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
knowsvinewhip: (It can't be helped!)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-02-20 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
Haha, well. Unfortunately, I have no way to agree or disagree with that.

[Listen, his world is some kind of weird time/technological mish-mash of eras. They have credit cards, jeeps, bio-engineering, but most towns are villages stuck in the hundred years or so past.]

This city seems familiar, though, in terms of what one can expect to see here, so perhaps you're correct.

[And hey, if he's offended? It sure doesn't show.]
miyagimagic: (114)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-02-21 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ See, they're nailing this. No offense. No awkward topics.

It's clearly going great.

Daniel doesn't want to linger on this for too long, since he's not exactly eager for either of them to get shocked here, so he turns to his Omni to look through the list of questions again.. Specifically looking for one that could not be awkward. He can see some in here that have major awkward potential, but-- ]


Hmm, this one asks what your favourite TV show is.. Do they have TVs where you come from?

[ Since this is now also up for debate, after what Hakkai said just now.. ]

If they don't, you could talk about a book you like, I guess.
knowsvinewhip: (Like a prisoner)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-02-22 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
Hm. Not that I recall. Not to say they don't exist, but we don't have them readily accessible, no.

[Then again, given the Saiyuki canon, there could be all kinds of TVs. We literally don't know.]

[But the book question is a good one.]


Ah, I prefer longer novels. Fiction ones, if possible. I haven't had much time to read, as of late, here or back home, but I do enjoy reading them quite a bit.
miyagimagic: (014)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-02-23 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I wonder why you haven't had much time.

[ Judging by the faint amusement Daniel says it with, it's not a real question. He isn't talking about back home, since he's definitely avoiding that part for Hakkai's sake.

No, it's much more a joke about the fact that Hakkai is apparently way too busy offering his lifelong services to people who buy him an apple once... A gentle joke, though. ]


You haven't thought about picking up some books here? There's at least some time where we aren't busy getting chased by monsters.
knowsvinewhip: (You wanna feel how it feels?)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-02-24 07:00 am (UTC)(link)
Driving from China to India and navigating assassination attempts is very difficult on your leisure time.

[And he just. Says that. With a straight face. Is that a joke? Is he joking?]

[Well, no, he isn't. But it's hard to tell from just that statement.]


I haven't, actually. I've rather fallen out of the habit of my own hobbies, I fear.
miyagimagic: (025)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-02-25 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ See, Daniel thinks Hakkai isn't joking.

Not that he can be sure about that, given.. well, Hakkai's everything, and the way he tends to say these things, but he's pretty sure going just by context clues and what he knows that the other is serious.

But, again - trying to not dig into that here. It's why he doesn't comment on it either way, instead focusing on the latter half. ]


Then we should get you going again!

[ Listen to the energy in this man's voice. ]

You should pick up a book sometime soon, even if it's just one. Or I could come with you to a shop to look at them. [ It's not like Daniel really minds reading either, and it might be a good time to wind down at night anyway.. Though honestly, he's mostly saying it to make sure Hakkai actually does it. ]
knowsvinewhip: (Hit that button there)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-02-26 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
Haha, I suppose I should, shouldn't I?

[It would be nice. Having time to just... read again. When he hadn't since things settled down in the shabby little house outside the village. When there were nights he'd clear through whole volumes before the door opened to the smell of cigarette smoke.]

[... maybe that was why he hadn't picked up the hobby again. Remembering too many quiet evenings that could no longer be.]


Are there many book shops? I admit I haven't looked terribly hard...

[BUT LIKE USUAL WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THOSE THOUGHTS, ARE WE.]
miyagimagic: (030)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-02-27 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure, there are. I haven't been inside many of them, but I've seen them in passing. [ Granted, Daniel isn't.. too sure what sort of books they have there.. Considering what Trench is like, pretty much anything is possible.

But it's worth a try. ]


Let's hit one up sometime soon. [ You know.

When they aren't stuck here.

Daniel doesn't think too hard about that part for now though, just smiling. ]


I'm sure we'll find at least something there that interests you.
Edited 2023-02-27 18:21 (UTC)
knowsvinewhip: (Getting ready to talk)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-02-28 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
Oh? You'd want to accompany me?

[That's a bit of a surprise. He'd assumed he'd be heading off on his own to check it out. Which he doesn't mind. Not in the least. Daniel always just seemed... busy. To say the least.]

I didn't think you had time for such errands.
miyagimagic: (124)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-01 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Without waiting even a moment: ]

Of course I have time!

[ .. granted, it's not like Hakkai's impression is really wrong. It's mostly because Daniel spends so much time fussing over all the kids and looking after them.. It truly tends to fill up his schedule to a point where it's rather convenient whenever Hakkai makes dinner..

But-- ]


You say that like I wouldn't make time for a good friend. [ Sorry, Hakkai.

The sap. It's happening.

Daniel says it so naturally too, like he doesn't even need to think about these things. It just rolls off his tongue as naturally as he feels it. ]
knowsvinewhip: (while he's having a smoke)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-02 06:20 am (UTC)(link)
Are you certain that time wouldn't be better used in training substitutes?

[That's - not even one of his Pointed Questions. It's just a genuinely curious one. Since Daniel had been so insistent that things needed doing around the Dojo while he was so ill.]

[And now he has time to go running around looking at bookshops?]


I - couldn't take up too much of your free time.

[I am not a good man.]
miyagimagic: (025)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-05 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I insist.

[ Sorry, Hakkai.

You're not the only one who can be stubborn. Even if Daniel's smile is much less one that could kill, and more one that just refuses to give way in the sort of sense that seems more weirdly fond. ]


Besides, Chozen is around now, which solves my problem from before. [ Daniel says it like it's natural, but then he pauses, seeming to think.. And realising that, ah, yes, it's not like he's really told people in this place about Chozen before..

One of the downsides of rarely talking about himself or his past, huh. ]


He also knows a lot about Miyagi-do. Even more than I do. He's an old.. [ P-Pause.. a pause that Daniel is trying to play off, but Hakkai is most likely more than perceptive enough to notice. ] .. friend of mine.

[ That's some wording he truly had to think about, apparently. ]

Did you meet him yet?
knowsvinewhip: (Tab A into slot B?)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-06 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
A friend of yours?

[A pleasant enough question. But it's from Hakkai, so uh. Might not be that innocent. Especially considering the situation. Though, this time, it really is just curiosity. He knows very little about Daniel's friends, after all.]

[... and unfortunately, Daniel knows more about his than Hakkai would prefer.]


I haven't yet, no. Has he taken over some of your teaching?

[That would be a relief. Not that he was worried or anything!]
miyagimagic: (043)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-07 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Daniel nods. ]

He's helping me teach at the dojo. [ It'd be a waste to not let Chozen teach, after all. The other has been a teacher for longer than Daniel himself has, and even now he sometimes still feels a little clumsy when he's going at it.

It's nice to have someone to rely on like this. ]


Miyagi-do karate is just as much his thing as it is mine. Both of our teachers were taught that style of karate by the same man.
knowsvinewhip: (The function suite was full)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-08 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
That's excellent.

[Shockingly, Hakkai's smile this time is real. It creases his eyebrows, reaching all the way across his face. That is, apparently, how you know.]

Now you'll have someone to rely on, should you need to rest. [And less of an excuse not to rest, sir.]

I'll have to meet him sometime. Surely we'll cross paths, being in the same place so often.
miyagimagic: (046)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-10 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Someone to rely on, huh. Maybe in more than just when it comes to making sure the dojo is always running, though there's Complicated feelings there as well, given what might have happened to Chozen back home because of him.

Not that Daniel mentions any of it - stress in, never stress out - but instead he lets out a huff of a near-laugh, and then smiles back at Hakkai. ]


Sometimes you seem a little overinvested in whether I get rest or not.

[ It doesn't sound like he's scolding the other or anything, honestly. It doesn't even sound like he really minds - if anything, it sounds like he's just semi-playfully pointing it out. ]
knowsvinewhip: (Snap the branches off me)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-11 07:23 am (UTC)(link)
Considering you were concerned enough over the state of your students to continue working even with food poisoning...

[You were half dead on your feet Daniel.]

[This is pretty hypocritical of Hakkai, who routinely almost kills himself healing people, but uh. We won't get into that. No one here actually knows that yet.]


I don't think 'over'-invested is terribly correct.
miyagimagic: (011)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-12 12:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Daniel's jaw drops, looking like he's right in the middle of feeling surprised and feeling offended. ]

That was-- I was just worried about them!

[ That's not really a defense against what he's claiming here though, Daniel, now is it.. ]

It's different when it comes to my students. [ C-Clearly? Apparently?

This all makes sense in the man's head, hence why the chair is not shocking him. It's just true to Daniel himself. ]


They mean the world to me.
Edited 2023-03-12 12:50 (UTC)
knowsvinewhip: (How did it end up like this)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-12 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I do understand that... but it was more concerning that asking for assistance didn't occur to you.

[He'll just fold his hands on the table. You know, for want of something to do with them. It's not like he has any room to talk.]

[But neither of them need to discuss that right now.]


It's very admirable that you're so willing to do whatever you can for them. But don't you also think they would rather see you healthy and well?
miyagimagic: (004)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-13 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Boy, does he ever look conflicted at that last question. He could at least explain why he didn't think of finding assistance, since he does have a logical reason for it in this case, but it's definitely that last question that stumps the man. ]

I mean..

[ His voice trails off, and the chair - sensing he was about to either lie or dodge the question - just decides to shock him, making the man wince.

And realise there's no option here but to speak his true feelings, as much as he always hates doing that. ]


They wouldn't have to know. [ It feels a little shameful, admitting to being willing to lie to his students like that, but-- it's a lie for the better. To keep them from worrying. ]
knowsvinewhip: (So take this night)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-14 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
I wouldn't be so sure.

[Finally, Hakkai's tone has gentled. Chiding, rather than the fake pleasantries hiding barbs. That's ... an improvement, probably.]

Those closest to us often read between the lines better than any of us think.

[Spoken from experience, here. Which... may go over a bit better if that isn't just an internal monologue.]
miyagimagic: (064)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-15 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ .. yeah.

Daniel has a faint idea where that's coming from. Maybe it's the change in Hakkai's tone that gives it away, or maybe it's some of the other's memories Daniel has seen by now. It's not like he's entirely sure the other is refering to a specific person, but.. if Hakkai was, Daniel wouldn't be surprised.

Even though the experience he personally is speaking of is a very different one. One he seems to think about for a moment, but then he slowly asks: ]


You don't have kids, right, Hakkai?

[ It doesn't sound accusatory. More just like Daniel is asking to make sure he's right about that one before he says anything else here.

(Also, babysitting your friends doesn't count as having kids, okay.

.. probably. Maybe.) ]
knowsvinewhip: (Now I'm falling asleep)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-16 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Hakkai... is silent. Looking down at his hands on the table. When he eventually answers, it's frank, and simple.]

I don't, no.

[That... likely isn't ever in his future, either. Not with the way things are going. Not with everything else. And, despite his conversation on the bridge, despite his declarations, he isn't sure he's the kind of man who should be responsible for a child.]

[That would be cruel to them.]
miyagimagic: (078)

[personal profile] miyagimagic 2023-03-17 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
It's..

[ For a very brief moment Daniel pauses, just letting his voice trail off like that. It's mostly because he wants to be cautious about his wording here, not wanting to say anything that could be insensitive towards Hakkai.

Especially after the other answered so honestly. ]


I think you see it in a different light once you're a parent. [ That's what it felt like for him, anyway. Granted, he never taught kids before he had any of his own, but still.. ] I have two kids back home, and being their father made me realise that.. adults are supposed to protect them. I want to make life as easily as possible. For them-- but also for the kids I'm helping out here.

[ And piling his own problems on their shoulders is the exact opposite of doing that, he feels. ]
knowsvinewhip: (I know I'm not forgiven)

[personal profile] knowsvinewhip 2023-03-18 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
[He remains quiet. In some respects, he can understand the sentiment. Understand not wanting to place your problems on the shoulders of another. To keep them from taking on too much of your own. But somehow... they always did anyway.]

[People crept in, sunk into the cracks in your armor you never knew existed. And they stayed there.]


I can't speak to my own experience. [He says, finally, his eyes on the table.] Parents were never something I was afforded.

[Just going to drop that nugget of information right there. And move on.]

However... I have found that the more we keep things buried, the more likely it becomes those close to us will notice. Children are no exception to that.

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