undyingcourt | 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

I saved the ship..

[His breathing comes in pained pants, making it hard to speak, making him halt and gasp. His bloodshot eyes are teary, because he knows, he knew what he was doing. That he was killing himself by doing this. ]

It's what needed to be done...

[Kirk knows this isn't how this is supposed to play out, that Spock is supposed to be here, not Bones. That the conversation is supposed to go differently, yet this feels right too. For this dream, this memory.]

to save the crew, to save everyone...

[The pain was so real, a memory he could never and will never forget, so unbearable that his screaming so much worse suddenly in the waking world, horrified and pained, blood running from him in droves. But here he just looks lost as he tries to focus on Bones.]

[ Leonard grimaces, the sight hard to watch, even with how little he knows about Jim. If he stopped the ship around them from lurching, and saved the lives of a vessel this big, then he's just made a huge sacrifice.

A huge, stupid, selfless sacrifice. All that anger drains right out of him.

Bones has seen people die countless times. It's part of being a doctor -- you can't save 'em all. But this is different somehow, and he leans against the door, watching as Jim falls apart even in his 'success.' ]

Jim...

[ This is the kind of man Jim Kirk is, apparently. Even in his nightmares. What a truly insane man. Bones can tell there's no saving him -- maybe in another life, with another set of memories, he'd do everything in his power to find a way to reverse the poisoning, or do something. But Bones can see the certainty in his eyes. Jim said he'd had this dream before. He already knows how this ends. ]

You did a damn good thing.

[ Bones pushes in as close as he can, giving Kirk something to focus on. Giving the man clarity in what must surely be his final moments. Bones is a good doctor, after all. ]

I'm right here, kid. You did good.

Yeah.. it's what needed to be done.

[His mind is fuzzy with pain that's so real. He gasps for air as he focuses on Bones, eyes full of tears, as he shakes. Was he shaking from pain or fear or both, it was hard to tell, especially as the next words escape from between his lips like a secret he doesn't know how to speak other than bluntly.]

I'm scared, Bones... I don't want to die again.

[Tears escape from his eyes as he looks up at Bones, struggling to talk, to breathe, to be alive.

It was so clear he was dying and fast, blood gathering at his lips and tear ducts.]

Were you scared... when you died?

[Oddly, the smell of pine and cedar comes to mind, reminds him of the fact he's alive outside of his dream, of sitting in front of the hearth of his room with Edgin, or playing in the forests of his youth..]

Edited (oops forgot that) 2024-02-09 04:24 (UTC)

You'd be surprised how few people do what needs to be done, when it costs 'em their life.

[ Bones won't give Jim the disrespect of pitying him. It's hard to watch, with how obvious all of his symptoms were (labored breathing, trouble focusing, hemorrhaging around the eyes and mouth...) Honestly, it's making Leonard remember his father, and that's enough to get his eyes glossy, despite his best attempts to the contrary.

He thinks about death. About how his father had died miserably. About how so many people don't get a valiant death where they sacrifice themselves. Most people just die. Bones blinks back his own tears, wiping his face.

His own death had been sweet in comparison. Karma was so delicate. So kind. And yet. ]

I was scared shitless.

[ Bones shakes his head, laughing entirely humorlessly. ]

I was so fucking scared, kid.

[ In a bid to maybe give the kid some closure (this is a dream, what did it matter?) Bones sets his hand against the glass. It's all the comfort he can provide. ]

But I wasn't alone. And neither are you. [ Bones grits his teeth, tears flowing freely but showing no pain otherwise. He's a doctor, dammit. He's good at this. ] You're gonna be okay. You're gonna wake up, and you're gonna be fine.

[Sure it was a dream, but Jim was so sure it was something more... it was a reality, what kind and when, he's not sure, but he knows when something is just a nightmare and when something was something more...

Still, to have Bones answer him instead of shove him off is a comfort. He knows how much Bones likes to push him away, but he needs the vampire in this moment, he needs Bones-- Gods, he's so scared, but he gives an unfocused smile. The smell of cedar and pine growing stronger as he starts to fade from life. He's not sure what to do, it was so different this time.]

I knew you cared.. [His voice is fading, halting in agony as each breath becomes harder to pull in.] Thank you... I--

[But after one more unfocused smile, his eyes go hollow and his breathing slows to struggled stop before he slumps over, gone.]

january tdm/event post

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