pixieledmemes | Test Drive Meme #2

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

ｎａｖｉｇａｔｉｏｎ

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Handsome lad like ye stuck as a wallflower? No, we'll get ye dancin in no time! C'mon, the song's just beginnin!

[Harry reached again for the man's hands, not one to take the first no as an answer. The music was in him and he needed to move, so everyone else ought to feel the same, right? Singing and dancing just came naturally to him. He was already humming to the music even though he didn't know the words, all but dancing in place. Normally he'd just drag someone onto the floor, but some people had reacted really badly to his usual tendency to manhandle a reluctant friend.]

That's very flattering of you, but I'm honestly more comfortable as a wallflower, I swear.

[ And yet, he's allowing himself to be taken by the hands and led out onto the dance floor. Maybe it's the song... But how could he deny such an old, familiar friend a dance when he's been so kind as to ask twice? ]

How many times hev I said ye need t'put yerself oot there? Long's yer smilin anythin else can be forgiven. Now, look doon at my feet an do th'same, aye? Willny let a friend look the fool, will I?

[Such reluctance when the man knows he ought to be able to trust such a good friend! Harry would never truly embarrass a friend, not outside their group at least, and not without just cause. Besides, dancing was all about fun! He grinned at the man, exaggerating his steps so they'd be easy to follow until his friend's confidence came back.]

There! There ye go! Just like that!

[ It feels familiar. Well, of course it feels familiar, because they're old friends, aren't they? But it feels just like that time at the CIA with Raven and Alex and the others, years ago. Before Shaw attacked, before everything went to shit, when they could just be a bunch of young mutants, enjoying themselves freely for the first time in their lives. Hank had never had that before then. And rarely has he been able to really have it again since.

So, he gives it a shot. He follows along in the steps, half a beat behind the rhythm of the music. There's a reason he went into science and not the arts. But he's a graceful enough guy, even when limiting himself with the serum. That comment about trampling on his friend's feet was clearly an exaggeration.

He laughs as he starts to pick up the pattern of the steps, finally loosening up and starting to enjoy himself. ]

[It didn't get much better. His friend finally relaxed enough to enjoy himself as well and Harry laughed as they swung around the dance floor, narrowly missing other people when Harry got a little too enthusiastic. But it was all in good fun. When the music allowed, he leaned in close to the man's ear, to be heard over it.]

Ye see? No need tae stand on the edge when ye got friends!

[ They're both letting loose, with Hank's long limbs widening his area on the dance floor just as much as his partner's. He jumps and turns, feeling a freedom he hasn't felt in a long time. He doesn't know how long it can last, but he'll relish in it while it's here. ]

You're right— [ A pause, a slight fumble in the smile on Hank's face. ] I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. But for some reason I am completely blanking on your name!

[Harry just laughed and grabbed the man, swinging him out and back in. No need to worry about such a silly thing when there was fun to be had!]

Seems I forgot yers as weel! Harry mate! I'm Harry!

[ Hank laughs, shaking his head at his own foolishness. ]

God, of course. Harry! How could I forget? You're Harry, and I'm Hank!

[ The "Ha-" buddies! What a pair the two of them make. ]

Aye, m'best friend Hank! An wha kind o'best friend would I be lettin ye linger on the fringes? Look at tha smile on yer face now!

[Of course the song was starting to wind down, and he'd worked up a sweat. Soon it would be time for something to drink so Harry started to direct their antics towards the refreshments.]

[ There is indeed a smile on Hank's face, even as the song comes to a close and he bounces off of the dance floor, this time leading Harry to the drinks table instead of the other way around. ]

You're right. You always are, but now especially.

[Harry was happy to be lead and slung an arm around Hank's neck, leaning on him as they made their way off the dance floor.]

Ah tha was such fun mate! Once we get a drink, we should do it again! An ye were so worried ye wouldn't do weel!

[ Hank is a pretty good person to lean on, being tall and relatively sturdy, despite his skinny frame. ]

Heh, I'm still not so sure how well I did, but I will admit, it was more fun than I thought it would be.

Ah, ye did wonderful! All those long arms'n legs're made f'the dance floor. When ye forget tae be worried, ye look lovely.

[Harry let go of the man long enough to get them both glasses of something. He was pretty sure it was called punch, though he'd never actually had punch before. It was sweet as he tossed it back, refilling the little cup a few more times before he didn't feel quite so parched. He grinned at Hank, offering another ladleful.]

More?

[ Hank downs his first glass of punch in one gulp, needing refreshment after that energetic go on the dance floor. But when Harry offers a second ladleful, Hank waves a dismissive hand in his direction. ]

I'd better not. [ He leans in and adds with a conspiratorial smirk, ] Then you'd really see me cut loose.

[ And he's not quite ready to unleash the Beast on everyone just yet. ]

Aye? I think I'd like tae see tha!

[Harry leaned on the table as he sipped his drink, grinning at Hank. He was trying to decide if he could convince the man back onto the floor. Hank really did look so happy now!]

[ Hank is feeling lighter, emotionally, and more sure of himself in this strange environment. But he also knows he needs to exercise some restraint. Even through the compulsion of the spell that's been cast on him, he's acutely aware of the single vial of serum in his pocket, and of the fact that his days of having the option to walk around looking "normal" are numbered. He doesn't want that time to run out any faster than it has to. ]

...I don't know if this party is ready for that just yet.

[Harry gave the man a pout for a moment before slinging an arm around Hank's shoulders again.]

Later then. When we're too tired f'more dancin. How aboot another round, eh? We barely got started!

[ Hank takes a deep breath, just as a new song starts to play, and his toe immediately starts tapping.

Nodding, he smiles. ]

Yeah, okay. I think I'm up for another dance.

Yeah!

[Harry hugged Hank with his shout before taking off for the floor, catching the man's wrist to drag him along. Hank had definitely made a friend for life.]

Test Drive Meme #2

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