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pixieledmemes2025-05-15 12:28 am
Test Drive Meme #3
Welcome to the Pixie Led Test Drive Meme!
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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.
dream of the endless ☾ the sandman
—wildcard & ooc notes
—can't unseelie it (heheheh 😊)
"That wasn't very nice of you," and the pregnant pause that filled the air was heavy and hot like the fires that they breathed in. "Dream." Lucifer's voice was liquid silk, calm and even in spite of the indignity of being dragged to this lesser realm, but oh, they had been searching for a reason to step from the confines of Hell and they had always been a being of opportunity, when one presented itself.
Stepping closer to the Endless, Lucifer loomed over him as they always did, wings fluttering purposefully at their back. "I am waiting for an apology," they rumbled, a smile pulling at their lips, soft and yet searing with eons of rage and broken promises.
🙂↕️
Gazing up at the fallen angel, a slight smirk tugged at Dream's mouth. "No," he murmured, voice similarly soft, except without any of that fire. His was a tone of winter, crystalline and chilling, like snowflakes dissolving against skin. "I suppose it wasn't." Tilting his head just a tiny bit when they stepped closer, he held his ground, making no effort to move an inch.
Except he did move at the last second, sinking into a courtesy. "You have my apologies, Lightbringer," Dream offered with full sincerity before rising once more, a glint in his eyes. "I was unaware you had been ... adopted with me." Oh, Dream was pushing his luck. Perhaps he longed for nonexistence as much as Lucifer did.
down boy
Lucifer brought their hands to clasp them, tilting their head slightly as they smiled down at Dream, eyes ablaze as if the fires of Hell burned within them. They were one and the same, Lucifer and Hell, a whole that existed only because they existed together, born from and because of each other. "No," they purred, grinning like a cat with a mouse trapped between its claws. "It was not, Dream." That name dripped off their tongue, as sweet as the most pleasant of nightmares, the most terrible of dreams. They remained, immovable and proud, as the Endless stepped forward.
Expanding their wings, Lucifer's eyes were half-lidded as they watched the King of Dreams kneel. "I am pleased to see your manners remain," fell from their lips, gaze still fixed on Dream, even as he rose. "For the most part," they corrected, black eyes as deep as the void and as vile as sin. Each rustle of their wings brought the torment of the wretched, heat and pain and sorrow, the screams of the forgotten. "Dream," and the word was a warning, sweet like the fruit of Temptation. "I am... entertaining it."
LMAO shush you
So when he turned his head away to look elsewhere, he did so deliberately. The Ruler of Hell would know what such a gesture meant. "If you are merely entertaining this," Dream replied, all chilly softness, like a winter's wind, "Then you can leave when you like." The implication of his words sat between them, a chess set with a strategically placed piece. Check.
Finally, at length, he turned his head back to peer up at Lucifer, his next smile almost saccharine. "You must be very entertained." Dream wondered whether this would be the moment they attempted to kill him in earnest. He was just a little bit thrilled by the idea.
feeling on hedge;
That is what breaks her from what she was staring at unblinking, a couple of tears falling from only one eye and marring her skeletal face paint in a way that is sure to offend her if she catches a glimpse of her reflection. Whatever horror she was seeing has flickered out for the moment, but it has not entirely let go of its hold upon her.
"Physically," she says, monotone and soft.
[ i didn't want to slam you with the suicide imagery immediately so dream gets to have helped! ... i can bring it back, if you want the heavy thread. ]
no subject
"That is for you to decide." After a moment, Dream approached, his step slow and silent. It was a great deal like a cat, full of the sort of quiet confidence only a prideful creature could possess. Standing beside her without touching, Dream peered at the spot she had been staring at, as though expecting to see her vision manifest before them.
When nothing happened, he glanced at her, curious. "What did you see?" She didn't have to answer him, but he suspected she might need to. The King of Dreams was nothing if not endlessly — at times aggressively — patient.
[ ooc: Suicide talk is a-okay! Dream is also actively suicidal lbr dfljkjfg ]
no subject
It was very tiny. It would be an understatement to say that Harrowhark Nonagesimus was a slightly tense person, with a carriage far older than her seventeen years. Even in relieved mode, she remained rigid, no part of her body able to truly process the concept of relax.
As she spoke she continued to fail to look at her companion, as if it were easier that way: "My parents." A half-second pause, and then, "They're most certainly dead. They would not be—they would not have words for me like those." They didn't leave her a mess to clean up. They hadn't meant to leave her at all. But if they spoke to her then it would assuredly be to scold her for still drawing breath, not praise. It had not happened that way and Harrow knew it. Rarely did she know for certain what was real and what was not, but—
"I hate hallucinations."
A rare confession, in a way.
no subject
He inclined his head at the confession, a quiet show of agreement. Still, there was no real harm in adding, "As do I." It was a confession of his own, something Dream rarely allowed. Somewhere, Delirium would be displeased. "Often, such things offer little comfort, and serve only to disorient and dissuade us." He was quiet for another moment, a silent companion, lingering in support and concern.
Then, hushed, "Will you walk with me?"
can't unseelie it.
Rather, who?
It is a question she feels she knows the answer to, but will not speak aloud without proof. She has entered the maze unarmed, dressed simply aside from the bracers at her wrists, and she cannot help but regret it. There are many Adopted who know nothing of battle, or how to protect themselves, and she only wishes to be better equipped to help them.
But there is one man she finds around a corner who does not seem to need protection. He faces a manananggal, one of the most fearsome beasts she has seen this evening, and does not flinch. Diana watches silently as he speaks to it, draws its attention but not is ire, and wonders at what power he must hold. Because she can feel it radiating from him, though she is still new to sensing magic. The manananggal, however, eventually notices her presence, and her response at its attack is automatic: Diana raises her arms, catching its maw on one of her Amazonian bracers. Metal screeches against teeth, but she only tries to push it away, not wanting to harm the creature, preferring to instead deter it from attacking her again. One great shove is all it takes to send it hurtling back into the hedge wall, not injured but perhaps dazed enough to think twice before trying the same thing again.
Her attention returns to the man, who has not moved, and she tilts her head curiously, apparently unconcerned, for the moment, with the manananggal. "You soothed it," she observes. Because it's obvious that the fae creatures are agitated by some outside force.
no subject
"I thank you." He didn't quite bow his head, but the tiny tip of his chin expressed the depth of his gratitude. Dream continued peering at her, as though attempting to puzzle her out, before the a sound from the manananggal drew his attention again. With a frown, he knelt before the creature again, resting a gentle hand upon its brow. "Rest," Dream murmured, and with a heavy sigh, the creature relaxed, closing its eyes. He waited another moment before removing his hand. This was a deeply troubling situation, and he didn't entirely know how to handle it. Dream had never done well with things out of his control.
unseelie
He sees Dream kneeling beside it, calm and waiting, and that alone nearly makes him draw his blade, although not out of malice.
No, if he draws his blade, it will be out of mercy, because as calm as it might currently be, creatures like this don’t stop - not without cost. And mercy...mercy sometimes has teeth in the shape of an angel.
"You think it remembers what it used to be?" He's not asking Dream, not really. It's muttered to himself.
"That it could be something else?"