january tdm/event post

[undyingmods]

JANUARY TDM - WINTER DREAMS

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

Welcome to the Undying Court's January Test Drive Meme! This post also functions as the January Event for existing characters, and continues the Winter Season, led by the Blue Court.

New characters may handwave or backdate the previous season's arrival prompt should they wish to, but you may otherwise assume they've been here the whole time! Additionally, all TDM threads can be taken as in-game canon if desired. And remember that apps open February 3-7, with invites opening on January 28, and reserves not long after!

Note that this post will contain: violence, enthrallment, torture, slavery, horror and potentially sexual content. Dreams come in many forms, after all.

This event also features another chance for characters to submit Regains, so make sure to submit after you've posted your top-level or reply to someone else's dream. For characters both new and old, feel free to brush up on the Premise, Vampire Powers, and head over to the FAQ/Game Info page if you have any questions!

• Note that this event will be occurring throughout the month of January and into February, so characters are free to forward-date as desired!
• For new characters please format your Top-level in this format: Character Name | Canon | Court | Youngblood/Novice | TDM
• For existing characters please format your Top-level in this format: Character Name | Court | Youngblood/Novice
• If you have any questions specific to the event, ask them in the Plotting Post Q&A section!

Top-Level Directory:

Chat with NPC: Kashire & Revar
New characters:
Anthony Lockwood - Lockwood and Co | Gold (Youngblood) | TDM
Ash - Original | Blue (Youngblood) | TDM
Cotton Cookie - Cookie Run Kingdom | Blue (Novice) | TDM
Enrico Pucci - JJBA: Stone Ocean | Gold (Novice) | TDM
Hayan Park - Unholy Blood | Blue (Novice) | TDM
Hayato Ichimonji - Kamen Rider | Blue (Youngblood) | TDM
Laios Touden - Dungeon Meshi | Silver (Youngblood) | TDM
Leonard "Bones" McCoy - Star Trek: AOS | Silver (Youngblood) | TDM
Norton Campbell - Identity V | Blue (Youngblood) | TDM
Prince Phillip - Sleeping Beauty | Gold (Novice) | TDM
Suguru Geto - Jujutso Kaisen | Black (Youngblood) | TDM
Sven "Snufkin" Snusmumriken - Moomins | Silver (Youngblood) | TDM
Wyll Ravengard - Balder's Gate 3 | Red (Novice) | TDM
Yasuho Hirose - JJBA-Part 8 | Gold (Novice) | TDM
Yuri (Accellerator) - A Certain Magical Index | Silver (Novice) | TDM

Character Name - Canon | Court (Youngblood/Novice) | TDM

Existing characters:
Conrad Achenleck - Red (Youngblood)
Daria Morgendorffer - Silver (Youngblood)
Eden Woods - Silver (Novice)
Edgin Darvis - Blue (Youngblood)
Erwin Smith - Silver (Youngblood)
Gojo Satoru - Gold (Youngblood)
Harlock - Blue (Novice)
James T. Kirk - Blue (Novice)
Lydia - Red (Youngblood)
Reyson - Gold (Novice)
Snow White - Silver (Novice)
Xenk Yendar - Gold (Youngblood)

Character Name - Court (Youngblood/Novice)

ONCE UPON A DREAM

A quiet falls over the Castle as a new day begins to break. As with every morning, this is a time when vampires must retreat to avoid the rays of the sun, pulling heavy curtains around their beds and windows to block out any light. However, this particular morning is abnormally quiet as the whole of the Castle seems to fall asleep all at once, and all together. After this enchanted sleep, and for the the next thirty days, the Castle's residents will start to experience strange phenomena within their dreams.

During this period, dreams become more vivid, so realistic it feels like the dreamer is awake. Dreamers can pass into each other's dreams without meaning to. Some of these dreams are in fact memories--either those from the lives the characters have lived in the Castle and the outlying lands, or the strange memories they've begun to gain back.

But be careful! For what starts as a regular memory might start to warp into something new. If you're lucky, it'll be something positive, like a dream of a home you've always wanted. But if you're unlucky, the memory might twist and turn into a nightmare, catching you in it and turning your worst fears against you.

Each nightfall, everyone will wake and return to normal. Or at least, most people will.

[Note: Any current characters who participate in the dream event by creating a top level or tagging someone else at least once in this prompt may be rewarded with a free impactful memory, which may be used in the dreamscape. Don't forget to submit for your Regains!]

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A NIGHTMARISH CURSE

It turns out that not everyone wakes up. Those who stay in nightmares for too long may find themselves cursed, and unable to wake up. At first, the curse appears no different from regular sleep. But a few hours in the victim will start screaming uncontrollably. No touch will wake them, no amount of calling their name will break the spell. After too long, the victim will start to bleed, slowly at first, and then more and more as they remain afflicted. A victim left unattended will bleed out and die.

The Council works quickly to step in. Kashire (who is looking rather frayed this season) delivers the news that there's no need to panic, but everyone will need to do their part in locating and curing victims. In fact, the youngbloods seem to be taking this as the perfect opportunity for a teaching moment, and students are expected to try and find a cure with the skills that match their Court. Novices and youngbloods alike are encouraged to try and help lift the curse from anyone they can. (Get creative! Blood heals many wounds...) Any victims that have progressed too far will need to be seen to by Revar.

The nightmare curse, however, can spread quickly. Anyone who enters the nightmare of a victim will fall victim to the curse. Additionally, any attempt to reach out to the mind of a curse victim will also spread the curse. With the combined efforts of the students and teachers, the curse can be completely put out. But it will take time and care to ensure everyone is found in time, and cured safely.

ANYWAY, WINTER GAMES!

But a few curses aren't going to stop the Blue Court from making sure everyone has a good time. The days might be short, and weighed down by the threats of nightmares, but winter has hit Castle Courtsheart in full force, and the long nights and snow-covered grounds make for an excellent backdrop to the Inter-Court Winter Games!

There isn't really a reward for the winning house besides bragging rights and maybe a trophy that doubles as a chalice, but youngbloods and novices alike are invited to join in the festivities and compete against one another in the spirit of glory and the chance to lord over your Court's superiority. Even Council members and mature vampires of each court seem to enjoy cheering on their respective teams from the stands. Everything is fine! Forget your troubles and go play in the snow.

What kind of sports do vampires play? Feel free to get creative, but here are some examples:

• Thrall-Curling: Since vampiric strength proves to be a little too much for this sport otherwise, teams of novices (or youngbloods) of the same Court can team up to gently compel their thralls to play the thrilling sport of curling. Coax that stone across the ice with care, and take out the opposing team! Or, well, the thralls will do that, assuming they're guided well. Try not to break them. (The thralls, that is.)


• Figure skating: Practicing your pirouettes? For a vampire, a quadruple-axel is hardly worth breaking a sweat over. Favored for its beauty and almost seductive grace, the figure skating competition will be scored and judged by a multi-court panel. Participants might get extra points for incorporating bladework and masking into their sets, so these performances are sure to wow the judges.


• Ice Hockey: Yes, the high-contact sport transcends time and space, but vampires don't need silly things like helmets or padded safety gear. Don your court's colors and hit the ice to toss the puck around and score as many points against the opposing team as you can before the time runs out. Violence is encouraged! Everyone likes to see a bit of blood on the ice this time of year. (Shadowstepping is considered cheating, but only if you get caught.)

And more! Snowball fighting may not be a sport, but there's no better time to enjoy the outdoors and stretch those growing fangs and muscles than the dead of winter. So whether you're cheering on your Court or watching from the sidelines, there's something here for everyone. Just because the castle is full of the the undead doesn't mean they can't have a little winter fun.

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CLASS NOTES

Other notable happenings for the early winter season include:

• Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and maybe it's time to find or make gifts for that special blood claim in your life. This season blood jewelry is the hot ticket item. These are pieces made from precious metal and glass, which hold the blood of a vampire in them. Carry a lover's blood to show how much you love them, or carry your own to force down the throat of your enemies so you can influence them.


• Whispers around school start to say that Black Court lost a novice this month. Not murder this time! He simply unmade himself trying to mistwalk. Eh, these things happen.


• As a result of a tie in last month's pumpkin carving contest, members of the Black and Red Courts will find small packages outside their doors. They are gifted silver letter openers, with the handle inlaid with pumpkins and leaves, and a note from Revar with a little drawing of a pumpkin and their signature. How nice!


• Lady Whisperfangs is quiet for now, but her time is yet to come... This month's check-in will have a field to submit gossip about your characters! Vampires do so love their drama.

Once again, characters are free to talk to the NPCs as well: Revar & Kashire. For any questions regarding this month's prompts, please comment in the Plotting Post. For general game questions, please check the FAQ/Game Info. In the meantime, remember to submit your Regains for this month's free reward, and keep an eye out for our AC Check-in next week, starting on January 25-31.

The new year has brought us plenty of thirsty vampires, so we're glad you're here to share them with you!

Comments

Reyson | Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn | Gold | Novice

[aria_ardeinae]

Nightmares cw: mass death, fire

[ Reyson has nightmares frequently enough that there's nothing odd about it. The fact remains that he is, once again, reliving his personal hell and there's nothing he can do about it. It's more of a lucid state, but oddly, less clear about the actual facts. His father, a tall man with long hair, staggers towards the window. His father, a short man with a short beard, on the floor, a pitchfork sunk deep in his back. The smoke is thick in all versions of this vision, and as he tries to escape, sometimes he is cut off from a carpeted hallway by a blocked door and sometimes he is cut off from a gap in the flaming trees by a volley of arrows. ]

This isn't how it happened!

[ It feels like it is, but. Surely, whatever fate guides the world wouldn't be enough of a bastard to give him two families and kill them both. Or it would, and he's in denial, crouched behind a tree as a winged figure flies up over the treetops and is promptly shot down. ]

I can't remember how many siblings I have, I just know... all of them are dead.

The Curse

[ Under the assumption that his willpower and experience with nightmares would protect him, Reyson elected to delve into somebody's mind to break the curse. It did not work. Thanks to the efforts and care of others, he did not bloodscream himself to death, but he did revive with a sore throat that he can't even complain about because he can't talk. He's healing quickly, but willing to take visitors for those who want to wish him well or talk to him without the threat of the sharp side of his tongue. ]

Winter Games

[ So of course after that he's quite relieved to have an excuse to go all out and battle viciously in the wanton display of violence that is ice hockey. He's not feeling like a proper gentleman. He'll dole out headbutts, he'll take an elbow in the face. He's not overtly smiling, but he radiates a ferocious sense of satisfaction. ]

The Curse (I couldn't not)

[four_balls]

[How Josuke managed to avoid the curse is anyone's guess other than he tends to try and stay in his lane when it comes to these things. Or maybe he just... doesn't dream? Who knows. Either way, he's a little a lot concerned about someone he actually cares about ending up part of this whole madness.

And of course the second he'd heard that he was... okay? As okay as you can get with this???? He's going to make his way to where he's being held, frowning as he watches him and flopping into a chair that was totally there the whole time, don't question it.]

How long did they say you're going to be stuck in here still? [Does he actually sound... worried? A weird change of pace from his normally neutral tone.]

[aria_ardeinae]

[ Maybe the curse can only get you if you sleep on top of your bed like a normal person. It's nice to see a familiar face that isn't repeatedly being murdered in front of his eyes in a nightmare as a testament to his lack of power. Reyson makes to say that it will be a couple of days, makes a pathetic raspy noise instead, and glumly holds up two fingers. ]

Hayan Park | Unholy Blood | Blue | 2nd Year Novice | TDM

[thorncrown]

A NIGHTMARISH CURSE;

[A] [Hayan has been absolutely giddy to be back in school this last month. Every student she knew last year has been remembered and greeted enthusiastically and even the teachers will have to bear with how pleased she is to see all of them. Her ready smiles show off the slight points of what will eventually be her fangs.

Everything is wonderful and fine ... until the screaming starts of course. It's what jolts her awake alongside any number of others and it's what has her dashing out of her room. The first person she meets gets greeted with Hayan's big blue eyes wide and her brow furrowed.]

Do you know what's going on?

[B] [Once she and others have figured something about what's going on Hayan is more than ready to approach whoever she finds that is actively suffering from the curse. Fortunately while she's no Silver Court and doesn't have their advanced healing knowledge she does know how good a vampire's saliva and blood can heal.

She quite literally bites into the underside of her own arm with those newly-forming fangs of hers before she stops by someone, muttering as she does:]

Okay, okay, I can do this. This'll definitely work.

ANYWAY, WINTER GAMES!

[A] ... So we don't throw the thralls, do we?

[Look, it's an innocent enough question. What do you expect her to think curling with thralls means?!]

[B] [Hayan is thrilled to get to snow ball fight. No really, her cheeks and nose are pink from the cold and she's still beaming bright as can be as she packs a snow ball together. She turns a look at one of the other fighters, another big smile showing off her forming fangs.]

I never really got to do this with the other kids when I was little. It's so much fun!

[WILDCARD]

[Hayan is a bright and bubbly student who just wants to make friends, gosh darn it! Feel free to hit her up for mundane playing in the snow or even have her be a classmate you remember from prior years. PMs are open for plotting.]

A

[flagofbone]

So you heard it too?

[He's one of the newer arrivals, a little nosey, and a lot bitter but right now he's tense and on high alert, as he tries to discern the source of the scream]

No idea, but we can't ignore it, can we?

Winter Games B

[conradachenleck]

[It's not like he wanted to get dragged into a snowball fight, it just sort of happened when a snowball happened to be lobbed his way. He was an innocent bystander. And he's annoyed he got hit right in the face, so of course he's going to throw a few snowballs back.]

... I think we have different definitions of fun.

[He says this with quite a bit of snow in his hair and the collar of his coat.]

Nightmare Curse B

[aria_ardeinae]

[ Reyson doesn't have a coherent opinion on how well whatever this is will work because he's screaming and oozing gleaming gold-tinted blood from his ears and under his nails. Hayan would remember him from first season as being sullen, dignified, and fussy. If he were conscious, he would definitely be having a terrible time! ]

leonard "bones" mccoy | star trek aos | silver youngblood | tdm

[galacticmalpractice]

I. Dead on Arrival

cw: alcohol, discussion of alcoholism likely to follow (also this is backdated to Winter Sol, so. warnings for that too)
[ Year after year, the Blue Court throws a party for Winter Sol. And year after year since arriving in Courtsheart, Leonard McCoy has hated every second of it. People tell him blue is his color (despite being Silver Court,) and that he should let loose, but he just doesn't give a shit. It's a waste of everyone's time when they could be doing literally anything else.

Here's a man who doesn't know how to relax. Surrounded by beautiful music, beautiful people, and humans strung up with lights like decorative dolls, he slinks to a corner of the ballroom and stays there, glowering at the dance floor. ]

Ridiculous.

[ Leonard pulls a flask from his jacket, taking a long sip. He's feeling way too old to enjoy the sight of novices being paraded around with low-cut necklines and tantalizing, bare necks. And the glass and blood along the floor? He shakes his head. ]

Wasteful. Damn wasteful.

[ This night couldn't get much worse if you ask him, and it certainly shows in the depth of his frown. If you've come up to this ray of sunshine in hopes of a dance, you're sorely mistaken. He scoffs by way of greeting.]

You're outta your damn mind if you think I'm gonna dance with you. Keep walking.

II. Take Me Home

[ The world may be dark now, but Leonard dreams of sunshine. He dreams of being young and in love. Of working alongside his father and making him so proud. He dreams about his daughter, dreams about all the things she must be doing, all the life she's having.

Without him.

Flashes of a life he never had flicker before him, until they settle on one particular moment. Leonard is a ghost in his own dream, watching what he imagines the life he left behind to be, and the wife who (rightfully) kicked him out. Their old house is humble, but warm. A bit cramped, but full of love. Drawings of a family—a mother and daughter—line the walls of a tiny kitchen where the two of them are covered in flour and baking sweets.

The sound of laughter rings like an echo, close and distant at the same time. Leonard's wife boops their daughter's nose, leading to an eruption of giggles. The two of them look so happy. Leonard reaches forward, arm numbly outstretched. ]

Jocelyn...

[ His voice goes completely unheard. Leonard remains at the edge of the kitchen, watching his wife and daughter roll out dough with a pin, singing songs and smiling brightly. Joanna, with her bright eyes and adorable curls, bounces behind her mother, giggling with childish delight. They are so much better off without him. Leonard's chest aches like he's dying all over again, but he actually smiles.

He's already a dead man. The light from the windows doesn't reach him. He's just a shadow in the corner, though for a moment, his daughter seems to look his way. ]

Sweetheart...

[ But her big hazel eyes go right through him, and she turns her attention back on cutting cookies. Leonard shakes his head. What is he doing here? ]

It's better this way. Daddy's already gone.

III. Pay Attention, You Might Learn Something

A. Vampire Biology 101
[ If there's one thing that can be said about Leonard's classes, it's that they're highly educational. He does lectures and labs, and he really likes to rant. On the first day of class, Leonard writes his name on the board "Dr. Leonard McCoy" and slams a hand on his desk to get everyone's attention. ]

Alright, kids! I'm Dr. McCoy. You can call me Doctor, you can call me McCoy, you can even call me Dr. Leonard. We ain't friends otherwise, so don't go calling me anything else.

[ Do not call him Bones. Nor Dr. Bones. That's gonna be a noodle incident that I have yet to expand on. ]

Today we're gonna talk about Becoming. Y'all should know what that is, but let me tell you—the pretty little bedtime story about your Maker killin' and turning you ain't even the half of it.

Becoming happens on your last day of third season, or the first of your fourth. You pick a court, and Founders willing, they let you join it, and then it's wham-bam-thank you ma'am, right? Wrong. Today we're gonna dispel that colorful notion, and get you some real knowledge on the carriage-wreck that we call Becoming. Oh, and some people have it worse and some people have it better, so don't come crying to me if yours ain't exactly like what we're about to discuss.

[ He waits for a moment, waiting to see who's paying attention, who isn't, before deciding he won't cold call anyone. Yet. ]

Now, the thing you're gonna wanna remember is "5 liters." 5 liters is how much blood is in the average human body. I know, I've checked.

[ He smirks. He's not joking. He continues. ]

Do you know what it feels like to drink 5 liters of blood? Because you're still partly human while you're drinking outta your maker's soft little neck, and let me tell you; it ain't pleasant! You'll be exhausted, fatigue setting in after your maker takes all that blood outta you, and then you gotta drink for your damn unlife.

[ He turns towards the board, writing: Timeline: What Is Even Happening? ]

So. Today we're gonna talk about what happens to your body, what changes you'll need before that, and maybe if you're lucky I'll show y'all what 5 liters of blood actually looks like. Any questions?

[ Please do ask. He'd love to go into detail about how painful it is, and all the disgusting little changes that students may have never known they were going to go through. If he makes a student cry, he'll consider it a success. ]

B. Practical Healing
cw: graphic surgical violence, medical gore
[ Where's the nickname Bones from? Today's one of the days where people get to find out. Today's class is a lab—a smaller group than usual, in a sterile-looking room that still carries the scent of old blood and iodine. Bones is wearing long gloves, and has a bonesaw in hand. A thrall lies on a gurney at the center of the classroom, eyes open and awake. ]

Alright, class. Today we're gonna try what I like to call "hands-on healing." Now, most of y'all are Silver Court anyway so you'll be able to do this with just your blood or your touch, but I'm gonna show you how to do it whether you're a Gold Court stiff or a Blue Court idiot. You gotta plan for everything, and Silver Court ain't got a monopoly on healing.

[ He sets the saw down on the table, grabbing instead a set of test tubes and handing them out to each student. ]

You're gonna spit in these, toss some blood in 'em, then we're gonna cut this guy open, and see whose blood heals the best and talk about why that is.

[ He actually sounds kind of excited about this? Yes, he's actually smiling. ]

Who wants to go first?

IV. Healer, Heal Thy Self

[ The infirmary is in shambles. Overrun with screaming patients and the stale stench of blood, it's like something out of a horror movie. And at its center is Leonard McCoy, a whirlwind of movement as he dashes from bed to bed, checking vitals, administering medicine, and operating at maximum efficiency.

He's in his element. When was the last time he slept? It doesn't matter. He looks alive, and for once the scowl on his lips looks driven rather than just frustrated. Like hell he'll let Revar work themselves to an early slumber. Silver Court has healers, this is what they do. ]

If you can gawk, you can help. Get over here and grab this guy's legs for me.

[ The patient in question is a youngblood, so this might really take some effort. Bones, for his part, is holding a syringe in one hand. The concoction is some kind of murky, silver solution. ]

I gotta stab him with a sedative or he'll blow his vocal chords, so. Chop, chop.

V. Wildcard!

[ Voicetesting Bones because this AU wouldn't leave my brain so here he is... Might throw him on the EMP but regardless, he's grouchy and he's here! Hit me up on cantito for plots? ]

take me home; (hello its me the wrong chris pine)

[juiceofthevine]

[ Oh boy he super shouldn't be here. He barely knows Bones, other than seeing him in the halls occasionally or running into him in the teacher's lounge. He certainly knows his reputation and whatever he was expecting, it sure wasn't this.

This is way too intimate, and yet, here's Edgin, fucking just standing here in this shadow with him, intruding on this extremely domestic scene he has no place in.

I mean what is he going to do but clear his throat and say something awkwardly?? He's here now, he's not going to just disappear. ]

She's cute. Looks like you.

all pines are good pines

[galacticmalpractice]

[ It really is too soft for the way Bones tries to be. He doesn't have time for worrying about a family or a life that left him behind, which he's now left behind in return.

The last thing he was expecting was company though, so he practically jumps when Edgin speaks up. Shit. Well. Not like he can blame the guy when it's his dream. Nobody's having good dreams this month.

He sighs, put upon, but ultimately too drained to have much bite in him. He wouldn't want to raise his voice around his daughter, anyway. ]

Thanks, but... I don't really see it. She gets it all from her mother.

Dead On Arrival

[prizedstallion]

[Kirk spots one of his favorite teachers easily enough, how could he not when McCoy always draws his attention. He was like a moth to a flame, always butting up close to the man knowing he will get burned but too mesmerized to look away. Honestly, he's a little surprised he hasn't been killed yet for how often he made the man man in his first season.

Really, McCoy was a softy underneath, Kirk was sure of it, got enough glimpses to see that maybe the crazy doctor was just sad and lonely and soft under all that gruff.

So, if he happens to untie the ribbon from around his neck before approaching McCoy, then really... who can fault him?

And getting rebuffed before the question is even out of his mouth? Well, that's not gonna deter him.]

Aw, come on Sawbones, [He leans up against the wall by Bones, neck on display.] not even with your favorite student?

Vampire biology

[flagofbone]

[The blue court novice with the scar is listening, even though he's clearly doodling on the margins of his notes. The brutal honesty is refreshing, and he can't help but like it.]

Just curious, I know the Undying can heal a lot faster than humans, but is there any specific reason as to why that is?

Healer, Heal Thy Self

[serpendipity]

[ Hey look, it's probably your far more favorite student for the second seasons (even if Jim can be a bad influence...) finally coming up to the gathering of victims. The first days had Eden coming and being an assistant with Revar and the other youngbloods in the infirmary because she's had experience with emergency and regular medical aid. Recently she's been out in the halls to try a potential cure, having focused on novices first, but it doesn't stop her from still checking in with Revar or the Doctor.

With some opportune timing it seems- Dr McCoy was trying to get someone else to help. They were looking exhausted, and clearly didn't have his willingness to push on. Not everyone can handle the stress... ]

Here, I'll jump in and take over helping.

[ In a practical sense, with how small and light Eden was, she wasn't going to do a great job of holding down a full youngblood's legs. Having worked on getting something together, the novice rushes over to the other side while pulling a folded pouch out of her bag. Opening it up on one of those carts, she quickly traces down at a point, moving to keep steady with the patient, before stabbing a silver needle into them just enough that the legs looked to get heavy and grow still.

Which amazes Eden just as much, because she wasn't fully sure this skill set worked and was real. It took more pressure because of how a youngblood's body worked, but this was a good first step. It wasn't a permanent solution to anything, but- ]

Is this steady enough?

Practical Healing, because I have no self control

[serpendipity]

[ The doctor had a really direct way of teaching students to pay attention, regardless of their court. This was also a subject that took turns that Eden was more interested in, because the vampire side of healing (and the method of medical practice that McCoy had,) were different enough to maintain the novice's interests and have her pay even more attention. He was a good teacher.

Or maybe her background made her biased about that.

Still, she spit in her own test tube and bit at her finger with a baby fang to put a few drops of the silvery-red blood in. Swirling it, Eden sucked the tiny wound until the metallic taste was no longer in her mouth. Honestly, she was curious, having only changed makers with the new year after being neglected. In some ways, she was still catching up to everyone, but if a bloodline for vampires mattered...

Though there's a doubt that even without that, she wouldn't match up to Karma's (and more distantly, Revar's) expectations and standards for where they were. At least she could soothe herself with practical medical skills if this fell short.

After a moment, she held her sample out. ]

Though I'm sure you probably want another court's novice to volunteer first?

[ There were going to be comparisons regardless. As he'd said; there were mostly Silver students here. If she fell short compared to them, it could be a good discussion about how far a novice has developed mattered as well, regardless of court. She'd be more than caught up at this pace by the end of the season, but it was a little more 'fair' to the other courts' novices. ]

I. Dead on Arrival

[recklessenough]

Well. I am often accused of being out of my mind, but that isn't going to stop me from giving it a go all the same.

[ Lockwood's voice is friendly and cajoling. He can't help himself. Grumpy Bones is his favorite Bones and he does make it something of moral imperative to try to at least get him to cut back on hitting the flask. Not that either of them are in any real danger of getting drunk, and Bones' virtue is safe in Lockwood's tender hands. It's more the principal of the thing.

Also, though Lockwood would feed himself to the thralls before he'd admit it, he does genuinely hate watching the other man suffer through these situations. He might not get the man out on the dance floor, but at least his presence serves as a deterrent for over ambitious novices. Give Bones a bit of a break in that regard.

Of course, that doesn't mean Lockwood won't try. ]

I learned a new waltz and everything. [ He leans in close to stage whisper. ] I promise to lead.

Wildcard, some time after class because of this menace

[why_worry]

[Does Dodger ever do anything that makes any sort of sense? Not really, no, that's just sort of his thing by this point of his tenure. But it certainly doesn't mean the man isn't going to waltz into a now empty classroom with a grin on his face and just casually going to perch on one of the desks as he watches Bones clean up or whatever the hell that he does after his classes.

Being a Youngblood has its perks, after all, meaning that he's pretty sure he can get out of the way if he gets stabbed by being a nuisance to the extreme.]

Aww, it's so cute when you're in your element like this, Bonesy. [Of course that would be the nickname he's running with, no one escapes without one, as far as he's concerned. Even if he's already preparing himself to bolt before getting shanked.]

One could say you were almost born to do this job, huh?

wildcard - forwarddated to after the nightmares? lemme know if anything should be changed

[beigeacademia]

[It’s after one of Bone’s lab classes or something, and Elias is helping out to reset the lab for the next class; making sure the chemicals are restocked, there’s chalk to be written with, and so on. There’s probably a thrall he’s dictating notes to on what supplies need to be fetched.

But that’s all set dressing. The main point of this thread is HOT GOSSIP.]

Hey, Dr. Leonard. [Elias pipes up once it looks like Bones is mostly done packing up.] Did you hear about that wonder novice several courts are interested in? Kirk, the one currently in Blue? What do you think about him?

[If this were just Xenk he’d stay in his lane, but he’s heard from the grapevine that 1) Lockwood from Gold is also hitting Kirk up 2) Kirk hit Bones up during the Winter Sol. It’s too much for him to stay out of it for loyalty to Xenk, man. He’s tempted to play multiple sides. For science.]

IV.

[levelshift]

[Yuri had only been in the vicinity of the infirmary to observe the curse. His Maker hadn't told him to get involved - for that reason and his own status as a novice he hadn't felt any motivation to jump in, just hang back and memorize everyone else's successes and failures.

Guess he couldn't get away with that forever. The order comes and he narrows his eyes, only needing a split second to run through the situation. It'd be really idiotic for him to tell a vampire off, but the patient is a youngblood and with his lack of muscle there's no way he can keep the guy pinned.

So he does the logical thing, which is to grab some of the infirmary's restraints and hustles on over to the end of the bed. Leaning his crutch up against it he'll proceed to attach the leg restraints one at a time, using his bodyweight to keep the ankles straight to avoid twisting or rolling it, and making sure they're firmly attached to the bed. He's done this before, so his motions are smooth and it doesn't take long.]

He's down.

Wildcard

[karmichealing]

[Just as she gets Eden sorted and awake, she feels the tickle in her throat again. Now recognizing it for what it is, she knows that someone she has a blood claim with in the throes of a nightmare, she excuses herself to save her other novice. Somehow Leonard has contracted it, she's sure of it.

Sure, it feels like a matter of time for those helping others, she's surprised she hasn't gotten it yet, but regardless, she finds herself upset for both of her novices, present and former, contracting it so close together. As if she failed some how.

Luckily for Leonard, she trusts the man already concocted a cure and goes barging into his office to find it. Maybe she's a little rude in her looking for it and tosses the place a little, but she can feel the pain he's in radiating through her and she isn't about to sit back and be polite when one of her favorite people is in danger. This isn't just about investment in a good doctor, but her own emotional investment in him as someone she cares about.

By the time she makes it to his side - dodging sunlight and questions - she looks uncharacteristically disheveled and shaken.]

I'm here, Len, just stay with me dearest.

[Without wasting anymore time, she administers his cure with steady hands, injecting it in the side of his neck. All she can do is wait as she clean the up some of the liquid silver blood that is starting to form from his screams.]

Dodger | Oliver & Company | Blue Youngblood | TDM

[why_worry]

(Please feel free to assume, due to lol lack of icons, that the human version of this goober looks like this)

Winter Games

[Typically these sorts of things weren't really Dodger's thing as it all seemed pretty pointless to him. But what had caught his attention this time around was the hockey which immediately had the vampire throwing on whatever they wanted to him to wear to indicate his status as Blue and seeming to do a pretty good job of checking people into walls and obstacles as much as possible.

It's probably rather rude that he seems a natural on the ice, but he doesn't seem to particularly care even as he evades from someone trying to trip him of all things and merely laughing.]

Hey, you tried! Almost got me, too! [Of course he's not taking any of it seriously. But after a single match is when he's slinking back off the ice and removing his skates before plopping down in the stands seeming like he's exhausted but with the biggest grin on his face.]

See, now this is something they should keep doing every year! Or at least get more people involved that actually want to play seriously! [... Like himself, clearly.]

Dog in the Snow

[While all the sports and games and the like are going on, people may encounter a Jack Russell Terrier merely wandering around in the snow as if this is totally normal and natural. Not seeming to care in the slightest about the snow that is probably sinking way up to his legs or the fact he can disappear into the snow fairly quickly and pop up somewhere else.

In fact, he might come out of one of those snow hole sessions with some kind of rodent in his mouth. Totally a normal dog and nothing else, what do you mean?

And is totally looking at anyone that comes by with the quarry in his mouth and tail wagging. Praise, praise his hunting skills, dammit!]

Group Choir and You 101

[Sure, the arts might technically be the Red Court's domain, but it doesn't mean Dodger hasn't found some way to wiggle it over into Blue's domain simply by taking it and making it more... specific to the whole revelry nonsense they all claim to love and adore. Besides, it's not like he doesn't have background in doing this sort of thing.

Especially when he's merely shrugging to himself as he's sitting on the desk as if it were just any other chair, never once finding it weird what-so-ever.]

Kiddos, tell me what the most important thing for any kind of chorus is? Not including the things you think are necessary like music, instruments, or that kind of nonsense. But a rule of all choruses out there.

Wildcard

[Feel free to throw whatever at me. Dodger's likely to be anywhere and everywhere in the castle because he's not great at staying still. If you want to plot anything specific hit me up over at rustedpoetry.]

Trilla Suduri | Black | Novice

[inquisitorium]

Once Upon a Dream

The dream always starts the same way. Trilla's at home -- one of her homes, anyway, the house she and her mother had stayed in the Red Court lands. She'd been young then. The memory is hazy but for the sense that she's waiting. Waiting and waiting until she begins to truly worry, for her mother has never left for so long before, even having told Trilla to lock the doors and draw the curtains and not make a single peep until she returns. If he finds them he'll take her away and she won't be able to come back, not ever.

Trilla's still young enough that the desire to see her father again isn't strong enough to overcome the fear that her mother has instilled into her. So she waits. There's someone with her; someone she's forgotten until just now, in the strange way that dreams can change. She glances over to the other person with a frown, tries to work out how they've come to be here, and if they are friend or foe.

"Did she send you? I don't need protection, if that's why you're here."

A Nightmarish Curse [ cw: kidnapping, torture ]

One moment she's waiting, and the next rough hands are grabbing her, tearing her away from her hiding place and the person she'd been quietly whispering to in the dark. She tries to fight but her hands are bound and they've done something to her, something that makes her feel weak and dizzy. She struggles blindly, kicks and screams until everything goes dark.

When she wakes she's in a place she doesn't understand; figures in black, all with helmets, flank her on the left and right of the contraption she's strapped into. She can't make out what they're saying. They're asking her questions. They're saying a name she doesn't recognize but she understands in the way of dreams that this is who she was waiting for back in her other home. Not mother. Mother hadn't left her alone. She hadn't been the one to betray Trilla and leave her to this pain. This is what she'd warned her about, isn't it? That it would hurt, and that she would never come home?

A part of the machine she's strapped to descends upon her face and the pain begins. Trilla screams until her voice is gone and just keeps screaming; if she has no voice she cannot tell them what they want to hear. She cannot truly break. If she breaks she can never go home.

Winter Games

The curse may have been broken leaving her physically not that much worse for wear, but Trilla was particularly snappish and sullen in the weeks that followed, and kept to herself more often than not outside of required classwork. So it's a rare thing to see her watching the figure skating competition with a look of rapt enjoyment that looks a little like longing.

She has a cup of something warm, and for the first time in weeks she seems like she might be making her way back down to something like calm. Feel free to ruin it by approaching her and pointing it out, however.

winter games;

[subigito]

[ Oh if it isn't his favorite Black Court novice! And looking so longingly at something decidedly not Black Court-ish. He will absolutely approach her and ruin it. ]

You could have participated, you know.

once upon a dream

[galacticmalpractice]

[ Of course it figures he'd up in the dream of a girl without a father. Bones can't know that yet, but fate has a way of doing that to people. He doesn't need to dwell on it now, he's in some weird dream and there's a girl who might be his daughter's age here and she's waiting for... something. Of course she is.

Question is, when's that something gonna come? Leonard's not a vampire in this dream. Just a man. Just a doctor. Just trying to get stock of this thing and figure out if he needs to intervene. ]

That's real funny, cause I'm pretty sure people who get hurt don't think they need protectin', either.

Once Upon a Dream

[aria_ardeinae]

A young Trilla does not register as the driven, sullen young woman who regularly wipes the floor with Reyson in combat class. He's working out how much of this is reality and where it is coming from and is not, at this point, convinced she is a real person and not some sort of. Internal symbolism of his own struggles.

"No. I sensed that I was meant to come here - where is here? It's so gloomy; you might at least let in some light."

curse

[rebuilder]

Whatever dream Cal had been fizzles out into something dreary and dark. Ominous, and it leaves a sense of dread in the pit of Cal's stomach as a voice reaches his ears. Screaming. When he looks up it's Trilla, only she's strapped down to some horrific looking device and whatever it's doing to her is --

-- awful, from the sounds she's making. It's horrible and makes him sick to hear, to see. Who would do something like this?

What is this?

Still, he moves forward and reaches out towards her, touching her face to try to get her attention.

"Hey, hey. Trilla, it's me. I don't know what this is but I'll get you out, okay?" And then she'll wake up and be okay, because he wont accept anything otherwise.