reddosmod: (Deer 2)
Deer Country Mod ([personal profile] reddosmod) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2022-08-08 09:32 pm

he ate my heart

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. ]

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.

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.

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.

CODING
fogsong: (83)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-22 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ a dhampir, then. she narrows her eyes curiously and makes a mental note to ask D if he knows anything about this one.

the gleaming orange wires continue to move and pulse in the air between them but make no move towards him. she’s on the defense for the moment, trying to figure out his next move. ]


I bet your mom would be real proud that her son goes around and attacks innocent strangers because he lacks self-control. [ her words are hissed out like a low jab. she’s feeling pretty and can only hope he holds his mother in high regard. ]
ananym: (To believe in things that you cannot)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-24 07:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ there seems to be a flash of awareness in his amber eyes, but it dies quickly in the wake of his instincts throttling his ability to parse that. he juts his chin out, stone-faced. ]

My mother is dead. She burned.
fogsong: (91)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-24 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ his statement visibly triggers something in her. a chunk of the glowing, shifting wires flicker out of existence in a sputter of winding smoke and her stance shifts, her gun lowering a fraction.

his words hit her where her own grief rests in her chest

Shit. ]
I’m sorry. [ genuine and heartfelt but she quickly remembers herself and why they were here in the first place ]

I bet she wouldn’t be happy to see you this way. [ there’s less bite to the statement, her desire to be petty dissolved away by her own grief, and in its place is something soft and urging ]
ananym: (His power ceases)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-25 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard frowns, as if he's caught between two different spectrums of thought and they're tugging him in opposite directions. his eyes seem to flicker between red and gold. possibly the most blatant sign of him not being . . . quite himself. ]

I — I cannot help it.
fogsong: (91)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-25 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ it’s as if he’s fighting some inner battle and Sharon quickly puts things together. she’s not sure if he’s being affected by Trench or if it’s a battle he’s always had to fight, but she wants to help.

she lowers her gun entirely but a few gleaming wires of fire remain. a lack of control means he’s not safe. ]


What can I do to help? If it’s blood you need, there are places I can get it for you.
ananym: (Count me amongst the best)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-27 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard looks skeptical, his hands clenched. ]

Where?
fogsong: (83)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-27 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
Blood is used for so much shit here that you can always find it somewhere but I know there’s a blood bank in Lumenwood.
ananym: (An ever-present help in trouble)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-27 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure if that will work.

[ normally, it would but this kind of thirst was new and overwhelming and even now, his body practically vibrates to take, take, take. ]
fogsong: (83)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-27 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ she frowns thoughtfully and then her expression shifts as if she’s torn between two trains of thought. ]

Is it worth trying? If not, do you think you could drink from someone willing and not kill them? [ the word drink is said with a bit of a flinch as if it doesn’t sound right to her in the sentence ]
ananym: (You are a stumbling block)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-27 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
It is . . . worth trying at least.

[ anything is better than this. ]
fogsong: (94)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-28 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
Do you think you can be around people and fresh blood? [ she’s trying to figure out the best way to handle this for both him and the people of Lumenwood. ]
ananym: (Enterrât les suicidés)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-29 09:26 am (UTC)(link)
No. I'm barely restraining myself as it is.
fogsong: (94)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-29 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she nods stiffly, sucking her lower lip into her mouth in deep consideration. finally, she nods again. ]

All right, okay. I’ll go get it for you but… [ a butterfly emerges from a fold in her clothes, an impossibly small thing with wings shadowed and blue. ] Tweedia will look after you. They’re my omen.

[ she reaches a finger up to her fluttering omen ] If he goes anywhere, follow him. [ and then her gaze returns to him ] Hold on. I’ll go as quickly as I can.

Do whatever you have to to distract yourself.
ananym: (His power ceases)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-08-30 09:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ easier said than done, but alucard gives a jerky nod, digging his own nails into his skin. he's not sure how long he can manage this and he knows it's his human nature that is pushing back and keeping him sane. ]
fogsong: (7)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-08-31 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ When she sees him nod, she turns and races away, moving as quickly as she can.

With Sharon gone, her omen flutters towards him. They’re small, not even two inches wing to wing, but despite their size, they speak with a powerful voice; it’s neither masculine or feminine and has a strange, inhuman echo to it. ]


Talk to me. Keep your mind busy. [ The words are gentle but demanding. ] What was your mother like?

[ It was the mention of his mother that had brought him back to his sense. They think continuing down that path may keep him in the right state of mind until Sharon returns. ]
ananym: (Default)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-09-05 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard was not in a good state. bloodlust was new and foreign to him, despite being a vampire all his life. it had never dug its heels into him like this, making him feel so . . . alien in his own body. he had no shame acknowledging his vampiric nature, and yet the shame was cold in his chest.

it did not ease the burning though. he exhales softly, his sharpened nails digging into his arms. ]


She was . . . Determined. She rarely took no for an answer. She marched up to my father's doorstep and demanded to be taught. And she cared. Deeply. Far more deeply than anyone else.
fogsong: (3)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-09-08 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Tweedia dances around Alucard as he speaks as if to show him they were listening intently. They chitter once or twice, almost in disapproval, when they notice that he’s self-harming but other than that make no statement.

They want him to do what he has to to stay present; aware. ]


She sounds like a bold, admirable woman. What was it she demanded to be taught?
ananym: (Though outwardly we are wasting away)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-09-08 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard doesn't reply for a moment. ]

Medical science. She was . . . a doctor.
fogsong: (71)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-09-08 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
An admirable occupation. It makes sense given how much you said she cared.

[ before Alucard can respond, Sharon comes rushing around the corner, her cheeks flushed a pale blue, breath coming out in wheezing puffs. held tight to her chest is a large jar filled to the brim with a red liquid, still hot.

she shoves the jar at him a little clumsily. ]
Warmblood. [ a gasping breath ] Fresh. [ another gasp. ow her lungs. ] Expensive.
ananym: (A wicked and adulterous generation)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-09-08 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard eyes her for a moment before opening the jar and downing it like a thirst man. which. he was. ]
fogsong: (51)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-09-08 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[ excuse her as she just braces her hands on her thighs to catch her breath. she's never running anywhere ever again. she only strains to look up once he's downed it. ]

Did it... Did it help? [ her question comes out raspy and wheezy and a little hopeful. ]
ananym: (Take up the cross and follow me)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-09-09 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard wipes his mouth, the red from his eyes fading away. ]

It did. Thank you.
fogsong: (61)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-09-09 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ she breathes a deep sigh of relief and beams despite the fact her lungs burn and she hates her body right now. ]

Fuck yeah. [ she might be a little self proud ] I’m glad. I mean, it would have sucked to try to kill you. You’re fast.
ananym: (You do not have concerns of God)

[personal profile] ananym 2022-09-09 10:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ alucard manages a tired smile. the wounds on his arms are already healing. ]

I would hate to die.
fogsong: (77)

[personal profile] fogsong 2022-09-09 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I suggest you be careful next time, then. You might come across someone a lot more capable and a lot less empathetic than me. [ her grin dims, her warning serious. she knows now this isn't something he's in complete control of, likely brought on by a pthumerian, but it still stands. ]

You feel that coming on again, you can give me a call and... I'll do what I can to help you out, okay? Name's Sharon and my username is S-D-S. [ They've spoken once before but it had been brief. ]

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