bottlecaplogs | FLIGHT AND FREEZE

Who: Kris, Umemiya, Archnemon, Shoka, Bigby, Siffrin (SA), Kinger, Sanji, Need, Ren, Akechi, Anasui, Emporio, Ingo, Emmet... and Noelle!!
What: Move over Team Intimidate, there's a cooler Pokemon that needs saving.
When: Early October
Where: All over
Warnings: Will update as needed!!

Noelle has vanished while recovering at the clinic and nobody can find her! She may have run away while having a mental health crisis. Please, bring her back safely!

Mightyena doesn't know where Noelle went, just that she was still in recovery when she vanished. She thought Noelle couldn't have gone far in her condition... but if that's the case, why hasn't she been found yet?

[ QUEST START ]

After a tense day of discussion, organizing and planning, Kris and Ingo gather the volunteers at the outskirts of Bottlecap Bay. Supplies are handed out, groups are chosen, and everyone is given a quick debriefing on the plan: start close to home, then work their way further out as they narrow down her location. Some groups should hang back, ready to set out once a fresh lead is established—the pearls are perfect for this, so everyone should keep their own handy. Spreading out too wide will only make things difficult once they find her trail, so it's important that everyone stays on task.

Once everyone's roles have been assigned, it's time to set out. It's going to be a long, long day.

BEFORE THE SEARCH
TEAM A | TEAM B
TEAM C | TEAM D
TEAM E

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[They look up at her with the same blank, stony expression they've been wearing since the day started, like they don't quite know how to turn off serious-business-leader mode. Which isn't wrong, exactly...]

Neighbours. [is her one-word, monotone answer.]

Right...

[That's what Noelle said, too. Me, my sister, my neighbor Kris, and their older brother Asriel...]

She told me... you were there when Dess disappeared. She said she couldn't remember much about what happened, but... [Her eyes lift, searching (what she can see of) their face.] What about you?

Don't wanna talk about it.

[It comes out before she can finish asking, low and raspy and completely unlike their voice from five seconds ago. They almost sound like they might be angry (at her? at what happened?), jaw set tightly like they're in pain, like something could be...]

[... whatever it is, it seems to pass quickly. Their bristling fur starts to settle as they firmly direct their stare down at the ground.]

Doesn't matter. Not here.

[They still sound monotone, but... quieter? Somehow a little more "real"? It's hard to describe what was wrong with it before, but there's less of it.]

[Under normal circumstances, Shoka wouldn't pry. She has the sense to know that it must be a sensitive topic, and they're looking for Noelle right now, not Dess.

But the last time she talked to Noelle at any real length, it felt like they talked about nothing but Dess. If there's any chance at all that the two disappearances could be related somehow, shouldn't she ask? There's that, and also the way that Kris' reaction grates on her already frayed nerves. She stiffens, startled, before answering in a hiss.]

Well, too bad—

[And then, just like that, Kris' voice changes again. Shoka hesitates, trying to stop her own bristling.]

How do you know it "doesn't matter"?

Because she's not here.

[There's a bitterness working its way back into their tone. It's not exactly the sort of response that would convince someone they don't know something... but they don't get to choose their own words. They can't walk away from this conversation, no matter how uncomfortable it's making them, until it decides to. Can't let themselves share anything they don't want it to hear. Can't share anything about Dess, period. For all that Kris seems to just be staring at their feet, they're fighting for their life just to keep their own thoughts under wraps, because not even those are private anymore.

They hate every second of this. Their legs start to shake, straining against the control.]

Looking for Noelle. Stay on task.

[A quick pulse of harsh static moves across her form.]

Uh, yeah, I noticed, thanks. And I am staying on task, genius! What, you think I'm asking about this just for fun?

[Her gaze wanders, drifting from Kris' face down to their shaking legs. Kris is Noelle's friend—someone who's known her for much longer than Shoka has. They must be going through it, too. Again, she—tries to stop her bristling and soften her voice.]

Noelle... She thought she saw Dess, not even that long ago. Chased her down without even looking where she was going. You... really don't think that could have anything to do with this?

[There's soooo much they wish they could say to that. How is any of this supposed to help Noelle? Dess isn't here, dumbass.

But they keep their mouth shut, at least until they're given a new question to chew on. Noelle was chasing "Dess"... or, an illusion of Dess. That much seems to be true. What happened here has nothing at all to do with that years-old incident, but...]

Noelle might be looking for her. [It's a topic that came up when they were discussing leads, earlier. It's possible. Noelle thought she saw a ghost of Dess, she chased after it, ended up in the clinic... maybe she still believes she saw her, out on the water. Maybe that's why she stumbled out in such a hurry and hasn't returned.

She probably got lost, or collapsed somewhere, or...

They wince, derailing that train of thought. She probably got lost.]

She's going to be fine. We'll find her.

[Might be looking for her... And that's it?]

So that's a no, then?

[What was she expecting? That there'd be a point to her asking? That Kris might tell her something, magically open up some new angle in their search, and make her feel a little less completely useless? Gee, Shoka, thanks for reminding me about that horrible thing that happened! I didn't consider that!

She's going to be fine, they tell her. We'll find her. She can't help finding that hard to believe. She starts to shuffle backward, static flickering at the edges of her foot.]

Fine. Forget I asked.

... What do you want me to say? That she disappeared the same way? Does going missing run in the family?

[They should just let it drop. They want to, but they're mad, and their Soul is picking up on that, so of course it's making them run their mouth. They've already given it too much to work with, any more and they're going to have some serious trouble.

They hiss out a sigh, visibly agitated. Reign it back in before this gets any worse.]

What happened back then... doesn't apply here. Stop asking.

No, I just— [She should stop—but the words tumble out of her anyway in an outpouring of frustration, fear, panic.] You said it yourself: she might be looking for Dess! If she remembered something, then maybe—if there's anything you know—it'd help us figure out where to start looking, or what she might be thinking, or...

[What happened back then doesn't apply here, they tell her. Stop asking.

Like hell it doesn't apply, she thinks to herself. Again, she shrinks back, hissing out a sigh of her own.]

Like I said. Forget I asked.

[She's not wrong. Maybe, if they shared even a little bit, it might help them find her. Maybe it could make the difference.

... but they can't. They refuse to even think of that day, head hung low, claws digging into the dirt. Don't forget, Kris.]

Please, just drop it. [They're mumbling again, barely audible this time, but... strangely, they sound relieved? They seem to relax immediately after, like a pressure has been lifted off them. Were those words meant for her, or...?

Whatever the case, they don't look up at Shoka again, instead turning away to go back to whatever remaining prep tasks they had left. They're dropping it, so this conversation is as good as over.]

FLIGHT AND FREEZE

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