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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.
Ivan | Alien Stage
Click
Ivan’s background and canon deals with many subjects some may find triggering such as death (murder and suicide), child abuse, human trafficking, sexual assault, medical trauma, human experimentation, human slavery (pets), gun violence, trauma/PTSD/Depression and other mental health issues. These may come up when interacting with him and does play a role in who he is as a character.[ Chance at a Dance (closed to Till) ]
[Look, there are many places he’d rather be and a lot of things he’d rather be doing than attending a party celebrating the start of the King’s season. Do you know how awful you have to be to ruin an entire season? And Spring no less? The fae really seem to love their parties which would be fine if they were just parties and didn’t feel like some kind of game instead. A guy can only turn down offers of food and requests to dance so many times before the polite smile on his face starts to come apart a little at the seams.
It’s not that he’s even against dancing, he’s classically trained of course (not that he ever got to put that training to use on stage), but there’s only one dance partner he’s interested in and he hasn’t been able to find the little jerk. They’re supposed to stick together and avoid any repeats of the last party. Besides things are…good, really good right now though he’s afraid if the thought fully forms and settles in his mind it will be too good to be true.
He’s about to do another round around the place when he finally spots the head of silver hair by a table a little ways away from the gaggle of dancers. Ivan is dressed a little more untraditional for him, a touch of color, subtly revealing, but still befitting the theme of the party and his assigned court. The smile on his face when he crosses the crowd to Till is bright and genuine, a touch relieved and he leans in close to Till’s ear so he can hear over the revelry.]
I believe you owe me a dance.
[ Flower Power - Orchid & Chrysanthemum ]
[The only thing he wants to do less right now than be at the Spring King’s party is wear a flower corsage at his behest, not that any of them have a choice. The thing is, flowers already came with a lot of baggage for him and this place certainly didn’t make it better. Flowers reminded him of Till in both good and painful ways. But fine, he’ll wear the stupid corsage and hopefully avoid catching the ire of any fae for the evening. Actually, hopefully he can avoid them altogether, especially the King.
The sooner he gets this over with, the sooner he can try to find Till. Obediently, he pins the corsage on. It’s a mix of orchids and chrysanthemum and for a moment, he goes still, images of a red sky lit up with meteors as far as the eye can see. Till’s hand is warm in his and the sound of his laughter fills the night air, curling around him and taking root in his heart much like the roots of a flower, hopeful and daring to bloom. It's a sound he hasn't heard since that night.
He knows what happens next, has seen this film before over and over, been there done that don’t need a repeat but like an oncoming train, it can’t be stopped, even when he closes his eyes it’s there, bright and burning in his mind. Sure enough, Till drops his hand and it’s like being doused in ice water. Of course, of course he wouldn’t go. Of course he wouldn’t choose Ivan. It’s hard to breathe. It feels so sharp, so real that for a moment it’s disorienting, like he’s back there, a rejected kid again, choosing to follow Till back to his eventual end. Empty handed and alone.
Yet…he gets a feeling that he doesn’t have to be alone. There’s someone out there for him, someone meant for him. A soulmate. Where that word comes from he’s not sure, it’s just there in his mind like it's been implanted. He doesn’t even know what a soulmate is, has never heard it before yet somehow he’s thinking it and his is here at this party. He’s sure of it, has never been more sure of anything in his life. This person will see him for who he is and choose him.
It’s all Ivan’s ever wanted more than anything, to be seen, to belong. He has to find them.
Turning abruptly, he knocks into someone and reaches out to try to steady them and if he’s lucky they won’t fall.]
I’m sorry. Are you okay?
[ GEIS ]
un: nowhere
Does the gift of life count?
[ Wildcard ]
( Want something else? Want to plot something? I'm down! Feel free to hmu
text | un: charls (im sorry this is kind of stupid)
The gift of life as in, giving life to a child?
not stupid at all, it's perfect for him
No more like I sacrificed myself so someone could live
but [More importantly]
if giving life to a child is a gift, does that mean getting someone pregnant with a child is also a gift?
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[He almost had to grapple with the concept of mpreg. It was terrible.]
I was going to say, it would depend on if the recipient views it as a gift. Life is often unpleasant and unfair, especially if that life is unwanted.
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[Fortunately, Ivan hasn't discovered the world of mpreg...yet.]
I was going to say where I'm from life isn't always a gift or at least a good one anyway though it's usually not very long I guess.
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I am not going to discuss male pregnancy.
Then why did you claim ‘life’ is a gift? You and I know the same thing. A self-sacrifice play is just that: a tactical move that allows your allies to move forward.
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[Okay...that's not not true. Ivan has a lot of complicated feelings around what happened that he never thought he would have to deal with because he shouldn't be here at all.]
I didn't have anything else to claim as a gift I guess. It's not like I planned on sacrificing myself. It just all happened so quickly. One of us had to die and his life is worth more. Maybe it's a tactical move like you say but what it really boils down to is selfishness.
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So you’re not just a bad gift-giver, but a selfish person?
It sounds like you want absolution or catharsis by making your case. You won't get any from me. We're strangers, and
[wait a minute]
Is it the same person you were rambling about kiss scores for on the network last month.
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What? I'm not looking for anything from you. You asked me a question? I made my choice and would make it again.
[...]
Yeah, why? Does that matter?
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Flower Power. (i can be your hero baaaby)
[ Zhane’s definitely flounders a bit but it helps that a hand steadies him, not that he would have fallen over - Rangers have great balance. No, he definitely would have, Ivan is a pretty solid guy.
No annoyance here though, as the moment he regains his footing he fingerguns at him with one hand as if to banish the thought from existence. Like he has never accidentally bumped into someone before, especially in the first few days after waking up from his coma. Sometimes brains are tricky things and with all of the magic going around, this guy has definitely earned a pass. ]
Right as rain, how about you? That was.. yeah. [ But he does not stop there, he feels the need to share a little tidbit of his own. ]
You know, the last date I went on - actually it’s the only one I went on - ended badly. But keep your chin up, okay? There’s someone for everyone out there, right?
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He's certainly friendly enough. Ivan blinks at the fingerguns and then back up to the guy's face. At least he's not a faerie--or maybe he spoke too soon? Why does it feel like the guy just read his mind? Did Till run into him and say something to him?]
What--how did you--
[Another flash of memory, Till's back, Till running away and never looking back. His chest aches, tightening with the pain and grief of loss. It feels like there's a hole inside of him, piercing and hollow but he can't shake the persistent, increasing feeling that someone here, at this party tonight, is the one for him. They can fill this hole, if only he can find them first.]
I've never been on a date but...hey, do you know what a soulmate is?
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[ He looks a little guilty knowing how it would feel to have someone trying to look through his memories. These are memories, right? It seems that way, at least. The very least he can do is introduce himself, maybe that would make it a little less jarring for this guy, so he extends a hand out to him before smiling. ]
My name's Zhane, what's yours?
[ Just as Zhane picks up on his next memory, he reaches out as if meaning to comfort him but stops short and lets his hand drop. Ask first. The words echo and reverberate across his mind. He knows that feeling of searching for the other half of one's soul, even if the bond he shares with his partner isn't romantic. ]
Never? Word of advice: if you ever go on one don't be late. Soulmate? You mean like a soul bond? Yeah, sure, I have one of those. His name is Andros, he's my best friend. There's no one in the universe that I trust more. Even when we're not in the same room I can always feel when he needs me.
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You can see my thoughts? Are you magic or something? You're not a faerie are you?
[Ivan gives him a once over, a little suspicious because it's the Spring King's ridiculous party and who knows what he's going to try to pull tonight or maybe this guy is a fae even though he doesn't immediately look like one, he does have that flawless attractiveness about him that seems to be a common theme.]
Oh, thanks. I've never been on a date before but I think I would like to. I feel like my soulmate or soul bond is here at this party. It's just I have to find them first. You're lucky you already found yours. Is he here with you? I'm Ivan, by the way.
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Faerie? Me? No way, I'm nothing like those guys. Is it the face?
[ He waves a hand in the air to dismiss the thought. The last thing he would do is kidnap a group of people and serve them mini foods, they would be getting the good stuff for sure. Not just because he would be gorging on it as well. Look, he is a food driven guy. ]
Between you and me, I just went on my first one and it didn't go so well. So, I feel like I'm kinda an expert in what not to do. If you have any questions, I'm your guy. Yeah? Well, when I try to find Andros, I close my eyes, clear my mind and listen. Sometimes I can find him pretty easily but other times? Interference makes things fuzzy. It just takes practice!
Just think about them. If it's your soulmate they have to feel it to, right? You just have to call to each other. I bet they'll answer back. Nice to meet you, Ivan.
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Oh, yeah, nice to meet you, Zhane. I probably should have said that before calling your face flawlessly attractive. [Ivan frowns, fang biting into his lip. He'll never make friends at this point. It's hopeless. But if Zhane knows about dating...well, he needs as much help as he can get.]
I think I know who my soulmate is I just never knew that word before and I'm not sure they feel the same. But thanks, I'll try that. Oh--what happened? On your date, I mean. I'm good at messing things up but not so good at getting things right.
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You know, I think that's the nicest thing someone's said to me here. Hey, thanks, Ivan. [ He knows anxiety when he sees it, so he aims to dispel it. ] Aside from the whole kidnapping thing, there's good people here. I don't think it's such a bad deal.
You'll never know unless you ask them, right? What's the worst that could happen? Knowing is better than worrying. [ Oh. His date. He looks a little thoughtful then continues. ] Something came up and I was late, so she thought I stood her up. Instead of letting me explain, she kind of electrocuted me in the middle of it.
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Whatever, he's stayed to the edge and kept his distance where he can. There's a Chrysanthemum tied delicately to the lapel of the nicer outfit he's wearing tonight. Maybe it's years of being forced to go to Urak's parties dressed up somehow, but it felt weird to not at least look nice... It's stupid, he knows that but he did it all the same. A lot of habits, when they are the norm for everyone, cling to life no matter how hard he tries to shake them.
Maybe he's just still healing?
Naw, fuck that.
Still, he feels like he's looking for someone - a person that makes his heart and soul sing, that feel like the missing parts of himself that he's never realized were so empty. And then Ivan is there, smiling and beautiful as always. Till flushes at the proximity and words.
Of course it's Ivan who's the missing parts of himself. The perfect match to his tattered soul. He feels like he sees the night of the meteor shower, how he was scared, terrified, regretful, suffocating in guilt as he turned back, because it wasn't Mizi he went back for, not really, it was fear of the unknown. Fear of losing Ivan. ]
You know I'm shit at dancing.
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It's okay, I got you.
[Taking Till's hand, Ivan tugs him away from the table and out into the throng of dancers and he turns. The song is just ending, gearing up for the next and Ivan turns to Till with a nervous, almost boyish excitement on his face in place of usual mask of indifference or polite neutrality. His eyes are bright when they meet Till's and--Oh. He freezes.]
Oh--
[It's Till. Of course it's Till. Ivan doesn't feel very different, just a bone deep sense of clarity, like he already knew it was Till all along he just never had a word for it. Soulmate. What did that guy call it? A soulbond. Till was made for him and him for Till. The gaping empty hole inside of him that he's always felt, only Till can mend it and make it whole.]
It's you.
[Yet, even as he knows this with every fiber of his being, his soul saying yes, yes, I found you, he can't shake images of a sky on fire, meteors falling burning up as they fall out of the sky, the backdrop of his rejection, illuminating his grief. Except, right now, Till's hand is still in his and he grips it a little tighter like Till might let go again.]
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He should write a song about this. About Ivan.]
Huh? [Till looks around himself for a second before looking at Ivan once more.] Of course I'm me? Who the fuck else would I be.
[Not mad, just amused and a little confused, but he holds his lover's hand back just as firmly. He won't let go this time, he refuses. Where Ivan goes, he will be close behind. Not just because he can't lose the man again, can't bear the idea of him not in his life once more, ripped away, but because he loves Ivan.]
Whatever, your feet are gonna be the victims here.
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[Secretly, he hopes Till does stomp all over his feet, make them hurt and ache so he's feeling it tomorrow; a reminder of their first dance, that, that he's alive and can just walk up to Till and ask him to dance anytime he wants. Till will probably bluster and say no but loves that too, loves it just as much as the times Till surprises him. Even the little things feel like luxuries and he's not sure that will ever change.
The memories of losing Till that night, of not being chosen, of being rejected feel at odds with their bright, lively surroundings. Till's hand is warm in his yet he remembers Till letting go as if it was yesterday, leaving him standing alone under a blood red sky, watching him run away from freedom, from Ivan. He remembers the disgust, the hatred for himself bubbling up from deep in his gut, threatening to devour him whole so he did the only thing he knew how to do--he smiled and followed Till back to Anakt.
Now he smiles but it's a little different, and he wraps an arm around Till's waist to pull him close as the music slowly starts back up.]
And I know you're you. I just meant...do you know what a soulmate is?
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The word makes him blink and his brow furrow. The word feels right for what he's experiencing but he doesn't really know what it means. Not entirely...]
I don't but... Is that what I'm feeling looking at you, right now? [He tilts his head as he looks up at Ivan, curious and a bit shy.
This feels right. Feels good. Feels like it's supposed to. He belongs with Ivan. Always has, from their first meeting, that night with the meteors, everything. It's always been Ivan.]
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That depends, what are you feeling looking at me right now?
[The song that starts, drifting through the crowd as if carried on a breeze is a slow one, one for dates and lovers, he thinks. Selfishly, Ivan's happy because it means he gets to pull Till in close just like this, so close he can feel Till's body heat through the lighter fabric of his outfit. It makes him shiver and fight not to pull Till even closer.]
You look really good, by the way.
[It's still strange to see Till wearing different clothes, to see what he picks out for himself when he never really had the chance to before. The way his clothes hug his narrow waist and cling to his hips has Ivan squeezing him for good measure.
Till's right, he's not the greatest dancer but he's not the worst. It's easy to take the lead even if it's awkward and a little clumsy at first. Ivan doesn't notice, doesn't even care. All he has eyes for is Till. It feels like they're in their own world, just the two of them, the music, and the way their bodies fit and move together.]
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[That's the best way he can think of to explain it. Because that's what this is, Ivan completing Till, fitting into all the empty, hollow places that ache and bleed and weep. The wounded parts of him that have been there since he can remember. But Ivan just... fits. Helps slow the flow of agony, like one day Till will heal because he has his lover to hold him together again so he can.
Their dancing is clumsy and awkward because he has no skill in this, but Ivan doesn't seem to mind though as he leads them across the dancefloor. Saying something about how Till looks so casually. It's weird dressing himself, to have... that form of self expression in a way. He had it with his Round Two outfit, but even then, he had what he had to work with. But the feel of the spray paint in his hand as he combined Ivan and Mizi's signatures, to have the two most important people with him- Now he has so much to pick from and wear, it feels scary and exciting, like learning a new art.]
You too. The look good thing. Yeah.
[Ugh, whatever.
The song shifts to something slower, more intimate. It makes the nervousness he feels heighten a little.]
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Handwaved wrap up
flower power
"Lorcan, you have go without me."
Lorcan's glowing eyes flashed brighter as he protested. "No! They'll kill you too!" Finn agreed with a resigned chuckle. "Yeah I know." He turned to Lorcan with a look of sad determination. "I'm dead either way but if I pretend to be the mage they won't be hunting you anymore."
"Don't be an idiot!" Lorcan grabbed Finn's shirt as he shouted at him. "Your eyes don't glow like mine! It will never work!" Finn's determination didn't waver. "It will if I'm dead when they check. I'll lead them to the cliff.
The sounds of their pursuers catching up interrupted their conversation. "Finn-!" Finn pushed Lorcan into the bushes and shhed him. "Have a good life for me okay?" With one last heart wrenching smile Finn left.
Ivan's memory blended with his, making it feel like he lost Finn twice as he watched Till let go of Ivan's hand. He knew that pain. He had always been different but it was alright as long as Finn was by his side to ease his loneliness. Telling Finn his secret destroyed everything and Kai never let anyone close like that again so he wouldn't hurt anyone else.
He still longed for that connection though and his soul ached with longing as he searched for his soulmate. He wanted it too much to question it. He felt a flicker of hope when Ivan bumped into him but he couldn't. Ivan loved someone else and he was human. He would only be hurt by his magic, just like Finn. It was still nice to see him again and he pushed down his loneliness with a small smile.]
Yeah don't worry about it. You alright?
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