Test Drive Meme #3

[changelinged]

TDM #3 - May/June 2025

🦋 Introduction

Welcome to the Pixie Led Test Drive Meme!

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🦋 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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Comments

[sleepsongs]

He wants to speak with this human, more so when he continues to show respect rather than the contempt and hatred he is used to. He is showing more respect than he feels for himself, he knows he is still a monster. His jaw closes and, rather than take him up on his offer, Arman walks right past Aemond to return to the festivities briefly. It probably looks quite comical when he does, as he only retraces his steps to reach out and try to snare a forgotten cloak draped over the back of a chair.

It takes several attempts but once he has it, he stalks back to the one-eyed man with his prize in tow. By this point it is covered in grass stains as it has been dragged on the ground, but he drops it at his feet and proceeds to walk in the opposite direction towards the trees. Is it a gift? Some kind of offering? Neither. He pauses and cranes his neck to look back at Aemond then does something surprising, he urges him to follow by tilting his head in the direction he wants him to go.

Without waiting for a reply, he lumbers ahead of him. This will be so much easier when their conversation is no longer one sided, he thinks. Then he can ask him how he knows a language powerful enough to touch his soul.

[angotas]

Aemond was more than a little surprised by the dragon's sudden disappearance, but something certain rooted in the pit of his stomach told him to wait. So he did, though he felt a bit absurd standing alone in the clearing, wondering if he was being tested or taunted. Dragons were as unpredictable as men — perhaps even more so, given their vast capacity for cleverness — and it was anyone's guess what whim had possessed this one.

He felt their return before he turned to witness it, another stirring inside Aemond that he felt confident in trusting now. He just hadn't expected ... well. This. A cloak? It must be of some importance, and he was quick to collect it, brushing off some of the dirt and leaves only to find the dragon walking away from him again.

Making a startled noise, Aemond rushed to catch up, clutching the cloak to his chest almost possessively. A dragon had never given him anything before. Even if he wasn't meant to keep it, he'd protect it for as long as this magnificent creature wanted. "Iksā daor beka," he said, and it sounded like a compliment. He found kinship in him. If he was very lucky, this dragon felt half as much as he did through their connection.

[sleepsongs]

Again, while he doesn't recognize the words, he can feel the warmth beneath them, and it causes him to pause near the tree he's lumbering toward. Any other dragon might have been more wary, but he's grown so accustomed to human contact that he can't seem to bring himself to pull away from a soul that calls to his. The feeling is different than the one he feels with Mira but there are similarities. He wants to protect this man for starters.

With one last glance he slips around the tree and peers out from behind it at Aemond. His golden eyes light up and his body follows suit, glowing like dying embers from a fire. For someone who has never seen it before it feels like an eternity, but it only takes fifteen seconds for the dragon to disappear. The embers are carried on the breeze, coiling around and bypassing Aemond before they too die in the air.

This time, instead of a dragon, it's a human man that emerges from where the dragon once stood. Arman looks exhausted but that's mostly because of the situation and his grief. Uncaring of the fact that he's currently without apparel, he waits until the fire within his veins and eyes cease to glow before speaking up. His expression might be firm, but he'll quickly find he is an intense man.

"I do not know that language, but it's beautiful. What is it called?"

[angotas]

When those eyes met his again, Aemond felt another stirring in the pit of his chest. Sparks flew threw him, and he inhaled sharply, clutching the cloak all the tighter. Perhaps, even if he was ultimately engulfed in flame, his scent would linger on the fabric, a final reminder of his life. It wasn't a bad legacy, really. Many dragonriders would have relished the chance to die by flame, especially when so few in recent memory were given the opportunity. It was honorable.

So he tipped his chin up and breathed out, accepting whatever judgment this dragon was about to render. But when he disappeared entirely, Aemond stood blinking, half-expecting to feel a gust of wind followed by a flurry of wings. The last thing he imagined was finding a human man standing before him.

Gaping, he stared for a moment or two, before striding forward quickly to drape the cape around his shoulders. He was careful not to touch his skin, uncertain whether such a thing would be welcome or not. The dragon — the man? — seemed distressed, and Aemond could only imagine what he was feeling in that moment. "Valyrian," he answered as he fasted the material around him with a brooch he'd kept, stepping back to a respectful distance once he was finished. "The language of my ancestors. It is how we commune with dragons." One of the ways, at least. Explaining their blood bond might be a bit much for a first meeting.

He studied him through a slightly narrowed eye. "I'm Aemond," he offered, trying to seem like he wasn't vibrating with curiosity. "What is your name?"

[sleepsongs]

"Valyrian. Then that is how you call to the dragon. Why do you call to it? It's dangerous." His days of scaring villagers have long passed but even after decades he would still remember the power of the ritual song that summoned him. Humans had no business trying to tame or summon his kind, not when they were so fragile and ill-equipped to defend themselves. Only the dragon slayer can kill them.

After the cloak is fastened, he draws a hand up and fingers at the brooch thoughtfully. Delicate but practical, he can't help but wonder if Mira would favor it. Without giving him any notice that he's going to do it he reaches out and touches the patch over his eye almost too gently, closing the distance between them. Why would a human walk around with the use of only one eye? He is almost too close as he inspects both the craftsmanship and texture. "Why do you wear this? Is it painful?"

The only thing that keeps him from trying to remove it himself is his next question. Arman pulls his hand away and stares at his palm, eyes squinting in thought. He slowly extends the hand toward Aemond and speaks the next words carefully, as if testing them out for the first time. "My name is Arman. It's.. nice to meet you, Aemond, who speaks to dragons."

The look on his face says it all, he thinks this man is absolutely mad.

[angotas]

It was a complicated question, one scholars and commonfolk alike had long debated. Why did they call to dragons? "Because they call to us," Aemond replied, though the words sounded absurd even to his own ears. Still, there was few words in any language that could truly describe what it felt like when their souls were interwoven. But he would still try. Perhaps, in Valyrian, such a sentiment might be understood better.

This time, when Aemond spoke the words, "Iksi ānogar letagon," he let his voice fill with all the emotion he wanted to convey. This was as much a summoning for them as it was for him. Should Arman wish to command Aemond, he very well could. The power lay in equal exchange.

Watching as his gift was accepted and inspected, Aemond felt inexplicably pleased. He was so caught up in his own reaction that he didn't anticipate Arman might reach out, and he almost — almost flinched — barely containing that reaction if only because the dragon's presence soothed Aemond. "I wear it to cover this," he explained, and after a moment, he reached up to pull the eyepatch off, revealing the empty crevice where his eye used to be. It took every ounce of his self-control not to instinctively hide his face, letting Arman look in an effort to build trust. He was owed this.

That look, following the greeting, actually made Aemond smirk a little bit. " Arman," he murmured, testing the name out on his tongue. "You are well met." His own expression made plain he thought they were both a bit mad.