deercountry | Gain the weight of you then lose it

Gain the weight of you then lose it

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The word choice and the cadence were what gave her away, even if those were notably more flamboyant in "Belinda." Where Kainé is habitually crude, Sayo is apparently flowery and poetic. ]

Don't much feel like doing anything. Came here to see somebody, that's it.

[ She wouldn't count Anna a friend, exactly; Kainé would rather keep that emotional distance— but she didn't like keeping debts, either, and that woman has done a lot to help her in the short time she's been here. The least she could do is watch her sing. ]

You weren't bad. Didn't follow any of it, but not bad.

O~ho? Somebody? [Kainé can tell that Sayo pronouncing that tilde was a conscious choice as a smug grin spreads across her lips, one that only widens as her skills are praised. Sayo isn't one for preening, necessarily—at least when she's not acting the part of a witch—but it's clear she's drinking in what qualifies as a compliment from Kainé.]

The point is not to follow it. If you don't understand what's happening, that means I performed my part.

[ Physically incapable of reading the atmosphere, Kainé responds with merciless bluntness. Sorry, Sayo. ]

Not you.

[ Kainé frowns, still confused. The more she learns about this girl, the less straightforward she seems. It's not like she minds, exactly. Most of the time, she'd get mad if somebody tricked her, but with "Belinda" there's a layer of performance and theater that sets her apart. Maybe she's just too bemused to be offended. ]

Wait... was it magic or just tricks?

Awwww, you're no fun. [Sayo flops back into the couch from her position leaning forward toward Kainé, huffing... but there's a twinkle in her eye and a twist to her lips that betray that she's not that betrayed.

Beatrice' tsundora-ness had to come from somewhere, after all.]

Magic, of course. Nobody can prove otherwise.

[ What's fun? Can you eat it? But the truth is, somewhere in the rotten recesses of her heart, she truly does enjoy being here. She smiles slightly in return. ]

Oh, is that your game, huh? Trying to make us figure it out?

Of course.

But I maintain there is nothing to figure out and that it was real magic. Obviously.

[Sayo cares not if Kainé is a simple dumb, rowdy fightgirl who'd rather punch high concepts than properly engage with them, not when there's an opportunity to be a shitty debate kid.]

[ Kainé sips her beer, perplexed. She is absolutely a simple, rowdy fightgirl, but she's not incapable of undestanding things. ]

But something's either real or it's not.

The idea of carcinization isn't the only strange branch of science on my world. Apparently, certain particles can exist in two different forms at the same time, as long as nothing else interacts with them, i.e. as long as they aren't "observed." If you put a cat in a box and set a trap to kill it with a 50% chance of it going off, for the purposes of reality and all observers, that cat is both alive and dead until the lid of the box is taken off.

The same principle applies to magic. Unless the "lid" is taken off through some means of observation, it's really, truly magic.

Which is of course is irrelevant because I, once again, maintain that none of that nonsense has to do with any of the tricks I performed and that it was all genuine sorcery.

[She smiles, as if challenging Kainé to think it through.]

Get it?

[ She takes a sip. Considers. Looks into Sayo's borderline manic eyes, trying to figure out what goes on in her convoluted brain. ]

Nope.

Excellent! That means you still have some shred of common sense left.

I assure you, the people who spend hours thinking about these things are both stupid and crazy.

It's dumb, but not as dumb as whatever's happening here.

On that we can agree. I swear, I'm actually quite angry at how gregarious I'm being tonight! If I want to brood, let me brood, you literal snake! [she yells at the ceiling.] I hate being an extroverted social butterfly!

[ Kainé can't help but notice how much Sayo's voice changes as she grows excited and agitated, more than it had at that frozen shore. Despite herself, Kainé finds herself grinning too. ]

Hah, right? Fuck people, and fuck parties! Let me just be a sad sack of shit and watch people embarrass themselves on stage.

To being depressed, antisocial bitches!

[Sayo raises an entire bottle of vodka in Kainé's direction, asking for a toast.]

[ Kainé clinks her glass against Sayo's bottle with a manic grin. Fuck feeling good about ourselves tonight or ever! Later she will be struck at the bleakness of this moment, and wonder just why this girl could be so miserable, but frustrated as she is the Madam Generosity's ploy at giving her therapy, she can only echo that feeling wholeheartedly. ]

To being fucked up! Goddamn, is that a whole-ass bottle of liquor, Sayo?

You bet your pert, shapely ass!

[Side effects of forced honesty may include: accidental flirting.]

Truuuuuuuust meeeeeeeee, I can handle my liquor. This is NOTHING compared to what the old man kept locked up in his cabinet. Honestly, I'm not sure which of the bottles were meant to actually drink himself to death with and which were part of some alchemical ritual or another, kyahaha!

[She leans back, exhaling... not contentedly, but in a "spark of grim pleasure scraped from the bottle of the barrel of nihilism" way.] Mannnnnn, what I wouldn't give for a shot of Genji's fucked-up death absinthe right now. That stuff got you feeling good and awful. Pretty sure it was at least 10% rat poison by volume, or it at least tasted that way, pfffft.

Edited 2022-01-28 09:51 (UTC)

[ This girl really is alarmingly messed up, but that's a mood Kainé can find herself agreeing with. The flirting is almost unremarkable compared to how her voice changes further, low and melodic, even cackling like she really is playing the part of some temperamental sorceress from out of a story. ]

That stuff tastes nasty. You're gonna puke your goddamn guts out.

[ She's laughing, though. ]

Booze just made it feel worse, afterwards. So I used other stuff.

You know, on my first biiiiig bender in the December of '84 when I broke into that cabinet the very first time, I tried choking down a few drops out of morbid curiosity when I found some under the sink and figured I wasn't drunk enough to forget the past month yet.

That's how I found out Genji knew the heimlich, kyahahahaha!

And yoooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu? [She leans closer, tapping Kainé's nose with her index finger.] Color me quite curious, what was your go-to way to bash the pain out of your skull by any means necessary?

[ It probably occurs to neither of that, them through their spite, they're accomplishing exactly what Madam Generosity wanted them to. To think that when Kainé first saw this girl, she looked dainty and demure, a model of reserved, lovely femininity. Yeah, that stuff's trash to begin with.

Even if Sayo's blatant self-destructive tendencies are maybe making her worry a bit. ]

Murder. There's no way we could have lived together peacefully anyway.

[ Based on Kainé's expression, that's not a joke. ]

Fishing too, but that's still killing something, yeah?

GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA, I KNEW YOU HAD TASTE!

Whoop!

[Sayo slugs down another few swigs of vodka.]

Ahaaaaaaa... you knowwwww, I really don't regret at ALLLLLLL finally doing in that old bastard either! Makes up for the one I didn't get, I suppose. [*cackle*cackle*] The RUSH I felt then? Better than any liquor! Except maybe that one vintage of red that Genji made puppy eyes at me not to drink for a solid year before that date with George at the aquarium. Hoooooh, I DEFINITELY had to break into the good stuff then, and it was most de-fi-nit-ely worth it. I think I found out what sex tasted like that night! Or my best approximation, since I'm a pathetic literally fuckless virgin! Pfffft.

Anyyyyyyywaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys, seeing Nanjo's skull blow apart, feeling what was left of his brain splatter against my clothes... WHOO! Best moment in what I thought would be the last few hours of my life.

Ah, revenge. Truly the best vintage.

You know, I wonder if normal killing feels as good as- baaaaaaaaah. [She screws up her mouth, pouting.] Dammmmmnnnnnnnnnn itttttttt, Rin! You and your promises. And you actually know I won't be a hypocrite and break it!

Ooooh! [Once again, she's an excited puppy, whirling on Kainé and leaning in close.] You're a Hunter, riiiiiiiight? Does killing monsters feel good?

Edited 2022-01-29 08:36 (UTC)

Sayo—

[ On a darker note, the way she talks about murder and self-destruction with unhinged glee causes unwanted memories to rise up like bile, the oily voice of Tyrann that was always with her, urging her to spill blood and prodding her further into despair and self-hatred. Never leaving her alone, never a moment's even now that venomous presence carved into her mind in deep furrows. It makes her feel sick.

But she's able to stay just lucid enough through the resurgent panic to recognize that there's something different to Sayo's words, a deep and terrible agony. One that killed her, if she believes her words, but its so hard to tell how much of what she says is real. ]

...Sounds like it was really fucked up. And it sure as shit was fucked up for me too.

[ Gently, she pats her head, meeting Sayo's wide eyes. ]

It's fucked up here too. But that doesn't mean you gotta tear yourself apart again. There's a reason you're still alive, Sayo. And I hope you figure out how to make that life worth living.

Edited 2022-01-29 19:14 (UTC)

Kyahahaha, fucked up in the best way! What's the point of dying if it's not fucked up? What's the point of living if- well, it'd be nice to live if I wasn't fucked up, but I can't unfuck myself, so might as well...

[When Kainé toasted to being fucked-up, antisocial, depressed bitches, Sayo expected to find company in her misery. But not solidarity, and certainly not comfort. She looks up at Kainé dumbstruck with those soft words (and the headpat). Her face doesn't so much as soften as it cracks in half, revealing someone deeply, deeply tired beneath.]

Kainé, I... [Suddenly, she feels exhausted. Sayo leans against Kainé's shoulder, trying and failing to keep the tears from flowing.] I'm...

I'm scared. I don't know how to live. Not as myself, anyways. I don't know how to keep going without being Shannon or Kanon or Beatrice or anyone else. I need to be someone other than me, or I... I...

[She sniffles.]

Sayo Yasuda doesn't know how to live. The only thing she can do is kill and die, and hope that it all ends spectacularly.

[ Kainé doesn't really follow what Sayo is saying, but she doesn't have to. For a few seconds, all she does is stroke the poor girl's hair as she cries, trying to stay strong herself. ]

Yeah. [ There's a lot of weight to that word, all of those burdens that she was never strong enough to shoulder. ] I'm scared too. If I knew how, I'd tell you.

[ Kainé's voice shakes, and she berates herself for it. She's no good at this. She'd reshaped herself into a weapon for taking blood, not a soft thing for comfort. Sayo deserves better. Because Kainé isn't sure what there is for herself except killing and dying. ]

Does she—[ She hesitates, afraid to say what came into her head. ] ...Does she know how to be my friend?

[Sayo clings onto Kainé like she's a life raft, desperate, almost painful strength in her grip. She's quiet, tears still streaming down her face as she refuses to look Kainé in the eye.

Then, as Sayo buries her face in her friend's shoulder, she whispers:]

I don't know, I...

[A sniffle. Was she really worthy of this? How much would Kainé hate her if she knew her true, shabby form?

Maybe it's the drink, or the longing for any kind of real connection, or perhaps, just maybe...]

She...

She can try.

[...a real step forward.]

(no subject)

foulhussy - 2022-02-01 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Gain the weight of you then lose it

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

2/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)