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

[aria_ardeinae]

[ There are so many of these things all over the castle. It is satisfying to watch them smash on the ground far below. ]

Oh, I suppose how much anatomy you get would depend on the classes you take.

Do beetles normally drink blood? I know horseflies do - beetles are... hm.

[ He doesn't know much about beetles, now that he thinks about it. He would know one if he saw one, but a beetle is a beetle. ]

You said pests; do any of them eat pumpkins?

[wonderland_vogue]

I can't really think of any good reason they'd be making the groups consistently larger... Unless the human population has suddenly boomed, but that sounds wrong.

[He has to be kidding her, but clearly he hasn't heard how her classes go.]

I appreciate you trying to save my ego, but you really don't have to. [At least they aren't losing limbs in her classes unlike some others she could name.]

Hmm. You know, that's a good question. Probably explore, for one, since I never got the chance to when I was human. [Hard to when you're poor as dirt and conning people to survive, right?] Maybe eventually find a place I like and settle down and do, I don't know, shows of some kind? I am a charming personality and with my background of trickery, sounds easy enough.

Trilla Suduri | Jedi Fallen Order | Student

[inquisitorium]

Pumpkins Gone Wild

[ This is emphatically not the experience Trilla had anticipated when she came to the castle. She can be found cursing inventively under her breath while hacking away at pumpkin vines with a small dagger that feels wildly unsuited to the task and her own hands. She'd rather something more efficient, but this is what she's been permitted to procure and keep on her person as a first-season novice, so it will have to do.

Still, after some time of being unable to make her way through a particularly tough knot of vines that's blocking her way back to her own room, she starts ripping at them with her hands with a ferocity that's perhaps unbecoming of a young lady of the Courts. She can't find it in herself to care, since it's wildly more satisfying, but feel free to disapprove if you'd like her sharp tongue turned upon you instead. Or perhaps you'd like to offer her your assistance? ]

Library Cleanup

[ This time, Trilla can be found muttering under her breath about the sheer disrespect for knowledge that's being shown here. While she doesn't intend to join Silver, she had wanted to read up on the history of her preferred court -- Black -- only to find that the best volumes on the subject had been checked back in but never actually shelved again. She can be found amongst the stacks, perusing every shelf carefully in case it's been simply placed incorrectly, and occasionally stopping to yank a book out of an unsuspecting fellow novice's hand should it vaguely resemble one of those she seeks.

She's in quite the temper by the time she actually finds one such volume and parks herself in the nearest, plushest chair with a small huff before she begins to leaf through its pages, pausing to dart a wary glance at anyone who may be watching. Perhaps she ought to make her exit before anyone else decides to come looking for her hard-won reading material? ]

Wildcard

[ Got an idea? Hit me with it or ping me at speaksincolor ]

[serpendipity]

Get more power? It sounded like you were just growing trees.

[ Why would vampires be worried about that anyway? Was there something that happened that made the gold court fear them or something? It's left Eden in 'perplexed' mode, that's for sure. ]

You said they seem to have less attitude here though, right? At least there's that...

[subigito]

[ Astarion's expression sours. He's not the easiest to get along with on the best day, and especially for a novice. He wants to be catered to and right now he is being challenged. He just came here to have a good time and he's feeling so totally attacked right now? ]

A duel, and not a single blade in sight.

[subigito]

Who is to say those two things aren't interrelated? Especially when it comes to this.

[ That may not be quite the kind of spicy Sylvain is going for, but Astarion thinks its fun to play up the beginning. ]

Me frantically googling beetles

[four_balls]

It's probably not a bad idea to know all of what you can with anatomy, especially if you have any interest in it. [He... doesn't, really, to be fair. But it's still a useful topic none-the-less.]

Nnnnot typically. To my knowledge they're usually herbivores unless they're the kind that eat, like, dung or something. [Does that count? Eh, not really.]

There's all kinds of insects and such that eat pumpkins. It's just a vegetable, after all. Just leave them around long enough and I'm sure it'll attract rats and probably once it starts rotting it'd attract things like maggots and flies?

[prizedstallion]

[Much better.]

You're very welcome, Edgin, was my pleasure to get down for you.

[He pats the man on the shoulder.]

[onebadapple]

[Snow is very good at that.]

Oh, Mayoi is such a lovely name, I don't see how I would call you something other than that! It's really such a nice sound! [She nodded.] I was secluded in my home, so I do understand. [Not... not the same thing.]

But I do believe we have to go to the Grand Hall. Why don't we go together, that would be less scary, wouldn't it?

[flagofbone]

['builds character' - where did he hear that one before? regardless, he heads to the main door, breathing in the brisk autumn air once they're outside, peering up at the sky]

Those who plan everything tend to fall flat in my experience.

[partybabysitter]

[ Urgh if only that stubbornness weren't attractive. Tackling problems head on like this really makes Xenk more sure that Kirk belongs in Gold. ]

We shall see.

[ Even if, yes, Xenk is very much aware of where Kirk's head is at. He keeps a straight face -- you think a mind reader isn't used to some lustful thoughts? ]

I know you would not disappoint me, James.

[ Yeah, okay, he can use it to his advantage too... ]

[captains_hands]

[he sees it but it doesn't bother him. He's used to walking this line]
Not all duels are with swords.

[four_balls]

An orchard and a fruit parlor, actually! The latter of which we'd take fruit from the orchard and make into desserts or sell for gifts if it was a particularly nice piece of fruit. [Which probably sounds weird on its own, in hindsight.] You can still buy the fruit outright, but the parlor just had the "higher quality" items specifically.

[It wasn't some reach for power or anything as far as he was aware. There was no denying that they had kind of cornered a market, but it wasn't much more than that.]

A lot less attitude here. There's still some, but that just seems to be the default for that particular kind?

[serpendipity]

That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is them thinking you'd be gaining power out of it. I can only imagine you getting more customers.

[ Which she literally doesn't see any problem with. Were gold court vampires just really sensitive? ]

Hm... Well, I suppose that takes away one of the courts I don't wish to join.

[onebadapple]

Oh, well, then thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions! Your second season, how exciting!

[Or, she imagines it must be. Then again, Snow White has a cheery disposition about... everything.]

Oh? Well, I'm sure your Court has some wonderful things it does instead. [Does she know what court he's in? No, not a clue, does that change her response? No, not in the slightest.]

[onebadapple]

[Fool isn't entirely wrong. But, Hans doesn't really need to "beg" for sympathy when it comes to someone like Snow. Snow, wisely, doesn't glance into the kitchens.]

It will take some time getting used to it myself, I suppose. I suppose I'll just have to bake for the fun of it now rather than because I need to eat.

But perhaps you should rest a bit, your friend might take a bit while they eat. Hopefully, they washed their hands before they did. [Old habits die hard.]

[partybabysitter]

[ Xenk nods. He really will keep going at this until he gets them all. Thankfully, he's actually skilled enough to do it.

It takes maybe the length of the class, though probably less, but he does indeed return to join Edgin and his class. And he looks good -- not even a scratch on him. Is that a mask? Who knows. (It isn't.) ]

I have vanquished the pumpkins that assailed your classroom.

[onebadapple]

Snow severs a few more roots to make a bit more space, but also to make sure the pumpkins don't get out of hand while they're just standing there before she stands up straight.

"Oh goodness, that's so sweet, but I really didn't do all that much! Still, we should be on our way before the vines get to wrapping around the both of us for standing still! If we step lightly, I think we'll manage out of here. I'm afraid I have no idea how to stop the growing from... well, growing!" she giggled.

[theomachy]

[ erwin huffs a laugh at the assessment, the sound just a little more than an expelling of air, and gives his fellow teacher a nod to go along with his smile as he sets down the book he's currently holding. ]

More of the usual, I'm afraid. I can't keep myself still, so I felt I may as well assist in the re-gathering of the... recently errant books.

[flagofbone]

[Harlock leans over, carefully sliding the book - catching it when it starts to tilt back before pushing it back onto the self. He makes a note of a few nearby books that catches his particular attention to back to once he's alone.]

Or put it off to the last.

[onebadapple]

[Daria literally just described all of Grimhilde.]

Thank you so much for being so considerate and kind to me. [She smiles. Daria has no idea just how little kindness Snow has been given in this life.]

I will try my very best, though I hope I'm smart enough. At the very least, I'm not afraid of a little hard work! I will do what I can to stand up for myself as well. [Snow... might have a much much harder time of that.]

[onebadapple]

Perhaps I could help with what they're working on, more hands doing the work, as it were. And then they can be on their way to something else much faster? [It was certainly an option. Snow was still getting used to being in a place where she was catered to and not catering to others.]

my b you're right

[theomachy]

[ it had been clear enough to erwin that levi hadn't been... particularly excited about the vampire part of the equation, but he had been willing to take on that life (unlife? burden? even erwin is unclear at times how he feels) nonetheless. he remembers what it was like to be a human unsure of what he was stepping into, but he has no regrets about what he's become and he's confident he can help levi become one and the same.

he has so much potential and erwin's more than ready to take him on as both student and fledgling.

part of levi's charm is in his attitude, and erwin has to cover his mouth to hide an almost-laugh at the commentary. ]

The place is very... singular, I suppose we can put it that way. How are you feeling? [ his voice is earnest, open. it sounds like he really does care how levi is doing, how this process has affected him, and where he stands on the matter now. ]

[partybabysitter]

"If such a novice exists, then perhaps they might be killed by their classmates," Xenk shrugs, like it's no skin off his dead bones.

The thrall resumes making the bed, reacting very little to either of them. Or perhaps they're just really intent on their work! If they were allowed to show emotions, they might wail at how Satoru insists on making this harder for them.

But they're a thrall, so they don't do any of that. They keep going about their business, while Xenk continues having to deal with Satoru's nonsense.

"I understand making your students cry," he does this. To students who deserve it, of course. "Loss of limbs, given our court's subject matter, is somewhat excessive. Do you intend to make them fight one another?"

[ofwovenstone]

I don’t care enough to be careful. Cassandra swallows down the thought, swallows down the anger and the horror like bile. Buries it. She likes him. But that’s too much of herself to share with him. To share with anyone. Even her brother. This is for her, and for her alone. So she swallows it down, steadies herself. She has a job to do.

“Catch.” And she drops the first book down to him, to free up her hands, trusting that he’ll catch it. As she trusts that he would genuinely catch her, were she to fall. It just. Doesn’t matter to her yet that he would. It’s too soon. Too much.

She isn’t doing this for credit. She’s doing this just to be DOING something. To keep herself busy. So he could, if he wanted to. Make off with the books.

So Cassandra follows the direction he’s pointing, to what must be the dustiest, cobweb-filled corner of this library. Then she’s picking her way towards it. Carefully. Gracefully.