bottlecaplogs | [ mix of open and closed prompts ] a backdated round-up of quests and festival prompts alike;

Who: Emmet, Ingo, Siffrin, Bigby, Firoza ... and you?
What: Post-Scholastic Decisions with Siffrin (1), some questions arise! also, Bigby's no good, very bad, horrible day. and, well, the festival does have its effects on the resident ghosts...?
When: throughout September, maybe early October depending
Where: various! icefall lake, out and about around skull town, thereabouts.
Warnings: Siffrin's usual warnings, environmental hazards maybe, otherwise to be added if needed?

reflections...

[ Maybe you've been here a while; maybe you've only recently just gotten in during all the commotion that seems to be going on between both Malamar and Froslass (and really, how rude to Froslass! she's only trying to make sure everyone has a fun time?). Either way, if you're in town...

Is that your mirror, walking (or floating, or hopping, or,) through the streets of Skull Town with a sprightly, brisk gait, who now comes up to greet you with a brighter smile on their face? Or maybe they might tap on your shoulder to get your attention, and give a cheery wave as you turn around to face them? Oh, members of a given species all look much like each other in this world, to be sure, but this much of a resemblance is a bit uncanny, isn't it?

(If you give away at all that you're taken aback in the slightest, or a little unsettled, well. The grin just gets wider? Surely the mirror is not feeling invigorated by this, are they?) ]

It's nice, don't you think? How lively everything around here is right now?

[ (How thorough the mimicry is is up to you! It might encompass voice, even, or it might not. Potential odd details or tells that might or might not be present, depending on what you're vibing: too-sharp teeth, faint, some paler markings in parallel with where they'd be on Zoroark's form, the fur looking maybe a touch too long, or too ragged, faint red markings around the eyes... that sort of deal, you know? See through him, or don't; he's a touch affected by one of Froslass's blessings making him much more liberal with the whole Illusion thing that he would normally be, with the added bonus of it being much easier for him than usual to boot.

Don't you want to match? :) Isn't it comforting to know that there's someone out there just like you, that you're not alone?) ]

...on the river

[ Emmet doesn't really have anyone to mourn, no one he's lost quite in that way, but when he hears from the other ghosts what the tradition is really meant for, well— it's a nice gesture regardless, isn't it? Solemn, maybe, yes, and maybe a little sad, but. Nice? Maybe if not his own, then someone else's loved ones might take the opportunity to reconnect. Maybe this really will pass a message back to those they left behind, where they came from— if that's the case, he really should make the attempt at sending something on, shouldn't he?

Else those who remain, they will have lost both, rather than just one.

In any case, when Emmet sends his little boat out to sea, he doesn't really expect for anything to happen. And it doesn't, not right away.

a. ... which is why, when the curl of something eventually loops around one of his limbs, he just about jumps out of his skin at first— before freezing entirely as he recognizes it as a verrrry familiar texture. As he turns he just has to stare for a moment in disbelief, because there's no way...

Goodbye, everyone, this Zoroark has been buried under a large pile of oddly pale, potentially slightly lavender-hued, vaguely spectral looking (...?) Pokemon. (Surely they can't all be ghost-types?) You might be forgiven for thinking it was an attack, at least until maybe you come closer and hear the laughter coming from somewhere at the bottom of the pile.

b. "Emmet! There you are! When our tracks diverged I was worried I wouldn't be able to find you here. I am quite happy to see I was mistaken on that matter!"

Oh. Oh, this is...

"... Emmet? Is something the matter?"

Yes. Something is very much the matter, but he can't exactly say that to this particular apparition, so he just grins back and shakes his head no, grabs a hand to tug him along as if intent on showing him the sights. (He is! He is, but also.) He doesn't want to hurt Ingo— either of them, whether it's this one, who seems to be an image of the past (???), who doesn't actually know what's going on here or what's going to happen or why Emmet is so very evasive about certain matters all of a sudden,

Or the one who's been here for all these months now, who if he meets this particular shade almost certainly will find reasons to compare himself to who he was, and, Emmet suspects, find himself lacking. Nope! Definitely can't let them meet.

He just has to figure out how to do that in a way that doesn't seem like he's obviously trying to herd this Ingo away from anyone else. A little hard to do, maybe, with this many people out at the riverbank? ]

scholastic... discoveries? (for siffrinx, ingo)

[ Well. After that enlightening trip to the Mountain Shrine in the Downmoor, they've gotten... some information! Some very, verrrry interesting information.

Also questions. Questions that might almost outstrip any of the upcoming, promised answers the Oranguru they escorted hinted toward. What do you mean, there's no records of the odd merged (?) shapes that they saw, and ... ]

No, no. This is how it looked. Isn't it?

[ Frustration or irritation don't typically show in Emmet's voice, and what counts as his neutral expression is as unruffled as ever— at least to those who don't know the Zoroark well.

Though he probably doesn't much resemble a Zoroark at the moment, does he? In fact, he might not quite accurately resemble much of ... anything actually known, right now? His shape is a little ... hazy, or wobbly, at the moment, as if unsure of how it should be, and the features it does have... ]

It was something like Palkia, I think. [ Like, but not quite entirely the same as. Not as far as he could tell, or that he's aware of, he thinks? ] Long tail, two legs, wings up here?

[ Siffrin is shaking their head, though their voice sounds increasingly uncertain. ] It just had one wing... above its tail? And it was standing on all fours...

[ Was that really a wing. Emmet thinks this over for a moment, also shaking his head, but does try to incorporate some of what Siffrin suggests, and... well. Results are mixed.

Anyway, Ingo. Ingo where are you, do you know any weird clan lore that explains all this. ]

bea-very chilled (for bigby, firoza, ingo)

[ South is where the client Gumshoos directed them, and that, at least, is familiar(-ish) territory for at least three of them, so however it was that they came to be at the quest board the same time this morning for this... off they go! They might make a slightly mismatched-looking group, with the disparity between some of their sizes, but they're all seasoned Guildspokemon here, surely it'll be no problem.

As it is, Emmet's trying to get a sense of what Bidoof's scent is even like off of the note. According to Gumshoos they should be able to pick up on it at least a little here, but so far he hasn't had the most luck on that front. Speaking of the note, though... ]

Do any of you know what the singing tree mentioned in the note is? I do not remember anything like that in the woods here from last time. Is it further out?

[ ... The very obviously starting to thin out woods, since the tree cover does not last for very long once they start approaching the colder region of Icefall Lake in earnest. Well? ]

general wildcard option

[ the obligatory catchall wildcard slot for if we want to improvise a thread or do something that falls under none of the above open options! maybe we discussed it on plurk or on ooc or something, maybe we didn't and you just wanted to drop by for a thread. either way, please feel free to have your character bump into him whenever or wherever, though please do specify if it's happening during Froslass' visit or if it's afterwards in October. as ever, if you have any questions, you can reach out to me via the usual channels! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh. Do we need to apologize to Shoka now.

[ The universe works in mysterious ways... ]

[????]

[But don't they all already get along...]

Um. Do you still want it...?

Oh, yes, I can manage it! Or we both can?

[ It's rather less pressing an issue for Emmet, but Ingo still can't imagine that getting all that fur soaked through is pleasant. ]

I look like a drowned Stoutland in the rain. It is a strange feeling when half of it feels more ghostly than solid.

[ In other words yeah, he'll take the get along not-poncho. ]

[Heh. Now they're picturing it, with all of Emmet's fur(? hair?).]

Okay! I'll be back soon!

[Off they go, trotting toward the Canopy. When they return they're lugging a bag in their teeth; presumably the tarp is in there! It's got a harness attached to it, straps dangling, but they're not harnessed up yet.]

[Muffled, through the strap in their mouth, they say,] Spearow didn't even ask what I needed it for, just to make sure it's back to them in the next three days. [No explanations about get-along tarps necessary!]

[So... do they want to go now? Or just borrow it?]

[ Ingo looks towards Emmet, not bothering to actually voice the question for once. He's the only person here who didn't just recently return from that exact trip; he's more interested in everyone else's opinions! ]

[ Why are they borrowing it right now if they weren't going to set off right away? ]

Well. We just came from there. So the tracks back will still be fresh in mind. And I do not have anything to do for the rest of today.

[ So he's fine to go, what about everyone else? ]

[Siffrin doesn't even particularly think about it. They're a little bit more tired with their shorter legs, maybe, but they're still good to go! By Cheri standards, maybe they should be picking up another actual proper quest... but unconsciously they've already decided they care more about Emmet and Ingo's opinions of them than Ribombee's.]

[They swing the bag and harness over their back and take a few seconds to fasten it - easier said than done with their paws. (The tarp can get pulled out once they've actually gotten to the Downmoor!) Then they flip their tail into the air.]

I'm ready!

Very well, then!

[ If they're both down, he's down! Ingo considers the get-along tarp for a moment, before shrugging it mostly over his own shoulders for now. He lifts one side up with a foreleg, rising up a little onto his haunches. ]

Join cars with me, Emmet!

[ Oh, are they getting under it now? Already? Seems a little unwieldy to walk out to the Downmoor like that; seems fun. All right then. ]

Okaaaaay. [ Sure, sure, he'll duck under too. ] How are we doing this? Anything to secure it or are we mostly holding it in place ourselves?

[ Honestly, it feels a little bit like hiding under the blankets as children. A get-along tarp... ]

[Oh or the tarp is happening now! That works too. Siffrin twists their head around to tug a length of cord out of the bag with their teeth; there are some stakes in there, too, but that's. Not as useful for this scenario.]

[They hold the coil - which actually turns out to be several lengths of cord, twisted together, one for each of the tarp's corners - up towards whichever of the train bros reaches for it first. Then they drop down to trot on ahead, twisting their ear back to listen to Emmet and Ingo chattering.]

[The real shame here is that they don't have enough context about steam engines to join in on the train puns - (there's that car word again)]

Stand clear of the closing doors! Ready for departure!

[ IT'S FUN ]

[ mix of open and closed prompts ] a backdated round-up of quests and festival prompts alike;

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