reddosmod: (Default)
Deer Country Mod ([personal profile] reddosmod) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2023-02-08 06:25 pm

and my heart went 'boom!'

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. ]

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.

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!

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.

CODING
topside_cupcake: (Not bad)

[personal profile] topside_cupcake 2023-02-16 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Saw Vi again, still not really sure where we stand though. I can't seem to get a read on her, but she doesn't seem like she's quite ready to talk about it."

About them, and about what they were going to do especially since with Jinx there. It was clear that her sister wouldn't approve of the two of them. But at the same time Caitlyn had enjoyed a few other conversation, but just as that conversations and getting to know someone knew, she didn't really have any romantic interest in any of them so far.

"There have been a few interesting characters so far. But no one that I would write home about yet. Or even really bring up if not asked about it."
mehanizovati: (29)

[personal profile] mehanizovati 2023-02-17 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah, I assume everything surrounding Jinx has something to do with that." Sympathetic. Talk about a messy situation, huh. "Trying to keep the peace. I don't know the whole story but from what I gather it is eh... complicated."

Understatement.

"Unfortunate. I find sleepers as a whole to be a wildly varied bunch, but at least rarely boring," he muses.
topside_cupcake: (Next to you)

[personal profile] topside_cupcake 2023-02-22 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
"It complicates everything. I'm just not sure how to make it work, and Vi, she's not the most willing to listen or talk about this kind of thing."

She'd crack jokes, and then suddenly something would come up or there'd be an interruption and the topic just never got brought up again. And it was frustrating, not having a clear answer, to be left guessing and wondering. Especially with a clear cut answer just a decision away.

"That is true, I haven't met a boring person yet."
mehanizovati: (81)

[personal profile] mehanizovati 2023-02-22 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
"She keeps things close to the chest, as they say," Viktor agrees. Frankly the Zaun way, if he's honest. "I'm not sure there is a good answer. Not until you and Jinx can make peace- and Vi and Jinx fully, for that matter."

From what he gathers they have maybe, just maybe, a lot going on.

"How have you been settling in otherwise?"
topside_cupcake: (Caught in the rain)

[personal profile] topside_cupcake 2023-03-01 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Then I'm not sure that there will ever be a good answer. How do you make peace with someone like that, with someone who just want sto destroy everything?"

With someone who took away you entire world, in a number of different ways. Someone who looked down on you, and who had humiliated you several times over. Constantly managing to catch you off-guard.

"I've been doing alright. I've made a few friends, a few other hunters that I've gone on patrols with. And I've gotten several recommendations about places to pick up clothes and other materials from."
mehanizovati: (Default)

[personal profile] mehanizovati 2023-03-06 10:32 am (UTC)(link)
"In increments, I imagine. From what I have seen you are less the one who needs to make peace than it is Jinx needing to make peace with herself."

Which complicates matters, doesn't it? Especially when he's talking to the woman he's almost entirely certain lost her mother and close friend to Jinx in their world.

"Ah, who have you met? And I'm glad to hear it. Would you like me to work on a weapon for you? I don't particularly enjoy doing it, I admit, but given the circumstances a rifle to handle beasts is rather understandable." A Hextech one, of course. Or bloodstone tech.
topside_cupcake: (Determined)

[personal profile] topside_cupcake 2023-03-06 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm not entirely certain that's possible. She's beyond being able to help at this point, she's too dangerous for anyone other than Vi to even try."

Caitlyn had seen up close and personal just how unhinged and deranged Jinx was. It wasn't just a theory from stories and accidental entanglement. Know she'd been taken by Jinx and seen her as that dinner or horror played out. Honestly she was still surprised that Jinx hand't killed her. But she wanted to make Vi choose, and it was likely going to be the same here.

"There was a younger girl by the name of chizuru who helped to show me around a little, and Saeri who helped when the heel of my boot came undone expectedly."

Granted they had been her only footware at the time and she'd been running them pretty hard, so it was easy to see why.

"A rifle would be handy, but I don't want you to have to make something you don't want. I know that you both never intended for your inventions to be used like that."
mehanizovati: (21)

[personal profile] mehanizovati 2023-03-09 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
That's a grim view, one he can't fault her for. "I very much hope Vi can. With the added complication of corruption... matters could get quite messy for everyone." Yes, he worries about Jinx bombing the city sometimes. All things considered he believes that's a fair concern.

"Ah, Chizuru." There's a name he knows, that makes his lips quirk. "A remarkably kind young woman. I'm glad you've had the chance to meet her."

As for rifles though- "I know. I was more concerned with Hextech being made a weapon of war, which seems inevitable now." Pushing that unpleasantness aside though. "I've worked on Vi's gauntlets, because I prefer she be safe and I believe she will not be needlessly violent. I feel the same way about you so please, it would be my pleasure. Besides, Jayce would never forgive me if you were harmed against a beast when I could have helped with a weapon to protect you."
topside_cupcake: (Rookie duty)

[personal profile] topside_cupcake 2023-03-15 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
"I understand, that's why I can't. If I did, I can't promise I wouldn't just make it worse. For both of us."

Caitlyn had already seen a few of the signs and the indicators of the stress and effect that corruption had, and seen the rather late stages in one or two others that she had come across. It was why she wanted to focus more on the better aspects of what she had found, and what she could to help others in this place for now.

"She was, very oolite and helpful. Though she seemed a bit nervous once I told her my name, almost like she was from Piltover or at least familiar with it."

"Jayce would likely blame himself before he ever would you, but I understand. Thank you, and I promise I will do my best to ensure that it does only good."