bottlecaplogs | [CLOSED] Only Drifting Away

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[CLOSED] Only Drifting Away

Who: Laios + Siffrin
What: Exploration: Yellow
Where: Beyond the middle section of the outpost
When: Mid-August
Warnings: Siffrin's usual warnings, environmental hazards, possible electropal tomfoolery

[ Out of the woods and into the storm—it’s a good thing they came prepared. Being the third group to make it out here has its advantages, not the least of which is Siffrin already knowing what to expect beyond the outpost. Despite the dense foliage, the walk through the forest seems to take no time at all, until, just as suddenly they find themselves out in the open, directly exposed to the elements. There's the downpour, just as his guildmate said.

While the abrupt change is still a little unnerving, exploring unknown territory puts Laios more in his element than not. He's comfortable enough to continue walking alongside Siffrin, his expression oddly calm despite the weather. They have a plan. They have supplies. They can make it through.

When they come to a brief stop to consider their course, Laios shifts a little on his paws before continuing, adjusting the weight of the pack strung across his back. ]

Siffrin— [ He pauses to push down the urge to shake off the rain, shuddering in between his words instead. ] —you mentioned a cave somewhere, right?

[ The rain is only going to get worse, if the static in his fur is anything to go by. He motions ahead toward the range peeking through the mist. The distance is hard for him to gauge with such low visibility, but that seems as good a direction to head as any. ]

Does that seem familiar to you?

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[Siffrin's hat is helping keep the rain out of their eyes and ears, but it only helps so much with the visibility when the rain is pattering down the way it is. Whatever Shoka made it out of, it really is standing up to the wet, just like last time - but at this steadier pace, Siffrin is more conscious of the sound of the raindrops bouncing off it.]

[They're thinking again about the rain that shuffled peoples' memories around - the storm around here didn't do it on their first trip, but will it do that now?]

[When Laios asks, Siffrin squints at the mountains with their good eye, tilting their head from side to side to at least try to gauge distance. With no depth perception, they can't say it with any confidence, but... it feels like shelter in the rocks is further away, this time. The open space they're having to cross stretches out for longer. And yeah, alright, they did try to head out in a slightly different direction from the Outpost this time - it wouldn't be exploration if they didn't, right? - but that much of a difference?]

[...maybe their perception of time is just off, or it's because they ran through the rain while with Stardust, or their memory is just bad as usual! They won't bring it up. Because, instead -]

[Their unfolded ear perks, and they lift a paw to motion.] The mountains on the edge look [familiar?] right. That should be where the cave is. But the ones over there - they're really different.

[Through the haze of mist and rain, it almost seems like something built, not natural. Like they're made of stairs, or pillars? Lots of right angles, anyway.]

Maybe it was just raining too hard for me and Stardust to see them...?

[ His head tilts as he watches Siffrin look toward the mountains, curiosity rising when they don't immediately respond. Something must off, but Laios could only speculate as to what they could be thinking. If those weren't the same mountains, then that long of trek could possibly lead them stranded without cover entirely — or worse.

But before he can speak to that, the Shinx directs his attention elsewhere. He squints, trying to see past the blanket of rain pouring down now. After some focus, the outlines become apparent, as if appearing from thin air right before his eyes. What an odd feeling, especially with the storm looming over them both. ]

Huh. That seems... [ Strange. Unnatural. As if carved from stone by someone rather than something. He shudders again. ] Parts of the forest could move around if you aren't looking, right? Maybe it's similar around here. [ He sounds doubtful, if only because foliage seems a lot easier to shift than an entire mountain. ]

Either way, it's a lot closer, and new to both of us. It might be better to check it out first. [ He glances back toward the other range, wondering now how Siffrin managed to get there before getting swept up by all the rain. His theory could hold some truth, somehow. ] If we make it to the top, we might have a better view of the area, too. See if there's anything else you couldn't see the first time. That'd be good to report on.

[Maybe it is similar to the forest. But that would be pretty bad, wouldn't it? If whole mountains can move around, what good does exploration and mapping do?]

[Still, they're here now - Siffrin makes themself smile at Laios, and nods. Sounds like a good idea to them!]

Just watch out for lightning - I, um. [Oh right. They. Never mentioned this bit, did they. They're pretty sure it was their fault, somehow, but now they're thinking about Laios being taller than them, and also an Electric type, and regretting not bringing it up...] Got struck by some, last time...?

[It didn't hurt much, but it sure did startle them! Which might be bad if they're halfway up a mountain...]

[But! They're! Here now! So Siffrin sets off toward their new waypoint, trotting through the rain.]

[ There's a lot to consider when making a quick decision under increasingly worsening conditions, but Siffrin's smile and nod is more than good enough for him. Laios gives a nod back in return, ready to steer course toward the unfamiliar range now. Reassurance from the area expert! Surely nothing can go wrong!

The bit about lightning, though. That does give him pause. ] You got struck and didn't die? [ Warning noted, but also: ] What did it feel like? I know we're immune to paralysis, but natural lightning is on a completely different level.

[ His nose twitches involuntarily. Was it really natural, considering everything else going on up until this point? He looks away, their destination drawing closer. ]

[What did it feel like? Mostly their memory of it is just plain adrenaline, but...] Like something slammed into my chest, maybe...? It didn't feel good, but -

[Okay they're not going to recycle their "a shock" pun. That would be an insult to the craft! But now that means they have to come up with a new one.]

It didn't make my body revolt or anything.

[Terrible.]

[As the odd mountains get closer, they appear more visibly weathered, and less perfectly regular: the hexagonal pillars aren't exactly identical, no matter how much they looked it from further away. But does that make them look less like they were made by someone, or more?]

[They also get more and more imposingly tall. Siffrin has to crane their head all the way back, and even then the view of the summit is quickly blocked by pillars. It's rough being a small Pokemon! (But hang on, didn't they get here weirdly quickly for how far away they started?)]

[On the bright side: the rain is practically blowing sideways, but now that the two Pokemon are among the pillars, they're surprisingly well-sheltered. At least from the wet - the wind shows no signs of letting up...]

Oh. [ That one didn't quite land. Shocking. ]

Well, I wouldn't think it would, but that's good to know for this time. We'll have to be especially cautious with the two of us.

[ Natural resistance aside, that description does not sound as appealing as he would have hoped. Regardless, he remains vigilant, especially as they quickly approach the range. Even with the rain pouring down, they make it to the base with no problem at all. A stroke of luck despite the storm, to be sure. ]

... The other mountain didn't look like this, did it? [ He almost hesitates to refer to it as such at this point. For as much as he was expecting something odd from the silhouette earlier, this is beyond what he was thinking. ] Almost looks like a staircase of pillars. That can't be right though...

[ As far as ruins go, they're fairly intact, yet he can't picture what sort of structure this could possibly be. Not to mention the lack of any other signs of past civilization. The wind howls as it passes through, almost hauntingly so; they have nowhere else to go now but up. He glances over at the Shinx before giving a small nod. Laios is ready to start the climb. ]

At least the Canopy prepared us for this. It goes pretty high up!

[ He's glad his pack is giving him some extra weight against the wind, but it is making him feel more lopsided than he likes! ]

Not the outside... unless we missed it, in the rain and trying to get away from the lightning? [Siffrin sounds unconvinced, though. They think they would've noticed! And if not them, then surely Stardust would have made up for them messing up, he seemed to have a good eye. (Heh.)]

But the room with crystals we found inside did. The crystals were shaped a lot like this...

[Just, you know, not a staircase. And unfortunately they have not a single guess at what it means. If only they were someone like Odile, who was actually smart...]

[But if nothing else, they sure can climb! They nod back and start hopping up first, using their claws and lower center of gravity to its fullest. It's only so helpful on rock, but there are enough cracks for them to dig into.]

[Every few jumps they turn and check behind themself for how Laios is doing - if he seems to be struggling at all, they'll skid back down to help. They don't hesitate to grab Laios's pack straps with their teeth and yank upward or sideways as needed, though they're a lot more reluctant to grab onto Laios's fur unless he actually starts to slip and they can't reach the pack.]

[(This will work until they get a few hundred feet up, at which point it may be their turn to need a rescue.)]

[ Crystals. He can't presume to know much about those, though he was pretty sure they only formed in caves, and not as a perfect staircases. This world is full of anamolies, though. Prehistoric Pokémon in the wild. Storms that only appear at an abrupt break in the forest. Yet, somehow this feels the least natural. The thought lingers as they ascend.

Some many feet up later, he pauses to glance over the edge. It's hard to see the ground through the rain, but he knows they've been trekking for a while now. ]

... How could they make it this tall, though? [ He says that out loud without realizing, still thinking about who could have made this rather than what. There were Pokémon that lived by Bottlecap Bay before, weren't there? So maybe—

He hops forward, only for the next platform to be smaller than expected. Wet paws struggle to grip, and he slides a bit too forward before getting his balance. Luckily, Siffrin is already on it, yoinking him by the pack. His heart skips a beat. ]

Th-thanks! [ A huff to catch his breath, and then: ] Maybe... maybe I should leave a few supplies. It's risky but— [ His eyes narrow up ahead. Already bulky as it is, he's going to have to take each leap forward with extra precision. ] —these platforms aren't getting easier with the extra weight. What do you think?

'They'...?

[- oh, and then they're distracted by Laios's near-fall and all the fuss of getting him stable on the platform. Lots of little wet pawprints left all over the rocks by both of them.]

[Siffrin nods emphatically right away when Laios asks for their opinion. That one was a little too close for comfort! They really don't want to imagine Laios falling off the side!] If we shove stuff between the rocks we can grab it on the way back!

[What does Laios have in there, again...? Their memory is bad, so they're sure they've already forgotten half of it.]

Oh, that’s a good idea. I’d hate for all this to go to waste.

[ He didn’t quite catch Siffrin’s initial pause, but he’ll probably wind back to it eventually. With a little shuffle, he manages to drop the pack at their feet with a wet plop. It’s absolutely soaked at this point.

There’s a tarp in there. Some cooking supplies. Fuel for fire. Ready-made food. Berries. Medical kits. Sleeping sacks— ]

... Hah. Maybe I went a little overboard. Ribombee did kind of insist on a lot of this though... [ He glances away, a little embarassed. Honestly, he’s still not sure why their guild leader seems to think he needs so much extra help. ]

I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about the other expeditions. Sanji and Flamebringer had a real rough time. [ There’s a small grimace as he says the latter’s name, but he quickly moves on. ] I didn’t want us to go hungry if we got stranded by a flood or lost in those caves.

[ He grins at Siffrin before digging around in his pack to pull a few non-essentials for scaling. ]

[Huh. Siffrin's ear flicks - what's wrong with Flamebringer? But since Laios is moving on, they decide to drop it before they get far into wondering.]

[Siffrin sticks their paws and head into the giant pack, digging around. The supplies give them a kind of melancholy, nostalgic feeling; this looks a lot like what their party had when they were all traveling together. Not what they had when they were traveling solo, though; they were used to getting by with much less...]

[Anyway... they pull out the tarp first, tugging it free with their teeth. It would be nice to have shelter from the rain if they decide to take a break, but -] It's too windy for this. We won't be able to stake it down in the mountainside...

[There's no dirt, it's all stone...]

[They leave the tarp folded for now, stepping on it with their back paws to keep it from blowing away. That doesn't remove a lot of weight, so they move on to some other stuff. It'd be smart to have the supplies for fire, too, but that's also just not happening in this kind of weather...]

[If it's up to them, all that'll be left in the pack is some of the food, berries, and medical kits. So if Laios wants to keep anything else in he'll have to intervene! But Siffrin does think to wrap stuff in the tarp as they go, pinning it tightly between some rocks.]

Maybe that's why Ribombee was worried too?

[ He nods in agreement with Siffrin's assessment, following their lead in taking most things out of the pack. In an emergency, they could always climb back down early, especially without knowing what exactly could be waiting for them both at the top. Regarding Ribombee though, Laios is a little less sure of himself. ]

Mm. I don't know... [ He sighs, wedging a few extra things deeper into a crevice. ] Being worried is one thing, but I feel like he thinks I'm not much of an adventurer. [ His head tilts down at all the stuff they're leaving behind, only to take back one of the ropes to keep. ] Not that I was one of the best even back home. It's just weird, is all.

[ Made all the worse because he doesn't even know how to describe what exactly he's feeling with all the extra attention. Giving his approximation of a shrug, he lugs the pack back on, careful not to shift his stance too much. ]

That's better. We should be able to go a little faster now. [ Making sure Siffrin is ready to move on as well, he re-starts the climb, the wind starting to pick up just in time as well. ] You would think whatever Pokémon made this would have added some safeguards to the top. Unless they all had wings, but then... why a staircase? [ Back to what he was talking to himself about before, only this time intentionally spoken to Siffrin. ]

[Hmm. They... guess that makes sense...? Maybe?] But... don't you have a lot of points...? More than a lot of other Pokemon in the guild?

[They're pretty sure! Their anxiety and need to keep doing something to avoid thinking has pushed Siffrin pretty high up there, though not at the level of the mid- and high-tier Cheri members yet, and they feel like Laios has usually been ahead of them. Way ahead of many of the Pokemon from other worlds, even if Siffrin only pays attention to make sure they're not standing out as last.]

[They bounce on up ahead of Laios again, trying to scout out a route with platforms as wide as possible. There's only so much they can do, though...]

[Their ear twitches and then rotates backward toward Laios.] You think Pokemon built this? But... [It's huge! Kind of terrifying to think of how many Pokemon it would take!] ...they must have all gone somewhere, afterward. Even if they all became Ghosts...

[They're not really clear on how that works, still.]

[Actually, though, now that they're looking down the mountain as far as they've already climbed, squinting against the wind and rain...]

I think I've seen something like this. Um, before. [Before they ended up in Bottlecap Bay! It wasn't tall like this, it was down low near the water, but it looks the same from above. Like a gameboard! And told them:] Sometimes lava cools like...

[They trail off, suddenly unsure. (And stop moving.) Told them - who told them...?]

[. . .]

[What were they talking about...?]

[ He pauses, ears falling just a little. ]

I thought... didn't you have the most at some point?

[ He follows that with a soft laugh. Honestly, with how often he forgets points are a part of all this, he hardly pays much attention to the change in rankings as he should. Maybe he should, considering how Ribombee is, but he shakes his head all the same to keep moving forward. ]

A-anyway, there's not many other explanations I can think of for this. It just seems so... methodically placed. [ His ears flick as he gets a bit into thought. ] And if a bunch of us could get sent here without warning, who's to say the opposite can't happen either?

[ Admittedly, more speculation than explanation. He sighs, feeling the wind start to hit him harder than before. At least Siffrin sounds like they may have an alternative, but while Laios perks his head up to listen against the gust howling, they seem to trail off. ]

Siffrin? [ His nose twitches. The wind suddenly stops, only to pick up again all at once. Immediately, Laios tries to huddle close to the platform and brace for the incoming impact. ] S-Siffrin, get down!

[...what were...]

[- !] Huh?

[Siffrin abruptly seems to focus again. But it's like it's taking them several moments to remember where they are, what they were doing - they look around, still confused. And do not get down.]

[The wind blows furiously, and with a yelp the Shinx goes tumbling. They try to catch themself before they skid right off the side, but their claws aren't finding enough purchase in the slippery rock.]

[ Well, this feels familiar, doesn't it? Laios leaps forward without hesitation, this time more familiar with what this body is capable of. He manages to stop before completely skidding off himself, paws pressing down on Siffrin's to keep them holding on. ]

S-Sif... [ He tries to nip at their scruff, but with no grip on his back paws, he can't easily pull them back up. ] Can you — the web...

[ That rope would have been useful here, but quick reactions requires quick solutions. ]

Th-the web?

[Web? What we - does Laios mean their Electroweb ability?]

[Siffrin hopes so, because they can't think of anything else! They spark up, shaping their electricity into a net to try and stick the two of them to the mountain. It's oddly sticky-feeling, in a "magnetic" way more than a "glue" way, though it only makes so much difference...]

[But perhaps it's enough?]

[ He huffs in response, hoping that's enough for them to understand. As it turns out, it is.

Holding onto the back of Siffrin's neck, he feels the added friction from the Electroweb once its launched. It takes another moment, but eventually his slow slide over the edge comes to a stop. Just what Laios was hoping for. Carefully, he begins to pull both himself and Siffrin back onto the platform, each back foot stepping one at a time. Accidentally breaking the web's hold right now would be a disaster.

When the Shinx is back over enough to get their own bearings, he slowly lets go with a soft sigh. If they never have another close call again, it wouldn't be soon enough. ]

You're going to have to teach me how to do this too... [ Never mind that Boltunds can't learn it normally. He tugs a bit at one of the so-called strands of the Electroweb before it dissipates. ] ... It's so v-versatile.

[Siffrin helps wherever their claws can hook into something, little crevices and rocks, and it's not long before the two of them are on relatively stable ground. The Shinx slinks shamefacedly closer to the "wall" side of the platform, almost but not exactly pressing against it.]

...th-that was a close one. [Despite the lack of the actual word "sorry," they sound very apologetic. They're more upset about screwing up than the actual near-disaster tumble. Siffrin, you idiot, how did you manage to zone out that hard??]

[The time loops did a number on their already shoddy self-preservation, but they didn't do anything to help with the anxiety...]

Y-yeah. I can try. Joltik is a better teacher...

W-we have a lot of those, huh? [ If Siffrin sounds apologetic, Laios doesn't seem to notice, if only because he doesn't think it's something to apologize for. ] The wind's not dying down at all. We should be more careful, but we also might need to start going faster.

[ The hope that there's something at the top that could give some shelter is still on his mind. What else would this all be for anyway? Though he looks up again for a moment, he glances back at Siffrin with a slight tilt of his head. ]

I mean, Joltik was born a Joltik, so that's an unfair comparison. [ He smiles a little, but still dealing with some adrenaline, it's a shaky one. ] Your last lesson worked for me!

[Siffrin smiles back, also a little shaky at first - but very rapidly becoming a normal-looking smile.] Okay!

[They'll... try to remember how Joltik explained it. Oof. If they can. It's become natural to them by now. ...but they'll figure something out!]

[In the meantime, that "okay" works for going faster, too - Siffrin starts back up the mountain and very determinedly focusing their thoughts on climbing. Don't start thinking about something else and zone out again, Siffrin.]

[Fortunately the two of them are pretty close to the top by now; it should only take ten more minutes of climbing, at most, to scramble over the edge onto the equally-flat peak. At which point the weather stops so abruptly that Siffrin - bracing themself against the wind - has to stagger to catch their footing before they somersault forward.]

[At least this time there's no risk of falling! They turn to check on Laios before even starting to pay attention to the shrine up ahead.]

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[CLOSED] Only Drifting Away

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