he ate my heart

[reddosmod]

AUGUST 2022 EVENT

EXTRA WARNING:

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: The shore line lit up by some sort of bioluminescent organism. ]
[Image Two: A sunken pirate ship covered in algae, seaweed, and suffering from wood rot. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A tentacle wrapping around a persons hand. ]
[Image Two: A close up of someone's shoulder which is turning black and cracked and dripping water. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A statue of a human face, split in half, with a golden devil mask between the two halves. ]
[Image Two: A number of golden hands reaching up for a white sphere. ]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

WE GLOW SO DIM

WHEN: August
WHERE: The Ocean
CONTENT WARNINGS: Deep diving, possible drowning, possible death

---

Early on in the month, the waves start to have a strange look to them. They seem a little brighter, even at night, and it's then that it hits you: the waves are glowing. It's easy to at first to brush it off as the bioluminescence of certain types of plankton, but the way it moves and sparkles has an other-worldly quality to it that can't be explained by science. Those who look even closer at the glow will notice that it seems to be forming some sort of path into the watery depths.

Those who choose to follow the path despite the angry waves and awful storms that plague the seas this month will find that the ocean seems to be at its calmest along these illuminated, watery roads. Diving down to follow them won't require any equipment, as Sleepers will find that staying within the glowing path allows them to breathe under water when they might normally not have been able to. The pressure changes don't seem to be impacting anyone who follows the light either, allowing them access to deeper depths of the ocean than may have previously been explored.

Continuing to follow the path will lead Sleepers to a series of ship wrecks under the water. These ancient vessels are rotted and covered in seaweed, but anyone who is familiar with the cultures of Earth will notice that they seem to come from all over the world and their styles vary by multiple centuries. But all the ships seem to be covered in this same, strange glow that has brought people here.

Exploring the ships will lead to multiple different discoveries. There are chests filled with ancient artifacts: carvings of squids, statues of various sea creatures that feel a little off somehow, and stones carved with a strange text that is almost impossible to decipher. The artifacts are covered in strange, rust-looking stains that penetrate deep into the materials they're made of. These artifacts can be brought back to shore, and if someone were to try and ask the Trenchies what the writing said, they would only be able to say that these are clearly texts of the Old Ones from long before any recorded history that Trench has in its Archives. When asked about the sea creatures, they'll think it's obvious: these are Mariana's various forms from over the years. The off qualities are her unique takes as a Pthumerian on the creatures of the ocean.

Prolonged exposure to these statues of Mariana will cause people to become more bluntly honest, more open with their emotions, and often much more prone to large outbursts from said emotions, both good and bad. However, Sleepers who keep these statues near them will also find that they are able to keep more control of their blood powers. It's up to each individual if it's a worthy trade off.

If you leave the path, two things can happen: Sleepers will either turn into their squid selves and can continue to swim or they will drown. There will be nothing of interest outside of these paths, just typical ocean creatures, and maybe some of those monsters that have been crawling out of the watery depths as of late.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

MONSTER WITHIN

WHEN: August
WHERE: All over
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body horror, mentions of potential cannibalism/vore, possible death, contagious curse

---

Soon after people start to explore the ships, a strange occurrence will start to sweep through the city. Locals start to mutter something about a curse, one that seems to only be impacting Sleepers. The early signs that there's something off is an increase in strength and stamina. For example, Sleepers will find that they might go to pick up a chair or a mug and it shatters in their hands. Some people may find that they are incapable of sleeping. Others might find they're able to move quicker and for longer periods than normal.

If they look themselves over, they will start to find small patches of skin that have started to gray and blacken. These patches will be cracked, almost scaley, and will be consistently damp no matter how hard you try to dry them off. As time passes, this odd rash will start to spread, taking over more and more of the body. The torso might start to swell and distort, making Sleepers feel particularly top heavy. And eventually, suckers will start to form on the arms and legs.

This curse isn't beasthood in its usual forms; instead, it seems to be some sort of malady in of the magical blood that Sleepers have been granted. If the blood of an infected Sleeper is looked at under a microscope, there will be black patches clinging to the cells, similar to the patches that people see on their skin. If it isn't stopped, the person suffering from the curse will ultimately turn into a monstrous form of their squid-selves: these monster forms are large, aggressive, and able to move on land. They will feel a hunger for destruction and some Sleepers may find in these forms that they are only satisfied if they feed on other, uncursed Sleepers.

There are two ways to lift the curse. One is through a thorough blood transfusion with a blood type that is compatible with your own. This becomes more difficult to do the closer to the monstrous form people get, both due to aggression from the curse, and also due to the fact that the black patches of skin are highly difficult to puncture. Once the blood is completely replaced by fresh blood, the skin patches will disappear over 48 hours and the Sleeper will be left feeling thoroughly exhausted.

The second way to lift the curse is through death. While these monster squid forms are difficult to kill, it is not impossible, and they are particularly susceptible to magic over weapons. Once a Sleeper has died, they can be reborn, and their blood will be completely free of the curse.

The blood malady can be spread outside of those who come into contact with the ship wrecks. People who touch a cursed Sleeper, particularly the scaley patches of skin, will also run the risk of being cursed. It takes roughly a week for the signs of the curse to show, and can spread as slowly or as rapidly as players choose.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

LAVISH DESIRES

WHEN: August
WHERE: All over
CONTENT WARNINGS: Personality changes, mental manipulation, hoarding, obsessive anxiety, disassociation, depersonalization

---

The high waves seem to just be getting higher at the beginning of the month. Rougher and rougher seas start to cause something anyone who's lived around water will be familiar with: flash floods. These floods are large, powerful, and fill the streets of Trench. First-floors of buildings may get extreme damage, though they can be protected with physical and magical barriers if people are smart about it. The floods happen multiple times throughout the month without warning, so it may be good to get that protection built up sooner rather than later.

The after effects of these floods aren't just structural devastation though. People who get caught up in the water, particularly those who end up swallowing it, will have one word echoing in their mind on a regular basis: More.

More of what? That seems to be different for each individual. Maybe one person wants more and more food, anything from an extra slice of cake after dinner, to wanting to stuff themselves until they just might pop. Or maybe they want to hoard all of their favorite objects or pieces of clothing, filling more and more of the space in their homes until they're ready to burst at the seems. Some might find it's their emotions that come in excess, with over the top anger, or irregular excitement that leaves them unable to sleep for days. Anything and everything can come in excess and it certainly seems to be this month. Some people may get these obsessive needs to such a degree that they start to feel disconnected from themselves, fractured by the overabundance that has taken over their lives.

If people ignore these desires, they'll start to find they're plagued by hallucinations. Strong, life-like visions that riddle them with anxiety and leave them petrified of what might happen if they don't partake in this gluttonous behavior. They'll feel shaken to the core and slowly go mad with need and desire for whatever it is they've been craving. This feeling of madness can make them become violent, lashing out at those around them, even killing those who try and help them out of belief that they're trying to force them to give in to their vices.

The impact of the water will wear off either after one week without re-exposure, or by using a Moon Drop to help to cleanse the mind.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

Makoto Kino | Sailor Moon | Open

[thunderingcourage]

We Glow So Dim
Any time these chances for exploration came up, Jupiter made certain that she was around to help anyone that might need a hand or that needed someone to venture into the darkness with. She had found that most of the time the risk was pretty well worth it and you would find helpful items and information about the world that had long been lost. Like recovering memories that had long been buried and lost to time.

And so the Senshi stood there amidst the glow of the waves with a hand held out.

"We doing this or not?"

Monster Within - Pre-curse
Lately, it seemed like the natives had been getting less cooperative and understanding as they had been when the sleepers first arrived, at least it seemed that way to Makoto as they became more callous, and then started harassing others. Apparently, there were some that had forgotten simple manners and had hurt Snow White by shoving her out of their way and breaking her arm. And now, they kept going on about curses. People still occasionally spat when mentioning her Vile Blood, but lately, it was something else entirely. She'd been helping to move a few of the heavier crates with flour and other goods when one of the hands called her filthy and cursed. Said that it was natural she'd be able to lift that much with her size.

The commotion broke out though when Makoto grabbed the guy and threw him over her shoulder through several of the crates when he'd tried to shove her. While it wasn't something uncommon, she was seeming to let her temper get the better of her lately. Her patience for bullying behavior was more than used up.

"I'm not cursed. But if you try to pick on me or any of my friends you'll regret it."

we glow so dim

[melodyofsilence]

She isn't here as Saturn, wanting to keep that part of her a secret and figuring that waiting for Saturn's arrival would be best. If it was absolutely necessary to protect her friends, then she wouldn't hesitate to transform, but until then... she would be here as her civilian self. So Hotaru moved to stand next to Jupiter, absolutely trusting the other Senshi to take care of her.

"Yep! Let's go see what's down there." Hotaru put her smaller hand into the gloved one with no hesitation. "What do you think we'll find?"

[thunderingcourage]

Rei had been the same way, not transforming into Mars unless there was no other recourse. And there had been plenty of times that Jupiter had fought beside her without the other Senshi changing. Makoto simply did it because it seemed like people were more willing to accept her help like this, and because she wanted to be ready for anything.

"There's no telling, but every time we've managed to find something that was helpful later, and some things that have helped to shed a lot of light on what's goin on. Last time there were orbs that helped combat corruption."

It was still strange to be able to swim out into the water like this and not change or need to worry about running out of breath, but staying within the lights there was no issue at all.

[melodyofsilence]

In time, Hotaru may find people she wanted to share that secret with. For now, she was happy to let either Jupiter or Makoto accompany her down to the ships. There are no real secrets between them, after all.

"Then we'll have to be very thorough so that we don't miss anything that might help us later. Or useful information."

Deep sea waters or deep space, there's no fear in diving into the unknown depths. Rather, she'll run her hand through the glow as they descend. Staying close to Jupiter in case they get any unexpected visitors.

[thunderingcourage]

"We'll have to be careful too though, sometimes there can be monsters and dangerous creatures as well. So make sure that you stay alert."

Jupiter took the lead, but she was confident that Hotaru was right behind her. It was nice to have another one of them here, but also made her miss the others even more as well. Pausing just outside the hull of one of the ships she looked around.

"So far the coast seems clear."

[melodyofsilence]

Hotaru gave Jupiter a little salute. "Yes, Sailor Jupiter! If one shows up, I'll protect you too."

The girl doesn't stray far away from the other Senshi, making sure that she's within arm's reach in case one of those monsters decided to get too close to them. She peered down into the ship, not with the eyes of the young girl she appeared as, but as Saturn taking in the destruction and death that likely happened here.

"Let's get closer." Said solemnly.

[thunderingcourage]

Luckily the journey there was safe enough, and either from the squid form or Senshi there was issue of breathing no matter the depth that they reached. Nodding as Hotaru wanted to get closer they approached the first of the wrecks.

"There's probably a log or something inside that will tell us more about what happened. We can probably find out what they were hauling too."

She'd seen a few of the logs that Captains kept even now.

monster within

[faceblocks]

[...not the demeanor she is used to in makoto, and she's just here to get samples - but suddenly this - and now she's looking over her shoulder at a couple other trenchies real rubberneckers, and rather than start a fight, she's attempting to be the voice of reason. how well that will go is anyone's guess. to makoto, to the guy on the ground:]

You okay there?

[maybe don't throw a guy. on the other hand: sometimes you just gotta throw a guy. to the other trenchies, or any hands that hover around:]

Okay, okay, back the hell up, give the girl some space.

[thunderingcourage]

He thinks he can just push people around. It was a jerk like him that broke Snow-white's arm.

[Granted he'd bumped into Makoto after also calling her a freak and cursed, which had only added more fuel to the fire. It was bad enough she had to put up either told she had a rotten soul when she'd first arrived and found out she was a vile blood; a name she still hated.

Makoto started cleaning up a bit of the mess, grabbing some of the bags of flour and sugar that had gotten scattered in the commotion.]

If he's smart he'll leave.

[faceblocks]

[snow as in speaks-to-the-animals snow? that has got her attention.]

We've all gotten a bit ...out of hand in the last few weeks, so maybe just move it along and enough with the---

[okay. this fine gentleman has decided to spit at her. that certainly was a choice. she is beginning to see the merits in tossing this asshole. she backs up, turns toward makoto before taking a breath.]

Guess what? Not that smart.

[she raises her fists, waits.]

[thunderingcourage]

[Makoto remained where she was for just a moment, frozen as she was picking up another 15 lb bag of sugar. It was almost like she was trying to figure out what had happened. As the man got up he looked back from Makoto to Vi.

Saying something about letting the freakshow go, while his buddy tried getting him to shut up seeing Vi's fist. Makoto trembled a little, all the rumors and whispers from middle school. Nothing ever changed, people would always think horrible things.]

Guess we should teach him not to pick on women.

[faceblocks]

He shouldn't be picking on anyone.

[vi looks from makoto to the two men. one seems to be on the right track - yeah, please tell your friend to zip it. or don't - because vi is having a hard time not rushing in swinging. deep breath. exhale.]

We can make this a freakshow, but it's not going to go well for you. And that doesn't have anything to do with blood, or curses. From one asshole to another, I'm practically begging you to walk away.

[dude. please go. she does not want to have to put another trenchie in the infirmary, even if it's for good reason. but this is trench, and people don't always get what they want.]

[thunderingcourage]

You'll have to pay for anything else you break too.

[At this point he seems to be willing to bite his tongue, not really dsure how to handle having ben tossed around by a girl half his size. His buddy reassured him that it wasn't that bad, and his buddy didn't want to get involved with Vi who looked ready to knock them both into next week.

Relaxing a little Makoto turned to Vi.]

Thanks for the help. They're normally good people, but lately, something had been going on that has made them jerks.

We Glow

[onerthes]

"Definitely," Vira-Lorr said as she looked out towards the ocean with a determined look. "I feel like there might be some lore and knowledge down there that's worth getting our hands on," she said, firm in her resolve that this would be worth it, and not a horrendously bad idea.

She was just in a one-piece bathing suit, deep purple in hue. Something far better than her usual clothes for swimming. "I could try turning into a squid once we're in the water, if it helps."

[thunderingcourage]

"With the orbs that we found last time, there's certainly something down there that will help."

The orbs had been a big help with dealing with the corruption the last two months, and learning about leaving them out in the moonlight had been a pleasant surprise when Makoto had left them in the garden one night and came out to find all the flowers in bloom and healthy. Jupiter had her Fuku but despite the water it seemed to stay dry somehow, only her hair showing any signs of being wet.

"It's not very far."

[onerthes]

They had found different benefits within the dark of those depths, but they were definitely useful, so why should this be any different? Vira-Lorr waded into the water, and once they were underwater, she could see the path, not to mention that she could still feel herself able to breathe down here. That was ... a little unusual. She put the thought aside. It was hardly the strangest thing she'd ever seen.

Pointing down towards the depths where the light came from, she gestured towards a sunken vessel barely visible.

[thunderingcourage]

((I'm sorry somehow I missed the notif for this one.))

While the voyages might have been a bit more perilous before, since their time in Trench it seemed that things had become a bit easier to manage, a little less hostile. But that didn't mean that you could drop your guard, especially with the current month. Compared to the raging waters at the surface, it was calm down here, an odd reflection of Makoto this past month with the rough attitude and conflicts that kept boiling at the surface hiding something quieter and almost a little sad underneath.

Once they'd reached the wreckage, Makoto made the way over to the side, brushing seaweed and sediment from the name plague of the ship. Neptune's Pearl.

[onerthes]

(OOC: No worries! Happens to us all!)

Perhaps the best way to put it was that Trench didn't seem to be intentionally trying to wreck their lives. It was simply a dangerous place, and that could be a very big difference, when the world wasn't actually plotting to screw with you.

Vira-Lorr swam alongside her friend, keeping an eye out, but grateful not to see any obvious threats right then. The plaque made her pause momentarily. An old Earth god's name, not one of the Pthumerians. It must have dated from before this world 'woke' from the nightmare. This was ... old, very old. She patted it gently and motioned up to the top of the deck, swimming up a little to land on the old, rotted wood. It wasn't a true landing, not with the bouyancy of the water, but that was good with as old as it was. They needed to find a way in.

Monster Within

[onekindsoul]

Ruby hears the commotion and quickly breaks through a crowd of people walking past to see what's going on.

She sees Makoto and while in her heart she certainly doesn't blame her for the flash of anger- She felt this wasn't going to help their cause anymore.

"Hey!" She shouts in just an attempt to get everyone's attention.

"Come on- I'm sure we can talk this out."

[thunderingcourage]

It certainly wasn't, some were using it as further proof that she was already cursed and that it was started to take control. That she would be a wild squid and monster before long and that she was dangerous. Even the man that had been thrown seemed certain of it, saying that she must just be hiding the gray spots under the long dress and the sleeves that she had on.

Though when Makoto took a step he flinched away, but she ignored him and just went to collect the sugar bags and flour that had been strewn.

"I'm about done, then they won't have to worry about it."

monster within

[azurestar]

Lance was just turning a corner when that guy is thrown by Makoto of all people into some crates a few feet from where he is. His brows go up and he takes a moment to look at him and look at her threatening him. Then he sips through the straw of his drink because he thinks that's what a cool guy would do before responding with:

"I'd listen to her if I was you, buddy."

Yes, all this seems fine to him. The guy likely deserved it, so there's no shortage of venom under the surface of his words. He punctuate it with a squint that says 'I may just be one of the friends she's talking about and trust me, I will end you too.'

[thunderingcourage]

There were murmurs from others asking if anyone saw grey spots, that strength wasn't natural, that she was dangerous. But the man who she'd thrown seemed to take a look up at glance then back in her direction where he was met with an equally annoyed glare that made him swall anything he was going to say other than an apology as he picked himself up off of the ground. Walking over to the crate that had busted she lifted the edge up, looking at how bad it was, two bags of flour had burst, and there was a bouquet that had gotten flattened she'd meant for one of the other boardwalk vendors. She'd have to redo it when she got back.

"First it's rotten blood, now they think I'm cursed just because I can lift as much as they can."

It seemed that the rumors and saying of the locals were starting to get Makoto.

[azurestar]

Lance looks over the damage with her and moves a broken piece of crate with his toe to uncover a crushed flower. Then he looks over at her sympathetically and lets out a heavy breath.

"Even in a place where crazy stuff happens all the time, people are afraid of things they don't understand." Ironically, the locals know more about what's going on with her strength than either of them, but their stance on vileblood has and remains totally stupid.

[thunderingcourage]

"Just a couple of tough guys whose egos were hurt because I could lift it by myself."

It looked heavy, especially for someone dressed like Makoto who looked like an ordinary girl. First it had been surprising, then had quickly turned into an inquisition about gray scaly skin and something about a curse, until finally he'd reached out and she there him.

Of course that didn't help much, ever aster Lances'intervention.Now the whispered and rumore were even more apparent and strong, a few growing a bit high. Making it too much like home and continuously becoming like home where they saw her as nothing more than a monstrous freak; at least those were the thoughts that were gradually crawling their way back in. Which added to the stress and corruption. Her blood making her legs and arms numb to where she'd dropped the cargo, or would occasionally crush a cup without realizing it.

[azurestar]

Given the reactions of the onlookers and what he's also experienced and seen since the month started, he's starting to grow unsure of that assessment, "Maybe…"

He looks around at the gaping and whispering locals and senses her stress rising through his mild empathic ability. He glares at them and then steps over, waving his hands, which start to glow, gradually glowing brighter. Making shooing motions, he offers them a choice.

"Alright, clear out and shut up unless you wanna find out if I can make these bright enough to blind you."