Test Drive Meme #2

[changelinged]

TDM #2 - March/April 2025

🦋 Introduction

Welcome to the Pixie Led Test Drive Meme!

The prompts will always be game canon, provided both characters who participate in a thread are either already in the game, or get accepted in the next application round.

You do not need an invitation to join the Test Drive Meme, it's open for anyone!

Please indicate character name and canon in the subject line of your top-level. For current characters, you may also indicate your character's court.

For prospective players, Invites open on the 18th, Reserves on the 20th, and Applications on the 22nd. Thanks for checking us out and we hope you'll join us!

🦋 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 a garden party at the crack of dawn, with the sun still in its early stages of climbing through the yonder, casting a good mix of pastel hues of blue, pink, and beige on everything. Heralding the first day of spring, the Ruler of the Spring Court has found it fitting to arrange this gathering where guests can feel the blades of grass touching their ankles, as well as the rich soil beneath their feet. Flowers of all kinds surround the party as if they were carefully curated. With spring as the "dawn of seasons," which marks a transition from winter's latency to the resurgence of life everywhere, the Ruler of the Dawn Court has also seen it fit to host aspects of this party during the one time of the year that dawn occurs the whole day. Tall candles and torches grace the outskirts of the garden party, providing warmth and an orange glow everywhere. Not one flame goes out even with the occasional wind, the Duchess always makes sure of this.

There are also freshly picked blossoms and branches with leaves on every table accenting the festive spread of food and drinks. This time, a lot of the food prepared for the Adopted guests are familiar to them with a little bit of a twist. Burgers might come in small packages and in toothpicks, while hotdogs in buns are also diminutive. Cookies look delectable but they have a flowery flavor to them, as if eating freshly picked daisies or daffodils. Fruits that may have been present in an Adopted's home, such as pineapples and watermelons, have seeds in odd places. Picking this selection of food is an attempt to be more welcoming and to appease the lovely guests the fae have invited.

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.

🦋 Chance at a Dance

A party is not complete without dancing, of course, and while during the last gathering held for the Adopted, different fae danced to music exclusively for them around a glowing tree, this time they are insisting their guests to join in.

This is a party for you, after all.

If the prodding of the different fae hosts won't convince you, perhaps the music will. They play easily recognizable tunes that their wonderful guests must have heard before. These melodies have certain unique effects to their mortal attendees, which are as follows:

• Upbeat Music: You will believe that you and your dance partner have been friends forever and have known each other a long time.
• Romantic Music: You will become amorous and flirtatious towards your dance partner.
• Slow Music: You will develop some tension with your dance partner. It may be negative or sexual; completely up to you.
• Quiet Music: You will assume your dance partner is a threat and try to fight them.

🦋 Flower Power

At the Spring King's behest, every Adopted should wear a flower corsage or boutonnière to the gathering. After all, this is to celebrate the coming of spring and what better way to do that than to honor everything in bloom.

The thing is, though, the King of Spring, while amorous and friendly, also has a penchant for playing with mortals' memories, if not also affect their desires and despairs.

So, mischievous as he is, he made sure to enchant the different flowers present in every corsage and boutonnière for the party with the effects below:

• Rose: You will recall a horrific trauma
• Carnation: You will see a vision of your future, whether it's good or bad
• Orchid: You will remember a time you lost someone
• Chrysanthemum: You will believe someone among the Adopted is your soulmate
• Dahlia: You will believe you betrayed someone important to you, whether you actually did or not

It is perhaps a good thing that no one but the Adopted are allowed to see these visions and memories, but everyone who wears a corsage or boutonnière will be able to see each other's memories and visions when in close enough physical proximity to the vision-haver, for better or for worse.

🦋 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.

Tell us all of a time you gave someone a gift. Perhaps a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates. Was it appreciated or not? A reward might await the most meaningful gift given.

🦋 Link to Overflow Post



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Comments

F.R.I.D.A. | Critical Role

[gunsandrosegold]

The Party

A: [ Along with the rest of the food there is a bowl that, strangely, is filled with what seems to be metal coins. A strange addition, until one catches sight of the individual who was consuming them. Lingering around one of the tables is what appeared to be a tall robotic figure, a feminine face made of rose gold, with lines of rose gold framing the emerald green of their body. Occasionally the figure reaches for a couple of coins, a light 'plink plink plink' reverberating inside them as they drop the coins into their mouth.

They seem to be surveying their surroundings, and while the features on their metallic face don't change there is something watchful, something sharp in the emerald glow of their eyes. But the glow softens if someone approaches, and the figure steps aside to allow them to reach the table. ]

Oh, pardon me. I hope I'm not in your way.

[ The mechanical echo in the voice is obvious, but the tone itself is soft in an almost gentle way. ]

B: [ Unfortunately, they don't seem to take the news of being stuck in this realm all too well. ]

I'm sorry, there must be some mistake. This isn't - I can't -

[ The metallic features remain ever the same, but there's a note of panic in their tone now, and a brief flash of red mixed in the emerald glow of their eyes. ]

Flower Power (CW: mention of death)

[ Since they no longer had their coat at the moment, Frida opts for the corsage instead, wearing the orchid around a slender wrist.

They are once again simply stepping back and observing the other Adopted when a memory flashes through their mind, and anyone close by might be able to see it as well.

The memory isn't clear at first, aside from what seems to be a view of the night sky above. But then there's a sudden, overwhelming sense of loss, a feeling that leaves a hollowness deep within their very core. And they knew, they knew...

Their beloved was no more.

And then... then there is anger. Deep, unfathomable, hot rage, that there could be a world that existed without such a kind and gentle soul. How could this have happened? How could their friends have let that happen? How dare they... how dare they have just let them die?

And from that anger something seems to snap, something from within the dark that begins to twist with the groan and clash of metal, and as the memory fades to a burning red there's an echo of a wolf howling with a mechanical ring. ]

Geis | un: F.R.I.D.A.

I had actually given a gift to a friend shortly before arriving here. It was a coat that had been made for me, with the names of ones who are special to me. But one of those names was special to my friend as well, and as I mentioned to them I was due for a new coat anyway. They did seem to appreciate it, which I am glad for.

Wildcard

[ If you'd like to do something else with Frida, go for it! Or hit me up at usamichan13! ]

b

[steepwithdead]

[Oh dear, he's been here before, and it was terrible the first round, too. He's not familiar with... automatons? but it's impossible to miss or ignore that panic, so he's jumping on that.]

It's alright, you need not believe them. Try to stay calm, you'll be fine.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ The soothing voice does manage to cut through most of the growing fear, but there’s still a pulse of red in the emerald glow as they look up at Caduceus. ]

I shouldn’t… I’m not supposed to be here.

[steepwithdead]

None of us are, I'm afraid. That hasn't changed much for us. Sorry... it won't do you any good to panic, though.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ There’s another flash of red, but Frida nods a little, trying to calm themself down. ]

Right… of course.

[ It especially won’t do to panic, since that could cause them to trigger what they were even worried about being here in the first place. ]

I’m sorry, you’re right. Thank you.

[steepwithdead]

Think nothing of it. [He shakes his head. No need for thanks or apologies, no harm was caused.] Just take it slow, one step at a time. First, let's meet. My name's Caduceus.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ Frida nods. ]

Smiley day to you, Mr. Caduceus. I am FRIDA.

[steepwithdead]

[Later on he'll find that greeting familiar... right now, he can't help thinking, what a nice way to say hello to someone.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, circumstances aside. I hope this isn't offensive to say, but I've never met anyone quite like you before.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ They had learned it from the best. ]

Not at all. There aren't many others like me, so it's a common reaction I receive.

If I may, you are a firbolg, if I'm not mistaken?

[steepwithdead]

That's right. You're familiar?

[Colour him curious: they're among the first to recognize his race.]

[gunsandrosegold]

[ Frida nods. ] Yes, I have encountered some members on my travels. Would you happen to be from Exandria then?

[steepwithdead]

Yes, in Wildemount. Are you familiar with the Savalirwood?

Party A

[bestials]

[ Hank had caught sight of the curious figure from across the room, not quite sure what— or who— he was looking at. That's what leads him to approach, although now that he's at the metal being's table, he's not quite sure what to do or say. ]

Oh, uh, no... [ Hank peers around at the bowl of coins on the table. ]

That's, ah... Not really my idea of a snack.

[ But now he feels embarrassed for staring. This being, whatever he is, seems to be sentient. So, Hank offers his hand for a shake. ]

I'm Hank. Dr. Hank McCoy.

[gunsandrosegold]

Oh, pardon me. [ They scoot the bowl of coins away from the rest of the food on the table. ] There is plenty of other food here for humans.

[ If they notice Hank staring, they don’t say anything about it, and accept the hand to give it a firm shake. ]

Smiley day to you, Dr. McCoy. I am FRIDA.

[bestials]

[ Hank holds onto the handshake for longer than is perhaps appropriate, just taking note of the grip, the fine details of finger joints on their metal hand. ]

FRIDA, wow, uh. Sm— Smiley day to you, too? [ That's a bit of a new greeting for Hank, but it's fun. He likes it. ]

If I'm not being too forward, I have to know... Are you a robot?

[gunsandrosegold]

[ The glow of Frida’s eyes warm, almost seems to soften as the greeting is returned. ] Thank you.

Of course, it’s no trouble. In the simplest terms, yes, I am a robot. Specifically I am an Aeormaton, which are a bit more advanced than other automatons, at least the ones that I am familiar with back home.

[bestials]

Are there many automatons, where you come from?

[ Hank hasn't talked to all that many people from entirely different worlds yet. This is a fascinating encounter for him, on all fronts. ]

[gunsandrosegold]

There are several, from what I’ve seen. But they are often used for general or specific tasks or work. There aren’t many that are like me.

[ Their words aren’t really meant to be a blast. Honestly, their tone seems to indicate a sadness to it. ]

[bestials]

[ Hank can't help but feel for FRIDA. They may be different, but Hank still knows something of the feeling they seem to be feeling.

He glances around the party, just to make sure they're not going to be overheard. He's... kind of going out on a limb here, but it feels like the right thing to do. His instinct is telling him he can trust FRIDA. Maybe he shouldn't, considering the only other robots he knows of are ones that were specifically designed to hunt and kill mutants. But FRIDA seems different. They're clearly sentient, not like Trask's sentinels. ]

I... know what you mean. Where I come from, there aren't a lot of people like me, either.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ Frida regards Hank with a tilt of their head, their eyes flickering softly. ] Really? In what way?

[ They do pick up a particular scent around him, though they hadn’t thought much of it at first. But something about it is distinctive, even regarding people’s unique scents. ]

[bestials]

[ Not knowing anything about the world that FRIDA comes from, it's hard for Hank to begin this conversation. It's also not a conversation he's had any reason to have in a while. ]

Are you familiar with the term "mutant?" It refers to a person— or a group of people— whose genetic code has mutated from the rest of the population. In— In my world, mutants are a... still fairly small community. And there are those who would like to see them eliminated entirely.

[ ... ] Would like to see us eliminated entirely.

[gunsandrosegold]

[ Frida is silent for a long moment, the emerald light in their eyes flickering. ]

What reason would they want for you to be eliminated? Simply because you were different?

[bestials]

[ While Frida is silent, so is Hank, his gaze casting downward. ]

People are afraid of things they don't understand. And also, mutants tend to be more powerful than humans. [ He sighs. ] A lot of people think that it's a matter of killing us before we can kill them.

Flower power

[bigbadrose]

[It's the wolf howl that gets to her, of course. Something deep and primal inside of Rose herself, the inconsolable rage and sorrow at loss so profound that the heart breaking echoes across dimensions and species. Of course.]

[No one should be separated from their mate, their soul mate, the person they spent their whole life looking for, the person they promised to travel with through hell itself as needed, and that's a truth Rose Tyler feels deep in her core and chooses to live with actions rather than simply acknowledge, accept and wring her hands helplessly about it.]

[Still, the not-cyberwoman is a stranger, and there's no right way to do this, but Rose stands nearby like a guard. At least when she lost the Doctor for the 11th time or whatever, a more final seeming time than the rest, she had friends and family with her. And that's very necessary.]

I'm so sorry for your loss. [And she's angry on their behalf. How dare the fae expose such an intimate moment for strangers to see??? What do they think they're doing? What gives them the right?!] Nothing can fix it, but you're not alone.

[Even if Rose's heart feels like breaking all over again from empathy for the Doctor, who was very much alone for his final goodbye. Empathy for the not-cyberwoman, empathy and cameraderie for both.]

[gunsandrosegold]

[ If Frida is at all surprised that the woman had seen their memories - at least, what little of it was shown - it was difficult to tell since their expression can’t change. But they are glad that she hadn’t seen the rest of it, of what had come after that moment, as little as they remember it themself.

Still, they are grateful for the empathy. They know they are not the only one who’s ever lost someone dear to them, but in the moment it was hard to remember that faced with the sudden loneliness of losing their other half, of their soul being torn from the world. ]

Thank you. I appreciate it. It’s been… [ They hesitate, and as the memory of the moment flashes through their mind again their eyes briefly flicker red before returning to their normal green. ] It’s been a difficult time.