[ti]closed[/ti]Drown Your Sorrows

It was not only a Popplio that had wandered off this fine evening.

Aegis had noticed the other water starter wander around on its own, and thinking that the Pokemon was a perfect sparring partner, decided to see where it went. Kallisto hadn't been paying attention until he realized that it was too quiet, and thinking it was unlikely that the Piplup learned to shut up, he turned around to find that there was no one there. Great. He let out an exasperated sigh before retracing his steps, not bothering to call out for his Pokemon, it seemed like too much of an effort. Did the Poke Balls have some kind of recalling device if the Pokemon wandered too far off? No? That would've been handy, he thought.

This town wasn't large, but there were a number of buildings that divided up the area into sections and roads, and if one had a poor sense of direction, they could easily get lost. In his backtracking, one particular road caught his eye, but it was more of that...there was something his ears were catching ever so faintly. Some kind of music? An organ, perhaps? It felt unlikely that Aegis would be there, but it was also the most interesting thing happening in this side of town, so who knows, maybe he was battling a churchgoer or something.

Once he actually got near the church, Kallisto realized he might not be that far off.

Rain. But there was no rain outside, only inside the building. Another glitch, or an intended feature? He would spy cloaks and symbols and eerie voices. Huh, would be fitting for the skin he was wearing, he thought. Might as well see what was going on.

Inside, there was someone else that stuck out like a sore thumb (because he wasn't wearing a cloak and he had a hovering player name over his head). Did he know what was going on? Judging by his worried and frantic look, probably not. He decided to reach out to him and place his hand on the other's shoulder, knowing full well this could spook him. ❝Hey--❞

Tonight, the Church of the Ceaseless Downpour is even truer to its name than what it usually is, for upon crossing its dark threshold, it is rain that greets all those who enter. Ceaseless droplets fall seemingly from the ceiling itself, flowing through the grout between ancient stones, and dripping off pillars and walls. Beautiful carved pews are completely soaked, yet those same drops of water that overtake everything drip off the Drowned's white cloaks — yes, they're waterproof.

"Hm. I don't think I've ever been called that before..." The smooth voice of someone he had not addressed purrs in response to Lord Darien Blackthorne's question: the tall figure of one of the Drowned, almost indistinguishable amongst the dozens there are, except perhaps for the triangular points at either side of her hood. Most of her face is cloaked in shadows, but she visibly smirks at the visitors while standing between the pews and the threshold. "However, I'd never be against being called fate by a handsome man."

She hadn't actually led them here, but they don't need to know that.

She does, however, point towards a steel coat rack by one of the walls, from which conveniently hang spare robes.

"You might wanna grab a cloak if you're joining the service. Trust me, most won't even realize you're not actually members of the cult. It's a blast, and hey... cloaks help with keeping dry when you're not a Swimmer. The Dance won't stop for a while."

It's only then that the source of the rain becomes all too obvious: dozens upon dozens of Pokémon, all cloaked, many water types and many not. All of them are locked in what seems to be an endless ritualistic rain dance, moving to the rhythm of the Drowned's strange chanting. Their grunts and barks and screeches and roars and howls and chirps add to the sound of the the hymn, making it sound even stranger beneath this ceaseless downpour of their own making.

"Come on, service is about to begin." The cloaked figure urges the visitors before turning to go take a seat, her smirk unfading.

He should've expected the shock, but the yell echoed in the building, somehow making itself pointedly heard despite the rainfall. ❝Ah.❞ he wasn't quite sure what to do but wait for the other player to recover, which took a little bit. Once he seemed to have registered that he wasn't going to scare him again (Kallisto didn't mean it, honest. Okay, maybe he did a little, he just seemed so jittery), he unfurled, though not as gracefully as a flower.

❝'Twas not my intention to scare, I assure you.❞ he lied.

But before they could converse about the odd place they found themselves in (and also, why was he here? Kallisto could ask the same question to himself but, well, the reasoning was rather flimsy), another person had joined their little party. He seemed like he knew what was going on, though.

A wondrous downpour to you both.

In the darkness, a flicker of recognition -- Kallisto swore that he had seen this person before, or rather, the model in front of the screen. He didn't comment on it though; he had to admit that he hadn't really talked to this particular person all that much, but he had seen him in the Discord whenever he remembered to check on it. He had to admit, though, that the rain was distracting him, forcing him to focus on trying to find answers for this strange place. It looked like the next person was speaking had these answers; a female voice that sounded mysterious and inviting.

An NPC? No, there was a name hovering over her. A player? Perhaps a high-level one, if she was able to cause the strange downpour enclosed in a building. His eyes then followed to the cloaks. It would not help much since he was already soaked, but he supposed it would be nice to take some shelter from the rain. Also, apparently, if he was going to stay here and find Aegis, he needed it. The cloak somehow felt like it melded with his outfit, removing the cape he originally had on him so that it wasn't too bulky. From there, his gaze shifted to the source of the Rain Dance -- Pokemon, all shapes and sizes, but all of the same typing, he figured.

And if he squinted, he could see his Piplup also joining in the dancing, looking rather out of place with the more rhythmic Pokemon. What stood out even more was that Aegis wasn't using Water Gun, but Bubble Beam, mingling bubbles with the rain briefly before the spheres would pop from the sharp drops. His Pokemon certainly did not know how to read the room, but at least he found a friend? That other Pokemon (a seal? A baby seal?) didn't seem like it belonged there either.

He listened to the fidgety player's concern before putting two and two together -- it seemed like a safe assumption that 'Gumball' was the Pokemon that just grabbed Aegis and was spinning him around. The penguin was trying his best to keep up. He couldn't help but smirk just a little, finding his Pokemon's attempts to keep up amusing.

Well, they seemed to be having fun. Kallisto did not speak up with his own thoughts, figuring it was better to hear what the cult leader had to say about the whole thing. Admittedly, he was curious about their third companion as well. Would he recognize him?