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

['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.]

january tdm/event post

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