Gain the weight of you then lose it

[reddosmod]

JANUARY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Woman in an elaborate blue dress with high collar staring at camera while people dance in background.]
[Image Two: Woman in pink dress touching chest and smiling at camera while people dance in background.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Explicit gif of snake shedding its skin and a new viperlike snake coming out of the old skin.]
[Image Two: Gif of eyes gazing at camera and right eye turning yellow.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Image of rock snake with fire glowing in its mouth.]
[Image Two: Gif of a snake made entirely out of flames hissing.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

SNAKE DEN

WHEN: Evenings throughout January
WHERE: The Red, Cellar Door
CONTENT WARNINGS: Alcohol/Drugs, possible NSFW scenarios, forced honesty, mood altering substances.

---

Around Trench, Sleepers will find a gold-edged flyer pinned to most doors, lamps, and posted around stores and throughout the market. Some may even find the flyer pinned to their front door:

MADAM GENEROSITY INVITES YOU TO THE SNAKE DEN

Hello darling and dearest Sleepers! Do not let the cold dampen your spirit or weaken your hope. Do not allow our differences to divide us; do not let the frigid drive you to isolation; do not hurt your soul by forgetting one another. They say snakes cannot thrive in the cold, yet here I am, defying it, thriving despite it. You can too. We must persist. We shall persist. Not with violence and bloodshed, not with pollution and corruption, but with unity! With compassion and fun.

I invite you all to join me at The Red every odd evening of January! Welcome to the Snake Den! A little Talent Show I throw occasionally to remind Sleepers of their profound potential for greatness and awe! Come be flashy on stage or to support your friends. After the Talent Show is our famed Fashion Show. Do you have eccentric outfits you would like to show off? Now is truly your time to shine!

The evening will be filled with plenty of food and drink for all. We shall dance, we shall show off, we shall persist and defy corruption together. Let my lovely Night Walkers shine and keep you company for the evening. Find some new friends, have an illicit affair, or just come so you don't have to be alone for a night. You are all welcome...And don't worry, I've enchanted the Red so that none of your powers can cause any damage while inside the building. Feel free to really make a light show with your fire! It won't hurt anyone.

I so look forward to seeing all of you there.

With Love,
Madam Generosity

The Red has been elaborately decorated for the Snake Den spectacle. Enormous golden statues of snakes have been placed throughout. Golden lights glitter above. Servers carry about golden flutes of champagne, soda, and sparkling water. You can order other drinks at the bar. While the invite has gone out to Sleepers, there are some regular Trenchies who have come to show their support. To perform in the Talent Show portion, one simply needs to go backstage to prepare with the rest.

A female Trenchie named Dorothea seems to be directing the acts. People can perform multiple times. Talents performed can include music, comedy, dance routines, or little skits. After the Talent Show concludes, a Fashion Show will be put on, and everyone is encouraged to join. You can get your hair and make-up done elaborately backstage and find eccentric outfits to try on if you're not so happy with the one you showed up in.

Going to the Snake Den at this time will cause incredible stress relief. Even those who are typically shy or introverted will find themselves soothed at the Snake Den. Giant pillows have been thrown about so people can puddle in together and snuggle up. Private rooms have been created out of silks for some private conversations or interactions.

There must be something in the drinks or the snacks going around because it becomes easy to become a much more outgoing version of yourself at the party. It may increase friendliness or touchiness and relax people's usual reservations. Who knows? It might encourage you to go up on stage and show off a bit or talk to that handsome stranger who has been eying you the whole night. Regular intoxication from alcohol/drugs is possible as well which means some people might not need the additional encouragement.

Regular dancing occurs after the Fashion Shows with various musicians performing on stage to fill the night up with plenty of mood melodies. As the evening prolongs, the lights dim and things become quiet and soothing. Since paleblood magic is exceptionally strong this month with honesty, attendants of the party may find themselves being more open and honest about themselves. Hopefully, you don't confess anything too vulnerable about yourself...

FAQ:
1. Characters with mental abilities may be able to resist the honesty sway if they consciously realize it is happening.

2. Any talent can be performed on the stage.

3. The flyer is magically enchanted so that people who touch it will feel unusually excited to go to the Snake Den.

THE SHEDDING CEREMONY

WHEN: Begins in January - Effects may be permanent. Players choose when the effects wear off.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Forced modification of body, possible themes of body dysmorphia, shedding/peeling skin, burning/eating dead skin, alternate versions of characters, possible genderswapping, possible alteration of personality/memories.

---

[A passage from Rituals and Reality; Chapter 2: The Shedding Ceremony. Found exclusively in Gaze:]

"Worshippers of Madam Generosity believed that the shedding of snakeskin was symbolic to the shedding of an old life and the acceptance of a new life. The skin left behind was a reminder of past trials and tribulations, and the skin you walk away with is evidence of all that you have learned and experienced. In ancient times, Sleepers would ritualistically select one of their own to sacrifice to Madam Generosity. Eventually, Sleepers would come to learn that Madam Generosity did not appreciate blood sacrifices. Due to her gentle nature, she encouraged Sleepers to pay tribute to her in other ways.

Thus came the Shedding Ceremony. Sleepers would rub away chapped skin and set it afire in a bowl. They would reflect on lives left behind and the new life they had been given in Trench. Over time, this created a powerful magical experience that persisted beyond the original ceremony. The Shedding Ceremony is both a ritual and an enchantment.

As January begins, Sleepers may find that their skin has become dry and brittle. The generous application of lotions and oils may soothe the skin, but neglected skin can begin to peel off. Although it is a painless experience, it can be rather gross to look at and a bit itchy. Then one day, you simply fall asleep and when you awaken, you are an entirely different version of yourself. You will find a nearly perfect replica of your old self in a shed skin nearby. Your new body may be stronger, faster, more powerful. Old scars may be healed, lost limps replaced...Or you might be an entirely new gender. Some have even experienced becoming a different species. Some awaken as an older or younger variation of themselves while others find that they have become an alternate version of themselves.

These effects have been known to last for a few days up to months at a time. In some scenarios, the effects have become permanent. Some believe it to be a curse while others believe it is a gift. It may happen multiple times and take a few sheds to return to your original body. It is believed that ingesting your old skin or burning it alleviates the changes and brings you back to your original body faster. Generous application of lotion and oils can prevent the Shedding Ceremony altogether for some - or at the very least, slow it down."

FAQ

1. Characters can avoid this prompt altogether via the application of lotion.

2. If you decide to permanently change your character in a big way (ie; changing their species/gender/age) then we do ask that you update your character on the taken page to reflect that they are now an Alternate Version of a character. This would open up the original character to be applicable to new players.

3. This can change blood types for those interested in trying on a new blood type. You can either temporarily change a blood type or permanently. If you permanently change a blood type, let us know on the Blood Type page and update your information on the taken page.

4. You can play out the transformation as explicitly or non-explicitly as you want. Maybe characters see the changes happening under their peeling skin or just wake up in their new body. The peeling does not need to be any more graphic than what you would typically see on dry skin.

5. You can alter a character's gender, species, age, blood type, or switch to a general alternate version of a character (ie; Coffee Shop AU, an AU of your character but with different powers, an AU of your character if they came from a different canon or timeline.) Please have fun with this and explore the possibilities for as long as you like!

Unsnakely

WHEN: All of Bone Season
WHERE: Anywhere outside
CONTENT WARNINGS: Possible injuries or death from burns/fire.

---

[A journal entry from the Wayward Watcher that can be found in the Archaic Archives reads:]

"Do not trust the naked snake trails of January. They exist to trick you into a sense of Madam Generosity's comfort. The Good Pthumerian leaves snow tracks in her wake, but the Unsnakely leaves melted trails of snow. This creature has spent centuries cloaking itself to rope in those who devotedly follow Madam Generosity. The kind people of Trench look to snakes as a trustworthy, compassionate symbol filled with good intention.

There are many ways to anticipate the Unsnakely's presence. Besides its melted trails (that eventually turn to ice in the cold), you may notice pockets of comfortable heat. While many believe greenery is a good sign, do not be fooled by the melted patches of grass you find. These are not symbols of an early spring. They are symbols of incoming destruction.

The Unsnakely is not of blood or soul; it is a blood curse of the earth, a product of Blood Pollution. It's a creature made out of rock, with no pulse, no soul, no mind. Molten lava pours through its body. It moves in and out of the earth without disturbing the surface, transforming from rock into small beasts or a snake the size of your home. It looks to spill blood to freshen its own magic and its choice of weapon is its size and the fire it breathes. A furious Unsnakely will light up in flames and can bring great destruction to its surroundings. People have lost their homes to the Unsnakely and of course, people have lost their lives.

The Unsnakely, no matter the size it takes, is as fast and lethal as a typical snake. It cannot truly die, as it is a curse of the earth, but it can be physically destroyed by immense blunt strength or coldblood abilities whether fire or ice. Typical ice abilities will not work against the snake - they must come from a coldblood source. Enchanted coldblood items will be effective against the Unsnakely.

The Unsnakely can spit fire like venom and boil the air around it. It can be difficult to get physically close enough to land a blow due to the suffocatingly hot temperature rolling off its body. It traditionally hunts in the streets and in the woods, by the beach and among the cliffs. Once someone has slain the beast, it returns to the earth where it rebuilds itself over a period of 2-3 days. It primarily hunts during Bone Season, preferring to use the cloak of Madam Generosity to its advantage.

Since this is not a traditional snake, it has no desire to "eat" anyone. It will simply roast you alive - which is arguably worse for some. Its fire burns hotter and brighter than regular fire, and it is a slow, agonizing death that has caused absolute madness in some. People have claimed to see strange visions in the smoke that pours off of the Unsnakely, causing distortion in battle. Do not inhale too much of the Unsnakely's smoke as it will cause intense vertigo. Remember: this is a creature of deception.

Lastly, it would be beneficial to know that the Unsnakely cannot hear or see. It responds to the vibration around it. Some who stay still may get the upper hand, but the creature can feel the vibrations of your heartbeat if your pulse is unusually elevated. Good luck, fellow Hunters. Treat burns by the Unsnakely with vileblood. I know it sounds mad, but the vileblood seems to attack whatever cursed heat comes with burns from the Unsnakely.

Take care of yourself,
- The Wayward Watcher"

FAQ
1. Characters who can manipulate earth can contort/stop/fight against the Unsnakely's natural body. It will take great control to fully control or dismantle the body.

2. Coldbloods with fire abilities can similarly control the fire of the Unsnakely with great control.

CODING

Comments

iii — a

[wildcurls]

( A little boy who can't be older than twelve wanders the streets — clearly unfamiliar with his surroundings, but not afraid. There's only a calm curiosity as he takes in everything with an unblinking gaze, solemn.

He's passing a shop that this version of himself has no memory of, when there's a sudden sensation that sweeps in and it immediately shifts the little boy from his cool calm to something that feels like panic. He feels this heart beating too fast, feels swallowed up and suppressed, like he's being held underwater and can't breathe (a novel idea to the child, because he can actually... breathe underwater). He can do many things. He's not a child at all.

But for just a moment, that panic does make him feel, seem, like a little boy. He's afraid, and then the brief spell passes, and he knows that this energy isn't his own. It's only passed through him. Slowly, he follows it to wherever it truly leads, right into the shop, until he finds... a man on the floor. Or something that looks like a man.

Paimon stares down at the way he moves: erratic in a way that looks painful, making noises. The demon king slowly crouches down next to him, not touching the writhing figure, but staying close. He speaks softly, unsure if the figure can even respond in his state. )

What torments you....?

[eudaimonikos]

[This demon is, indeed, extremely stuck in this...horrible soft prison that is, for some reason, itself stuck to this rock. Worse than that, it's connected to it, in a way that it absolutely cannot make sense of. Trying to move its tentacles just moves these awful rigid stick-things, and somehow it's vibrating the particles around it in a way that's causing something bad. The squid has only ever lived out in the void; it knows particles, but it doesn't quite recognize sound. It can't even see most of what's happening! Why can't it open its other eyes?

It doesn't quite recognize the newcomer as another permutation of the form it's trapped in, either. But it knows them for Another - another being like itself. Embarrassment washes over it. It...it likes to be with others! Far more than being alone! But that never seems to come easy. It's found groups to tag along with, in the past, but that never seems to really last. Often it feels that it's only being tolerated - and that's without having somehow gotten stuck in some weird tiny gooey thing - !

Maybe it's that additional urgency, or maybe it's just luck. But something catches, and detaches, and it pulls. There's a tearing sound as the human body goes limp, and the squid pours out of the man's chest, flames coruscating nearly white with the force of its distress.

It shoots up into the air, into the farthest corner of the room, and shoots a retaliatory gout of flame at the limp skinsuit it's left behind. Nothing really happens; Michael gets them flame-proof. But most things the squid has previously encountered also don't really burn, so it's satisfied that it's made its point.

Several new eyes blink open to focus on Paimon, and it transmits something sheepish and apologetic. It hadn't meant to yell. But, oh, now it can see the similarities here. It sends another quick series of images: claustrophobia, trapped, itself ripping open Paimon's little human body with its tentacles, question? Do you want help getting out of that thing? Even at this point, it knows full well that most of its kind wouldn't have offered to help it, and that it isn't really cool to do so. But...well, that was awful!]

[wildcurls]

( He's been told for all of his life — or rather, all of this life, the one that began twelve years ago when he was Reborn — that he is something special that must be contained within a human's skin. For how long, he doesn't know. It has to end, sometime. He must be freed.

(Or will he be kept trapped here in this body until it grows old and feeble, until they kill it and transfer him into another in Grandma Ellen's bloodline?)

He feels it, some days. A pulsing thrum from underneath, his true spirit rebelling against its confines. This host is the right shape and form but there's still a wrongness. He's too Much — too bright, too loud, too big. The People hold him, stroke his cheeks and bring him great offerings and bow down to him. They whisper spells to soothe him. But some days, he feels like he'll break right open.

He watches this thing, this Not Man writhe, and then it splits. A brilliance pools out of the human body (...is it really a body? Some sort of container), flaming and powerful and upset. Paimon tilts his head back to watch it wrench itself away, eyes wide, awed. It's like him. He can feel it in full-force now, recognising the energy as different but alike. It's split from its confines, and it speaks to him in a way no human has been able to before. He understands, immediately, what it's saying with its images, and for a moment he wonders.

Should he let it free him?

...But.... he can't. The People said he has to stay inside of this body. The one that was given to him. They underwent such powerful rituals to secure it for him: generations of hosts were utilised and ultimately failed, in preparation for this one.

But there's a longing in him for a moment, to join the other demon in its glittering, flaming freedom, and it may feel that leaking from Paimon before he adjusts to its language: telepathy in form of images and concepts, the outline of things.

Cannot. Boy given to me; gift. Body. House. Mine. ...Must stay.

Can it understand him? It seems so startled, so lost. The other demon lifts his hands up a little, fingers gesturing downwards, calm and coaxing. At the core of his spirit, Paimon is meant to help, and Michael will find none of the antagonism from demons of his own kind, here.

Safe. )

[eudaimonikos]

[Press X to doubt!

Not that it has that reference, of course, but its skepticism at the denial is plainly apparent for a moment. It noticed that wistfulness. It may not have had the lesson truly driven home yet, but it has learned that it's safer not to show feelings like that.

...then again, no one's ever offered it help before, either. It's still skeptical, but...oh, that's tempting. It'd be nice to believe in something like that.

The demon is still young, and it's lost and alone. It can let itself believe the thing it wants to believe. The squid floats down to Paimon's level, eyes roving over the prison-shape the other demon is still trapped inside.

This place. Small. Where? Stars, space. Where???

All it's familiar with is the void of space, floating chunks of rock and ice and infant stars. It doesn't know what to do with this little room, close and small enough to feel the gravity of this rock tugging at it.]

[wildcurls]

( He keeps his hands raised like that, continuing to coax the other downwards with little doses of affirmation, somehow felt as sensations more than in word-form: It's all right. Keep going. Safe.

Until it's in front of him, and Paimon's gazing at it face to face — or whatever constitutes as a "face" in this entity. He's well-familiar with the shapes of various demons, of various ranks, though he hasn't encountered this particular shape before.

And its questions are met with a thoughtful pause for a long moment. In truth, he isn't sure — and that's a strange concept for Paimon, a being of knowledge beyond the scope of human comprehension, but one meant to try and shape such knowledge into a form humans can comprehend. Here, now, trying to play the same role for this being... interpreter, guide, teacher... he is unsure how to answer. But he does so with a calm certainty regardless.

Not home.

This place is not home; that answer is only the Truth, for both of them.

But I find it. Answers. Help.

He'll find the answers; he'll help them. Paimon lifts his small hand more towards the entity, curious.

Purpose?

Does it remember what its Purpose is, he wonders. )

[eudaimonikos]

[Home? Ah, that's a vague and broad concept to the squid - but yes, it supposes the void is home. That's the only place it's ever been! It's never stayed in one area for all that long, when there's so much to find and explore, but it would gladly go back to any of them. This place is...new and interesting, it guesses, but it's also scary and stressful. It doesn't want to get caught in another Thing again.

The squid politely opens several new eyes facing the other entity, bright blue with large w-shaped pupils. These rove over its form curiously, with no apparent sense of tact. Even if it's still stuck in that Thing, at least it seems to know how to operate it. It must know what it's talking about! Maybe it really can help - and gosh, isn't that an interesting idea?

Purpose?

It turns the concept over in its mind for a moment. Like a goal? Well...it was just building a new nebula it liked. One with purple cloud bits! It shares several memories of that.

Stars. Star stuff, new stuff. Fun!]

[wildcurls]

( Paimon absorbs what the other being gives him, and it certainly gives him a better understanding. An entity so powerful as to create pieces of the cosmos itself.... Building things. He's freshly thrilled to find himself in the company of such an entity, and his energy is a low hum like the buzz of a light, steady and contented.

Explore. Build. Answers.

He proposes these ideas, in his element with the problem-solving factor here. He'll assist this Fellow Demon and find answers to this place in the same vein. Two demons wandering around Trench — one of which is a baby with no concept of withholding its powers — should be fine!

Paimon stands tall (...he's very short, but he stands as though he were tall) and starts to lead the squid from the shop, confident as he guides them. Follow. Free.

The other demon is free now, and Paimon will help it stay that way. )

[eudaimonikos]

[Exploring, building - these things all appeal to the squid! It's exciting, too, to be invited to come along. Sure, it's drifted along with others in the past, but never for long, and rarely on an explicit invitation.

It fairly sparkles as it follows after the other demon, floating lower so that they're more or less even. Outside! This is so much better than that awful little chamber - it can sort of see where space ought to be, way up there! Are they just too close to some massive rock, is that what's happening?

Looking around, it idly brushes a tentacle over a sign that Michael set up out on the sidewalk. It immediately bursts into flames.]

[wildcurls]

( This place is certainly different (this definitely isn't Utah), but it's at least reminiscent enough of the world Paimon knew in his most recent incarnation. There are streets and shops, the people seem to be mostly humanoid in appearance... is this another city on Earth? He honestly can't quite tell.

He's looking around as he leads the way, taking this role very seriously. While this entity clearly is very powerful, something capable of building parts of the universe, Paimon recognises that its lost state means he must take care of it for now.

What he isn't expecting is a sudden flare of flame and he turns to face the sign that's now on fire, eyes widening. Oh — the other demon can do that, huh... Paimon certainly isn't a stranger to the uses of spontaneous combustion, but there's a time and a place for it. )

Why? ( He asks aloud first, then sends the concept to the demon mentally as best he can; Why? There has to be a reason it set this aflame, right...? )

[eudaimonikos]

[For its part, the other demon is also now looking at this phenomenon with wide eyes! Sure, it's seen things burn before, but not typically from it. It's mostly seen stars - fusion, plasma, that sort of thing.]

Why?

[It breaks off a piece of burning sign and watches it, eventually crumbling it in a tentacle. Usually there's more - it projects some vague impressions of space, stuff compressing until it starts to burn into a star. Quite different from just touching something!]

[wildcurls]

continued here!