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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He wasn't prepared to have a conversation about this so there's an awkward pause, but this is at least better than getting told off by a teacher. The scowl remains firmly on his face as he sighs.]

Then I guess either someone's making them do this, or they think they've got something ridiculous like their fucking pride on the line. [Both of which are dumb reasons, in his opinion.] If you can't go all out or keep up then you're just going to bring the rest of your team down.

[Hazel notes the pause, make no mistake, but Yuri picks up the thread of their mutual complaining again so it matters very little to her. take as much time as you need to fashion the best insults for these people neither of them know, she can respect that. it gives her time to glare down at the figures skating with such tepid ambitions below them.]

It's the whole fucking point of team sports, isn't it? You're supposed to teach that to the morons before they get in the rink.

[oh, look, they actually managed to get the puck! aaaaaand they've lost control of it again in an absolutely thrilling two second exchange. she sighs deeply, rubbing at a pained spot on her forehead that's definitely not from the temperature.]

Makes me wanna start throwing shit down onto the ice to watch them scatter.

Hmmm.

[She's got a good point. Whoever this team's teachers are are doing a poor job of teaching them the fundamentals of teamwork. Or whatever. He doesn't know, team sports are kind of beyond him outside of strategy.

His eyes are locked back on the game, and he clicks his tongue in irritation at how fast they lose the puck. As much as he'd like to see something a little more interesting happen, though....]

Chances are they'd go after you for interrupting the game.

[He's going to bluntly point that out.]

What, you don't think I could take them?

[she's joking - well, mostly - but the sarcasm may be lost on her companion with Yuri's attention back on the game. her own maker would snuff her out like a candle if she actually instigated chaos on that level, but the more Hazel thought about how badly it would enrage Edith the more appealing it became...

no, no! keep at least some common sense in you, Lockwood.]

The entire briefing was them emphasizing over and over how you should be as fucking violent on the ice as you can manage without losing. Bet you the crowd would cheer if I started a brawl in the middle of this snorefest.

[He's starting to get the sneaking suspicion he might be talking to a chaos gremlin. Seriously, who else would joke about riling up a bunch of vampires and almost-vampires for fun?

The possibility of her joking is there, but with his attention on memorizing the game the sarcasm's going over his head. Which leads to a question that's dead serious:]

Are you going to do it, then?

[um, people with great taste in entertainment? those who wish to liberate the masses from mind-numbing and uninspired athletic displays? there are so many other explanations than chaos gremlin, excuse you. she's a cherub.]

Depends. You gonna sweeten the pot a little first?

[...listen. cherubs have to eat too - or in this case, solicit a little outside help in tipping the scales in favor of rationally unwise decisions. there's nothing wrong with collaboration!]

Ah?

[She asks that question and it's enough to actually pull his gaze away from the hockey game, because what. Maybe he should've been paying a bit more attention to the conversation, sheesh.

His surprised expression settles into something vaguely annoyed (though given how annoyed he seems to have been this whole time, that might be his default expression).]

No. No way. I'm not going to sit here and watch some goddamn brat getting herself torn apart for no good reason. [Is he exaggerating? He doesn't know. That's probably the worst case scenario, but he'd rather work off the assumption of a worst case scenario than throw caution to the wind.] Just tolerate this shitty game with the rest of us.

[wow. seriously? he was putting all of that energy into bitching out these sluggish players, but the second an opportunity to really do something about it presented itself he was back right out. was it because he'd actually have to fork over some kind of 'payment'? what a skinflint! the look Hazel would be leveling her companion's way could have curdled milk off sheer disgust alone.]

...fucking fine, whatever.

[sour as she was, it seemed like she still possessed a tiny modicum of common sense. with a deeply put upon huff she concedes defeat, crossing her arms almost petulantly to turn her attention back to the IMMEASURABLY SHITTY game. all is well, if more than a little put out.

...for a while, at least.

at some point after Yuri's gone back to hatewatching she's leaning down for a moment, ostensibly to check the clasps on her boots - but in reality she's forming a snowball. it only takes a second after sitting back up before she's chucked it directly at the head of the worst offender down on the ice, and when the novice demands to know just who the fuck had done that??? she's calling out to the guy without a moment of hesitation.]

Over here, shitface! Fucking surprised you even noticed the goddamn thing through your fucking coma! Get a goddamn move on!

[the object of her derision barks back an equally irritated retort - or tries to before finding himself pummeled by a second snowball to the face halfway through a sentence. Hazel's on her feet now, clearly ready to draw this confrontation out until a fight starts or the team wakes the fuck up.]

You heard me the first time! Your whole team's a fucking disgrace! My buddy's been bitching about you since the puck hit the ice!

[...oh, Yuri, she's gesturing at you as she says that. this could be mildly problematic!]

[That's the end of it. At least, that should be the end of it. Yuri goes straight back to watching the game, keeping in mind why he's here in the first place. One conversation isn't about to deter him, which means he's staring down at the rink the entire time as Hazel fusses around.

He doesn't realize what's going on until it's far, far too late. The snowball is whipped at the back of the player's head, and then she's yelling, and for all of two seconds all Yuri does is look exasperated. Whatever, this is no longer his business, if she wants to pick a fight that's on her.

And then she keeps going.

What.

What what what.]

....................................................

[He looks over at her, completely bewildered. What is she doing, what is she doing?

Down on the rink the frustration from being on the losing side of the game is apparently too much for that player. He's cursing and storming off the ice, aaaand making his way up the stands.]

[Yuri's eyes dart over to him and his expression instantly cools into something hard. Fierce, even. He grabs his crutch and gets to his feet, all of five foot six, thin enough that he looks like a light breeze could break him in half. There is no way in hell he has any hope of winning a physical fight, but showing any kind of weakness (even that surprise from a few seconds ago) is, in his experience, only going to make things worse.

So facing down one pissed off novice it is.]

[his companion somehow manages to be even less intimidating on the appearance front: five foot fucking nothing and covered in scars from head to toe, like a porcelain doll someone had seen fit to reglue after an accident. it's not really what you want on your side in a fight, but no one's apparently told Hazel - even before the novice she'd been antagonizing decides to take this altercation to the stands she'd have met Yuri's incredulous gaze with a shitty grin. this is what happens when you don't pay off people asking for incentives, my friend!

the only saving grace is that Hazel's got no intentions of abandoning the guy to the aftermath of her actions all by himself. he really could have easily avoided this, in her opinion, but that didn't mean he needed to get fucking ground into a paste for it. hell, maybe by the end of this Yuri would even thank her for the only entertainment this match had given him.

(yeah, sure.)]

Like that's supposed fucking scare me after seeing your offense.

[is she continuing her trash talk to pump herself up, or Yuri? it's impossible to say. whatever the answer is she's not giving the novice much time to respond, swiftly moving from her spot in the stands soon after issuing her derisive comment. it looks as if she's trying to flee, unable to put her money where her mouth is; the very thought enrages her foe, who picks up the pace to try and intercept her. unfortunately she isn't running from the man, but towards him...to throw herself bodily at him in a tackle laced with a colorful array of obscenities. there's no fucking mental weakness here, that's for sure!]

[The two of them combined would not only look like the least intimidating duo ever, but some really pathetic excuses for Novices. That's probably the reason why the novice has decided to pause the entire game to come after them - it might be 2 on 1, but any reasonable person would be confident they could take these two noodles.

That's what's going through Yuri's head. That, and how the fuck he's going to get through this without getting the shit beat out of him, though that's looking less and less likely as Hazel refuses to shut up -- and backing up? Fucking hell, she's going to run isn't she -- at this rate he really is doomed --

Aaaand then, while Yuri is settling on some pretty poor options, she rushes and tackles that asshole. With them still being in the stands that'll send Hazel and the novice crashing down to some lower seats which, thankfully, were unoccupied.]

...............

[For a split second, Yuri just stands there. There's some snickering from the other people in the stands as they scoot away from the altercation, absolutely no intention of either stopping this or jumping in to help. Down on the rink the novice's teammates are cracking up at the sight, so clearly they're not planning on helping, either.

Well then.

His gaze flicks to the other players, then darts around to take in their surroundings. He could leave right now. He could, and chances are this dumbass would be too distracted by her to notice. There's a high probability he'd get away, though unless she can pull out some bullshit secret vampire power he'd be leaving her to get beaten to a pulp or worse.

(Which he thinks she kind of deserves for starting all of this, but anyways....)

He clicks his tongue softly as he quickly steps downwards towards Hazel and the novice. He isn't sure how strong she is physically, so he isn't going to waste any more time. Once he reaches them, a smile that looks more like a slash appears across his face. If she's going to go ahead with the whole psychotic novice angle, then he'll play along. Psychological warfare and all that.

He lifts his crutch, aiming casually as he waits another split second for Hazel's head to shift out of the way, then proceeds to drive the end of it straight into the novice's eye. There's a crunchy, popping noise.]

Learn to take criticism, you fucking third-string.

[........................ It's unclear the novice is even hearing that giving the horrific scream he's letting out, but whatever. The other attendees are certainly getting their fill of two very unhinged novices.]

[the impact of their tangled bodies hitting the benches was negligible, the sort of jolt she'd have been able to ignore even before she began drinking accursed blood. it was like the ring of the bell - a round start, not something to flinch away from. her parents had always despaired over how eager she'd been to get into scraps as a child, but if they could see her now...

the novice interrupts that train of thought by grabbing her forearm in a manner that is certainly not trivial. it's good, she assures herself, biting down hard on her own lower lip to deny this shitstain the satisfaction of even a pined grunt; now her full attention is on this tussle. Hazel's stronger than she looks - not that that's difficult to achieve - and stronger still for having begun her journey towards vampirism, but there was no pretending she wasn't outclassed here. her opponent had simply been given more time than she was to cultivate their abilities, physical and otherwise, and no amount of burning anger would overturn that.

she's already considering her options for a potential surprise attack once the severe ass-beating starts when the vague shape of a crutch flashes past her peripheral vision. it startles her more than the disgusting sound which follows, bringing her gaze up rather than down to the novice she was still desperately fighting to remain straddling...until the screaming started, anyway.

it should curdle her heart and bring her lunch back up onto the snow, that sound. in an indistinct, clinical way Hazel would know that, and she'd sluggishly fight to reach the proper emotions she could feel just a little further back in her own heart. her fingers were nearly brushing against them, but Yuri's expression brings a gate crashing down around them with the thought it provokes.

this novice must be beautiful right now.

was that her own voice she heard, or someone else's? she can't say with any certainty as the ground shifts around her, flickering between ice and cobblestone as her memories staged a mutiny. even Yuri seemed as if he was threatening to pop straight out of existence, the phantom of a far more sinister figure vying for his place in her world. because this was her world now, wasn't it? rage against it as she might, this was the existence she'd never be able to fully escape - and these were her people now, cheering around them both for the agony of their own brethren.]

...shit, not even worth fucking up the benches.

[the novice feels pathetic, writhing underneath her as they were now. Hazel's comment to her companion carries the same apathetic derision as Yuri's, but catching flash after flash of that ruptured eyeball would begin to stir up something more frenzied. she hated it. she fucking hated all of this. she just wanted to make it fucking stop-

her fists would come down on the novice's face like a sledgehammer, marring an already ruined visage. it didn't matter though, did it? they'd heal back to pristine condition after an infirmary trip. nothing was permanent but the violence, the lesson to be imprinted on the soul rather than flesh...with every bitter thought her hands would come back down on the asshole, her own expression twisting tighter and tighter with hideous mania.

she needed to stop, she knew, but when did monsters ever obey even their own desires? (she and Yuri were once again quite the matching pair.)]

[Yuri casually pulls his crutch back, setting it back down on the ground so he can lean on it while the novice continues to wail. He isn't bothered by the sound at all, it's a pretty typical noise you get from people when their bodies are damaged without any kind of anaesthesia. A total lack of sympathy for the novice makes him even less inclined to care. With the novice no longer an immediate threat his attention turns a bit more to Hazel.

He sees glimpses of her expression as she keeps pummeling the novice, not stopping even when it's clear their point has been made. There's a good chance, if left alone, she'll just kill the guy, since he doesn't look like he's going to be composing himself enough to fight back anytime soon. And he could just leave her to it, because it isn't really his problem if this random idiot dies. People are killed every day, even ones who don't deserve having their life cut short. Nothing makes this novice special. But....

He's glancing up, seeing the rest of the novice's team still down on the rink. They're finding this less entertaining as it starts to dawn on them how serious the situation actually is. Between them and any other audience members who stuck around --

Goddamnit.

A wanton display of violence is the easier route here, that's for certain. But he can see the worst case scenario unfolding before his eyes - the team gets involved, some other asshole who might be a full vampire decides to throw down - and he doesn't like where it leads. Namely, there's a chance that someone stronger will step in, and the two of them could still get maimed or worse.

It's smart to know when to stand up for yourself, and it's smart to know when and how to intimidate others into overlooking your own weaknesses. It's also smart to know when to get the fuck out of Dodge, and Hazel doesn't look like she's in the frame of mind to consider any of this.

That's why he reaches down with his free hand to grab the back of her shirt collar and yank her away from the novice. It's a gamble, sort of like trying to scruff a hissing cat with their claws out and teeth bared, but - ugh - he doesn't want to ditch her. He tries to drag her to her feet, his grin fading a bit and his voice sharp.]

Let's go.

[the ice and snow surrounding them is still a pristine white, but Hazel's world has gone completely red. she can hear her own screams mirrored in the novice's, a sound that pricks at blood already running nuclear. this was her own weakness she was staring at, not someone else's. weakness of body, of soul, of will. it's not wonder that she can't stop pounding away at the poor sap, determined to smash everything she hated about herself into a bloody paste.

Yuri's entire existence has faded away alongside her rationality, so when a hand suddenly brushes against the nape of her neck on its way to her collar she reacts to memory rather than reality: her entire body stiffens and she lets out an awful, strangled noise that's equal parts terror and rage. for a brief moment it appears that she's going to contort herself in defiance of her companion's touch and turn all that instability around on him, but Yuri's words cut through the fog like a knife.

let's go. and just like that, the sting of winter returns to her bones. she's still resisting his urging for her to rise for a few moments, but there's clarity in Hazel's eyes when she stares up at him next. right. up. she had to get up, didn't she? there's no way things were going to end well if they didn't move quickly. and...she didn't want that, she'd realize with dll surprise. not yet.]

Yeah, yeah, I'm fucking coming.

[the sour note would be present as expected, but her retort was honestly toothless even before she allowed Yuri to help her haul herself to her feet. she'd look down at what she'd done to that novice and fight back the nausea rising in her stomach like an angry beast. it's a little late for squeamishness, isn't it?]

Don't start shit you're not willing to finish.

[she directs her final comment to the wide-eyed audience gaping at them both, team and spectator alike, before she wraps a hand gently around Yuri's arm and moves to depart. neither of them need the stability, but she's thinking to herself - if anyone is stupid enough to pursue a pair of psychopaths as they've both shown themselves to be, she could grab her companion and haul ass with his frail little body waving behind her like a flag this way. stupid as it was, she didn't want to ditch him either.]

[There isn't much else that needs to be said, here. They beat the shit out of some random novice who absolutely didn't deserve it, and now they're skedaddling before the rest of the hockey team realizes they have numbers on their side.

This is probably not how either of them expected their afternoon to go. Yuri certainly didn't. He figured he'd watch a boring hockey game, then go write up an equally boring report, then go take a nap. He did not anticipate having to pull someone else out of a violent episode, let alone doing it willingly. He isn't sure how he feels about any of this, honestly. It's confusing, and that aggravates him.

At least Hazel is snapping out of it and willing to listen to him. Once she's on her feet he lets go of her, going to turn and leave the stands -

Aaand she's grabbing his arm. He reflexively tenses up but doesn't shove her off, instead just leading her down and away from the rink and to the castle. Getting inside seems like the safest bet, so he'll find the nearest door and head in. When they've walked through a corridor or two, he suddenly comes to a stop. He figures they're far enough into the castle that it's doubtful anyone will come after them right now. They should be okay for the moment.

So with that reassurance in his mind, he turns to face Hazel. Using his free hand, he proceeds to silently start chopping her (lightly) on the head.]

[Hazel's grip doesn't tighten when she feels muscles tensing beneath her fingers, but there is a brief moment of - somehow - especially quiet silence between them before it becomes clear Yuri isn't going to fight her. she doesn't know why it fucking matters if she can race this guy to safety or not should shit hit the fan, but it does. the knot in her stomach eases up just that tiniest bit for it, making the journey to the castle's looming embrace slightly less depressing.

there isn't much she's interested in saying even after they make it inside, her own thoughts still somewhat fixated on the outburst she'd just had. moral discomfort aside, she'd sure made one hell of a fucking scene. was Edith going to be pissed about it or pleased? it's definitely something that could put her that much closer to becoming a failure in the Silver Court's eyes, but-

oh. they were stopping. ...why?

once snapped back to complete reality Hazel's initial impression is that Yuri's about to do something annoyingly waifish. the guy gets around on a crutch and isn't much sturdier than she is - it only makes sense that he'd swoon or something stupid after a big shock like what they'd just had, right? she almost looks concerned before she can catch the expression in herself, lips parted to ask if he was going to fucking puke, when instead...]

Hey, hey, what the fuck?!

[it doesn't hurt at all, of course. Hazel's honestly more outraged that someone so very barely taller than her would dare to fuck around like this than in any pain. she squawks with indignant confusion, flapping at the offending hand like some sort of oversized fly that won't take a hint. her own 'counterattack' is equally toothless, but that's not a point worthy of focus here.]

[Even if it isn't correct, her assumption is entirely logical. Putting up a tough front is one thing, being able to tolerate that much violence when you've got a few seconds to breathe is something else, and outside of his scowl Yuri doesn't look like the type to handle gore. Or little things like the end of his crutch now being a gross mess.

But no. He's fine, aside from being very obviously annoyed. He doesn't even flinch when Hazel starts squawking, he just keeps on chopping her head until he feels his point has been made. When he reaches that point he huffs, dropping his hand.]

Think before you pick a fight next time. Do I fucking look like someone who can throw a punch, let alone take on an entire hockey team of older novices?

[The answer to that question is 'no.']

[she fights a valiant, if exceedingly stupid, fight, but there's really no amount of ineffectual flailing that can save her hair from perpetual torment. Hazel gets her revenge after her own punishment has already been meted out, slapping petulantly at Yuri's retreating hands with a large huff of her own.]

Like I was fucking expecting you to pull your weight in the first place. [wow, Hazel. your heart doing ok with all that salt pumping through it?] You're good for swinging around like a fucking bat and that's about it.

[since when is your first season ass strong enough to pick up even a toothpick man five inches taller than you and wield him like a club????? someone's definitely still feeling very sulky about being karate chopped so many times.]

[Yuri's expression remains irritated, even as he raises an eyebrow at her insult. It's good she wasn't expecting anything from him, since she's pretty much right - he's dogshit in a physical fight. No one should be relying on him for a win.]

Then what was your plan if that bastard's whole team decided to get involved?

[Five on one is the very definition of disaster, Hazel!!]

Make sure I kneecapped every single one so they'd have to pull out of the tournament like the shitheads they are.

[in all of the chaos it may have been easy to forget, but...Hazel had actually signed herself up to play for the Silver Court's team. acceptable participation sure wasn't fucking happening now, but apparently the competitive spirit had been driving her past actions almost as strongly as all that pettiness.

it's honestly more horrifying than her violent outburst had been, given that nowhere in her immediate response is there any mention of surviving that theoretical brawl, let alone winning. making sure that those idiots couldn't win the championship and were the biggest athletic disappointment of their court was more than worth the cost of her life - and judging by the flat expression on her face as she placed a hand on her hip Hazel genuinely believed that. jesus christ.]

[Well, after all of that he wouldn't put it past her to try doing that. That's for sure. Whether she'd be successful at that -- he's skeptical. He's not even sure she'd care about whether she won or lost, judging from her expression the answer to that question is no.

He's really tempted to chop her head again, though instead he claps his free hand to his forehead.]

Fuckin' hell. You're not gonna last if you keep up this kind of mindset.

[Sure, the end goal for all of them is technically death, but not the kind of death where you end up six feet underground.]

Part of Silver Court's motto is preservation. That's gonna include self-preservation, you idiot.

[in some capacity she feels as if getting him to facepalm is a win, but the shift in conversational topic is enough to keep her from feeling totally satisfied by that tiny victory.]

You think? [she frowns, expression caught between something bitter and defiant.] There's no fucking point in preserving the mundane. I'm not gonna play it safe just so everyone's got an easier time of getting that embalming fluid into me.

[she still wants to live...or at least, she believes that's still the truth. but would death honestly be such a horrible consolation prize? losing her life so early in the journey to vampirehood would mean that Edith had been deprived of her little solider. there was some hollow contentment to be felt in that.

she tilts her head to the side then, watching Yuri with dark eyes.]

And what about you? Jumping in to help a slaphappy shithead's not exactly model self-preservation, you know.

[Yuri clicks his tongue. This doesn't come across as quite on the level of suicidal behaviour, but it's damn clear Hazel would not give two shits if something happened that got her killed before the whole 'killed to become a vampire' thing. That might be worse, because it doesn't just invite a high amount of recklessness, but a severe lack of forethought. He knows how dangerous the two of those things together can be, he's had personal experience with situations like that.]

I knew what I was doing. [Sort of. He had a good guess, even if it still would've been smarter for him to just duck out. But hey, he can pretend like he was in control the entire time!] That was the fastest way to end the damn fight without someone getting killed for no reason.

[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?

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1/2 RIP these two

2/2

and the award for 'dying before they ever leave the test drive' goes to...

#teamwork (cw: eye injury)

makes the eye scream work...

Hazel needs both a high five and a hug

this is the essence of her character so i'm sorry to say that feeling doesn't go away

poor girl!!

it's fine, she's great at ~*repression*~

excellent coping mechanism

only the best for best girl

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it's fine, she's great at ~repression~