Test Drive Meme - New Blood

[undyingmods]

DEC TEST DRIVE MEME

WELCOME, VAMPIRES!

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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

Comments

[captains_hands]

You always underestimate me. I'm stronger than you think! [and he tries to walk a little taller, just to prove it]

We're not scared of them are we? [it's an actual question, but also a little more than that. Ed isn't afraid of anyone. Or he'd better not be]

[summonbeasts]

[Maria tilts her head a little, clearly thinking the question over.]

... It's certainly a school full of colorful characters.

[She says that in a measured way and then huffs out a breath, leaning back against the wall behind her. She's dressed in a primly buttoned up tailcoat of gold and green with matching slacks, the length of her hair bound in a new green and gold ribbon. She had almost fought them over burning her old one, not wanting rid of everything ... but it too was consigned to the flames.

A little amused smirk plays on her lips.]

I could take a quick liking to the library though.

New Arrivals

[conradachenleck]

[Conrad, arms folded casually across his chest, takes his eyes from the crowd of newcomers to focus on his fellow educator. He's giving him just a more than slightly disapproving look.]

Don't you think that's just a little cruel?

[That had to be the point, sure, but still...]

[flagofbone]

[He gives the book a brief leaf through before closing it, giving a slow skeptical brow at the description of a horrible beard - he seen quite a few questionable hair cuts, as he flicks his eyes before starting towards the laughter...

when he saw exactly what the blond meant, laughter bubbling out]

What the hell - did he let two weasels in fight in it or what?

Pumpkins!

[aria_ardeinae]

We are novices. In order to know how to command servants, we need to know what kind of work they do, to lend further weight to our authority.

[ Reyson was honestly kind of iffy about having to do menial manual labor right up until someone else started complaining about it out loud and now he wants to distance himself from this kind of whining as much as possible. While still keeping his own dignity, of course. You can't show weakness around these people. They are dangerous and untrustworthy. ]

Autumn Nox

[serpendipity]

[ Look, this may be due to being a silver court student, but sometimes the lectures can be interesting. The medically focused ones often had demonstrations, which came with the other curiosity as to whether the scholar would lose control or not as so many had been going longer than they should without a drink. It had happened earlier, during a delicate part of the demonstration that could've seriously risked the poor thrall's life had no one interfered.

So in looking over the last of the notes, and flipping over to the schedule, Eden had missed the first part- To be more accurate, it was heard, but assumed to be towards someone else. Until noticing the arm that belonged to the one leaning over. It was easy for most people to lean over, given her height, but it was only a moment before grey eyes looked up to the source. ]

There's options. One's on the interaction on common methods of detecting... toxins. The other is Miss Rosie adding court variety by giving a lecture on seduction.

[ Subtle jabs and suggestions? It could sound like that, and while she wasn't blind to Aurinn's pleasant appearance, this was genuinely a case of coincidence. Easily seen by the schedule that was over Eden's notes. ]

[larvate]

[ Kariya remains quiet as Elias speaks. Then, he remains quiet a little more.

He's being encouraged. However bitter and distrustful he has become, however unfamiliar the gesture feels, he recognizes that. It's a kinder reply than he would have dreamed of—but, still, it doesn't shake away his malaise. ]

I don't want to be responsible for that, [ he admits. He slouches forward, shoulders curling inward. ] If it were up to me, I'd just run away. I know that makes me selfish.

[ A vague sort of guilt creeps into his thoughts—that he ought to be more thankful, that it's ungrateful to keep being so negative after that answer. So, he's quick to tack on: ]

I guess that means I don't have any right to complain. Sorry.

[larvate]

Silver.

[ His answer is automatic, but not particularly enthusiastic: as grimly determined as the rest of his demeanor. The truth, of course, is that he doesn't have an interest in any of them—but the matter isn't up to him, and giving voice to those complaints will do nothing but cause problems. ]

[larvate]

Right. [ Shared court or not, Kariya doesn't consider it his problem to solve... But, still, he listens to Eden's words with dutiful attention. ] And burning them wouldn't be ideal if there are other plants in here that someone wants to salvage.

[ If they haven't already been choked out by the vines, anyway. ]

Library Clean-Up

[conradachenleck]

[It's not like Conrad is the owner of a particularly burley set of arms himself, but if he's asked to help... How can he refuse? He shifts his gaze from that beaming smile to the collection of assorted books.]

Ah. That's, um... That's a lot of books. [Stating the obvious, here...] But. Yes, sure.

[nobleobligations]

[ For a moment, Lorenz looks like he intends to keep arguing persuading this girl to think more appropriately about her own station. Then, she asks something else, and his mouth snaps shut. ]

Well... [ For a brief moment, the ghost of something sheepish appears in his expression. Then: ] Naturally, not all labor is equal. Take, for example, the horses themselves. They are noble, majestic creatures who know their own worth. Why, I've found that they even recognize when they are approached with a similarly dignified bearing...

[ he just wanted to feed the horsies :( ]

[serpendipity]

I'm not sure what other plants are in there, but they may not survive regardless of what's done. It'll depend partially on how aggressive the pumpkins are, but sometimes other plants can be too delicate to handle that kind of cover.

[ 'That kind' being however much more was in the greenhouse, as opposed to just spilling out. ]

[karmichealing]

[What a respectful boy, she was practically showing off for him and he was doing his best to keep his eyes on her face. Though the little glance down shows that he's still got some of that red human blood in him.]

Yes, you may not even have noticed the small ways you have already grown in Vampiric powers because it's a rather slow process. And yes, it would be quite shocking, you wouldn't even know how to filter out all the new noise if it happened all at once.

[Now that blush makes her fangs ache because she can smell the way the blood rushes to his face, it makes her want a taste but that's an unethical that would be best kept to herself. He's not her little fledgling afterall.]

You do, it beats so.. hard and strong.. [Her voice slips into something sultry, her lips lingering on each word. Red was one of her best Courts outside of silver. Red and Black that is.]

I can hear how it's pounding.

[infinitevision]

"Ah, how romantic," Satoru sighs. "The caped hero doing his best to look out for the safety of the ignorant novices. Protecting them from harm, and wayward pumpkins."

He pinches Bruce's cheek, making a kissy face at him.

"The only thing eating them alive will be the older vampires." He smiles, angling a look at Bruce from over his sunglasses. "Gonna protect the kiddos from them, too?"

[infinitevision]

"Why not? Throwing novices into the deep end is good for them," Satoru says airily. "It builds character."

Because no person, alive or dead, can resist the urge to Pat The Cat, Satoru does so, his hand sweeping over the sleek fluff over her back, a contemplative repetitive action that helps settle his wayward thoughts. He has not successfully resisted that urge for like twenty years now. He thinks his favorite thing about her shapeshifted form is her little rounded ears. They're so cute!

"I'll probably just be doing my usual," he hums thoughtfully. His usual being classes on hand to hand combat (in which students usually lose a limb or two every season), mind control (in which he delights in teaching them weird shit), the occasional bit of Court history, and lessons on how to be cool. "Maybe I'll even find some students I like in the new season. Weirder things have happened."

[infinitevision]

Satoru heaves a disappointed sigh. The least this symposium could do is give him some fun stories of real zombies, but no. That probably won't happen. How rude.

"The one on poisons could be interesting," he admits, frowning thoughtfully, rustling through the lecture list that he has until he finds that listing. He doesn't recognize the name, so it's probably some scholar from out of town. "Not that we have to worry about poison in food, but I wouldn't put it past some enterprising assassin to poison the blood of someone's favorite feeding thrall."

Hmmm. Interesting idea! Not that he'd ever do it, because he prefers to fight people face to face, but interesting idea anyway!

[aria_ardeinae]

It does look like that! That great split in the middle, and the curls going in opposite directions -

[ Reyson smiles sincerely, glad to have his incredibly correct opinions so wholly supported. Making fun of that painting has been getting him through this experience. ]

It is a common practice to tone down or erase flaws, in commissioned portraits. At first I thought this man was dedicated to the truth at all costs, but it is possible that this is the more flattering version...

[four_balls]

[Despite his attempts at being somewhat of a gentleman he is still, in fact, a young adult male with at least partly female appearances preferences at the end of the day. Also a chest is a chest and he's not about to turn down the chance for a peek at least when it's very clearly being presented to him on a metaphorical silver platter.]

I don't recall noticing anything different so far, but I might not have noticed if it's that gradual. [Or, well, at all if it's not throw directly in his face. That's just how his nature tends to work whether he likes it or not.] Sounds [hah] like it'd be a bad time for everyone involved, so it's good that it's slow.

[As if whoever his maker is really cares given it was already a Silver that snapped him up in the first place. But it doesn't at all stop him from stiffening somewhat, the eyes being wide from curiosity thing slipping into more of a recognition and deer-in-the-headlights type of scenario. It doesn't take an intelligent person to know what she's getting at with those words and especially with that tone.]

I-it's fine! [Oh that's some squeaked words that he didn't want to be squeaked. There's a lot of things he never really bothered to put much time into and it's no wonder that he's still fumbling around in Red classes right now.]

Just... just a little excited... [wait] A-about the material and the class, of course! [Good save, great save, Josuke.]

[karmichealing]

[She looks him over, slowly and carefully because, well, she has to make everything sultry for some reason. Her eyes linger on his arms. And she gets the feeling he might not be able to carry all of them...]

It is.. here. [Walking over to the stack, she takes two books off the top.] We can take them together.

[flagofbone]

[He starts climbing up the ladder, carefully tucking the book under his arm]

Hate to see what the unvarnished person looks like - and I've seen some atrocious beards before, but this one wins.

Library

[aria_ardeinae]

[ This is why Reyson is here. Most of the people who volunteer to do this do it because they are book people, and we all know what book people are like. Reyson is here because he has the ability and inclination to use his allotment of brain cells on other things.

And yes maybe he does have a book about cursed instruments stashed down the front of his robes but it is the edition that doesn't have all the good parts about the Wailing Piano of Dregoth redacted, he is not made of stone??

He clears his throat prissily at her. ]

Miss Renard. Are you helping, or not?

[karmichealing]

The more your blood becomes vampire blood the more you become a.. well, a vampire. And thus the more your body grows to become better. Stronger, faster, your senses heightening along with the process. You're still very new to it, so not much has had a chance to change for you yet.

[Founders he was fun to play with, she wanted to do depraved things to him, he seems like he would be an interesting romp. But for now he was fun to tease so she didn't hold back from doing just that.

Especially when he squeaked, because she wanted to make him squeak again. But then again, these aren't Red courses, so maybe she should focus on her actual course work instead of teasing this poor boy... Naw, she unfolds and refolds her legs slowly.]

I'm glad my class is so titillating for you, I know how reading can be boring for many, but I find it.. stimulating. Don't you, Josuke? [His name is said a little breathy.]

[midlifecryseas]

[ That declaration has Ed looking over his shoulder with a raised brow, as if to say, are you? Humans are only human, after all. Just because a rat here and there has managed to kill a few snakes, that doesn't make it anything other than prey. Ed's already set to lose his favorite human to vampirism. To lose Izzy entirely... that scares him. Ed turns and stops suddenly, faces Izzy. There's a spark to his nearly black eyes, and a curl just at the corners of his lips. ]

Can't be scared of them, because I don't feel fear. You, though...

[ Edward circles Izzy halfway, lays a hand on the back of his neck like grabbing a kitten by the scruff and walks him down the hall at a pace more leisurely than before. His voice is liquid, and it echoes through Izzy's blood, in his mind, as more than a suggestion. ]

You must be terrified.

[ It's safer that way. ]

[prizedstallion]

See, I would be interested any other time of year, but I just can't imagine those scholars are doing anything of actual real interest. At least not to me.

[Sure, he came down to explore what the sounds were, but learning that it's just a bunch of scholars being nerds, naw. Not his jam.. well it was a little, if he could glean anything that could help him in his goals, he was always interested.

But right now what was actually interesting was the Red teacher before him.]

So, let's just say I heard the siren's song and found you, hm? A little bit of both but we both know the real reason I'm still here is for the beautiful vampire before me.

[four_balls]

It seems everything changes then, huh? That... makes sense. [It's not like humans are very great designs of beings to begin with. Fragile and can only do so much up to a point, especially the only living thing, if he had to be perfectly honest.

At least by any standards he's still considering an adult and it wouldn't be difficult by any means to get him to do much of anything with the right push. But maybe better to tease him for now while he's still trying to figure out what's even going on in this place really.

Not that it helps at all when she's saying things like that and he can feel how dry his throat has suddenly become. Give him a moment to find his voice again, for as much as he might want to tuck tail and run knowing full well that he's way out of his league here.]

L-learning new things is always pretty interesting, I think? Especially when it's something you hadn't had the chance to know before... [He's purposefully avoiding words like "titillating" and it's pretty clear that he's trying to play this off but failing.]

Even if other people might disagree on that topic. [He can think of a few, but that doesn't matter. If they're going to fail through this, then so be it, that's not his problem at the end of the day.]

Though the class isn't going to be all just reading, right?