyone locate information on their species. Hopefully it’s nothing too unfortunate though - some of these entries seem to have been written with alarming bias behind them, if the wrong scholar was put on the task!

IT’S EVOLUTION BABY

⟡ While no player Pokemon will be evolving through these events, that doesn’t mean they can’t try their best! The most grueling of ‘mazes’ are escape rooms created through the natural resources available to the towns, intended to mirror experiences in the wild with random Pokemon battles and strained resources. Everyone is invited to try them, though they only have so much time to complete the course - after that, experienced rescue Pokemon will go to retrieve them.

⟡ The Cave Tunnels - These tunnels are connected to the Spire that the Oran berries reside in, and come in both flooded and dry flavors. Water Pokemon are invited to give the flooded ones a try, taking advantage of their existing skills, while other Pokemon will find themselves waking in the dry maze to work their way out. There’s all kinds of things down here; they’re deep enough that the occasional lava pit (or vent) is a real risk, as well as low oxygen levels to boot. Watch your step, that the path doesn’t collapse either!

⟡ The Spektrunk Woods - While often split into three zones of ‘north’, ‘middle’, ‘south’, Pokemon might find themselves anywhere in these woods…and the challenges vary across from them. The north has plants that seem almost alive, moving to create entire walls behind Pokemon who don’t pay attention. The middle in the meantime has a number of barely hidden tunnels and crevasses, which Pokemon risk falling into if they aren’t careful. As for the south…the south is perhaps the most tricky, with ghost Pokemon happily pulling tricks on passerby, and the surroundings changing once one looks away. But don’t worry!! You’ll surely get through this after you fight this next Pokemon.

MARCH-ING PROGRESS

One day in the middle of the week, among all the evolving and obstacle courses, Pokemon cluster in the center of Bottlecap Bay. It seems as though Ribombee has an announcement!

The bee Pokemon is accompanied by several other high ranking members of his Guild and seems especially energized, practically buzzing with pride. He waits only for a short while - until there's enough of a crowd, perhaps, or until some designated time known only to him - before launching into what he has to say. Which is this: he and several of his High Rank Cheris have been volunteering extra time scouting, trying to determine more reliable ways through the malleable Forest. And with all their experimentation... they've actually discovered something!

It's already known that in much of the Forest, natural landmarks shift places and Pokemons' senses of time grow more and more distorted. The same happens with constructed landmarks, like someone making an arrow on the ground out of stones, or scratching a tree, or even putting up a hasty sign - and those experiences have taught Pokemon mostly not to bother, doing their best to trust in their innate sense of direction instead. But as it turns out... the Cheri Berries have discovered that sometimes, deliberately constructed landmarks do stay in place, tacking down the forest around them!

They're still trying to figure out the details. It's clear that it takes building something more than in passing - simple signs are still a no-go - but that isn't all of it, as they've still had their experiments disappear on them. Is it to do with specific spots in the woods? If so, why those locations particularly? Is it a type of construction? About all they can say is that they're reasonably confident now that it's nothing to do with the materials used, as they've tested each one individually and in some simple combinations.

However! Ribombee excitedly motions forward Aurorus, one of the Pokemon on stage with him. The contrast is almost comical: the small Ribombee, with his voice lively enough for three Pokemon, and the huge, tall Aurorus, who seems bashful to be on stage. The dinosaur Pokemon flutters his sails shyly, but goes on to say that he found a conveniently central spot in the woods where something he built has been sticking, and he kept coming back to try and stretch it into the beginnings of a road without much success... and then Ribombee suggested expanding it into a Forest Waystation instead! Even without a full road, something like that will make voyages through the woods more predictable, since you can split your journey into two shorter parts with consistent stopping points. Besides that, it'll be a great base for foraging, and they can station some Pokemon there to provide emergency medical treatment at short notice - something that seems especially necessary with how many teams were disabled by those over-evolved Pokemon recently!

"It really just feels like pinning down a perfect possibility," Aurorus concludes.

The end of his explanation is followed by clapping from the side of the stage, where Polteageist enters with praise, telling Ribombee that he and the Cheris have done excellent work. If anything, Polteageist is even more interested in the Cheri's experiments than the Waystation; they're quick to encourage the Cheris to submit the results so far to the Archives, as they'd love to take a look. They'd be happy to assign some Lum Berries to provide support and have the guilds cooperate. (Polteageist doesn't say anything about the Oran Berries, however... is someone still annoyed about the standings?)

There's a sense of genuine comradery between the two guild leaders for a moment... until Polteageist continues. "And in fact, your Waystation feels like the perfect spot to base a point for what I'm here to announce."

Teleportation points. That's what Polteageist is here to announce. Is this what all their sleepless nights have been about? Regardless: it's now possible to send large groups of Pokemon out to wherever is necessary at a fraction of the Psychic Pokemon effort. No longer will Psychic Pokemon have to teleport one Pokemon at a time, and tire themselves out sending an entire team - instead, with a special room constructed to amplify their abilities, a team of Psychics can teleport the entire interior at once!

Now, this isn't fully ready yet, Polteageist clarifies. They've only got one prototype, hidden in the Archives, and things can't be teleported back to the room. For this to be an effective use of resources, Polteageist is picturing building finalized points at useful locations, such as Skull Town and the to-be Forest Waystation. Outside of emergencies and special expeditions, these rooms will be used for scheduled warps several times a day rather than on demand. And anyone who's being warped out on an expedition will still have to return on foot. Still - it's a massive improvement! There will no longer be a need for a day-long trek just to go between Bottlecap Bay and Skull Town, and emergency supplies can be transferred seamlessly to deal with situations like February's avalanche! So Polteageist is sharing this now to provide context for quests they'll be posting on the questboard in the coming months.

With this announcement, nearly all the Pokemon in the crowd lose interest in gossiping about the Forest Waystation - this is so much more exciting, after all! Ribombee is left to leave the stage with a half-hearted glare at his fellow guild leader... but as he and his group of stage Cheris head back to the Canopy, the bee Pokemon's wings seem to flutter more tiredly than before.

BUSY BUSY BERRIES

⟡ Aside from the obvious topic of gossip, this series of announcements has left the Pokemon of Bottlecap Bay chattering about guild rivalries, and they're interested in guild member opinions on this… or in asking new arrivals which guild they'd be excited to join!

⟡ In town, the Lum Berries seem to have regained their most favored status - and various stalls and merchants try to bribe members with small treats on the off chance that they have pull with Polteageist. Can you get them in to take a look at this prototype room? They're so curious!

⟡ While both Polteageist and Ribombee seem to lock themselves in their respective work focuses after this, Mightyena is available for comment after everything is announced - and she seems quite worried about both of her fellow Guild Leaders! She doesn’t say much on it, but she seems certain that if they aren’t careful, they’re going to burn out.

✩ OOC NOTES.

⟡ TDM CWs: Pokemon typical violence, Mortality (Minior focused)

⟡ 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.

⟡ Notes concerning arrival timing, settling timing, etc, go here!

⟡ 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

Link | Majora's Mask | Yamask ✨ (Current player)

[mask_mandate]

[[CW-- themes of PTSD. Some spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.]]

i. Arrival

The first thing he does upon waking is look for her.

"Navi?" he manages. No response comes but the dripping of water. He remembers the forest, and he remembers traveling through time, and he remembers a world like a reflection of his own. "... Tatl?"

A gust of wind rattles something nearby, drawing his attention. It's a mask-- a familiar enough sight for him by this point. When he reaches for it, though, he's struck by two things:

1. His arm is a ghostly purple.
2. The mask is an approximation of his own face.

He can practically hear the Happy Mask Salesman lamenting his terrible fate. It was only destiny that he, too, would wind up as a mask one day.

The boy picks up the mask and puts it on, as if expecting something to happen. Nothing does. He takes a breath-- pure habit, he no longer needs to breathe. He's done this before. He can do it again. He'll do it as many times as he has to.

To start, he looks around for his other items. All he finds is rot and ruin. A fitting place for something like him. The wind has carried a particularly pointed stick into the building-- a gift from Farore.

The boy picks it up and holds it above his head for some reason. After that, it's back to searching.

He examines various things around him, sometimes doing a somersault and accidentally running into a bookshelf. Once or twice, a dusty old tome falls toward his head. Instead of bonking him, though, it falls right through him onto the ground. Is he corporeal or not? He reminds himself of 'Them', the apparitions that kidnapped the cows-- and Romani, changed, glassy-eyed and staring blankly and he reaches instinctually for his ocarina and--

Nothing's there. His hand is shaking. He broke the cycle. He's fine. He's fine.

Maybe a twig snaps. Maybe there's a splash from a puddle. Whatever it is, as soon as he hears something behind him, the boy spins around with the stick and aims the pointed tip directly at you. He wields it like a practiced swordsman, despite the youthful face the mask depicts, and despite how his yellow eyes are wide with panic.

ii. A Minior Incident

The moon is falling the moon is falling the moon is falling--

It's only when the nearby Minior cries out for help that he manages to calm down. Snapping into action, he covers the helpless Pokemon's core with his mask to protect it until he can think of a better solution. He looks around and finds a discarded bottle lying in the grass. He can't believe his luck!

He returns with the bottle and scoops the Minior into it, holding it above his head proudly. It's a temporary solution, though. Celestial bodies belong up in the sky, not down here with them. He contemplates trying to throw it back into the sky. He quickly realizes he's nowhere near as strong as the giants. Once again, he'll need to seek out help.

The Starfall Festival reminds him of the Carnival of Time. He's adopted shockingly quickly to his circumstances, sometimes acting as if he's seen it all before. He doesn't eat any of the food, but he does stop to get a fortune-- Big Curse. He doesn't emote, just nods and continues on.

When he spots you, he hovers over. He gestures to the shivering Minior core within the bottle, then back towards the sky.

iii. Growing Pains

a. After he's done as much as he can to help the Minior, he finally allows himself to engage in more of the games and festivities. There may be no Pieces of Heart to be won, and he doesn't know the first thing about this 'evolution' (though gets the gist of it very quickly; a rapid transformation, growing in strength and never being able to go back? Been there, done that), but what better way to get used to this new form?

For once, the strange Yamask acts like the child he seems to be. He captures flags, he leaps through hoops, he plays tag. He doesn't quite smile, but there's an ease about him that hasn't been seen since his arrival.

After doing everything on offer in town, he decides to try the forest maze. One of the guild Pokemon stops him, though-- wouldn't he rather attempt it with someone to watch his back?

Honestly, he hadn't thought about it. Carrying a stick like a sword and his mask like a shield, he thought he looked plenty capable of venturing out on his own. He understands the Pokemon's apprehension, though. Very few have looked at him and been able to gauge what he's been through.

He approaches various Pokemon around the edge of the event, as if he wanted to hear what each one had to say before he moved on. Although the boy only rarely speaks, he listens intently, and he never misses the opportunity to help someone in need. When he approaches you, he still doesn't use his voice-- he just gestures toward the entrance of the forest maze.

b. The boy thus far has gone undefeated in sparring. The strangest part of it is that he hasn't used a single Pokemon move. He blocks with his mask; he stabs with his stick; he rolls out of the way of attacks he doesn't think he can block. His swordplay is unparalleled, but a stick can only go so far. (Earlier, a Honedge grew very upset with him for trying to pick them up and swing them around.)

He wraps up another sparring match against a Farfetch'd, having managed to win the day with an impressive spin attack. It helped, though, that most of the enemy's attacks seemed to phase through him when they landed; he still hasn't grasped this 'partially incorporeal' thing. He takes a moment to drink some milk, and then he's ready for his next challenger. Will you try to meet him blade-to-blade (or stick-to-stick)? Or will you try to help him learn one of his actual moves?

i

[lightofchaldea]

Upon realizing there were other people here too, in more or less the same situation as her, Ritsuka had taken some time to look around the ruins more. For her, this was just a new variation on the sort of thing she'd been through before. But for other people, (normal people a small corner of her mind thought) that almost certainly wasn't the case. They may be confused, or even panicked, or otherwise need help. So when she spotted the... She wasn't sure what that was, with the mask, she naturally approached.

"Ah, it's fine!" the Rufflet said quickly, reflexively spreading her small wings like putting her hands up. "I just want to talk, not fight or anything."

The stance didn't go unnoticed, Ritsuka had met plenty of swordsmen before, but for now she simply stood there, not moving, to show she meant what she said.

[mask_mandate]

It takes a moment for the words to reach him, his hand faintly trembling. Finally, as if moving on autopilot, he tries to sheath the stick like a blade. With nothing to place it in, though, it just clatters to the ground. That seems to finally snap him out of the trance; he looks at it, then gives the stranger a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he says. His voice is quiet. It sounds young, but there's a weight to his voice that seems to age him by several years. He picks up the stick again, but keeps it by his side. "Just... instinct."

The stranger reminds him a little bit of a Cuccoo. He's never seen one of those talk, but he's not surprised by the fact that she can; anything can happen in a new world like this. He wonders if this bird is the stranger's original form or if she was also changed.

He won't know if he doesn't ask. He has a few false starts, but he manages to find his voice again. "I'm Link."

[lightofchaldea]

Ritsuka waited while the other person (she assumed) spoke. At least he clearly believed she meant him no harm, so she lowered her own wings, awkwardly folding them back against her body.

"It's okay," she assured him. "Sorry for surprising you."

It hadn't been intentional, but he'd clearly still been spooked, and she really couldn't blame him. Especially with as young as he sounded; Ritsuka didn't give it much thought, but it somehow felt relatable.

"I'm Ritsuka. Did you just wake up here, too?"

[mask_mandate]

He nods. "I just woke up in this new form." He glances at the mask. The features carved into it are simple, but suggest a young boy with sharp eyes.

If she just woke up here as well, she must not know where they are, either. He's glad for the chance to maybe help Ritsuka find her way out of here-- keeping busy will stop him from spiraling.

"We can try to find a town and get more information there." He wastes no time, starting to float off. He does look back to make sure she'll follow.

He would normally be content to just walk in silence. He has no no fairy to fill in the gaps-- a reminder that feels like a pin being driven into his chest. He finds himself speaking again. "Where are you from?"

[lightofchaldea]

"Right," Ritsuka nodded. "Or if there's nothing nearby, at least food and better shelter."

She was rather familiar with being in a situation somewhat like this. She did pause briefly at that question, though.

"Where I was before here, or where I'm from originally?"

[mask_mandate]

So it's also a complicated question for her. She definitely seems like an experienced traveler, which means he won't have to guard her like he would a civilian. He relaxes just slightly, but always remains vigilant as always.

"... Either? Both, if you want," he says. He might not be the most eloquent, but he at least gives the impression that he's sincerely listening. "I'm from Hyrule." This isn't exactly specific, but it's good enough-- especially since he's guessing he's somehow wound up in another world. "But I came here from Termina."

[lightofchaldea]

That response earned another nod from Ritsuka.

"I'm from Japan, but before I came here I came from Chaldea."

A beat.

"I haven't heard of Hyrule or Termina."

[mask_mandate]

Another beat.

"... I haven't heard of Japan or Chaldea," he admits, awkwardly. There really are a lot of different worlds out there, huh...

The Archives isn't exactly a sprawling dungeon with dead ends and locked doors; pretty soon, they find themselves standing at an exit. The next problem presents itself, however: the downpour outside. Link experiments with holding the mask above his head like an umbrella, but it's not big enough for Ritsuka as well.

[lightofchaldea]

There certainly were many worlds, though Ritsuka didn't seem at all surprised to hear that Link was unfamiliar with hers. Instead, she just nodded, following along through the old building.

When Link paused at the entrance though, she gave him a curious look.

"Something wrong?"

i

[ghostlysobble]

The ghost child is pointing the stick directly at a bigheaded blue-grey lizard!
They have a clawset frozen in the air from when they'd been moving across the rain puddle under them. And their curled tail is up against their back, possibly reminiscent of a snail's shell (at least it is to them).

"oh..." comments the melancholy lizard, worried.
"sorry....."
They study his mask, tears forming in their eyes.
"i.... guess you're... not used to... being a ghostlike creature...?"
Napstablook rambled on.
"i... was a ghost monster... before becoming a lizard...."
They blink as if remembering the stick in their face.
"oh...i'm not going to fight you.... if you were worried about that....."

[mask_mandate]

Link listens to Napstablook's rambling without uttering so much as a single word in reply. It takes a while for him to even change his expression, his eyes- tearful and yellow as they are now- reminiscent of the ones on the mask.

A monster? He's encountered friendly monsters before, albeit rarely. The idea of a friendly ghost monster reminds him of the Phantom Guide. Maybe this monster, too, could show him the path.

As he calms down, he realizes it's doubtful that this little lizard is a minion of Ganondorf, and it's most certainly not like 'Them'. Tentatively, he lowers the stick. No matter what this stranger is- lizard or ghost- he's not going to fight someone who isn't threatening him.

He bows his head a little in apology. The words won't come to him right now. He should be ashamed of himself for being so quick on the draw, but it's saved his life more times than he can count.

('Life.' How funny to think about that, now. Is he dead? Is he alive? What's the difference, anyway?)

When he manages to speak, he asks: "You were transformed, too?"

[ghostlysobble]

"i was..."
They bow their head a little, too, and their eyes seem to shake a little.
"i'm... s-sorry you also went through that......."

[mask_mandate]

So it's not just him. He's not sure if it makes him feel relieved or concerned. He's not sure if he's feeling anything at all.

"It's okay," he says. He sounds young, but there's a weariness to his words that tends to come with age. "I can handle it. I'm sorry to you, too."

Now that his attention isn't focused on self-defense, he starts glancing around, searching for any way out.

[ghostlysobble]

The child in front of them reminded them of another- his wielding of a stick, the weariness in his young voice, and the restlessness.
All the tears in their eyes fell into the puddle, and they tried to stop more from forming. There was a larger frown on their face, now.

What could they do, or say, to help this young stranger?
They didn't know. So they tried offering some advice.

"if you... need to leave immediately... you may be able to just... phase through a wall... or... go invisible?"
The lizard sits down, looking at the child and talking as clearly as they can.
"...physical attacks will hopefully go through you... though you might also be... more... more vulnerable to magic attacks.... but you probably have magic of your own.... if you do, you can shape it... and not just for battle... you can use it for fun and self expression, too..."

[mask_mandate]

Link is no stranger to magic, but it's definitely taken different forms in his life. The mention of using it for fun reminds him of the games they used to play, back in--

Better not to think about it now. He's not going to be able to go back. Instead, he focuses his mind on how he might use magic in this new body. The transformation masks granted him new powers, so it stands to reason that this body has its own unique abilities as well. Phasing through walls may be one of them, if this stranger can be believed.

He tries to float through a wall and smacks into it. He grunts, rubbing his head. That didn't work. Maybe it's because he didn't believe he would be able to. Courage, Navi might have reminded him. He floats back a little, narrows his eyes, and charges straight through the wall.

He did it! He's outside!

... and he has no idea where he is. Now he can imagine Tatl chiding him for leaving the lizard/ghost behind. He floats back in, doing a little flip in midair. He can make this work!

He offers a smile and nod to Napstablook. He doesn't speak, but he's clearly grateful and seems to be trying to gauge their reaction.

[ghostlysobble]

They seem surprised by the kid phasing back in, especially by the flip- ghosts could do that?!- but they easily smile back, and keep smiling. The smile was unforced, but it seems their disposition is naturally a little gloomy.

"you're welcome.." they say, recognizing his gratefulness.
They seem a little wistful, as if remembering encouraging and being encouraged by others before.
"congrats... you learned how to do that really quickly..."
"soon enough, you'll be racing around... if you like moving around quickly.... one of the only humans i've met... walked pretty slowly... but i guess people just like different speeds...."
Napstablook sat up a little and then back down in a shoulderless shrug.

[mask_mandate]

By now, Link has guessed he must be in another world, as surely as Termina was separate from Hyrule. Whichever world Napstablook came from, it sounds like they might have been isolated... or maybe they just kept the company of other monsters. Regardless, he feels a bit endeared to them, and not just because he owes them for helping him learn how to become incorporeal.

"Do you need help getting out of here?" he asks. His voice is still quiet, but he speaks clearly.

iii-b

[telewarped]

[As Link looks around for his next challenger, a voice pipes up:]

You don't actually need that to fight, y'know.

[The speaker—the feline but seemingly limbless creature that's suddenly appeared at his side—regards him with a blank expression, indicating his stick with a small motion of her head.

(These are bold words coming from someone who is also carrying a stick—though hers is gnarled and thicker, more like a club, and also appears to be somehow affixed to her back.)]

[mask_mandate]

[Link tilts his head. Is this stranger a cat...? No, it seems to be a costume as sure as any mask. He feels a slight kinship with her. (Maybe in another life, he would've pointed out that she's also wielding a stick, but he just gives a wry smile now.)]

... Lost my sword. [Other Pokemon around here don't tend to use weapons, relying on their natural abilities or magic. He still hasn't figured out much of the latter. Sometimes, he can make himself go incorporeal on command, but it isn't a sure thing. It certainly doesn't have the same battle application as something like a Deku Scrub's bubble.] It's worked so far.

[He readies himself to duel, entering a practiced stance. He does not know, of course, that any attack he's about to use with the stick will likely phase through her.]

[telewarped]

If you say so.

[No skin off her nose if he's going to insist on not using super effective moves on her!

She's been watching him battle from the sidelines for a little while now (had to watch something while recovering from her own sparring), so she knows better than to underestimate him—and she doesn't plan on going easy on him either. As he enters his fighting stance, instead of taking on one of her own, she begins to sway back and forth—slowly at first, then faster, until her shape seems to blur and split apart into multiples. Seconds later, her Double Team illusions have him completely surrounded in a circle.]

Let's see what you've got!

[There are many Mimikyu but only one voice, which emanates from somewhere near Link's right.]

[mask_mandate]

[He can't help but imagine Navi floating between the illusory copies, trying to discern the real one. Somewhere to the right-- but no, Navi isn't here. He needs to act on his own.

With a shout, he spins in a wide circle and cleaves through all the illusions with his stick. He expects to feel a thunk as he hits the real one, but doesn't. Does that mean none of them were real to begin with?

But then the illusions fade, leaving the real Shoka behind. Could he have missed? He does a quick lunge, but the stick passes through her, disguise and all.]

A-ah...

[She's the first ghost he's fought since arriving here. Can he not hurt her at all? ... No, there must be some kind of weak point. He stands back, raising his mask like a shield, choosing to play defensively until he can figure it out.]

[telewarped]

[A single spin attack tears all of Shoka's illusions down in one stroke. She's genuinely a little impressed—even if the attack completely fails to hit her. When he takes another jab at her to no avail, she giggles.]

Aw, what's the matter? Did your trusty stick stop working for ya?

[Link stands back, mask raised. Instead of lunging at him head on, Shoka suddenly disappears, sinking down into her own shadow. Her silhouette proceeds to warp and shift strangely, elongating and slithering under his tail like a snake; a moment later, she reappears behind him with no other warning, swiping at him wildly with her claws.]

ii

[keaton_mask]

[The Starfall Festival reminds Kafei of the Carnival of Time as well, but in a way that jabs at his heart and twists the knife. He remembers when he used to count down the days, no, hours until the Carnival arrived... At least up until he got cursed and it suddenly became a race against time. And now what...? Did he get so focused on retrieving his mask that he missed the moon crashing? Is he dead? Or is this some sort of other curse? He's not sure, all he knows is that he got transformed again and he's now stuck as a tiny, gray-ish purple fox.

Kafei doesn't know what a Fennekin is, or a Shiny, or whatever other nonsense the people here are spouting. All he knows is that he wants to slink away and hide forever from all of these monsters. Monsters. That's what they are, and where he's from? They worked very hard to keep monsters outside. He's pretty sure he even overheard one handing out curses in envelopes, as if they were candy. No thank you.

He doesn't consider himself a hero like more kindhearted people might, the distressed cries of the Minior do very little to tug at his heartstrings when his heart has already been beaten to a pulp. In a similar fashion, they remind him too much of the moon, and it almost seems like he's purposely being mocked being sent to a world during its own carnival while it rains down heavenly bodies, even if they do appear far less destructive...

It's only when the ghostly figure approaches him that he stops in his tracks, freezes even. An imp with a mask, because of course it is. Kafei's big red eyes widen as he stares at the Yamask, unable to recognize him right away without his trademark green. All he knows is that the last time he spoke to a creature with a mask without thinking, it went horribly, horribly wrong. He glances at the bottle, his heart racing.]

...N-No...No thank you. I want nothing to do with that.

[mask_mandate]

[The pitfalls of not being able to find his voice. Like now, lost in this crowded festival and the moon is falling the moon is falling and this stranger thinks he's making an offer instead of asking for help.

Focus. The moon is safe in the sky. Tatl would scold him for losing focus when someone needs him. (He even misses her chiding.)

He does his best to put one word in front of another.]

Sorry. [The Minior core smiles at Kafei through the bottle.] ... Wanted to help it get home.

[Now that he thinks about it, the stranger's voice sounds familiar. But he won't get his hopes up that it's someone he knows. At best, it might be another counterpart of someone, the same difference between Malon and Romani. Even if it is someone he knew, would they remember him? Recognize him in this terrible form? Would he want that?

As he's musing on this, Kafei might also recognize the Yamask's voice-- young, but with a weight to his tone as if he's seen far more than any child should. If he stops to examine the actual mask he's carrying, it may also give a clue to the Yamask's true identity.]