deercountry | and my heart went 'boom!'

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. ]

[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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Michael grimaces and rolls his shoulders, obviously uncomfortable. Because - well, yeah, of course he's hugged people. Peter's probably seen him do that, or at least been on the receiving end of some casual shoulder touching. He's pretty touchy with people he likes!

But - ugh.]

No! That's - no. I'm...I'm above all that shit.

[The thought of it just makes his skin crawl. Makes him weirdly nervous.]

( Peter's definitely seen Michael's Affectionate Gestures before, and as he presses just a little to see if the other guy will remember too, the reaction is telling. Almost like maybe he's having to convince himself just a little. )

I don't know, you never... made me feel like that. Like you were above it? You seem to like being around people. Get lonely on your own.

( Peter isn't stupid enough to take a step closer just yet, but he doesn't back away, either. )

People like being around you, too. You're like... Town Uncle. ( He can't help giving a little laugh at that. ) I like being around you.

[If anything, Michael only looks more uncomfortable and irritated about that. On another day he'd have been touched, but as things are...the fact that he feels soft about that alone seems like a threat.]

Yeah? Well - [He blusters for a second.] That's stupid, fuck you!

( Peter's usually extremely bad at talking about Feelings, but... this is Michael. One of the people he's known the longest, from one fucked-up place on into another. He's going to try harder for him, he has to — and when that reaction comes, Peter's still not going to run away.

Instead, he braces himself a little and lifts his brows. Right to the point, then. Fuck it, he can do this. )

Dude, there's a fricking ghost in you.

[snort]

You're one to talk.

( Peter gives a little sputter — wow, let's not get personal here!!! )

No, look— You went out into the woods, right? To help someone. She got inside you, she did it to me too.

Can you feel her? You can, right? Cold as fuck.

[Michael shivers again, like just the reminder is bringing the cold back. Which is weird when you think about it, but - ]

I don't remember doing that.

I didn't either, not at first, but— ( Fuck, he's bad at this. Wanting to avoid the exorcism process if he can is still the driving force, but... this is definitely going about things in a very different way.

Maybe, go harder. And so Peter's addressing the woman instead, kind of trying to lean into Michael's line of vision with intention, like he's searching for something else. He has no idea if this will even do anything. )

Listen, I know you're— you're lost, but you need to leave my friend alone. Okay? Please.

[Leaning in as well, Michael whispers:]

This is really weird.

( Damnit—! This fucking ghost, man.

Peter gives a sigh, running a hand up over his face. He needs help, probably. Luna or Ange or— any of his far more capable friends! But Michael's already irate about Luna, and Ange's probably dealing with the usual abundance of things Ange has to deal with....

....Maybe he really should consider trying to lure Michael somewhere and keep him there so he can be exorcised by someone whenever they're free... He can probably do that much, right? He... can't just leave him like this.

And so, Peter says lamely, )

....I'm sorry, man. Just forget everything I was saying. I'm just kind of tired.

( ..... )

I'm glad I bumped into you though, because I was gonna ask you over for dinner.

[Normally Michael might have followed up on a statement like that, but instead he just looks askance for a moment. Fine, he's tired? Whatever. As to dinner...well, the idea of being with people isn't too appealing, but at least Peter's been keeping his distance.]

....how come?

( Peter is not very quick on his feet, and slowly realising, in the process of talking, that appealing to Michael with a friendly dinner obviously won't work, because Michael does not want to be friendly at the moment. )

Oh, well... because I needed some help with some things. Luna's not there tonight— ( A lie, but Michael doesn't want to see Luna, so! Peter's slowly forming a Plan! ) —so I was wondering if I could maybe like pay you to help me carry some stuff back. Groceries? And then if you wanna eat after, it'd be cool or whatever.

( A nonchalant shrug, like it's all very nonchalant. )

[A weird offer! Michael scowls a little. What is he, hired help? But on the other hand - that feels, in a satisfying way, like quite the step back from the actual affection of earlier. Maybe he should lean into it a little, just so Peter doesn't get all sappy again.]

Fine, whatever. As long as it doesn't take too long. I've got shit to do!

[he does not]

( Peter is absolutely pulling things out of his ass and is inevitably going to panic as he realises what he's doing, where this is leading up to! Oh no!!! In the moment, all he can think of is.. he can't lose sight of Michael. Has to keep the guy with him, and hopefully not piss him off enough to earn himself being attacked by an angry, possessed demon. )

Oh— yeah, no worries, it won't take too long. I swear. ( Peter manages to keep up the nonchalant front, but.... anxiety is prickling at the corners of himself as he starts moving, letting Michael keep up with him. He starts walking along the street, glancing around as he does. And at first, he does mean to pick up some random groceries from a shop or stall, head back home, because Luna's there and she can help with this.

....But now he's not sure Michael (with one volatile ghost passenger) can even get in their house, with the protective wards.... and seeing Luna could just set him off....

He knows how the exorcism works. He remembers every step. What if.... )

Uh... crap. I think I went the wrong way. The store I want— it's actually back here.

( Backtracking a little. Away from the hustle and bustle of life, off where things are a little more quiet. Where there are a few abandoned buildings. This is not suspicious at all Michael, don't even worry. )

[Michael strides along a few paces behind Peter, hands jammed in his pockets, like a recalcitrant teen trying to pretend that he isn't with his parents. Luckily, he seems a little more interested in sniping at Peter than in getting actually suspicious:]

The stores here are pretty much all in the same district. Haven't you been here for years?

( Peter runs a hand over his face, exhaling softly at the sass. Can he please get his Michael back, soon? )

It's, uh— the one I'm looking for is kinda out of the way. Streets get tricky.

( Peter's heart is starting to hammer a bit more as he looks around at the warehouses. Shit shit shit is he actually going to do this?? He needs to act quickly if he's going to. The second Michael (or the ghost) realises what he's doing.... )

Okay, I think that's the one that has what I need.

( Peter points ahead to an old storage building. It's kind of big, hopefully has some shit he can use in there. Slowly stepping through the door, he's trying to look around as nonchalantly as possible, while simultaneously making quick note of what's inside. Some old supplies, wood and shit. But what stands out is a smaller room inside, maybe used to be an old office. Peter can glimpse a chair in there.... If he can get Michael inside, maybe he can..... trap him. Tie him down. Holy shit Peter might die. )

Could you uh, check in there? I'm looking for like....... sacks. Of flour. It was out here before, but maybe somebody moved it.

Who the hell are you working with?

[It's a totally valid question, though there's still a nasty edge to it. This is very weird. But heading off on his own promises a bit more distance from Peter, so Michael breaks off and heads over to the smaller room.

Inside, it's pretty much empty. Of course it is.]

Empty. This is a waste of time.

Just some— guys!

( Peter stutters. Just some guys! It's a good thing he's always a nervous wreck, probably doesn't seem too much weirder than usual.....

....He waits until Michael's over in the room, and then slowly moves that way too, trying to step as lightly as possible so that he can slip inside and then.... Peter closes the door. While he's inside, too — locking it quickly with trembling fingers and then standing with his back pressed to it, wide-eyed. Oh fuck what is he doing! He just locked himself in the room with a possessed demon. Somewhere inside himself, Peter is desperately aware that Paimon probably will protect him if Michael gets vicious, but this is still...... )

Uh— okay, the thing is. You're possessed and you don't know it, and I've got to get the thing out of you. And it's not going to be easy, but— I'm gonna try to make it quick.

[Michael turns around, eyebrows raised. But this doesn't actually feel threatening at all - he smiles, slow and unpleasant.]

Did you just lock us in?

[to steal a phrase: he's not locked in here with you]

( Ohhh that smile's awful! Peter's heart is hammering ninety to nothing, but he stays where he is. )

It's okay. I just locked the door so nobody interrupts.

( Which is... not true, he definitely locked it with the intent to keep Michael inside, but the last thing he wants to do (and he's probably incapable of anyway) is seeming aggressive. No, if he can just seem... as harmless as possible, maybe....

And he's still hoping he can maybe reach through to Michael, eyes sweeping quickly to the chair at a nearby office desk, among old notebooks and supply inventory sheets scattered around the wooden floors. )

That chair right there.... if you could just— get in it, then I can... I can help you. I can get her out of you.

Pffft. Nah.

[It's true that Michael doesn't feel particularly threatened by this. That's probably helpful, really; the ghost doesn't have any reason to make him aggressive towards Peter in turn, and her general influence still isn't quite enough to make Michael attack.

He does just try to shove him aside to get to the door, though. Not interested in whatever this is!]

Michael—

( With a frenzied skip of his heart, Peter quickly reaches out to try and stop his friend from being able to leave, palm making contact with Michael's chest. There's not much pressure, but it's still something, a push back. A firmness.

Brows shooting up, Peter swallows. )

You can't go. Not yet. Please— sit down.

[Michael draws back from the touch as if it burns. It wasn't particularly friendly, but all the same -

As if realizing he just lost a little ground, he grins wider.]

Really? You gonna make me?

( Peter lets the other pull back away from his palm, but he stays standing where he is. Within him, he feels a surge of nausea, an odd chill. Paimon's definitely awake. )

If I have to.

( There's no real confidence behind the words, Peter looking very much like he'd like to puke! But he does mean them. He'd— at least try. )

Paimon's here, too. He'll help me. ( He doesn't want it to come out sounding like a threat— )

—He's worried about you, too.

Well, that's stupid.

[Michael scoffs. They're not friends, stop freaking worrying about him!]

Tell him to fuck off.

and my heart went 'boom!'

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if ur cool doing an exorcism, I'm here for it??? But I don't mind if you didn't want to go that far!

i'm here for an exorcism!

hell yeahhhh let's GO

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slides back in here 👻

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