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pixieledmemes2025-05-15 12:28 am
Test Drive Meme #3
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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.
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.
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.
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.
no subject
[She shouldn't be surprised, and she wants to think she manages to play off that she is, but it comes with a simple raised brow.
Suddenly though the pasta, and her companion, are more interesting. And see him enjoying the food, looking as human as her, was a bit reassuring. Enough to have her trying a bite of it.]
Oh, that's- that's weird. Pasta shouldn't be sweet, why is it sweet?
no subject
Planets. Other realms. The food here could be because it's from another place.....or it could be that they're messing with us. Either is possible.
Personally, I'd go for messing with us.
Were you looking for something savory?
[Andros picked up another dish, added some different pasta to it and handed it to her]
Try that.
no subject
[She lets him hand her the plate, finding space to set the other one down. There is a moment of hesitation though, eying the new pasta.]
Here's to adventure. [And a bite later she actually looks surprised.]
That's much better, thank you. I guess you've been here long enough to catch on?
no subject
[Andros gave her a look. Like. That couldn't just be a coincidence right?]
Angel Grove. Like Angel Grove, California?
[Okay. She was from Angel Grove. And. Didn't recognize him? He didn't know if he was relieved, confused or insulted. He wanted to sit down and hold his head in his hands and ask himself why this kept happening to him.]
Weird as in 70 foot tall monsters and giant zords, weird?
[Andros pushed up a sleeve to show his morpher. It wasn't as if they were hiding anything here anyway, thanks to Tony Stark. ]
no subject
[Oh, he knows it.]
That's... Were you there? That's exactly what happened. Giant dripping gold monster, crazy lady with a staff, rock monsters. Most of the city is a Red Cross camp now while we rebuild.
[She eyes the morpher on his wrist. It's not familiar but she can feel a vague tug towards the coin in her pocket.
Setting the plate down, Kim pulled out the pink and gold coin to offer it to him.] Found this in the quarry with four others. Kinda feels like it recognizes yours.
no subject
Was I there? I mean, yeah? I've visited for a number of years. Helped it rebuild when it got damaged. Or during the destruction. Wait. Did I miss an attack? I don't remember a gold monster.
[ He remembered a 'crazy lady with a staff' but if he said that out loud Astronema might take offense.]
Or rock monsters.
[Andros peered at the coin. He took it, flipping it around in his hand before offering it back to her.]
I don't recognize it but...it's some kind of morpher. It's connected to the Grid.
[Andros looked at her, and looked at the coin.]
Pink?
[Wait. This was rude.]
I'm Andros. Red Space Ranger. And....you have no idea who I am do you?
no subject
[She runs her thumb over the pink of her coin, the pterodactyl more visible now than when they dug the coins out of the wall.]
Yeah, pink. [How to start?] So, uh, yeah. I can give you a rundown or if you want to ask whatever.
And I'm Kim. Nice to meet you, weird as it is, Andros. [No idea.]
no subject
Kim. Kim Hart?
[How did he say this without sounding super rude? What was this, ranger identity theft? He was pretty sure that wasn't the same Kim that Jason and Tommy and shown him.]
I'm sorry, I'm really confused. You don't look like Kim.
[Then again there were like. Three Loki's here.]
I guess there's more than one universe?
no subject
Her fingers wrap tightly around her coin, slipping it back into her pocket. Not that she really needed to worry. As far as any of them could tell, the coins had bonded with them to the point of even teleporting to them from other rooms.]
Is it the hair? [Bad joke.] I chopped most of it off a couple weeks ago but I'm still definitely Kimberly Hart.
[[Ugh, where's Billy when you need him? He'd be able to wrap his head around this better.]
How is that possible?
no subject
Well there are people from multiple universes here. More dimensions wouldn't surprise me. There are like three different versions of Loki here I think. So. I guess you are Kim Hart just not. The one I was expecting.
[Andros motioned to her coin.]
But that doesn't lie. Assuming it's yours?'
[He didn't want to be like 'did you hit Kim over the head and steal her coin' but...did you?]
no subject
Yes, it's mine. Much as Zordon complained that we suck, we're stuck with them.
[Okay, maybe he didn't technically say they suck but she read into it.]
no subject
Zordon said what?
[Wow, your Zordon's kind of an asshole, huh?]
They're probably bonded with you on a molecular level. Try not to lose it, break it or have someone steal it. If your morpher is like mine, they might be tied into your life force. It doesn't happen for all teams but, all of Zordon's I think.
no subject
[Very much so.]
I don't think I could lose it if I tried. Watch.
[She takes it from her pocket again, looks around for a clear space with no other party-goers
and throws the coin hard enough that it's out of sight in seconds.
After a moment or two, Kim reaches into the same pocket and pulls it out again.]
See?
What's a morpher anyway?
no subject
That's. Different. Handy, but different. I've never seen anything like that.
[Andros was giving her another strange look.]
What do you mean 'what's a morpher?
[There was a whole lot going on here.]
You had trouble morphing? All of you? I can see why Zordon was troubled by that.
[Wow. Just. Wow. If they had trouble connecting to the grid? Not a great start.]
no subject
We only have our coins. We had to learn how to connect to the morphin grid which was most of the problem. We only really fully met the day we found them, so we had no bond or anything. We figured it out though.
[Since she's already outed anyway, she wills her armor to materialize around her and then retracts the face of her helmet.]
Besides, that little thing probably wouldn't have survived the train. So it's good we only have the coins.
no subject
You can morph without a morpher! That's---that's [What was the word he was looking for here? Insane? Really difficult? ]
Really really dangerous. You are directly connected to the Morphing Grid, without any sort of intermediary mechanism. I can only imagine the effects.
[Andros flicked his other wrist, materializing his battlizer. Pressing 1, his hand lit up with red morphing energy, which he dissipated.
That's morphing energy. What your using. Unfiltered. Like. Drinking lava. Not recommended.
[ Andros grabbed another cookie and shoved it in his mouth, because this was quickly becoming a conversation that needed either sugar or alcohol.]
I have a feeling I'm about to ask something I don't want to know the answer too. Please tell me you didn't get hit by a train. Or that the train exploded.
[Everytime this Kim opened her mouth, it kept getting worse. He finally understood why Rita had a headache.]
no subject
It's all we can do. Zordon and Alpha didn't mention anything else about it. And they'd know best, right? Zordon is an ass but he was the last red ranger.
[She suddenly feels a bit guilty.]
The train is fine?
[Without saying they got hit.]
Billy's moms van though, that's totaled. I do feel kinda bad for that one.
no subject
[It kept getting weirder and weirder, the more she spoke.]
Zordon. Was a red ranger?
[you know what, forget the train, forget the car. WHAT?]
Zordon. The head. Was a power ranger?
no subject
[Don't mind her as she grabs a couple of those cookies she saw him trying.]
He's more like a face in a wall? Like those little pin box toys you can find and put your hand or something on it and the same copies on the other side?