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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.
He has nothing to comfort him, nothing to drown out those screams, the bitter, biting cold of the ice or the overwhelming feeling of loss. When all is said and done he acts on instinct, reaching up to clasp both hands over Stephen's ears in a fruitless attempt to stifle what he believes is the worst on the mental onslaught.
When the memory finally finishes washing over him, he lets out a breath he isn't even aware he was holding and shoots the older man a smile, unbothered by the circumstances. If anything, Zhane is borderline dazzled by the display of magic. Something like that would be pretty effective in his line of work.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Take a minute to recover." Not a peep about what he saw, this guy has already been through the ringer once. He might even be reaching to prod at the inside of the shield as if trying to work out exactly what makes it tick. Magic, tech? There is a sore lack of the latter here.
Lamely, because what do you say to a say after that, he finds himself murmuring. "I'm not the greatest cook but I do a mean reheat." God, that sounded so dumb. "What I'm trying to say is can I do anything?"
no subject
Luckily, the cloak is there to react for him. It shoves the guy away and flares out protective around Stephen until he can face this person and glare at them. Even the idea that this person was trying to help doesn't really settle the intense dislike he feels at being touched without asking.
"Don't do that again," he says holding up a finger. Stephen takes a second to compose himself and his cloak settles down again.
The question is utterly ridiculous. "It's the magic of the fae doing this. Have you mastered their magic and are able to turn it against them? That would be the only case in which you could do something."
Not the best first impression but Stephen's on edge and unfortunately, the young man is the target of his temper.
no subject
"Got it, no touching." He finds himself staring at the cloak and smiling a little, mostly in wonder. Even if he had to deal with a dark memory, at least he has someone — something — watching his back for him. Definitely something he will have to tell Andros about later. There is a bigger problem right now.
"I just got here, so no, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna fight. Since they're capable of doing something like this we need to stick together. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I was just trying to help. I thought maybe if I covered your ears the sound wouldn't be as loud. You looked like you were—" Nope, better not to finish that sentiment, so he just shakes his head to dismiss it.
What he did sounds even sillier when he says it aloud, he has a lot to learn about this place and the customs surrounding it. The only fae-like thing he's ever seen was a keychain hanging on a backpack of a girl on Earth. Green outfit, wings, blond hair pulled back into a bun.
Disney? Something like that.
no subject
"Perhaps instead of making assumptions about the help a person needs when reliving a past trauma, you ask first." Because it certainly would not have been to have hands slapped over his ears.
And he's clearly capable of taking care of himself given the glowing golden bubble of magic around them. But the man had assumed him helpless instead.
no subject
"I really blew the first impression, huh?" Zhane rubs at the back of his neck while trying to figure out a way to remedy the situation but comes up short. Something about him reminds him of Andros, maybe that's why he went about it the way he did. But he's also smart enough to realize this guy? Probably wouldn't care if he brought that up.
"Aside from don't be an idiot, if you have any tips for someone who just got here, I'd appreciate them. I'm familiar with magic but I've never seen anything like this. It's almost palpable."
no subject
"Whatever deal you're offered from our hosts, you're most likely going to lose out in the end. There is always a cost and you may not be fully aware of it at the time." It's the best advice to give and easiest.
Treat every deal with suspicion and care. The fae are experts at having things work out in their favor.