bottlecaplogs | October Quest Catch-All

[From one rescue mission straight into another... compared to before, Kris seems to be taking this job at a much more leisurely pace. It's not that they're slacking—they're still focused on the job, taking the lead whenever possible, asking questions...

Asking a lot of questions. Unnecessary questions. The first Duskull they approach gives them a great tip ("Luxray? I think I saw them near the tunnels over there!") but Kris still stops and asks several more lingering spirits if they've seen a Luxray. Every time they happen to come near a new Pokemon, actually, the Deino is compelled to make a beeline for them and ask for directions again. You know. Just in case there's new info.

There is not new info. Everyone either points them to the tunnels or says they haven't seen anything. Kris has veered off course six times now just to get directed back to the same route they started on.

They also stop three times to check in random bushes off the side of the road, which ends up being a rock, a half-eaten berry (nice)(they eat the rest of it immediately), and another rock but more brown. Not that they can see what colour it is.

At least they're being thorough...?]

[If this were any other location. Any at all, Emporio may well have just indulged in this. He would have just allowed Kris to be thorough, while searching around on his own time as well.

The trouble is, this is the 'South Forest'. The 'Hallowed Cemetree' as it were, and the fog here is magic. Frankly, he doesn't know how Kris is bypassing it. He's not sure he wants to know! All he knows is that somehow, they're not triggering the disorienting time-space anomalies that so occur when one takes their eyes off the path.

Thank god.

If only he himself could do the same.]

Uhhhhhh...

[He looks quite nervous.] K...Kris?

...Maybe we should focus on getting to the tunnels before questioning more Pokemon...

[Kris can't even see, so it's not like they'd know if the scenery was changing... but for whatever reason, they seem to be getting around just fine, skirting just along the edges of the visible path. This is normal and Emporio shouldn't worry about it.

They're about to veer off again to bother a Shuppet hovering under a tree when their teammate finally speaks up. They stop, turning to look in his general direction. Then they stare for several more seconds before giving any kind of response.]

Might say something new. [Completely deadpan. Honestly, Kris is on Emporio's side here, they just don't have the energy to argue with themselves. This is their life.]

Maybe, [Emporio concedes, reaching over to grab gently at the Deino,] But we really can't afford to veer too far off course here! The land shifts if you stop looking at it, and we still need to at least try searching the tunnels!

[They pause, considering this new information. They should try to stay on track... ignoring the fact that they're blind and it's questionable how that kind of effect would work on them in the first place. That's not important right now.

They have a job to do. What's the point in gathering info if they waste so much time they never make it to the tunnels?]

... Okay. [The Deino nods, turning back to the path with no further complaints.

(even if they still stop the next time they spot a ghost lingering at the edge of the roadside, like they really want to go up and say hi........ but they're being so good right now. maybe it can still talk to the ghost later...)]

[It would definitely be good to stay on track. There's an entrance to the tunnels just ahead, sure, but once they're in the tunnels?

Emporio knows full well that there will be a Lot to go through in those tunnels. They go EVERYWHERE!]

Phew....Thanks!

...Okay, we have a way down from here, [he says, wandering toward the edge of the way down.] It'll get really easy to get lost once we're there, so make sure to stay close!

[They stare down into the darkness, a gentle breeze blowing in behind them. Well, at least they don't have to worry about the dark. If anything they might see a little better down in the low-light...

is what they think, until they walk directly into the first bend in the cave wall. Somehow, they have been walking around like they can actually see this whole time, and now that they're in a cave they're acting like they're blind...??? They stand there with their snout pressed against the wall for a minute as a few gears start turning in their head.

This is so stupid, but somehow this makes them feel a little better, actually.

Kris takes a small step back, stretching out their neck to follow the edge of the wall with their cheek. They move with less confidence than before, a little shakier, but they won't have any more trouble running into walls like an idiot.]

Watch your step. Wouldn't want to get lost in here. [like it was their idea and not something Emporio literally just said]

[Admittedly, Emporio actually snaps his head back to look at Kris when they say that.] ....Agreed, then?

[He doesn't sound entirely certain, but means it, trust him.

Down into the cave, Emporio stares as Kris slows down- head to the wall like they're using the 'hand on the left' trick in a maze. It's darker here than it was up above at least, which saves Kris some face. After all-]

Oh...Is it too dark down here for you?

[They start to get more comfortable as they make their way deeper in. The confined tunnels feel almost cozy, compared to the open spaces and scattered trees above. But most of all, they feel like they're finally in their own element. Even their Soul can't outdo them here.

They glance back at the Cubone, paying little mind to the rocks scraping against their face as they brush past another wall.]

Nah. Just dark enough.

[... they shouldn't let themselves get complacent, though. Echoing through the tunnels, a sound like distant footsteps, frantic padding. They slow down, trying to discern where it's coming from.]

Oh.

[At least....uhhhh....

He doesn't know, and it seems awkward questioning is spared by the same sound that Kris hears.

...Oh. Emporio blinks, slowly beginning to hear the sound himself.]

...shhhh... [He motions, just in case. They don't want to run into something that actually plans on fighting after all...]

[They hold their breath, listening. As the pattering footsteps grow closer, they can hear a snarling voice thread through the silence in between. They can hardly tell what the voice is saying—only snippets of words, not enough to make a sentence—but they sound... angry? afraid?

Only one voice, though. No matter how much they strain to hear, they can only hear one person.]

... Must be Luxray. [Their own voice sounds too loud, knowing how much it's going to echo. They can't do anything about it.] They're close.

You think so? [Emporio murmurs, squinting through the dark. He steps a little bit forward, frowning.]

We should probably be quiet then...just in case we get mistaken for wild Pokemon...

[It doesn't sink in that they're going to a volcano until they're already at the foot of the plateau, surrounded by the sweltering heat of the harsh winds and the hissing of geysers too close for comfort. Even in all the Dark Worlds they've been to, nothing has quite come off as this hostile before. It's a bit of a shock, and more than a little intimidating. One wrong step and they could be toast. Or boiled alive, or maybe just fall off a cliff and break all their bones...

They march forward with confidence, despite their second-guessing. They can only hope that their Soul actually knows what the hell it's doing out here.

* (The air tastes like the bottom of a toaster.)
* (You're filled with the power of not becoming a burnt toaster crumb.)

... at least they have a (co-)co-pilot. Surely, if they can't trust themselves they can at least trust... this haunted mask they keep picking up.]

[ Chara, on their part, is incredibly glad that whatever shape it is they have now, even if strange, is not so susceptible to the heat as a flesh and blood body. The mask might be a little uncomfortably warm, but for now it is tolerable.

With any luck, and avoidance of the geysers, it will remain that way.

* It is interesting, is it not, that Pyroar did not choose to come here themselves?
* Well.
* On the bright side, your dragon typing does confer upon you a resistance to fire.
* Also, you are the only one here who has to worry about the supply of drinking water.

Hydration will be, probably, a pressing concern. They do not trust their ability to haul the Deino back should they pass out, and they are unsure about the ... other presence? That seems to cling to them.

* (... All around you, ash swirls its way through the air.)
* (Visibility is poor in these conditions...)
* (And to your left, a crack in the earth hisses forebodingly.)
* (But perhaps, if you forge on regardless, you can find somewhere beyond this field of ash and steam.) ]

[They still can't help but cringe hearing that extra voice in their head. It's weird. At least before they had their thoughts to themselves, even if something else was listening in.

* (Feels kind of like training your replacement. Or something.)
* (But you don't think they'd be interested in taking your body. At least they...)
* (...)
* (Oh. Right.)
* (You... uh.)
* I. Am not used to this.
* ...
* Ignore all that.

Nailed it.

They decide to focus on the quest. Kris... has no idea what's going on out there, with all the wind and steam and ash blowing around. It's probably best to leave the scenery to their teammate. So where does that leave them...?

The point about hydration sticks out. They think about all the times they've "forgotten" to eat until they were at their limit. For something that's so good at fighting for their life, the Soul sure is bad at basic ~~human~~ monster needs. This would be an especially bad time to let those bad habits creep up.

* (You think very, very hard about the importance of hydration.)
* (You... imagine a health meter. If it gets too low, you'll collapse.)
* (You'll have to manage your resources carefully if you want to make it back alive.)

If the Soul heeds their warning, it doesn't say or do anything to show it. Which is probably for the best, since they're hopping carefully around some sketchy cracks as they make their way along the plateau. So far so good...?

* So. Maps.
* Any cool landmarks yet?]

[ * What?
* I seem to have developed very selective hearing loss for a moment.
* ... awareness loss?
* Oh well!

Is what they say, anyway, though the information is being noted down for further curiosity. That said, they are taking their job seriously enough, their perception split between the shared senses of the Deino and wherever their own source from whenever they're not fully manifest.

The lack of overlapping visual input really makes it simpler for them to do this, really. They probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off with someone else, but the Yamask's arms, extended out from the golden mask atop the Deino's head, dutifully mark down the features and landscape they move past on what is hopefully fairly fire resistant drafting material. (Features which right now mostly comprise of where all the steam vents and geysers are.)

As for Kris' question, however...

* Mostly rocks and more cliffs.
* That said...
* (In the distance, past drifting haze and soot...)
* (There appear to be some strange-looking structures.)
* (You cannot quite yet make out the details of them through the heat haze, but regardless, they are quite distinctly shaped.) ]

[Structures. Towers, pillars, something else...? Could be natural, or maybe not. It would be weird for the Yamask to start lying to them now, so they'll just have to trust that they can't tell from here. Not yet.

What matters is that they're big and distinct structures. That's something they can use as a way point, easy.

Their body continues its forward march, then stops at another wide crack that billows with steam. Even without seeing it, they can smell the intensity of the sulphur, feel the heat wafting off it... seems dangerous. Maybe they can go around it? Or—

or they could just step back for a running start and leap over it like a crazy person, sure! It's over in a matter of seconds, passing through the curtain of heat like swiping a hand through a campfire. Kris nails the landing. It probably looks very cool. They would feel more cool if they weren't coughing up geyser fumes immediately after.

* (You should try to find another path on the way back.)
* (Pyroar might not be a fan of "make a leap of faith" on the map.)

... if it was just them, they'd probably be over it already. But they're kind of pissed it's being reckless with someone else tagging along. It wouldn't kill them to give a warning, jackass.

* Hope you like living dangerously.
* I haven't died yet so it'll probably work out.

At least they can tell the mask is still stuck to their head.]

[ In Another Medium, that might have looked quite cool indeed. Or rather pedestrian, considering how many times one had to leap from the vents in succession for that one puzzle in Hotland. This is before, of course, the impression of their solid landing is ruined by the coughing fit. Hmm. On that note...

* Well, for starters.
* I am not even entirely sure if I do count as living, even as I am now?
* It is a little ambiguous with ghost types, I hear.
* Does that make it un-living dangerously?
* Still, I do not mind.
* (Pyroar might also object on the grounds that not every Pokemon might be able to make such a jump.)
* (They do, after all, come in all sorts of shapes and forms.)
* (Perhaps securing an alternate route of some sort might be in order...?)

* (The steam vents and fumes might also be objectionable to certain types.)

Kris, being a dragon, boasts at least some resistance to one of those, at least, and Chara's own state of (un)being lends them also a certain kind of ... resilience.

Haven't died yet, though? Now, is that in a way that hasn't managed to stick, or ... not all?

(Don't mind them. It's enrichment, wondering these things as they roughly draft out the map thus far— with a gap to indicate the one the body they're riding along with just leapt over, space to the sides left to explore or fill in.)

[That's... a good point. They remember hearing once that ghost monsters can't die, normally? Or only under specific circumstances? They didn't talk to the ones that live ("live"??) in Hometown much, so they don't know the details. It's not exactly a topic you can just bring up out of nowhere. Even their Soul isn't that bold.

* It counts enough.
* Unless you really want to test that.

... they shouldn't be giving it ideas. Talk about something else.

* What were you before?

Even as I am now has some weird implications. Were they already a ghost, or were they something else "non-living"? They've met enough Darkners that the latter wouldn't surprise them much.

* I'll tell mine if you tell yours.

The geysers seem a little more spread out in this section, so it's probably fine to leave the Soul to navigate by itself for a bit. What's it gonna do, get them lost?]

[ Their what is a little slower to come this time, though whether it's from focus on mapping, distraction, or just thinking over their answer isn't readily apparent.

* Not human.
* Not anymore.
* Not quite a ghost monster either.
* Truthfully I am not sure what one would call it.

Theirs was a soulless existence, and they hadn't expected to wake up again in the first place. Flowey and the Amalgamates of the True Lab are one thing, but it wasn't even something they possessed that...

* When one is the lingering remnants of someone who very much did die, and who very much already did have their soul absorbed by another...
* Well!
* Not exactly a lot of precedent for that, is there?

After all, not one human soul was ever taken by the monsters during the war. Not according to the writings in Waterfall.

As for the other six souls, those who fell after them, and then fell, one way or another ... those are all accounted for.

Determination makes quite a few impossible things possible, it turns out.

* Does that answer suffice? ]

Edited 2025-11-03 00:45 (UTC)

[They're quiet, seeming to soak in all these gruesome details while the Soul putters around, picking up rocks with their mouth.

...

* Damn.
* I was gonna guess you were a hat.

Were they actually? Hard to say. Their tone is as dry as always.

Not a Darkner, though. Distinctly human, but also... not anymore. They're not sure how they should feel about that. They thought they'd be more disappointed to find out their new friend was a human, but in the end it doesn't seem like it makes much of a difference.

Neither of them are human anymore. Neither of them seem to regret that fact.

* Same.
* Aside from the whole dying part. Only the human part.

Which feels kind of lame when their answer is just the default of most of the Pokemon in their situation, but also, they never promised their answer would be interesting.]

[ * Oh no.
* Completely unwittingly, you have uncovered my shameful secret.
* So shameful I spun an outlandish story of being a soulless ex-human instead...!
* Isn't it a more interesting tale that way?

They'll match that sardonicism with their own. But for a moment their focus turns back outward, and ... hmm.

The path they're on, it is no longer quite so level, is it? Given that it is beginning to slope downwards, they must have crossed a decent portion of the plateau by now, though ... was their objective not to thoroughly map the entire thing? Or merely to mark out a single safe path?

(* Onward you forge, across the erupting plain of an active shield volcano.)
(* Ahead, the caldera awaits.)
(* The thought of unveiling those shapes in the haze, and what else might possibly be found there... it fills you with determination.) ]

[Kris snorts, nearly choking on a rock in the process. Their body pauses afterwards, as if waiting to see if they'll say anything more before it finishes making its little rock pile near the edge of the caldera.

They're still not keen on possession, but maybe it's fine if it's just stuff like this. Someone to talk to, without any filters. Someone who maybe gets it. They bury that thought in the back of their mind.

Thoughts of determination make their posture straighten, staring ahead pointlessly.

* (Smells like ash and dust.)
* (Leaving the geysers behind, your mouth already feels drier.)
* (You're filled with the power of remembering to stay hydrated.)

...

They actually do stop for a second, gnawing at the bag under their mane to get a drink from their water pouch. Holy shit. Gamification actually works?

Once that's done, it's back to the mission. They take a straight path towards the nearest shape—Chara will no doubt have something to say, but whatever it is, their reaction will be the same. Kris succumbs to their draconic instincts and immediately bites the object.]

October Quest Catch-All

INTIMIDATION TACTICS (Emporio)

the soul, from topdown: wot?

the soul: but what if the shuppet says something memeable

soul get your head in the game!!!

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time is fake. good thing they are already in the time is fake forest...

they come out and everyones like 'woah guys look its december'

WAYFINDING: FURNACE MOUNTAIN (Chara)

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HYDRATION: [[◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◻◻◻]]

emerges from z-a fugue state like

big mood.

we persevere for the sake of karta-knives

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HYDRATION: [[◼◼◼◼◼◼◻◻◻◻]]