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

Jisu (AU Name: Eden Woods) | Original | Student | Silver

[serpendipity]

New Arrivals |Set early autumn but we can time shenanigans|
[ Being herded into the Grand Hall, Jisu repeatedly slows down to look over the statues, the high arches, and even the chandeliers. Soft sounds of awe can be heard while leaning or stepping to stay out of various people's ways. All the while, there was just always a hand fiddling with the back of the wide suede belt that was a pale blue, to allow the silver embroidery to shine in a delicate manner. Which was far more subtle than the object tucked into the belt, given the way the teen kept putting attention towards it. Some could think that Eden was simply fiddling with the ends of her hair, as a sort of soothing gesture.

She even continues to do so as the people Chosen by vampires went to their selected courts. Which made the numbers dwindle a lot more than she had expected. Enough to gently nudge another nearby as it was getting time to wait and get their own makers. ]

I didn't realize that so many go out and hand-select people. I wonder why they need to do the lotteries, if there's so many out there being chosen.

Autumn Nox
[ Those that had been around earlier in the season would have already had the idea, but this symposium only proved it. Eden Woods does not know how to take very long breaks. Especially when revelry and enjoying drinks is practically extra credit around here. In-between the various classes (and she's taken as many as allowed,) she's run back to the symposium to either help with new novices, with demonstrations, or to make sure the scholars eat. There's even rare moments where there's time to sit and listen to the lectures. Those who've been around already know that she's listened to most of the ones being repeated here.

It could be either the first, third, or seventh time she's seen back in the area to check on things. Asking if novices need help getting around, if there's some kind of help needed for the scholars, or seeing if someone that looks a bit peaky has eaten recently. Are you one of those people, or the bystander wondering where all that energy comes from? ]

Pumpkin-Gone-Wild |Item involved comes with a bit of gossip for those that love listening to the unfortunate and interesting times of other noble houses.|

Oh, hold on!

[ It may be a call out to you or another person going by, but Eden is running to quickly crouch down in front of the intended person. Unsheathing a dagger with a serpent's head embossed on the pommel, Eden carefully cuts at the growing and thickening vines carefully around that person's feet. ]

Someone may've gotten a little too enthused when getting advice about soil enrichment and seed treatments... They've been tripping people up everywhere.

Unethical Experiments
[ It's unsurprising that with the symposium going on, Eden had been in most places to help with fetch quests. Be it for items or people. Yet it's when getting near the basement on the way to pick some things up that a mostly faded ghastly wail has the teenager pause and look back towards the basement entrance. ]

Did you hear that...?

New Arrivals

[disdelusioned]

[The novice next to her shrugs, but a red-headed teacher with black eyes speaks up to answer the question.]

Control. The Findings remind humans who is in charge. Depending on their opinion of us, it either gives them something to fear or something to look forward to.

[Sure, she's not one of Black Court's novices, but from what he could tell the question was asked in earnest.]

[serpendipity]

Ooh...

[ Eden was nodding along to the answer, finding sense in it and connecting it to the apprehension she saw in the town when it was happening. ]

Still, the display leaves the ceremony lasting until everyone's chosen. Doesn't seem fair for either side.

[ The vampires have to choose someone without knowing much about them, or are standing until enough people give in to be makers, and the remaining Foundlings would never know if they'd actually mesh well with the Court that chooses them. Eden could visibly see that some of the vampires are just waiting and internally begging for things to end so they can get to literally anything else. You'd think they were blackmailed into attending. Some of them really were, so... ]

[disdelusioned]

Much about vampire life is unfair. The sooner you realize that, the better you'll do here.

[Is he speaking from personal experience? Yes. Yes, he is.]

In the end, how someone came to arrive isn't what matters. It's what the person does with themselves now that they're here that does. Foundlings will either succeed or fail, same as those who were specifically selected.

[serpendipity]

[ Instead of giving some half-hearted reply, Eden nods. She still thinks there's a better and easier way to do this while still showing signs of control, but it's not as if anyone would listen to a Foundling. It sounded like any changes that could be made would have to be accomplished in a higher position. Or getting someone already there to agree with those ideas. ]

I'm not concerned about that right now. It's just that this is just a little bit awkward. What's the longest you've seen for this part to be finished?

[ The foundling wasn't worried or giving much concern about success of failure. This was a new turn in life that she had already accepted and decided to learn as much as she could. There was too much that could happen in the future to let it weigh one down. ]

[disdelusioned]

[He has to admit, she took the information better than he thought she would. He's not entirely convinced that she's accepted it, but she at least is taking it in stride. She might be worth keeping an eye on after all.]

A few hours. Depends on the quality of the group and the vampires who are volunteering--or being volunteered--to take them on.

[serpendipity]

[ Some parts were easier to accept than people would expect, but she was good at taking things in stride. The parts she was tripped up on was considered something to think about when there was a little less excitement going on. ]

Do the ones being volunteered usually do well enough as Makers? I'm sure some probably can take it as a duty to fulfill... There's probably something in place to make sure it doesn't end up a disaster.

[ The truly unfortunate thing would be to get stuck with a Maker that doesn't do anything or follow what should be done for the novice's chance of success. ]

[disdelusioned]

[Diluc doesn't answer immediately, instead taking the time to give a thoughtful answer to her insightful question.]

Makers vary greatly, both for those who choose their novices and those who take on a Foundling.

Novices who are chosen are brought here for any number of reasons. It's just as likely to be a punishment or blackmail as it is a recognition of potential. And even in cases where it is about potential, enthusiasm does not always translate into good guidance.

Conversely, a lack of enthusiasm doesn't necessarily mean that a Maker will shirk their duty. I'm disinclined to take on a novice without good reason, but if I were told to I would do all I can to ensure their success and survival.

[He pauses, looking her over to read her reaction.]

Does that answer your question?

[serpendipity]

[ Honestly, blackmail was never thought of as a reason to be chosen. Originally, Eden had thought the choices were for potential or special requests, then the idea of punishment made sense after Diluc had said the lotteries were for control. Which is why the teen was nodding during the explanation, absorbing and finding how it made sense.

It still wasn't so different from human society, from what little she lived with it. ]

It does so enough. I'm sure I'll see it more for myself over time, but the perspective's really helpful now.

[ It doesn't fully ease concerns for the future, but there were odds of things going in a few ways. Things weren't fully stacked against the stragglers, or for just those that came chosen. She could handle that better. ]

[disdelusioned]

Keep asking questions like you have been, and it won't be long before you know everything you need to and more.

[The statement is meant to be encouragement, although he quickly follows it up with a warning.]

But be careful who you ask, and consider whether or not the person has a reason to lie to you.

[serpendipity]

What would be the main reasons a teacher would lie?

[ There's a lot that she'd look for answers from a teacher before a fellow student, that's for sure. Eden wonders if it was just a warning in general, in case she asked literally anyone. This didn't seem like a gambling situation where lies and bluffs were encouraged. ]

I thought everyone would want the incoming students to have a chance to do well.

[disdelusioned]

I mean in general. Vampires are largely a dishonest lot, and part of thriving as one requires being able to discern between honesty and lies.

[Including him, at times, although he sees no reason not to be straightforward with this foundling girl.

Her latter question gets something of a bitter chuckle out of him.]

One would think, given that incoming students are vital to the survival of our kind. But there are those who would serve themselves first and foremost, even to the detriment of the rest of us.

[serpendipity]

[ It's starting to dawn on Eden that she may be coming across as someone that believes literally everything. Sure, she may be ready to ask anyone, but the towns she lived near weren't exactly the most honest. It has her huff out a tiny laugh. ]

I'm not sure if you're talking about any teacher in particular, or if this is a general warning as it's happened before. I'll try to make sure that when I ask a question, even they would see no reason to not be straightforward.

[ In the case of black court vampires, she could assume it's an attempt to dissuade her from them due to how dangerous their duties sounded. She'll figure it out one way or another. ]

Unethical Experiments

[draculaintraining]

[ Go with Eden, the professor said. It was good to nurture friendships between classmates, they said. What the professor didn't realize was that Eden was already getting under Soma's skin. She approached all their classes so far like they were games for her to play. He bet she never even studied either, and still got good grades. It was infuriating. ]

[ Yet despite how he felt, he kept it to himself as he was dragged along to help her with the fetch quests for the symposium presenters. As long as they were both being useful, it wasn't so bad, but even the wailing coming from the basement made him pause. ]

Hard to miss.

[ He glanced toward the unguarded door, uneasy. ]

Should we look?

Re: Unethical Experiments

[serpendipity]

[ Stress like that can be really unhealthy, Soma. Especially when the source of said stress was completely oblivious to what they were doing, and treated it all like a grand time. Why wouldn't she, when there was someone there to also help and keep either of them from getting overwhelmed, and they can both enjoy the classes.

She genuinely thought about it, fidgeting with her hands in doing so. ]

If we weren't allowed to go down, they'd have someone at the door, right? Plus, some of the scholars have been seeming a bit... drawn thin. It'd be bad if they lost control and someone was getting hurt down there.

[ Yet, with the time there having increased their senses, Eden could smell that there was a foulness. ]

I haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble over being concerned before...

[draculaintraining]

[ Soma could smell it too: a rank thing that stung at his nose. He absently rubbed at it, before he looked down at Eden. After a moment of debate, he grabbed one of her fidgeting hands, holding onto it as he started for the door. ]

We may as well see what we can do.

[serpendipity]

[ There's a small sound as her hand is grabbed, though at least she's quick to move along without fully getting pulled. ]

Hopefully we can. That really didn't sound good...

[ Yet her pace slowed enough once they were down and a few feet into the basement because she knew the smell without the heightened senses. It was more than just rank- there were particular compounds that never smelled great that could do horrible things to the skin if used improperly and never diluted. For once, her voice was soft and, dare to say, meek in tone. Possibly because it was probably too late to easily just go back. ]

I'm starting to think we're not supposed to be down here.

[draculaintraining]

[ Soma wrinkled his nose as the smell got worse, not as well versed in what that smell was supposed to be as Eden was. Still, the fact that she was being hesitant drew his attention away from it for a moment, and he looked back at her. ]

You okay?

[serpendipity]

[ It probably was odd from someone who wasn't afraid of taking Black Court courses and approaching those teachers as if they were from any other court. ]

I don't think the scream was something going wrong...

[ An anguished scream echoed through the stone hall, making Eden flinch. What if it was just coincidence that no one watched the door to here when they were going by. ]

I think if we saw what was happening, we'll find it's exactly under their control. Soma, we should go.

[draculaintraining]

[ Soma glanced in the direction of the scream. He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious what they were doing, but he had a feeling she was right; they weren't going to find anything good down there. ]

[ He gave a nod, motioning for her to go back up first. ]

[serpendipity]

[ That motion was all Eden needed to head back up the stairs, still holding onto Soma's hand as if to pull him along. She went back up with a more urgent pace compared to their curious foray down to the basement, refusing to even look back when another of those screams (though you could tell this person's throat was going raw,) went through the halls yet again.

It's not until they're back to the ground floor, and the door was closed, that she said anything again. ]

I think that was specifically a place for researchers. It didn't smell clean enough for surgery.

[draculaintraining]

[ Researchers... so that's what Silver Court vampires did when they were bored and wanted to learn more about their own bodies. Soma wasn't going to say it out loud, but that just made him more curious as to what they were up to. ]

Then it's... probably a good thing we didn't go down all the way.

[ Also, her senses were already developing enough that she could tell what that smell was? Not. Fair. ]

[serpendipity]

[ Some things you learn the smell of pretty early, even as a human. Sometimes it was the lack of certain aromas. Give it a little bit- she arrived a bit before you after all, Soma. Maybe not by much, but you can't rush these things. ]

Definitely. I imagine a lot of them can get really carried away with their research. My maker is like that...

[draculaintraining]

Y-yeah...

[ Soma paused a moment, before he realized he was still holding her hand. He let go quickly, absently fiddling with the collar of his shirt instead. ]

Um... I-I guess we should get back to what we were doing.

[serpendipity]

Ah...

[ It took her a moment to shake off the feeling from the basement. While she didn't explain the smells and what they could mean, the ideas of what they could be were a little unnerving to come across. ]

It was silk ropes for one scholar and... The other one had a crate prepared in the storage room and- They stressed to keep the crate closed. Was there anything else?

[ This was probably the biggest sign of her being frazzled. ]