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

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"Not that long ago I'd probably have made a bigger deal of it."

But in light of everything, the things she had learned, the things she had lost, shoes were just a smallest of her concerns. Having to walk barefoot on cold pavement for a few blocks, weren't there kids in Zaun doing it every day, and losing a good pair of boots, the explosion from Jinx's rocket flashed in her mind and Caitlyn had to stop for a moment and close her eyes. A small twinge in her back causing her draw a breath.

"I'm sorry, I just realized I haven't asked your name yet, or introduced myself. I'm Caitlyn, Caitlyn Kiramman, and have just recently arrived, just over a month ago."

Something inside of the girl freezes up the moment she hears that name. Thankfully it's not an external kind of freezing, since Chizuru is still walking on, but it's like there's a chill running down her spine. She has heard that name before, after all. When Jinx talked about a person showing up from her own world, a person she feared would take everything away from her..

.. that was this person?

"Ah.."

She tries to mask her surprise by letting out that slight sound, like she's processing what the other is saying, but there's definitely something a little more awkward about Chizuru's demeanour in this moment.

"My name is.. Chizuru." Look, she's definitely not smart enough to make up a fake name on the spot. So she might as well go with the truth, despite her sudden nerves. "Chizuru Yukimura."

She pauses after that. Maybe she's thinking about how much to give away here. Should she be careful around this person, if Caitlyn is such a threat to Jinx..?

Maybe she should first see what Chizuru can figure out here first. Isn't that what the men of the Shinsengumi would have done if they were in her shoes right now?

"What have you thought about your stay here so far..?"

Caitlyn definately caught the slight change in demeanor, maybe this was someone familiar with Piltover? Her mother had made sure the Kiramman name was one well respected for its contributions. Which often made it difficult for Caitlyn.

She didn't press though.

"Chizuru Yukimura, well thank you for your help Ms. Yukimura. So far my stay has been, surprising. Luckily I have a friend that offered me a place to stay otherwise I'd probably be having a pretty hard time."

"A friend? There's someone here you know?"

Someone from back home, Chizuru imagines. Maybe Caitlyn is just very friendly - even if that wouldn't really mesh with the stuff Chizuru heard from Jinx - but Chizuru assumes it's most likely just that there was someone she already knew from back home.. Someone she'd consider a friend.

There's a tiny moment of hesitation, wondering if she should ask, but then Chizuru just goes for it.

"What's their name..?"

"More of an acquaintance, a friend of a friend. His name is Viktor, and he was the partner to my childhood friend Jayce. They worked together as part of the academy back home. They're work is set to change the world, and knowing Jayce it certainly will."

She had never doubted his greatness, or his determination. Caitlyn knew that his drive was just as strong as her own, though their goals were very different from one another, it was that shared passion for their respective paths that helped them to come together; even as the misfits they were.

"Before coming here I'd really only met Viktor on occasion when visiting to bring Jayce lunch or check in on him. But since, we've had the opportunity to talk a little more and to get to know one another. He's just as brilliant, and kind."

...

Well, this sure is forming a complicated web, that's all Chizuru knows for sure. She knows Jinx, after all. And she also knows Viktor, though the latter has never spoken to her of Caitlyn before, which means she only has one perspective on the other..

Which makes it very difficult to know what to do about this situation, other than first get the shoes fixed anyway. To just continue walking there as she is doing now, and then figure out what to do from there.

".. Viktor is indeed very kind. I know him fairly well here."

At least him and Caitlyn not having known each other much would explain why she's only heard Jinx speak of her, huh..

"But.. if they were working at an academy, then what did you do back home..?" Honestly, the thing Chizuru really wants to know here is the other's opinion of Jinx, just to gauge how much of a potential problem Caitlyn really is. But asking that out of the blue is too dangerous, so Chizuru is just trying to see if she can gently nudge this along in a specific reaction until she may be able to land a mention of the other somehow.

"I was an enforcer. I guess the closest thing that I've seen here are the hunters, only instead of monsters we would try to track down people who broke the law."

Well if her mother had her way, Caitlyn would have only been on duty at parties and social events for the council, not in any actual position to persue anyone on the streets. But often enough she defied the orders of the captain and her mother and went on patrol anyways, or did independent investigations she wasn't necessarily assigned to do.

"I was really hoping to make a difference, to make people's lives better, safer."

Chizuru faintly nods as she takes in the answer. At least the concept of an enforcer isn't totally foreign to her - maybe the title itself is, sure, but the Shinsengumi were a group who similarly tried to keep the peace..

.. but at the same time, it also explains why Jinx may be at odds with Caitlyn back home. Jinx had said the other tried to take everything away from her - was she trying to get Jinx locked up for some reason..?

"So.."

Hm. H-How to word this..

"How did that work out for you..?"

"I thought it was going well. Until shortly before I arrived."

Since the the last three to four days before her arrival Caitlyn had thou8ght she was on the verge of soing something that would ehlp an innumerable arou8nt of people and bring peace and justice to a large part of Piltover.

"My mother, if she had her way would have seen to it I never had a real patrol. But I found out something, stumbled across something huge, the affected not only Piltover but almost all of the undercity as well. One person that seemed to be manipulating everything. But then everything started falling apart."

So.. there's some family issues there. Or maybe just an overprotective mother? It's a little hard for Chizuru to tell, given her own complicated relationship with her father..

But she only ruminates on that for a moment before her attention is drawn to another part of this instead. One person-- Could that be Jinx, if Caitlyn really was after her as much as Jinx made it sound..?

"Why did it fall apart? Didn't you find that person..?"

"I found someone who get me close to someone that had the answers. I just didn't realize how bad the corruption was or how far it was spread."

The her captain had been on Silco's payroll wasn't something that Cailyn had ever dreamed of, or that he would try to kill her and Vi to get the hextech crystal back. Then there was the entire drama with Jinx, and Silco wanting to kill Vi to keep control of Jinx. All of it was something that she only half managed to catch and understand.

"The man that I was looking for Silco. He was a lot worse that I realized, paid off a lot more people that I thought could be bought. I couldn't get anyone to help me take him down. That should have been the end of it. We'd lost, Vi was returning to the undercity, I was left disgraced. But that wasn't enough apparently."

...

"It sounds like.. a complicated situation."

And Chizuru has a whole lot of thoughts, but obviously she will keep all of those to herself. She thinks she'll need a bit to process this information anyway. It'd be easier if she could directly ask Jinx about her side of all of this, but she wouldn't want to upset the other by having spoken to Caitlyn, even if accidentally..

Maybe this, too, is a complicated situation.

".. but you have a chance to leave that all behind now you're here. You can live a new life, and not think about any of that again." Sure, Chizuru does mean those words.

But it also helps that it'd mean Caitlyn wouldn't think of Jinx nor do anything bad to her either. Chizuru does have some stake here.

"I don't think that I can. I can't just forget about my mother, my best friend, all the lives that were lost because of my choices; because of what she did."

But that was why she hadn't gone looking for Jinx even after she'd found out that the other was in the city. Caitlyn knew that she wouldn't be able to keep from doing something rash with how raw the emotions were still. And it was something that would slowly eat away at her, even as she presented the proper poised smile that she'd always been taught to maintain.

"And I can't avoid it, everywhere I go it seems like they've already been there and left their mark. I can try to start over, but I don't think I can have what I really want."

Chizuru stops walking for a moment, instead politely bowing towards the other. It's nothing too long, nothing that lingers - Caitlyn is still a very complicated existence to Chizuru in particular, after all.

But she's still too polite to not do that before speaking up with what she's about to say next.

"Please forgive me for being so direct, or so presumptuous."

(Overly polite like usually. At least she's standing upright again by now.)

"But do you think your mother, or your best friend, or any of those people.. That they'd want you to live while carrying all of those painful and heavy feelings still with you?"

Caitlyn stopped, noting the bow and the apology for being presumptuous, to which she shook her head without interupting the other. And usually, it propbably would have been a good point, and in a week or two perhaps it would have had been enough to get Caitlyn to accept starting over. But in her current headspace, she took a moment and closed her eyes taking a deep breath, "I'm not really sure."

All she could hear was her mother's stern disapproval of the path that she insisted on following, becoming a common patrol level enforcer rather than properly studying politics and preparing to become a member of the council as he mother did. The warning that what she was doing was dangerous and that she should just stop. Jayce's offer to become a part of his private security, so she wouldn't have to deal with chasing dead end leads on smuggled goods.

Then there were the voice like Ekko's, dismissing all Enforcers as being bias, sell outs, those who only mock being about be just and fair. If she just forgot about it and walked away, wouldn't she be exactly what they said.

"All I know right now, is that I have no jurisdiction or right to seek justice for anything that happened in Piltover here. That there is nothing that I can do to change what happened either. At the same time I don't really know what I wasnt to do, so for now I'm trying to do what is familiar, trying to protect the people of this city as best as I can. And so I've been working with the hunters, and have been learning a little more about this place to try and figure out just where I belong."

".. I don't think figuring out who you want to be here is a bad thing."

At least she can say that much. It feels like something that's safe enough to say - because Chizuru sure doesn't want to say anything here that would lead Caitlyn to persue Jinx once more. And it feels a little manipulative to lead her away from that on purpose, but.. pushing for this isn't a bad thing, right? It'd be good for Caitlyn herself too, and it might keep Jinx safe as well. A win-win situation.

"I suppose I'm just saying-- you shouldn't let yourself get weighed down too much by the past, or by your home. Even though I know it can be hard to let those things go." There's a pause, and then a half-flustered shake of her head. "I'm sorry, I-- I hope that makes sense. Um, maybe just see it as advice from someone who has been here for a long while already.."

"It does, I guess in a way it'd kind of where I am right now. I could try to have them repair the boot, but it will take a lot more time and probably materials than I have right now. I could probably get a new pair, more suited to the terrain and area here, and it would benefit me to do so."

But letting go of feelings, of family and friends, was a lot harder than just getting rid of an old pair of boots that were falling apart.

"I appreciate the advice."

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and my heart went 'boom!'

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