and my heart went 'boom!'

[reddosmod]

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

Comments

Ekko | Arcane | Paleblood

[ekkoeffect]

I. THE CHOCOLATIER
[It's not until he comes out of the stupor that he realizes what he's done and what's sitting in his lap. The box of chocolates waiting, pulling, calling even though it looks so innocent. The twisted, pacifying being is gone, and all that is left is the sweet smelling treats. He brushes his fingers over and lifts the lid to stare at the pieces inside.]

What the hell...?

[Four different types of chocolate in the box, and while he doesn't know what each is, something says they are all delicious. Maybe he should be more concerned, but that calm fog is still settled over him. He may select one now, but maybe not. The allure of them would still be there, urging him to try them. If someone sees him when he does, they might just get an unexpected reaction...]


II.BAD LUCK OF THE EARLY WORM
[The day had started off with his house smelling like rotted fish. Living so close to the dorks meant he was used to the less-than-pleasant smell of the sea and fishermen's warf, but this was far worse than he was used to. And he could not for the life of him find out where the smell was coming from.

Then one of his tables collapsing and sending dirt and plotted plants all over the floor. He'd had to clean all of it up before he could even leave the house for the day.

It had not gotten better from there.

There was a fight he almost started by a sack of fish breaking open all over some guy's legs and feet. Almost started since the guy definitely started it by throwing the first punch and Ekko made sure to finish it. And then decided he needed to leave Darcmouth altogether and headed to Crenshaw and then to Cellar Door. Traveling seemed to be going fine until his hoverboard started malfunctioning in the middle of the air and he crash landed. More than once. Good thing he had experience in this from when he first designed it.]

Shit, heads up!

[Sorry if you got landed on or a window broken! At this point he can only wonder what else could go wrong.]


III. GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU
[It happens more than once and he can't do anything about it. He'll be working or walking or sitting and then suddenly he's waking up in this room with couches that as weirdly comfortable and a stick on his chest that says Hi, my name is EKKO.

Anyone who comes to talk to him will see his profile. Which he does not like, but not like he can change it.]

So guess we're doing this, huh.

[The meeting might even be right after he ate one of his chocolates and being pulled into socializing and answering questions could go very differently then.]


IV. WILDCARD
[If you want to do something different, feel free to throw up a prompt of your own and I'm more than happy to roll with it! He's also a Paleblood compelled to give compliments this month if anyone needs some cheering up. If you would like to go with chocolates, please mention whether you're up for Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, or hazelnut! For anything romantic/sexual, I'm going with m/m only please, but I'm very open to platonic and them bullshitting to get it done.}

I. THE CHOCOLATIER

[topside_cupcake]

Caitlyn had actually been attempting to catch up to the chocolatier, having been a part of a group that had decided to attmept to make contact and try and minimize the problems that he caused this year. But so far he'd proven to be pretty elusive, and it seemed like the chocolates were always the only thing that were found.

Turning the corner from where she'd been she saw a familiar face looking them over and opening the lid.

"Ekko?"

Walking closer she looked at the box,

"I'm not really certain that's the best idea."

[ekkoeffect]

The peaceful fog starts fading then, because the sight of the Enforcer girl immediately puts him on edge. It doesn't make the lure of the chocolate any less, but it's definitely a distraction. His fingers tighten around the box.

"Don't think I asked your opinion," he says, eyebrow cocked because what is she even starting right now? It's a box of chocolate and there is far weirder shit that he's been given around here.

[topside_cupcake]

"I know, but I've heard a lot about these. There's no telling what could be in it."

Or what the effects might be. Caitlyn knew that Ekko's trust would probably be something she'd have to fight for, especially after the council failed to act and everything that happened with hextech. But she still hope she could apply to that logical side that he'd shown, the softer side that cared about the people, that she'd seen in the hideaway of the fireflies.

"Just, be careful."

[ekkoeffect]

He doesn't blame her for everything that went wrong--especially when Marcus and Jinx were directly involved in blowing up his road to an audience with the council--but it's harder to trust her when Vi isn't there giving him that Look and making him feel like giving an Enforcer a chance is the easier option than disappointing the girl who had been his big sister.

It means all of the bias is entirely his own and no one is there to balance it. And he's got a lot of reasons to be biased.

"What, someone going around poisoning people with sweets?"

No. Something tells him that's not it. It's safe. They'll taste delicious. Something inside of him just knows this.

III. (frenemies just being frenemies) (1/?????)

[opheliac]

( and guess who else woke up in this lovely room? no other than his former best friend. it's the moment jinx takes a quick look around, hears his voice, then him, she is on her feet immediately and pacing around for an exit. after the awkward atmosphere she left lingering the last time they spoke, this is the last thing she wants to deal with right now. the only interaction she is ever interested regarding him, is to pluck the wings out of his back.

although, thanks to the milk chocolate she consumed way earlier, whatever squishy feelings she had for ekko vanished (mysteriously). but even with that out the way, there's still so many strings left to untangled in this ball of yarn she created. she's done this a few times already and is aware the only way out is to sit, ask questions for a bit, then buzz each other out of there. )

( unable to find any sort of crack or dent in the walls, she huffs out a growl then a sharp look to him. well. it looks like she has to go through this no matter what. without a word, she storms over to the chair to sit and fishes out the omni with his profile already up and ready to read. jinx is rolling her eyes through most of it.

... that is until she reaches to the very bottom. )

2/3

[opheliac]

( "mostly guys. mostly". ..... wait. wait. wait. her eyes widen over those three letters, to him, and then back to those words. and then things begin to click for her -- like after working on an enormous puzzle and today's the day for the final piece. jinx is just so floored as to what to say. in fact whenever she tries, the words just tumbling over her tongue.

a hand combs through her bangs as she slowly places the omni down on the table. give her a minute, she needs to take this in. )

3/3

[opheliac]

You like guys. ( she says this quiet at first; testing out how it sounds. and then there's a smile shining over her face with her arms extending out to him. )

You like guys...!!

( why yes, jinx will exclaim it out to... no one else but them. the teen laughs then claps her hands in pure excitement and glee. )

Oh my gosh! — I thought this whole time you didn't like me 'cuz there was something wrong with me. No! It's not about me at all. You just don't like chicks!!

( there's some weight lifted off her shoulders as she just flops herself onto the table -- letting out a big happy sigh.)

I feel so much better now.

[ekkoeffect]

[Her reaction is both unexpected and enough to make him lean back just a bit, eyes wide. Because she's wrong--it says mostly--but trying to explain that to her right now when they are stuck in this room together? Yeah, he knows when not to set a bomb off. After her melodramatic reaction he just takes a breath and lets out a sigh.]

You done?

[opheliac]

Mmmhmmm~ ♪.

( she says in a sing-song tone with still such a big smile on her face. yes, this is probably melodramatic, but what ekko doesn't know was that his "rejection" had set her off to corruption stages. and what calmed her was vi tracking her down, found her in a cave, cried it all out, then ended with a blood pact. it was a real emotion night for her with so much self-loathing. but now, she feels extremely light -- not only because she is crazy in love with chizuru, but also coming to terms there's nothing about her specifically to why he didn't reciprocate.

anyhow whenever he decides to look at her profile, he will see hers is a fucking novel and a mess. such as her. so it fits.)

[ekkoeffect]

[Ekko lets her have her minute, because it's weird, but she needs it so...sure. He takes the time himself to pick up the omni. Then he sees her profile and wonders who the hell wrote this. Because it's not wrong but who the hell wrote it all down like that. His own is stupid and sounds like a child wrote it. This sounds like someone who spent too much time thinking they could analyze Jinx and know everything there is to know about her.

It's too clinical. Distant yet fascinated. He doesn't like it. He flips his omni off so he doesn't have to look at it. He looks at the "getting to know you" questions instead. Half of them are questions so basic he wouldn't even bother asking them, but they'll have to do something...]

If you could spend your time with anyone else, who would it be? And don't say Vi or your girlfriend. That's cheating.

Getting to Know You

[threelayers]

[Flop across from him, turning the chair backwards. Pink and brown hair fanned out and the half-pint was sitting, leaning forward and smirking at him. She glanced at the little nametag and there was an obvious laugh before she pulled her omni out and typed with her thumb as her profile made an appearance, updated to her mid-twenties at this point. Some bastard forgot to mention she was married too, but she was trying to make do.]

Looks like we're doing this thing, yep.
So, you're the famous Ekko I hear so much about.
Name's Neo.

[Bad news. Jinx.
Good news. She didn't actually give a shit.]

[ekkoeffect]

[He has no idea who she is, so her calling him the "famous Ekko" does put him on edge, just a bit. There are very few people who would talk about him like that--okay, only one person--so he wonders exactly what Jinx has been saying about him around Trench. And because of Jinx he knows that being tiny and looking "innocent" doesn't mean much.

He's a bit more curious about her text communication. Huh. Is she deaf or just mute?]

Usually when I'm famous for something, if for a good reason they hate or a bad reason they like. But yeah, that's me. Can't say I've heard of you, but I haven't heard of a lot of people around here.

[threelayers]

[Her reply was evidence enough that she either was mute or that she was able to read lips just fine. She clearly didn't need any help following along, smirking away and shrugging. Hey, she was used to being the big deal nobody knew. Most folks never really knew who or what she was until it was too late back in Remnant after all.]

Hah, I think the word "Hero" was used.
And don't you worry about that, since that's what we're here to do isn't it?
So, why don't you take the first question?

I like finding out what people would ask if given a chance.

[ekkoeffect]

Ah...that explains it. [Because now he knows it was Jinx. He doesn't say anymore about it though. If she knows Jinx, it's all probably explanation enough. Jinx makes herself and her quirks well-known.]

Giving me the first shot, though? I'll take it. The questions aren't as boring this time.

[Not that he plans to give much to them. He pulls one of the cards out of the stack without looking--he'd already peeked at them before she showed up--and flips it over.]

What color gives you the strongest feeling when you see it?

iii

[tealeafs]

O-Oh! Um, well--

[ Look at this girl. Instant fluster. It's not really even anything about Ekko specifically. It's maybe more something about being stuck here with someone she doesn't know, and Chizuru being very shy by default.. And also not feeling great about this speed dating thing when she already has a girlfriend right now.

Thankfully Ekko doesn't exactly seem excited about the speed dating either, huh.

Not that Chizuru is noticing that in time to keep the girl from suddenly looking very nervous. She doesn't even pay much attention to the profiles or the name tags they're wearing, even as her own profile is being sent through too. ]

I-If it's really that bad, maybe we could look for a way out instead...

[ekkoeffect]

[Ekko recognizes her as soon as she shows up because while he doesn't talk much on the network, he does lurk a lot. He watches what's going on and when Jinx said she was in a relationship, he looked around to find out exactly who she was. An anxious mess who is too polite, but somehow exactly what Jinx needs, it seems. Jinx wants to look after her and protect her and something about her brings out a gentler side in Jinx than he's seen in years.

She doesn't stand out besides the fact she might be a genuine person. And that's good enough for him. So he is a bit grumpy but he'll roll his shoulders and give a half-crooked smile.]

They don't let us out until the time is up. If you don't have any questions, we can sit. No big deal.

[He takes the moment to look at her profile, so he can say why he knows her name at least.]

Nice to meet ya...Chizuru?

[tealeafs]

Yes!

[ Look at that quick response to her name. She even moves to sit a little more upright when Ekko says it, like she's a kid responding to attendence in class. (Then again - this is nothing new, there's always been something naturally obedient to other people about Chizuru.)

Thankfully she doesn't have to open his profile to learn his name though, considering that very clear nametag on his chest. Usually Chizuru would go with last names, but in the absence of any, she tries: ]

It's nice to meet you too, um.. mister Ekko..? [ I-Is that right. She just hopes she isn't horibly offending this person she's only just meeting.. ] Though I'm sorry it has to be under these circumstances.

[ Not that it's the worst thing possible that could happen to them in Trench. Chizuru knows better than that.

But they still didn't actively choose to be here either. ]

[ekkoeffect]

Just call me Ekko. [No one has ever called him "Mister" in his life in a serious, deferential way and he doesn't want anyone to start now.]

Circumstances are weird, but we're here. Do you want to wait out the five minutes or get to know each other? I'm willing. Been making a lot of new friends this way.

[Tries to keep his voice casual, because she really is a nervous little mouse. No need to make it worse for her. He just wants to get a better grasp of who she is--the kind of person Jinx is becoming so focused on.]

ii

[mehanizovati]

[hey, luckily viktor doesn't get landed on but the attempt to dodge out of the way sends him sprawling on his ass, his cane skidding to the side. normally he'd be pretty pissed but the board lands close enough to him it catches his attention first.

fascinating piece of work, really. distracting enough from being laid out on his way through cellar door. he reaches for it before he remembers-

right, someone else ate shit here.] Ah, are you okay?

[ekkoeffect]

[Ekko has enough experience almost eating shit from his hoverboard that he tucks and rolls very easily and shakes it off--mostly. His coat gets a tear in it, but at least that wasn't his skin. He turns his attention at the voice.]

Uh--yeah--I'm good. Give me a sec. What about you? [Since you're the one with a cane.]

[mehanizovati]

Fine, I think. [he shifts his legs and hisses. welp.] Or I twisted my ankle.

[great! well whatever, at least he didn't mess up his back more than it already was and had a weird purple hextech-shimmer leg instead of one prone to making his life difficult. either way he picks up the board though, he can worry about his ankle when his curiosity is sated.] You made this?

bad luck

[tempredmental]

[It wouldn't have been so bad if the bad luck thing wasn't going around and affecting so many people. Normally, Keith probably could have avoided the collision. But it just so happened that there was a random patch of ice right where he stepped to hopefully avoid being hit, and he slipped, crashing down hard on the pavement, right where the hoverboard was heading to land!]

[ekkoeffect]

[Shit, Ekko would rather not crush someone's head in the sharpened blades of his hoverboard, so he twists and kicks with his feet, sending the hoverboard spiraling into the side of a building while Ekko himself lands on the guy dead-on. Ow.]

[tempredmental]

[Ow indeed. Keith grunted when the guy landed on him, but he was glad to avoid getting hit with that hoverboard. Which, it was cool, but also like, yeah. He'd rather be the user than the target of something like that, even accidental.

He groaned a bit, the combination of slipping and being landed on definitely going to leave him with at least some bruises. Gingerly, he started to shift, attempting to get out from underneath.]

You okay?