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pixieledmemes2025-03-15 08:32 am
Test Drive Meme #2
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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 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.
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.
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.
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.
flower power
Astronema can't sound any more disdainful of the concept, and her looks match, upper lip curled in disgust. When had she gotten within earshot? When had she gotten here at all?
It turns out she can move pretty quietly, especially if she's spotted a Ranger to stalk. A Ranger in distress? Even better.
But the things he'd just been saying...
"Whatever disease you've caught, you deserve."
admit it, you just want his digits
Zhane doesn't even have to look up to feel the disgust radiating off of her, but he doesn't hesitate to turn around and try to find her despite the fact that his head is killing him.
Why does he feel like he's being hunted right now?
Instead of panicking, he directs a smile at her. It might not be the best tactic but it's all he's got right now. Getting electrocuted again isn't on his bucket list so he is taking this whole thing one step at a time.
"You know, that's called eavesdropping." But he doesn't seem bothered by it. In fact, he looks a little amused. "And I don't think I have a disease, but my head sure feels fuzzy. Is yours okay?"
like she doesn't already have his number in the way that counts
"Mine is fine."
No 'thank you' to be had, her tone says something very different '-you' instead.
"I could always remove yours for you."
press f to doubt
"Good, I'm glad. You shouldn't have to go through something like that."
Jokes on her, he already got a thank you from her before and that tides him over. He crosses his arms, eventually drawing one up to thoughtfully grab at his chin.
"You know, this kinda feels like deja vu, doesn't it? You could've done that when you snuck up on me - but you didn't."
no subject
"I'm always game to watch a Ranger suffer."
And you can't suffer without a head, Zhane!
"But if you're already feeling better--"
The staff moves so fast it's damn near teleportation, but there's no flash of purple to give that trick away. Just one second it's upright, slowly rotating, and the next it's in both her hands and the blade is coming for his head!
no subject
"Whoa! Was it something I said?"
Never let it be said that he isn't quick on his feet because the second the staff comes for his head he ducks out of the way and steps back without attacking her.
"Look, I don't want to fight you. Can't we just talk about this?"
You know, about the fact that she is blatantly trying to kill him. For obvious reasons, he doesn't think this is the lingering animosity of someone who is still mad at him for being late to their outing. He sure is paying a lot of attention to the implants in her head.
no subject
"You're a Ranger. That's all--!"
Another lunge, and a wide sweep of the blade, this time down at his legs.
"--That's required!"
no subject
The way he moves makes this seem more like some kind of dangerous waltz than an actual fight as he dodges for a second time, trying to put some more space between them. He's not going to attack her no matter how much she tries to provoke it, but he will try not to die in the process.
"What's changed?"
He already knows, but does she?
no subject
"Everything."
Ecliptor, abandoned on that planet. No, Zhane had not been with them during her brief stay with the Rangers, and he had not been one of the people to pull her away from Ecliptor as the enemy swarmed in, not even trying to evacuate him too. But...
But he is one of them.
He shares their ideals and their philosophy along with their uniform. And he is Andros' best friend. She cannot trust anything about him except for the fact that she can kill him. All Rangers can bleed.
"Everything that ever mattered."
no subject
Zhane sounds so genuine but at least her hesitation is enough to allow him to try and grab for her staff. If he gets it, he attempts to hold it in place so they can talk face to face, far be it from him to take someone else's weapon away in the heat of combat. He wants her to understand it, the fact that he doesn't want to hurt her, and he needs her to listen to him before it is too late.
It isn't just for hers and Andros' sake. Their attempt at a date might have flopped spectacularly, and he's had time to get over the sting of rejection, but he still cares about her well-being. If she would have him, he would even be her friend and give her that shoulder to cry on.
"I can't bring him back," he begins with a raw and honest take. If only she would open her eyes, she would realize he knows her pain better than most. "And I can't make your pain go away but Astronema, don't go down this path. You're better than this and you know it."
Some part of her has to know that otherwise she would have killed him by now.
no subject
He's so earnest. Damn him, it's so much harder to doubt him up close and personal like this. Using her real name, too, Astronema's eyes are noticeably wetter than they ought to be.
"Better than this?" she echoes.
When she continues, it's so bitter she could choke on it, "Better than everything I've been since I was taken from your planet, you mean? Better, like your best friend wants me to be, turning my back on everything I am? Everything I've ever fought for, bled for, killed for, even my name?"
Astronema bares her teeth, then, in a snarl below her too-wet eyes.
"What path do you think I'm going down," that emphasis comes with a harder jerk at the staff, "that I haven't already walked?!"
no subject
"You're stronger than that thing in your head. It's not helping you; it's holding you back from who you really are. I never got to tell you because of what happened, but I ate all of that food you brought that day. All of it." He doesn't meet her ire or raise his voice; he keeps calm and collected.
"I want you to be what you want to be, not what you think someone else wants. That's not living." It's a dumb move but he lets go of the staff with one hand to fish around in a pocket for something. ".. Got it." He produces a handkerchief (actually a fancy unused napkin he got here) and tries to dab at her face.
"I don't wanna see you cry. As for the path, it's one we can't go down. The girl I remember? The one who gagged at my cooking and smiled over toasted marshmallows? I can still see her and one day? I hope you do too and that she can find a reason to smile again."
"If I'm wrong and she's really gone.." Then he does it, he adjusts the staff for her and points it directly at his chest. He drops both arms down to his sides and waits, never taking his eyes off of her face. She needs to understand there are people here for her and if him being reckless makes that happen? It's worth the familiar burn of the current running through him.
"Go ahead."
no subject
...After the first dab.
"You're so good at these manipulations, silver," she hisses, after he's pulled that final maneuver. "You would have been very successful in Dark Specter's court."
No, she's not going to blast him. They both know that. Astronema does jab the sharp tip of the staff's diamond-shaped blade into his chest a little, though. Just enough to hurt, the tiny chains below it swinging from the motion.
"Capitalizing on my embarrassing human emotions? A classic. Did you get any good footage of me pacing around waiting for you, that day? While I slowly figured it out? What a win it must have been, to make the enemy feel so blind and stupid."
It wasn't that he'd been late, per se. It had been a matter of what her experiences had translated that lateness into.
So much has happened since that day, so much objectively more important stuff has happened since that day. Like the now-damaged hardware forced into her flesh, which reminds her of its presence now by crackling; a snapped wire from her shoulder, and the lower piece on her cheek.
Astronema doesn't move, though, except to narrow her eyes against the pain, the staff held surgically-still where it presses in.
"They told me the Rangers killed my brother, did you know that?" she continues, low and strained as the implants snap and hiss, the visible current crawling up into the embedded pieces in her forehead.
"The rivers of Ranger blood I shed in revenge could drown your entire team. Tell me why I should do less for Ecliptor, who always shielded me from the worst of the empire. Who died trying to do the same, one last time. Who may have lied to me, but never did anything he didn't think was for my best interest. I knew Andros for four years. I knew Ecliptor for twenty."
Teeth bared in a grimace of pain that isn't just physical, she still doesn't move.
"And you can't tell me he wouldn't want to be avenged."
no subject
He catches the end of the staff and holds it in place, grimacing a little at the pain. Nothing he hasn't experienced before; he can tolerate it as long as she keeps talking to him.
"I told you what happened, someone sent a monster. I got there as quick as I could, I didn't exactly have your number. If I did, I would've called." He lets out a sigh, placing his hands on his hips. "You know, if I'm a manipulator, I'm kinda bad at it. Do you really think that?"
There's the topic of the decade.
"They lied to you; I wouldn't do that. Ever." His eyes follow the placement of the wires and each time they spark, trying to calculate a plan of action for taking care of them. Better to talk it over with the team first, four heads are better than one when it comes to something this dangerous. "He was devastated, saying he was supposed to protect you. If he knew where you were, he would've stormed the place."
He knows she's killed hundreds, no, so much more. An astronomical amount of people. Brainwashing is a huge part of that, it isn't who she is or who she was meant to be. So, without further ado, he offers her one of his token smiles, but it is apologetic and full of understanding. When he was alone, he found someone to hold onto as well.
"If he cared for you that much, I'd think he would want you to be happy above everything else. Don't you?"
no subject
It's true, though. Ecliptor had even been willing to betray Dark Specter, rather than willingly betray her. He had all but sent her off with the Rangers. Multiple times, in fact, on that damned planet.
All because that's what she'd wanted to do, at the time.
She'd briefly turned her back on everything he had ever taught her, and he had... accepted it. Almost encouraged it.
"And why do you think that's with all of you?" Astronema hisses, giving the staff a push. Unmorphed, Zhane's probably going to bleed. But she's nowhere near putting enough force into it to even touch shallow breastbone, just to dig through shirt and skin. "Just because Andros and I share parentage?"
no subject
"Because we'll never ask you to do something you don't want to or be something you aren't. They're good people," he says in earnest. The blood creeps up through his shirt but he either chooses not to give her the satisfaction that it hurts (which is unlikely) or he is so committed to the task at hand that he chooses to ignore it.
"No. We've all lost someone; we've all bled for the cause, and none of us want to fight you. You can't see it now, but you're our friend."
They all care about her.
"I don't want to fight you."
no subject
The name's said like a curse.
She wrenches her staff away from Zhane, finally, lowering it to her side in one fist.
"I don't actually want to fight you either," she admits, bluntly. "You, specifically."
The one Ranger that seems to understand... anything. That Ecliptor had been important. That he hadn't been Evil evil.
He's always called her by the right name, too.
no subject
Of course, he wants her to be Karone because she is Karone, a part of her always will be no matter who tries to tell her otherwise. He puts a hand over his chest and looks at the blood on his palm then adjusts his jacket to hide it.
"We aren't monsters, and neither are you, we're all fighting for something we want to protect. People, feelings. But fighting against each other here isn't gonna change anything back home. No one wins here, Astronema. I think we need to stick together, all of us." His smile is back.
"Don't fight us. Help us."
no subject
Most people are.
"Help you with what?" she asks, frowning, "That's one of the problems with you Rangers, everything is we, we, us, we. What's the point of 'we'? Dark Specter is dead, and I am..."
Something.
She's not sure what.
Conquering everything had been Dark Specter's grand goal. Upon his death, having already done almost all of the work in his name, the momentum of that... of an entire universe... had been so much. So much mass, so much inertia, pressing her forward.
Zordon, that hypocritical piece of shit, immediately pleading with her to stop it all, trying to tell her what she was, had been a final push to follow that momentum. Why fight it?
I'm not just evil... I'm the Queen of Evil.
But now?
What the fuck is she, now?
"I am tired," too honest, too deep. "Retired. I'm done. I'm not interested in going back, either, I don't care about it."
There's nothing 'back home' for her.