and my heart went 'boom!'

[reddosmod]

FEBRUARY 2023 EVENT

Due to the cyclical nature of Trench, prompts from the PREVIOUS FEBRUARY are available for use again. Please note when you are using this years prompts vs last years prompts when plotting or writing top-levels to avoid confusion.

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: A broken mirror with a woman looking into it, pressing her fingers against the glass. ]
[Image Two: A rose lit up like embers. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Neon hearts glowing on a wall. ]
[Image Two: A pocket watch on top of a book page. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A young woman with dark hair standing in the snow with red flowers. ]
[Image Two: Footprints in the snow. ]

[NAVIGATION]

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

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

BAD LUCK OF THE EARLY WORM

WHEN: February
WHERE: All around the city
CONTENT WARNINGS: Curses, violence, danger, misfortune

---

Everyone has their own streak of bad times. There are some days or weeks whre it feels like nothing is going right. Most people would try and tell say that it's just the tendency to focus on the negative. That it can be relieved by writing down all the good things that happen in our lives, because we have a tendency to only ever focus on the bad. And maybe most of the time, people are right! Maybe the idea of luck really is just perspective.

But not in Trench. Not this month.

No matter what way it's looked at, bad luck seems to be clinging to some people. It might start out small, with simple things like knocking over a favorite drink or snack, or ruining a project that had hours invested into it. Then it might become bigger. A person might start to trip over things and injuring themselves, they might get lost in a blizzard and nearly freeze before finding their way home or to someone they know. Eventually, it could even become undeniably dangerous. The person impacted by bad luck could start to notice corruption levels rising quickly, they could start to turn into a beast at random, they could start to attract violent beasts to them and put themselves or others at risk with heavy battles. The possibilities seem to be endless and none of them are good. Did someone break a mirror? Or twenty?

It will be easy to see that this isn't just impacting one person. Sleepers and Trenchies alike seem to be being plagued by streaks of bad luck across the board. Luckily, the locals seem to know what to do about it. Bad luck pops up from time to time, and of course there would be a ritual to help cleanse it.

Small vendors will start to pop up through the city selling wooden carvings that they promise will absorb all the bad luck that's been going around and dispell it with a simple ritual. A drop of blood from the person impacted and a drop of blood from someone they are close should be placed upon the carving. The blood types of the persons involved should not match (i.e. Coldblood/Coldblood would not work, but Coldblood/Warmblood would). It must be left to soak into the wood overnight, leaving behind deep red stains. The carving must then be placed with a fully bloomed rose and burned in the entrance doorway to the home of the inflicted. The ashes should then be placed into a container and kept somewhere in the home for the duration of February, to make sure that the bad luck stays away.

It seems like it really works! The tricky part is making sure that the bad luck following doesn't get in the way of the ritual while the blood is soaking over night. It may be best for both parties involved to hunker down together until morning, just in case. Time to break out the small talk. Or the deep, meaningful conversations that can sometimes happen in the middle of the night.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU

WHEN: February
WHERE: A magic room in the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Reference to mild shocks. Forced honesty. Embarrassment. Lots and lots of embarrassment.

---

Honestly, after being in Trench for so long, people should be used to not ending up in the destination they initially intended for. This month, it seems like the city is trying to encourage people to social, to form new bonds, whether they're romantic, platonic, familial, or any other option one could think of. The bright idea this month for that sort of thing?

Speed dating.

It's not traditional speed dating, necessarily. No one is here to exclusively seek romantic partners, although there are certainly options for it. And it's not something people are signing up for out of their own free will. Instead, people seem to simply show up at the event, with no real recollection of how they got there. Maybe they just woke up on one of the comfy couches and found a "Hi, my name is..." sticker slapped on them. Or maybe they were wandering in the snow and got lost, ending up finding shelter in this strange place, and are now forced to participate until the blizzard passes. All in all, it's harmless fun, isn't it? Who doesn't need a few new friends.

Each person will have a small information blurb given about them that can't be seen by the naked eye, but will appear as soon as someone looks at the other party through their omni. What the blurb says is unique to each person, but it might become clear pretty quickly that they didn't write it themselves... Deerington survivors may find themselves having flashbacks to the days of DeerlyBeloved.

Pairings are completely random. People will be given a series of random questions they can ask one another or they can always feel free to make up their own. Anyone who tries to lie or avoid answering a question might feel a small shock from the chair they're sitting in, one that gets stronger with every lie they tell. The after effects of the shock seem to encourage the need to answer the question with full transparency. It's important to tell the truth when getting to know someone, after all.

After five minutes, both parties can either press a button beside their chair to continue talking to the person they're paired with, or they can move on to the next pairing. Both parties have to press the button in order to stay where they are.

Have fun and remember to always be honest!

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

LONELY HEARTS CLUB

WHEN: February
WHERE: Trenchwood and throughout the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, abuse of power, jealousy, possession, supernatural events, possible death from elemental exposure

---

There's a tale that comes up around this time of year, one that seems to be an old favorite in Trench. Long ago, in the heart of a blizzard, a young woman was found wandering in Trenchwood. She wore only thin fabrics to keep herself warm and had no shoes. Her skin felt cold as ice. The Hunters who found her quickly brought her into town, giving her shelter in a local in to try and get her warm. She stayed for many nights and it didn't take long for the inn keeper to fall in love with her. But she did not seem to return to his feelings and so he was heartbroken and jealous of all the other men who gave her attention. He demanded she offer him something in trade for her stay and when she could offer nothing, he threw her back out into the snow. The woman went back to the woods and some could hear her howling in anguish, carried through on the strong winds of the blizzard. The Hunters tried to find her, following her cries, but they were unable to, and had to return home before they too might freeze to death. The innkeeper was shunned from the town and forced to leave the city for his cruelty, but nothing stopped the howls of the snow woman.

Throughout the month of February, people will start to hear that the sound of the wind blowing strongly through the streets is starting to sound a little more human-like. The woman's cries will be heard in empty alleys, will be loudest near the edge of the woods, and can even penetrate into dreams. The cries might sometimes sound like cries for help, begging for someone to help save her from the cold. There will be a compulsion that sets deep into the bones of some and many will find it hard to resist her call. Eventually, they may even go looking for her in the woods, trying to brave the winter storms to help the lost snow woman.

Those who give in to that temptation will eventually find the snow woman, but she will not be friendly when found. Her skin has turned a pale white, her lips blue, her eyes glowing a bright red, her long hair blowing every which way in the wind. She will rush at whoever she sees, but instead of giving a physical blow to guard against, she will go through any solid objects and latch on to the soul of her target, possessing their bodies. Male or female, it doesn't seem to matter, she simply wants a chance at life again.

Those who are possessed by the snow woman will not realize they are possessed. They will forget why it was they came out into the woods looking for and will return to the city in a daze. As time passes, they will find that they become irritated by any signs of affection, will become physically aggressive towards couples they see around them, and will attack those who care about them most. The spirit does not necessarily hate love: instead, they see affection as a possible risk for all those who love others. Jealousy kills and she wants to save everyone around her from it, as well as keeping herself safe from losing this new chance at life.

Signs of possession outside of the aggression can be noticed by others. The possessed person will have: ice cold skin, blue-tinged lips, they might shiver even when inside where it's warm, and an aversion to fire or warm/hot water.

Information on how to banish the snow woman from another's body can be found in a book of local legends. This book is sold in stores or can be found in the Archives. To save someone from the snow woman, people must tell the possessed person the things they love most about them. It will cause the possessed person to react violently, so it is suggested that they be restrained during the process. The longer they are forced to hear the positive messages about love, the feelings that they can stir up in another (whether platonic or romantic), and the safety that can be found in that love, the more weakened the hold from the snow woman will be. When the possessed person eventually stops struggling, a cut must be made on the back of their neck, before a cloth soaked in warm rose water must be placed on top of the wound. Their skin will begin to steam before a large gust of snow will pour from their mouth, swirling around the room, and smash through the window. It's suggested to leave it open if you'd like to save the glass.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

[slightlytaller]

[He was being thoroughly fucked with.

Waver Velvet, dressed in comfortable hiking clothes that seemed more appropriate for someone working themselves up for a field expedition, all but radiated similar levels of annoyance. The name tag on his chest read Lord El Melloi II in bold letters, and all Waver could do was thank whatever gods had chosen to be merciful that the nametag at least included the 'II' at the end of it. Underneath the title was an additional clarifier: Waver Mackenzie Velvet that only had him rolling his eyes even further. Asriel would find a profile being shared as Waver scooped up his little black cat and sat down in the nearest chair.

Like her human, the cat was dressed for an outing and wearing a little gray cloak that had an additional note pinned to the hood: My name is Gray. I'm Not Actually His Apprentice.

...With all this, all Waver could do is look at Asriel, look at the arrangements, and heave a long suffering sigh.]

Someone has clearly set us up for a joke, and I'm not feeling like being a punchline today.

[anbaric]

Clearly.

[ he says it with such a growl of a tone it might've come from the snow leopard in the room. he dislikes this, and he dislikes being made to feel foolish with particular intensity.

still, he doesn't blame the other victim of the nonsense and resigns himself to the idea that they will be here until they've satisfied some arbitrary criteria. at least you're not holding hands, stelmaria helpfully provides. ]

Is that your daemon? Or simply an Omen?

[ and for once, it's not someone with a horrible bug. ]

[slightlytaller]

... I'm sure I don't know what you mean by 'daemon'.

[He said, settling down in his seat as well. The word had multiple definitions in his mind-- both for the infernal entity and for a divinity between humanity and the gods. Regardless of what it was, he furrowed his brows in thought.

The way he spoke ill fit his face at the moment. He looked like he was all of his early twenties, but his tone suggested leagues more knowledge and experience. Perhaps that's the way he always spoke? Regardless-- he didn't comport himself like a twenty-two year old. ]

Gray is my Omen, [He answered, willing to play along with this mostly harmless information for the moment.]

But, I suppose the Patrons do have some humor. At one point, while I was still in London, I had my soul bound to the soul of a stray cat that made the mistake of hanging around my apartment. The situation is... Resolved, but the cat looked quite a bit like this one. Not only that, but you can probably guess that I have someone named Gray as my Apprentice.

[He shrugged. He had no shame about this information, and he had spoken about it fairly openly to people he was close to. ]

... What do you mean by 'Daemon'?

[anbaric]

Your London is clearly a more magical place than mine, but I suppose that's to be expected when there are countless worlds out there.

[ it helps that waver recounts the brief anecdote because it resolves a question asriel always has to consider when he explains these things. not every world defines the soul in the same way, after all. ]

In my world, all humans are born with a daemon, which is analogous to what you call a soul. Stelmaria and I were together before we came to be in this world, but it seems that the addition of blood magic has also given her the properties of an Omen.

It's quite fascinating, really. This was the focus of my research at one point.

[slightlytaller]

Maybe, but there's an order of Mystery in place. I'll need to kill you, and then myself, if I go into too much detail.

[It was impossible to tell whether or not he was actually joking, but it didn't matter. Asriel had brought up a fascinating topic. ]

Although, I'm glad my London isn't one where our souls walk next to us. That sounds like an incredibly dangerous safety hazard.

[anbaric]

Does the Magisterium exist in your world?

[ he seems to have taken it seriously enough, but he hardly seems threatened. he looks amused, if anything. ]

I'm a heretic, you know. Where I come from, I could get people in awful trouble just by talking to them.

[ he's definitely proud of this. ]

It's simply another facet of society. One I did not appreciate until I came to live in a place without daemons. If you lived in my world, we would be having a conversation, but so would our daemons. What form a person's daemon takes says a lot about them as well. Here? It's like everyone is always hiding half of themselves.

[slightlytaller]

If it's called the Mages' Association and looks poorly on people who don't have any notable bloodline, then perhaps.

[Waver tilted his head at Asriel, as if measuring the man for all that he was worth. 'Heretic' wasn't so different from being the 'Worst Kind of Mage', he supposed-- and shrugged.]

I suppose we're not so different on that front, although the young people tend to like me quite a bit more than their elders do.

[Which was fine by him. He didn't like their elders, either.]

The biggest difference is probably the mystery. Mages keep their friends close, enemies closer, and their secrets shared with no one but their chosen successor. Hiding is a way of life... And it's probably more intense among the circles I walk in. The world at large doesn't even know we exist-- by design, and both in the Church and the Association take great pains to keep it that way.

[He scratched his cat on the head while he spoke however, unashamed about having this part of his sense of self on display. ]

I would say that this world is quite a bit more open than others simply because we have the Omens. Everyone can guess a few details about another because we have them around.

[anbaric]

Well, it's something to that effect. The Magisterium is simply another name for the Church, and within it are a variety of committees and organisations. They may not call it the Mystery, but someone has to handle all the unsanctioned artefacts and do the forbidden experiments. In that case, sometimes, not having the right pedigree is advantageous.

[ asriel smiles at this, but in a way that manages to seem a little sad before he thinks to do anything about it. he's veering a little too close to those private things he won't look at, when he should be sticking to the facts that are clear and impersonal and most importantly distracting. ]

It's a thin imitation. [ sigh. ] But that is the complaint of anyone living outside their homeland, I think. You're pleased when people speak your language, but you can tell who grew up where you did and who only took a class.

[slightlytaller]

[Oh, he knew that song and dance, all right. There was a reason the higher ranks within the Mages' Association often called on Waver to do the work that he did.

If something happened, he was their fall-guy.]

I bet that lack of pedigree doesn't set you up for ongoing difficulties in your craft, [he muttered sourly, before shaking his head. His own lack halfway decent magic circuits were a constant challenge for him. While he had adapted, some feats were still tantamount to being impossible for him to accomplish.]

I do understand that to a degree. The blood magic here is fundamentally different from the magecraft that I know. While the effects can look similar, the inner workings and equations are fundamentally different.

This isn't impossible to work with, but it does mean that I often butt heads with the academics in Gaze. I find that working with other Sleepers is simpler in many ways, even if many of us come from Earths that can be jarringly dissimilar.

[anbaric]

That depends. It wasn't my burden to bear, but I admire a person's ability to play a bad hand in their favour. I imagine it never gets easier if the status quo remains the same.

[ asriel is well aware of the privilege he enjoyed, but he's also trying to do something about the rest, so he imagines that evens out somewhere. ]

If you didn't butt heads with the scholars, I would be surprised. It's in their nature to sit around and have opinions, isn't it?

[ he speaks as someone who has struggled with the rigidity of academia his entire life, and so asriel wholly sympathises. ]

Blood magic has its similarities to concepts in my world as well, which I am in the process of studying. Or, I would be, if I were not forced into this now.

[slightlytaller]

There's no reason why you can't take what you've already learned and see if it applies here as well.

[A shrug. It was what Waver had been doing since he arrived last Spring, and so far it had been helpful in finding his footing within Trench. Even divorced from local academia, it was impossible to fully take the tools and resourced away from a skilled researcher.]

In my experience, blood is a fairly common conduit for the energies that we need. It's not unusual for even children to be taught to sacrifice small animals for the sake of the Work.

[anbaric]

Oh, I do. Believe me; I have observed, even from casual observations, quite a lot that resembles what I know about the action of Dust. It's a good starting place, in any case.

[ but if pthumerians keep interrupting his work, he'll never get anywhere. ]

That makes sense, at least to me, as an outsider unfamiliar with your world. Blood connects every part of the body. It is the most vital part of a person, so I would expect it to be potent, especially in a world where your daemons are invisible and internal.