pixieledmemes | Test Drive Meme #3

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Test Drive Meme #3

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Loki simply grins as Thanos grabs them, letting him have that power over them for a moment. But just a moment. They wink and teleport out of his grasp, now standing directly behind him.]

Come now, that's not a very nice thing to say to someone! I know your relationship with my daughter didn't work out, but I can hardly be blamed for that.

Besides, I think we can both be useful to each other. You can tell me what it is you were up to with this other Loki, and I shall tell you the properties of this realm. Sound fair?

Wrong Thanos.

[ Daughter? What in the multiverse was he talking about? ]

Perhaps. [ He stops trying to grab him, anyway. ]

What's your interest in my universe's Loki?

I like to be knowledgeable about all things. God and Goddess of Stories, you know. The story of another Loki naturally intrigues me.

[Loki starts to walk ahead, expecting Thanos to follow after them.]

Are you not in love with Death in your universe? That's an interesting change.

My relationship with Death is a long and intimate one. But it is a relationship of circumstance and utility, not of love. Romantic entanglements are a luxury I can scarce afford when there is so much work yet to be done.

[ Besides collecting the Stones and averting Ecological Crisis for the universe, he now how to Undo Death and return to his own universe. And now that he's seen that his work can be undone from universes away, he has to find a way to fix the entire Multiverse. ]

You'll be disappointed. The Loki I can tell you of is a sniveling weasel thirsty for power and acceptance. Even worse, he's a failure.

My daughter is the Goddess of Death. From my understanding, your relationship was one of compromise.

[If you can’t get with Death, why not try the next closest thing?]

He’s failed you, I take it? Hence why you thought I might be him hiding away from said failures.

[ In a different future, Thanos might have learned that Hela, the goddess of death, was Loki's adopted sister. But this Thanos' story ended before Odin's secret was revealed by his death. ]

I find it entertaining that Asgardians fashion themselves "gods" of one thing or another, as if they are the embodiment of such ideals. Thunder, Trickery, Death. They are strong warriors and long lived. But they perish when their bodies are broken, just like any other.

[ Loki's response to his barbs was proof enough that this was not the Loki of Thanos' universe. Loki was insecure and vain, and he would not have suffered Thanos' comment without response or retort, or at least a seething grimace. ]

He failed to deliver me the Tesseract, despite having granted him a relic of immense power as well as an army at his disposal.

I do not suffer failures.

The Eternals aren't that much different when you phrase it that way. What's the Midgardian saying? Pot calling the kettle black?

Either way, I am a god. When I die, I shall simply reincarnate into a new form.

[If immortality is how one considers godhood. Loki thinks it's more important to think of whether Asgardians exist because the human consciousness willed them into existence.]

It was your mistake to trust a Loki in the first place. Even if he didn't fail, he would inevitably end up stabbing you in the back. I've never understood how your type falls for that trick every time.

True. Asgardians have no monopoly on vanity. They have simply refined it into an art form.

[ He smiles, then shrugs. ]

Believe what you want. It won't stop what is coming.

[ Trust. ]

I did not Trust Loki. I gave Loki an opportunity. Trust must be earned, Loyalty must demonstrated, competence must be proven. I saw in him potential. Unfortunately, he could not let go of the flaws that were holding him back, and even worse he could not face the consequences of his failure with dignity.

[ Thanos gives Not!Loki an appraising once over. ]

You are not him, but I wonder if you know of him all the same. Would you bear loyalty to your cosmic kin? Lie on his behalf? You need little reason to lie in the best of times, I imagine.

Oh? And what is coming?

[The thought excites them. Things have been getting a little too chummy around here. Loki had wondered before if they would need to play the villain to balance the tale, but they’re more happy to let Thanos do so on their behalf.]

I am loyal to no one but myself. I have killed Loki once before, and if I lie for a Loki’s sake, it is because it benefits me as well. If you would like to convince me something else might benefit me more… I’m all ears.

[ What can you expect from a liar if you ask if they are lying? But no information can be gleaned at all if no questions are asked. He'll continue to probe, and see what is flushed out. ]

Your benefit is simple: if I find out you are helping him stay away from me, my wrath will come to you as swiftly and as painfully as it does to him.

As for what's coming: there are two ways to find out. To be struck by its wake, or to be upon the wave as it crashes down by my side.

Is that supposed to frighten me?

[Loki can’t help but laugh, amused. It’s like being threatened by a child.]

I have met our makers, traveled beyond, and journeyed into mystery. You may not have realized it yet, but you are merely a puppet playing its part. Especially so in this realm. A doll for those above to do with as they wish.

Your words confound, Godling. I'm to believe that I am powerless here and to bow before your breadth of wisdom and experience, and yet you are here all the same.

In any case, those above may hold my strings for now, but they will eventually find the strings pull both ways. I have only to discover the locus of their control.

I never claimed not to be a fool myself. I enjoy the part of the jester, it suits me.

At least we’re agreed there, though. And once we figure out how to pull them in our direction, it’ll be simple enough to cut them off completely.

Then we have an agreement of mutual cooperation.

Tell me what you know of these creatures. This place.

They are known as the Fae and seem to be based on a variety of Midgardian mythology, though the primary basis is in that of the British Isles. Of course, I've been to Otherworld numerous times myself, which you could consider the Brits' version of Asgard if you've never heard of it, but this realm is distinctly separate. It's as if someone tossed all the pantheons in a blender and called it a day.

[There are frost giants here, for example, but they're classified as beasts, same as humans, so Loki would rather not mention that.]

The Court Rulers would be similar in strength to me, if this was an ordinary story. But it is their story and so they appropriately rule over it. As you've pointed out, they can keep me here. Presumably they can nullify all of our powers if they so wish. I believe they let us keep what they find interesting. We're toys, in that sense.

I've been doing my best to get close to them, see what information I can gather and try to assert my influence. I doubt they see me as little more than a pushy pet, but I can work with that.

[ Their story. An interesting take, and a perspective Thanos would not readily dismiss. This was a universe if not of their own making, then of their complete control. Thanos pondered if the 'adopted' were even 'real', if such a distinction could be made. Or if they were just sapient recreations of things the Fae had seen through their magical observance of other universes. Was he different than he was in his original universe? How would he know the difference, if his memories were altered to fit his new existence? Was there an original existence at all, if beings and memories could be artificially created as if one were mixing chemicals in a petri dish? The thought was maddening if he continued to pursue it. ]

Similar to yourself? So you, too, have the ability to pluck creatures from alternate universes, and strip them of their power to leave?

[ The arrogance of this Loki was astounding, or else the actual power that this Loki used to have was. Thanos was used to Loki having an ego substantially larger than his ability to deliver, so Thanos assumed the former. ]

If I was the teller of the tale, then yes. I arranged a whole competition once, plucking people from their stories and forcing them to battle to earn a priceless Asgardian treasure. I’ve trapped Thor in pocket dimensions, I’ve rewritten my own history, I typically can escape from all power-limiters…

I’m the God and Goddess of Stories, dear. And if everything’s a story, well. You get the idea, yes?

A "teller of stories" has another connotation where I am from. They are also called Liars.

[ But what if one was so empowered by lies that they could become truth? Thanos is skeptical of what Loki says, but he is intrigued. Perhaps in another place, the Asgardians are really truly Gods, instead of merely pretenders. If there really was a woman who had complete control over death, he might very much like to meet her. If only because she could accomplish everything Thanos was trying to accomplish, with a snap of her own fingers. ]

Let us presume we are in your story instead of theirs. Is your power total as the story teller? Can a character seize agency from you in some way?

But one sounds much nicer, hm?

[Lies are just stories, in the end. Their father had taught them that, and it's what led to them becoming the God and Goddess of Stories over their previous domain of Lies.]

They can try and fight against the narrative, but I find the ending catches up with them eventually. One must consider that I too am a character, in a sense, and there is a teller that I write alongside.

Let us take my previous protagonist as an example. Thor, the All-Father, had banished me from his sight and from all of Asgard. But a narrator is always present, and I narrated his actions even when they surprised me. He'll take the path he chooses of his own will, however, I shall always determine where that path ends. I'm not necessarily omniscient or all-powerful, but I'm skilled at poking holes in reality and seeing it laid out for what it is.

Your role of 'God' of stories then. It is not one of total control, as a dog on a leash. Rather you are a skilled handler of something large and powerful, like a Leviathan. You can push and pull and influence, but if the story has decided to do something, you have no power to stop it.

I could. Theoretically. And I have, when it's concerned myself. But I will not betray the narrative without a good reason.

[Loki would rather tell a good story than a happy one. Thor will die at the end of his tale. Could they alter his fate? Perhaps. But they do not wish to.]

I've had a chance, to be free of it all. I'm surprisingly a responsible sort, though. Kind too. Figure I can't go and leave everyone else stranded in their metaphorical and literal cages.

So then suppose the Fae of this place are not so.. magnanimous. They can alter the 'story' as it suits them without limitation.

They cannot. There's too many of them vying for power, disagreeing over what should be done. There's problems within their realm as well, which goes to reason that they do have limits, albeit ones that aren't well-defined.

The most apt comparison is the gods of the gods. Seemingly all powerful, but one can find the cracks in their armor eventually.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive Meme #3

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