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

Ideally, no one is going to get buried in rubble.

[ He shrugs. ]

I'll take the chance if you do.

Already ahead of you.

[ None of it was a serious deterrent; he's faced harder things than bad luck.

But the bad luck isn't finished yet. From a nearby shop, a man and child exit. The child is crying, but the scene seems like nothing more than a father taking his son out to eat though the latter still has a drink in hand. Cries of 'but I want candy' mark the interaction as innocent enough.

Until the child throws the drink but as childish aim tends to be, with poor direction. It sails past his father and hits the ground close enough to both Ash and Battler to have the full cup of milk splash at them. The radius is so perfected targetted that it fills almost intentional by the cup itself. While Ash does move out of the way at the last moment, he's not going to run from milk so there's still some splash. ]

I should've just worn a plastic bag.

[ Oh.

That's not great. Battler tries to sidestep the incoming milky missile but it splatters everywhere and he can feel the damp clothing clinging to his skin.

Eyuck.

He tries to shake his damp sleeve out, expression rueful. ]

Somehow I get the feeling that wouldn't help.

I've been here less than a week.

[ Ash wipes at the thickest of the liquid. ]

My wardrobe was as impressive as that throw.

[ Though he's been more sarcastic than sincerely moody until this point, sincere annoyance sneaks in. ]

I'm going inside before planes are invited just to crash into this place.

I don't think we have planes here, but I take your point.

[ Battler is... managing to be a bit more in good humor about the whole thing, but he steps forward all the same, weaving his way through the door. Although he's warily watching his step, because the last thing he needs is another splatter of food or to just trip. ]

[ Ash is likely allergic to good humor in the traditional sense. Thankfully, he's able to roll with most situations with humor in the form of sarcasm, but he's sincerely annoyed now.

Either way, he manages to make it inside without tripping over shoe laces that don't exist. It's a smaller shop, but the wooden carvings have been moved to be in view. Ash makes for the shelf and grabs the closest though there are a few left. ]

Does this place have some kind of connection between luck and octopi?

...I don't think so. We all show up as squids.

[ He leans up to peer over Ash's shoulder to get a better look at the carvings. ]

Think I need one, too? Or will the one cover both of us...?

[ He tries to get a better look - and then there's a little 'oop' as his foot slips in something and she shoves into Ash's back, sending them both tumbling right into the shelf display. ]

They pro...

[ Whatever Ash planned to say is cut off as the shelf breaks beneath their combined weight, sending the carvings falling down on their head. Shocked, a nearby customer jumps back, sending him crashing into a glass shelf nearby, creating even more chaos. Once a calm manages to find the store, a single sigh can be heard from the store clerk.

Ash and Battler weren't their first round of bad luck.

On the ground, with the danger passed, Ash moves to a stand. In the resulting mayhem and with how quickly he moves, it might be easy for Battle to miss the fact he'd covered the red-covered head if Battler had fallen to the ground as well. ]

Did they break?

[ There's a clatter, crash, bang and Battler is momentarily stunned as everything falls apart around them. He finds that he's partially underneath Ash and he coughs, trying to regain his orientation and footing. He hastily starts to scramble to his feet. ]

I don't think so - or... not all of them, anyway.

[ Some of the charms definitely seem to be worse for wear... but there's a few left that are intact. ]

...man, you weren't kidding.

[ Jade eyes scan the room; no one is bleeding, and everybody seems capable of moving. As disastrous as this seemed, it could have been worse. ]

On my way here, a guy accidentally kicked a pebble that scared a dog that ran into a man which caused him to throw his coffee at me. I wasn't kidding.

Grab a couple.

[ At this point, Ash is willing to see if it'll work with a stranger. ]

This is so dumb.

[ Battler mutters as he grabs a couple charms and hustles toward the cashier to pay before anything else goes wrong. ]

[ Ash waits by the entrance in hopes that some distance will keep a little of the bad luck at bay. Once Battler joins him, Ash is all too happy to return outside. ]

Tell me you're not a Paleblood.

[ According to his research, their blood types have to be different. With his luck, Battler will be a match in the wrong kind of way. ]

Darkblood. So that shouldn't be a problem, right?

[ He just wants to get this over with. ]

It might actually be better.

[ It's safe to say they're opposites. ]

You're probably not going to be impressed by my place.

[ Ash isn't the kind of person to trust a stranger enough to visit their home turf, but he needs to make sure the blood takes.

He smirks. ]

So it looks like you have a roomie for a couple of hours.

Hey, I can work with that. It won't be a problem - if it gets us out of this rut, that's the important part right?

[ He doesn't mind being friendly. It's just how he is. ]

C'mon. It's a bit of a hike.

How long?

[ The bad luck is getting worse. At this rate, he'll end up with a broken foot on the 'hike'. ]

A few minutes? It shouldn't be too far...

[ Yeah, no broken ankles, please. ]

[ A few minutes. That wasn't much of a hike, thankfully. ]

Good. I don't know who'd be carrying who if it was much longer.

[ While it's a real possibility, there's enough sarcasm to suggest that Ash isn't really as stressed about it as the comments seem. It's annoying, not life-breaking. ]

Do you live alone?

Uh, my wife lives with me, but she's probably out right now...

[ He's thinking aloud more than anything. ]

Although she might be able to help if she's home. She's a witch.

Our only qualification for being close is being mutually buried by figurines, together. She'd work for you, but it'd be even harder to call her close for me.

[ There is an upside, admittedly. ]

But she might know what to do if it goes south.

[ Ash turns the wooden figurine in his hands. ]

Has she done this before?

Well, she's cursed other people. Lifting curses... I don't know about that one.

[ Look, two different skill-sets. ]

Cursing people, he says.

[ Why is he only bringing that up now? ]

Are you guys fighting? If you have to pick up some flowers to make sure we're not cursed, make the detour.

Us? Fighting? Oh, no. You'd be able to tell if we were fighting.

[ That's how they met! ]

She'll be fine. I'm positive!

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about.

[ With his luck, it's very likely he'll piss off a woman who can curse him. ]

Does she know you're cursed, too?

...honestly, I'm not sure if she knows or not.

[ Battler needs to communicate a little better. ]

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when you typo invented to invited

RIP

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