OCTOBER EVENT PT1

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OCTOBER EVENT PT1

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→ EVACUATION STUFF

(click to expand- aka getting people out of here)

The water level keeps rising, the storm refusing to abate even after two months of non-stop rain and circulating whispers of an even greater danger: an erupting volcano, threats of subsequent tsunamis, and Toran right there in the blast zone. There has already been one casualty. Jiro, after going missing for a week and a half, was found washed up on the beach. Probably drowned, they say in regards to his cause of death and never investigated further, not realizing that the band of tattooed fire around his neck has disappeared. While there is a very real possibility the island will become inhabitable very quickly and very soon, many townspeople are worried about leaving, with the storm swelling in response to anybody leaving the island in the past and if evacuation tips the situation over the edge... well... at this point, though, there's little other choice. Homes and other buildings get boarded up over the days counting down to the end of the month, berry trees get chopped down to construct as many boats as possible, all the Pokemon in the Daycare get returned to their balls and loaded into crates. The Pokemon Center becomes a shelter for those unable or unwilling to leave while the rest head out, the first of the boats pushing off the north shore at dawn.

With boats carrying six people each, families towards the center of the group and trainers with strong water Pokemon flanking them on all sides for protection, the evacuees steer northeast, veering out of the projected path of the volcanic activity in the northwest, with towering waves, jagged reefs, and whirlpools every several dozen feet dictating travel. Even with their own Mudkip, trainers who try to leave on their own will find it too difficult to cross the sea, with too many whirlpools for one little Mudkip to handle on their own and the storm forcing them to turn back around. It takes a group effort to carve a safe path away from the island, especially when thunder starts to rumble overhead, storm clouds so thick the sky becomes black as night.

The roar is almost deafening, encompassing and full of rage. Boats lurch to the side, caught in whirlpools that threaten to suck them under until the Mudkips in the group are able to reverse the whirlpool and calm the water, other water Pokemon pressing up against the boats to keep them upright as ten-foot waves crash down over people's heads, torrential rain unrelenting and there is no escape from the lightning that flashes across the sky. Trainers with electric Pokemon use them as lightning rods to redirect the lightning away from the others, and other Trainers direct their Pokemon as best they can to block the lightning as the ships cross the sea. Nanami's Marshtomp leads the group, clearing the path and searching desperately for any sign of land on the other side, while Minato's Yamask zips from boat to boat, using Protect to shield them from the lightning, but there is no end in sight.

In that moment, the sky turns white. There is light, there is silence, and the rain snuffs out all at once. Those who think to turn around might see Minato on his feet at the very rear of the group, two shimmering figures fading away into the sunlight behind him just as he topples backwards into the water. For everybody else, their attention is drawn by the deafening screeching that pierces the air, black clouds parting to reveal blue sky and a shining sun for the first time in two months. With the parting of the clouds and the subsequent silence, they hear a muffled boom out in the far distance, a spew of fire, and a plume of black smoke. There's your volcano, and here is the swell of the ocean that pitches the boats forward, driving them east.

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE STAYING

(click to expand - have fun drowning)

The flash of white is noticeable even from the island, the first warning before the clouds part of their heads and the rain comes to a stop. Without the veil of rain constantly blurring their vision, the people who remain can clearly see the tsunami heading their way, waves upon waves dipping and rearing their heads as they slam into the coast and out across the island. A foot- two, ten- the water level rises too quickly for anybody to run, even the lake rising and spilling out as those in multi-story buildings try to make it to the highest floor possible. Drifloons float out and try to grab onto stragglers and drag them to safety, but they're too light and weak and all they can do is inflate themselves as much as they can and be buoys for those stranded to cling to for dear life. From the lake, the Gyarados takes advantage of the overflow and urges its Magikarp towards the north side of the island along with it— and stops in surprise when it spots Akira. Why did this human not ditch the first chance he got? This is not his home, there is nothing important for him to protect here...

The Gyarados turns to stare out at sea. And with its eyes glowing red, the wind starts to pick up, a Hurricane building and whipping the air all around the Gyarados as it faces the tsunami and roars, parting the waves to either side of the island before they can reach the shore. Two little Magikarps splash next to the Gyarados in encouragement, and for the next hour, Gyarados weathers the tsunami until the sea calms down, and the world is quiet and still once more. It looks back at Akira, at the friends who stayed behind with him, and approaches him for the first time. If he wishes, the Gyarados will allow him on its back and it will carry him and company across the sea to join his friends in the northeast; if he does not, the Gyarados and its family slips into the water and disappears.

Either way, maybe we'll meet again someday.

→ FOR THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING

(click to expand - have fun camping)

Eventually, the boats bump against the soft sand of a sunny shore. It's warm, the air strangely dry, but welcome compared to the constantly rainy Toran. Not far from the coast is a grove of wild berry trees, overgrown with fruit that a herd of Girafarig and Stantler surround, pausing in their grazing as they watch the soggy mess of evacuees drag themselves onto shore, a little Yamask flitting around from person to person trying to find her blue-haired boy. A small group of water type trainers offer to take the boats back to Toran and make a second evacuation now that they know the path and the storm has quelled- for the time being, anyways, and ask around to borrow or trade for the Mudkips who are able to temporarily reverse the whirlpools. Everybody else is encouraged to find the closest town, and call for shelter and for help.

The forest before them is thick with trees, so dense that the sun everybody's sorely missed is barely visible past the canopy, forcing the group to stay packed together as they search for a path through the forest. Nothing stops the brave or the foolish from peeling off from the group and trying to find their own way, but the children are quick to warn anybody who will listen that following flickering lights in the forest is a bad idea. There is constant rustling in the forest, swift movement out of the corner of your eyes, the feeling that somebody is watching you. It is very dark, very crowded, and like the sea, it is vast and endless. For several nights, the group is forced to camp, taking turns keeping watch and heading out at the first sign of sunlight, but here and there they come across trainers in the woods, surprised to see so many people at once but always willing to spare what little food they have and to point them towards the closest route to town.

Five days after leaving Toran, the evacuees stumble out of the forest and stand before Mango city. While the forest borders half the city, the other sides are wide open plains, fields and pastures as far as the eye can see, all full of grazing Pokemon and flocks of flying types circling the skies. Continuing north, one would find themselves facing the sea; to the east, the forest and eventually the sea once more; and to the west past the endless plains, a severe sandstorm rages that makes further progress impossible.

The city itself is much larger than Toran, with steel and concrete buildings that feel almost out of place amongst all the wilderness surrounding it on all sides. But the people are welcoming, the Pokemon Center accommodating both Pokemon and trainers with plenty of space to rest after a harrowing journey. Many families offer their own homes for refugees to stay in, while others pool together money and volunteers to head to Toran for relief measures in the aftermath, and local children take any stranger's hand to show them around the city.

The pride and joy of the city is............. the boba shop!!!! The specialty flavor for this shop is Miltank milk tea, a classic. Make sure to stop by the shop and get your card stamped with the green Butterfree, unique to this city's shop. The city also features its own contest hall and Pokemon Gym, with its gym leader specializing in Steel Pokemon; a museum filled with skeletons and fossils of ancient Pokemon; an art gallery featuring both prominent and local artists, with a special event every Wednesday where artists offer to draw portraits of visitor's Pokemon; and a bug catching contest hosted every Sunday that awards trainers for catching the largest or heaviest bug Pokemon within a two-hour window. Everybody arrived just in time to see the Vivillon migration, where all twenty different types can be seen fluttering across the sky, meeting together over this city for several weeks before scattering all across the globe before winter. Two towers pierce the sky right in the middle of the city: one a cemetery and one a radio tower, positioned right next to each other and the buildings almost seem to be humming the closer you approach their doors. There are also multiple barbeque restaurants in the city, grilling up Miltank and Bouffalant and Tauros, you're welcome, Cliff. Still, the boba shop is where several of Toran's children still insist on going, latching onto Joonghyuk and Sagi who promised them a three-tiered cake with sprinkles and a magic show and a party!!! We escaped the island. A town might be wiped out because we veered away from the volcano, and Toran is half-drowned and will take several weeks to drain and return to normal, but never mind that. Party.

It's warm, it's dry, there is always a faint static in the air and there has been no phone or radio signal for the past two months. Enjoy your respite.

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ Congrats on surviving September! October will be a no-plot month, so please take the chance to be good to your characters and build up that cr, but there will still be opportunities for investigation!
⬥ Minato will be presumed missing until after Ori's murdergame is over, and cannot be found at sea. The Gyarados and the Magikarp also cannot be found, but may return at a later date. Toran will dry out and return to normal towards the middle of the month, but characters can freely travel between Toran and Mango by catching a ride with one of the sailors whenever they like.
⬥ For those who wish to trade their Mudkips with one of the sailors, please comment to the questions toplevel for your rng options. Traded Pokemon tend to grow stronger quickly, but they might not always listen to their new trainer! Traded Pokemon are allowed to gain 15 levels per month rather than the usual 10.
⬥ Please comment to the appropriate toplevel on the Pokemon info page for challenging the gym or participating in the contest hall.
⬥ Please comment to the bug-catching contest toplevel by October 10 if your character would participate. We will rng three winners, one for each Sunday of the month, and reply with your prize. Characters may choose to either keep or release their bug Pokemon at the end of the contest.
⬥ As a reminder, the Halloween event log will be posted on October 15!

Comments

[weenwoon]

[He smiles apologetically.]

I'm sorry that I hurt you. You are a good friend, and... 'twas unfair of me to say such things. And I promise I shan't do aught rash or stupid, so don't you worry about me, alright?

[He reaches out to boop Hien's forehead--or, well, the mask over it--for that last part.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien squints. It's a genuine apology, yes, and it's nice to actually have someone communicate like this forthright instead of having to guess or wait. It's refreshing. But there's something about it that makes it sound like Hythlo is talking to a kid about it in Hien's opinion, so he just quietly seethes.

other overseer peers: hien is a softie ]

... Fine. Just don't do it while you're here in this world. I'm not going to stop you if you go back one day.

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo shifts his pose, sitting down with his legs crossed instead. It's a bad habit at this point.]

... I won't have a choice if I go back, alas.

[At least he looks serious, and not just wallowing in his depression.]

That... was what I was trying to say, earlier. I am dead in my world already, and I've no true idea what will happen when I go back, but... I doubt I shall have been granted an extension on life. I surmise I might have a few seconds left, because I do not think I could have been brought here had I already died... but nothing can be done in that amount of time and in those circumstances.

[He sighs and looks up at the sky.]

To tell you the truth, I do not understand any of this.

[selfconcept]

Does it matter?

[ Hien talks, though his voice is quiet as usual. He doesn't sound annoyed, but when he says that, it sounds more like a genuine question. ]

... I only know about worlds because I deal with them all the time. Bad things may happen and I might not understand motives behind every single person of what makes them do that, but I go and do what I have to do anyway. You don't have to understand the hard stuff to enjoy life.

[ Even though, honestly Hien's life is usually something that's very far from being enjoyable. ]

So make do with what you have, and live in the now instead of thinking about things that don't matter in the long run. You're still here.

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo smiles but hangs his head. He... is not quite there yet.]

... A good sentiment. May I come to it in time.

[He stares down at his hands, slowly rubbing his fingers together. He's not quite certain how much he wants to reveal--he doesn't want to burden Hien, but then again, he doesn't actually have anyone else to talk to about this. Nanami promised that he can speak with her when he finds out how he feels, but he hasn't seen the girl around lately--another small cause for worry, although knowing her she's likely found a new video game that's taking up all her time.

Eventually, Hythlo just laughs a little and shrugs.]

I wish we did not have to go through the stages of grief. Or simply skip ahead to recovery instantly, perhaps.

[selfconcept]

Not even living for eons will get you out of that cycle.

[ Though he can't help but to actually think about his Overseer peers. One smiles normally and acts like nothing bad happened in his life, and another one lives on apathy and fake smiles. Hien does neither and goes through the cycle over and over again. Maybe that's why they tease him for being a softie. ]

But there's a little something to learn from it each and every time. My most recent cycle taught me that I can actually be pretty murderous.

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo chuckles at the revelation, but doesn't have it in him to actually tease Hien over it. Besides... he's pretty certain that's not something Hien is happy to find out about.]

... Mayhaps I could be too, in the right circumstances. If... I lost myself, or if there was no choice...

[He trails off. He would never have considered anything like that before, but... the horror of the Final Days left its mark.

But, also.]

At least you get cycles.

[Hien gets another mask poke.]

[selfconcept]

[ me: laughs in event part 2 post

Hien stays still for a second when Hythlo pokes his mask before speaking up. ]

... There are some things you get used to, but it doesn't mean it's pleasant every single time. I worked hard for this, you know.

[ He pokes Hythlo's mask too, where the forehead should be. ]

The day when I no longer feel anything is the day I'll be turning into a monster.

[weenwoon]

[Good thing Hythlo doesn't know Hien means like a literal monster

He nods, looking serious, then catches Hien's hand to hold in both of his.]

'Twould be a sad day. I hope it never comes to pass.

[selfconcept]

[ me: are you sure about that hythlo

Hien watches as Hythlo takes his hand in his. Hythlo's hands must be big, but it feels comforting. He can't help but smile a little. This is what he did back in the cemetery, didn't he? ]

It's inevitable, but I got a long way to go until it happens. I'm just here to live the good life while I can. Thanks, Hythlodaeus.

these two just volleyball the same gestures huh

[weenwoon]

[he's an advocate for happy and consensual monsterfucking!!! it's just bad and sad if hien only goes monster when his depression reaches full peak

Hythlo smiles and lets go of his hand, instead choosing to half-sprawl by the bench, propping an elbow on the bench and resting his head on it. It's like he's allergic to sitting like a normal person.]

Are you truly certain about "inevitable"? Mayhaps they would let you retire before that.

[That's probably not how Overseers work.]

i love callbacks

[selfconcept]

[ It really isn't, and Hien struggles at the moment. Should he tell him how it is? He does laugh a little though, from how ridiculous his own fate is. There's some sort of a tone in his voice that suggests he has a wry smile behind the mask. ]

It's not exactly something I can retire from... it'll be a long, long time anyway. My expiration date is when all my other selves in every single universe dies. Then I turn into a monster that feels nothing and eats worlds.

[ Fun. ]

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo just frowns.]

Well, that sounds like very bad planning on their part. What happened to workplace safety? And what happened to logic?

[He's mostly joking about it, but only because he has a feeling Hien would not particularly want to talk about it too much. His life sounds pretty bleak as is.]

[selfconcept]

It's hard nabbing a job with good benefits.

[ Hien quietly yawns behind his mask and looks over to Duri. He's still fast asleep with Mimi the Flareon also curled up to nap. Nincada's hold on him weakened, but he's also sleeping by now. Adult talk bored him. ]

This is my vacation time, so I might as well use it to the fullest.

[ There is no end for Hien, and he mulls on that fact a little before brushing it off and lightly patting Nincada kid's back to comfort him as he sleeps. ]

And I hope you do too.

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo chuckles.]

I shall do my best. And... should you ever find yourself in my world, drop by. I could easily get you a much better job, if you do not mind paperwork.

[Nincada has the right idea, frankly: adult talk is exhausting. Hythlo crosses his arms and rests his head on the bench, closing his eyes. Might as well nap, too. Good luck babysitting three people, Hien.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien abhors all sorts of academics and paperwork is very much included in that. But he chuckles a little as Hythlo looks like he's about to take a nap. Hien wants to nap too, but he'll watch over everyone, as an Overseer should.

Sleep well, everyone. ]