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

[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.

[ Yeah, Hakkai not really having had parents - in his life, at least, it sounds like - isn't.. too much of a surprise, given everything that makes Hakkai Hakkai.

Daniel wonders if he should address it. But maybe this is the exact way it's easier for Hakkai to be a little more honest. When the focus isn't on Hakkai himself.

So even though the man definitely looks at Hakkai when the other admits that, gaze lingering even afterwards, leving a tiny pause before Daniel speaks up - he doesn't comment on it.

But he clearly did notice, judging by all of that. ]

I guess I got it from my mother. [ Daniel says. Adding a helpless shrug, a tiny smile. ] She was like that too when I was younger. Working extra hard to try and keep all the hardships away from me.

[ Monkey see, monkey do, right? Like Hakkai says, sometimes kids notice more than you think, and Daniel learned the behaviour he saw.

Not that he sees it as a negative thing. His mother is great, and the way she tried to keep their family going by herself is even more admirable to Daniel. ]

And you noticed, regardless.

[It's not a bad thing, judging from his tone. It's just an observation. That the woman had tried her best, but Daniel had still noticed. It's his point, really.]

I'm not trying to imply it's ignoble to keep children from knowing how harsh the world is. Quite the opposite, in fact.

[And hey, the lack of shock is a pretty decent anti-lie detector.]

But... if you had known at the time, wouldn't you have wanted to do what you could to help?

I already did.

[ It's just because these chairs are making him tell the truth, Daniel thinks. It's since it's be inconvenient to get shocked over this.

(Maybe he just needs an excuse to talk, in all actuality, especially when he's so bad at it. Even now, as he's saying all of this, he can't quite bring himself to meet Hakkai's gaze in shame.) ]

I felt bad for her. I wanted to do what I could. So when we moved across the country and I immediately started getting harassed and beaten up at my new school, I-- I tried to hide it from her.

[ He shrugs, helplessly. ]

I thought it was the only thing I could do for her.

[ See, Hakkai - that's the exact problem. He doesn't want any of his kids here to do that for him. Especially when the danger here is even way worse than a clique of high school jocks. ]

And you think your students would wish any less?

[See, he gets that's the problem. But he wants you to realize, Daniel, that feeling you had about your mom is probably mutual here!!]

[He drops his eyes back down to the tabletop. And his own folded hands.]

I doubt I'll change your mind. I suppose I'm not trying to. Just... attempting to point things out.

[ There's a faint smile on Daniel's face, sure, but there's an edge to it that makes it pretty clear he knows exactly what Hakkai's point is.

And that he's also well aware he's far too stubborn in his own ways to change them at this point. ]

It still feels better than visibly struggling in front of them. [ That's never right.

It's already hard enough showing that to fellow adults - like Hakkai, or any other adult he knows here - but to the kids? To his kids? ]

The kids already have so much to worry about all the time here.

I suppose.

[They're not going to agree here, and he's sure of it. Is it a bad thing? Not necessarily. Just something to agree to disagree on.]

[For now.]

[But, then again, who is he to talk? It's not like he has children. It's not as if he ever will. And Goku, as much as the group teases and says otherwise, doesn't count as a child. Child-like, a lot of the time, but there, the similarity ends.]

Although, on that, I do agree with you.

[ It's honestly what Daniel is chalking this up to. Maybe it's the sort of thing only a parent could understand. Even if - technically speaking - he's not any kid's parent here.

Not biologically, anyway.

But rather than focusing on what they disagree on, it feels better to focus on what they agree on. It makes a tiny smile appear on Daniel's face again, even if it's still a little wistful. ]

I know it's a lot to ask, but.. could you keep an eye out for them too whenever you see them around? They're all such good kids, but-- their tendency to want to do good at all times sometimes puts them into trouble.

Of course.

[It's a simple enough request. And therefore, a simple enough answer. If he's going to be around the dojo like he is, that's the least arduous task he could add to the list.]

It's hardly a difficult thing to do, considering how often I'm over at your dojo. But if you mean outside of it, I don't mind that, either.

[Sleepers have to look out for each other, don't they?]

[ There's a small nod on his end - he does mean outside of the dojo too, even if he's a little worried about it maybe being too much to ask from Hakkai.

.. on the other hand, despite everything Daniel has seen about the other man's past, all of Hakkai's present actions have just made him believe the other is kind. Kind enough to look out for kids. Kind enough for Daniel to trust him with his kids, and that isn't always easy for a guy like Daniel LaRusso. ]

Thanks for not minding it. [ Even if it's in line with all the other kindness he's seen from Hakkai. ] Some of them seem to be having a hard time lately. I'm worried about Izuku-- he seems pretty corrupted, and I'm not so sure what to do about it.

[ Especially since teens sometimes have such trouble with letting someone just help them. ]

And Robby and Peter, they're-- they come from worlds that are so normal, you know? [ Daniel can know, coming from the same world as the former. ] They seem to be having a really hard time with all the supernatural danger here, and I can't fault them for it.

[ He just wishes he could protect them more. ]

[Dear Speed Dating, can they please have some tea or something here? This is becoming a Discussion, with a capital letter and all. You need something to go with this kind of talk!]

[And Hakkai... will never understand how Daniel managed to come to that conclusion about his "kindness". It isn't that. It won't ever be that. No matter how much time passes, how many lives saved - it won't take away the ones he'd erased. It can't. He's not a good man!! He's horrible!!]

I don't believe I've met Izuku. Or Peter, for that matter. [You have, Hakkai, but it was Paimon - oops.] How do you identify the corruption?

Mm. Isn't Robby from your world?

[So how are you holding up with the supernatural crap, sir???]

[ Daniel huffs with a kind of sad and ironic amusement. ]

Oh, you know when you'll see him. Just look at him if you both happen to be there when class is happening. He's the kid with the green hair. [ At least that makes him easy to identify.. Thanks, Daniel's class of mostly black-haired guys..

Seriously though, Midoriya's appearance is the entire reason Daniel is so worried. Corruption's got to be pretty bad when it's starting to make parts of you look like a monster.

And Daniel, totally unwittingly of the implication Hakkai is putting into that last question, makes a slightly more dismissive hand gesture as he adds: ]

And-- yeah. I already knew Robby before I ever showed up here. He's my student from back home. [ See, Hakkai, he doesn't even realise what you're angling for here... So oblivious..

Especially when he's already busy summarizing his relationship with Robby into something way more simple than it actually is. Or way less tumultous, at least. ]

Green hair? Now that would be a novelty.

[People with... unique hair colors tend to Mean Things in his world. But that's red hair, not green. It's enough to pique his curiosity though. Maybe it's not natural - temporarily colored somehow?]

[A beat.]

[Hakkai shifts. Propping his chin up in one hand.]

And... you are from the same world. With no supernatural occurrences. Correct?

[Daniel. He's going to be more insistent here. You can't escape.]

[ Oh, Hakkai. You still have much to learn about the world of anime..

.. or maybe Daniel is just more used to this considering there was a kid hanging around in the karate world back home who dyed his mohawk a different bright neon shade every other month.

Either way, it seems relatively easy to brush off for him. Easy enough that it's instead the last part that catches him by faint surprise. ]

Huh? Yes. [ He clearly has no idea where this is going.. S-Surely it's going somewhere, but Daniel isn't catching on to where yet! ] This place was the first thing I've seen anything like these strange powers, or all these monsters. Actually in real life, I mean, and not just in a movie.

And how are you coping with it?

[There it is. Wham. No more preamble. Just flat-out asking the question. His tone so light and conversational, it's as if he's asking about the weather.]

[His hands neatly folded, posture calm and prim. At least, however, he isn't smiling. No, for this, he looks pretty neutral. There's even a slight concerned crease in his eyebrows.]

Well.. [ Daniel starts, and his voice trails off for a moment.

The chair doesn't shock him though. Maybe it, too, is realising that Daniel isn't trying to avoid the question, but instead just thinking about it in the first place. It's not something that's always easy to put into words, after all. ]

It's been.. strange. [ Something tugs at Daniel's lips, like he feels kind of embarrassed to put it so simply. But it's just the easiest way of putting it. ] I think I'm slowly getting used to weird things just existing and happening, at least. Once you've seen a few, you can just accept anything, you know?

[ It comes coupled with a half-sad smile, a shrug of his shoulders. ]

I think the hardest part for me is how overwhelming these dangers are. How little you can sometimes do about it as a normal person. [ Sure, Daniel can shoot ice out of his hands now. Which definitely isn't normal.

But he sure feels normal compared to some of the wilder powers people in this place have. ]

And it'd be one thing if I just had to protect myself, but.. I really want to keep these kids safe, and there's no easy way to do that. That's the problem with all this supernatural stuff.

[More quiet on his end. Thoughtful.]

Yes, I can see how disorienting this would be. A world where suddenly mythology and magic are everywhere you look.

[A sympathetic statement. Not everyone is constantly confronted with things so outlandish, you have no choice but to accept them. If he or the others really sat down to sort through all the nonsense they'd been through, they'd be paralyzed for days. No time for that.]

All the more reason, I feel, for you to find more support amongst the others here.

[Hakkai isn't always the best at gentle suggestions. He's more used to managing a bunch of unruly sorts. And yes, he does mean his companions. They're the most unruly of all. But he does try. This situation feels as if he calls for it.]

[ Daniel exhales. ]

That's why I was hoping you could help me out. [ It doesn't hurt that Hakkai has healing abilities on top of seeming.. decent at wrangling people..

.. which Daniel mostly knows because Hakkai even tries to wrangle him, and he's a grownass middle-aged dad. Surely he can handle a bunch of teens. ]

If not just by getting to know them a little. You know how teens are, after all. If you push help onto them too hard, they'll just start pushing back. [ This is the knowing tone of a man who has raised two teenagers back home.. and that's even aside from all of his karate kids. ] But just having more people in their life here they know they can turn to when they need it could be good for them.

[Hakkai wrangles three bickering people on a daily basis - some kind of mini god, one of the most powerful holy people in the world, and... one who is determined to irritate both of them. Herding cats has nothing on wrangling them.]

Ah, well. I admit my experience is with an older set... though they do behave quite like obnoxious teenagers a lot of the time.

[He says, fondly. How he can make that sound complimentary is a mystery.]

But, still. I have a job to do, don't I? Who else would you get to sweep your floors? I'm certain I'll run into them as I work.

If it helps, these are all good kids.

[ Daniel doesn't hide the fondness in his tone as he says that - it's not like it isn't obvious just how much he likes his students, after all. He's so proud of every single one of them, even if they may sometimes make mistakes.

It's what they're young for, after all. ]

So even though they're a little younger than what you're used to, they might be.. easier to deal with in some ways. [ Some ways.

After all, the very way they're good kids is exactly what gets them into trouble at times. ]

.. thanks, though. I really appreciate it.

You don't need to worry about what I'm accustomed to. I'm sure teenagers would be a welcome change.

[And not to mention, he did teach before... well. Everything Happened. And then tutored afterward.]

[Goku probably counts as three teenagers, with his energy, appetite and everything else.]

It's no trouble at all. I don't mind it. In fact, the more to do, the less chances I could get in trouble, haha.

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and my heart went 'boom!'

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cw: mention of bullying

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