deercountry | he ate my heart

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. ]

[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

Threaded | Flat

OOC: Please refer to Murderbot as Eden Rin in tags (if using name while unknown).

...Prompt: We Glow So Dim.

CW: None yet. Underwater exploration expected.

Humans ignore danger signs daily. Not only on mining installations but everywhere. This place is as isolated as any such installation, even if it is... populous. Not for long, Murderbot thinks. The sea has been throwing alien monsters—wrong in horrible ways—and now offers a glowing path down into the waves. Murderbot noticed it before. It's keeping an eye out on things. Not because— no it has not signed up to work security here. It cannot keep all these humans safe. There's too much stupidity for that. Even if the ratio were 1:10, it'd likely be too much. No company contract.

Which is why it doesn't know why it bothers. "Hey!" it shouts at someone, "What are you doing? Don't just walk into the ocean. That's a good" (bad) "way to die." It holds little hope of being listened to, but it moves quickly in that direction.

...Prompt: Monster Within (early).

CW: Body Horror, Self-injury

Adrenaline and other neurotransmitters flood its system upon the conversations it overhears. Only affects Sleepers some locals whispered. Comes from exploring under the water others suggest. Infected. Cursed. Pthumerian. It hardly hears more. Even as it returns to a safe location, the well fortified building its been cleaning up, Murderbot starts running diagnostic scans. It isn't as good as 2.0 was at this (its design too foreign for TargetSystemController to infect), but Murderbot has its notes, what it looked for, what had previously been tagged and removed. It comes back negative, empty, nothing so far as it can tell in the code.

That makes sense. There's no system shown to be behind this. Trench, this contaminated city, fits traditional ("traditional" since so much is secret, not shared) descriptions of alien remnant contamination. It wishes it could ask Thiago— it's glad Thiago isn't here to get contaminated. That's the smallest comfort. The humans it's had—those from Preservation and ART's crew—aren't here. What's a little death to a murderbot, it jokes flatly. That's what a MedBay is for, or that... lacking the Company cubicle.

Sure enough, back and far away from everyone else, it finds a small patch of rubbery inhuman skin on its back. Performance reliability drops 10 percent. It freezes, its bare organic hand touching the horrible substance. Murderbot stands, sits, and stands again. It can regrow its body tissue. It's lost more of its body mass in the hours it remembers than its made of hundreds of times over. There's only one thing to do.

It goes to the knife it obtained here, sharp and cleaned many times over because Murderbot doesn't trust anyone else. Anyone else that's here. Briefly, it stands there, unsure where the best location to dispose of infected tissue is. One of the levels has a fireplace (because yes, on top of everything else, what everyone here really needs is an uncontrolled fire source). It's a risk worth taking. That's what its later review of memories clearly show. Otherwise it wouldn't do this, right? It's thought processes are 87 percent swearing, 10 percent action, and 3 percent existential dread.

The swarm of drones spread around it, offering full visibility of the infected tissue. Murderbot starts the fire and builds it up. It closes the other exits in hope to isolate the issues to this room. Then, there's nothing for it. Murderbot lowers its pain receptors, gives the infected tissue wide margin, and cuts into its own flesh. The process is as gross and unhygienic as anyone could expect. It ends up with a mess of tissue in its hand. For whatever reason it is dusted in... powder? For the injury, the leaking has been—

Oh, that powder came from it. Yes, its veins closed themselves naturally, but the edges of the injury where it's removed the alien tissue is also covered in the dark powder. That cannot be good. One problem at a time, Murderbot throws the tissue into the flames where it crackles horribly, blackens, and slowly turns to ashes. It lingers longer, perhaps, than it should to ensure its disposed of as close as it can to pathology standards. This whole place is a pathology nightmare.

It goes to the Company cubicle, sits in the small space, has absolutely no feelings about sitting in one again not a single one, and watches a familiar episode of Sanctuary Moon. Once its notified everything is finished, it stays until the end of the next episode. The cubicle's handled worse.

Murderbot feels that it handled that well. That's that.

Until it catches sight of that terrible flesh on its wrist mid-performance at the festival. It backs away, leaving a drone to record the remaining, and stands at a railing, staring into the sea far enough down the boardwalk not to be near anyone else, not to put them in danger. Really living up to the ridiculous stories about rogue SecUnits.

...Prompt: Monster Within (middle).

CW: Body Horror, Self-objectification, Existential Dread, Worst Fears

It avoids people. It wanders the streets of Trench with only the weapons it cannot separate from itself, the inbuilt energy weapons. Whenever it hears anyone, it hightails for any path to avoid them, moving faster than humans are capable of. It loses itself in quick travel. Even the most deserted places seethe with humans. This city is too populated. All of them in danger, not only from Murderbot, but it's among the horrors crawling ashore.

That makes the sea the wrong place to go. The growing patches of damp skin resembles water fauna. Monstrous fauna. Surely it will thrive there, grow strong, and return to slaughter people the way SecUnits are so capable of. Never mind it won't be a SecUnit anymore. It's been on one murderous rampage it knows of. It doesn't know how to stop this one. It cannot even destroy itself properly. Sleepers come back from the dead. That might only accelerate the process.

It finds an edge of town and continues down the road until the horrors catch up to it. Performance reliability at 45 percent. It cannot think properly enough to put the existential dread into words. Abruptly, it stops, sitting by the side of the road near nothing and no one else. Murderbot shutters. The rescue feels like a dream. Something it might have dreamed to make itself feel better. The networking isn't here, the terrible presence on the network. That part is real, yes. That threat stopped (?). The original contamination—

New contamination. Old contamination. Does it matter? It's doing all it can to keep anyone safe. Even if it doesn't know most of these people. Even if it tries not to care about them. It's out here alone, and that's where it will stay until it ends, whether from its power cells running out (it locks the process to recharge, so it cannot access it if it gets worse) or from a violent death at the hands of some other monster. Until it's a voice locked in its head unable to control what happens. Performance reliability drops again.

Murderbot waits for the forced shutdown. It's doing poorly enough, sure. It sits and sits.

...Prompt: Monster Within (end). Closed to 2B

CW: Body Horror, Violence, Death

What crawls down the street does not match SecUnit standard or sleeper standard by any imagination. Stripes run the course of the massive shape, signaling danger if somehow the four large tentacles, pocked with suckers down their length in row after row. The monster isn't purely a mass of tentacles and flesh. Metal reinforces the muscles. Two of the tentacles crackle with electricity, and a sharp beak can be spied at the right (wrong) angle.

Most of the people are ignored, free to scurry away to safety. Natives no more interest to it than worms at the bottom of the ocean. It tracks something else, something cursed or soon to be. Acting more on instinct than control, living what feels again like a combat override module, its scan brings up a Sleeper. They're different than the residents, and the overwhelming programming takes over. Target acquired.

...Prompt: Lavish Desires (get rescued).

CW: Near/Partial Drowning, Disregard for one's life

When the city floods again, the smart thing would be to stay safe indoors. The entrance to its shelter has proven decently waterproof. It could sit there watching something new or rewatch some unrealistic show that always ends better than things do here. It could make sure it doesn't become a threat to others again. It could avoid the Company cubicle that let it down. It could do anything smarter than staying out when the water reaches its waist. Let no one ever say that Murderbot is too smart for its own good.

In regular clothing, the kind that covers all signs it might be more or less than human but offers no true barrier to water, Murderbot wades down the streets looking for signs of distress. It's not trying to be a hero. It owes the city, especially the Sleepers, something for the attempted... murder? eating? It's not entirely sure and can live without the answer to that question. Not all buildings are meant to withstand this. It scans the environment as it goes, drones exploring side streets to give it a heads up of someone in distress.

...Prompt: Lavish Desires (All the Media is Belong to Me).

CW: Potential Violence (cartoon style), Obsessive Behavior

This stupid planet lacks a feed. The slightly less stupid city has one, a local network like that on a ship or station. It asks nicely there for copies of whatever anyone has. It's not enough. The responses are not enough. The supplied media isn't enough. The cavernous space longs for more, an empty ghost of what it could be (what it once had been? Murderbot doesn't know its history, only that it was empty when it found it).

It stalks the streets. The need for more serials, more books, more plays, more music (the soundtrack to a show its less fond of, one of those 'stuck forever in a wormhole' ones, plays in its head, a constant reminder that being trapped with a limited amount of media is a special kind of torture). It spots a likely prospect alone and makes a bee line for them. That last distance isn't closed, yet, but Murderbot stands closer than it otherwise would. "What's the last thing you watched? Read? Listened to?" it demands with no introduction. Its eyes stare deeply into their forehead.

...Prompt: Wildcard.

CW: N/A

[ Contact me at inoctavo or silyara#7604 on Discord to plot other options. Permissions here.]

i. bad blood (monster within)
[ cw: body horror, medical horror, body transformation ]

You are afflicted.

Perhaps you already know this. You've noticed the minor signs, or the major ones, and perhaps you even have some idea of the fate that awaits you at the end of your slow transformation. Perhaps the changes, so far, have been so slight that they have not yet seemed to be changes, and you are blissfully unaware of what waits for you.

Whichever is the case, if you find yourself somewhere in the city alone at night, your disease-ridden blood may catch the attention of a stranger. From around a corner or out of a shadow, a short figure in a dark cloak steps forth.

"You're contaminated, you know," she says, in a high, fluting, critical voice, "Been mucking about in the ocean, I expect? Or exchanging - fluids - with who knows what, and who knows when? The absolute state of you all - well! It is only to be expected."

A delicate, pale hand is thrust towards you impatiently.

"Blood type, and your hand, if you please!" Woe says, in displeasure, and even with her face hidden away from sight, her sour pucker scowl is somehow palpable.

ii. new blood (lavish desires)
[ cw: body horror, medical horror, obsessive behavior ]

Even those fortunate enough to be spared the ocean's spreading curse are not free of Woe.

Sleepers with untainted blood may find themselves, too, beset by a short, dark-cloaked stranger, who steps out of an alley way or recessed nook and plants herself in the path of her latest target. She looks you up and down with a sharp jerk of her unseen chin and utters a pronounced, exasperated 'hmph!'

"Adequate," she announces, without preamble, cutting to the point like a machete through tall grass, "Blood type and associated novel capabilities? Five hundred words or less, if possible - and an estimate of your current donor capacity, expressed in percentage of total blood volume."

iii. contact/wildcard
[ You can reach me by PM or at

terriblepurpose to chat or discuss a wildcard! Permissions here. ]

Edited 2022-08-09 04:06 (UTC)

( i. lavish desires — thirst for blood ) cw: blood, violence, vampirism

[ it started like an ache.

at first, alucard dismissed it. though aches and pains are unusual for alucard, it didn’t feel like something worth dwelling upon. this was a world that stank of blood and pain under the surface. and he was not without his instincts.

and yet. the ache morphed into an itch. his gums hurt and his throat felt dry. and he wanted — what? some unknown desire burned hotly in his gut. his eyes flared red as he wandered the streets in the night. is this what all vampires feel? the ever longing need to fulfill a thirst that will never end?

no. he will find a way to end it. and with that thought erasing all others from his head, alucard hones in on the closest breathing, living person. his voice comes out guttural and animalistic and his eyes glow red in the dark. ]

You.

( ii. lavish desires — thirst for crochet )

[ of all the impulses to be stuck with . . . this was probably the strangest.

for some reason, alucard had walked into a craft shop and come out with skeins of yarn. he settles himself on a bench with a pair of needles and simply starts knitting. all sorts of little knitted dolls. some may seem familiar to you. and he shows no signs of stopping. though he does pause when someone stops by, a tinge of sheepishness in his voice. ]

Do you want one?

( iii. lavish desires — Thirst for companionship )

[ is it strange to be lonely when you’re surrounded by people?

it hadn’t been so bad when he took the villagers of danesti. but that might have been the trauma, the constant need for survival, the need for alucard as their protector. now, without those, he feels like he’s drifting from one place to the next, without reason or cause to linger. Is this what it’ll be like? without a pressing situation or lives at stake, does Alucard have nothing to his life?

has he always been this empty?

with a sigh, Alucard bumps into someone “accidentally”. ]

My apologies. Are you going somewhere? Have you any need for company?

( iv. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? ping me on timmtams / pm this journal / hit up my plotting comment. ]

i : we glow so dim : for adaine but also openish!
cw: mention of death

[the lights beneath the sea beckon like fey things - but they keep a steadier beat than the waves do - a silent beacon below, that glow, and over time it's moved into place - like the trace of veins beneath a surging skin, and vi can't shake the feeling that maybe they're paths and maybe they're meant to be trod.

it's not the first time she's come here, to stand and look at them like this, and she's not surprised to find adaine out here, looking at them too - and she thinks, just maybe (probably) she won't be met with a what are you crazy if she ways what's she's thinking. or even a that's dangerous.

she wonders if adaine might even know what she's thinking - she's still not sure how that works. vi frowns a little as she remembers this, but that too is lost amidst the pull of the lights.]

I wanna go in. Do you---

---does it feel we're supposed to go in? I don't mean like that shit on before where people were tossing themselves in to try and die. I don't want to die, I want to see what's down there.

You in, blondie?

ii : wildcard

[i'll be tagging around, but if you want to do a specific thing, lmk @

eisdamme : pm or on the plotting post.]

(a. wild waters)

[ Despite the way the ocean is so much wilder than it was last month, Daniel still finds himself drawn to the beach. It's not like he couldn't meditate and practice kata pretty much anywhere, but it feels better to do it out here. It's a little more quiet, especially now it seems that the wave of new arrivals is slowly dying down for the month. The force of the water doesn't even count as disturbing the quiet. If anything, it makes him able to move to the beat of the waves.

If you happen to either come out to the beach, or pass nearby, you may spot Daniel out there on the sand, practicing his kata. Maybe you're interested and happen to come closer, or you were wandering out on the beach in the first place, when at the exact moment you're close to Daniel a huge wave arises out of the wild sea, threatening to crash down on the beach - and right down on you two.

It makes the man halt mid-movement, glancing around but realising there's no time to move away from a wave that big. Daniel instinctively holds his hands out, and that's when the entire huge wave seems to completely freeze up, turning into ice.

.. only for a moment though, because a second or two after the ice crumbles down. At least it does drop into the sea rather than landing on you and Daniel, but it does cause a huge splash, completely drenching you both.

For what it's worth, Daniel at least does give you an apologetic look as water drips down from his hair. ]

Sorry, I-- I have absolutely no idea what just happened. [ Genuinely so, if you're good at telling lies. ] Are you okay?

[ You know, aside from standing there drenched on the beach now, anyway.

.. maybe he should've brought a towel. ]

(b. we glow so dim)

[ A part of him probably knew it was better to not follow the weird glowing path, but.. on the other hand, maybe a part of him was also hoping that he might finally have found a way home. Hope dies hard, after all. If anything, it first grows foolish.

That's the entire reason Daniel is wandering across the path, deeper and deeper into the water. At first he assumes he's alone, but then he hears something. It's hard to call it a footstep with the odd nature of this path, but there's a sound that doesn't quite fit his own pace of walking, which is why he turns his head--

--and spots you there, behind him on the path. For a moment Daniel looks surprised, but then his expression melts into something more neutral. ]

.. couldn't resist it either, huh?

( ooc: want something else with daniel? feel free to hit me up at

queeningsquare! i'm always game to set up specific prompts for people who want them! c: )

We Glow So Dim- Sunken Ship Edition!

Luz hadn't expected to see glowing things in the sea, especially since she could see that the waters were getting choppy and pretty rocky. However, this got the better of Luz, and after making a tentative swim toward the path that was leading toward the strange colors, she found that it led down to a trove of sunken ships! Luz recognized how they all looked a little different in various colors and insignias, letting her know that they were all from different worlds and from the past!

And look at that, someone like you happened to find her struggling with a nearby treasure chest.

"Hey, could you give me a hand? Trying to bring this for our book shop!"

Lavish Desires

A lot of people may have had desires that were pretty regular, items like money and the like. For Luz, she was far more concentrated on all of the flooding that's happening and trying to patch up what she could whenever she came across places in danger of it.

And soon after this, Luz was now taking the initiative and is attempting to save anyone that she could, going out and coming back to the house completely drenched and shivering and then moving on to try and help YOU, or maybe you catch her on her way out in a yellow slick, intending to ride her worried Palisman to try and save someone from impossible odds.

"What? I'm going to so stop another place from drowning, obviously. What are YOU doing?"

Wildcard- throw it at me!

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."

Squid Be With You (We Glow So Dim)
CW: near drowning, partial squidding

Despite all the reasons that could lead to the conclusion that Pyrrha Dve going into the sea is a bad idea, she follows the glowing lights in the water upon seeing them for the first time. She wades, then swims, farther away from shore, deeper in the water, everything still illuminated in its glow. It's pretty, and Pyrrha finds herself honestly curious what she will find when, somehow, she's able to breath in this glowing water. Dark anchors within the light face ahead, and she swims further toward them. A current sweeps across the water, carrying her sideways, not keeping with the further bends of the marked path.

Her mouth closes instinctively. With care she lets a small amount of water in. It is unaccompanied by anything breathable. Death doesn't frighten her, and her body isn't injured yet. The urgency presses against her. Pyrrha focuses narrowly on this single simple task, the way she has so many others. The ease with which she swims through the water surprises her, but that doesn't matter when she's twenty, fifteen, ten feet away.

Once again within that special pathway, Pyrrha breaths and looks down her shape to see the bottom half a mass of tentacles working together to spur her on. Strange. She carries on to what turns out to be ships, swimming around one and through it, mapping it thoroughly before she touches anything. Careful, she opens one small chest filled with ancient treasures. How long have these rested here? She's unsure.

Looking around her, Pyrrha is careful, selecting a solitary statue of a squid that isn't quite a squid. It isn't either quite a squid mermaid, but it strikes a chord, and once she has it, she doesn't return it. Safely, she swims back to the surface and walks out of the waves. Yes, walks. By the time she reaches shore, she's fully human and striding out of the waters.

Lets Go Down Together (We Glow So Dim)
CW: none yet

Once, twice, a hundred times, there's more to see under the water, even only in the sections they are clearly invited to. This night, Pyrrha is prepared. She has a suit meant for swimming, in many ways like the rubbery skin they have as squids, along with a hardy bag, able to take the abuse of the water without permanent damage. Shoes and outer clothes are folded neatly on the beach.

Pyrrha sits in soft meditation a moment, feeling at peace with these different moods of the ocean. Chaotic as they are, they make more sense than the madness in the River. Here, she can safely navigate the waters in ways she cannot there. The monsters in the sea are Mariana, but so too are the ships beneath the surface. Prey, yes, to weather or whatever led to their deep resting places but more than that. A gift.

She hears someone behind her, and Pyrrha doesn't get up immediately or grab the knife belted around her waist. "Hello," she says when they are close enough to hear her.

Vibe Check (Monster Within)
CW: potential provocation, potential violence...

Duty walks the streets at a steady pace. There's always been hunting for beasts, and should one cross his path, should one present danger to others, yes, he is a hunter as his clothes mark him. He will handle it. His attention, however, is intent elsewhere, among those who still look, more or less, as themselves. Signs of disease that is not normal corruption. Patches of skin creeping out of necklines or in a flash of midriff as an arm is raised in hello. Anywhere it shows. And those showing signs of aggression.

Not to kill, he hopes. To intervene before it becomes a killing time. His rounds take him through many districts, looping around via different routes. Sometimes it's a simple conversation that can lead to a simple question. Other times, Duty is brusque, less polite, to determine what effect it has. In the face of violence, however much is needed to subdue.

Many Sleepers are fine. Some... are not. Which are you?

Personal Collection: People (Lavish Desires)
CW: possessiveness, hallucination, obsessive behavior

The city floods. The Bone House is safe behind tall walls of bone, bleached as though by the sun. They do not keep Pyrrha in, nor Duty. People need help, and only some of the people they care about shares that residence. When it is accessible, there is still the Outpost, with its walls enabling safe work on the next stages of development.

There's rounds now, regular rounds, between those they care about. There's always more. Never mind that other people may—do—care about them. The only way to be sure is to check. He would prefer to have them altogether, but as large a house as he lives in, it is too small for that. The outpost is not yet ready for that. Nothing can take them all.

He walks. She walks. Again and again and again, and when they stop, when they let too much time stretch out, they see horrors happening to them. Unreasonable, illogical horrors. They're honest enough for that. John is the only one they're sure about at all times, that connection between them stronger than the worries, a reassurance no matter what happens, however bad, they'll know.

We Glow So Dim [CW: brief mention of suicidal behavior]

Jun does not want to get into the ocean. Jun had a near-fatal brush with the ocean last month, so he would prefer to not do that. Instead as he hears about the shipwrecks, he sets himself up on the beach with a book and a towel to sit on, glancing up as people parade out of the ocean. He's not going to continuously pester people, but...

"What have you got there?"

He wants to know. For science.

Lavish Desires [CW: obsessive behavior]

Jun has always liked bookstores over pretty much any other kind of store. They're quiet (usually), they're full of books, and the intelligence of people who visit them tends to be higher than normal. He's going from bookstore to bookstore in Trench, gathering books wherever he can. Most of them are science books, but some aren't. At this point he's trying to just get as many books as possible.

He's got a lot of them in his backpack as he lurches down the street. He's a little difficult to miss, given how he's walking - topheavy, wobbling under the weight of the books. On his way home he's liable to trip a few times, landing hard on his knees and swearing under his breath.

Like A Dragon (closed to roommates) [CW: obsessive behavior, hallucinations]

Jun has... a lot of books in what was once Manabu's room. One became two, became four, became eight... and now he's got stacks of them, perched precariously around the room. Some of them aren't even science books, but... but...

He keeps feeling like something terrible will happen if he doesn't collect all the books he can.

He's out of things to trade as money for now, so he has to be satisfied with the books he has. But he's not. He's not satisfied at all. He wants more, but he knows he can't keep taking out books from the Archives.

He paces 'his' room, unsure of what to do, until he gets tired enough to lie down. The command keeps itching in his brain, though - more.

Wildcard

[Got another idea? Hit me up at

atrypical, Discord at Matt#6266, my plotting thread, or PM me!]

A. A Deep Adventure

[Scorpia watches the waves light up with a sense of wonder and curiosity.]

It looks like... a path... [And paths are meant to be followed. She smiles and props her pincers on her sides.]

You smell that? That's the smell of adventure? ...Actually it's mostly seawater. But you know what I mean!

[She then heads right off into the glowing part of the water to check this out! Feel free to join her, or try to stop her - or jump ahead to either exploring the ship with her, or even further to when she's returned to the surface and is looking over a statue of some off-looking scorpion!]

B. Squidia

[Things seem normal initially after Scorpia's little underwater adventure. But then, some things seem off. It starts off small - as Scorpia finds herself breaking things more easily. Accidentally breaking off a doorknob here, or crushing a bag of supplies there... She tries to laugh it off with a meek smile.]

Whoops! Guess I don't know my own strength. ...Which is strange, because normally I do know it!

[Or come across her later, when suckers have started appearing on her body, and she's gradually becoming a bit more monstrous...]

C. Wildcard

[Feel free to come up with an alternate prompt or hit me up for plotting!]

we glow so dim

Manabu doesn't feel the pull of the sea much anymore, his stomach soured by the way the waves called in weeks prior - the way feelings were bruised and battered in those times. Yet the rumors of glowing pathways are irresistible to a man aching to press the boundaries of this little world he's in, so when he has a free moment here and there, he does go back, rain or shine. By the time he's made something of a routine of this, he at least remembers to take his shoes off, to stow his satchel and heavier belongings somewhere safe before making the march into the tides - he'll likewise advise anyone else thinking of venturing forth, too:

"Auh, you...don't wanna weigh yourself down too much. If you're going there, too." Perhaps they can team up? Go together? He won't be opposed to it, should the other be receptive.

Or perhaps he's encountering someone already down there, someone already perusing one of these curious wrecks. Manabu will, of course, make sure his presence is known by way of swimming into their peripheral with a pacifying hand waved. Don't panic! Good guy here! Now, let's see what's in this old wreck...

"Oh, you found something, too?"

Back on shore, once enough swimming's been enough for a day, Manabu shakes his sea-soaked head a bit and in doing so, spies another Sleeper in much the same state - perhaps less so, if they've been out and perusing their haul for a while now. Himself, he's got something tucked under his arm, mentally kicking himself for not having brought his satchel along for other things, but oh well.

"Down in those wrecks, right? What'd you see?"

other happenings

He's lucky enough to not worry about becoming one of those big, honkin' squids...but that doesn't mean he's ignorant to them! Should there be sight of one, or someone sounding a call for help, Manabu will be keen to assist; just get over here and point the way!

Barring that, he's got a lot of housekeeping to deal with by way of keeping the Roost cleaned up from all these flash floods; he can be seen struggling to wipe down waterlogged floorboards or salvaging suppliers that got the worst in the cellar. Perhaps those who offered to help him out or even is just kind and has some free time can pop in during the afternoons to see about lending him a hand?

When he's not doing damage control there, Manabu's also taking his morning rounds at Outpost Haven, so there's always a chance to run into someone there! It's free CR real estate what can I say.

Edited 2022-08-10 16:23 (UTC)

i. we glow so dim

[ Glowing water in the water, monsters coming up on the beach, it's an adventure. Nico will be going down to the wreckage several times, sometimes planned with people, other times at random. He will stand by the shore to see if anyone needs a swimming buddy or guardian. Sword strapped to his waist and glowing an eerie purple.

Upon someone showing up, Nico looks at them. ]

Going down?

ii. monster within
[ cw: body horror ]

[ Things seemed relatively fine up until now, nothing horrible has happened. Probably a trap of safety. It feels like he's in battle even though there isn't an enemy in sight, his focus too sharp and honed. Hyperaware of everything happening around him. The first time he notices the extra strength is when Nico is cleaning the Sanctuary, broom in his hands to sweep the floors.

One particular swipe of the bristles against the ground and the broom snaps in half in his hands. Nico feels like he felt the break before it happened, that he saw the wood become splinters as the wood distorted unnaturally. ]

Schist. [ He frowns down at the two pieces that remain. ] Okay, broken broom that I've used every time I come to clean. Maybe it was old.

[ Or maybe Nico is just out and about, browsing foods to buy for any attempts to cook later. Squeezing a fruit to make sure it's not too squishy when it bursts in his hand, juice going everywhere. ]

I'll pay for it. [ Spoken immediately. ]

iii. lavish desires
[ cw: personality changes, mental manipulation, disassociation, gorging ]

[ Nico's gone down to the shipwrecks multiple times, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. He thinks nothing of swallowing sea water, it wasn't enough to be harmful. Though, the demigod is starting to wonder if things in Deer Country happen in threes. Tries to keep his eyes open for anything unusual happening to him or around him.

One thing he does notice is that he's eating more. Not a bad thing, honestly. A piece of fruit here, some snack food there. One day, Nico sits down outside to eat, a collection of food in front of him. By the third item, he doesn't even realize that he's the one eating. Nor how much he's consuming. A hand is moving down to grab something else, lifting it to the mouth and eating it. It's a strange out-of-body experience, dark eyes distant staring out at nothing. ]

iv. wildcard

[ OOC: Hit me up on Tsukeru or my plotting comment if you need to, though I've flexible at jumping into it. ]

Edited 2022-08-11 19:04 (UTC)

We Glow So Dim (CW: deep water)

Nara'a is one of the first to go investigate when he finds that the waves are glowing. He dives right in, following the path. It's easy for him to meet up with other people while swimming - he's quite a strong swimmer and willing to help along those who aren't quite as skilled in that department.

Once he gets down to the the ships he gasps, fascinated. He takes out his Omni and records some video with it, swimming along the side of some of the vessels. Afterwards he dives into the ships themselves, eager to find out what secrets they hold.

Alternatively he can be found on the beach, lining up what he's found and pondering over them. Some of the stuff doesn't look valuable, but its cultural signifigance... he'll have to ask around.

Lavish Desires (CW: flooding, obsessive thoughts, emotional outbursts)

Nara'a is always eager to help, and the flooding is no exception. He isn't from a place that floods often - or at all, really - but he's more than capable of helping with hammering things shut or moving things where needed. It's hard work, and some of the water ends up in his mouth, but he's not worried. He just keeps going, working on helping the houses and businesses where needed.

He can't help but wonder if something's going on though because he's... irritable. To the point where he's surprising even himself - he keeps snapping at people that don't mean him any harm. He tries to keep himself away from others as he notices, but even a lone adventurer has to interact with other people sometimes. It's not as if he's being totally unreasonable... right?

Wildcard

[Got another idea? Hit me up at

atrypical, Discord at Matt#6266, my plotting thread, or PM me!]

We Glow So Dim

It would probably be wise to be cautious about changes to the sea. But she's only been here a few days, she can't really tell what is and isn't normal. She's been a squid now, why shouldn't she find the sea compelling?

And if it's a little dangerous, well, so were lots of places Solos tended to fly. THere's even a path, she's ready to explore it.

Barrier Building

This, this is a little more familiar. Helping deal with a natural (or possibly not entirely natural) disaster is definitely Jedi business. And this? THis is basically just an engineering problem.

Her abilities lend themselves more to telekinetic construction of physical barriers. Holding back water with the Force is not a low maintenance option. But big old walls? Yeah, she can make those. "I think we can redirect water down that slope over there."

Lavish Desires

Sooner or later, she stays just a little too long trying to get a barrier built up. It's just water, it's not going to hurt her. Not a few little splashes. Not even if a wave hits her square in the face and leaves her sputtering.

No reason at all to think that it's the reason she gets the notion into her head that what she really needs to fix this problem is wire. If she just collects enough of it she'll be able to make... she's not sure, but she's sure she doesn't have enough yet.

She just needs to find more discarded machinery and salvage it. She'll have enough soon, she's sure.

THE POTION HUT
[Having trouble with the heat? Wish you were feeling a little cooler? Stop in to the POTION HUT! A sign, scribbled in surprisingly neat cursive, advertises the following:]

- POTIONS OF WATER BREATHING & SWIFT SWIM
THREE STRENGTHS: MILD, STANDARD, STRONG
LASTING HOURS
50% OFF

[Should you step inside, you'll find the shop owner working away. Apparently oblivious to new customers. He'll look up, briefly, before going right back to work again. Grinding and boiling up potions and powders. But he'll also gesture to the stack of green vials on the counter.]

[... just please pay something. Hidden behind the stack of vials is Melius' omen. She may be housecat sized, but she's a literal dragon. And fully prepared to defend her temporary hoard if need be.]

UNDER THE SEA
[Weird light in the ocean? Oh he's in. He's totally in. Melius already spends a lot of time on the beach, so when the light appears, it's an easy decision. Just wade in further. Following the light.]

[Maybe you catch him swimming. Or wading. If you're swimming along with him, he'll offer to help. Melius can already breathe underwater, and with the tail, he's a very strong swimmer. Investigating shipwrecks is like second nature, really, so you'll have a good companion! Especially since he can't scream underwater.]

[And if there's anything lurking down there, besides the shipwrecks, at least you're with someone who has sharp teeth and claws. Right?]

(OOC: Want a thread? Shoot me a line! Any of mine are available.)

Threaded | Flat

Murderbot | The Muderbot Diaries

Mercymorn the First | The Locked Tomb