[OPEN] Dreams & Ghosts

[sharpjustice]

Who: Mayaka & you !

What: 2 open prompts (reviewing dreams from last month + attempting to get over her fear of ghosts) and wildcard option

Where: Around Bottlecay Bay + Skull Town

When: Beginning of Feb

Warnings: none atm


a. dream review

Perhaps you're passing through the Archives, or the living hall in Skull Town when you spot a Sneasel sitting at a table furiously scrawling out various drawings on paper. Mayaka's gloves have been set aside neatly beside her for now, because she finds it easier to hold onto the charcoal pencils using her bare claws. She's experienced some weird dreams from last month. Though she doesn't remember the exact details, she's been dutifully drawing out the images that lingered in her mind upon waking up. Now, it's time to try to make sense of them. On the table you'll find the following drawings:

1. What appears to be a spaceship, though Mayaka's drawn it to look more like a truck with four wheels underneath.

2. A primordial-looking fish creature. She has given it a pair of cute, anime-sized eyes to make it look more approachable.

3. A black cat with an extra pair of eyes on its stomach. More cat-like than Mimikyu at this point.

4. The drawing she's currently working on, and struggling to capture. She's trying to remember what the alien beings in the final big nightmare looked like, though the large and erratic shapes on paper may not look recognisable to anyone. Mayaka is finding it difficult because she doesn't have an image in mind to associate with what she saw in the nightmare.

She's too caught up with this to notice if someone were to approach...


b. how to deal with ghosts

If you're wandering around Bottlecap Bay, you'll find Mayaka outside her house in the Lum Berry housing area, rooted on the spot.

Her attention is focused on a small clay sculpture she's placed in the garden of her front porch. It's a little handmade ghost figurine with a hairbow on its head. While it might look strangely cute, the more you look at it, the more you'll notice that it's two eyes seem to be gazing directly at you with an unblinking Stare™.

This is the ghost that's been chasing her in her dreams, but she's too scared to get rid of it! (Also, the fact that it was a gift to her from Catrina doesn't help!)

The Sneasel is shaking a little, and it's not from the cold weather. She's standing a safe distance away from the figurine, muttering to herself: "It's just a doll... it's just a dolll..."

(Dolls are creepy too, though??)

c. wildcard!
for any other threads or ideas that come up!

Comments

[sharpjustice]

Mayaka gets on her tiptoes to peer over Kinger's mushrooms. The Carbink isn't try to run away anymore. It led them here on purpose. She blinks a few times, realising that the fan she's grown attached to looks quite different all of a sudden.

"Is that... Rotom? Did your idea actually work?"

Even though the question is directed at Kinger, the Carbink produces an affirmative hum as it floats around them, seeming quite pleased with itself.

[0dchess]

[Other people might be offended at the phrasing of did it actually work, but Kinger knew it was a long shot. He was proud of the combination science and art project they put together, but functionality was questionable. Kinger walks over to the Rotom cautiously.]

Are they sleeping?

[The Carbink looks down sadly, and Kinger can tell immediately why. The fan blades are barely twitching, in a facsimile of the shallow breathing that the comatose patients in the clinic have. Kinger's already grown accustomed to spotting that in non-biological Pokémon through his visits to check on Need.

Kinger and Need hadn't spoken that much, but she did help him and Sanji look for Noelle so he will be forever grateful for that. Now he's thinking about the others, like Tenna, whose joy for entertainment reminded him of the best parts of Caine. Now there's someone who Kinger never even got a chance to meet.]

[sharpjustice]

What's wrong? [Mayaka asks the Carbink, though it doesn't seem to be the talkative type.

She follows Kinger's gaze, and observes how oddly the possessed fan is behaving. Rather than sleeping, it seems that Rotom is experiencing some kind of discomfort.]

Is this...? We need to get Rotom to the clinic, Kinger-san!

[She begins reaching for the fan, before freezing with the belated realisation that by all accounts, Rotom is still considered a ghost!]

[0dchess]

Right!

[Kinger sees Mayaka pause, and is faced with a serious sense of nostalgia. Mayaka reminds him so much of Pomni in this moment.]

Let's just focus on Rotom being someone who needs our help, and forget about anything else.

[Kinger wiggles his way underneath the fan so he can help support it on his mushrooms, so Mayaka isn't carrying them alone. The weight of the fan pushes his mushrooms down in front of his eyes so he can't see as well as he'd like, but he can make it work.]

I'll be with you.

[sharpjustice]

[Seeing Kinger trying to lend support in his own way, Mayaka takes a deep breath and slaps her cheeks hard with her claws. She's got to get it together! Carbink is a bit startled by this sudden action.]

I'm fine. I just have to get over my fears. At least until we get back to town. [Then, she can panic and cry all she wants.

She holds up the top of the fan so it isn't pressing down as much on Kinger. There's a little stiffness in her movements, but she's trying to put on a brave face now.]

Could you show us the way out of here? [She doesn't hesitate to ask Carbink. The floating rock considers this request for a moment, before humming in polite agreement.]