undyingcourt | january tdm/event post

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january tdm/event post

JANUARY TDM - WINTER DREAMS

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:

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!]

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.

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!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[He can yell and say mean things to him when he has his voice back and he won't blame him at all for catching up on lost time! Not that it stops him from actually laughing a bit at the mimed gesture, sure, it will absolutely kill him if he took one second longer, of course it would just be the worst if he did.

Luckily he doesn't protest him moving his limbs as he'd like and he's... honestly glad that he picked to sit on his lap instead. It's a comfortable place, duh, and not at all is something he'd like for him to do with less clothes at some point or another. Nor is he wrapping an arm loosely around his waist to keep a hold of him or anything, that's ridiculous.]

Just don't squirm around, might accidentally pull too hard. [... Not the real reason he's warning him, but that might be obvious enough. But he is true to his word and is just going to gingerly, at first, run that brush through his hair even though he's pretty sure he's not going to find any snags or knots or anything else as Reyson seems to the type to be meticulous about his hair.]

[ If he starts crying then the experience is really bad or really good... He's an emotional person and not all of the emotions are yelling. Just most of them! ]

Especially given how much energy I was wringing out of you at the same time. I have more stamina than I ever did, but if we were in an actual bed, I wouldn't mind sleeping together, either.

[ She shook her head at some of that. ]

I was walking around for a while before crossing paths with you. My mask takes up quite a bit of energy, physical and mental, and even more so with having sex. It's different from my normal stamina. I could put you through several rounds like this. If I hadn't asked, I might've just decided to ride you, like you did me. There'd be less blood though.

Trilla shakes her head, still reeling from the aftershocks of whatever they'd done to her. She'd never imagined pain like that was survivable, much less endurable. If not for Cal's arm around her waist she would've struggled to keep going in spite of the fact that running was surely the only way of getting out of here alive.

The hallways shouldn't make sense to her, but somehow she knows which way to turn to catch a door sliding open in a way she's never seen before in life.

"Through here. There's a way out."

She can't tell which one of them hauls the other into the enclosed space with sliding doors, the one that will move them to the surface where there will just as likely be another group waiting to drag them back here for round two, or worse. She slams her hand into a glowing white panel which slides the door closed again just as shouts and footsteps draw nearer, and then slides down the wall to draw her knees to her chest and simply try to keep the panic from overtaking her.

[ Oh, that actually makes it even better, that she's expending so much effort. He will have to give it his all in return. ]

Still some, of course. Mostly from the biting. I understand that women are more... stretchy?

[ He makes an extremely vague hand gesture. ]

[ She's not even going to share that it's going to be really difficult to go back to that form so soon and hold it for a full round again. As comfortable as it was, she was a little tanked. ]

Yes, still some from biting. But women also don't need oil. Go ahead and feel, just to know. No expectations of anything. Being aroused doesn't mean I have to have sex, and if I need to, I can touch myself. I handled the entire first season walking around filled with arousal with no outlet, because everything was too tight.

[ Even Bones can see it, though to be fair, he tries to pay attention to Revar, since they're his grand-maker. It wouldn't do to ignore them. ]

Damn, I had no idea. How long ago was that?

[ He would have thought the Castle was here for forever, even though, academically, he knows that isn't the case. He just never realized... ]

[ So normal. He loves them. And he feels less terrible about being quarantined if he can make his maker smile. ]

Yeah, yeah. I ain't some kid. I'll live.

[ He is certainly acting like one, with how he's all a mess and complaining, but such is his life. Better to play it safe for everyone's sake than be stupid and stubborn. (Ohhh but being stubborn is so much better. He won't be. But he wants to.)

Instead he will message Jim Kirk and be a dick to him. That's love, baby. ]

Guess I'll see who I can bribe to get in there. Or if people haven't already checked out all the good stuff -- I'm not likin' my chances either way.

Oh, hell no, I ain't been awake for three weeks. I'd be in the ground. Revar's probably the one who can do that. I clock out at about 5-6 days, then I gotta sleep for a full 24 hours.

[ Alas, he's on the younger side... ]

The curse's been going for about that long, though. Knowing Revar, they really haven't slept in that long. I'll have to check on 'em later and make sure they ain't working themselves half to death.

[ everyone has their own talents, and erwin is grateful enough to not have to send anyone else out to find those afflicted. it makes things marginally easier, at least, and he doesn't seem perturbed by the commentary either. ]

To keep them from bleeding out before they can be helped otherwise, yes.

[ he's leaning over the suffering notice, checking their eyes and seeing how much cognizance they have currently. they're still out cold, so it's not great, but it's better than dead. ]

Never seen anything like this.

[ a heavy admittance, maybe. but he's a Youngblood; it's not so strange he could have less experience with such things as someone older. ]

[He figured that wasn't the case. Of course, he wonders whether Bones is approaching those 5-6 days....

And he senses an opportunity!]

If you wanna check on them now and take a break yourself, I can watch them. [He waves his free hand at the sleeping patient.] And anyone else who needs monitoring. I'll get you if there's any changes.

[There's a slight pause before he adds:] For extra credit, obviously.

[There's no reason not to take the chance to improve his grade, and he figures a quid pro quo makes the offer more reasonable for Bones. A first season with their grade on the line would probably look a little more reliable than a first season offering purely out of the kindness of their heart.]

What a strangely practical child. There's something familiar in the set of her jaw that's somewhat familiar, but he can't place it.

"I'll confirm it - being a vampire is better than a true death. Trying to become one and failing is worse, though."

[he can pretend all he likes, but it isn't going to do much to prevent Hazel from raising an extremely skeptical eyebrow at him. they've both made it out of the encounter unscathed and as such she can't directly call him on what she feels like is bullshit, but. the doubt is still present and she wants to make absolutely certain Yuri knows that.]

Sports isn't 'no reason'. [to be clear.] You really think that was the best you could've done?

[He scowls back. Sports might as well be, in his opinion.]

Tche. I can't say if it was the best option, but it worked, didn't it?

[please be careful, Yuri. you two share a court and she can at any time forcibly draft you onto some godforsaken vampire athletics team if you talk too much shit about sports.]

It was fucking lame, that's what it was.

[it wasn't - in fact, even Hazel didn't believe that. but she'd rather drink acid than actually admit someone else was right so she's instead taken up this asinine position to try and preserve her fragile ego, complete with an even deeper scowl and crossed arms.]

[Hazel. Hazel, only do that if you want to lose.]

Oh, yeah? [His tone is dry. Hazel is being abrasive, but it isn't really much different from his own behaviour sometimes, so he can't really complain.] Guess I'll have to come up with something less lame next time.

[ Reyson does not even consider asking if she's really all right to manage a second round because he'd be dreadfully insulted if someone cast asperations on his stamina, even correctly. ]

I'm amazed at how direct you are.

[ All right, then, he'll feel around the external bastion of this mysterious territory. Carefully but firmly, like he's oiling a violin. Very similar circular motions to what he'd use on a violin, actually. It's a less nerve-wracking prospect without any pressure involved, and he does like exploring. ]

Keep in mind that I have no reference for how tight you should be.

[she's willing to eat some concrete losses for the more esoteric win of watching this guy have to run laps, honestly.]

Damn right you will. No way I'm gonna keep hanging around someone who only knows how to pop an eyeball and then hobble for the fucking hills.

[it's only after her own delivery that Hazel realizes she and Yuri have made the same odd assumption of there being a 'next time'. after all the chaos they'd caused simply by sitting next to one another it felt outrageously ill-advised to refrain from correcting the bizarre slip, and yet...she's also found that she really doesn't mind the prospect.

he's a pain in the ass, sure, but so is she. and despite the awful jolt down memory lane, she's forced to admit (at least to herself) that she'd had...fun. good fucking god, she'd had fun with this twiggy nerd.]

[ If he needs to squirm, just smack Josuke instead, got it-

Reyson is up to date on his haircare, although if you asked him he could certainly nitpick about how he wasn't exactly conditioning it during his deathscream bloodcoma. It feels better when someone else is caring for it, because he's not focused on moving a brush. Thralls are not the same because then his mind is concentrating on directing the thrall. Like this, he can fully relax. ]

Mm...

[ The deep sigh that comes out of him might be more erotic than he would like it to have been. It's fine. That's Josuke's problem now. ]

[ As she said, she could do plenty of rounds as she originally was. The other... was a mystery. ]

I never had a reason to not be direct. It's dancing around things and trying to be subtle, or delicate, or other things like that which I'm having trouble with.

[ While there was definitely no pressure in it all, she was still going to react to however he ends up exploring this. As his fingers find the area and start running their little circles, she shifted one of her legs to open up and make it easier. She was already showing arousal, but at the same time, she did just have sex. It was probably a little expected. ]

Well, for that kind, I don't think it matters unless you end up exploring and wanting to have sex with me in this form, which you said you didn't. However, there's a point where not only was I tight in that way, but my muscles were too wound up and they'd start seizing up. Like if you had a spasm in your legs, but ended up trying to go for a run. Which could cause quite a bit of pain... for both sides.

[ Part of her hopes he didn't need to be told what was meant by that. ]

[He waves a hand dismissively.]

People are into that, I'm sure. We'll make them sign a waiver. It'll be fine.

[ She rolls her eyes. ]

Does that line work on anyone? Do let me know because I may want to rethink associating with someone so easily taken in.

[ And with that proclamation made, she adds: ]

I will watch the figure skating. It will be like dancing on ice.

Well, if I were in the habit of kissing and telling, maybe you would know, but I'm not.

[He grins back, rolling with the joke.]

And good plan, it's probably the prettiest of the winter sports.

Satoru rolls his eyes fondly. Yes, he does in fact like, though he's very much the kind of guy who normally wouldn't notice if someone shaved all their hair off.

The dream becomes even more active, then, some kind of contraption pulling in and misshapen monsters spilling out of it. Satoru grimaces. What the hell is his brain going through in slumber? The dream version of himself looks-- cold. Maybe a tiny bit conflicted.

"Well, you know what they say. Dreams are our brain's way of working out our experiences during the day. So the monsters are probably a metaphor for the people that annoy me," he replies glibly, just in time for the roof to cave in and dozens of people to fall through. It's... kind of a horrifying scene, if he's being honest. "And these superpowers I have in the dream are just my ego telling me how amazing I am."

[ It's been a bit of a month, and Lockwood has quite a few things on his mind. Lady Whisperfang had been a nice diversion, and of course getting through the dreaded History course had kept him busy, but it seemed as if the subjects of politics and governance couldn't help nipping at his heels.

As a general rule Lockwood dressed the part of a Gold Court dandy. Never stepping foot outside the room unless he was resplendent in classic outfits of tail coat, waist coat, breeches and boots all in shades of black and gold. But sometimes, just sometimes, Lockwood rounded out a long day in something more comfortable.

He still had his black breeches, but instead of his knee high black boots he wore ankle boots that allowed the bright pink socks to flash as he stepped. Atop the breeches he was wearing a simple sweater, mostly black but with hints of gold flecks woven into the wool, it set against his throat as a mock turtleneck. No telling where he'd picked it up, it looked like something quite pedestrian, compared to the fine silk and lace most vampires wrapped around themselves. It was possible that it might have been a gift from somewhere up North.

It was late this particular night, edging close to the hours when all good little vampires would be tucked up asleep. Something had sent Lockwood off to the library for a book, which he carried in one hand as he strolled along the hallways. He wasn't seeking Kashire out, but when his path happened to bring him across the Blue Court Council member, Lockwood paused in his stride.

He should absolutely keep walking. Kashire was a busy man and Lockwood didn't have anything specific to discuss. He had no reason to disturb the older vampire. All the same, he turned neatly on the balls of his feet and set himself on an intercept path. ]

Kashire! [ Lockwood called out, smiling. ] Out alone at this hour? That suggests you're either coming from, or heading too an assignation.

[ Come on. It's Kashire. The man does not sleep alone during the day. ]

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january tdm/event post

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wheezes im so sorry i never got a notif for this its been 100 years

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Sidles up with no plan in sight