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Baymod Helpers ([personal profile] bayhelpers) wrote in [community profile] bottlecaplogs2025-06-15 10:36 am

JUNE 2025 EVENT LOG


⋆✩ THE BOTTLECAP RAFTING FESTIVAL ✩⋆



May Showers long gone, the sun that greets the month of June seems to intensify its brilliance to make up for absence. It’s only the start of the season of Summer, but the heat is already rising by the passing of the day.

For the residents of Bottlecap Bay, this is just another part of life. Once the threats of strange Pokemon and the enraged Dondozo are resolved there’s nothing stopping them from preparing for the end of the month. Banners are being strung across the streets. Signs are being posted at every business door.

But just what is the Dragafloat Festival anyway?

i. PRE-EMPTIVE CELEBRATIONS
PREPARE FOR A FEAST



Though life in Bottlecap Bay still proceeds with relative normalcy, the air of celebration is impossible to miss after the mid-month passes by. Not content with simply displaying festive banners and flyers for the incoming event, plenty of stores and even small eateries are pulling out all the stops. This holiday celebrates the very first arrival to Bottlecap Bay — but more than that, the timing of their newfound peace can’t be ignored! It’s the kind of chance experience that puts spirits into the highest of moods.

With street foods of all kinds on display, it’s no surprise that Pokemon will see things that weren’t there before. In fact, some shops might even be taking a page from the books of their newly accepted friends, giving their very best attempt at dishes and treats as described to them by these strange foreigners from worlds afar.

The celebratory air isn’t restricted to the daylight hours either. With the battles in the various parts of the woods, the Fog that so afflicted the bay has now receded; only partly, but enough to encourage bolder acts into the night. Local Ghost Pokemon are far more friendly (though no less mischievous) without local suspicions turning their way, and happily dance along great bonfires being erected upon the beach.

As June 20th draws closer, even the Guild Leaders can be seen joining in on the fun. Was that Ribombee with a mug of mead? Did Polteageist just offer to tell a story by the bonfire? It’s said that similar fires were used as signals for other Pokemon to make their way to the shores, but in his very own words, that’s not quite what these blazing towers are for this time. What are they for, in that case?

"Well, that’s just something you’ll have to see for yourselves!"
WINE AND DINE⟡ Players are encouraged to come up with their own foods present at the festivals as they proceed throughout the latter end of June. Examples can be found here, but real world examples of street foods and drinks are also allowed within reason.

⟡ For characters over the age of 21, there are alcoholic beverages. The fermentation process means plenty of options to go around - feel free to assume they are made from berries, fruit or vegetables, at whatever ABV you'd like.

⟡ While the festival itself isn’t officially until the 20th of June, festivities will nonetheless fill the streets leading up to that day — and even after. They will die down significantly after a few days of cleaning and sobering up however.

⟡ The Guild Leaders are available for threads once again! Players may comment for such threads here, keeping in mind that threads will not exceed more than 5 comments from Leaders.


ii. THE ANNUAL DRAGAFLOAT RACE
ARTISTIC PRIDE



On the morning of the festival, many Pokemon rise much earlier than they normally would. The lone exception belongs to those who were early birds and nocturnal sorts to begin with — in which case they’re not only out and about already, but in some cases staying awake as long as they possibly can. It’s the Dragafloat Race, and for some aspiring extreme artists that means it’s time to show off their Pokemon spirit.

What better way to do that, than express themselves? The Pokemon preparing their paints don’t intend to do that on just any canvas though. They’re here to paint each other, and will happily encourage others to do it as well. Eager to show their skill or teach a new budding artist, it’s time to get creative and try something new.

And preferably, something bright!

IT’S TO DYE FOR⟡ The paints being used by Pokemon vary. Some Smeargle and Grafaiai use their natural power. Others, such as Ink creating Pokemon, blend their inks with natural pigments for various painters to make use of.

⟡ All paints are safe for Pokemon skin, but are NOT water soluble. Pokemon will be warned of this in advance, but the hope is that these painted designs last through the float race — which is difficult if the water washes it away. It takes about 2 days to fade away naturally.

⟡ Characters participating in the races themselves will be encouraged to paint with colors matching a team theme! See the following prompt for further details.
ON YOUR MARK…



In the days leading up to the 20th, sign-up sheets will have been seen near to the Quest Board’s typical postings. These sheets require Pokemon to sign up for any one of two roles: Tow, or Passenger. Apparently, the sheets explain, random pair-ups will occur at the start of the race for full fairness.

But what about the race itself? When the day finally arrives, the morning is dedicated to preparation. Uniquely colored rafts are prepared for each team, and various body-painters offer their services to help each team match their float. In the true spirit of the race’s origin, each team is encouraged to choose one of the first Pokemon of Bottlecap to theme their ride around. Samurott perhaps? Maybe Gastrodon? The right to pick the coveted Dragapult is one many fight over, so it may be best to choose one of the less popular ones! Bottlecap wasn’t made by one alone after all.

The race starts in the bay, and ends in the bay; it takes Pokemon far, far out to sea before turning them around as Passengers cheer and support their Tow partner through the entire event. It’s up to the Passenger to protect their partner so that the Tow can focus on swimming. It’s a group effort, and one that takes hours of work to boot!

But with the end of the race in sight by way of massive bonfires sitting in the Bay’s evening light, it’s work that will be well worth it. Do your best, Pokemon of Bottlecap!

...GO!⟡ The race will take only one day, but Sign-Ups are available as a fun bonus for players to participate in. No threads will be required, and a random draw will be performed on June 30th to determine a winner from among a pool of NPC Pokemon.

⟡ Unless otherwise requested, pair-ups for the race are completely random. In fact, players may find themselves ‘partnered’ to an NPC! If two players wish above all else to form a team, please indicate this when signing up.

⟡ Despite the nature of the race, Sign-Ups do not require particular typing for the roles of Tow and Passenger. Instead, there is a disclaimer and a warning encouraging any and all Pokemon weak to Water against the role of Tow.

⟡ Festivities noted in earlier prompts will reach their peak energy during the afterhours of the race, carrying on through the entire night.


✩ OOC NOTES.
CWS: Water/ocean related risks, potential alcohol use, references to prior heavy quests (Pokemon death, Pokemon eating other Pokemon)

⟡ While all Heavy Quests will ICly have completed by June 15th, sign-ups for these quests will remain open all month.

⟡ For those who participated in Heavy Quests this month, don't forget to submit your quest completion forms before the 24th! We understand that there's been a few months now where this wasn't expected, so we don't want you to forget.

⟡ Have any questions related to the event? Ask them here! If your question is more general for the game, please make sure to direct it to the FAQ page instead. Thank you, and happy threading!


FULL NAVIGATION
firealone: (13)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-16 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Head-empty as always, Firepaw reads absolutely nothing under Flowey's tone. He's just excited to see his good new friend, and receive a gift. And surprisingly, he can understand the effort that went into it - it makes him think of watching ThunderClan warriors painstakingly weaving bracken leaves together to fortify the outer wall of their camp, or tucking moss into the inner walls of the Nursery so that the sharp thorns on the outer wall wouldn't harm the kittens. It must be even harder without any paws.]

This is beautiful, thank you!

[It takes some effort to put it on - Litten heads are bigger than cat heads, so the mechanics are sillier than usual - but he's very proud to wear it.]
friendlyflower: (wink)

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-16 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Heehee, looking sharp! Not literally, though, I didn't get ones with thorns. [Now he wishes he had some cool thorns.]

Can you believe I've already been here a full month? Time flies when you're grinding quests. How've you been feeling, pal?
firealone: (38)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-17 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm plenty sharp without thorns, anyway.

[He holds his paws up, and alternates unsheathing his claws on one paw and then the other.]

I'm feeling... the same, I think. Actually, I feel a little better after the bounties - fighting those huge Pokemon made me feel a lot better about going into the forest. I mean, I fought a bear!

[He did not know what a bear was before May, but he knows he got to fight something multiple times his own size. And he won!]

What about you? I heard that you fought a Dondozo.
friendlyflower: (wink2)

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-17 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Yup! I nearly took it down all by myself! [He lies effortlessly. It's probably easy to find out that's not the case at all- what with Firepaw, Lusamine, and Siffrin all being in the same guild- but whateverrrrr.] It juuuust got away. Maybe someone else can go ahead and finish it off and hog the glory since I'm such a nice guy!

But enough about lil ol' me. [Notably, he hasn't actually mentioned how he's feeling at all.] You sure are tough! I thought Fire-type was weak to Ground-type, but you're stronger than that! [This might seem like a backhanded compliment, but he actually seems a little impressed.]
firealone: (31)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-21 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Woah... really?

[Firepaw doesn't entirely believe him - he's not that head-empty - but he takes it as the sort of embellished story that kittens always tell each other. Flowey was part of the fight, he survived it without any visible scars, so he must have done pretty well at least and Firepaw's happy to indulge him.]

Actually, Dark Heart was really great as a teammate - he took a hit for me that probably would've knocked me out. I don't think I would've made it without him.

[Honestly, he'll take any opportunity to talk about Dark Heart. That's his friend, he loves the guy!!]
friendlyflower: (isthisguyserious)

cw: dark heart slander (sorry he's projecting)

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-21 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Dark Heart...?

[Oh, right, the Nickit... the one who he taunted and got into a fight with. Actually, that's not very uncommon for Flowey.] You know, I thought 'Firepaw' was an on-the-nose kind of name, but you're pals with a guy called 'Dark Heart'?

[He remembers his own fight with Ursaluna, shoving Ren out of the way of an attack. Flowey only did that because Ren couldn't take the hit as well and he's too used to dying, anyway. It's not like he's a hero for it-- and in the end, it made the others trust him more, he thinks.

There's no such thing as altruism for people like him and Dark Heart-- just manipulation.
]

Firepaw... Take it from me. A friend could backstab you at any moment. Don't trust so easily.
firealone: (64)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-22 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Hey- there's nothing wrong with either of our names!

[The longer Flowey talks, the more Firepaw's good mood plummets. He could put up with some teasing about names - he knows 'Firepaw' sounds silly to others - but slander? About one of his best friends? It's nearly enough for him to take his flower crown back off.]

Just because you don't like him doesn't mean I have to listen to you about it. I can trust whoever I want to.
friendlyflower: (scaredrealization)

[1/4]

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-22 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[He looks like he was slapped across the face.]

... [His jaw hangs open, but he can't even get a single word out.]

H-hee hee... [Then: through a cracked voice, a giggle.]
Edited 2025-06-22 23:10 (UTC)
friendlyflower: (asriellike)

[2/4]

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-22 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[The first person to ever respond when he called for help. His first chance at starting over in a new world-- mad at him. Soon to hate him, like everyone does. Who would ever care about Flowey? He can't even feel love. Everyone hating him is inevitable. He's only deluding himself, playing nice, acting as if he can care.]

Hee hee hee... [His face twists and morphs into an impression of something- or someone?- else. He can't transform his face quite as completely as he could back when he was a flower, but the result is still close: an innocent child with sparkling eyes and a happy, toothy smile.] Aww, Firepaw, you want to know how I figured out you're gullible? Because I tricked you.
Edited 2025-06-22 23:10 (UTC)
friendlyflower: (goop1)

[3/4]

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-22 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[His face distorts more and more as he speaks to the point it looks painful. He doesn't care.] Don't you get it? I fooled you, idiot! I made you think I was some innocent little Pokemon who needed to be saved! I acted like I could care! And you never even suspected the truth: I'm so much worse than that dumb demon you call your friend.

I killed everyone. Friends, family... it didn't matter. I killed everyone I knew. I did it over, and over, and over...

[He wants to stop talking, but he can't even begin to stem the tide of horrible things coming out of his mouth. If he's going to burn the bridge, he might as well do it completely. After all, who was Firepaw to him, anyway? Someone who answered his futile call for help? As if he's special. He was just some stupid animal in the right place at the right time. He would've saved anyone. Nobody has ever wanted to save 'Flowey'. It's always been the person they think he is.]

And you know what? If I woke up and all this "Pokemon" crap was a dream, I would do it again. I don't have a soul, after all! I can't feel anything. I can't care about anyone, even if I wanted to! Does it make sense now, fleabag?! I was LYING to you! I ONLY made you that STUPID gift so you would trust me, and you DID! You're even STUPIDER than you look!
Edited 2025-06-22 23:10 (UTC)
friendlyflower: (goop2)

[4/4 actually]

[personal profile] friendlyflower 2025-06-22 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[He's shouting now, not caring who sees him. It's only a matter of time before they all figure out he's irredeemable, anyway. He always has been.]

So have a great birthday! Enjoy it with your REAL friends!

[He realizes two things after his diatribe:

1. That he can't just burrow into the ground and disappear like he used to.
2. He's crying.

In lieu of any better option- especially sticking around to hear Firepaw's response, he hops away as fast as he possibly can.
]
Edited 2025-06-22 23:13 (UTC)
firealone: (71)

(1/3)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-23 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
[Firepaw.. really doesn't know how Flowey is doing that with his face, but it's incredibly disturbing. He takes a step back, still listening but flattening his ears with open disgust. This... all of this, is a display of emotion he's never encountered, and it almost shakes the anger out of him.

Almost.
]
firealone: (75)

(2/3)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-23 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
[But then Flowey keeps going, and keeps going, and Firepaw's claws start kneading the earth as he listens, his tail lashing with a slowly boiling rage. It's anger at a lot of things - the residual anger of Flowey being rude to Dark Heart, the new anger at being called stupid, the betrayal that even he feels like he shouldn't feel, because he doesn't know Flowey that well.

But it hurts. He's a terrible judge of character, he knows that to some extent - and he encouraged Ribombee to take this awful creature in. He's been speaking to others about how excited he was to have Flowey around. And Flowey is... a murderer. A traitor. Who knows how much of it is true, but why would anyone lie about it?
]
firealone: (74)

(3/3)

[personal profile] firealone 2025-06-23 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
[By the time Flowey turns away, Firepaw's fur is prickling with the urge to tackle him. That was how cats settled things in the forest, that was how he earned his place in ThunderClan. But he glances around at the rest of the party... and decides that he can't ruin the good mood for everyone else. Instead, he just shakes his head until the flower crown falls off, and bats it generally toward Flowey.

It takes him a while to think of it, but he does have the language for what Flowey is.
]

Go eat crowfood, asshole!

[Cats don't really cry, but Firepaw's eyes are wet and there's definitely a shake to his voice. He is just going to turn around and stomp away, before he succumbs to the urge to fight.]