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TEST DRIVE 01
⋆✩ 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!
⟡ 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!
Beetlejuice | Beetlejuice the Musical the Musical the Musical | Galarian Zigzagoon
[ A waterlogged ball of black and white fur drags itself onto the beach with wobbly legs. As soon as Beetlejuice is sure he isn't going to swept back out to sea, he flops onto the wet sand and gasps like a fish. On top of being exhausted from swimming, Beetlejuice is currently dealing with needing to breathe at all. It seems that The Ghost With the Most has become some kind of weird raccoon. Whatever. It's not that important. Especially since he's pretty sure everything has gone to shit back at the Deetz house by now. Who knows what that monster will do to them? To her? The only pal he's ever had...]
[ Beetlejuice has felt sadness before. He felt it for about five seconds before it evaporated into fury. In this moment he feels like he'd give up almost anything to be angry and murderous instead of soul-crushingly sad. His heart!!!]
[ He covers his face with his paws and chitters miserably. At least it's raining.]
For The Weary - Sweets and Treats
[ Now that Beetlejuice has come to terms with the his furry situation, he's decided that the best thing to do is just not think about home ever again. It'll be, like, sooo easy! He can start a new life here as a Pokeyman or whatever he's supposed to be. This little town, he's discovered, has quite a few opportunities. ]
[ One of those opportunities being FREE SNACKS. ]
[ You can find Beetlejuice drifting from stall to stall, shoving everything in his mouth that the shopkeeps will let him have. And some that they won't let him have. In fact, when you encounter him today it's because he's running along on his little back legs with his front paws full of pastries. They're stacked so high he can't see over them, so naturally this means he runs right into--you!]
For The Weary - An Attempt at Comfort
[ A wild Stunky appears! Wait--no. That's not a Stunky, but he sure smells like one. ]
[ Wherever you are, so long as it's outside (because he has already gotten a warning about it) a scruffy creature in a shirt patterned with tropical flowers blocks your path. Beetlejuice crouches, his fur bristling and his horrible sharp teeth bared. He speaks in a horrible fake cowboy accent. ]
Wha'dya say, par'dner, wanna wrassle?
WILDCARD
[ (( OOC: I'm down for any of these prompts, really! You can hit me with whatever or grab me on Plurk to plot something! )) ]
[ ((OOC: ALSO!!! I'm cool with both PROSE or BRACKETS! So hit me with your fav and I'll match you!))
an attempt at comfort
But he does miss sparring, and it's important to try to be polite even to elders who smell like they soiled themselves.]
Oh, sure! I'd love to wrestle!
[He crouches down very carefully, like a little kid trying to get a karate move right that they just learned. He hasn't learned how to do most of his Litten moves yet, but he definitely looks comfortable moving like a cat.]
no subject
[ Beetlejuice lashes his tail in anticipation. He hasn't been a weird raccoon ferret thing for very long but he's already adept at the art of scurrying. Once his opponent accepts the challenge, he dances from side to side in a zig zag motion before spinning around and kicking up a cloud of sand at Firepaw. ]
no subject
Hey, that's cheating!
[He is going to try and properly pounce on the Zigzagoon, but he's left himself fairly open to get hit first.]
For The Weary - Sweets and Treats
[ While his new form may be stocky, the Miltank does get pushed a few steps back from the impact - mostly in shock. ]
- hey, slow down … !
no subject
[ Beetlejuice bounces off of him and ends up flat on his back. A shower of pastries falls all around them. He's quick to sit up though and show his teeth. ]
WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN', BESSY!
[ His fury is quickly exchanged for something else--he spies the Miltank's big strong arms. Perfect for carrying donuts! Beetlejuice is on his paws again in a flash and scooping up the baked goods. He shoves several of them into Junpei's hooves. ]
Alright alright alright alright let's get going! Let's go let's go let's go! Follow my lead!
no subject
[ He scrunches his snout in offense. Before he can correct the little striped felon he’s being made an accomplice, too stunned by the sudden turnaround to register what’s happening before he’s got an armful of baked goods. ]
What? Go where? Why are you in such a rush?
no subject
[ An Ampharos in a flour-covered apron runs toward the two of them through the crowd. The ball on her tail flashes angrily. ]
[ Beetlejuice's fur poofs out in alarm. ]
That's why! Go go go!
[ He starts running again, much faster this time since his load isn't so heavy.] ]
Echoes in the Storm
Give! Me! The Bug Man!An equally small and waterlogged creature trudges through the sand towards Beetlejuice, light blue and buck-toothed as opposed to the wild mess of black and white fur that managed to emerge from the surf. Stopping about a foot away, she crouches, trying to get a better look at this fellow.]
Mayhap you ought to come a bit further inland, lest the tides pull you back.
[Like. We're all recovering from almost drowning. Let's not almost drown again.]
no subject
[ Beetlejuice parts his claws so he can see who has approached him. He doesn't know what kind of animal she is. He sniffles loudly, sucking up a strand of snot that had started to drip from his little black nose. ]
R-right...right...
[ The Zigzagoon hauls himself upright like a person and sways unsteadily. Swimming all the way to shore was one hell of a work-out. He scrubs at his eyes. He's a tough guy! He's not crying! ]
Where the fuck am I?
no subject
[Also wow impressive, you look more quadruped than biped, but that goes to show not to judge any creature she meets.]
'Tis no place I've been before.
no subject
Right...
[ He swings a foot and kicks up a clump of sand before toppling backwards onto his behind. He's done being sad now. It's time to throw a tantrum.]
UUUUUGH THIS SUUUUUCKS! WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK!
[ He thrashes about. ]
no subject
Ah...er...did...are you...
[hhhh asking questions hard when your whole body hurt and brain tired]
For The Weary - Sweets and Treats
"Sorry about that!" came the hurried reply as both of their snacks were strewn about and mixed up. "Uh, let's see...this one's mine..." He picked up one of the pastries, then pointed at another, "That one's yours..." a particularly interesting one caught his eye, "Oooh, where'd you get that one?" and then he glanced around, trying to find one in particular, "Have you seen my Ursaring claw? I was really looking forward to trying it out."
no subject
"Uuuuuuuh, I got it from some kind of tall rabbit looking thing with huge ears."
He wasn't entirely sure all the pastries he had gathered in his arms were his, but he also didn't care, because food was food.
"Beats me, gotta run!"
no subject
He did a quick survey of the remaining snacks - looks like he had some belonging to the other guy - and the other guy had the one he was looking for.
"Hey, wait! You've got one of mine, we can trade real quick!" If it wasn't for the Ursaring claw, he would've went on his way, but he had gotten the last one for today.
Sure, he could get another one tomorrow, but it should be simple to swap it out now, right?
An Attempt at Comfort
She doesn't have a nose to wrinkle, but Mimikyu must have olfactory receptors of some kind, because instead of answering his question, she has to first shuffle backward an inch and complain with obvious disgust:]
Ugh, what the hell is that smell?