pixieledmemes | Test Drive Meme #3

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Test Drive Meme #3

TDM #3 - May/June 2025

🦋 Introduction

Welcome to the Pixie Led Test Drive Meme!

The prompts will always be game canon, provided both characters who participate in a thread are either already in the game, or get accepted in the next application round.

You do not need an invitation to join the Test Drive Meme, it's open for anyone!

Please indicate character name and canon in the subject line of your top-level. For current characters, you may also indicate your character's court.

For prospective players, Invites open on the 18th, Reserves on the 20th, and Applications on the 22nd. Thanks for checking us out and we hope you'll join us!

🦋 The Party

You wake up at a party.

You're not sure how, exactly, you got here. You may have just been walking in the woods or at a meeting for work or doing any other normal activity for you. But you know you weren't supposed to be at this party, you're fairly certain.

Anyone you ask about it will say the party is for you. You and the others also waking up and looking confused. Further questions will lead to the partygoers insisting you have something to eat. You're starving and others are eating the food without repercussion, so you figure there's no harm in a bite. You finish your portion.

It's another garden party near a large hedge maze in the middle of the night. With his penchant for games the Ruler of the Spring Court decided it would be nice to hold an actual game for all the Adopted present. None of that dreidel game a couple of parties ago. This time, he wants more spectacle with higher stakes. Forced to participate and host aspects of this gathering as well, the Ruler of the Dark Court wanted nothing to do with this, so he figured his participation in itself is for the party to happen at night, during his rule, when his mood is at its most pleasant.

Of course, there is no shortage of light sources such as candles and torches, much to the Earl's chagrin, as well as no shortage of food. This time, the fae decided to try their hand on some pasta. They heard it's a good delicacy from the mortal plane. Thing is, sauces look and smell bizarre. One's purple, while another's bright pink, and they taste fruity, as well as flowery, much like the cookies from the last gathering.

As the party winds down and everyone's eaten, a tall, stately woman stands up and speaks. You feel her voice more than hear it.

I am the Lawspeaker of the Fae, elected by Seelie and Unseelie alike, and you are all, now, subjects of Faerie. You cannot leave this realm once you have eaten our food, and even if you could, there is no saying how much time has passed back where you're from. Your loved ones are likely dead, your problems have likely played out. We require assistance in various matters, and each of you has been chosen for your talent and skill. You will be adopted by one of the Seelie or Unseelie Courts based on your strengths and personality. Your Court will decide what to do with you from there.

As suddenly as she stood, she sits back down.

🦋 Feeling on Hedge

So, what about this hedge maze that seems to have appeared out of nowhere and looming quite eerily beside this night's gathering? For one, peculiar noises can be heard whenever one's near its entrance. From the rustling of leaves to a woman crying, everything seems to be coming from inside.

Of course, the Adopted's participation is required and paramount. Anyone who refuses will be met with harsh penalties and consequences, whatever those may be. They also hint of a prize to anyone who comes out victorious on the other side. It's unclear what it is, though.

The fae know that while the Adopted have been very useful so far, they are also vulnerable and susceptible to fear, so to mitigate that, they have some colorful shots on a table marked LIQUID COURAGE near the entrance to the maze with such effects:

Gold: Essentially a strong drink that gives you profound energy for 24 hours.
Red: Downing this will make you feel warm like an aphrodisiac.
Blue: Basically functions like a normal tequila shot. Or three. Comes with a little bag of salt.

These shots are not compulsory for the Adopted to take, but they will be highly encouraged to do so before entering. Once inside, the rustling of leaves and the sounds of someone crying become louder and even more evident. There are also a few key things that seem to be very clear the longer an Adopted is within the maze's walls:

The maze is moving. How it's doing it, nobody knows. But it appears to be alive somehow, much like the castle grounds, so finding a clear pathway is almost impossible.
Whenever an Adopted turns right two consecutive times, they will see a more positive outcome from a terrible event in their lives. Lost someone? They're now here and alive. Gave up on a dream? You find yourself currently living it.
If an Adopted turns left two consecutive times, they will see someone, a family member or a friend who's still alive and had a deep impact on their lives, bleeding and dead on the ground.

It would be great if no one else can see an Adopted during their most vulnerable, but since the maze moves constantly, another Adopted or two might be able to see them trying to parse out what they're seeing, even if their fellow Adopted can't see it themselves.

🦋 Can't Unseelie It

CW: dismemberment, body horror, forced body transformations, mild gore, asphyxiation, drowning of children, death

The Spring King only wanted some good-natured fun within the maze, but unbeknownst to him, some Unseelie creatures and Unseelie magic have appeared inside, threatening the safety of the Adopted traversing every nook and cranny. Surely this will not have any lasting consequences between the relationship of the Seelie and Unseelie court rulers. Not at all.

A few of these Unseelie beings and Unseelie magic roaming around the hedge maze that the Adopted will have a chance to meet are as follows:

Manananggal: Capable of severing its torso from its legs, this vampiric creature usually preys on sleeping pregnant women and unborn babies. But not anymore. Due to magic put on it, this manananggal will strike anyone it comes across. Better pour salt on its severed lower torso once you find it, or else.
La Llorona: Remember that woman crying? Well, somewhere in the maze alongside the eerie sounds of water flowing, you'll come across a weeping woman cloaked in white with her back turned against you. Be careful not to approach her because once you do, she'll try to choke you to death, reminiscent of how she drowned her own children.
Jersey Devil: The first thing you'll hear once you turn is a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream then the sound of bat wings flapping. You better run as fast as you can to the other direction because this devil is out to attack anyone it sees on its path.
A fountain: How odd. Running from the jersey devil or the manananggal might have made you thirsty so perhaps there's no harm in drinking from it. But just coming in contact with its water will make any Adopted soon realize they have transformed into an Unseelie creature.

Fighting off these creatures might be best with a fellow Adopted. After all, there's power in numbers. Just be careful not to die within the hedge maze. There might be some dire consequences.

🦋 GEIS

You feel a vibration in your pocket sometime after the Lawspeaker addresses everyone. When you search for the source, you will pull out your Leaf, the device the Fae use to stay in touch with each other. Anyone who's used a smart phone will easily recognize how it works.

Greetings, Adopted. This is your Lawspeaker.

To be on theme with our festivities for tonight, we want to know a time in your life when you felt lost and wandering about. Perhaps the most compelling story will receive a reward from us.

ｎａｖｉｇａｔｉｏｎ

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sir? Only time he'd ever been called sir for serious was when he was in the dock, an' he hadn't thought much of it then, except was a lark it all was. That was before the ship, of course, but it still was daft to think back on it.

There's a blink at her words, looking to the empty air as if there should be something there. Husband? Only one person she'd ever call that, an' there's no way he was there. Nah, Dodger knew you'd never miss the sight of Sikes if he was hulking around the place.

"Oh, come off it, Nance," he says, grinning wide. "It's me! Can't tell me you don't recognise your old Dodger, surely?"

yes, Dodger. There is someone right there. And he's kissing Nancy's neck the way she likes and holding her just so. She wants to grab him by the hand and run back to her dorm, but they'll have to get through the maze, first.

"Dodger's a boy," she tells him. "You're a man, you are." A brother, maybe?

"But if you are Dodger, can you come back? Me an' Bill've got a bit of catching up to do." She giggles, looking back at him with stars in her eyes.

"I was a boy," he agreed, though with a sense of not totally believing it himself. "But I ain't been one of those in a long time," this was added on as if to make it all clearer. He doesn't know if he ever considered himself a child, but he knows he's not one now.

"...An' Sikes is where, exactly?" He asks, looking around, trying to see the great brute, or his shadow. "Ain't seen him in years, should offer my hellos."

This man knows everything. He knows Dodger, he knows Nancy, he knows Bill. She shakes her head to try to make the pieces fall into place.

"He's right here." She nods up to Bill where he stands, his arms around Nancy. He's affectionate, too affectionate. But how can she realize it's wrong when he's said he loves her and holds her now in front of people.

"You can't be Dodger. I saw him a month ago." But the lawspeaker had said time moved different. She'd witnessed it herself, making friends with people from the 2000s. There were people who were here from the same world, but different times. Was that... what was happening here? She looks at him curiously. He has the same coloring as her Dodger. There's something about the eyes.

Dodger can't help but look around, wondering at where Nance was nodding to. He couldn't see Sikes himself, but she seemed so sure... He kept looking around, like the next glance through would somehow reveal Sikes to him. Or at least make it clear why Nancy was so sure that he was here.

"Yeah, well, fair dos, it's been a few years for me," he said, still glancing. "Wet Lettuce joins the gang, an' I get hauled up in front of the beak and then sent away fer the good of me health," a snort at the end there. "But it's me all the same."

Because he is here. He's got Nancy's hand, an arm around her waist. He kisses her neck, and she blushes that it's here in front of Dodger.

"You what?" She holds up a hand to try to stop Bill, so she can step forward. "When did this happen? What-" she looks at Bill. She wants to ask Dodger about the fallout of Oliver Twist. To see what happened to the gang. But he might not know. And Bill was right here, and if he didn't know, well she didn't want to tell him.

"When did this happen?"

The question makes him stop in his searching, actually trying to think on it.

"... Years ago," was the only answer he could come up with. "Sent me to Australia, doin' hard. Days never really changed, so didn't keep track of time right proper. Grew though, didn't expect that." He supposed it was because he did get fed, even if it wasn't good.

"But it's me, Nance," he says, nodding in her direction. "Same old Dodger. Just... older."

It had to have been after the night she found herself here, then. And he doesn't... he doesn't seem upset with her. So either he was taken so soon after, or... or nothing came from her betrayal.

"Is Oliver safe?" she has to ask, stepping forward and out of Bill's grasp. Behind her, he vanishes, a plume of smoke like he was never there in his place. She hardly notices, instead reaching to touch Dodger.

Oliver? Dodger can't help but think. Bloody hell, it had been years since he thought properly on Twist. He was a right sort, alright. Too wet for his own good. Great for an innocent front though. He'd heard some stuff but... He looks at Nancy.

"What you mean, safe? Ain't the lettuce still with the gang?"

"No," she says softly. "He's- d'you remember the night Bill took him t'break into that house and he got shot?" Bill had said the boy was lost, and Nancy had gone to drink herself to death. "He's there with them. Safe." she glances behind her. Bill is gone. Another strange part of this world.

Her finger feels lighter.

"Where we can't touch him ever again."

He frowns, trying to think.

"Oh, yeah," he says slowly. "That did happen. Got landed in a right toffken, no mistake 'bout that." He sighs. "Hadn't thought on that in years." Well, he had no reason to. Why consider someone else's relatively good fortune when he was doing hard?

Just make him bitter, that would.

She exhales. "So as far as you know, he's safe." She closes her eyes and presses her hands to her heart. Oliver is safe. Dodger is... several years older now. But Dodger is safe.

And Bill...

She looks around, hoping he's somewhere near. But nothing.

"Now what's this about the bloody beak? Ain't no way they're transporting the Artful Dodger! Over my dead body, I say."

He sees her looking around, and he wonders who she's looking for. Sikes, probably, she did say he was here. Maybe he's just gotten lost in this bloody maze an' all. Wouldn't be that surprisingly, considerin' what the place is like.

"Ah, just had a bad day, Nance, happens to us all."

Yeah, alright, a bad day. She gives him a look. He's keeping things from her.

"How long you been serving?"

"Ain't kept proper count," he admits. "Every day was the same, once we got out there. Occasional change, but mostly just graftin'," he sighs. "Rozzers kept track, but that don't mean I did."

She looks him up and down. "You're taller'n me."

That caused a moment of silence, as he just looked between them. Yeah, he actually had to glance down to meet her gaze now, not look up. His mouth opened, and then closed, surprised.

"... Yeah, guess I am."

"At least you're handsome. It was always going to be touch and go with you."

She can tell him that, too, with her arms crossed like she was begrudging about it.

"Actually, bet you're handsomer'n Jem." Jem, who had been Nancy's first kiss. She knows exactly who she names, and why she mentions him.

"Oh, come on, I was always this good-looking."

He jokes, he knows his face did not suit him at all when he was younger. It was going to be a coin toss whether he grew into it, or it continued to not suit. Thankfully, it was the former. He grins at Nancy's words though.

"You reckon?" He preens at that. "Jem always thought himself the best."

Nancy raises an eyebrow. "Sure you were." She has to reach up this time, but she knocks his hat to the ground and ruffles his hair.

"I do reckon." Jem had always fancied Nancy, been the first person to kiss her. If she hadn't had Bill, it was a given she'd wind up with Jem- that was just how these sorts of things worked in their lives.

"Y'know, I don't miss him a lick."

Edited 2025-05-18 14:59 (UTC)

Dodger laughed, bending to pick up his hat with a fake little grumble. Why was it people always seemed to go for knocking it off? He twists his wrist, performing a fancy little flip to get it back on to his head. He then moves his head just slightly, and his hat is sitting at the perfect angle.

Just the picture of the Artful Dodger.

"No one would," was the easy reply. "Jem's that sort of hot air what only bothers. He ain't never goin' to be the top sawyer type."

Just like he'd never left. Like she'd never been kidnapped by fae. ~~like she had never died~~

"They let you keep the hat?" She has to ask.

Nancy shakes her head. Jem had been her age, but his rivalry with Dodger had been well documented. He hated that a boy younger than him was better. And he hated that Nancy, who should have been his, had gone with the man he'd wanted to impress.

"He was always too worried about looking good for the old one, trying to make Bill notice him."

"Was I not supposed to keep it?" It was on his head as he arrived here, he didn't know if there was a rule against hats or not. Not that he would have cared, the hat was part of himself. He felt himself with a hat.

That comment gets an eye roll.

"Nah, he wanted to be Bill," Dodger said. "Wanted everythin' he had."

There were no rules against hats. "I meant on transport," she gives a nod to the hat.

She swallows. "Yeah." She looks over her shoulder, toward where Bill had been. "Yeah, he did."

"Oh, that," he gave an eye roll. "Nah, lost me hat then, but I've been recently declared as havin' paid my sentence, an' returned to good ol' London town," he grinned wide. "Got a nice new coat out of it, an' all," he turned, showing off the decent looking coat. It was sheer novelty, having a coat that actually fit him properly.

His face fell, seeing Nancy's reaction. "He ain't here, though, Jem. He ain't gettin' nothin'."

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