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pixieledmemes2025-05-16 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.
The party
Regis approaches the young lady with a relaxed smile. If she truly doesn't want to be bothered, he can ask his question and leave. On the other hand, if she doesn't mind a little chat, he might be able to warn her about some of the things to come.
"Pardon me for the intrusion, but you haven't been injured tonight, have you?"
no subject
The muttering and the stranger's question are confirmation that it isn't just her imagining sounds. From the outside, Alice is awkward and maybe even a little sullen. Inwardly, her mind is racing, and her hunger isn't helping it. Slowly, she acknowledges him, finally, with a terse expression. It can't be helped, Alice will always be wary of strangers, especially men.
Though, Alice still retains her manners. Quietly, she shakes her head, “No,” At least she didn't think so. No random aches or bruises confirm as much. All because Alice can also find herself with either, “This is--” she mulls it over in hear head, because she isn't about to explain Wonderland to anyone. Never again, she vows. “-- from elsewhere.”
Alice, who is so desperate to be seen as anything but insane, is now dawning in the realization her apron isn't helping. “I had to defend myself.”
no subject
What that means for the Fae's attitude toward them is something Regis both dreads contemplating and can't stop his mind from wandering back to. Are they passing the "tests" that have been put before them so far and this is just an escalation or have they failed in some way and the Fae are already becoming bored?
"My name's Reggie. I've been here for a few months already, so if a stranger may offer a piece of advice, make sure to stay on your guard. While most of those who have been brought here are trustworthy, the Fae are not in any fashion or form. They have been throwing nothing but dangerous tricks at us from the very start."
no subject
He doesn't know that this is easier said than done. It's Alice's nature by now to be on guard, at every waking moment. She listens, and she quietly evaluates him. Hadn't the Cheshire Cat always advised her to be on her guard?
It almost sounds like nothing has really changed. "The stories I was told as a child that the fair folk were tricksters."
She remembers going through her father's library at one point, glancing over the stories of changelings and sprites. It was her older sister who told her they weren't as pretty and cute as they were drawn. As annoyed as she is, Alice remembers her manners.
"And I am Alice Liddell," Newly arrived, of course, and starting to develop a massive headache. "May I ask what would be the purpose of bringing us to their courts?"
Sure, she could understand someone like a knight, but her of all people?
no subject
"I wish I could give you a straight answer to your question, but I cannot. The stories you remember are quite accurate, so we have only theories and guesses to go on so far. Some think the Fae are merely bored and we are their entertainment. Others think that we are here to do something they cannot for some reason. Still others would say we are just disposable soldiers to be used at their will so they don't have to lift a finger of their own. Considering the Seelie leaders sat by a fire and watched while we fought off a dragon, you may be able to guess which of those theories I am leaning toward."
Whoever would have guessed he would feel more akin to the Unseelie leaders here, but at least they had helped with the wounded. The Seelie leaders had done nothing.