undyingcourt | Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

Test Drive Meme - New Blood

DEC TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the Undying Court Test Drive Meme! This post will allow players to test drive their AU characters in the setting, as well as meet fresh faces or even connect with those they have preexisting CR with. As with anything involved in the setting, this post will likely contain: violence, enthrallment, torture, and sexual content.

Regarding continuity, all TDM threads can be taken as in-game canon if desired. Please keep in mind that the game proper will begin in mid December, in the Winter Season, so Students/Novices should create their prompts under the assumption that the TDM takes place during the season prior to the one they will be apping as. This means that students planning to app as first season novices will be visiting Castle Courtsheart prior to their Beginning. In other words, if you plan to app a student as a second season, the TDM will take place during their first, and so on.

Feel free to brush up on the Premise, Vampire Powers, and head over to the FAQ/Game Info page if you have any questions!

Make sure you are aware of the Rules when posting your top-level. (Content warnings are always welcome!)
Please format your Top-level in this format: Character Name (AU Name if different) | Canon | Teacher/Student | Court
As a reminder, a Test Drive sample is required in order to app.
If you have any questions specific to the TDM, ask them in the Questions thread below!

Top-Level Directory:

Chat with NPC: Revar
Ace Attorney - Apollo Justice (Student)
Alice in the Country of Hearts - Alice Liddell (Student)
Attack On Titan - Erwin Smith (Teacher)
Baldur's Gate 3 - Astarion (Teacher)
Baldur's Gate 3 - Halsin (Teacher)
Baldur's Gate 3 - Raphael (Teacher)
Batman - Bruce Wayne (Teacher)
Bridgerton (Netflix) - Anthony Bridgerton (Student)
Castlevania - Soma Cruz (Student)
Castlevania: Nocturne - Maria Renard (Student)
Cosmo Warrior Zero - Harlock (Student)
Critical Role - Percy DeRolo (Teacher)
Daria - Daria Morgendorffer (Teacher)
Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha XIV (Student)
Dragon Age - Fenris (Teacher)
D&D: Honor Amongst Thieves - Edgin Darvis (Teacher)
D&D: Honor Amongst Thieves - Xenk Yendar (Teacher)
Ensemble STars!! - Mayoi Ayase (Student)
Fate/Zero - Kariya Matou (Kariya Makiri) (Student)
FE: Three Houses - Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Student)
FE: Three Houses - Hilda Goneril (Student)
FE: Three Houses - Lorenz Hellman Gloucester (Student)
FE: Three Houses - Marianne von Edmund (Student)
FE: Three Houses - Sylvain Gautier (Student)
Final Fantasy XIV - Estinien Varlineau (Teacher)
Frozen - Prince Hans (Student)
Genshin Impact - Diluc Ragnvindr (Teacher)
Genshin Impact - Tighnari (Teacher)
Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name - Conrad Achenleck (Teacher)
Hannibal (NBC) - Will Graham (Teacher)
Jujutsu Kaisen - Gojo Satoru (Teacher)
Jujutsu Kaisen - Toji Zen'in (Teacher)
Lucifer (Netflix) - Lucifer Morningstar (Teacher)
MCU - Loki Laufeyson (Teacher)
Original - Aurinn Laurentius (Student)
Original - Bellatrix Bakhar (Student)
Original - Christine Delacroix (Teacher)
Original - Hanako 'Rosalina' Nurumi (Teacher)
Original - Jisu (Eden Woods) (Student)
Original - Karma D'Auvergn (Teacher)
Our Flag Means Death - Edward Teach (Teacher)
Our Flag Means Death - Izzy Hands (Student)
Persona 3 Portable - Kotone Shiomi (Student)
Persona 5 R - Goro Akechi (Student)
Persona 5 - Haru Okumura (Student)
Persona 5 - Ren Amamiya (Student)
Pride and Prejudice - Elizabeth Bennet (Student)
Return to Labrynth - Sarah Williams (Teacher)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Snow White (Student)
Stargate: Atlantis - John Sheppard (Teacher)
Star Trek: AOS - James T. Kirk (Student)
Star Wars - Darth Vader (Teacher)
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - Trilla Suduri (Student)
The Adventure Zone: Balance - Kravitz (Teacher)
The Adventure Zone: Balance - Lydia (Teacher)
The Adventure Zone: Graduation - Fitzroy Maplecourt (Student)

NEW ARRIVALS

New arrivals will be starting their first season in the winter, but they're welcomed to the castle early, under the watchful eyes of the Silver Court. Upon arrival, they will be shown to a room by a human whose eyes glow softly from within, with vacant smiles. Thralls. There, the human thralls will draw them a bath and bring them new clothes to wear to their first meeting. These are rich, expensive things made of high quality fabric. Whether it's a silk dress and a heavy velvet cowl, or a fine pants and a vest made from a brocade, the servants will provide. The new initiate's old clothes will be burned after, in a symbol of the life they are leaving behind. If they are hungry, they will be provided food. If they need anything at all, they need only ask their new servants.

Later that night they are taken to a grand hall, with high arched ceilings and candles burning in chandeliers. There are figures painted overhead, beautiful and entwined. Some have their eyes are colored to match the courts, others are gracefully placed in their death, with blood dripping from necks and wrists.

Balconies line the hall behind a forest of pillars, and vampires all watch as the group walk through (some more hungrily than others).

"Welcome to your first undying season, initiates," a pale, silver-haired vampire calls. They have silver eyes are clad in silver robes, but command the attention of everyone in attendance. They have a beauty that seems neither male nor female. They are standing at the center of a wide semi-circle of other vampires, "As the Silver Court's acting voice at this end of the Autumn season, allow me to introduce you to the Houses that will be your new homes."

The vampire, Revar, gives the newcomers an overview of all of the courts—Blue, Red, Gold, Silver, and Black—and then invites those already claimed by their Courts to join the vampires who will be their Makers.

Revar offers the Foundlings who are left a gentle, knowing smile, and then allows them to be chosen. They are like the last sheep left at the auction, and the vampires who take them may not be the enthused about it. Nevertheless, Revar waits patiently until all have found a maker.

Now that they are paired up it is expected—indeed, required—that the initiate drink from their maker. That is their Beginning. Only once they have truly begun can they can be considered novices.

AUTUMN NOX

Silver Court is in season and for the Autumn Nox it holds a large symposium, inviting all the best vampire minds from around lands nearby and far. The whole castle is abuzz with new activity. The stables are packed full of horses, carriages litter the grounds, but somehow the castle has enough rooms to house all the new arrivals.

Novices will find that some of these vampires have not seen a human-novice in a very, very long time. These vampires might see the human-novices more like specimens, curious about their every move. They won't bite, but novices may find themselves observed as they wander the castle and its grounds.

The symposium itself is open to anyone at the castle. Scholars can present on any topic at all. Novices will find that these range from the incredibly mundane (you've always wanted to attend a history of bottom-feeding river fish, haven't you?) to the truly fascinating (new insights into how vampire hearts work) to the downright strange (the symposium has a range of lectures very close to dawn about the sharing of vampire...fluids). Seasoned novices with their own Autumn classes to attend are expected to keep up with their studies, but some teachers may let them out of a session to attend the lectures and workshops of the symposium.

The Silver Court vampires are incredibly busy between running the symposium and trying to help the new novices get settled in. They may need some volunteers to lend a hand with setting up rooms or helping scholars find their way around. In fact, volunteers might find themselves leading scholars down to the second kitchen for a bite to eat, a strong reminder that even these demure learners are still monsters who must drink blood.

PUMPKINS-GONE-WILD

The symposium isn't all that the autumn season brings. The Silver Court’s talents are on display in other ways—sometimes not in ways another had particularly hoped. An overly zealous youngblood in the Silver Court tried to grow a few extra pumpkins for the occasion and ended up with a few too many! The pumpkin vines break out of the green house and start sprouting pumpkins everywhere. These are no ordinary pumpkins, they will sprout and grow and become fully formed in the course of a night. Better keep an eye out for those vines or else your room might become full of pumpkins! Luckily, the pumpkins aren’t rotting any time soon (they’ll last until winter, or so the Silver Court vampires are saying), but it can be pretty inconvenient for them to grow everywhere. Start cutting those vines to pieces, and hope they don’t try to entangle you in the process.

LIBRARY CLEAN-UP

Meanwhile, with all the scholars in town are making a mess of the library, much to the Silver Court vampire’s dismay. Books are being checked out and not checked back in, passed around from scholar to scholar. You might find those lost books just about anywhere. Who was reading in a tree? Anyone who collects the books and returns them to the library is sure to get a little bit of favor with the librarians, and it’s never a bad thing to have a bit of an in with a Court. If you’re worried about failing Silver Court, it’s time to get searching! Although how you’re going to convince a 300 year old vampire that time is not fake and that deadlines are real (and in fact were two days ago) is anyone’s guess.

UNETHICAL EXPRIMENTS

[CW: Torture, experiments]

Those who venture towards the basement might hear something a little different than normal. The thralls who spend their time down there are normally quiet, commanded to keep silent and pleasant for the vampires they serve. But with the arrival of the new scholars comes disquieting, inhuman screams from the darker reaches of the basement. Novices trying to catch a glimpse will be chased away, but teachers might be invited to watch as these vampires experiment on one another, all in the name of science. What’s a little torture, when you’re undying?

Thanks for joining us for our first TDM! For any questions regarding the TDM prompts, please comment in the thread below. For general game questions, please check the FAQ/Game Info. Remember that the game proper will begin mid December, in the Winter Season, so Students/Novices should create their prompts under the assumption that the TDM takes place during the season prior to the one they will be apping as.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Cassandra knows how to play the part. She is the picture perfect image of poise and nobility, clad in the fancy silk dress in a shade of blue that makes the blue of her eyes more brilliant that had been given to her upon her arrival. Only those that know her would stand a chance of picking up on how… utterly devastated and deeply furious she is.

The moment she’d heard of the vampire’s arrival, with his bag of feathers, she knew what the outcome would be. It would be too easy to rig the Finding, to make certain she was the one forced to go. Forced to become a vampire. Two birds. One stone. And now she’s out of their hair. Far away and unable to make trouble.

It’s only when she sees him, sees the brother she hasn’t seen in… gods, seven years? At least? Sees him, standing there… with the vampires. Among those waiting to choose. Waiting to sponsor some poor fool who might not want any part of this. And then he claims her. For the Silver Court. It’s only then that the façade breaks, for the briefest of moments, shock, and horror, and grief, shattering the veneer of calm and poise as they’re writ plainly on her face, in her eyes, her body language. Only a moment, before she gets herself under control; she knows how to play this game. And she refuses to give them the satisfaction.

But there’s no hiding the emotion in her voice when she says his name. “Percy?”

[ It's bookclub day! Astarion knocks on Daria's office door with a bottle of the good stuff (Red Court Bloodwine) in one hand, and their latest read My Time With The Night Terors (a very kinky, very explicit story about a youngblood who goes to live with a colony of Blue Court vampires who only ever wear their night terror forms) in the other. ]

Daria~!

[ the tilde is for the sing-song way he says her name. Did he start drinking before he got here? Maybe! ]

I hope you're ready to discuss night terrors. Because I know I am.

[ Ah, damn, that's what he gets for not paying closer attention. Of course Hilda would be the one he bumps into. He recognizes her as well, though he certainly adds her to his mental tally of People He Needs to Surpass. ]

It's different actually being here.

[ Yeah, he's going for the nice act. A classic. But you know how it is when you're from Gold Lands. ]

Somehow I thought there'd be more thralls. But maybe they keep them in the basement?

Oh I am. And I even know which way of the sword is up, which you seem to have a problem with. But what if I want my payment upfront?

Oh.

[ Really, on anyone else, Hilda's act would have worked perfectly well. But now he's just wondering if he's going to have to carry those books himself and that would be Tragic, you see. So he misses that otherwise A+ attempt at being sheepish. ]

Sure. What is it?

[ New Arrivals ]
[ Vader had, with great reluctance, promised Halsin he would come to the ceremony that evening. "Good for his health," he had claimed, though he doubted that very much. There was no good to be had for his health standing in a dark corner and brooding, eyeing the new batch of novices with something like contempt, not that it could be seen from behind the mask he wore. His legs ached at where they were joined with the metal prosthetics that even allowed him to stand, and the temptation to just drink the pain away with blood wine was strong. ]

[ Instead, as always, he just silently watched, judging those from the Black Court that were taking on novices. There was no way to tell the true potential of a novice until their second season at the very least, and even then, it would take a number of times out on a hunt before Vader would ever even consider someone worth his time. The hunt was what separated the ones that had actual nerve from the ones that were better off sipping their blood from a glass. ]

[ A faint sigh escaped from him as he shifted his weight in an attempt to ease some of the pain, wishing he could just meld into the shadows he loomed in and escape this dreadful party. ]

[ Autumn Classes - for students ]
[ If you're a student of his, you're expected at class, no exceptions. Even if it is the Silver Court running the symposium, he has no patience for those that would skip his classes for something so mundane. ]

[ Classes with Vader take place in the outdoors, regardless of it being a first season class or not. There was no means of learning to hunt from indoors, after all; not everything was a gothic fantasy of slipping in through an unattended window that the Blue Court seemed so dreadfully fond of. ]

[ After classes he can be found still outdoors, tending to the thin blade of his sword as he contemplates over the students he was teaching, almost in a meditative state. Though he can easily be broken out of it when approached, the dark eyes of his mask focusing on anyone that dares to interrupt him. ]

[ Pumpkins Gone Wild ]
[ Vader swears that only the Silver Court could get away with this level of nonsense. ]

[ When he's not terrorizing his students, Vader can be found hacking away at the pumpkin vines, doing his best damage control that he possibly can on his own. It doesn't keep the occasional vine from sneaking up on him and tangling around a limb, but it only seems to bother him when they get around his right arm -- that is his only remaining intact limb, after all. No one could blame him for being a little more vicious with those. ]

[ Anyone that approaches gets the side eye, and if they are unarmed, promptly ignored. Anyone with a weapon gets an extra long glance, before Vader turns his focus back to hacking away at the vines. ]

Your assistance is welcome. I would advise against getting too close.

[ Wildcard ]
[ Feel free to run with any ideas you have! If you want to talk it out, you can PM this journal or poke me at

SkylaDoragono. ]

Hmm...

[ Well, whether luck or strategy, Eden took the mention of plant identification as an invitation to get up and look at the book that was being stressed over. She had an unfairly easy time with these kinds of subjects, given foraging was part of what she did growing up. ]

Plants are kind of tricky on purpose, depending on the kind. You have to be the type that can pay attention to finer details for things like this. Here, I know what'll help.

[ Eden heads down one of the aisles for a bit before returning with a few survival guides; one for each of the directions. ]

It's easier to start with identifying plants in a region before trying for all over the world. These are better to start with than some of the books you collected because these talk about more practical ways of identifying a plant. Unfortunately, because most people think these books are just about fires, shelters and the big things to watch out for, they get passed over.

[ Aghhhh his least favorite person, of course James T. Kirk is here to mock him for studying. Because he never needs to study. Because he is blessed by the Founders themselves, probably.

Hans smiles as he turns to face Kirk, of course. It even looks friendly, he's that good. ]

Would you? That'd be so helpful. [ There's that winning smile. ] I'm looking for a book that might help me identify plants. You wouldn't happen to know any, would you, Jim?

[he's got a sword, yeah, but not a terrible amount of interest]

What's in it for me?

[ Izzy is treated to another glance from Vader, and though the mask hides his expression, the glare can almost be felt behind the vacant eyes of his mask. ]

Your ability to continue drawing a breath.

[ Yes, that was a threat. ]

[No one with a sane mind wants to be here as far as she's concerned and it's only at the urging and prodding and one time being dragged that she's ever at this whole... thing... Especially when everyone always looked so gloomy and her bright clothing always being the contrasting figure which isn't great when you don't really want to be there in the first place.

Not that it's changed this go around, either. But being part of Red court does have its advantages, like the fact that she's spotting someone she also knows doesn't want to be here and offering a flask that totally wasn't just in her corset, don't you judge her.]

Drinking is the only way to get through this dreadfully boring pomp and circumstance.

I would be happy to help. [And he knows exactly what to say because well, making Hans feel like a fool boosted his mood, because otherwise he was so goodie goodie that it made him want to gag.

But he smiles. It felt easy to manipulate him.]

Maybe it's my upbringing, but I've never needed books to help me with that. But I would be glad to find you a book that could help.

[He smiles.] What are struggling with?

[ Vader eyed the flask for a moment, having a feeling he knew exactly where that thing has been. But giving in to his previous thought takes precedence over questioning how Lydia managed to sneak things around as she did, and he removed the bottom part of his mask before accepting it. ]

Such... ceremony is not worth my time.

[ He took a quick swig of the contents of the flask, before handing it back. ]

[At this point if she can't hide it in her cleavage then is it really worth taking with her? Nor does anyone ever really question the kinds of things she's carrying around, especially if it gets her to do something she's supposed to do with as little fuss as possible.]

Join the club. Parties and the like? Absolutely. Ceremonial nonsense like this? I'll pass, actually.

[It's blood wine, surprising absolutely no one. At least she's not going too far with it and just taking a long drink from it herself once he gives it back.]

I don't know if you were around or had to be here for the time someone literally dragged me in here. I'm surprised that didn't get them to leave me alone.

[Got it in one. Despite himself John smirks, picking up a few more papers.]

I could just say I was holding these for a friend.

[He could still probably say that, but it was pretty obvious all of these are his. There are dozens of equations scribbled down all over the papers, and clearly their owner had been quite excited about them.]

Vader was there mostly to observe, his looming presence easily felt through the whole room, even as it was taken up by the screams of the tortured. He eyed the silvery blood on the floor at Fenris' comment, as if judging whether they truly had bled that much, before he folded his arms over his chest.

"He will survive," he replied dismissively.

[ Vader has been watching with the air of casual disinterest. The experimentation seemed pointless to him, but then again, it was those of the Black Court that could wield a blade that killed vampires: he knew better ways to torture another vampire if he ever truly needed to do so. ]

Perhaps. Perhaps mere curiosity.

[ Eden is actually quite happy and at home to sit on the ground by a tree that has mushrooms on it. Only half-listening, she's even leaning to get a better look at the underside of the fungi. Though instead of properly answering, it prompted a different kind of question as no one had really jumped at the chance to give answers themselves. ]

Do vampires use things like skincare and tonics? I can't imagine they need the effects it gives quite as much, though maybe some courts are in the habit of using certain creams...

[ Someone is both distracted and quite focused at the same time. ]

Hn...

[ Vader replaced the bottom of his mask as spoke. Truth was, he was pretty sure that time was during his own Becoming, back when he went by a different name, but he didn't want to even think of that time. ]

Were there individuals worthy of taking on at this stage, it would be less nonsensical.

Vader knows of the experiments. They happen any time there is a symposium -- bored and curious scholars were almost as frightful a combination as he was on his own. Of course, not all of the Silver Court were like that, and he wasn't surprised to see Halsin on standby, medical equipment at the ready. He also wasn't surprised that he looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

"You torture yourself for no reason, Halsin," he stated bluntly.

[ Despite the growling, Edward's calm smile never wavers. Once he's sure he has the novice's attention through conversation, he lets go of his arm. ]

Exactly what it sounds like, I reckon. Freaky experiments on one another. Torture. Probably weird sex stuff thrown in. Blue Court has a reputation for being the deviant ones in this place, but our imaginations have got nothing on those Silver types.

[ Edward looks the novice over for any tells: colors in his clothes, his eyes, pressing on the edges of his mind to see if there's any give. ]

Don't think I've seen you in any of my classes, yet. First season?

Your students are spoken for, Astarion.

[ Yeah, OK, but what Xenk doing at the devil's sacrement, huh? I'm just kidding, he's obviously here for the lecture. He's just early. He's brought a notebook and everything. For notes. ]

I was unaware that Red Court would be assisting in this lecture.

"I'm coming in!" Satoru calls, cheerfully ignoring the denial and opening the door anyway. He has to push it open with his hip, because both of his hands are otherwise currently occupied: holding a giant pumpkin with Ed's likeness thoughtfully carved into it, right down to the scars. It even has pumpkin vines draped over it for a long wig.

He triumphantly places it on Ed's desk.

"Happy Birthday!"

It's probably not Ed's birthday. The odds are 365 to one, and as amazing as he is, he probably didn't guess right. Does Satoru actually care? Not really. "I thought you could use some company holed up in here, and who better to talk to than yourself, right?" He pauses, thoughtfully. "It won't talk back, but if you're bored enough, I could compel you into believing that it does. Hallucinations aren't a bad way to spend a boring Tuesday afternoon."

[ It is something new, at least. Something different from the routine that, even here at the castle with all its fresh new human faces each season, has become a chore. Day after day, it's a drag. At least turning Izzy is entertaining. Or it should be. Mostly, the only thing Edward feels is guilt and impending regret.

He isn't expecting to enjoy Izzy's Beginning any more than all the rest, but despite himself, when he's there in the throng of it, surrounded by beating hearts and salivating minds, and Izzy looking as much like a shaking lamb as Ed's ever seen him, he feels Something like an excited spark.

It's good enough. He focuses himself on Izzy instead of all the rest, on the thick taste of his sweat in the air and the sound of his pulse racing, blood flowing quick through his veins, and Ed smiles like a snake. ]

Ah... Yeah nah, mate. We won't be needing that.

[ He takes the tumbler Izzy's so thoughtfully brought in one hand and drops it aside, to roll wherever. Trip someone maybe, or be stepped on. They're already close, face to face, but Ed presses closer still, into Izzy's instep, until they're chest to chest. His fingers thread through Izzy's hair at his nape as a lover's might, only to squeeze into a fist and yank his head back by the hair. He leans in like he might kiss Izzy's cheek, and whispers against his ear instead. ]

Remember with every sip of my blood, every swallow down your throat, who made you. Above all else is loyalty to your maker. Remember that your Beginning is a gift, and who gave it.

"You don't want the novices to be in danger? Wow, how boring."

Satoru decides to test the newly arrived bed; this involves flopping back on it and rolling around a bit to test the softness of the mattress. A nearby thrall stands with sheets in her hands, and one might imagine a tiny bit of frustration on her otherwise blankly enthralled face.

"If it were up to me, I'd put them in rooms full of traps," he says brightly. "Nothing tightens up the reflexes like having to dodge a guillotine aimed at your neck at seven in the morning, or having to walk a hallway gauntlet of swinging axes just to get to breakfast. We only want the best in Gold Court, right?"

Xenk's poor little annoyed face isn't enough to deter him. Very little is.

Satoru sits up, and bounces, the mattress squeaking underneath him. "Can you hear this from next door? Because if so, whoever gets this one is going to have to be really stealthy."

Edited 2023-12-02 08:01 (UTC)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 13 of 93

Test Drive Meme - New Blood

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wildcard; book club (nsfw)

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Darth Vader | Star Wars | Teacher | Black

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Pumpkins Gone Wild

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New Arrivals

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IV

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Classes

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Unethical Experiments

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autumn nox

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