deercountry | there's a monster in my closet

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there's a monster in my closet

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"What's the best song?"

He's not exactly graceful in his regular body and all the extra appendages are not helping him any. He sets the salt down by the old fashioned ribcage bathtub and turns on the water as cold as possible. While he focuses on that his wings shift the eyes on the joints there watch Lexi.

"It's very nice of you to help me. I know this is sorta creepy."

"Oh, jeez. That's nearly impossible to answer. My mom was into angry chick music in the 90s and I kind of slowly borrowed them until they were all mine. But I guess I'd go with "Enjoy," by Bjork."

Yeah, she can see that. And she'd really like to have a word with the Pthumerian of the month and ask what sort of lesson such transformations were supposed to teach other than "life sucks sometimes." Which all of them there were smart enough to figure out on their own. And she figures she's getting used to life here because the eyes on his wings moving to watch her didn't really weird her out.

"A little. But for a while, I practically had to shove Cassie in the shower. Especially over Christmas break, she was kind of a giant lump."

Kyle grins at that. "Angry chick music. That's funny. But I know exactly what you mean. You lucked out, my mom loves like, Barbara Streisand. Even AFTER she destroyed half our town." Kyle. Kyle, don't drag your weirdness into this.

He nods. "God. I know that feeling. My best friend, when he got really depressed it was like... yeah. I physically washed him a few times. Which I can tell YOU because you understand. Other people would think that was weird."

He studies the tub and makes a face.

"...I might need your help scrubbing. I'm so sorry. But I don't like... have genitals right now, if that makes it better?"

She grins back. "Barbara Streisand destroyed your town? What, did someone give one of her albums a negative review? Or did someone tell her that there was no way anyone would have mistaken her for a guy in 'Yentil?'"

"Jeez. That sounds rough. Really rough." And she nodded. "I do understand and I promise I won't tell anyone."

The tub seems awfully small and he seems awfully large. Hmm. How was this going to work?

"It does. And I don't mind, I'd want someone to help me if I was in a similar situation. So. Let's get started?" She'd sure want to get it over with if she had to take a salt scrub in freezing cold waters.

"She did! No, it was, uhm, she wanted this magic triangle thing." He sounds a little drunk but still completely earnest. "She totally turned into this huge mech and trashed everything."

He smiles, all of his facial eyes crinkling up softly at the edges. "Thanks. That means a lot."

He wraps his wings around himself as he undresses, staying huddled that way even as he goes to step into the tub.

"AH! Ah, cold!" he squeaks. He winds up standing there like an idiot for a moment as he works out that he has to lift his wings up so he can sit in the tub. He does so, splashing down into the water.

"Fuck! Ohhhh, this sucks, dude."

"Okay, in my world all she does is openly support Democrats. Which can be tricky enough in a world that seems to have let its MAGA hats consume their brains." And she's trying to picture a Barbara Streisand mech and is failing utterly.

She smiles back. "Sure. I mean, we're friends. Friends help friends, it's kind of in the job description."

Everything looks uncomfortable, from the wings to the posture to his expression.

She winces in sympathy. "I know. I know. But the site was positive, ice cold water only. Just. Think about it being Boy Scout Camp?" Goodness knows that the campgrounds Mrs. Bennett took them to in late grade school hadn't exactly been a luxury retreat. Or even a Motel 6.

"Yeah. Yeah. It probably will for a while. Now, where's the salt?"

"Yeah, that's not as fucking weird sounding, I guess," he says. "But I understand the brain consuming thing. Small town. Although I think we're fairly like... not AS bad as you'd think? For a bunch of rednecks, anyway."

He looks so relieved that it's a little heartbreaking. But then of course he just looks cold. He gestures beside the tub.

"F-floor," he chatters out. "Y-you were in the S-scouts, too?"

"Small suburb in California. But we're in Orange County, that's always been kind of a hive of scum and villainy. What was your small town like? Other than having rednecks, I think that's a constant in most towns."

She feels so bad for him! It can't be easy to move around in the tub considering his current form and the fact that the water was absolutely freezing. The only way to make it colder would be to dump a sack of ice into it and she was in no hurry to do that.

And she goes to sit by the tub. "Yeah. Until seventh grade. It was wild, there were like thirty of us little brats and only one Mrs. Bennett. How about you?"

Oh boy. What was South Park like? "...weird," he settles on. "Like, I think maybe there was lead in the water or something? People were really stupid. Like REALLY stupid."

Talking helps, even though he's still shivering and he has to force himself to keep from wrapping his wings around himself. He does feel more clear-headed, though.

"I'm talking 'we saw on TV that most children are kidnapped by relatives so let's turn all the children in town out of their homes and let them roam free because that's safer.' Thank god a bunch of Mongols were nearby, we all probably would have died." Okay, so maybe he still sounds drunk.

"I was, but like, it was specifically for Jewish kids. It was kinda lame, I missed being away from my REAL friends. I quit in seventh grade too by convincing my mom that it would interfere with my academics. I was a camp counselor for a summer in high school, which I guess is equally lame."

"Weird and the people were stupid? Yiiiiiiikes. Okay, suddenly East Highland doesn't seem so bad. Well. Other than the jerk jocks but they're like a fixture at any school."

He sounds like he's doing better, but she's still feeling awful. And the salt scrub hasn't even begun yet, she really hoped he had no open wounds.

"Okay, I...don't even know where to start with that? Mongols? Like actual Mongols from Mongolia? And free range child rearing is a thing, but that's beyond a thing into like. Underpants on the head lack of logic and sense." He does a little, but his example is so weird that either it has to be true or his brain is currently scrambled eggs. She's hoping for the former.

"Really? Hmm. I'm afraid to ask what the sing-alongs were other than that one about the Dreidel and that awful Adam Sandler song which gets played to death during Chanukah. But, yeah, hate to tell you that there's nothing cool about being a camp counselor.

Not even if Jason attacked, because it's always a final girl. Which is gender-reductive, doesn't take the experiences of trans* kids into account, and is one of those things you know is going to happen during any slasher film, but they keep doing it anyway. So overdone."

"Hey, some jocks are nice!" He thinks, then snickers, because he's not mature.

He nods as he gets his skin wet for the salt. "Yup. Which in retrospect is... very strange. But I didn't think to question it at the time." That statement goes for most of Kyle's childhood.

He snickers again. "Yeah, it's like... so dumb. But my mom was really big on being proud of my heritage and stuff, so. And I dunno what to tell you, dude, I was kinda a dork I guess." Was. Was, he says.

He looks at her with his too-many eyes and grins. "So if YOU made a slasher, you'd subvert the expectations? Make it a final guy? Maybe a slutty one?"

"Said by someone who's never been anywhere near East Highland High." And she snickers, too. Maturity? Entirely overrated.

Lexi's biting her lower lip to not laugh. "Does anyone question their youth as they're living it?" But she's a teenager, she doesn't know what those above her age bracket do and don't do.

And she snickers in return. "And my mom told us that since the Christians stole Christmas from the Germanic pagans, we can steal Christmas, too. So it's both Chanukah and Christmas and Cassie only participates in the latter. And it's cool to be a dork. Better than to be capital-C Cool. Capital-C Cool people are almost always douchebags."

"Why not a slutty final guy? Or a slutty anyone? Someone who parties with the rest of the cast, drinks alcohol, smokes pot...all very boring to anyone in high school but practically a revelation to anyone used to your standard slasher films. 'Oh my god, this person doesn't conform to standard gender and horror film configurations? Clearly they've got to go.'" She said that with a wry twist to her mouth.

"Okay, maybe I'm defending them because I like sports," he admits.

"Good point. You don't have a frame of reference yet."

He can only laugh at that. "I grew up in a town full of Catholics, so I had lots of Christmases at my friends' houses."

He laughs and shivers, reaching for handfuls of salt. "Do you actually like horror movies?"

"I never got sports. Even playing them during gym class. Softball, I usually planted myself in the deep outfield and ignored what was actually going on. Which sports do you like?"

"Not really. Taking care of mom and Cassie can't be the same as taking care of a spouse and one's own children. But the latter, that's not gonna happen until I'm thirty."

And she grins. "Yeah, that's about right. Same here."

She moves the salt so that it's in easier reach. "Yeah? Just because I can pick the standard eighties horror movie to pieces doesn't mean I don't actually like them. The predictability is fun all by itself. Plus, when I was younger and spending a lot of time at sleepovers with Rue, she always picked the goriest, strangest horror movies to watch. I saw 'Cannibal Holocaust' at way too young an age."

He has to laugh a little, because softball does fucking suck. "Basketball. I wanted to grow up to play professionally, but that was not destined to be."

He nods as he starts scrubbing salt against his skin. It's an unpleasant sensation. "Thirty is a good age to have kids and stuff. In theory you have your shit figured out by then, at least enough not to fuck up so badly."

He shakes his head. "Isn't that the one with the like, real dead animals? I never saw it, but I saw it mentioned on one of those 'top most controversial blah blah' lists. My best friend loves animals so he was like, 'dude we are never watching that.' He'd totally have cried."

"Yeah? So, what do you do instead?" She wants to have something she's written pass a thousand fanworks on AO3.

It looks like it feels unpleasant. She knows people have to exfoliate, and has a proper body wash for it, but this is unreal. "Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for? A stable relationship, a stable career, a good amount of savings, very practical." And very boring, at least according to Cassie.

She makes a horrified sound and says "Ohmygod, yes. That's the one. I got so mad at Rue when I went home and googled it. From then on, I told her that she couldn't go to the Family Video and pick stuff out without me. And your friend is very wise to give a hard no from the start. I was...eight? And I didn't have my own smartphone at the time. Nightmares. Nightmares for months."

"Oh, uhm, I was starting law school."

Kyle nods. The salt seems to be working to dry out the flowers growing all over his arms. "I think that's a good plan. It's the responsible way to do it."

He laughs softly. "Dude. WAY too young. Was that the most traumatising movie ever for you?"

"That's cool. Very secure and potentially very high-paying."

She notices that with relief as well. It seemed the epitome of uncool to have 'fake' flowers do such a thing. If flowers couldn't be trusted to be flowers, what could be? "Yeah. God knows I'm responsible." A little too responsible most of the time.

She chuckles. "Yeah. Probably because it was constant trauma. Though, before that Rue slipped in an Italian horror movie where some woman barfed up her guts. That was pretty traumatizing, too, although I can't remember why it happened."

He nods, smiling a little shyly. "I wanted to do civil rights work, though. That pays for shit, my dad assures me. But I think it matters. I don't want to work for no reason besides money."

Flowers flake and fall to the bathwater, which becomes glittery and dark as the blood they were sucking trickles down too. "You sound like me. Proud, and not quite resentful."

He smiles again, more broadly. "Sick, dude! God, that shit stays with you. Like not in a scarring way, necessarily, but you'll probably be fucking 90 in a care home and still remember that even if you forget your own name."

"Yeah, that's a really, really important thing. To love what you're doing, to at least be doing it because it will help others. God knows we still need civil rights lawyers." Her own expression is encouraging.

She's so relieved to see that the cold bath salt scrub seems to be working. And she's not afraid of the effects of the blood since she's a Darkblood, too. "No wonder why we get along so well," Lexi says with a little laugh.

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. And honestly, I think Rue got a kick out of watching me react. Not in a mean way, but a 'this is enhancing the experience' way. Though, now she's more into trashy reality tv. Not Kardashian-level trashy, but like 'Love Island' level trashy."

"Thank you! The world is just... so fucking unfair, you know? I need to help if I can."

He laughs. "Yeah, must be. It's nice. I'll be honest, it's kinda hard for me to make friends. I'm kinda abrasive."

"Okay, that I can get. There is definitely a pleasure you get from watching someone else react to shit." Kyle snorts. "Oh, god. That's BAD."

"Sure! And it really is. It needs all the help it can get and I think you'll do a lot of good."

She also laughed. "Well, I don't see you like that? And it's hard for me to make friends, too, I'm a little shy." Then she thought for a moment. "Okay, a lot shy."

"Yeah, and I'll admit it, I tended to really react. Usually by throwing a pillow at her, starting a pillow fight. Like an actual pillow fight which she usually won, so we'd go back to watching the movie." And she chuckles ruefully (lol). "It is. I've tried recommending slightly less shitty reality shows like Ink Master and Bar Rescue, but those don't involve babes in bikinis. Usually."

"Thank you." He sounds genuinely touched.

"Shy isn't bad! Although, yeah, it makes it a little harder to meet new people, yeah." He smiles. "That's why you need like, one extroverted friend."

He nods, knowing full well the sort of 'fighting' that exists only between siblings.

"I mean, people DO love babes in bikinis..."

"Sure." She hears that in his voice and smiles a little. She's never been used to being thanked for things.

"Hmm. Well, back home, obviously it's not Cassie. I love my sister, don't get me wrong, but she usually takes all of the attention. Rue's my--my best friend, but she's not very social, either, and I'm not close enough with her girlfriend to ask for help. Maybe Maddy? She's as extroverted as it gets."

"I mean, so do I, but I like my reality tv to have at least something close to reality? Everyone looking awesome in a bikini or having washboard abs, that's not reality."

"Well, here you have me," Kyle says. "I don't know if I'm properly extroverted, but I'm friendly." He certainly likes his time alone, but he's not a hermit.

He cackles, sounding a lot like Ed the hyena. "Yeah, point. I like pretty much any contest show, even if it's stupid."

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(CW: cross-dressing in a referenced movie)

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(CW: politics, MAGA)

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(CW: Cannibal Holocaust)

(cw: that poor turtle)

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(CW: intestines, vomit)

(CW: blood, also we've seen all the same films)

(CW: blood, yeah it sure seems that way! obscure horror movies are the best)

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