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pixieledmemes2025-05-15 12:28 am
Test Drive Meme #3
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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.
ii. can't unseelie it
Oh. Oh okay, he's- that wasn't like, some kind of prophecy or something he needed to pay attention to, that was maybe just the panicked ramblings of a guy who didn't want to die. Maybe.
S'rei gives the the Librarian a nod and kicks his spear back with his heel to flip it up into his hand with practiced ease, hurtling it just past the Librarian's shoulder into the Manananggal's collarbone. The creature shrieks; the wound unfortunately wasn't fatal but it was at least jarring enough that the beast releases the Librarian and flutters back, which is just as well because S'rei, with the practiced ease of someone who regularly puts himself directly in harms way, has followed his spear, gently pushed the Librarian behind himself, and reached out to grab onto the shaft to yank it back out of the creature with an uncaring kick.] Alright there, ser?
no subject
Yes, yes, fine, [ the Librarian pants. He's bleeding from where the creature had scratched up his face, but the adrenaline is still running too high for him to notice.] It uses its tongue as a weapon—be wary!
[ Having expended his one Edge memory exalting this fellow's combat prowess—an enhancement he now suspects may have been superfluous—he doesn't really have much help to offer in this fight aside from information. ]
no subject
Hm. S'rei clenches and unclenches a fist, staring down at it before shooting a look back at the man, noting the wound as he does. He hadn't heard bardsong and that...incantation, if that's what it was, was unfamiliar; he likewise hadn't felt any aetheric fluctuations indicating spellwork, and didn't see a channeling tool like a book or a staff, but this feels like support magic.
The thing tries to dig its claws into the seams of his greaves so S'rei puts the matter aside for now in favor of placing his boot atop its sternum, far down enough to avoid its thrashing tongue, and buries the spear into its throat instead. It gives a gurgling shriek, a truly horrific sound, but...doesn't die. S'rei scowls and does so again, and again, spattering its blood up onto his longboots and pants, but still it won't die.]
Must be some trick to this. A spell or condition. Do you know?
cw: gore
A powerful Heart principle, to be sure, [ the Librarian answers, fascinated despite himself. ] Possibly a servant of the Thunderskin, corrupted by Grail influences. Or perhaps the other way around...
[ Ravening thirst, forced to endure. Or else indefatigable endurance, forced to thirst. Either way, the Librarian cannot help but pity the creature. He begins to look around with urgency, searching the ground. ]
Its missing its lower half—if it were ambulatory, one would expect it to have joined the fray by now.
[ Which means, since it hasn't, perhaps it is still. Vulnerable. ]
cw: gore (ty i def forgot)
A stab to the heart also doesn't kill the beast so with the chest pinned, he steps on an arm instead to keep the struggling manageable while the scholar behind him starts searching the clearing for clues. With the way the...voidsent, honestly, is moving, its guts should've long fallen completely out by now.] We're in a fae realm, yes? Is it perhaps weak to the same rules they are?
no worries!
If I recall correctly, [ he says, still searching their surroundings. ] The fairies of folklore are vulnerable to cold iron, running water, and salt. Alas, I have no cold iron on my person, and I don't believe we'll find a stream in this maze. I could produce salt if needed, though you'd have to give me a moment...
no subject
The creature manages to slip out when S'rei adjusts his spear and tries to lunge at the Librarian; S'rei chases it and slams it down on its front this time, lance straight through where a lung should've been, which helps with the thrashing but if he didn't know any better, he think the thing was getting stronger.]
no subject
[ The Librarian leaps back as the creature suddenly lunges at him, though its attack is mercifully cut short by the other man's intervention. He stares at the thrashing monster, eyes wide. ]
Perhaps I am overly optimistic, [ the Librarian blurts out. ] But I do hope that means I'm going in the right direction!
[ He continues his search with renewed urgency—he, too, notices that the beast's struggles are only growing in intensity. He dares to go a little bit further afield, searching nearby turns and lanes in the maze, while hoping vehemently that its shifting nature won't unexpectedly separate him from his new acquaintance.
Finally, he raises a shout of triumph. ]
I've found... something!
[ Its tucked away in a shadowy corner of the maze, curled up to conceal its shape. But as the Librarian gingerly nudges it into view, it becomes clear that it is the inert lower half of a bisected body. ]
I do dearly hope that this is the weak point we're looking for and not a previous victim...
cw: more gore
S'rei is just behind it, but the changing landscape works against him, causing him to weave and dodge and stumble as brambles and hedges leap into his path.] It's loose! [he shouts urgently, a swipe for his spear to yank the creature back only knocking it momentarily off balance before it whips its tongue and him and resumes its hunt.] You must be right! Quickly!
no subject
Still, he does his best to ignore the pounding in his chest and focus on what needs to be done. With one hand, he produces a brass pocketwatch from his coat's breast pocket—a bit of a relic even in his time, but useful for impromptu Forge rituals like this one. His fingers explore the brass surface with practiced meticulousness, running over the grooves in its edges, the faint gradations of the engravings, the delicate loops of the chain. He pictures the creation of the tiny pieces inside it, the pins, dials, and screws, the molten bronze of the case and the delicate work of engraving it. All the while, his other hand remains extended in front of him, fingers cupped like a bowl. And as he works, his breathing even and steady and peculiarly warm, black grains begin to dust his palm—
—and then the beating of wings closes in on him. He leaps up, dodging out of the way as the creature swoops at him. Garrulous as he'd been before, the Librarian is silent now, too busy trying to simultaneously retain focus on the ritual and avoid falling into the monster's claws.
He just needs a few more moments. Jaw clenched, he begins to inch back towards the monster's lower half, desperately willing more of the black grains to form in his palm.
This is going to be a very embarrassing death if they're wrong about the salt... ]
no subject
The creature of course doesn't suffocate (because that would be too easy) but with S'rei in the way of its wings it can't fly or otherwise pursue prey, either. It screams, stabbing claws and that disgusting tongue into his arms; S'rei, no stranger to pain, does not relent. To be honest he's also operating on 75% spite at this point, pissed off that one stupid voidsent is giving him this much trouble.]
no subject
He had not produced as much of the salts as he would have tinkering in his Library, but perhaps it doesn't matter. Bitterblack Salts are no mere table condiment. They are an alchemical reagent, the first rung on the ascent to Orpiment Exultant—potent even in small amounts.
Still, even the Librarian is surprised as the the grains begin to work upon the wound, the flesh hissing and giving off a bitter smoke with the mingled scent of carbon and licorice. He steps back as the rigid legs of the thing begin to kick and twitch, as if in death throes, then turns helplessly to where his new acquaintance is still struggling with the beast. He can only hope the ritual will have had a similar effect upon the creature's upper half. ]
i will be so real with you, i have no idea how this works
With a nearly unnatural stubbornness, S'rei remains clinging to the creature in the wrapped chokehold until its flails have ceased for a good twenty seconds. He then finally uncurls himself slowly, extracing his limbs from beneath its still body and shaking out his stiff, bloodied arms.]
...well. [That sure solved that. He's going to wrench his spear loose first, just in case the fiend wishes to return to live for round two, before heading over to check on the Librarian.]
neither do i. something something ALCHEMICAL SALTS 2STRONG
Finally, the beast lays silent and still, and the Librarian lets out a long exhale. He stumbles away from the stinking remains, wiping sweat from his brow. ] Well, [ he says, echoing the other man’s sentiment. ] Well. It was quite fortuitous that you showed up when you did. My genuine thanks for your help with that… thing. [ A tired, double-handed gesture at the two dead halves. ] I doubt I would have survived unassisted.
[ Now that he has a chance to actually look at the man, he notices how unusual his appearance is. His face is marked with jagged tattoos and what the Librarian had initially taken for protrusions of hair, he now realizes are a pair of feliform ears. More importantly, though: he’s bleeding. The Librarian steps forward, concerned. ]
Are you alright? It looks as if that thing got its proboscis into your arms quite a few times. Not feeling woozy, are you?