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

.. you never know for sure.

[ Despite the girl's apparent timid nature, her tone does seem to take on a relatively serious edge as she says those words. Chizuru knows better than to underestimate Trench or anything that happens there, especially with how long she's already been in the town.

It makes her frown slightly. ]

There's always the possibility that there's something more dangerous to this. Usually there's monsters, or-- or something else that could cause death, or at least injury. [ She even glances around after she says it. Like there might be some monster hidden in a corner they just haven't quite spotted yet.

You know, despite this room they're in right now not exactly being incredibly large. ]

It's crossed my mind. We were threatened with an unpleasant death the last time, which is why this seemed strangely forgiving.

[ chizuru can at least take some comfort in the fact that stelmaria seems at ease other than the quick back-and-forth twitching of her tail tip, which is likely where asriel's wariness bleeds through. nothing seems like a threat, at least for now. ]

It was a physical connection before. Now we're sat here and encouraged to interrogate each other.

[ skipping "date" or "conversation" to get right to interrogation probably says a lot about how he is. ]

I imagine if we were to refuse, we would be compelled.

[ another tick in the mental tally of all the ways the Pthumerians offend him. ]

[ See, going straight to 'interrogation' is.. something, alright.

But this is the girl whose only social circle back home ever has been a group of military men. It means that she doesn't even blink at the way he views this. In fact, there's something more comforting about that than anything else about the other's demeanour. Chizuru thinks that if she shifts her mentality a little, and just thinks of this man as one of the Shinsengumi captains, this might actually be a whole lot easier to deal with.

Mostly since it'd just be more familiar.

It makes her sit upright, at attention, the way she might have back home if she knew things were serious. ]

In that case.. Shouldn't we do this, just to avoid it getting worse? We can figure out a way in which it is less difficult for you, sir. [ Because of course Chizuru's mind immediately goes towards the other person, rather than towards her own comfort.. ] Maybe what is going on here will be satisfied just by you asking me questions.

[ Which means he wouldn't really have to offer up any personal information of his own. ]

[ asriel was just about to agree to go along with it, mainly because some people pry just to pry, and chizuru gives him the impression that that isn't the case.

he never gets the chance because how she frames the offer distracts him from the thought. it's not like he's any stranger to people trying to make him comfortable, but they tend not to be people he just met. ]

And why would you do that? You owe me nothing, nor are you someone appropriately compensated for the trouble.

[ stelmaria makes a low sound like laughter. sure, sometimes people are just nice. sometimes they put others ahead of themselves. asriel is not a well-liked person; no one does these things for him for free. ]

Whatever they have in store, I don't fear it.

[ he's also proud and needs to prove that none of this is too difficult. it may have been meant nicely, but leave it to him to find a way to turn an innocent comment into a challenge. ]

Ask your questions.

[ There's something terribly ironic about Chizuru thinking she should just view this stern-looking man as one of the Shinsengumi men, only for him to go ahead and tell her something the men of the Shinsengumi quite literally told her back home as well. It almost makes her wonder if he managed to read her mind for a moment, but then she decides it's not likely - especially since it still wouldn't have given him those exact words.

It's just a coincidence. An odd one, yes-- but also one that gives Chizuru some confidence, spurs her on, even when Asriel manages to turn this around entirely on her. ]

Well, then..

[ Usually she'd argue that she should be on the harder side of this, but it's one thing to be that stubborn with a friend, and another entirely with a kind of intimidating guy who has a dangerous animal with him..

So she looks at the Omni and the questions they were given, reading the one on her device out loud. ]

"What would you change about the world?"

[ .. wow, they sure got some weirdly deep questions.. ]

A little less of all this, for one thing, in a general sense.

[ asriel is just fine with practical questions that have practical answers, so this is an easy answer for him. something like changing the world is the kind of thing he does, and he is happy to get other people involved, which usually means hearing himself talk. ]

No one should be subjected to being pushed and pulled around because the gods or anyone else feel like they know what's best for us better than we do. I have always fought for freedom and knowledge, and the right to complete control of our own lives. That hasn't changed just because I've come here.

...

[ At first she's quiet - other than a tiny, yet surprised sound the girl releases. When she continues, it's to say: ]

That's a really impressive answer.

[ Sure, the paleblood compliments curse sure is working right here for her, but it's something the girl may even have said naturally. It is impressive, after all. Being able to say something like that so easily. ]

Have you thought about how to change it then, sir? It seems to be like all of this is.. [ .. She pauses, seeming to think about her wording. A little above their paygrade, Chizuru would call it, if she were a little less old-fashioned. ] .. well, we're dealing with some really powerful forces.

Well, I've compared the pthumerians to beekeepers in the past, so it's a sufficient analogy now. From the bee's perspective, a human is vastly powerful and godlike, and we assume we understand the other only by its actions that we can perceive. The wrong moves can change the keeper from a nurturing protector to a threat. Enough stings can kill a human, but just one can be a powerful deterrent.

[ he sounds like someone who has a great trick they just haven't revealed yet. asriel has always been an optimist, and he's never failed, even if he's had to adjust his methods and deal with setbacks. of course, he believes he's going to succeed. ]

Admittedly, I haven't figured out how yet, but I will. I've done it before.

[ There are plenty of people who'd question this sort of thing. Especially people who have been in this place for as long as Chizuru has.

But this girl - she doesn't. After all, Asriel sounds so certain about what he's saying here, and he has an entire metaphor at the ready too. It's not like Chizuru ever needs very much to be convinced, but conviction is always something that tends to hit her pretty hard, leaving her staring at the man with wide eyes. ]

You really think you could make this a safer place for everyone..? [ That seems to be the gist to her, and in Chizuru's opinion, that would definitely be a great thing.

Especially when she's seen so many of her friends hurt already. ]

If you figure out how, or if you have any questions that might help with figuring it out-- please let me know, sir! If it's to keep everyone safe, I'd gladly help where I can..!

That's the idea, yes.

[ asriel says the words slowly, surprised by her willingness to offer help so easily. he's used to everyone having an opinion and always expects to be the unpopular opinion in the room, so this is a refreshing departure from the usual. ]

This world is dangerous, but it's a danger that can be mitigated. Removing the physical and psychological consequences of Pthumerians tampering with our lives would be a marked improvement, especially for those who fear them.

[ ambitious as he is, asriel cares about the meek and fearful and anyone who can't fight for themselves. his intentions have always been good; some find his methods objectionable. ]

There is always a need for information, whether from an old book or anecdotal evidence. I've only been here briefly, and so much of my work has been playing catch up and sifting through quite a lot to figure out what's relevant.

Well, I haven't really read much about them..

[ There's a touch of guilt in her voice as the girl admits to it, though it's mostly self-imposed this time around, rather than her fully being intimidated by him. He didn't imply that she should have, after all.

It's why she only lingers on it for a moment before offering the more helpful: ]

But I guess I have a lot of anecdotal evidence.. I've already been here for a year now. Though most of the Pthumerians don't show up much around town, especially lately, so I haven't interacted with many directly. [ She seems to think for a moment. ] I guess the one that was around the most last month was.. I think the one called Argonaut..?

It's not exactly light reading. A lot of Scholars have lived in Trench and they all have their own opinions and findings. If it's not pertinent information, I can't blame anyone for saving themselves the trouble.

[ it's him versus the library experience you end up with when for every useful book there are two more where the author was clearly succumbing to eldritch madness. he does not wish this on others.

asriel is great at a lot of things, but keeping it off of his face when he's interested in something isn't one of them. it's the cat in him, probably, because stelmaria's expression is much the same. ]

Is it unusual for Argonaut to appear frequently? That one is typically drawn to people, isn't it?

[ Chizuru softly hums. ]

It seemed that way. When that one was around, I remember seeing it often even just sitting on people.. [ Granted, maybe Chizuru should have provided the context as to what Argonaut is, since it otherwise just makes it sound like there's some person going around literally sitting on people.

But maybe she figures that Asriel already knows, if he's got some ideas about the Pthumerian already. ]

It mostly stood out to me since I haven't seen many of the other ones interact with people that directly. [ There's a pause, and then there's a tiny thoughtful frown on Chizuru's face as she adds: ] Why do you think Argonaut is drawn to people? Does it.. like us?

I suppose it does. According to the locals, it's meant to represent Hope. However, there is some debate about whether the Patrons' associations were adopted by them intentionally or if humans have ascribed them those traits over time.

[ it's not a distinction that matters to him, ordinarily. ]

But you're asking the right questions. It always begs the question of why they involve themselves in our lives. There must be some benefit.

[ despite Argonaut's efforts, he doesn't chalk it up to the rest of them doing it out of the kindness of their hearts. ]

.. well, I suppose I'm just curious since I've.. never really seen anything like it before now.

[ These Pthumerians are really unlike anything in her own world, after all, unless you truly believe in gods or spirits - but that sort of thing has always been a little bit above Chizuru.

Especially since even if they might have existed back home, it's not like they are quite like here. So visible. So present at all times, an evident force affecting their lives. ]

The only non-human beings I know of back home were not supposed to involve themselves with the human world in any way. What the Ptumerians do is very different. They're involving themselves with us on purpose. [ Or so it seems, anyway. ]

Was that a rule in your world? It varied in mine, but in most cases, each group kept to itself. That was the safest thing to do for all involved.

[ asriel doubts she cares about diplomatic relations involving witches and armoured bears, so he'll spare her. ]

I doubt the Pthumerians give much thought to safety, though. They have the advantage there. One reason they do it might simply be that they can.

[ so maybe it's time to teach them some respect. ]

[ She frowns - though its nature mostly seems thoughtful, like this is something she really has to consider. ]

It depends on your definition of a rule, I suppose. [ Which is not something she's saying to be difficult. Chizuru would ever hate to be, after all - but it's just that it's hard to call it a hard rule exactly, especially in the time she lived. ] But lately there have been people who have been breaking it. I.. suppose also just because of what you're saying. Because they can, and because they have the advantage over humans.

[ It's hard to call what some demons were doing back home any different, after all. ]

But they also seemed to have a more direct goal. [ A very, very direct one. ] And I hadn't really seen that from the Pthumerians before, so I suppose I didn't make the connection until now, sir.

Ah. So more of an unspoken rule, in that case.

[ being a logical sort, asriel can't entirely brush something aside just because it's an inconvenient truth, so he has to admit chizuru has raised a point he hasn't considered as thoroughly as he probably should. ]

It's possible they don't all view us in the same way. The Patrons are easily in their own class and are powerful enough that some people see them as gods. They might assume they have the right, and no one in the entire history of Sleepers existing in this world has likely ever truly challenged the idea.

[ .. that leaves only one obvious question, doesn't it.

Or rather - a question that's obvious to Chizuru, a girl who is generally so cautious. Who can't help but think of everything in terms of possible consequences. And this man-- he seems so capable that she feels like he must have thought about as much too. He'll have an answer to the question, surely. ]

Then.. what do you think will happen if someone does challenge them on it?

[ She looks like she's ready to take the answer in pretty seriously. ]

Well. We know a little about that already, don't we?

[ he wasn't around, but he's heard about instances where others have tried and failed, like the attempt on mariana. he's working with the guy who did it, after all. clearly, this has not discouraged asriel in the slightest. ]

To be honest, I couldn't say for sure.

[ he hates to say this after being so confident about everything else, but he's never been afraid to admit he doesn't know; it's always said with the kind of threatening aura that implies he intends to find out. ]

I suppose it would depend on how it's done. If we fight them, I expect them to fight back. Will they pursue us if we attempt to free ourselves without killing them? That's the real question. Will they let us go peacefully, or do they consider themselves our jailers as well? I'll be prepared to fight either way.

[ that is something he is very sure of. ]

[ There's a pause at that - though thankfully not one too long that the chair would zap her over it. Especially since it's not a pause to avoid replying to what he's saying. It's more that the girl needs a moment to process that idea. She's used to the idea of battle, at least, even of war. She knows sometimes violence is necessary to reach a good outcome.

But humans fighting humans is one thing. Humans fighting beings powerful enough to be considered gods..

That makes her briefly bite her lower lip before she looks back at him. ]

In that case.. please be very careful, sir. It sounds like you're doing a good thing for everyone, and.. I wouldn't want you to get badly hurt because of it. [ Let alone worse. Since Chizuru is very much imagining death could be a possible outcome here.

Despite the fact that it's not even like she knows Asriel very well, her words sound genuine. Like she truly is concerned for his wellbeing all the same. ]

[ his brows lift in momentary surprise, caught off guard by the unexpected well wishes. asriel knows he is not a person who is easily liked, and so he rarely cares how anyone else thinks of him.

after a second or two, he lets out a short sigh and smiles somewhat apologetically. ]

Well, I can't make any promises, but we will try our best not to be reckless.

[ how exactly he defines reckless in this context is debatable given what he's done in the past, but stelmaria is likely to hold him to it anyway. ]

If you hear anything interesting or need something, you only need to ask around in Gaze. Anyone can tell you where to go.

[ as if further proof that the man doesn't know how to accept a simple kindness, he'll repay it with the offer of a favour. he can live with that. ]

[ For a moment there seems to be some surprise or confusion in the girl's eyes when the man mentions a we - but when her gaze turns towards his Omen, she thinks that that is probably the other half of this mystical 'we', making it make a little more sense to her.

Besides, she's easily distracted either way by what he continues to say. ]

Oh.. Alright. [ Chizuru nods, perhaps speaking on a little more quickly as she's aware they're running out of time for now. ] I'll make sure to remember that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

and my heart went 'boom!'

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