there's a monster in my closet

[reddosmod]

MAY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Half man, half goat gazing through the sky in front of mountain.]
[Image Two: Deer-like skeletal creature talking in a forest.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Bees crawling out of and over a calm man's cheek.]
[Image Two: Humanoid figure with honeycomb skin.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Skull beside dried flowers.]
[Image Two: Red wilting flowers. ]

[NAVIGATION]

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

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

SELF EVALUATION

WHEN: May
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Body horror, heavy themes of dysphoria and body dysmorphia, acceptance of self, forced physical transformations.

---

An excerpt from Book of Bausphomette:

"They say you should walk a mile in someone's shoes before casting judgment. The true rhetoric can be applied to Bausphomette's version of 'self-evaluation.' It shouldn't come as a surprise that a Pthumerian would have a very different idea of self-evaluation than the typical person, but here we are and I'm going to give you a heads up: don't freak out about the fur.

Or scales. Really, it could be anything, but when your body starts to change into something you can't recognize, you're not going crazy and you're not turning into a Beast. Or okay, you're turning into a beast but not a Beast with a capital B. You will be yourself, have your normal personality, your normal thoughts, your normal habits...You just...Won't exactly look like yourself. People have been known to turn into minotaurs or sprout ten wings or become half-goat on top and all fish on the bottom. Either way, you're not going to be physically recognizable.

But you will be yourself. You will just have new vocal cords or have to learn a new means of communication. Telling your loved ones about your sudden transformation might be a bit alarming, but I think that's kind of the point. Bausphomette seems to believe the monstrous transformation will allow people to consider different parts of themselves that are usually hindered by social judgments. Are you really happy with yourself enough to not mind being a beast? How does this impact your relationship with your body? Does your body matter to you as much as you believed? Can you adapt to this new body and come to love it?

Granted, not everyone has hated this process. It has made some parts of life especially exciting...If you know what I mean. Thankfully the process doesn't last! The general idea is that once you have accepted something about yourself you will begin to turn back to your usual body! Of course, for more stubborn folks, this has been known to take a few months...Try not to be too stubborn or resistant to the new change! ...It will only make it worse."

QUICK FACTS 1. Your character can have various monstery attributes during May. They should be monsterous - not cute little ears or a non-distracting tail.

2. The lesson the characters learn can vary greatly and depend on what players choose to explore.

3. Feel free to go as heavy-handed with the body horror. Your character can magically just wake up with the body or go through some painful transformation.

4. Characters should NOT have mental alteration during this period. The point is that they are still themselves regardless of their new appearance.

5. Have the size of the beast be appropriate to the setting's size.

6. Temporary powers can be gained through the beast's body for the month. Do not break the setting.

HUMMING IN THE SKIN

WHEN: May
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Increased bouts of mindless violence, optional insect-based horror, insects in skin, honeycomb in skin, bodies as hives for insects, extreme body horror.

---

An old article clipping was gathered from a newspaper that used to run in Trench. It seems like the rest of the article is missing except for the end:

"And, he said, "They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for, if not for shedding?"

We do not know what this Sleeper's intent was, but we do know the impact lasted. Reports of symptoms include feeling as though your skin is humming, that there's itchiness you can't quite get rid of like something is always crawling over your skin and around inside of you. Some people claim that this remains a mental only terror that keeps them up at night. Some have been known to scratch open holes in their skin and pull themselves apart just to make sure they aren't filled with bugs. We wish we could say that it was only a paranoid curse, but it seems there is some foundation to the concern.

Some who have gotten cuts or other injuries at this time will discover various insects, but especially bees crawling out from exposed wounds. Once you have gotten an injury, the humming seems to get worse. A descent to madness happens swiftly, but all at once, you become calm and content with the situation. Your skin slowly becomes honeycombed, bees moving in and out of you freely. You become a walking, talking hive.

But of course, that's just the worst-case scenario. For the most part, people who are itching mindlessly seem to be driven to bouts of violence, wanting to get rid of the feeling by randomly attacking those nearby. Strangely enough, the bloodshed during these attacks does not seem to contribute to blood pollution.

Instead, blood shed during this time of month seems to be instantaneously soaked up by your immediate surroundings. The bees from these people have been seen flying everywhere, and instead of collecting pollen, they seem to be collecting blood magic. Either to bring it back to their walking hives or using it for other deeds..."

IMPOSTERS

WHEN: May-June
WHERE: Outside where flowers can be found
CONTENT WARNINGS: Demonic, violent, blood thirsty flowers?? Parasite style monsters.

---

From Plantlife and You: Trench Edition:

"This is a tricky subject as it does not technically have to do with actual plantlife but rather the nefarious imitation of plantlife.

As spring begins be cautious of the plants around you. It might be lovely to see tulips popping open and other spring delights coming to light. We all like to see the splashes of color pop up around Trench, especially after such cold, long months...But be wary.

Among these flowers are insidious imposters. Telling them apart from the original flowers is almost impossible. You can only do your best to be careful around any plantlife you interact with. They look like flowers, but these creatures are demonic beasts who have perfectly cultivated a flawless mimic. Instead of sunlight and water, they soak in the blood of Trench up through their roots. If you pick the wrong flower, blood will squirt out from the roots and vines.

The bees from Sleeper bodies seem intent on pollinating these exact flowers with blood, leaving little bloody streaks in their wake, but the bees jump between normal flowers and the imposters, making it difficult to properly figure out which is which.

I know what you're thinking: okay, so what? They eat blood, big deal, they are just flowers...

Ha! Did you really think it would be that simple? No, no, these imposters will invade your gardens and your homes. Their little vines will wrap around your foot when you're in the garden or taking a walk. It's not evident at first, but it doesn't take much for a flower to grow on your body. Harmless, painless, but they will suck your blood dry. They have been known as silent killers, parasitic, draining you of life and energy and magic slowly but surely.

And the catch is once you have one flower growing on you, more will come, and it can distort your personality and make you feel or act as though you are drunk. Things won't make sense and you won't exactly know how to ask for help. Your only luck is that someone else will notice. Taking the flowers off requires an icy bath or shower and some serious salt scrub. To prevent this in general, you will want to keep your skin covered thoroughly and not allow pollen to brush against you since that's all it takes. Good luck!"

CODING

Comments

[fogsong]

[ A cult. That makes Sharon's blood run cold and a familiar fear creeps into her chest. She tries to swallow the lump that's formed in her throat but it refuses to go away. ]

What... what makes you think he has a cult? [ The house in Gaze with the bones outside of it. She's not sure if she wants to stay away or investigate. ]

If he's... as awful as you think he is, having a cult would make him even worse. It's never a good sign when powerful men have blind people following them. I've seen what cultists will do for their leaders.

[dohaeris]

[sansa admires her flower crown in the mirror for a moment.]

I don't know that they follow him blindly. There are a lot of reasons to follow a bad man. But he's kind, that's what makes him dangerous. If any of them ever figured out that all they had to do was be kind, I wouldn't know how to stop them. It only works because nobody really likes them, so if you're better than them everyone will believe you about how horrible they are, so long as you say it the right way.

[she is definitely talking about several different 'thems,' here. she turns back to sharon.]

My friend who knows magic said he sounded like the kind of necromancer that had cults, in her world. I thought it was only a word for a foreign kind of faith, that perhaps septons don't like. Some septons are wise, but some septons are very stupid. It seemed to me that he was recruiting capable young warriors, and not to hunt beasts or do anything useful. I don't know what he plans, and I don't like that no one his own age seems to want to help him do it.

[fogsong]

Kindness can make a fool out of anyone and a smile is the best mask to hide who and what you are. It's easy to fall for because who doesn't want someone to be kind to them and no one wants to believe that kindness can be false. [ That's how she fell for Vincent. He'd been there for her. He promised to help her. And then he told her he was there to trick her and take her away. The memory cuts deeply.

As long as you say it the right way. Something about that unnerves Sharon just a little. She can't help but wonder what kinds of people this girl has dealt with in her life. It sounds a lot like someone has taught her to manipulate others in ways Sharon would never be able to figure out.

She's too brash, too forward, and too willing to rage to be any good at saying things the right way. ]

The line between a faith and a cult is a thin one but, to me, they're interchangeable. If you blindly follow your faith, you may as well be in a cult. [ Her view on religion is complicated and filled with resentment. She wishes she could be more open to other faiths but they all just boil down to following rules written by men with a desire to control. ]

[dohaeris]

[sansa nods at herself in the window.]

Oh, that's like when the Andals came to Westeros thousands of years ago. They killed the children of the forest and cut down the heart trees all because they had different gods. I don't understand it. My father built my mother a sept when she came to Winterfell, and they always taught us of the old gods and the new. We were happier than anyone, until the stupid king came and made us go south with his horrible family. All because Jon Arryn died, and Littlefinger gave my mad aunt Lysa the poison to kill him.

[lady makes a whimpering sound and rears up on her hind legs, to paw at the flowers. sansa watches in the mirror and laughs.]

Oh, Lady! I've never seen you do that before! Are you trying to dance with me?

[fogsong]

[ Sharon makes a mental note of everything Alayne says, especially the names of Jon Arryn, LIttlefinger, and Lysa. It sounds like some grand conspiracy her family wound up in, one that resulted in the death of her father, but Sharon's not too certain. The girl has said quite a bit in her state.

When Lady rears up, Sharon's expression softens to worry. ]

I think she's trying to tell you something, Alayne. I think those flowers are affecting you. Maybe she wants you to remove them? [ Sharon hesitates before she speaks again. ] I'll help you if you want?

[dohaeris]

[sansa tries to kiss lady on the nose, misses, and laughs.]

I liked being Alayne. She was clever and bold and didn't have anybody to mourn. I don't think I could be her again, though. Not Littlefinger's daughter.

I should have made up a new name when I came here. I could've been Cat, this time. Catelyn Rook. I suppose Catelyn isn't much better than Sansa, though. Alysanne, perhaps. There are Alysannes everywhere.

[fogsong]

[ This girl had a past that may be as complicated as her own and Sharon worries she's saying more to her than she would ever want to if she were in her right mind. Catelyn isn't much better than Sansa, she says, and Sharon wonders if one of those names is the one she was born with before she had it taken from her. ]

Before I came here, I was never allowed to be Sharon because Sharon was in danger. I had to hide who I was. I had to change my hair color and I had to change my name and whenever I was found out, I had to leave that name behind, leave everything behind, and become someone else again.

Names are just names. You know who you are. But, for what it's worth, you don't have to hide who you are here. You can be whoever you want to be, your true self or a brand new you.

[dohaeris]

[sansa gasps and turns towards sharon as if she's just found out they went to the same sorority at different colleges.]

Me too! I had to dye my hair too. We should compare the bounties on our heads, but I'm afraid I can't remember mine. 200 golden dragons, perhaps?

Even when I had my name I couldn't be my true self. I couldn't be a Stark of Winterfell. I had to be a little bird, and say what they wanted to hear. It's much better here, but I was stupid and I said I was Alayne anyway, so now when I tell people I'm not everyone will think I'm very strange and tragic, and I won't be able to hide from anyone, and then I won't have any cover for the necromancy teacher, so you can't tell anybody, and of course I won't say anything about you, either.

[fogsong]

I didn't have a bounty. [ She doesn't go into it but her bounty would have been their freedom from the hell she'd trapped them in and the birth of their god. ]

I promise I won't say anything, Alayne, don't worry. [ Sharon reassures her. ] Your secrets are safe with me.

And you weren't stupid for choosing to wear your false name. You're protecting yourself and there's nothing tragic or stupid about that. It's smart and look, it's helping you with this necromancy teacher thing, isn't it? Be who you need to be to protect yourself, just remember that your name isn't who you are: it's just a name. [ That's always been how Sharon got through being someone else. Names are just words and don't define you as a person. ] If my mother hadn't been here, I'd be using a false name, too.

[dohaeris]

[sansa shakes her head. it isn't so much using another name that she regrets, although she would prefer not to have to go through the process of telling everyone her true name in order to use it.]

Alayne Stone was his daughter. I didn't even pick that name. I wanted to be Cat. I could've been anyone, here. I could've been Jenny of Oldstones.

[she tilts her head, considering.]

If Bloodraven did have magic all along, perhaps so did she.

[suddenly she decides to twirl with her arms out, stumbling a little, and she begins to sing.]

High in the halls of the kings that were gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts...

I wonder how she did it, if there truly are ghosts like that in Westeros, who love you.

[she sings again, twirling unsteadily in the other direction this time.]

The ones she had lost and the ones she had found, and the ones who had loved her the most...

[she smiles at sharon.]

She had flowers in her hair, too, like me and my Aunt Lyanna. And Jonquil! Jonquil with the flowers in her hair...

[fogsong]

[ The girl who hides behind the name Alayne begins to sing and the song is haunting. Her voice is beautiful and when she stops, Sharon almost misses it. ]

...it sounds like Jenny danced with her memories. If only she could have danced with her ghosts but all she had were the ghosts of their memories.

We... We really should pluck those flowers from your hair, Alayne. Would you let me? I'll be careful and give them to you so you can always have them but I don't think they're safe. And you deserve to be safe.

[dohaeris]

[sansa shakes her head. she is pretty sure jenny of oldstones had some variation on the old magic her siblings share. she decides the best way to articulate this is with the song.]

No, it goes [singing] the ones that were lost for so very long, she couldn't remember their names--couldn't remember...now I can't remember the rest of the song! I can't--but it's so easy, most of it only goes [singing again] and she never want to leave, never wanted to leave...

[sansa covers the flowers with her hands. lady whines. she does know how to remove the flowers, she has done it before, but she can't quite remember...she only knows it hurts to pull them right off.]

You can't just pull them, you need bread and salt. [not quite right.] Salt and...no, I'm not supposed to wash the dye out of my hair until lord Tyrion is dead.

[there is no dye in her hair.]

I can't--I need brown dye, from Tyrosh--

[she does actually have this in her bathroom, she found it in her arrival bag. she hadn't really been able to bring herself to use it, even then.]