DECEMBER LOG PT2

[teamboba]

(toplevel view)

DECEMBER LOG PT2

premise ⬥ taken ⬥ faq ⬥ navigation

→ DESPITE EVERYTHING, YOU'RE STILL ALIVE

(click to expand - congratulations! congratulations! congratulations!)

The earthquakes cease and the smog slowly begins to clear. It'll be hours before the sky breaks through and the moon could be seen once more, but the fires of the volcano finally calm down and the screams of terror cease, only to be replaced with concerned shouting. Is everyone all right? Where is so-and-so? Is there a doctor nearby? Both people and Pokemon run back and forth, attending to what and who they can.

Although fatalities seem to be low, injuries are high. Some have fallen during their escape while others have been pelted by falling rocks, but nearly everyone is a victim to high levels of carbon monoxide and the thick scattering of ashes. All types of Pokemon pitch in to help - even wild ones - as they try their best to create a shelter for the remainder of the night and escort the young and elderly to the still-functioning boba shop.

No one will be falling asleep anytime soon, however.

→ IT'S TIME TO REBUILD

(click to expand - can we fix it? yes, we can!!)

Throughout the next few days and weeks, the people of Hami try to rebuild their lives once more. They erect campsites and learn how to survive on their new island. Unlike last time, however, help arrives from different parts of Cassava - Toran, Mango, and Melona. Food and water are passed around while additional medical staff tend to the still-injured. Mari and Konoha have also tagged along, relieved that Tsubomi have made it out all right, but saddened by the state of things. The three gym leaders make themselves available to assist where they can, including being free for gym battles, though they may make a face and, in Tsubomi's case, scowl. A little distraction is good, though, and they will eventually relent to a challenge.

As supplies are passed around, volunteers of the support team mention that the HMs for Fly and Surf have been finally located. There were multiple copies held in each city and town's Pokemon Centre for trainers to use, but they've all gone missing earlier that year. No one understands why, but they've managed to find a single copy of each in an old and forgotten box in Toran. With this, everyone can now travel by Pokemon and shorten each day of a trip to an hour, so for a five-day hike, it'll turn into a five-hour flight. Pretty useful, huh?

The HMs are passed around for Pokemon to learn, but with the large amount of people and long line-ups, you'll only have the chance to learn one of the two moves. Choose wisely as they may not be seen for a while again.

→ HO HO HO-LY SHIT

(click to expand - it's already the end of the year!)

Despite the grim beginning of the month, the latter half of December is filled with cheer and joy - even for Hami Island, whose people are making the best out of their situation. Christmas is near and everyone is excited to end this hectic year with smiles. Bright decorations are hung and although Toran is the only location with natural snowfall, ice-type Pokemon artifically create snow for everyone to enjoy. Some are nicer about it than others, as Spheals use Powder Snow to create beautiful gusts of snowflakes in the air while Sneasels use Icy Wind when people are least expecting it, causing hats to go flying and for tinier Pokemon to tumble away.

Little Delibirds wander through all towns and campsites to spread the joy. They give away presents from their seemingly-endless-void-of-a-bag, chirping happily as they hand over either a gift or a bomb. If you're lucky, it's the former and you'll get whatever material present that you've wanted or needed, even if you didn't know it, but if you're not so fortunate... well, at least it's easy to find doctors in Cassava.

But the Delibirds aren't enough to replace a real Santa Claus. Children beg and yell for one, but in the midst of all the panic and fuss over the volcano and Hami's citizens, every town forgot to hire someone to play the jolly ol' man. Oops. Well, be a dear and sub in, why don't you? It's okay if you don't look the part. They'll just shove you into an itchy costume and use superglue for the fake beard. It's okay if it takes an entire night or two for it to come off. You gotta do it for the children, who are more than insistent on tugging on it for fun.

Christmas eventually comes and goes before it's New Year's Eve. Everyone makes preparations for the fireworks show for their respective town and campsite. By the end of the night, the sky is lit with bright and sparkling colours. It's a beautiful end to the year and everyone peacefully goes to sleep that night. Some dream of a better future while others dream of fulfilling their resolutions, but for each isekai'd traveller, they all share one single dream: an out-of-body experience in darkness with a presence that surrounds them.

"What is your deepest, darkest desire?"

→ MOD NOTES

⬥ Congratulations for surviving the year! Your IC gift is learning either Fly or Surf and one item of your OOC choosing. This item may be a canon regain or simply anything else, but regardless of the choice, please comment underneath the proper top-level to get it approved.
⬥ Happy holidays and an early happy new year!

Comments

[bythefurry]

I- The Holy See of Fishgard

[ Although Joss has never heard of the word "Christmas," he is very well acquainted with his world's equivalent, the Starlight Celebration. It is, after all, a tradition that originates in his homeland; and though it makes his heart ache with homesickness, this is why he decides to help decorate trees around the various camps.

It's all the usual stuff. Stars, baubles, little wrapped presents, dead fish... Nope, there is nothing unusual hanging from those trees at all.

After the third or fourth tree, though, Joss can't help but stop and silently stare at his bucket of Magikarp, seemingly lost in thought.]

Too warm...


II- Living Shad-ho ho ho

[When a Delibird approaches Joss - the second of the day, the first having gifted him with a nice fishing rod that is similar in every way to the one he has back home - nothing can prepare him for the present the small bird drags out of its bag.

Truth be told, the Pokémon isn't prepared either. Its happy chirps turn into a surprised, strangled squawk when a tall shadow shrouded in billowy smoke springs fully formed from its bag, its enormous greatsword dragging behind it as it makes its way towards Joss... and stands there, as if there wasn't a single thought inside its head.

Which is, probably, because there isn't. Once the initial surprise has passed, Joss is quick to realize this isn't the tired, bitter part of him having taken form again, but rather the shade of it that occasionally aids him in battle. He... doesn't know how, or why, but a quick glance at his Dark Knight soul stone and the suddenly awoken aether within it seems to confirm it: he has, somehow, regained the ability to summon Esteem.

Unfortunately, Joss realizes just as quickly, he can't presently find a way to unsummon it. It would normally naturally fade away once the energy gathered over the course of battle is finally depleted but... Is it because he isn't in combat, and that messed something up? It must be. It certainly can't be because I want Esteem to be around for more than 24 seconds at a time for the duration of this event.

If you encounter Joss today, you might find him accompanied by a tall, pitch black man of indescribable features... wearing a Santa hat, and carrying a Delibird sack in the hand that isn't holding an oversized zweihander. As it turns out, the poor Pokémon left its bag behind when it ran away in terror and Joss, being the good guy that he is, cannot in good conscience let presents go undelivered on Starlight day. Who knows, maybe there's even one for you!]


III- Double Dragon

[When his turn comes to use the Fly HM, he is faced with a dilemma.

He has too many dragons.

This wouldn't have been an issue, just a few weeks ago, but at some point during all the running around he's been doing his little Swablu evolved... and turned into a big, majestic dragonbird. Said dragonbird is now sitting on his shoulder, half smothering him with her newfound size and fluff, and snapping her beak towards the disk as if telling him to pick her. His other dragon, meanwhile, is mostly tilting her head interrogatively. She doesn't care who gets the ability to Fly... but you have to admit her size is much better suited to Joss's large frame. Altaria may be bigger than she once was, but she still isn't enormous.

He's been frozen like this for a while. Behind him, he can hear some of the next people in line grumble about how long he's taking to decide. He anxiously fidgets with the disk.]

Sorry...


IV- Wildcard

[Feel free to combine the above prompts or do something else entirely. Anything goes!]

I+II

[selfconcept]

[ Hien has been walking around the campsite for a stroll and notices something weird with the trees... was it a Cassava tradition to hang Magikarp up on the trees? He asked the locals and they said no.

...

????????????????

A little while after, he sees Joss with a bucket and a shadowy figure with a santa hat and a sack. He has so many things to ask, which translates into Hien just standing there, staring. ]

[bythefurry]

[Joss doesn't immediately notice Hien, only realizing he's there when he approaches another tree and raises a fish to eye level to figure out where he should hang it.]

Oh. Hien.

[He awkwardly puts the fish back into his bucket and taps the edge a little as he thinks of a way to answer Hien's flabbergasted stare. Eventually, he tips his head towards Esteem.]

He sprang out of a bag.

[That... explains less than Joss thinks it does.]

[selfconcept]

He... sprang out of a bag.

[ Since Joss had briefly explained to him what the shadowy figure might be, Hien isn't all too surprised by its existence. Even with his mask on, question marks were practically flying off his very being, but now considerably less. ]

... He certainly looks festive. You're hanging fish on trees?

[bythefurry]

Thought the festive hat would make him less intimidating.

[An attempt was made.]

The fish is a Starlight tradition. [A pause.] I am having second thoughts.

[The fish always goes bad eventually but it's not supposed to go bad after ten minutes... It's so much warmer here than at home...]

[selfconcept]

[ An attempt sure was made, and it actually kinda works. Hien, at least, can't take the shadowy figure seriously when he's like that.

Though he slightly tilts his head when Joss mentions tradition. It's probably from home, and while he doesn't understand how that works, he can offer something. ]

How about if I freeze it?

[bythefurry]

[Joss hums. He doesn't know how long the fish would remain frozen, but...]

Would help. If only for a time.

[...]

My homeland is very cold.

[selfconcept]

[ Compared to here, he wonders if Joss's homeland was like a tundra. Either way, he lightly tosses a pokeball into the air, releasing a Spheal. He catches her in his arms and directs her to the fish bucket. ]

Try to freeze them, but don't let them stick together. You practiced control, so show me what you got.

[ Spheal looks determined!! She starts using Powder Snow at the fish repeatedly until they freeze. 10% chance is rough, but she is working so hard to freeze them with each chance she gets. ]

[bythefurry]

[She's trying so hard... Godspeed, little Spheal. You are much less scary like this than when you were trying to rollout at Joss.

She does succeed, eventually, because it'd be unfair if her efforts weren't rewarded. It's doubtful the dead fish will stay frozen very long, but in the meantime they don't stink up the place.]

Should keep a little better. Thank you.

[It doesn't really feel like a Starlight tree without the fish... even if the other city states of his world don't put any on theirs. His homeland is more mountainous, forested highlands than tundra, but it was cold even before the last Calamity turned it into a frozen hellscape.

... But honestly, it's also very isolationist with heaps of really weird traditions so they'd probably fish it up regardless of temperature. Ishgard is just like this.]

... Do you have Starlight in your world? Or... Cristemasse.

[At least he thinks that's what the locals called it, but... yeah. Maybe Hien also has some winter solstice customs Joss might be able to help with...]

[selfconcept]

I'm more familiar with Christmas.

[ He doesn't mention "his world", because he's still of the belief that he no longer has one. ]

I'm assuming Starlight is similar? Except you hang fish on trees...

[ He slightly tilts his head. ]

But why fish?

I+II

[scension]

[Sagi still isn't sure what the big deal is about these trees, nor does he have any preconceived notions about what the decorations are supposed to look like. He's only looking at this one at all closely because he and his Snom got press-ganged earlier into adding sparkly Powder Snow to the trees as a finishing touch. In fact, looking is not what caught his attention at first. He can, uh, smell them. Like the fruit they seem to be some bizarre imitation of, these glassy-eyed Magikarps are ripening.

He gingerly pokes at one fish, and is immediately very glad he's wearing gloves.]

Urrghh, gross! Who would do something like this?

[There's no way this can be an actual kids' tradition, right? Even if you add ice or fake snow to them after the fact, it seems unhygienic... and incongruous. The baubles and tinsel and little trinkets, sure, he can picture himself or anyone else off the street back home wearing those. He would not wear a dead fish.]

Think we should take these down before we get started?

Begone, fish!

...Yeah. We don't want kids trying to eat them first.

[Quest accepted, then. It's at least easy for him to settle into a rhythm, pulling the fish off the branches by their sad little whiskers and dropping them on the ground to deal with later. He's amassed a whole small, slimy pile of them by the time the sound of approaching footsteps makes him turn around. The Snom perched on his head squeaks irritably when he does, shuffling over to keep her balance.]

Hey, Josce-...

[Both of them immediately narrow their eyes. Seeing Joss doesn't come as a surprise; his sad trudging is pretty recognisable at this point from sound alone. The shadowy figure stalking behind Joss with a sword, cloaked in something uncannily akin to black mist... Yeah, that's new.]

There's something behind you.

[Its body language doesn't seem hostile, or else Sagi would already be drawing his own blade - but he's still going to drop the fish he was holding and reach into his pocket for the card in question, just in case. The jolly hat on the apparition does not deter him. Anyone can wear a jolly hat. Villains always wear jolly hats.]

[bythefurry]

[Joss raises a hand to chest level in a pacifying gesture.]

No cause for concern.

[How does he explain this, though? He's fully aware this isn't something he can just ask people to ignore, but Hien is the only one he even mentioned this ability to. For everyone else, explaining the situation is probably going to involve far too many words.]

... Friend of sorts. Comes forth to help me in battle sometimes. [He nods towards the Delibird sack.] Scared the Pokémon who owns this bag.

[Behind him, Esteem remains uncannily still, the festive hat nearly lost in the billowing smoke.]

[scension]

I'm not surprised...

[Sagi can't help remaining a little wary, no matter what Joss says. The "friend" label kind of sticks out to him too, seeing as it's the one he's been using as shorthand when people ask him about himself... but that part is probably a coincidence.]

What's he planning to do with the sword?

[He says, like most people have the option of just shoving their weapons back in a card when they don't intend to shank someone right this minute.]

[bythefurry]

[Honestly... Joss doesn't know the answer to that, when they're not in battle. He's never seen the Living Shadow without its sword.]

Just part of him. Won't attack if I don't want him to. Under normal circumstances.

[The shade isn't Fray, and he doesn't expect to have trouble with that aspect of his personality again, these days, but... who knows what could happen, in this strange land. Pokémon did get suddenly brainwashed, all the way back in Mango. He doesn't want Sagi to operate under the assumption this doppelganger is completely harmless, should anything weird happen later.]

[scension]

Well, okay then.

[Normal circumstances, like the ones under which Sagi isn't about to turn into another horrible monster. Sure, he can't argue with those. No shanking for the time being, then. He frowns at the shadowy figure for a moment longer, but it doesn't seem to be up to anything suspicious; it's strangely unresponsive for something he presumes is alive. Guillo could have used acting lessons from this thing.]

He sure doesn't talk much.

[Maybe that's why it and Joss are friends.]

hey sagi imagine having the soul of a dead guy inside you who is also technically you

[bythefurry]

Person he looks like was more loquacious. ... I think.

[The tired, bitter part of him was absolutely more loquacious, but it occurs to him that was also a shade modeled after the original. Sidurgu and Rielle's anecdotes had told him a lot about Fray's personality, but not how chatty he was.

Then again, it's fair to assume anyone with a pulse would be chattier than the Living Shadow. Unless they were mute. Or under a silence debuff. Or trying not to incur Alisaie's wrath.]

imagine the soul of a dead guy being literally right there but refraining from saying anything rn

[scension]

Huh, so he's not his own person.

[This may be a wild leap of logic by most people's standards, but it would explain how uncannily silent the apparition is and why Joss doesn't think it's going to be any trouble. Sagi feels more at ease relaxing instead of picking a fight now.]

Well, whatever. Um, just watch your step, you and him both. Someone, uh, stuck rotting fish all over this tree... [He can't stop himself pulling a face as he explains that. It's nasty.] So we were just getting rid of them.

[By dropping them in a pile on the ground with no obvious follow-up plan in mind. He'll think of something eventually.]

imagine.

[bythefurry]

[Joss looks a little disheartened by that. He exhales a low sigh.]

I know. They don't keep in this weather.

[Absolutely the reaction of someone who has nothing to do with this.]

[scension]

[Sagi goggles at him. Don't mind his surprise being a lot more overt right now than it was when he saw the Living Shadow.] You knew?? Are they on the other trees too?

[...He might put two and two together eventually. He hasn't yet.]

II

[weenwoon]

[Hythlodaeus is rather glad to, for once, participate in something more lighthearted and happy. Unlike his player, the last two months have been rather good for him - between his newfound goal of moving forward, support from both Hien and Fai and now the celebration, Hythlodaeus is a lot more happier with life than he had been at the start of this strange adventure. His own concession to the spirit of the holiday is a red hoodie with a glowing star on it and tiny red, green and yellow Christmas lights now adorning his mask. How does he not get blinded by them? You don't know.

He's obviously not the only person who's made changes to his appearance, though, considering the shadowy knight following Joss around that Hythlodaeus accidentally runs into on turning the corner.

He stares, then thoughtfully bites down on a candy cane in his hand.]

Two of you.

[Well, as far as he can see, it is two of Joss.]

[bythefurry]

[Hythlodaeus is certainly very festive today.]

Hmm. You can tell.

[Not that he's surprised, considering the man's abilities. This at least saves him the "this isn't me but it's actually me" explanation, he supposes...]

[weenwoon]

[He nods, but there is still confusion on his face.]

The sundered, sundered?

[He supposes that would be possible... and would explain why the shadow is such a--well, shadow, with no real activity in it.]

[bythefurry]

[Not that Joss thinks it's a bad guess, but he isn't sure this is quite the same thing. The Living Shadow is merely a vessel for battle, unlike the man it was modeled after... but then, does it make Fray a sundering? From what the not-so-other man told him last he saw him, the two of them seem to have fully merged back together, however...

What a headache. Joss shakes his head; he can at least explain the shade, even if he isn't sure how much he wants to share about his Soul Therapy Adventures.]

He is part of me, still. More like a weapon. Doesn't normally stay out that long.

[True to the weapon moniker Joss just gave it, Esteem just stands there menacingly. Not that it's trying to be menacing. ゴゴゴ]

[weenwoon]

[Hythlo glances at Esteem again, then moves closer to... tap it?]

Hmmm... Almost a magick, yet not. I was unaware your kind were capable of such moulding of the soul! I must needs congratulate you.

[bythefurry]

[Esteem does not react, because it is sadly just a shade and not the cranky part of Joss's soul.

Joss shakes his head. He isn't sure if others could do it, considering his... circumstances, but he's also not versed enough in aetherology to confirm or deny it.]

Started out as an accidental split. Got the idea from that.

[He doesn't mind saying this now, especially since Hythlo would likely have no preconceptions about dark knights. He's willing to take credit for the Living Shadow itself, too. Fray was not involved in its creation, and even very pointedly told him the shade wasn't him. He just... figured out how to do it, while refining his abilities.]