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

[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?

[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.

[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.]

[This day has turned out to be a huge pain in the ass, but he'd be remiss to ignore the fact that they both seem to have a level of acceptance towards violence that most humans would shy away from. Not that he's eager to cultivate that kind of behaviour, especially since it seemed to cause a whole episode for her and that's concerning, but it's good to know. Y'know, in case he ever needs to gouge someone else's eye out --

Speaking of which....

He looks down at the end of his crutch and frowns. There's... there's eye gunk on it, he's been trailing eye gunk into the castle. He should get this cleaned up before it stains and he has to listen to a lecture from his Maker.

Sighing, he's turning to head down the corridor.]

Has anyone ever told you you have high standards?

[there's honestly no reasonable justification that Hazel can make for continuing to hang around when Yuri sets off to...wherever it is he needs to be going. she recognizes that on a rational level, and yet her feet pick up and wander after him before the thought can even finish crossing her mind. it's fine, she decides after a moment of annoyance with her own ungovernable choices; it'll feed into the gadfly persona she's been leaning into since arriving at the castle. as soon as it seems like he's arrived at his destination she'll depart, claiming boredom or whatever seems convenient at the time.

that this also moves them both away from the majority of the eye gunk evidence trail is a nice bonus, as if any authority figure wouldn't be able to identify them as the culprits without it.]

Usually it's 'an impeccable eye for quality', but I guess it's the same if your taste's a little shittier.

[she shrugs, unbothered.]

Nothing wrong with expecting creativity from people.

[Yuri doesn't particularly mind he's being followed. If he did he'd say something, but he's silent on that matter. It's better that the two of them put as much distance as they can between themselves and the hockey rink.

He'll slowly make his way towards the novice dorm area, intending to clean his crutch up in his room.]

Well, stop expecting that kind of thing from me. You're just gonna be disappointed every time.

[Well, he can be creative! But there's no way his self-loathing would let him admit that.]

Every time? Sounds like you're doing that shit on purpose, then.

[should she have called that out, even in the half-serious manner that she had? hard to say. Hazel's no stranger to the idea of being a disappointment to everyone who mattered, and she's certain that the experience will only intensify the longer she resides at the castle. on the other hand...come on, now. claiming you couldn't ever be creative just makes you sound like an overdramatic theater troupe kid.

in the end, she feels like she's made the right call by being kind of an ass. no one's surprised.]

Nope, I'm just trash.

[Absolutely no hesitation in saying that out loud, tell us how you really feel Yuri. It's overdramatic to be claiming all of this, though he will forever deny it's dramatic. He's just being honest about who he is, and he happens to be total garbage. Hazel doesn't seem like the type to try to act sympathetic over this either, so he isn't really concerned about saying this.]

[and to further strengthen his assessment of Hazel, she rolls her eyes right on cue rather than making some worried exclamation about his self-esteem.]

Some trash. I don't see a fucking thrall chasing after you with a broom.

['if you're such garbage why don't you hop into a dumpster' energy here. she knows he won't...possibly because he already knows she'd lock the lid after him if he did.]

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

[God, he doesn't want the thralls anywhere near him unless it's necessary, so he looks a little perturbed by her comment. For a second he wonders if he should tell her to fuck off or just speed up, but he decides against that and just clicks his tongue in annoyance instead.]

[his irritation makes her laugh with mild success, but truth be told Hazel can relate to that momentary spasm of disgust. the thralls make her uneasy with their glassy-eyed stares and vacant smiles, and she does her best to remain out of their paths as much as possible. something about them...no matter how other novices speak of them, she can't forget someone's mind is buried deep beneath those spells.]

Yeah, that's what I thought. [she clicks her tongue back at him, mocking rather than annoyed.] How many idiots have you fed that line to so far, by the way?

['Fed that line,' as if it isn't just him stating the truth. He rolls his eyes, annoyed, torn between the urge to tell her off and the desire to shut down. Mentioning the thralls definitely didn't help matters.

He can be tolerant, but all she's doing is mocking him.]

Don't you have something better to be doing?

[she is, and for a moment it seems as if that's all Hazel is interested in continuing to do. her lips quirk up unpleasantly at his question, delightedly noting to herself that he's already asked it of her at least once. getting under his skin, is she? something about one of her previous comments had appeared to really touch a nerve, but she couldn't say what-

and it's somewhere in the midst of pursuing that train of thought that a more disquieting revelation makes itself known to her. of course she wouldn't know which part of her shittery had kicked Yuri somewhere especially tender, would she? they'd shared a harrowing experience not so long ago, but the fact of the matter is that she's still antagonizing a stranger. she and this boy had been almost getting along in a strange, vitriolic sort of way...so why was she still slamming her fists against all his buttons?

if Yuri happens to be looking her way in anticipation for more verbal comment, he'll be able to catch the spasm of pain that shoots across Hazel's face instead. her mouth clamps shut without a word, a long exhale of breath the only sound she makes - because she has to "say" something now, having obviously been winding up to do so. congrats, Yuri! you actually found a way to shut her up.

that small slip of the expression aside, Hazel wouldn't outwardly appear to be anything more than put out by her companion's response, but on the inside she'd be thinking - is this really it? the other novice had pulled her away from committing senseless violence, but it's clear now that she'd never actually put an end to her episode. had she already degraded to the point she couldn't engage with someone without attempting to detonate the situation? how much further down would she slide as the seasons passed her by?]

...yeah, actually, I do. They're gonna kick my fucking ass if I don't bring this stupid fucking uniform back.

[Hazel had thought she'd been in control of herself since they'd entered the castle, but it's clear to her now that she was still being puppeteered by memories of that night. the urge to flee was rising up within her, an ugly but familiar feeling, and once she'd finally found the ability to speak again she was seizing on the opening Yuri had provided for her with both hands. she had to get away, to do - she didn't know what. hell, she didn't even know where. but she had to get away.

thankfully for them both a doorway to the stairs was coming up soon, nearing with every step they forced out of themselves. she'd take her leave once they reached it, and that would hopefully be that. she could only pray that her tone hit some believable level of sarcastic boredom; although she couldn't trust her own ability to dictate her actions at the moment, she was equally afraid of creating another outburst. the last time she'd felt this powerless in her own body was...mm.]

[Yuri catches the shift in Hazel's expression, though he doesn't know what that's about. Maybe the realization that she's going to have to go back out there to return her uniform, and thus may have to face the consequences of her actions, is sinking in? She didn't care about thinking things through up until now though, so he isn't convinced that's it.

Either way, he isn't going back out there. It's a terrible idea, after gouging that novice's eye out, and even though he helped Hazel out then he still has some sense of self-preservation. He's going back to his room, where he has no chance of getting jumped by a bunch of angry novices or told off by some teacher.

When he responds, his tone is very dry.]

Good luck with that.

[She's on her own, there.]

[it's a wise move on Yuri's part, far more rational than anything his companion has cooked up today. the best that Hazel can do is recognize her present erratic behavior has slipped below the radar and feel some sense of gratitude for that; whatever she's doing to herself is a private matter, at least for the moment. small mercies.]

Pretty sure luck left the building a long fucking time ago.

[or one could say it slipped out through a back alley. har har.

bitter jokes aside, the stairway was now within reach and her time to make an escape was at hand. with a salute as dry as the other novice's words had been she turns on her heel and breaks step with Yuri, sliding into the doorway with only a pause to deliver a more 'proper' goodbye.]

Try not to get pink eye cleaning that fucking stuff off, huh?

[bizarrely, for how poorly that could easily be taken she really does mean that caution. bodily fluids are no jokes, especially not after mingling with god knows what on the journey up here. having done some fragment of her social duty - as if it mattered after everything else - she departs.

for the record, she absolutely did get chewed out by the teacher she returned her uniform to. it almost made the angsting over her emotional instability seem like a more attractive option.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

january tdm/event post

excellent coping mechanism

only the best for best girl

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