TEST DRIVE 01

[baymods]

⋆✩ test drive 01 ✩⋆

ECHOES IN THE STORM
( CWS: BODY HORROR AND RISK OF DROWNING )

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.

You gasp for breath, and water spills into your lungs, causing your new form to flail out. An assortment of different appendages hinder your ability to swim, if you even had one in the first place, and every sensation returns to you at once in an overwhelming sensory bang.

You are now a Pokemon. But that's hardly the thing to be focusing on right now, as you are also currently drowning in a stormy sea. If you can manage to squint through the pouring rain and the pounding waves, you might spot the beach of Bottlecap Bay, or the cliffs just north of it. An assortment of Pokemon are there, along the shores, shouting at one another.

But as another wave threatens to knock you beneath the sea for good, you recognize just how many of you are stuck out here. Lightning flashes above with an immediate boom of thunder, and something in your chest tells you they are the same as you.

Those who are able to gain a quicker grasp on their new bodies may be able to help with the rescue efforts of their fellow new arrivals. The rest of you will just have to survive.

---

FOR THE WEARY
( JANUARY 19TH—JANUARY 31ST )

After everyone that can be found is rescued from the stormy seas, Mightyena is quick to offer the Oran Berries base as a place of rest for all new characters while their arrival is being looked into. Pokemon are shoved into any of the room styles without regard for ranking because this is temporary Housing, but will have to share their rooms. All Oran Berry guild amenities will be available to them during this time.

After arranging that, and having each new arrival stop by the Pokeclinic for their own health, characters will be met with a very fair and kind welcome: they are free to explore Bottlecap Bay, make themselves at home, and get used to their new bodies. Dr. Denne loudly and excitedly proclaims that he will be looking into this new, strange phenomenon immediately, and every Pokemon of the city seems to be in agreement: they're afraid and wary of humans, but they're not ones to turn away someone in need. They are willing to trust these characters, and hope their trust will not be broken.

For the time being, shop keepers throughout the city will be offering things to new arrivals free of charge to help them get on their feet.

A. ⟡ SWEETS AND TREATS

One of the best things about Bottlecap Bay is the assortment of delicious food, made for Pokemon, by Pokemon! Now, this might sound intimidating at first, but not to fret — Pokemon food tastes so delicious it's almost hard to believe! Of course, each Pokemon has their own tastes, so some may prefer the sweet while others search for spicy, but rest assured, there's something for everyone.

Unfortunately, as characters are still adjusting to their new bodies, these little snacks are causing trouble around the city with a number of strange, new effects. Some characters may experience the activation of their new abilities upon eating their favorite flavor of food! Try to dodge any stray thunderbolts while you're enjoying the poffins, and beware of bubble at the malasada stand's tables! In addition to this, some new arrivals have mentioned their moods being affected, with some suddenly becoming gloomy, excited, angry, or anything in between.

B. ⟡ AN ATTEMPT AT COMFORT

Various Pokemon clothing shop owners in Bottlecap Bay have noticed that the new arrivals seem very shy about their appearances. Hiding behind walls, covering themselves... It's not like anyone minds if you go around as you are, but they have a solution! New arrivals may have one item for free! That means that they may have one item of clothing without needing to barter for it. This is a rare chance, so make sure you take advantage of it!

However, a naughty little Impidimp has hexed the clothing items, unbeknownst to shopkeepers! Though not every piece of clothing is affected, many shops were hit, and each type of clothing has a different hex to go along with it. When Pokemon put on the item in question, they may experience the following:

HEADWEAR (hats, ear accessories, etc) ⟡ Have the strong urge to overshare about themselves to others. Lying feels difficult.
NECKWEAR (scarves, necklaces, etc) ⟡ Become incredibly cold, and will only be comforted by contact with others. Cuddle time!
TOPS (shirts, hoodies, capes, etc) ⟡ Suddenly become obsessed with their new abilities, and want to battle everything that moves.
BOTTOMS (pants, skirts, leggings, etc) ⟡ Overwhelmed with the desire to make more animalistic noises based on their Pokemon. Meow!
SHOES (booties or anything on the feet) ⟡ Become incredibly clumsy, dropping things, tripping and falling all over the place.
MISC (anything that does not apply to the other categories) ⟡ Some of their thoughts will be spoken aloud on accident. Hope you weren't thinking something mean!

C. ⟡ ALL CLEANED UP

Does it feel a little awkward, sitting around and watching all the other Pokemon clean up after this storm? The guild base you're staying in is damaged and dealing with periodic leaks, the storefronts closest to the beach have suffered water damage, and the intense winds have damaged structures throughout the city. Streets are being swept and tidied from blown in debris, injured Pokemon are taking up a majority of the hospital beds, and there's an endless need for construction assistance in both stone and wood parts of structures.

Characters will not be forced or even encouraged to help out, but if they offer, their help will be gratefully accepted! Those who take part in a lot of the cleanup will certainly be remembered by those with more prominent positions in the clean up efforts, such as the guild leaders.

While you have free reign of the city, the guild leaders and Dr. Denne are hard at work looking into solutions and explanations for your sudden arrival. They promise to update you as soon as they have more information, but in the meantime... there's a whole city to explore, and a new body to do it in! Feel free to use the Locations page to come up with different prompts using available locations, if you'd like.

---

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
( FEBRUARY 1ST—FEBRUARY 8TH )

With the large storm past and the clean up and repairs complete, all of Bottlecap Bay can now focus on the upcoming festival! Now, this is a rather small affair, lasting for only one day and night, but to the Pokemon of Bottlecap Bay, it's important. Each year, there is an expected meteor shower, and psychic Pokemon have recently received the date for this year's. Known simply as Starfall, this festival centers around wishes, the unknown, and the future!

Legend says that if you close your eyes and wish upon a falling star, there's a strong Pokemon that can make it come true. The stronger your heart, the more your wish will be heard, though there are additional small superstitions about what you should do in order to better be heard.

For the week leading up to Starfall (which falls on the night of the 9th of February), the city will be decorated in a starry theme, with food and clothing to match! The night life of the city becomes that much more active, with games that you'd expect to find at any festival being played in Pokemon form, friendly sparring battles held on the beach, and fortunes! Farigiraf Fortunes are one-time fortunes that Pokemon pull during the week leading up to the festival to show your luck for the following year. Bad fortunes should be tied on festival decorations around the city in order to dispel the ill fortune. With your new bodies, though, you may just need some help to tie those off.

Throughout the week, feel free to make up your own festival games to participate in for top levels. For the festival food, some of it may make you feel sparkly or warm, reminding you of something distant yet oh-so-close... What could it be?

---

SOMETHING TWISTING IN MY HEART
( BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1ST )

The city has moved on from the storm, but the truth of the matter is that you haven't. Even if you think you have, can you really say as much? After all, your body still aches at night, your mind still spins when you try to recall that voice, and that void, and you don't belong here. Beginning February 1st, characters may begin to have intermittent nightmares.

These nightmares vary from person to person, but their core is the same: your inner doubts, your worries about the future, the present, and the past all come to a head here. Nightmares cause you to lose sleep at night and lose focus during the day. The more you lose yourself to these fears and feelings, the more you begin to change, your darker traits becoming more emphasized as your ability to talk yourself through situations becomes weaker. You can't do this alone.

Nightmares will slowly increase in frequency and intensity until hallucinations begin to occur even during the daytime. Characters might believe that those around them are out to get them, or are adding to those self-doubting and criticizing feelings. Worries pile on and begin to affect you physically, leading to more body aches and pains, loss of control, and occasional rampages.

In order to break free from this worsening condition, you must share these doubts or feelings with another. Surface level admissions won't count for this. All characters who do not manage this task by the 10th of February, just after Starfall, will find themselves automatically freed from the horrible nightmares. How strange was that? It's like as soon as everyone made their wishes, that horrible feeling melted away completely.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Characters who experience nightmares but do not have them cured by another character, and instead just "time out" at the end of the event, will have plot relevance in a future event. They may experience emotional or light physical harm in the future, so feel free to handwave an NPC helping them out if you'd like to opt out of that.

---

NOTES.

⟡ TDMs are game canon and act as events for the month they are posted.

⟡ We will normally have a newbie directory for new characters only! However, since this is our first TDM and everyone will be new, there will be no directory.

⟡ All characters on this TDM are unassigned to any guild as of yet!

⟡ 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!

⟡ Dates listed beneath prompts are meant to be helpful guides for the more time-sensitive aspects (cleaning up from the storm, nightmares beginning, etc), but general city exploration and other ideas like that can be done at any time.

⟡ Farigiraf Fortunes will just be 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!

⟡ Please be sure to mark for any content warnings in your threads when applicable, such as with the nightmare prompt.

⟡ 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!

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Comments

courier six | fallout: new vegas

[shotinhead]

ECHOES IN THE STORM

The first time that Perrin had died was when he left his birthplace.

The second time Perrin had died was when he was shot in the head for the package he carrie.

The third time? Well, he didn't think he'd survive. The pain came - physical, strong - and then he felt wrong. Water spilled from his mouth, his body began to spasm. The man - now a Dragonite - did not flail, however.

A spark of knowledge - or perhaps a [survival] check - made him realise. If he couldn't swim, try and balance this body. Try and float. Even with the waves crashing down, the large dragon found himself on his back, being knocked around.

And yet. He didn't seem to be going down. Perhaps you can cling to him, perhaps you can climb up on him.

FOR THE WEARY

It was while people were being checked at the Pokeclinic that Perrin decides to talk up. Not just to you, but to anybody who'll listen. "So. You ever woken up in a weird situation before?"

That was not that clear of a question. And yet, Perrin smiled, closing his eyes, like it was the most natural question in the world.

ALL CLEANED UP

Perrin of Vale knows what makes people like you. And that's helping out. His movement is as smooth as it can be - while he still hasn't figured out his wings, he's figured out he can carry a lot around. So! You might bump into him as he's carrying some debris out to get sorted - and also plucking stuff out of it himself. But! It's not what people usually would pluck out of debris. The people here could use a lot of this, Perrin thought.

But he could take a bit of the waterlogged wood, some of the smaller stones. Nobody'd notice, right? Even if he was looking suspicious as fuck, and he was keeping it with whoever he was bedding with, back in the Oran Berry Guild.

FOR THE WEARY

[hopeballoon]

[A Certain Wigglytuff seemed to be helping out uninvited - the one that was with all the rest of the survivors.]

Huh? Waking up to something weird...? Well... Yes, but... I didn't wake up to it. But don't worry! So long as you cling to hope enough to make your own future, everything will be fine! Love, love~

[shotinhead]

[ Perrin smiled at the weird pink balloon thing. This was all weird as fuck. ]

Well. You have now. But-- hope, huh? Hope's something you've gotta make for yourself.

[hopeballoon]

[Usami is used to almost everyone being taller than her so this is nothing new to her, giant yellow dragon thing person. Usami giggles a little as she squishes her cheeks.]

Don't be too silly! Hope can also come from the friendships and relationships and bonds you form with others. You should never be alone when trying to combat despair!

[shotinhead]

[ You know, he likes you. Perrin gives a chuckle, a little nervous. ]

You know, I've seen that, too. But now our bonds aren't here, are they.

[hopeballoon]

There's always room to form new bonds with people you've never met before!

I'm Magical Miracle Girl★Usami. AKA Usami! Who are you? Can you tell me what your Ultimate Talent is?

ECHOES IN THE STORM

[telewarped]

As Perrin is floating there, letting himself be battered by the waves, two somethings wash up onto him: first, there is the rag—a soggy, dingy gray scrap of fabric designed in the likeness of some sort of long-eared animal. Soaked through, it gets draped limply over him and sticks there.

Then, there is the creature. In the dark and the rain, it's difficult to tell what it is exactly—and perhaps that's for the best, because even this obscured glimpse of it is somehow deeply, inexplicably unnerving, even revolting, enough to turn one's stomach. Whatever it is, it's small and black, like a compact, squirming mass of oily shadows, and it's scrabbling at him ineffectually with a set of savage-looking—but harmless (for now)—claws.

It doesn't seem to be trying to hurt him. It doesn't even seem to be trying to save itself, really. It's just reaching blindly, desperately, for the rag.

Its voice emerges in a ragged snarl. "Give it—back—!"

[shotinhead]

Honestly, Perrin hadn't noticed the rag at first. He'd just felt a wet something hit him, stick on him. On his bad side, at that - where his eye had long-ago been taken from him.

But the glimpse of the thing. Now, Perrin has seen a lot of horrifying things. Men with their skin torn off. Giant poisonous bugs. Benny. But even with that one glimpse, Perrin knew. Just do what it wants, and it won't strike.

And so, weakly-- with one of his large claws, he held out the rag. But he didn't let go fully - moving so if the creature took the rag, it'd still be able to cling if needed. "Can you swim?"

[telewarped]

Grabbing hold of the rag in its claws, the creature wastes no time skittering closer, huddling up against it as if to hide itself. It works for the most part, but Perrin might see one of its wide, ghostly gray eyes staring at him from around the crumpled fabric.

Only now, finally back in contact with the drenched cloth, is Shoka able to think properly, and only now does she seem to actually see Perrin at all. Those are claws holding her (her?) disguise, and the words come from a scaly, vaguely reptilian snout. No way around it: this is an actual dragon she's clinging to like a life raft—Noise, she thinks at first, until he asks her a perfectly reasonable question. Can she swim?

"I..."

I don't have to, is the first thing she wants to say. She's already dead, after all. Should be even deader than dead—erased for good. If she hadn't seen the rag slip off of her and felt that sudden terror and need to get it back, she'd probably be letting herself sink to the bottom of the ocean right now. But whatever Perrin is, he's solid, and he can definitely see her...

"H—hell if I know," she eventually manages, only barely audible over the pounding rain and crashing of the waves. "Not in this..."

It's hard to tell if she means not in this weather or not in this body, but it's most likely both.

[shotinhead]

Does it matter if it's both? Or if it's neither, or a third option? Because honestly - Perrin does not know how his 'float-and-try-and-survive' plan is working. Probably his luck.

"Hold on, then," he said gruffly. Protectively. For a moment, the man-turned-Dragonite seemed like he wasn't in a panic. But the way his tail twitched, the way his good eye now darted around... his mask of calm and chill couldn't hold. "We'll make it t'shore."

Because he was not going to die a fourth time. (Becoming a dragon counted as a third time. Clearly.)

[telewarped]

Hold on, he says—protectively, like he really wants her to. But he's scared. She can tell. He has no idea what he's doing either. What does he even care, anyway? It would be so much easier—for both of them—if she did just the opposite.

We'll make it t'shore. Like hell they will. From where she's sitting, clutching onto that pathetic scrap of old, drenched fabric with a desperation she didn't know she had in her, she can't see shore at all.

"What—..." Another wave laps at them both, stealing her words and threatening to drag her under (she thinks of Shinjuku, and sinking, and numbness, and existence melting away)—only to recede without her. "What—makes you so sure?"

All Cleaned Up

[bladeofnymeia]

[Funny enough, when Perrin plucks up a chunk of waterlogged wood, what he sees behind it is a female Nidoran suddenly tumbling forward - it looks like she was about to start pushing it along with her head? Compared to a Dragonite, who wouldn't find this wood to be particularly large, it would be a considerable challenge for her to move.

Her head immediately lifts up, up, to see where the debris had gone.]

Oh...

[Is this how Lalafell feel around everyone else? Damn, probably.]

[shotinhead]

[ One of the things about Perrin was that he still was not used to these creatures. For a moment, his good eye focused. Was that a Gecko? No. Four legs, on the ground...

That was clearly some form of dog. A lot of these beasts could be called dogs, to Perrin, though. ]

Uh-- didn't notice you there. Workin' on this pile too?

[ There was a gruffness but kindness to the larger mans' voice. He couldn't tell if this Weird Dog was one of those outsiders or not - those who used to be different. But he treated her the same as he would any of them. ] It's a good bit of wood, I think. Even if it's a bit soggy, it could probably be turned into paper, given a bit of prep...

[bladeofnymeia]

Ah - well. I'm trying.

[Outsider or local, Firoza is herself - it's all she can be.]

It's the least I can do for everyone's kindness.

[But hm, paper...?]

You know how to make paper?

[shotinhead]

[ Perrin smiled gently to himself. Going over the steps in his head on how to make paper. ]

Well, yeah. You don't? [ It was such an innocent question, his smile fading a little. ] There's no use wastin' things, after all.

For the Weary

[truthdecided]

...Damn it. Why is it that he's so small, while this other person gets to be a fucking dragon? Akechi tries to hide his envy with a stern, but neutral expression.

It's a fair question either way.

"Multiple times, as a matter of fact, though not quite on the same scale as this."

[shotinhead]

Perrin closes his good eye, quietly. Clearly, he's noticed... something, but he keeps his gentle smile on his lips.

"Oh, same. Never resulted in my body changing, though." A beat. "This much, I mean." Or not having a task he can do. That he should do.

[truthdecided]

"But it has changed before." Interesting. To what degree? He'll let this stranger elaborate before pressing, at least. "In my case, it was more of an altered reality brought on one foolish man's sentimental desire to make everyone 'happy.' After that, I awakened after I was certain I was dead."

There, a little information for information in turn. Nothing too personal or damning, but enough to incentivize sharing more details.

[shotinhead]

Information for information. Yeah, Perrin gets it. He nods, thinking about how to explain it. He couldn't tell it like how he told his companions. For one, he's not somewhere comfortable and high as fuck.

Instead, he gives a little nod, pointing to the scars on his head. "Got turned into a Lobotomite by some guys after I got kidnapped." A beat. "Uh-- they're cyborgs, basically. Some of their people bits replaced by cybernetics - usually driven mad by it. So I was still pretty much myself, not... some dragon."

all cleaned up~

[conradachenleck]

[It's not like Conrad is one to get into other people's business. He's not even feeling sociable so much, but... He doesn't like clutter. Or trash. Or gross bits of driftwood lying around. If he has to share lodging with someone, he expects his roomie to keep things neat. Otherwise he's going to turn into a rather grumpy Jigglypuff.]

Sooo... What's this for?

[He's trying to not sound judgy or anything, but it's not really working. He's just pointing out what he's been dragging into the room and Conrad would like to know why he's acting so oddly by hoarding random stuff.]

[shotinhead]

[ As if it's the most casual thing in the world, Perrin gave a little look to Conrad: ] Once I figure out how to shape this a bit better, it'll make some good future splints. Get rid of the most rotted bits, and it'll hold. And it's lightweight enough to take out on th'road.

[ There's? A clinic here though??? And really, what does Perrin think is going to happen. ]

Better then just discardin' it.

[conradachenleck]

[If he could, he would tilt his head, but he sort of just tips his whole body while he's looking at this mess. What is he even talking about??]

Splints? Are you... Are you a doctor or...? Why would you need splints?

[He doesn't want to start anything with his roommate, but he's a little confused, here.]

[shotinhead]

[ He turns to the weird balloon of a man, and has the most no-shit look. ]

Because it's th'sort of thing you gotta be ready with? Don't know when some guy has decided you're a threat.

[ Great. This dragon is some sort of survivalist...? Well. He is covered in scars. ]

FOR THE WEARY cw: nsfw mention

[devilishkouhai]

"It depends." BB giggles a bit playfully. Her rather large size made her stand out just a bit, "Would you call an Alien God taking over your universe one day and turning it all white?"

Well, technically - details, though, details, "What about suddenly waking up to a world calamity sex nun trying to fuck the whole world? Eh, if you ask me, this is pretty mid."

cw nsfw

[shotinhead]

Perrin gives a bit of a laugh at those - though, notably, it's not the sort of laugh that means he's not believing it.

"You know, that sorta shit sounds at least fun. Though aren't nuns meant to not be sex-based? I dunno, I don't know much about nuns." A beat. "It'd be sexy, though. Sexier then bein' a big-ass dragon."