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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.
Quentin Coldwater | The Magicians
There were a few problems that Quentin saw with this place. First, he was supposed to be dead. He'd watched his wake and teared up when he saw everyone say goodbye. He'd gotten his Underworld metro card - still had it in his pocket, actually - and had been seen off by Penny. He was very definitely dead. Except now he was here. In a world ruled by fae. Only...not the fae he knew of. This wasn't Fillory and it wasn't Earth.
Second, he knew better than to drink or eat anything offered by the fae. It was one of the cardinal rules in all the books and even if it didn't apply here, he wasn't going to risk it. After all, he was dead. What did he need food for? Except maybe a half hour after waking up, time skipped. One minute, he was at the edges of the party looking in and the next he was next to the food and tasted something delicious on his tongue.
"What the fuck?!" he cried, turning to the nearest person for some kind of confirmation. "Please tell me I didn't just put something in my mouth." Spoiler, he had.
Inside the Maze
After the first taste of food, having something else didn't seem so damning and so he had one of the drinks they were offering. He made a face when he had his first sip. Tequila. And salt. No lime. At least the fae weren't pretending to be perfect.
And then he was thrust into the maze. It wasn't until he started hearing things around him that he thought about his magic and swallowed. He was new to this world and while he knew some spells that would work, he'd have to reimagine a lot of the more complicated spells.
He kept walking, flinching when he came across an illusion of Eliot dead on the ground and flinching a second time when Eliot instead came up as if to kiss him. Both weren't real, though each hurt his heart in some way.
It wasn't until he came across some kind of creature with wings and fangs and tried some battle magic that he came across a problem. He didn't know any of the Circumstances for this world. He might be able to do some minor spells, but anything very complicated was right out. Including battle spells.
He took a stumbling step back. "Shit," he muttered, mind racing. Distraction and run? Hope he really was dead and whatever that thing wanted to do to him wasn't going to kill him? He yelped and jumped when he took another step back and ran into someone behind him.
Love a good maze problem
It isn't until she sees his face, hears his voice that she lets out a groan. "Of course it's you," she mutters to herself. She notes that he wasn't there when she was dragged into their stuff before, but she's not really close enough to know that he's dead back home. Not that he's looking to great here.
But this is the least of her problems when she hears the sound of something rustling in the maze. "What did you bring with you?"
no subject
He patted his pockets and came up with a Metro Card.
"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "Not a lot to bring with me to the afterlife."
Because last time he knew, he'd been dead. And now he was here. And he had no clue what that was all about.
no subject
"After...life?" She has questions, but this is probably not the most important thing. "This isn't that." Because she's not dead. She knows she got broken up with, but it's definitely not this.
"Well, you're probably not going to be that useful considering the Circumstances are fucked. So I'm voting we run from whatever the fuck is coming towards us."
Introduction
It always felt important to scope out the new arrivals. She already had one sister on the scene. A part of her was convinced that Artemis would be showing up any day.
So far, no sign of her.
But the cute boy with the hair did draw Diana's attention.
Diana was already drifting in his direction when the question came out. She paused, blinking her big, lavender eyes, before her face split into a grin. "That's usually more of a third date question," she said.
no subject
"Well, this sucks." And so far he hadn't seen anyone he knew. He needed his friends, but if they all thought he was dead, then how would they find their way here? Even Penny would have been a welcome sight because no matter what came after death, enslavement to the fairies couldn't be on the list. Right?
"Did you just wake up here like me?" he asked the woman. "Do you know what's going on?"
no subject
Anyway, it wasn't about her, not really. He was a newbie. He was scared and confused and probably more than a little pissed. Which kind of made it her job to bring him some comfort, right?
Right. At least, that was Diana's version of logic.
"I did," she said. "I did just wake up here like you. Except that was a couple of months ago." Her smile eased from something salacious, to something a little more like sympathy. Not pity, though. Pity was the absolute worst. She refused to go there. "This whole interstellar adoption thingy has been going on for a while now, I think."
no subject
"So what are they expecting? Servants?" She'd said 'adoption', though. It wasn't what he was expecting, but the fairies he'd seen here looked nothing like the ones he'd known from Fillory.
Still, he doubted that all of the stories in books came from a single world. And all stories meant he was nervous about what came next.
no subject
And other than that?
Mostly a lot of bickering. But she supposed that that was largely due to such a high volume of vampires in such a tiny space.
Diana was still leery of almost all of them, except Selene and Odie. Maybe Spike. Maybe.
"Like the lady said," she continued, "everyone's all divided up into courts. There are eight of 'em. And then we're all kinda stuck in, like, a dorm situation. Although a lush dorm situation, complete with private bathroom, which is really nice. And then, yeah, they ask us to do weird things for them, sometimes."