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

code

Comments

Sam Wilson | MCU

[unclesam]

[ canon point is late CA:BNW. Let me know if you want me to dodge spoilers/references. ]

---

The Party

[ Someone did not in fact get patched up by the Fae. That someone is one Sam Wilson, Captain America, and he looks like he lost a fight with a semi-truck. The man's in a navy blue combat suit with red and white highlighting. It's dulled under dust, grime and blood. He drags himself to the nearest available seat, left arm held carefully - definitely broken under the fabric of the suit - and overall moving like a man with too many bones cracked or broken. His head is hidden under a full helmet, the red visor cracked. There are mechanical wings emerging from a slim silver thruster pack on his back - except one has been ripped off, and he's dragging that metal appendage along. The other hangs limp, occasional sparks flying from the thruster pack as the mechanism whirs, high pitched and angry, trying to fold the metal up and inwards, and failing. The arm dragging the ripped off left wing is also holding a round shield. The only thing about him that still looks somewhat pristine. ]

Redwing, help me out here.

[ He slips the shield off his arm. A small, triangular drone quietly hovers into the underside of the shield, which then in turn hovers close to Sam. Suspended in mid-air, as if the shield itself is remote controlled.

He drops the ripped off wing onto the ground near a bench, followed by the thruster pack once he unclips it from his suit. And then, finally, Sam slumps heavily into the seat. The helmet retracts in a blur of nano-particles, though if anyone catches a close look before it disappears from view, it looks like the helmet itself has dented inwards around his head in five thick, circular spots. Like a giant hand held him by the head. Funny story, that...

The red visor stays in front of his eyes even after the helmet is retracted, goggles clasped around his head. He reaches up to take them off, wincing when a shard of the visor almost dislodges inwards. He sighs, pressing his eyes closed to protect them, then angles his head to whoever is nearby. ]

You wouldn't mind giving me a hand to take this off without losing an eye, by any chance?

---

✪ Feeling on Hedge.

[ The people are not always the same. An old man who morphs into his younger, Cap era self and smiles, assuring Sam he's not going to leave. A red-haired woman, dryly remarking that at least they still got each other. A strawberry blonde man in light tac gear with Air Force insignias on them, calling him 'Sammy', freckles on his sunburnt nose. His parents - his ma assures him they could afford the hospital bills this time, she made a full recovery; his pa assures him the other driver swerved in time and didn't hit his car.

While he lingers on those moment, looks at what he sees with slightly too shiny eyes before stepping away, he only walks into the left twice before he stops that altogether. The first time was his sister. The second time, his nephews. He doesn't need to see that again. He doesn't need to see more.

Either way, in both options Sam stops dead in his tracks, face going blank for a moment before he turns around, marches himself the other direction, emphatically stating: ] Man, fuck this place.

---

✪ Can't Unseelie it.

[ He... might not be in the best fighting condition right now. Thanks to the fae resolutely not fixing him up, Sam's still enjoying the questionable pleasure of cracked ribs and some broken bones. At least he's been patched up a bit by now.

Still, when a Jersey Devil runs at him, flapping its wings and screeching, Sam brings up his shield just in time for the creature to crash into it, claws and teeth scrabbling against the unusual looking metal without leaving so much as a mark. Sam grits his teeth, muscles straining as he tries to push the beast off. He manages to shove it against the not-quite sturdy hedge wall, and when it comes at him again, he spins on his axis, using his own momentum as well as the creature's lung to slam the shield into its head.

The Jersey Devil does not, of course, go down from this, but it stumbles, dazed for the moment - Sam, tragically, also doubles over, hand on his cracked ribs, gritting his teeth. Some help to take the thing down, or to retreat, would go a long way. ]

---

✪ Wildcard / Plotting

[ Feel free to tag in with a wild card, or hit me up via PM / inkcharm for some more plotting. I'm up for any and all shenanigans. ]

---

Hedge

[diana_abel]

Strictly speaking, and on a purely physical level, Cainites didn't get tired. Emotionally...was another story. And after hours of walking around in the maze, without a clue in the world how to get out, Diana was pretty done with it all. At first, she'd had a little bit of enthusiasm, trotting through the hedged passageways barefoot, the chamber of her guitar thumping softly against her back. She looked right at home, like she herself was a nymph or sprite.

Now, every step felt kind of like a trudge.

It was a lot, all of those flashes. Seeing Joseph alive and happy. Seeing Artemis and Selene cold and motionless on the ground. Seeing her parents peaceful and together. Seeing all of the children she'd rescued...lost.

Diana knew it was a trick the Fae were playing on them. She just didn't get how it was supposed to be funny.

With every corner, she got a little bit more wary, but there was some relief when she turned the latest and spotted a handsome man that she didn't recognize. "Are you real?" she asked. She was pretty sure he had to be real, if she didn't know who he was. But it didn't hurt to ask.

sorry this took a moment

[unclesam]

Sam glanced towards her for a moment, features tight with the lingering pains of his wounds. The Fae hadn't exactly given him the luxury spa treatment on arrival, so he was just as messed up as the Red Hulk had left him.

"Far as I know."

It was... half a quip, but the humour behind it was strained.

"Are you?"

Probably a stupid question at this point. The only ghosts of the past that were haunting him in here were people he decidedly recognized. And while not impossible that the script would change at random, somehow he doubted the Fae would send him some complete stranger to mess with his head.

the party

[ironypoisoned]

[ Tony's red, vertically slitted eyes look Sam over from bottom to top for a moment before he laughs, showing off pointed canine teeth and a forked tongue. ]

Full offense, Wilson, you look like shit. [ But he's happy to help with anything and everything that's this shade of fiddly. He grabs a few loose shards away from Sam's eyes before he carefully peels the goggles off. He wasn't... Entirely sure at this point how he was gonna fix this, but- Fuck, there were two of him now, they'd figure this out. ]

What'd you do? Get into a fight with a really big cat? [ Get it, cuz he's a bird... ]

[unclesam]

[ His first thought at hearing that familiar and very much dead voice is: Oh, so I'm dead.

His second thought that almost makes him laugh is: And I went to hell, actually.

It's a joke, of course. Opposing views on the Accords aside, his opinion of Stark isn't actually that low. Sam holds still as he feels the man help get the goggles off without taking an eye with the broken visor - thanks, much appreciated, Sam happens to like his eyes.

When he opens them, they land on Tony with the weight of time passed since his death. Tracking over his feature - older than Sam's more clear memory of him on the Raft, about the same as the brief glimpse from that particular battlefield.

Damn.

But also... hey, what the fuck happened to his face., actually. ]

Says the guy who looks like he's having the world's worst allergic reaction. Or taking things a bit far at Burning Man. [ Sam gestures to Tony's eyes with his good hand, then reaches up to dab at the blood drying on his own face. Ross did a number on him, shit. ] The hell, man?

The Party

[littlestderolo]

Cassandra’s feelings towards the Fey haven’t changed. They’ve grown more complicated, because being here, in the Feywild, is far better than being back in Whitestone. But she’s no less suspicious and mistrustful of them. She might be more so. Compensating for the complicated feelings.

But just because she might be generally wary of others doesn’t keep her from running the moment she sees Sam. She knows hurt when she sees it. She might not be familiar with the level of technology he wields, but she’s deft-handed and familiar with tinkering. Which is why, when he asks for her help, she nods, and steps closer. An act of trust in an of itself, but she thinks with the state of him, she would be able to get away if needed.

Mental calculations aside, she steps closer and begins to work at his visor. Slowly. Gently. Carefully.

[unclesam]

Sam holds still, eyes closed. He hates it - hates asking for help, hates not being able to fix himself up. But he's glad the help still comes when asked for, and without hesitation or questioning.

"Careful you don't cut yourself on the shards."

His voice is low because he can tell she's fairly close to him right now, and her hands are small enough that he can hazard a guess she might be young. It's also not an order barked at her, no cndescending assumption that she might not know this - just gentle concern.

"There's a second clasp in the back. If you get that, should be able to lift it off no trouble."

And then after a moment when he feels her reach for the clasp: "Thank you."

Can't Unseelie It

[vintagecaptain]

[ There's a very familiar sound of a very familiar shield striking something and then a somewhat familiar face puts himself between Sam and the creature.

Steve looks mostly the same except he's dressed like a medieval knight and there are golden scales peeking out along his neck. The magic of this place has started to effect him. ]

Hey, pal, you look like you could use a hand. Can you get up?

[ He'd offer a hand but he has to fight off this creature. ]

[unclesam]

And you look like you came back from Ren Faire.

[ His voice is strained with pain and no small amount of disbelief. Not the time to question whether Steve's real or not, though, there's a slightly more pressing matter here. Sam straightens with a pained groan.

He doesn't have the wingpack with him right now - it's too damaged. But he's got the shield, and he's got...

Redwing hovers up behind the creature, firing some shots at it.

Sam throws the shield, lets it crack against the creature's head again. ]

This thing killable, or are we making a run for it?

feeling on hedge

[volgas]

[It’s probably not the best place to have a reunion given what all is happening within the maze, and she wouldn’t be surprised if she was a ghostly visage for several people. Natasha hears him before she sees him, and the amount of fed up in his voice makes her smirk. She’s been lost now for at least twenty minutes herself, but with this place she’s fairly certain more is going on.

She tries to ignore the images she sees, too, but there’s an inhale before coming around the corner. She’s fairly sure he’s real, though Nat wouldn’t be surprised if he questioned the same thing.]

They’ll let us out eventually.

[unclesam]

[ Oh that voice. Sam looks up, and Natasha is gonna see that unguarded grief there for a moment. Sam's not bothering to hide it - because he assumes he's just a mirage conjured up here. He drops his gaze away, as if he can't take looking at her. ]

Aw, come now. I didn't even take two rights this time, that ain't fair.

[ He's got the shield with him, and he looks beat to shit - he's also still wearing his Cap suit. Nothing that she remembers on him - and clearly, he thinks she's not real, but a ghost of the past sent to haunt him. Quite literally - he's already seen her in the maze. ]

the party

[interwebs]

[ It's during these parties that they drag more people in from various other realms so it's during this same gathering that Peter's on the lookout for anyone he might know. Thing is, though, aside from people who've already died back in his world (i.e. Tony, Natasha) or lost in time (Steve), no one would know who he is (i.e. Strange, Clint.) It has been an experience meeting them and now, he's faced by someone who most likely won't know who he is.

Great.

Peter's usual M.O. is just. Avoiding them. But Sam looks like he could really use a lot of help, so he immediately approaches the guy, brows knit together in worry. What could've possibly happened to warrant this kind of... damage? ]

Yeah, sure, of course! Um - [ Okay, he's going to be very careful now while he takes that helmet off. Thank god for spidey dexterity. ] - How did this happen, sir?

[unclesam]

[ Sam sits as still as he can with how laboured his exhausted breathing his coming. As the goggles come off, he blinks his eyes open slowly. There is... utterly no recognition there as he looks at Peter. As if he's just looking at a complete stranger he's never seen before in his life. Sam isn't able to connect the face he sees to Spider-Man, nor does he recall any of their face to face interactions they'd shared after their airport encounter in Leipzig, so many years ago now for both of them. ]

Thanks, kid. Appreciate getting to keep my eyes. [ His lips quirk - pain shines in his eyes, but he's determined to show as little of that as possible. There's blood on the side of his face. ] Put myself in the way of a real big fist. Don't worry about it.

✪ Feeling on Hedge.

[aranes]

Cap? [ Miles blinks, flustered, because it's Captain America. Sam Wilson. ] Mr... America. Sir.

[ So he wants to crawl back up this hedge and disappear now. He probably could do it. Go all camo and cringe himself into a new century, because that feels appropriate. Super appropriate. Except he also doesn't want to leave Sam — Captain America — stranded in this maze.

Superhero to superhero that was probably no bueno, right? He totally knows the Oath that Pete made him take was made up, but it still feels pretty binding. And that was for NYC but it applies everywhere. Maybe. Help people who need help. Even your heroes. He's adding that to the Oath. Miles can tell Pete about it later. ]

Hey, uh, I could probably help get us out of there. [ Miles shrugs. ] You know, if you needed it. Or just company. I can shut up now.

[unclesam]

[ For a moment, Sam just wants to turn around and leave, because surely... surely that's just another mirage. But... Spider-Man looks nothing like Sam remembers. The suit's different. The voice isn't quite right either, Sam thinks - but then it's been years since he's seen Spider-Man.

There's a moment where his brain latches on to the fact that it's weird, that he's pretty sure the dude was at Stark's funeral, and yet Sam doesn't know his identity, and something about that is weird. But the magic Dr Strange wove for Peter Parker holds even here, and the thought slips away into an abyss. Sam Wilson, like all the world, has forgotten Peter Parker through mystical means. And so he can recognizes Spider-Man - but has no clue that the boy beneath the mask should be different.

First things first though, his eyes track over the mask. Sam straightens up with a visible wince, holding his ribcage for a moment, but he's clearly making an effort to be calm in the face of Miles' nerves, putting a slight smile on his face. ]

Nice suit, Spiderling. Been a while. [ Clearly assuming he's talking to another Spider-Man. ] Cap's fine. So's Sam, if you'd rather. And I'm not gonna say no to an assist here. This place sucks.

Party

[victorycurls]

[Peggy watches the man with interest as he dismantles his wrecked gear and slumps into the chair. Between the shield and the extremely red, white, and blue outfit, it's pretty safe to guess that he's yet another Captain, one she (obviously) doesn't know.]

I think you might need more help than that, [she offers wryly as she leans in to carefully unbuckle the goggles.] Keep your eyes closed just a couple more moments.

[unclesam]

[ A dry sound, almost a chuckle. It wheezes a little, and he brings his good hand up to his ribs. ]

What, you saying I'm not in mint condition?

[ Smile tugging on his lips as he holds still, keeping his eyes closed as she asks. He clocks the british accent, but otherwise her voice isn't familiar to him. ]

✪ Can't Unseelie it.

[deprime]

[ With a shimmer of gold, Gustave closes his fist around the hilt of his sword, driving it down into a great leathery wing, hoping, perhaps foolishly, that this creature would resist tearing through its own limb and it would buy them enough time. ]

Can you stand? [ Gustave is looking between the downed man and the beast, prosthetic hand held out. ] I can help but we... we have to go. Run, if at all possible.

[unclesam]

[ Sam doesn't hesitate to grab that hand. There's a dizzying, delirious moment where he looks from dark and gold metal up to shaggy brown hair and wants to crack some jokes, because really, universe? REALLY?

But Sam grasps the offered hand, lets himself be helped onto his feet. The hand goes to his ribs for a moment. He kicks the rim of the shield on the ground, flips it up and into his hand, then nods. ]

Thanks, man. Running sounds good.

[ It sounds horrible, actually, but he'll do it anyway. ]

Can't Unseelie it

[big_guy]

( Sam can probably hear the Hulk's approach before seeing him, his roar as loud and defiant as always as he crashes through the hedges, grabbing the bat-like creature with his massive hands. The creature screeches as it tries to claw its way out of the Hulk's grip, but Hulk only roars back as it wrestles with the creature, refusing to let it slip from his fingers.

Finally, when the Hulk can get his feet back underneath him, he holds the Jersey Devil high, and then tosses it like a Frisbee. Its wings flap helplessly as it soars over the hedges, its screech fading into the distance. The Hulk snorts. )

Ugly. ( He concludes about the creature, then turns back to the human that was fighting it. ) Not dead?

[unclesam]

[ Sam groans, pushing himself back to his feet. Oh, come on. Come on, because that's not Hulk-shaped Bruce, that's straight up the Hulk, and Sam's not sure where that's gonna lead. For a moment he wants to laugh, because wouldn't it be a cosmic joke to get punched by two Hulks in one day?

But that's a bit of an uncharitable thought, given the big guy just saved his ass. Sam puts the shield on his back with a wince, nodding up at the Hulk. ]

Not dead. [ Yet. Sam holds up his good arm slightly. ] Hey, uh. Thanks, big guy. You saved my ass. We... we good?

[ If he gets punched by another Hulk today, Sam's just gonna throw the shield into the forest and get drunk or something. ]

party

[nightmarescenario]

[handwave-y to some point after he's chatted with that other Tony...]

Tony hates this damned party that happens every month. That's not true. He hates that he has to be in this place. He typically enjoys parties. But being a captive sort of sucks all of the fun out of them. He's not even sure why he came to this one.

"Just what we need - another Captain America," he says - a bit less disdainfully than he might otherwise. There is the very very slight possibility that this alternate version of Sam Wilson is the far more entertaining morally inverted version like the one Tony had been working with back in his home timeline.

a morally inverted Sam? omg

[unclesam]

"Universe had to balance out two tin men, I suppose."

Sam cocks an eyebrow. He's got broken bones, but hell if that's gonna lessen the attitude. He lips tug into a grin though - it's mirthful, but guarded. Because what the fuck is this place even, and why in all hell is there another Tony Stark, and side note, can Sam just please go home, yet?

"How's it going, inferior goatee bearer number 2?"

Can't Unseelie It

[soloacts]

[The first thing Sam might hear is a 'thwip' followed by another, then a series of webs shoot into view aimed for the Jersey Devil's head, momentarily blinding it, leaving the dazed beast to claw at his face. It will keep it occupied, at least for a moment or two.]

Are you alright? [A teenage girl comes into sight as she leaps the kicks the monster hard, sending it backward as it continues to struggle with the webs. Gwen's not currently clad in her Spider-Woman outfit but a pink dress. The cyan Chuck Taylors don't match the outfit, but neither do the web shooters attached to her wrists. Turning, she holds out a hand, to help him up if he needs it.]

[unclesam]

Peachy.

[ His voice wheezes over cracked ribs as he grasps her hand and lets the girl help him up. ]

All my broken bones are still on the inside, where they belong.

[ He looks from her to the monster, holding the shield at the ready. ]

This a 'fight it' or 'knock it down and run' kinda gig, Spiderling?

[ Not much mistaking those webs for. Sam had no clue they made more of that kid, but hey... he'd also had no clue they made Hulks in different colours until recently, so what does he know, really? ]