Deer Country Mod (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reddosmod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
deercountry2023-02-08 06:25 pm
reddosmod) wrote in deercountry2023-02-08 06:25 pm
Entry tags:
- *event,
- ahiru: timmy,
- altaïr ibn la-ahad: tea,
- alucard: timmy,
- anakin skywalker: michele,
- anakin solo: ellie,
- ange ushiromiya: jelle,
- anna amarande: celene,
- ariane yeong: floral,
- beatrice: mila,
- chizuru yukimura: jelle,
- darth maul: shade,
- echo: kaito,
- elster: zero,
- ezra bridger: lis,
- fiddleford mcgucket: inkwell,
- jinx: bekka,
- kainé: ava,
- keith: sailor g,
- lance: charley,
- lord asriel belacqua: min,
- luke skywalker: skyla,
- luz noceda: pedro,
- maria thorpe: jaina,
- peter graham: jhey,
- rey: valkryie,
- ritsuka aoyagi: jax,
- savage opress: vette,
- scorpia: gore,
- sharon da silva: lunare,
- sunny: cake,
- the abomination: alba,
- trevor belmont: michele,
- vi: aeri,
- xuan he: prox
and my heart went 'boom!'
FEBRUARY 2023 EVENT
BAD LUCK OF THE EARLY WORM
GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU
LONELY HEARTS CLUB
CODING
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. ]
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. ]
WHEN: February
WHERE: All around the city
CONTENT WARNINGS: Curses, violence, danger, misfortune
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.
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.
WHEN: February
WHERE: A magic room in the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Reference to mild shocks. Forced honesty. Embarrassment. Lots and lots of embarrassment.
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!
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!
WHEN: February
WHERE: Trenchwood and throughout the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, abuse of power, jealousy, possession, supernatural events, possible death from elemental exposure
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.
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.
i.
Do I look like I signed up for this? [ a beat before he sideeyes the nametags.] What is this, by the way?
[all of it. he has no idea. but he gets a ping on his omni and begins to read her profile. oh, yeah. he's got one too.]
no subject
I think it's like speed dating or something. I mean, your little profile thing here tells me you're straight so... [ HMM. She grimaces just a little. ] Yeah, I think it's speed dating.
no subject
I'm straight? [mock surprise, and straight (ha) to sarcasm.] Well, that's a relief. I mean, sure, whisk me away to hell dimensions, steal my memories and swap out out my friends for a month, drop me into speed dating in the middle of a cocktail but thank whatever I'm straight.
[his eyes fall again to the nametags. he squints in annoyance a moment before the recognition hits. fuck trench for this.]
I'm old enough to be your---
---you're younger than my daughter would be if she'd [oh, just say it] lived.
That's not to say I'm not glad to see you, it's just ...if I'd known I was meeting a friend I'd have made myself presentable. I'd have...
[maybe not started drinking. and he reads the name aloud, a hint of a question in it.]
Alessa.
no subject
But then the moment is gone. He brings up his daughter, her stomach twists and she wants to apologize but she keeps her mouth shut, and then he says it: her name. Everything about her expression turns soft and gentle and just a little reminiscent of that dark-haired little girl he met on a playground. ]
Surprise. [ She whispers, both hands held up, fingers splayed as if she's just done some grand party trick. ] Alessa Gillespie, all grown up. [ She reaches up to flick the ends of her roughly chopped bleached hair. ] The blonde make me look that different?
no subject
If that's all I get? Sure, as the kids say, "bring it." [he left the "on" off the end of that. is that right? is that slang? is he fellow kids-ing it correctly?
but it's on to other kids. other memories. his face is full of soft surprise, and a little smile at the playful gesture. he can see the echo of the other in her.]
A little bit, but I can see her in there. You got a lot taller, but I bet you can still make butterflies out of snow. [what had he called them? ah, yeah, that's it. he corrects himself:] Butterflakes.
no subject
Butterflakes. Oh yeah. She smiles at the memory. Alessa had had so much potential and it had all been ripped away from her. ] Butterflakes. For some reason, that just reminds me of those, um... You've seen Disney's Alice in Wonderland, right? With the bread-and-butterflies. I bet I could make that happen. Wouldn't be any harder than the butterflakes. [ A pause as her expression softens. ] Thanks for making me feel like I wasn't a freak back then. She was... I was looked down upon for the things I could do. I can't tell you how scared I was when I was caught.
no subject
Yup, I've seen that one a few times. It was something with... [a thoughtful pause as he tries to remember.] ...flowers, right? [it's right there at the edges of his memory. a tune follows, just out of reach before it's gone - a bit like a snowflake on the fingertip.] If you do make it happen, I'd like a front row ticket, and so would my Omen. She'd never forgive me if I left her out of a show like that.
Whoever made you feel like that, made you that scared? Those are the real freaks. I know what real fear looks like, believe me. That was terror, that was run for your life terror, real fight or flight shit, and I have to say that it broke my heart a little.
[he frowns slightly as he recalls it, a soft frown, a soft voice, but a sharp edge, and a flinty flicker in his gaze. no shock from the chair.]
It pissed me off, too.
no subject
The next statement touches her a little but she averts her gaze, dropping it to the table. She rubs her one hand with other, massaging the meat between her index finger and thumb in a nervous gesture. ] That's what happens when you're 'born of sin' [ exasperated finger-quotes included ] in a town full of cultists. I was either looked down upon by people or hated by them and it only got worse when my powers started to become obvious.
[ She looks up at him and grins but it's heavy with a sort of exhausted sorrow that can only come after years of suffering and shrugs. ] It was long time ago, though, and I don't have to be afraid here. I mean, for the most part. I'm a little terrified one of them will show up one day but it's not like I can't handle them now.
no subject
he'd tried being distant, but this one just wasn't interested - even when she hadn't let on she could speak she had tried to be helpful, and to keep watch. she used her words with so many sleepers before mike knew she had words! (she has a lot of words sometimes).]
Town full of cultists.
[a nod, and another nod as he chews on this thought - it doesn't budge the frown, if anything it's etched in deeper. that's some real carrie white shit, there. born of sin. isn't that how the whole religion thing works, mostly? everyone's a sinner, everything fun's a sin (and somehow making money off sinners? never seems to be a sin. funny, that.) ...he can't imagine what 'born of sin' meant other than some out of wedlock bullshit, or if they're real culty, born on the blah day of the blah month under the blah moon, and some other tropey qualifier.]
I'm going to change the subject in a second, because Trench can suck an egg if it thinks this is going to be the conversation du-jour. [nope, she shouldn't have to talk about this if she doesn't want to, and he'll take a hit, a shock, whatever. it's fine.] I know you've got people, and you can handle your shit, but if they do ...ever show up. You let me know, and I'll handle their shit, too.
Shoot a question at me if you want. Just maybe go a little easy. I've seen you shoot before.
[a wry smile, there. that had also been a nightmare scenario.]
no subject
it's not a big deal, she wants to imply. save them from the weight of it.
but then he says that: I'll handle their shit, too. she sits up a little taller as she pulls her hands into her lap, suddenly feeling vulnerable, visibly touched, blue eyes as wide as they are soft. ] Okay. [ she says it dumbly. like she's not sure how to respond. like these kinds of statements from people still knock her ability to do words from her. ] Thanks.
[ for the offer. for the way he doesn't ask for more.
her brows cinch as she racks her mind for a good question. something a little more cheerful for them both. ] Do you... [ hmm hmm hmm ] have a favorite alcoholic drink?
[ she may or may not be taking mental notes in case gifts are needed in the future ]
no subject
his mind sticks on 'do you have a favorite alcoholic' and he almost answers 'me', but he can control his childish impulses well enough. besides, not everything's a joke. this question can stand. he can be an adult, here.
he could answer bourbon ...but he could also answer differently, because there are a few different answers to this. let's go with different, switch it up a bit. try and be more light hearted. more cheerful. is she old enough to drink? why worry about that when she's definitely old enough to drink outside of the us, and in trench? drinking is the least of their worries most times. ]
Probably rice wine, or ...rice beer. What's your poi---
[but he gets a little shock for not spitting out the whole truth. just cause. and he stubbornly pushes through it.]
---your turn, and then I guess I'll elaborate. [to the chair, deadpan.] And no shocks while she's talking, that's just rude.
no subject
I'm not picky, honestly. I drink wine with my wine friends, whiskey with the whiskey ones, and beer with the... [ She laughs under her breath and shakes her head. ] ...well, you get it. [ She's more of a social drinker than a drinker-drinker. There have been a few times when she's done it to drown herself in something other than emotions, though, but she's aware that's not a good idea. ]
I prefer weed to booze most of the time, though. [ She is such a teenager at times and it does bother her because she's so much older than that. ]