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

[Of course he is, he has to when it's right there and just asking for a kiss, gosh! The indignant noise is also weirdly cute? ~~Josuke has weird tastes, it's fine, don't worry about it.~~ At least he's consistent in being flustered and upset about all of it, even if Josuke's taking everything in stride and just shifting a little to loosely wrap an arm around his waist to keep him close, totally nothing odd here.]

I know, it's not really a secret. [He's not bothered by it, but it's just stating the obvious.] Did you have a brush nearby, by the way?

[ Josuke feels oddly muscular despite how he actually looks. Incredibly bizarre man, all around. Reyson pats at his bicep while he's talking, for confirmation. He does need his hands to write, though. ]

Next to the mirror by the window. You can get up; I won't wilt without you for 5 seconds.

[ Some of his attitude may be performative at this point... His words are being committed to paper and he has to look at them now. If he's too sweet Josuke won't know how to handle it, that's his excuse. ]

[What a lie, he can totally handle it. At least in private, in public he would expect nothing but withering glares and yelling. Which is fine by him, if he were perfectly honest.]

Only five seconds? What if I took six? [Though he's unwrapping from him for now to slide off the bed and go fetch the brush by the mirror, luckily easy enough for him to find. When he returns he scoots back onto the bed, just using a tiny bit of force to help wiggle Reyson either into his lap or between his legs so he can brush his hair properly. It's up to him which way he'd prefer.]

[ He has so many biting things he'd like to say!! Can say absolutely none of them, for medical reasons. Glares and mimes slitting a throat instead, which is rank exaggeration, meant playfully. He gets a new sheet of paper to write notes on, though. He's used to the fancy rich boy life and does not have the instinct to just write on the back.

He communicates that he would prefer to sit on Josuke's lap by shoving and lifting various limbs around in the correct position. He's honestly much stronger than he looks, he was not screaming out of his arms. He likes that he is somewhat pinning him down, it counteracts the vulnerability of having his back to him. ]

[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 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. ]

[Be careful, he might like it, Reyson.

For someone that doesn't really take a ton of time with his hair, it'd still be a lot more than he's used to! He's used to girls taking a lot of care with their hair, but that's mostly because he... hadn't really ran into any men with long hair before now, that's all. But he's actually quite content being like this, it's kind of relaxing in a weird sort of way to just run a brush through his hair.

And be close to him, but that's a problem for future Josuke.

Or current Josuke given it's quite rude how that deep sigh sounds and he's shifting just enough to be a little more comfortable and to not let Reyson know that he's that easy to get under the skin of.]

I take it this is to your high standards? [He's clearly teasing him, but since when can he keep his mouth shut?]

[ Josuke has unwittingly spared himself a rant about how there's nothing inherently girly about long hair. Reyson has opinions and is willing to throw hands over them, this is known. Currently, he's downright placid. ]

Mm-hm.

[ He slowly reaches around for the pen and paper and opens his eyes long enough to write two words; if he's going to indulge his base instincts and let himself be lazy and pampered and blissed out he will be giving it his all. ]

Adequate. Harder.

[ The full explanation he could give is that there aren't any tangles in his hair and now that this has been confirmed by brush, more pressure will feel good. ]

january tdm/event post

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