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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SPOILERS FULL ON DOWN FROM HERE BESTIE

[monochromous]

[Alicia feels Verso's presence before she sees him.

Her brother has always been tormented by things that Alicia herself could never see, but these days, he's become such a haunted, hollow copy of a copy, that even she shies away from from staring at him too long. His pain just leaves her feeling as if she was set ablaze, trapped in an inferno she'll never be free of, every breath a painful struggle, her weakened lungs tight enough in her chest to ache.

But as painful as it may be to be around him at times, to find a familiar face after being swept away to this strange land, Alicia can not think of a greater gift than that. Because there among all of the laughter and dancing and buzzing conversation, is her older brother, striding right towards her -

- Or rather, that's how she feels until she watches Verso stomp right on by, completely ignoring her.

She's on his heels in an instant.

Verso tries to disappear himself but Alicia pushes herself in front of him, arms thrown out to block his path, her eye flashing with annoyance. She stomps at the ground with a booted foot, a little grunt of irritation muffled beneath her mask.]

[lementeur]

just to be safe! for a few comments at least

[ Were he heartless, he would just keep walking, heedless of any potential illusion getting knocked down in the process, but no matter how well he's gotten at repressing it, Verso is all heart. So seeing his sister blocking his path so defiantly, he can see how he's frustrated her—wounded her.

It wouldn't be the first time. Despite wanting so direly to protect her, he's hurt her before, made choices she could never agree to. Any time he causes her pain, he feels it, too. Every time he's walked away from her, a little more of him breaks apart, crushed and ruined underfoot. He had assumed that their last meeting would be their last, and then soon, it could stop hurting.

But here they are, here she is, and he can't keep walking away from her. This isn't the canvas, and...this isn't an illusion. No matter how much time they've spent apart, he knows the look in her eye in ways the fae could never mimic. ]

Alicia...?

[ He's cautious at first, lifting a tentative hand, hesitant to reach out for so many reasons —

We did it. We beat her.

I'm sorry.

— As though the gravity of all of his choices up until now haven't been fully realized until taking the form of his younger sister, standing before him now. An understanding, an acceptance, that the Paintress is gone—and with her, so must be everything, and everyone else, that once made up their life. How could she not hate him? ]

I'm sorry...

[ For making her chase after him. For saving her when she didn't want him to. For failing her. ...For killing her. ]

[monochromous]

do not enter

[Her name falls from his lips, the acknowledgement that he sees her, and for the briefest of moments, Alicia is content. The indignation that flared up with her tiny frame dissipates almost immediately, the furious hurt that had flashed in her eye gone after a long, slow blink. For one perfect moment, she's with her older brother again and maybe everything is just a little bit better.

Until it isn't.

Because Verso is Verso, and for how adept he is at lying, he's terrible at knowing when to shut the fuck up.

Alicia sees the torment there in his face plain as day before the apology ever crosses his lips. It's in the way Verso's brows pinch together, in the painful twist of his mouth, in how his eyes go wide and sad and guilty, like a dog that's being scolded for the mess he's made. Of course Alicia knows exactly what a look like that means, but it's the way that he's looking at her as he apologizes - as if he's haunted by the ghost of her, as if she's already long dead - that clicks that last piece of the puzzle into place.

Her letter... Maman...

The noise she makes comes out strangled and sharp as Alicia stumbles backwards, suddenly unable to catch her breath.]

[lementeur]

password required

[ It's something he could never keep from her—would never want to. For a long time now, the truth between them has been painful, but he's never shielded her from it. He hides from so many people, that he needs someone to see him for what he really is, even if it causes resentment, hurt, disgust. Even if they can't bear to look for very long. These people he once lived with as brother and son, at least, need to know what he fights for, even if it means fighting against them.

Renoir only still calls out for him because he's half-caught in Aline's disillusionment, refusing to believe that the broken pieces can't be put back together, except Alicia's loyalty to the family had always seemed to be built on something different. It's why he had thought he could trust her on approaching Old Lumiére, but even with her having made her choice to deny him, he still believes she understands his motives better than most.

So when she stumbles back, he's momentarily caught between grabbing for her and recoiling from the shame. She deserves to be left alone, to never see him again, but what has been near beaten into his mind by now is that this isn't the Canvas, and she can't just run away to the manor or the Reacher where she can feel safe. She may not even know that Renoir is here, yet. For all she currently believes, she's all alone now, trapped with a bunch of strangers and the man responsible for destroying their family.

But she had forcefully made him look at her, to see her as clearly as she sees him, so he doesn't turn away. With a swift step, Verso's reaching for her hand and pulling with a tug, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders to gently embrace her and keep her from losing her balance. If she fights against him, he won't hold her there, but neither is he about to let her fall. ]

I'm sorry... [ It's a whisper brushing against her pale hair. ] I'm sorry.

[monochromous]

[No. No no no no-

The tears that prick at her eye burn enough to leave Alicia's vision blurring, this new beautiful world spinning around her.

She wants to scream, but the sound gets trapped in her chest. It's agony, how painful it is to cry like this. To feel her already weakened lungs go tight, to feel her heart fighting it's way up to her throat, pinching and pulsing. Every sob just wrecks through her petite frame, the pressure building inside Alicia's chest so strong it feels like she just might burst.

But Verso pulls Alicia's trembling frame close, and it's in that embrace that her body pulls against his and the sound of crinkling paper leaves the woman's mouth going dry. So while Verso may be prepared for his sister to pull away, Alicia draws even closer, a nimble hand dipping into his pocket to steal back the very letter she left him with. The wax seal is untouched, the ink of the message she'd left on the envelope long since dried.

Une vie à rêver.

The noise that rips out of Alicia is near feral as she holds out a skinny arm and smacks her brother with her own letter, smacking at his arms, his chest, the woman sobbing and snarling all at once. They had a chance. They had a fucking chance and Verso took it from them.]

[lementeur]

[ He does nothing to refute her silent accusations, makes no attempt to steal back the envelope or escape her blows. For how much she must hate him right now, she should be striking him with more force, but it wouldn't matter. The raw pain in her hushed sobs may as well be screams in his ears, with every strike from her hands bruising him to his mockery of a soul. He utterly wilts under her assault, only taking a step or two back so that when push comes shove, he's the one to stumble so that she doesn't.

Alicia has known what he wants, she's known his motivation all along. She had to know that nothing would veer him away from his path, especially not so close to reaching his goal, but as deeply as he knows that if given the chance, he'd do it all over again, he can see it for what it is. A betrayal.

Even while being brutally honest to her face about his intentions, it didn't mean that he wasn't simultaneously burying a knife into her back, straight through her heart.

She'd had too much faith in him, in the Verso he used to be, and oh how sorry he is for it. Unfortunately, this is what he is, and now, this is what she's stuck with. They both are. He ought to just leave, but where is he going to go? Across the garden? This isn't the continent, it isn't so easy to hide from one's sins in this realm. And he's still too aware that Alicia is in a state far more vulnerable than she's potentially ever been, so he isn't going anywhere yet.

He wants to grab her and hold her tighter, to explain himself, but she deserves better. What comfort can he offer? What excuse can he utter than she doesn't already know?

Instead, he drops both hands and lets her vent for as long as she needs to—any flinch that occurs is for injury far more than skin-deep. He brought this on himself. He had never expected to be alive to face the consequence, but now that they're here, Verso can't run from them. ]

[monochromous]

[Verso only has to withstand Alicia's furious anger for a few lingering moments, it isn't too long at all before the taxing movement leaves the woman's lungs burning, her throat starting to painfully tighten at the emotion rolling through her. One more resounding slap of that letter at his arm before Alicia is letting loose a shuddering howl of frustration and stomping away.

- But before Verso can do something stupid - like chase after her - Alicia is spinning in place and striding right back up to him, slapping her unopened letter to his chest with a huff. She would give anything to scream in this moment, to be able to tear him apart with her tongue, but all she can do is pin the man in place beneath her piercing stare, both hands settled on her hips.

Go on, big brother. Spill.]

[lementeur]

[ It's debatable whether or not he'd run after her in this instance, so there's a strange relief that settles his stance when she makes the decision for him, quickly returning only to shove the letter right back into the place of his burden. When he reaches to grasp at it, still at a loss on how to proceed, he holds her pale hand there for a moment longer than he should before shifting to slide the sealed envelope back into a pocket. Lucky if he'll ever get another chance to touch her.

Still hunched in that lingering sorrow and shame, his gaze turns downward between them as she takes on a stance most demanding. ]

I had to, Alicia. It was the only way.

[ Jerking his chin to the side, his hooded glance to their surroundings carries none of the wonder she might still hold in her heart. ]

If I'd known we'd just get trapped in someone else's canvas...

[ He trails off with a bitter shake of his head. What could he have done differently? ]

[monochromous]

[I had to, her brother claims. It was the only way.

And there's no denying a part of Alicia remains furious at the betrayal - that he didn't even give her the chance to use what voice she had - at the same time, she'd like to think that she understands her older brother more than the rest of the family.

His pain isn't all as obvious as her own, but Alicia sees it all - the grief, the guilt, the insurmountable burden Verso's forced himself to carry. The letter she pushed into his chest disappears again, her voice along with it, but the woman sighs behind her mask, taking a single step forward and stretching up to cup his scarred cheek with her palm. And after her fingertips have danced up his face, she opens her arms just so, offering her brother the same comfort he used to always share with her.

This stupid, impulsive, haunted man. Alicia loves him so much.]