reddosmod: (Default)
Deer Country Mod ([personal profile] reddosmod) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2023-02-08 06:25 pm

and my heart went 'boom!'

FEBRUARY 2023 EVENT
Due to the cyclical nature of Trench, prompts from the PREVIOUS FEBRUARY are available for use again. Please note when you are using this years prompts vs last years prompts when plotting or writing top-levels to avoid confusion.

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Prompt One
[Image One: A broken mirror with a woman looking into it, pressing her fingers against the glass. ]
[Image Two: A rose lit up like embers. ]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Neon hearts glowing on a wall. ]
[Image Two: A pocket watch on top of a book page. ]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A young woman with dark hair standing in the snow with red flowers. ]
[Image Two: Footprints in the snow. ]

BAD LUCK OF THE EARLY WORM
WHEN: February
WHERE: All around the city
CONTENT WARNINGS: Curses, violence, danger, misfortune


Everyone has their own streak of bad times. There are some days or weeks whre it feels like nothing is going right. Most people would try and tell say that it's just the tendency to focus on the negative. That it can be relieved by writing down all the good things that happen in our lives, because we have a tendency to only ever focus on the bad. And maybe most of the time, people are right! Maybe the idea of luck really is just perspective.

But not in Trench. Not this month.

No matter what way it's looked at, bad luck seems to be clinging to some people. It might start out small, with simple things like knocking over a favorite drink or snack, or ruining a project that had hours invested into it. Then it might become bigger. A person might start to trip over things and injuring themselves, they might get lost in a blizzard and nearly freeze before finding their way home or to someone they know. Eventually, it could even become undeniably dangerous. The person impacted by bad luck could start to notice corruption levels rising quickly, they could start to turn into a beast at random, they could start to attract violent beasts to them and put themselves or others at risk with heavy battles. The possibilities seem to be endless and none of them are good. Did someone break a mirror? Or twenty?

It will be easy to see that this isn't just impacting one person. Sleepers and Trenchies alike seem to be being plagued by streaks of bad luck across the board. Luckily, the locals seem to know what to do about it. Bad luck pops up from time to time, and of course there would be a ritual to help cleanse it.

Small vendors will start to pop up through the city selling wooden carvings that they promise will absorb all the bad luck that's been going around and dispell it with a simple ritual. A drop of blood from the person impacted and a drop of blood from someone they are close should be placed upon the carving. The blood types of the persons involved should not match (i.e. Coldblood/Coldblood would not work, but Coldblood/Warmblood would). It must be left to soak into the wood overnight, leaving behind deep red stains. The carving must then be placed with a fully bloomed rose and burned in the entrance doorway to the home of the inflicted. The ashes should then be placed into a container and kept somewhere in the home for the duration of February, to make sure that the bad luck stays away.

It seems like it really works! The tricky part is making sure that the bad luck following doesn't get in the way of the ritual while the blood is soaking over night. It may be best for both parties involved to hunker down together until morning, just in case. Time to break out the small talk. Or the deep, meaningful conversations that can sometimes happen in the middle of the night.

GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU
WHEN: February
WHERE: A magic room in the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Reference to mild shocks. Forced honesty. Embarrassment. Lots and lots of embarrassment.


Honestly, after being in Trench for so long, people should be used to not ending up in the destination they initially intended for. This month, it seems like the city is trying to encourage people to social, to form new bonds, whether they're romantic, platonic, familial, or any other option one could think of. The bright idea this month for that sort of thing?

Speed dating.

It's not traditional speed dating, necessarily. No one is here to exclusively seek romantic partners, although there are certainly options for it. And it's not something people are signing up for out of their own free will. Instead, people seem to simply show up at the event, with no real recollection of how they got there. Maybe they just woke up on one of the comfy couches and found a "Hi, my name is..." sticker slapped on them. Or maybe they were wandering in the snow and got lost, ending up finding shelter in this strange place, and are now forced to participate until the blizzard passes. All in all, it's harmless fun, isn't it? Who doesn't need a few new friends.

Each person will have a small information blurb given about them that can't be seen by the naked eye, but will appear as soon as someone looks at the other party through their omni. What the blurb says is unique to each person, but it might become clear pretty quickly that they didn't write it themselves... Deerington survivors may find themselves having flashbacks to the days of DeerlyBeloved.

Pairings are completely random. People will be given a series of random questions they can ask one another or they can always feel free to make up their own. Anyone who tries to lie or avoid answering a question might feel a small shock from the chair they're sitting in, one that gets stronger with every lie they tell. The after effects of the shock seem to encourage the need to answer the question with full transparency. It's important to tell the truth when getting to know someone, after all.

After five minutes, both parties can either press a button beside their chair to continue talking to the person they're paired with, or they can move on to the next pairing. Both parties have to press the button in order to stay where they are.

Have fun and remember to always be honest!

LONELY HEARTS CLUB
WHEN: February
WHERE: Trenchwood and throughout the city.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, abuse of power, jealousy, possession, supernatural events, possible death from elemental exposure


There's a tale that comes up around this time of year, one that seems to be an old favorite in Trench. Long ago, in the heart of a blizzard, a young woman was found wandering in Trenchwood. She wore only thin fabrics to keep herself warm and had no shoes. Her skin felt cold as ice. The Hunters who found her quickly brought her into town, giving her shelter in a local in to try and get her warm. She stayed for many nights and it didn't take long for the inn keeper to fall in love with her. But she did not seem to return to his feelings and so he was heartbroken and jealous of all the other men who gave her attention. He demanded she offer him something in trade for her stay and when she could offer nothing, he threw her back out into the snow. The woman went back to the woods and some could hear her howling in anguish, carried through on the strong winds of the blizzard. The Hunters tried to find her, following her cries, but they were unable to, and had to return home before they too might freeze to death. The innkeeper was shunned from the town and forced to leave the city for his cruelty, but nothing stopped the howls of the snow woman.

Throughout the month of February, people will start to hear that the sound of the wind blowing strongly through the streets is starting to sound a little more human-like. The woman's cries will be heard in empty alleys, will be loudest near the edge of the woods, and can even penetrate into dreams. The cries might sometimes sound like cries for help, begging for someone to help save her from the cold. There will be a compulsion that sets deep into the bones of some and many will find it hard to resist her call. Eventually, they may even go looking for her in the woods, trying to brave the winter storms to help the lost snow woman.

Those who give in to that temptation will eventually find the snow woman, but she will not be friendly when found. Her skin has turned a pale white, her lips blue, her eyes glowing a bright red, her long hair blowing every which way in the wind. She will rush at whoever she sees, but instead of giving a physical blow to guard against, she will go through any solid objects and latch on to the soul of her target, possessing their bodies. Male or female, it doesn't seem to matter, she simply wants a chance at life again.

Those who are possessed by the snow woman will not realize they are possessed. They will forget why it was they came out into the woods looking for and will return to the city in a daze. As time passes, they will find that they become irritated by any signs of affection, will become physically aggressive towards couples they see around them, and will attack those who care about them most. The spirit does not necessarily hate love: instead, they see affection as a possible risk for all those who love others. Jealousy kills and she wants to save everyone around her from it, as well as keeping herself safe from losing this new chance at life.

Signs of possession outside of the aggression can be noticed by others. The possessed person will have: ice cold skin, blue-tinged lips, they might shiver even when inside where it's warm, and an aversion to fire or warm/hot water.

Information on how to banish the snow woman from another's body can be found in a book of local legends. This book is sold in stores or can be found in the Archives. To save someone from the snow woman, people must tell the possessed person the things they love most about them. It will cause the possessed person to react violently, so it is suggested that they be restrained during the process. The longer they are forced to hear the positive messages about love, the feelings that they can stir up in another (whether platonic or romantic), and the safety that can be found in that love, the more weakened the hold from the snow woman will be. When the possessed person eventually stops struggling, a cut must be made on the back of their neck, before a cloth soaked in warm rose water must be placed on top of the wound. Their skin will begin to steam before a large gust of snow will pour from their mouth, swirling around the room, and smash through the window. It's suggested to leave it open if you'd like to save the glass.

CODING
entreats: (she's not good enough)

speedy dates

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-11 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Ange is very much like your typical reality tv star: not here to make friends.

In other words, she's definitely been dragged into this against her will. But now she's here, she's at least glad that she's not - yet - being forced into socializing with someone she doesn't know already. Sure, whatever, she'll sit here with Battler for a few moments. Much better than talking to a stranger.

She's even willing to take a glance at his profile. Even as her own is automatically being sent to him. ]


Onii-chan, who'd call you 'the most eligible'? Are you sure you didn't just write this yourself?
chessboardturn: (005)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-11 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, of course I didn't.

[ No zaps! He eyes Ange's profile in response. ]

This seems kinda heavy, don't you think?
entreats: (but they were never yours)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-14 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Heavy?

[ Apparently she didn't see her own yet, so she takes a moment to actually look at it.

.. which means there's a slight pause as she's reading it. Though - even as she does - her facial expression doesn't seem to change. She doesn't even really look surprised. Or maybe she's just pulling her usual trick of trying to deadpan it away, because the first thing she says once she's done processing it is just: ]


Well, they're right about the no sex part.

[ Thanks, Ange. Very insightful commentary. Of all things to focus on..

Also, please don't discuss these things in front of your brother. ]
chessboardturn: (002)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-15 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Battler is many things. But hearing his darling little sister mention sex makes him sit up straight. He gives her a look. ]

I sure hope there isn't any!

[ LOOK. He knows she's married, but- ]

That's not what I meant, anyway....
entreats: (so in love with the wrong world)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-16 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Battler is lucky in the sense that this might just be the one thing Ange won't give the whole 'I'm a grownup and can do what I want' speech about..

Instead it seems that the attention is instead being turned back to what he actually wanted to talk about. ]


Then what did you mean?

[ .. even if the way someone might view the rest of Ange's dating profile is apparently going entirely over her head, judging by her way too casual attitude. Mostly since she figures Battler knows it's not like it's totally true, anyway. ]

They always write nonsense on these things.
chessboardturn: (015)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-16 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
More the whole biting someone's throat out and killing them? Kinda intense.

[ This from the boy who met his wife via murder mysteries. ]

Even if it's nonsense, it's still creepy, isn't it?
entreats: but better is no excuse for tonight (so you almost feel better)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-19 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sure, Ange agrees that it's a little creepy, objectively speaking.. But maybe she's just been desensitized to this stuff, between everything that happened back home, and then in the dream, and now here..

When something isn't some active threat, it feels hard to care that much about creepiness anymore. ]


Isn't it a good thing though? No one is going to be weird and hit on me when my profile says something like that. [ Because Ange is sure there's enough idiots to ignore the wedding ring on her finger. ]
chessboardturn: (014)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-19 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I mean, I guess so.

[ He pouts a little. Let him be a protective older brother! Even if he's... younger now. Look, time shenanigans are weird. ]

It still feels like something that you'd see in a horror story or something.
entreats: (tenderly around her)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-21 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
.. would you rather have us talk about your profile then?

[ See, Ange can compromise!

It's not like she can change anything about her own profile, after all, even though she would if she could if Battler would pout enough about it.. He may be the protective big-younger brother, but Ange is weak enough to that pout deep down that she'd give in.

But if she can't do anything about that, maybe she can just distract him. If not just with-- ]


I mean, I'm seeing that bi-curious on there. Even with the question mark. [ It still counts!! ]
chessboardturn: (002)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-21 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
...I mean, if you want-

[ OH. He chokes a little and leans back in his seat, blushing. ]

S-so what if you are? I mean - they put anything on there, right?
entreats: (i don't want to talk)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-22 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure.

[ Her own profile proves as much..

But then again, putting that on Battler's would almost feel a little mundane at this point. Or maybe a Pthumerian did it just to get him to blush like this in the first place? ]


But is it true or not? [ PLEASE, ANGE... Don't be so blunt with the poor guy... ]
chessboardturn: (004)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-22 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I mean-

[ UH. He's a little trapped, isn't he? ]

Maybe a little? If they're cute?
entreats: (and every magazine tells her)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-23 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
You know it's cool if you think that, right? [ Ange figures that Battler may have figured as much as well at this point. Trench is not exactly subtle when it comes to sexuality stuff, thanks to all the people here from all these different worlds..

It's probably a combination of that and the fact that Ange has always cared very little of what a society that hated her anyway thought of her that keeps her so casual as she talks about it now.

Though there's a faint gentle angle to it. She doesn't want Battler to feel uncomfortable here, after all. ]


I don't really understand the appeal of most guys either, but some are alright, I guess.
chessboardturn: (014)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-23 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I... well. Yeah, I know.

[ He hunches his shoulders a little awkwardly. Talking about his sexuality with his sister is a little strange. He purses his lips. ]

...It's like - some boys are just cute, you know? You look at them and... and... they're not girls. But you still like them.

[ He's trying. ]
entreats: (with everything you said)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-24 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Perhaps Battler's one mercy here is the fact that Ange isn't busy making deadpan jokes about this. No - she actually seems to take it rather seriously, pausing and considering what he's saying for a moment before speaking up again. ]

So have you ever seen a boy you thought that about?

[ He must've realised it somehow, right? ]
chessboardturn: (005)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-24 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
...well. Kanon, I guess?

[ Considering who Kanon was and turned out to be, maybe that wasn't a surprise. ]
entreats: (trying to bloom in snow)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-26 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's almost wondrous how quickly Ange's attitude seems to change here. Sure, she was being casual about it, but she was still showing a relative amount of interest..

.. and then it's suddenly all gone in an instant. It's like someone deflated a balloon. Ange lets out the most dramatic teen sigh as she slumps in her seat. ]


I should've known. Onii-chan, you're so predictable.

[ Quite literally attracted to one, yet many..... ]
chessboardturn: (004)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-26 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He came out here to have a good time and he's feeling incredibly attacked right now. ]

Hey! Kanon counts...!

[ He frowns and folds his arms. ]

I mean... Oscar's cute, too. [ Although he's not sure if that's gonna fly very well, either. ]
entreats: (was to just blame myself)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-02-27 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not here to talk with you about how attracted you are to your wife!

[ Okay, technically.. it's not his wife. But also, it is, right. It may be Complicated, but it skirts just close enough to him talking about his wife that Ange feels like she has to cut this off right away, because she is so not here for in-law talk.

Sorry, big bro. She loves you, just not your previously proven to be terrible taste in romantic interests.

Thankfully what he says next gets the girl to stop bristling, instead stopping to blink at him in surprise. ]


.. really, though? Oscar?

[ Not that she seems to disapprove, she's just.. surprised. Like she didn't see that one coming. ]

What about him do you find cute?
chessboardturn: (014)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-02-28 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ At least she's not telling him he's silly for being into Kanon anymore. He leans back in his chair sheepishly, gaze up at the ceiling. How does he even start to describe this? Or say it out loud? It made sense in his head, but putting it into words feels harder. ]

He's just-

[ He gestures, trying to find the right way to say it. ]

...he's got this energy about him. Just... enthusiastic, you know? And he looks cute. Freckles. The way his hair ruffles...
entreats: (with everything you said)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-03-02 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
.. I guess.

[ Sorry for the lack of enthusiasm in her answer, Battler. It has nothing to do with her judging his tastes or choices - this time! - as much as it has to do with the fact that Ange has a hard time seeing what's attractive about most people other than her wife..

But she's trying. She wants to be a supportive little-big-sister here! ]


Oscar is a good kid. And you guys both got that whole 'way too nice and so you can't stop constantly helping every single person around you' thing going on.
chessboardturn: (014)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-03-03 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
...do we? I haven't talked to him enough to know. Just chatted once or twice.

[ Wait a moment. ]

-am I really too nice? Is that what you think about me?
entreats: (i won't wander anymore)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-03-05 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Without missing even a beat: ]

Of course.

[ Apparently she's so sure about it that there's just no hesitation.. She's even blinking at him with a pretty serious expression now. ]

What, do you think you aren't?
chessboardturn: (013)

[personal profile] chessboardturn 2023-03-06 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
...I dunno. I never thought about it. Never thought about it too much. I just... want to be good to the people around me, you know?

[ Look, it's a little awkward. ]
entreats: (when the most i could do)

[personal profile] entreats 2023-03-07 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
That's what makes you a way too good person. Most people aren't like that.

[ .. granted, it seems that a lot more people here are like that compared to back home, at least. It's something Ange has found out about a long time ago.

But by the standards of their world? Battler is definitely way too nice for his own good. ]


Isn't that why that witch tricked you in the first place before? [ No, she will never forget. "Grudge" is Ange's middle name, okay. Who cares that Battler and Beatrice are basically married now, never forget!!! ] Because you were being too nice to her.

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