My blind optimism to blame

[reddosmod]

APRIL 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: A large green butterfly.]
[Image Two: A woman staring in a daze at light orbs floating around her face.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: A volcano with meteors falling down around it.]
[Image Two: A ball of quivering light hovering in the dark with woman standing in front.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: A woman staring at a mirror-like humanoid being staring back at her.]
[Image Two: A woman in a field of grass with humanoid-shaped flower sculptures nearby.]

[NAVIGATION]

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

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

MIGRATION OF MOONLIT BUTTERFLIES

WHEN: April
WHERE: Everywhere outside
CONTENT WARNINGS: Hopelessness/corruption, heavy themes of mental trauma/health, killing of gentle creatures.

---

Excerpt from BEASTS OF DEER COUNTRY Chapter 12: Migrations:

"One of the most beautiful natural phenomena of Deer Country is the migration of the mysterious Moonlit Butterflies. These giant creatures are most often the size of a house, with exceptional wingspans. Fear not: they are not violent creatures. Most will fly well above the city of Trench, leaving trails of glittering orbs of light that fall all throughout the city. However, it is common for some Moonlit Butterflies to land and rest throughout Trench. Despite their massive size, these creatures appear to weigh very little, able to rest harmlessly on homes, lampposts, and the like. Don't be surprised to find some scattered throughout your neighborhood.

They have a gentle aura about them and are most famous for their behemoth wings which glow a radiant green. They are aptly named due to their ability to store immense power from the moon during April and are seen as distant children of Argonaut. Being near them will enchant the air with the scent of amber and fresh linen, and you may hear a soothing song emit from these beasts.

Despite their rare and incredible beauty, it is wise to not linger in their presence no matter how captivating they are...And they are captivating. Many residents of Trench have been known to stop and stare, enthralled by the wings or the orbs of light that are shed by the butterflies. Those who have been staring for too long will have an unnatural glowing green glaze over their eyes, obscuring their pupil and gaze. This is known as the Moonlit Drain.

These butterflies do not gather all of their energy from moonlight...but they gather it from hopeful beings as well. It is why they gather among populations of sentient beings. They soak up all hope in the area and the longer you stand in their presence, the more hopeless you may become. Standing in the presence of a Moonlit Butterfly has driven people to rapid, severe corruption in under ten minutes. It is best to avoid these butterflies no matter how mesmerizing they may be to look at.

The little orbs of light are actual manifestation of everyone's hope. Touching them may restore hope and they can be gathered into jars for future treatments of corruption. They do not "go bad" as they are the essence of emotion. One way to restore hope to a corrupt or beast-ridden soul is to slay one of the Moonlit Butterflies. They are incredibly easy to kill as they are naturally delicate and non-hostile.

Be warned: the one who slays a Moonlit Butterfly will be consumed with instantaneous corruption and possibly even beasthood. But once the butterfly has been slain, anyone in the surrounding area besides the killer will have corruption alleviated. Killing a Moonlit Butterfly has been known to fill people with incredible grief and guilt. Few have survived."

WONDERKIND

WHEN: April
WHERE: Everywhere outside
CONTENT WARNINGS: Possible spoilers per canon, time/vortex style presence, variety of possible monsters.

---

Excerpt from an essay titled "The Wonderkind Pthumerian" from the book The Curious Nature of the Weakest Pthumerian: Argonaut and Misconceptions:

"Most of the other Patron Pthumerians are known for exceptional strength and durability during trying times. It is only Argonaut in which people think of weakness. They believe the Patron to be a fickle, tiny thing with little worth, but there is a unique and powerful quality to Argonaut that should not be overlooked.

This is the phenomenon known as Wonderkind. It has only been known to happen once every few years and only ever during April, but those who have seen it would testify to the hidden strengths of our explorer Patron. There is much to be said about curiosity and resilience, after all. Argonaut has wandered through the lives of many without most ever realizing it. He has likely seen into your own life, curious about the odd Sleepers that show up on the shores of this world.

Wonderkind appears as a meteor shower, but these are no meteors. Balls of flaming light will fall from the sky, silent, beautiful, striking, and somewhat ominous and terrifying. They rain upon Trench in intervals throughout April. They do not crash into the city so much as glide throughout. These balls of light are shimmering orbs that have split open time and space itself into unraveling cocoons, exposing portals into worlds foreign to this one.

These portals cannot be entered for they are not portals out of this world...But portals into this world. Sleepers have claimed to find beloved items and pull them out of these portals. Some may find old pets that come out to greet them. It can be a lucky and cherished event for many. Tragically, these portals do not seem to be able to bring in sentient beings applicable characters, but you may be able to talk briefly to a loved one who isn't yet in this world.

But that's not all that can crawl through these portals...Monsters from other worlds have been known to flock to these portals and make their way through. Monsters from your worlds or other worlds slip in to wreak havoc on the streets of Trench. It is during this time that it is of the utmost importance that our Hunters take up arms and protect the vulnerable. If you recognize the monsters or disasters from your world entering ours, then please, make sure to caution those against it.

The portals close after a few hours and cannot be manually closed by anyone. Nothing can be sent into portals, but one can stand by a portal and guard it for potential dangers. Portals from your world may reappear several times throughout the month, so don't let your guard down for even a moment, and always expect the worst even when hoping for the best."

Quick Facts:

1. Respect the setting. Do not bring in monsters that would be capable of destroying the world/city/etc.

2. Things like unique plants/items can be gained through these portals.

3. You do not need to engage with portals from your own canon. You can invent new worlds, engage with other canons, or alternate universes. It's up to you.

FROM WITHIN AND WITHOUT

WHEN: April
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Instant beasthood, corruption of soul, draining of soul, replication of soul, mistreatment of sex workers/night walkers.

---

An excerpt from a journal kept by a Night Walker named Charlotte Finch. Finch was known for being one of the first established Night Walkers and was known for her advocacy on the front of Night Walker work and its relationship to beasthood. This journal is kept in the Archives. It contains content pertinent to Beasthood yet, unfortunately, due to ongoing biases against Night Walkers, this journal is kept in the autobiography section rather than the section for beasthood. Good luck finding it.

"the job of the Night Walker is, of course, undervalued by this world. we do our best to soothe the troubled souls of this place and yet they continue to doubt our worth. what must we do to convince them? must we wield blades to show them how we fight? must we shed blood to prove our dedication? must we pick up books to show our intelligence? nei, we not do that. we sleep beside our worn hunters and rest heads upon the chests of scholars and hold the tired hands of architects. we guide the way to light in a way disciples could never.

all us are valuable, it be true, but why must the night walker be left to the wayside? why must our duties be written off? why must it be that it always a night walkers blood in the streets that leaves no tears to be shed? nei, nei, it is hatred of those who understand the soul and body have a close connection.

you know what i believe? these souls of ours change the landscape of our bodies. you cannot have one without the other. when the soul is corrupt, it only be natural that the body corrupts, turning rigid and hideous and monsterous and beastly. aye yes i have seen it myself, though none of the others believe except for other night walkers.

you see, there is a shape that comes to us in the Long Night of april, a shape much like our own. looking like a person ought to look but with no face and no features, like a mirror glimmering in the shape of you. they look like us, and they will mimic us. these odd mirror beings is the shape of our soul, you see, and once it finds you, it will copy you, and you will be driven mad! mad! how does this thing move as you move? how does it replicate what you replicate?

aye, it is your soul, my friend. your soul in a shape you can see. or something like it, may not soul be in your lexicon. it is you, as you are it. it is the Tether between you and beasthood, see what i say. the Tether will begin to soak into you if you let it, if you let it consume you, and it will consume you rapidly. people have been known to be ravaged by the Tether and turn into beasts within seconds, AYE yes, seconds, not minutes, into a vicious beast. the Tether wins.

But you need not let it be a victor, my friend. you see, we proved it, we did, us night walkers, we proved to lay with the Tether is to soothe the Tether. Allow yourself the kindness of another soul, another companion. touch and feel and express companionship. holding the hand of your lover or your friend or your brother or sister will cause the Tethers to weaken before ye very eyes! i do swear it, my friend, i should not lie on a subject i hold so dear.

you see, when we hold one another dear, when we cherish one anothr truly and wholly, we abate the darkness in our souls. listen to your companions, my sweet friends, and let your souls heal, and you can stop the Tether from consuming. you see, you see. surely you see. this is what it looks like. the Tether is always with us, but only in April under this moon can we see it always and will it be vicious and invasive. do not allow it.

do not allow it."

Quick Facts:

1. Tethers will take the exact body shape/size of you and mimic your moves. They may follow you around for several hours/days. Once they decide to "consume" you, it will be quick. It will essentially look like your body is turning metallic and then you become a beast.

While Charlotte states it happens in a matter of seconds, this can happen in several hours/days as well. Depends on the character and their general resolve.

2. People can be pulled back from this through emotional support whether verbally or physically and general acts of kindness. It's the sincerity that matters here. You do not need to be familiar with the person to help them.

3. Everyone can see each other's Tethers so you can determine how severe someone's Tether has become. The more severe the Tether, the more silvery the impacted person will look.

4. Tethers cannot be destroyed with weaponry/attacks. Trying will only hurt the person they are mimicking. You could actually kill someone by trying to "kill" their Tether. The tether will vanish with those who died but reappear once they have reincarnated.

CODING

Comments

[peripheries]

That is true. [An easy agreement! It really is just the truth of the matter and Kaworu seems completely okay with this eventual conclusion.] Unfortunately, it has little will of its own. All it knows how to do is seek out one of the Seeds of Life and defend itself from things that may stop it. And in this unknown place, that's everyone, especially now that it's shrunk down to this size instead of large enough to shadow an entire city district.

[dohaeris]

[there is too much in there for sansa to unpack right now. her blood hound knight continues to bark, and lady nips him on the neck.]

You might consider moving it.

[both girl and wolf bark in unison:]

Quiet!

[and the blood hound satisfies himself with a low growl. sansa tries to tug him away from the pyramid...thing.]

[peripheries]

I didn't place it there. [It just sorta popped out of a portal and suddenly, he was face to face (one of eight) with another angel.] And it doesn't see me as one of its own kind, so it will also fire on me if I approach. Using my AT Field as defense would may cause the energy from the laser to deflect everywhere and cause more destruction. So for now, I will watch it and try to lure it back into a portal if I can.

[That seems like something he should do for another of his kind. And if he can't, well... it's not like Ramiel survived back home either. So killing it here would simply be the same fate it always had.]

If you're concerned, I can show you the way around.

[dohaeris]

[sansa didn't think Kaworu put it there, but that's not the point. now that her hound has quieted, she is able to think.]

I'm sure I could find my way around. But perhaps you could make a map, for other people, and mark off a safe distance for people to stop and walk around it, so that no one gets hurt.

[she walks back again, and this time knight follows, encouraged by lady.]

I could help you, if you like. If you have any paint.

[peripheries]

I suppose it would be easier than having to explain it to everyone who passes by.

[It's a good idea, especially since he might not be able to catch everyone's eye fast enough. Still, he'll remain there and further assist until Ramiel returns home or he has to remove his fellow angel from this place by force. It just seems like the proper thing to do.

He jumps off the wall, floating down, and landing softly. By his calculations, they're about a meter or so off the perimeter of where the laser will fire.]

I don't have any paint though. [Hm.] We could use my Darkblood. It stains.

[dohaeris]

[sansa sighs. she does not want to prick her finger and squeeze out a line of blood across a section of the street, but.]

My paleblood will show up better in the moonlight, and I can turn it into stone.

[she walks her blood hound to the nearest hitching post in the opposite direction of the shape creature, and loops her lead through the ring. lady trots over to join them.]

Winter--!

[her snow white raven omen swoops down from nowhere and perches on the hitching post. she double knots the lead quite close to the post, and walks back over towards kaworu. she always keeps a few needles in the cuff of her sleeve for emergencies, and she draws one now.]

Where should I mark the line?

cw: self-injury

[peripheries]

Darkblood glitters and stains and so should work well, especially in the shadowed areas.

[He takes out a knife and easily, without flinching, slices open his hand. The blood glitters out of his body, the red streaks in it catching the moonlight like thousands of tiny lights. Then he nods at her and walks over to the edge of the invisible perimeter. The octahedron angel flashes as he approaches, like it can sense someone coming nearer.]

Here. Start from this spot and go over down to the next street maintaining this distance. I'll go in the other direction. [He glances at her again, with her needles and her white raven.] I know the human body takes time to heal wounds and it's dangerous if they lose too much blood, so don't do too much.

[aka be careful.]

cw needles

[dohaeris]

[his concern is touching, even if his words are a bit strange, and sansa smiles faintly. she wonders what he thinks she does know, if he doesn't think she knows that.]

I'm very careful.

[she walked over to the appointed spot and pricks her finger a few more times that she would for ordinary bloodstones. she sticks her needle back in her sleeve and leans over, trying not muss her dress too badly, and presses her other thumb against the pricked finger, spilling a small but fairly steady stream of pearlescent pale blood, glowing in the moonlight. it's slow going, but she can't work very well with a gash on her hands, and her sleeves are too narrow to push up very far.]

[peripheries]

That's good. Too many humans aren't.

[Especially the ones he tends to align himself with. So perhaps he doesn't realize that they're a little bit outside of the norm to say the least. With him too, there's a lackadaisical way he goes about continuously making cuts into his own hand and watching the blood float into the air creating a red vapor of a wall between the outside world and Ramiel.

He stands for a bit, watching the wound in his hand heal, and then goes over and watches her. Just watches. Like he doesn't know if he should help or not help.]

[dohaeris]

[sansa does laugh at that, and she glances up briefly.]

That's true.

[but she quickly returns to her work.]

They all think they'll be the ones to get away with it. Or they know they might not be, which makes it more of a victory when they do.

[in case he really does think most people don't know blood loss leads to death. she finally reaches the end of the street and shakes her hand out. then she puts her thumb down in the line of blood and sort of...glares at it, pushing all the bits of blood together with her mind as she was taught. soon it hardens into a thick line of gleaming bloodstone stuck firmly to the road, and she sits back, winded. she looks back up at kaworu, a small self-deprecating smile on her face.]

This is darkblood magic, you know. That's why I'm not very good at it.

[meaning, it doesn't come naturally to her, and she isn't able to progress as fast as she would like. it's a perfectly smooth and even line.]

[peripheries]

That's right. They know their limits but choose not to adhere to them, either for their own reasons or for others.

[He watches her work and nods in approval, while he certainly doesn't have her level of awareness of aesthetics, he can appreciate the line is clean and easy to see. Between the two of them, it's a clear perimeter, even in the seemingly endless dark.]

Really? I mostly use my darkblood for changing the world around myself. [So teleporting, floating, small bends in reality.] I've never used it for something like that.

[dohaeris]

[sansa nods, taking deep breaths.]

It is like that. You push the drops of blood together like...have you ever made a snowball, before?

[it's the only analogy she knows, and the one she used to make sense of it herself.]

[peripheries]

No. I grew up inside and most of the world hasn't seen snow in fifteen years.

[He drops into a crouch, better to watch.]

But I've heard of it when people talked nostalgically about the past. You gather it and compact it in your hands, right?

[dohaeris]

[sansa is only catching her breath, now. she nods puts her bleeding finger to her mouth instinctively for a few moments, and then smiles faintly.]

The last winter in my world was fifteen years ago. I don't think anyone was very nostalgic for it. But it was winter again, when I left. And it snows outside of winter, in some parts of my world. Not nearly as much, but enough for snowballs.

[she pauses, considering.]

I think it's like what you must do to your blood to make it liquid, only you'd have to push it even closer together, to make it stone.

[peripheries]

I think humans in my world were attached to the different seasons. They appreciated them and looked forward to the next. So, in the end, they're not fond of the endless summer as they thought they might be.

[Still, after that he quiets and listens to her words considering her comparison and what he knows of it. He pulls the knife out of his pocket and again splits his already healed hand and lets the blood glitter once more.

Then, as she says, he pulls it closer together in a snap pulling it to a fine, almost jewel form. This is very good indeed.]

I see. It's about bringing it together to a point and not letting it simply flow into the abstract space of the world.

[dohaeris]

[as much as sansa loves snow and cold weather, she can't help but laugh at the idea that people might not have to worry about winter. of course, if it only lasts for three months as it seems to do in more than planet she's heard of, it makes sense.]

They must be very good farmers.

[she smiles at kaworu's jewel, envious of his natural talent but with some of the satisfaction of a teacher.]

That's lovely. They're much easier to carry around than little vials of blood, and worth more, too. You should try making one in the shape of something.

[so far she's just managed very basic beads and buttons. and speaking of shapes, it's hard not let her eyes drift to the floating one...]

[peripheries]

Not many humans are farmers now. Machines and technology have automated much of that process. Now they're salarymen who work in offices creating programs and products.

[He unforms the blood jewel and then reforms it, changing its shape each time he does, growing it bigger and smaller. Eventually settling on making a Octahedron in honor of their little friend.]

I see! I usually just use my own body for blood.

[dohaeris]

[sansa imagines giant windmills plowing whole fields at once and floating omni crystals herding cows and sheep. it must be nice to have lemons all the time, and never have to worry about anyone starving.]

I would miss it, if it never snowed.

[she had missed it, in king's landing. she thinks of her little snow winterfell, before sweetrobin ruined it, and smiles at each new iteration of kaworu's bloodstone, though she feels a pang of envy every time. how lovely a pale bloodstone winterfell would be.]

I think your body has more blood than mine. [she pauses, considering.] I think it might make it more quickly, the way it keeps making new skin. I can't sew very well with cuts on my hands, or bloody bandages, and I'd be scrubbing bloodstains out of everything all the time.

[she already spends enough time on laundry, and the thought of bleeding on a client's order is mortifying.]

[peripheries]

It was here that I first saw snow. I liked the it, even if I wasn't fond of the cold itself.

[Someone had to get him a jacket and explain how frost bite works. But he head survived and come to appreciate a winter landscape if nothing else.]

I don't know about more but... my body heals quickly and perhaps that includes creating more blood if necessary.

[He reaches out towards her, palm up, the little octahedron in his hand, offering it to her.]

[dohaeris]

[she takes it, beaming.]

You're quite talented. It's very beautiful. I don't know why there isn't more dark bloodstone jewelry in the shops.

[she holds it up to sparkle in the moonlight.]

It hardly weighs anything at all. I wonder if it would be any good for armor, on its own. I know blacksmiths put darkblood in weapons to make them lighter.

[does it make them stronger as well? diluc said alloys were stronger than regular steel. she imagines a breastplate like this over a black dress, or even just pauldrons. no wonder so many architects were darkbloods. at least she can make enough beads to sort of mimic the look. it might be even more striking in pale bloodstone.]

[peripheries]

Perhaps there's something intimidating about it. Many people fear the dark and things that remind them of it.

[He puts his hands idly in his pockets, giving her a thoughtful look.]

I don't see why not. Figuring out new ways to do things and creating new things... humans are good at that.

[dohaeris]

[she smiles tiredly back.]

I suppose I was wondering if it would be brittle on its own, like dragonglass. [which it almost resembles.] I don't want to drop it to try and find out.

[but something he said about new ways to do things reminds her of how bloodstones are supposed to work. she slips the dark bloodstone in her sleeve, and pinches her pricked finger and thumb together to direct a small stream of pearlescent blood into her cupped right hand, when she has enough, she takes rolls the dark bloodstone back into her hand and concentrates on her blood...puddle. she imagines spreading it out into an octahedron and is almost surprised when it works. she lets out a small delighted laugh and offers the (smaller) pale bloodstone octahedron to kaworu.]

Bloodstones are supposed to help you do the other kinds of magic.

[in case he wants to.....try lucid dreaming? it's pretty, anyway.]