XXV. Freezing Temperatures

    Many tenants celebrated the ball, and conversely, had to fight their counterparts. The ultra beast siblings, as usual, were a trio of chaos and fun. A wounded Shaymin, a feathered Galarian Zigzagoon, a sad-looking shiny Seviper, a motherly Turtwig, and more were seen out of their respective art pieces, and on the prowl to take the place of those that looked just like them. While Sweet Pea was first to arrive overall, a number of tenants came and went, enjoying themselves and chatting with the staff as well as dancing their cares away like Ordell and Neo or Epsilon and Bat. Even despite the danger, much of the festivities were fanciful fun times you could look back on merrily.

    With all of that behind you, all you can think of is how cold it has been in recent times in the manor. You figured the manor had great insulation thanks to how hot it was during the summer, but apparently it did not, or the cold was just too much for the old place to bear. The various radiators around the manor slowly were going out one by one, and it was starting to get unbearably chilly, so much so that your teeth chatter even in your own room at night, covered in your blankets.

    Gathering a group of complainers outside of his door, as usual, Weston addresses his adoring public with a simple message: “Don’t blame me, I have already taken everyone’s concerns to Mister, and they have more work on their hands than ever. Perhaps if you really want to help, you can take the stairs down to the Boiler Room and talk to our handyman. Be careful down there, it is awfully dangerous, heheheheheh~” And with that, the rat closes his office to further complaints about the cold.

    With nothing better to do, you wonder how you never knew about a Boiler Room and tried to find the stairs to get down there, eventually crossing paths with Mister. He seemed tired and gruff when he pointed you in the right direction, handed you a key for them, then offered a simple, “I wouldn’t go down there if I were you.” before he went back to his office to grab some of his supplies. Once you opened the large doors and looked down into the dimly lit area, you realized the stairs looked just like the ones that lead down into the basement, just set in a different location.

    You steal your courage and start to head down the stairs with your friends, but the impending darkness and cold decide to stifle you so badly you have to double back for some flashlights and candles. All those items offer you is minimal light and warmth, but even with that you realize the stale air is hard to breathe and you feel more than the chills affecting you. The weird aura from the basement...it’s here too.

    Following the sound of metal on metal and the vast piping system you never knew Woe had, you finally come across the light of a lantern and the sound of someone grumpily fidgeting with the pipes and checking some gauges attached to them. Without even looking in your direction he grumpily flicks his tail and says, “If youse all here ta complain ta me ‘bout tha cold, my joints already put in a good word.” The older man sounded much older than you expected, and had some kind of bronx accent. “If this here stupid thing was working, youse all would see tha boiler lit up an’ tha orange light would cast a glow on the entire area down here. As youse can see however, that ain’t it.” He grumbles and glares towards your group. “In due time it’ll get fixed, but fa now I need peace ta do that. SCRAM!” His scream echoed throughout the area, bouncing off pipes and causing scuttling sounds to move away from his general area.

    Regarding this, he huffed, “An’ do be careful o’ those stupid Crypts. They mighta been tha ones to fuck wit’ my pipes.” With that, he coldly glares at you until you leave, and you and your group slowly make your way back towards the stairs while the Unown seem keen to stay in the shadows.

Welcome to the Freezing Temperatures event! I can see my breath, it’s so cold...

This event will be active from January 1st to January 31st!

All art submissions must include at least one lined(or lineless) halfbody, with either color or shading, to be counted for the prompt bonuses.

All literature submissions must include at least 750 words to be counted for the prompt bonuses.

Each piece can only complete one prompt!

Make sure to tell us what prompt you are completing in the description of your art or literature so we can reward you correctly!

Prompts

And with that all said... have fun in PKMN-WOE and beware The Watcher...