Deer Country Network

[ The camera feed opens to reveal… an eye, mostly. Huge and watery and blue, sunken bruised skin around it. The look of someone very ill, or very tired. Half-hidden by scraggly blonde hair. Whoever this is, they’re holding the Omni very close to their face. ]

Voices, faces. Echoes held in stone. It speaks—! [ Someone has… just discovered the network. There’s something bright in his voice, but it grows dim. ] So… small but the hurts are so big. I hear them but they don’t hear me, I don’t know how to help. It doesn’t make sense.

[ Frustration. Grating. Sets his teeth on edge. It’s not supposed to be like that, he’s supposed to help. And there is further to his upset: ]

Blood. Stifling, suffocating and not safe. He remembers Adamant, slain brothers for the sake of serving. Then… torn and twisted, until the sound of what they’re not supposed to be is all they hear. Bound to their will, and His. They can’t change me, they can’t. I must be me—!

I can taste it. There’s others, different kinds. None of the songs are the same but they’re better. But there’s too much blood, it takes over. Drowns out the other songs.

[ There’s a long pause. The Omni is moved away, revealing a little more of his face: a young man, perhaps no older than twenty. A thin, long face; bleary eyes and a somber expression. He’s not looking at the camera. ]

I don’t like it here.

ooc: please consider using this page re: cole's abilities and what comes with interacting with him.

[The feed opens up to an unnaturally beautiful garden. For those familiar with Ange Ushiromiyra or Beatrice's magic they'll certainly recognize the golden butterflies fluttering about the and resting upon the golden roses. While this area looks nothing like Trench, one of the carnivorous plants can be seen going to snap at one of the butterflies.

Only for Ruby Rose to pop up on the screen and slices the plant in two with a scythe made of scythe made of pure energy that she had not been seen with before. In fact she seemed incredibly energetic for someone who should be dealing with the draining effect on cold bloods this month. She's also dressed surprisingly formal for her usually very goth tendencies. She quickly dusts herself off and looks to whatever is projecting the Feed.]

Sorry about that. Just dealing with a few nasty pests that stumbled in here.

Speaking of which~!

I thought it would be fun to give everyone a little tour of The Golden Land my beautiful wife, The Golden Witch Ange Ushiromiya has created.

[The feed turns shows off the beautiful Garden, along with a gazebo with a table set for a tea party beneath it, a massive hedge maze that contains various doors that poke out from the overgrowth unnaturally. As they pass by a couple of the doors one might hear a few bangs or something that might sound like finger nails raking on the doors. Ruby seems to ignore it until she notices one slowly start to open and she'll step in to slam it shut and lock it with a key before turning back to the camera.]

Oh, just ignore that! Some people get a little rambunctious waiting for dinner, you know?

[Speaking of dinner, the next door in the hedge maze is open, and it leads to an extravagant kitchen. Inside that kitchen, one Xerxes Break is not making dinner. He is sitting cross-legged on the table, forming bits of crust into an intricate top for a terribly pretty pie. He has already made cookies and some wads of frosting shaped like roses that probably have cupcakes underneath, and is having a grand time. He glances up as Ruby steals a cookie.]

There you are. When you've finished whatever you're up to, come see me, would you? I was thinking we ought to come up with a present to make for Miss Ange. [As he speaks, he picks up a fork and casually hurls it off to the side somewhere. There's a thunk, and the angry gurgling of another carnivorous plant that tried to follow Ruby in.] Since she's made us such a lovely new home, we ought to make something really great for her too, don't you think?

[Quite frankly sitting on tables and throwing cutlery is just normal Break behavior. But those who recognize him may notice that the one red eye he keeps visible has a distinct glow about it, and his ever present omen — who is on the floor nearby, happily chewing up a pumpkin someone has conjured for him — has all of his too many teeth out in a manic doggy grin he cannot quite seem to put away.]

[Ruby bounces on the balls of her feet in excitement.]

That's a great idea! I'll wrap this up quick!

[And quickly begins to float out of the kitchen and into a grand lobby that seems to be just as over grown as everything else. There is a Portrait of her and Ange that eventually stops by and presents with open arms.]

Any who wish to visit this wonderful world created by our Golden Witch, Ange Ushiromiya are welcome to.

But please try not to cause any problems. I'll only politely ask you to leave once.

[And the feed closes with a smile that seems almost a little too sweet as she again grips that large scythe.]

[OOC Purple is Break.

TLDR Ange has made an interdimensional hidey hole centralized There will be a log coming up in the next few days to explore the area and have some fun!]

[The video started with an opening shot of what looked like a bag of coal. It zoomed in on the tag attached with its blocky lettering and signature...

MERRY CHRISTMAS
-DARTH MAUL

The camera shifted a little as Keith crouched down next to it, and then turned it so that both he and the bag of coal were in the picture.

He smirked.]

Thanks, man. It'll help keep the house warm during the cold weather. Best gift ever.

[And click - he was gone.]

[She’s been here for over a week now. Time to get the lay of the land. The video opens up to a particularly tall blonde woman with a golden skeletal arm and a smirk. She's here to cause problems on purpose.]

Greetings, hello, salutations. My name is Ianthe Naberius. I’m new in town, twenty two, a princess of Ida, unfortunately single and dreadfully bored!

Now, I come to you today, not only to introduce myself, but to ask something of all of you.

Who do you hate most in Trench and why? I’m trying to meet people, network, but it’s so hard and overwhelmingly positive! So consider this an open invitation. Warn me about that dangerous scoundrel who kicked your puppy, seethe about how much you despise me for whatever reason, tell me about your parasocial hateful fixation on one of the local divinity. It can be a minor slight you want to complain about, a friend of yours who owes you two perfectly intact human skulls, or it can be an actual danger to this lovely little community of ours.

Now, before you try to say “this is childish and stupid!” You’re absolutely right, but it is a necessary part of self care to allow oneself to be an absolute cunt once in a while. [Or all the time, if your name is Ianthe.] So let’s not make any grand claims to being above something like this, mm?

Feel free to use the anonymity feature. Or the privacy feature, I guess, if you’re shy or worried about being fileted like a fish.

So for those not in the know, our house burned down last month.

[ What a way to open a post, right. And yet Ange manages to say it with something very close to a pokerface. Those who know her well may see something at its edges though. An annoyance that starts to bleed more and more into the girl's tone as she speaks on. ]

And not in the 'dumb accident' sense. No, it's because apparently it's socially acceptable in this place to come to someone's house and set it on fire, before bringing your friends inside to start murdering its inhabitants. [ Okay, yes. At this point it's not thiny veiled annoyance anymore. This is obvious annoyance that she doesn't bother to hide. ] And before anyone asks me if I'm alright— I'm fine. Totally fine. I mean, I half-turned into a beast back there, but it's clearly cool. It's fine.

[ It's clearly not fine. The sarcasm is thick.

Though Ange seems to realise that's not why she was supposed to make this message, and manages to snap herself out of passive-aggressive-ville for just long enough to sigh and sound a little bit more neutral as she speaks on. ]

Anyway, we want to rebuild the house, but that's obviously something we need help with. None of us are exactly architects.. I think. I've learned to not question weird Remnant hobbies. [ You never know what those Remnant people are capable of. ] Not to mention we'd need help with the actual physical rebuilding itself too.

We could use help from a lot of people, so if anyone would be willing to help, that'd be great.

I would like to ask for advice.

Last month, I badly hurt someone.

I don't like them, but they didn't deserve what I did to them.

And this person is important to people who are important to me, too.

What should I do? I don't know if an apology is enough. I don't know if they even want an apology, and I don't know what to do if they need more.




Thank you for taking the time to read this, even if you can't respond.

CW FOR MASS MURDER OF UNARMED CIVILIANS, RELIGIOUS FANATICISM, THEMES OF NIHILISM AND UNREALITY, GASLIGHTING, "MERCY KILLING", THREATENED HARM TO CHILDREN, CHARA IN GENERAL, MOTHER MERCY IN GENERAL

( SHOW NO MERCY. )

[ The video opens on a close-up shot of a lizard’s face. Its eyes are unfocused and unblinking. Its jaw is slack. Sometimes, a tongue flops out, and a hand reaches out to shove it back in.

Without warning, the camera DRAMATICALLY zooms out to reveal Kaworu, holding up a large, floppy lizard. This lizard is literally the size of him. Bigger even, if you include the length of its tail]

Okay, Kaworu! [ A very loud, very enthusiastic woman’s voice. ] You’re up! Time to tell everyone about this extremely important mission! Don’t – Kaworu, come on, you have to hold him up, like we practiced.

[ This is interrupted by some unfortunately shaky camera work. ]

Shinji-kun. His name is Shinji-kun and he’s heavy. You should give me the camera instead.

We don’t know what to feed Shinji-kun. He has little interest in eating even though we’ve had him for months now. It’s odd, most creatures, especially basic ones like him, are driven by the need to eat to survive, yet we can’t find anything that he desires. So far we’ve tried… buttered noodles, rice, cereal, marshmallows, grass, leaves…

What else Gideon?

Dried fruit, protein shakes, nice words written on paper notes, my blood, Kaworu’s blood, a rat we found in the backyard one time, bones. You know, regular animal foods.

[ Gideon shrugs, and the camera moves up and down with it. Professionalism!! ]

We know there was this whole baking competition or whatever going down, so, you know, if any of you want to bake a lizard treat we’d buy you lunch or whatever in exchange. Or just tell us how to feed this lizard.

[ Please!! Help! ]

( ooc: Gideon is in red and Kaworu is in blue. Shinji the lizard is undead, but the two of them have no idea. They just love their re-animated lizard a lot and want the best for him.)

[ Luna Lovegood is perhaps the best she's looked in months. Despite the exhausted look about her, and the expression of queasiness — she's void of any trace of Corruption. She's been spending the past several days sleeping, and not sleeping; trying to calm her stomach from the copious amounts of wild animals she'd devoured as a beast. While sustenance for her in Beastform, her stomach now she's human again is... far more delicate. But the worst of it has passed, at least. And Peter has been a blessing for her, making sure she's alright — even if eating has been a little bit of a struggle.

She sits in her room, sat on her bed with her knees curled up to her chest, still dressed in pyjamas. Her Omni rests on her bedside as she begins the broadcast. She's anxious; her brow drawn down in a sorrowful frown. It's important, though. People deserve apologies, even she deserves no luxury of apology in return. She hurt people, quite a lot — and while the memories of the latter half of April are foggy at best, she knows she's done some terrible things. ]

I realise a great deal of people may be very upset with me right now. I would have done this sooner, but I... needed a little bit of time to sort out my mind. [ She's still trying to do that, but it's now or never. ]

I remember the butterflies, and then... it gets a bit mixed up after that. [ It was like... falling down a very, very deep hole. Slowly slipping away from herself, and into something cold and dark and twisted. ]

I'm sorry. I know I hurt a lot of people, I know I— I think I killed people, too. I know I wasn't myself, I became someone terrible and then something terrible. A monstrous Beast. [ It hurts to refer herself as that. No beast is monstrous. But she did monstrous things. That is... simply how it is, and she's ashamed of herself. ] I know people might think it isn't my fault, that I became a Beast — but I still did those things. I barely even know who I did them to, I don't remember much.

But I'm very sorry.

[ She doesn't expect forgiveness, not at all. She's alright with that. Luna's quiet for a long tome, just leaving the apology there. But after a while, she inhales and continues. ]

I was lucky. My friends found me, my boyfriend found me. They brought me back. They knew who I was even though I was a Beast. I can only guess others haven't and won't be so fortunate. [ How many times have Sleepers been killed as Beasts? How many will be in future? ]

I've been doing some thinking, the past couple of days. How to... maybe help Sleepers, somehow. Back home, someone very important to me, a hero to me really, led the way in the study of magical beasts — he's one of the greatest Magizoologists known to Wizardkind. He offered a great deal of insight into beast behaviours, abilities and how best to care for them — compiled it into a textbook.

I'd... like to start doing something like that, but for Sleepers in their Beastforms. I want to do it as my area of study at the School of Mutter. An encyclopaedia of Sleepers' forms of Beasthood, noting their appearance, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. But also how best to help them, calm them down. Bring them back.

[ She doesn't want it to mean it's how to kill them. No, no. Not at all. It's how best to help Sleepers, so they don't have to be killed. But also knowing how best to deal with them, so other Sleepers don't end up getting killed when dealing with Beasts. Merlin knows how many Witches and Wizards were likely killed by magical creatures they had no clue on how to handle them. Wild animals are just that, they can kill. ]

I could have very easily met death at the hands of a Hunter, but I was lucky I didn't. Knowledge is a very powerful tool, and I believe it could do a great deal of good. [ That being said: ] If people have information they'd like to share about their Beastforms, or how they've dealt with bringing Sleepers back — I would like to hear it for my research.

If you'd rather speak in person, you may find me at Ritual Gig in Willful Machine. [ There's a little pause, her voice wobbling slightly. ] You... may have known it as John Constantine's shop, but moving forward I shall be taking up the reins in his absence.

[Luca and Ahiru of the house might have noticed Luz was gone all day, as were Varian, Rapunzel and Fern, and there were none the wiser about why. The three of them honestly tended to do their own thing, but this time was different. Luz returned later, closing the door behind her, and had stayed up in her room for several hours. Luca and Ahiru were likely to feel the distress in Luz now though, and while Ahiru wouldn't know why, Luca WOULD.

And now, Luz knew, she'd have to let the rest of Trench know.

-



[Late at night, the video feed clicked and there was Luz. Her eyes were rimmed red, she was slightly shaking and she was surrounded by the stuffed animals in her room. She looked at the camera for at least a minute before finally addressing the audience as a whole].

If you guys knew Rapunzel, I'm sad to say she's gone back to being a squid. She was pretty great, looking after us in the house and everything, and we're going to try and keep her tower spotless. She would have wanted it that way.

[She bit her lip, exhaling].

V-Varian and Fern are also gone.

They've...gone back too. I know a lot of you knew them from Deerington. In a lot of ways, they're why I chose to go to move onto the next world. Fern was cunning, quick and upfront about himself. He put himself out on a limb to save people, and was the model of a hero I think we all strive to be.

Varian was different, but in his own unique way. He was stubborn, smart, and one of the sweetest people I know. He'd come up with inventions I could only watch in awe of, and he'd work tirelessly on projects with strength I could never match. He and Fern were my older brothers, and the reason I live in this house now.


They mattered, just like everyone who leaves matters, and leave a mark when they go. If I ever ask myself why I'm here, suffering, I'll remember it's because of them, because they were everything that helped me move on from one bad moment to better ones.

Thank you. Um. Take care, guys, wherever you are.

[Maul looks very serious but also with a touch of the cat that finally caught the canary as he starts the video.]

I thought I would just give a formal announcement that I have broken the curse which has been on me since Deerington. For those who didn't know about it, it caused me to feel pain whenever I harmed another sentient being. But no more.

[He sounds extremely pleased by that. Though any traces of glee are soon replaced by a murderous expression on his face, his eyes hardening until there is only fury in them.]

If any of you feel like being clever and immediately trying to put another leash upon me, I would advise against it. I didn't retaliate this time but next time I will kill anyone who tries to meddle in my life, whether or not it is my own hand that ends your life.[Maul's got enough people in town who he knows would eagerly kill for him if he asked them to, his brother and mate both chief among them. While he usually prefers to do his own dirty work, he's not willing to put himself through another eight months of being muzzled.] Or I shall simply make your life so miserable that you wish you were dead. After all, most sentient species contain around two hundred to four hundred bones. Consider the fact I know how to break each and every one of them. Or how most species will continue to survive as long as the brain has oxygen and the hearts continue to pump blood regardless of what else is done to their body. Just a thought.

[He pauses and adds on a little at the end.]

As for the three that did it? You already know I don't forgive and I don't forget. Run and hide if you like. I'll come and find you soon enough.

[The feed opens up to a crooked shot of a building that screams abandoned warehouse vibes. Out of frame is a man in a black karate gi standing next to a grandfather clock with the words "Professor Dongspin" written on it in green paint.]

Now I just got here but I've been seen a lot of talk about free fighting lessons. But we all know that in life you get what you pay for.

You want to really kick the competition? Then you need to get your ass down to Cobra Kai.

Screw that weird ass fairy tale bullshit. Learn from someone who drinks raw eggs, not pansy ass hot chocolate.

You'll learn bone crunching, face smashing, all American Karate. For the reasonable price of your blood, sweat and tears.

We're not going to be doing any self-defense, It's time to learn self-offense.

Don't be a pussy. Join Cobra Kai and let me teach you the way of the fist.

[And then leaps into the air and delivers a spinning kick into the grandfather clock which collapses and smashes against the ground.

The feed cuts out shortly after.]

[ The video feed cuts on to reveal one Ford Pines, who looks a little frazzled but mostly just incredibly excited. ]

Greetings, Trench! I'm sure we've all noticed the difficulty of growing and acquiring plant-based foods in Trench - including coffee. I know some people have manages to cultivate their own crops, but I was hoping to come up with something that might work on a larger scale. I tried a spell to replicate some coffee beans I acquired last month and...

[ Ford rotates the camera, revealing that he's in the middle of some sort of laboratory-slash-workshop - and that in the middle of said workshop is a massive pile of coffee beans, about as tall as Ford himself. ]

It may have worked! But I need help testing this batch to make sure they're the correct flavor and free of any side-effects. Anyone who'd like to assist can stop by and grab a bag whenever they like - I'll be here all day!

[ And he'll include a link with directions to his house. ]

( OOC )
This is a companion network post to my log! Feel free to comment to one, the other, or both! You can also hit up my inbox if you want to skip right to reporting the results.

The beans are much, much weaker than normal beans in terms of taste and caffeine content. It'll take 3x-5x as many beans to get a cup that tastes right. This batch will be free of side effects.

[Usually, Usagi would just make this a text, but this was for Rei.

She took a deep breath as she looks at the camera, her eyes red and swollen, her nose red as well. She offers a wet smile before it falls away completely.

She takes another deep breath.]

For those of you who knew her, Rei Hino went- went home.

[Her breath hitches on that last part but she gets it out without a single sob or tears. Rei would be proud. She's done her crying, though, in truth, she's likely to do more later. Usagi knows she'll see Rei again, their lives intertwined, but it doesn't make her loss hurt any less.

Usagi debates for a moment if she should say anything else, pressing her lips together, and then lets out a breath.]

I know she meant a lot to many of you and those of you who Rei loved, she loved you fiercely, I can say that with certainty. [Rei never loved by halves.

Usagi is silent for a moment and then nods. She leaves it at that, at a loss on what else to say.]

hey has anyone ever like manifested something into existence just by thinking about it hard enough?
like getting your dream job or a girl you like finally looking your way
or say you for example miss your son back home a lot and then one day he appears like you summoned him

you know?

this ever happened to anyone for real?
anyone here ascribe to the secret?
its a self-improvement method that's been sweeping the principalities back home
is it actually real?
can someone again super hypothetically manifest their loved one into existence?

asking for a friend

[The video starts with a very close-up view of Mebh's face as she tries to figure out if her Omni is even working or not. She hasn't made much of an effort to use the Omni up until now, since she's not familiar with this kind of technology at all. Eventually she pulls away; though the camera is still at a noticeable angle, the backdrop looks as though she's somewhere around the Waystation, since the windmill can be seen. She's flanked on either side by two grey, yellow-eyed wolves, one of whom leans forward to sniff at the camera for a moment before Mebh rolls her eyes and nudges it away.]

Robyn said I could use this thing to talk to people. [Her expression briefly changes to a sadder one. Mentioning Robyn hurts. Robyn had said they would look for their parents together while they were here, but now she's gone and Mebh can't find her. Though she can't dwell on that right now, because she has a Complaint.]

So isn't there a real forest around here? Not like the Trenchwood place. There's nothin' good in there and it smells all nasty.

[And there's something about it that seems even worse at night; she can't bring herself to go in when it's dark out, because even she can tell it's not safe, though she's not going to admit that easily.]

But I'm not livin' in the town. Not ever. Dunno how anybody can stand all those smells.

[There's a very stubborn look in her eyes when she says this. Even if this world is more dangerous than the one she remembers and there are far worse things living here than people who hunt wolves, she hates the idea of caging herself in. And she can't live in a town when it reminds her that the only friend she had from home has now disappeared.

For a moment, Mebh goes quiet...and then she suddenly bares her teeth and lets out a guttural growl, the screen shaking violently as she takes the Omni and throws it on the ground in anger and frustration. The screen shows the sky for a few moments before it shuts off.]

[The feed turns on and Willow gives a little wave.]

Hi everyone. So, uh, I was talking to one of the younger Sleepers here about Halloween. She's never been trick or treating before - and I bet she's not the only one.

[She pauses for a brief second.]

Huh. I guess I should probably explain what that is - since we're all from different places, and I bet everyone has different traditions.

So at home, on the thirty-first of October, kids usually dress up in costume once it starts getting dark, and go around and knock on doors say 'trick or treat!' and people give them candy, or other treats. There doesn't really seem to be a shortage of kids around, and a lot of them are here without their parents - and there's the orphanage to think about too. I bet they've have never been trick or treating before in their lives, since it doesn't seem to be a thing here.

Anyway, I wanted to suggest that maybe we can put something together for them as a community - we'd need people to hand out candy and stuff, and probably people to make sure everyone stays safe too. I mean, from what I've heard, this isn't a regular Deerington October, but that doesn't mean we should totally let our guard down, right?

I figure it's probably a good way for anyone who knows about Halloween to get to do something that feels familiar for a night, and for anyone who doesn't know about it, it's a fun way to get out for a night and get our minds off... Well, everything else.

[Cloverfield's curse. She means Cloverfield's curse.]

So what do you think?

[The video feed opens up to a ...very clearly staged backdrop with Dipper sitting at a desk with several things laid out around him. There's a few lit candles, a few notebooks. Pens, an ink pot with a quill that he is definitely not using but has it near by for visual interest.]

[He is very clearly hoping to be taken seriously here, so as usual, he is trying too hard. He clears his throat.]

( cut for image )

So, hey, Trench, let's talk about ghosts for a second. While it's not super surprising this place might be crazy haunted, based on aesthetic alone, I started noticing an uptick in paranormal activity all around the city about a week ago.

[Dipper holds up a journal where he has drawn out a very nice graph of the raising ghost activity.

Behind Dipper, one of the books on his shelf starts to wiggle free. ]

I wasn't sure what it was at first, because it's not the kind of ghost activity I'm used to dealing with, but the city had apparitions wandering the streets. They weren't very solid and vanished when I touched one, leaving me super cold but otherwise unscathed.

My family couldn't see them, but they were definitely there. Anyway, it's October and I'm sure things will escalate eventually, so I wanted to share with you guys a banishing ritual I've been working on with my uncle. I'll attach it to this post.

I've also been working on-- [That book that's been easing out of the bookcase now just flings itself across the room, crashing into something off screen.]

[Dipper shrieks and whips around.]

[Waits.]

[And then sighs.]

Hey! I'm not talking about banishing you! I'm talking about in the off chance we get vengeful murder ghosts. You know that's a possibility, dude.

[The second book that was on it's way to being pulled out of the shelf stops and then eases its way back into the book shelf. Nothing to see here.]

[Dipper turns back around and continues like nothing weird happened.]

I've also been working on a public record for rituals and spells. A city spell book, of sorts that we can all use. It's only got some of mine in it for right now, but like, feel free to use it. We're still learning a lot about this place so sharing what we learn can only help us all, right?

Also, if anyone needs help with a nasty spirit, hit me up. I've got experience busting ghosts and was kind of the town expert back in Gravity Falls. Stay safe out there, guys.

[Attached to the post is a link to Dipper's Ghost Banishing ritual, as well as how to make the Silver Mirror it calls for. At the bottom there is a link to something called the Sleeper Grimoire which is a public use digital spellbook that the Sleepers have access to add to.]

[Oh hi Shiro, long time no see on the network. That's because this is a last-ditch effort. He looks pretty darn not great, despite the fact it's Sleep Season for Warmbloods. Maybe it's the Arena. Maybe it's the River. Something honestly, sincerely traumatic that's happened already.]

[His face is in his hands, hunched over the counter in his kitchen. The omni in front of him. Voice haggard and quiet. Like he has a migraine.]

I will pay... however much anyone wants. For coffee beans. Espresso beans. Don't even have to be cooked. Roasted. Doesn't matter.

[... Or it's caffeine withdrawl.]

Or tea leaves. I don't care.

[Please, he is Suffering.]

cw: grief, talk of death, suicidal thoughts, language

[ The feed clicks on to ragged breathing, too close to the Omni ]

Who the hell killed Flynn? Some guy with a light sword. Give me names.

[ Yuri's voice is low and rough, somehow both heated and emotionless. His emotional state has been degrading since Flynn's omen led him to Flynn's corpse. He growls and there's rustling over the Omni ]

If you killed him, be at the Gate at midnight.