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

[kyley_b]

No. No, I guess not, but like... dude. You don't need to worry about that.

[Kyle is frankly impressed this is working so well.]

Yeah, I can tell. But my impression is that you grew up really alone. That can make feeling accepted harder.

[hearthebell]

Your instincts are good. You'd probably make a good cop, or... social worker.

[Or something. He's bad at paying compliments even on a good day, and this is certainly not one of those.]

It was better that I grew up mostly alone. There weren't enough of those when they could have helped me; maybe they couldn't have, anyway, so. I played the role I could, the way I could.

[kyley_b]

Thanks. [He does look very happy at that.]

I don't know why you think you were such a lost cause. And most humans benefit from contact, sorry.

Not that you turned out like, a serial killer or something.

[hearthebell]

[He laughs, suddenly and harshly.]

What if I told you that my best friend did turn out like that? We had a lot in common.

[With his face healed, it's hard to tell if the process is continuing under his fireproof cloak at this point.]

[kyley_b]

Did he really?

One of my best friends was... not a serial killer, but definitely a sociopath.

We don't have to continue this if you'd rather not! I know you dropped :')

[hearthebell]

But you had reasons to keep him around.

[L's slack, sad features say that he understands that a little too well.]

Oh, I'll stay till we're wrapped! (Or till aug 1)

[kyley_b]

I guess? I honestly couldn't explain what that was, though.

...can I hug you? [Because L looks so fucking sad.]

<3

[hearthebell]

[He nods, knowing what it's like to have no real or logical reason to care for someone. The fact that they are there is often enough; the fact that they've been there long enough to know one a little bit is often enough.

He doesn't know how to articulate this. His damage is old and deep, like Kyle's, and more poorly understood by far.

That might be why he only has to consider for a mere second before he nods.]

Be careful. I'm burning up...

[But Kyle can take it, has already proven as much.]

[kyley_b]

[For Kyle, it really was familiarity. He'd never known a life WITHOUT a certain sociopath in it.

Kyle wraps his arms around L and drags him in close, not mindful of the heat at all. It doesn't hurt. And it eels good to hug someone.]

You're gonna be okay, dude.

[hearthebell]

[L's all sharp and frankly concerning bones. Even with the flames and the wings, he feels spiny and insubstantial, barely held together by what muscle and connective tissue sugar and cream can sustain.]

I don't know what that means, but... I want to believe you. I want it to be true.

[kyley_b]

I don't know what it means here, either, to be honest. Like, not exactly.

What I do know is that you're very strong, and very beautiful, and very intelligent. You can be whoever you wanna be here.

[He hugs L even tighter before he finally lets go.]

Don't forget that.

[hearthebell]

[He cracks up because he doesn't feel any of those things on a good day. Maybe his intelligence, but that's a known value, the reason for every decent thing that's ever happened to him.]

Here... I think that I want to be more like you. In... an inspirational way, and not a "wear your skin" way. Don't be alarmed, please.

[kyley_b]

[Kyle cracks up laughing too,]

Dude, I didn't think you meant in a skin wearing way! You dork. You're the fucking best, dude.

[His laughter tapers off and he leans in to kiss L's forehead.]

I think you're inspirational, too.

[hearthebell]

[The kiss startles him visibly, and he leans towards it like someone drowning who's been shown a buoy. He can't help it, even these days, after so many years so thoroughly touch-starved.]

Thank you for... apparently meaning that.

[He sees no lie.]

I need to be able to count on someone for that. I'm lucky to have you.