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
schoolingfish: (Listening human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-23 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah...we can do that as soon as I find the treatment!"

Because right now he'd probably have trouble relaxing and having fun when he knows he needs to get out there to find a cure for her bad luck.
imaglyphwitch: (CRASH)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-23 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Right, that fir-"

Luz had already managed to trip, but how about actually drawing a little blood this time?

"Ow, my lip!"
schoolingfish: (Dread)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-23 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uh...yeah. And maybe if I find a cure first, you won't get injured in the pillow fight."

Because in her current state, he doesn't even trust something that's usually relatively safe to go well.

"Come on, the lamp location is right over there."
imaglyphwitch: (He's got the hots!)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-23 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"But you have to get injured a little in a pillow fight, right? That's what makes it fun!"

She says, with the blood running down her nose, which she was quick to wipe off.

"I'm right with you."
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-23 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, but I still think I'll stick with research first. That way all the work stuff will be out of the way. Besides, it'll be more fun if you can fight back without tripping over your own feet!"
imaglyphwitch: (fired up)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-23 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"If we want to do things the safe way," Luz said in a bored voice, which she followed up with a laugh. "I'm just joking. That's actually way safer, and probably a better idea. We'll do that."
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

Do you want to time skip to him coming back with the wooden carving?

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-24 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Great! And here we are!"

[Holding Luz's arm so he doesn't lose her, he reaches out to the lamp location, sending them both back home.]
imaglyphwitch: (fallen again)

Yep, we can do that!

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-24 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Luz is happy to be back home, and apparently so is Owlbert, who's already heralding her arrival with incessant hooting. Even Tempest, who was usually blasé about the return of her companion, knew that Luz coming back in one piece was a good thing and trotted up to her with a few affectionate licks.

Luz sat in a nearby armchair while Luca was out getting the carving, combing through the network for what she needed to do. This apparently was SO intensive that the armchair somehow had a breakage in its base and Luz crashed on the floor].

Right. Bad luck. Almost forgot about that.
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-27 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's at that moment that Luca comes in, carving in one hand and a fully bloomed red rose in the other. He looks over at Luz in her broken armchair, pausing, then deciding he should have figured something like that might happen with her bad luck and decides not to say anything about it.]

So I have everything we need for the ritual. Our blood is going to have to soak into this carving overnight, so we'll have plenty of time for a pillow fight while we're waiting.

...although we might want to make sure to do that far away from where this is soaking. Just in case.
imaglyphwitch: (is this real life)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-27 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Good idea Luca. Besides, Luz is totally fine, and more annoyed it happened than anything].

Always with the blood in this place.

[Luz said this with a pout, but of course she had expected that. She was sure she was going to feel like a pincushion one of these days].

Far away? Why's that?
schoolingfish: (Nervous human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-27 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Um...because I'm pretty sure it'll mess things up if you break the carving while it's soaking. And right now you're kind of more accident prone than usual.

[Sorry Luz, he has no faith in your ability to not break things right now.]
imaglyphwitch: (big pout)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-27 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I-

[Luz opened her mouth, then closed it].

Dang it. Got me there.

[She sighed, then walked over to get a needle].

How much blood did the ritual need?
schoolingfish: (Listening human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-27 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Just a drop from each of us. Then we let it sit overnight, and in the morning we'll burn it with the rose in the doorway, and then you'll have to keep the ashes in a container for the rest of the month to make sure the bad luck stays away.
imaglyphwitch: (Default)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-27 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh, just a drop? We got off lucky there!

Well, you did, anyway.

[It doesn't matter how bad this situation is, Luz isn't going to miss out on her pun].
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-02-28 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm just glad it isn't too complicated. That leaves less room for things to go wrong.

[And with her bad luck, things going wrong is even a bigger concern than usual.]

Want to prick your finger first, then I'll go?

[Since his blood is poison, he figures that's the best way to do it.]
imaglyphwitch: (whatevs)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-02-28 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I agree. There are FAR more complicated rituals I had to do in the last few months, and they usually require way more blood too!

Sure, that's fine.

[Luz pricks herself without even blinking, and get out a medical strip after].
schoolingfish: (Listening human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-03-01 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
All right, my turn.

[He holds his hand out for the needle.]
imaglyphwitch: (Deep in the books)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-03-01 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[Luz repeated the injection with Luca, and WOULD have given him a medical strip too, except she knew he wouldn't need one. In any case, she made sure to drip the blood onto the statue, and after a minute, it mingled with the carving and handed it to Luca].

I think this part is your turn.
schoolingfish: (Listening human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-03-02 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
Yep.

[He then drips his own blood onto the figure.]

And now we wait.

[He goes over and sets it on the windowsill.]

So...pillow fight first, or should we grab a snack?
imaglyphwitch: (EYES)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-03-02 07:36 am (UTC)(link)
Right. You have to probably do something with the carving, right?

[Luz would remember all of this later, that was for sure].

I'm famished. I could totally go for some shellfish right now.
schoolingfish: (Listening human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-03-03 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I will in the morning. Right now it just has to sit.

[He heads toward the kitchen.]

Come on, I know we have seafood.

[He caught some of it himself. He goes and gets out some shellfish for them as well as grabbing a thermos he'd filled with fish blood for himself.]
imaglyphwitch: (squinty eyed)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-03-03 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, good! So we're at least halfway done!

Nice, thanks!

So, I hear that you're learning about magic from Paimon?
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-03-06 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah! I can't really do any yet but...it's really fun to learn! And it helps for when I need to do rituals!
Edited 2023-03-06 14:55 (UTC)
imaglyphwitch: (hmm. I'm definitely listening)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch 2023-03-06 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Right, of course. Doing rituals at this point is kind of becoming old hat, but that's just for me.

I was kind of thinking of joining you though. I haven't had a teacher in some time, and any advancing with my glyphs that I usually make is through experimentation. It'd be nice to have a better point of guidance.
schoolingfish: (Friendly human)

[personal profile] schoolingfish 2023-03-07 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
That'll be fun! And he'll be able to teach you more advanced stuff than me, probably, because you already know the basics.

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-08 18:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-10 19:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-10 20:45 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-13 18:57 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-13 19:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-14 12:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-14 13:02 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-15 12:13 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-15 19:50 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-16 12:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-16 17:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-17 16:00 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-17 18:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-20 22:42 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-21 05:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-23 01:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-23 06:18 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-24 15:23 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-24 23:44 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] schoolingfish - 2023-03-28 12:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] imaglyphwitch - 2023-03-28 18:14 (UTC) - Expand