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



ｎａｖｉｇａｔｉｏｎ

code

Comments

dug (a dog) | up

[talkingdog]

the party

[ The thing about being a dog, whether a talking one or otherwise, is that every day is a party. Going for a walk? Party. Dinner time? Party. Your master just got home? Yeah, that's a party. This, though — this is unlike any place Dug has ever been, full of unfamiliar and exciting sights and sounds and smells and tastes, and he thinks to himself that if this is what parties are like, he might not mind hanging out here for a little while. His master will come and get him eventually, anyway.

Dug trots between several sets of legs on his way over to the table that smells most like meat, large nose high in the air as he sniffs. This is where the burgers are, he just knows it. But he can't reach them, and it's not good manners to put paws on the table. He is a good boy.

He bumps the leg of the person nearest to him, a gentle and wet boop, followed by a robotic-sounding voice: ] Hello! Excuse me! Please help me get that food!

flower power

[ The smell of the flower tied to Dug's collar is distracting. He had help putting it on after being told he had to wear one, and he still can't quite figure out why his explanation of but I am a dog and dogs do not wear flowers wasn't sufficient to get him out of it.

He sits and tries scratching at it with a hind leg. For those able to identify flowers and perceive colors on a human spectrum, it's a pink carnation. ]

I do not like this.

[ But then he starts to see things, weird things. Things that are different. Things that look like they're there, but aren't; he can't smell them, approaches them but can't touch them.

It's confusing and it's frustrating and he eventually lies down with one of those long-suffering huffs dogs are so good at doing. ]

party

[hevenly]

[ Well. This certainly is a more well behaved dog than the last talking dog that Angela knew. Still, even though he's asking quite nicely to be given the food from the table, she's inclined to deny him, given that it was laid out by fae tricksters.

But she will kneel, and pet him on the head. ]

It is for your own good that you do not partake of this food, little one.

[talkingdog]

[ Dug's tail starts wagging — a new friend! oh boy oh boy! — then quickly, abruptly stops.

He tilts his head. ]

But I am hungry.

[hevenly]

I can see that. But this food is bad food, set out with bad intent. Do you understand?

[ He can speak, yes, but how intelligent is he? ]

[talkingdog]

[ GREAT QUESTION. ]

But food is good. Food cannot be... bad? Oh, unless it smells funny! Then it is bad. But this food does not smell funny. It smells very good.

flower power.

[hasitsthorns]

[ While she's technically a dog in her own right (wolf, actually, but canine still), he will be able to smell that on her as she approaches. Her scent is floral too but milder; it also comes with a hint of something rotting just beneath fresh earth and flowers. Not strong enough to offend, but definitely enough to notice. ]

Oh, buddy, [ she coos, immediately kneeling down and extending a hand for him to sniff. If allowed, she might even give him a light scratch between the ears atop his head. ] Hey, there. Sorry they stuck with you a flower, but I can try and get it off for you? I know they're not fun.

[talkingdog]

[ Interesting. Dug sets to sniffing her before she's even addressed him, his ears flicking this way and that.

Then he sits and looks at her. ]

I was told I have to wear one. I do not understand why. I am a dog.

[hasitsthorns]

[ Gods, she's missed dogs. They exist here, sure, but none as cute as this little fella'. Look at those adorable little ear swivels and such a good sit. He is getting all the pets. ]

You don't have to, but they definitely want you to. I think it looks cute myself but I can remove it if you want?

[somoteitbe]

[ For all the animal familiars that she has gathered to assist her in her task, this canine is still quite unusual. Not only because it can talk, actually, though that is surprising as well. No, it's because unlike Hecuba it's so... rotund. Fluffy. Friendly. Hecuba was too, of course, in her own way but still a fierce war hound that looked the part.

Dug meanwhile both concerned her and yet she felt compelled to shove her face into all that soft-looking fur. How peculiar... ]

Hello, [ she answers, crouching down to be eye level with the dog. ] I don't mind helping you, but are you sure you should be eating what's up there? It might be dangerous.

At the last party, I ate something and it made me very small. I'm not sure you'd like that kind of thing, would you?

[talkingdog]

[ Despite the way his tail is wagging, Dug whines and lifts one pathetic paw in the direction of the food. ]

I do not know if I would like it. I used to be small but then I got big. Maybe I would like to be small again!

[somoteitbe]

[ Oh, that paw reach tugs at her heartstrings. But no! She must stay strong. ]

I was small once, too. It wasn't quite the same as this though. I was even smaller. No bigger than a bug!

[ Perhaps she's exaggerating, just for effect. But she had wondered if it wasn't how her spider friends felt in the moment. ]

Do you think you'd want to be that small?

the party

[delaurentiis]

[Nandor is milling around the table but notably, not really eating anything. He's just looking and pretending like he isn't repulsed by the food.

He's a little off to the side and nodding awkwardly, unable to figure out how to join a nearby conversation although he looks like he'd really like to. He doesn't notice Dug until he's being booped and he swivels away, looking horrified.]

Hey hey hey-- what are you doing, Hellhound?

LMFAO YESSS

[talkingdog]

That is not my name. My name is Dug.

[ He looks at Nandor with a big, wet doggy grin, tail wagging his entire lower half. Then he sniffs at Nandor's leg and —

Pulls back, blinking. ]

You do not smell like other humans.

<3

[delaurentiis]

I did not say it was your name, I said it is what you are. [Kind of, he still looks wary and tries to pull away when he's sniffed.

Nandor furrows his brows down at the little dog.]

And you are a talking hound and you are not shooting fire, so perhaps we are both unusual.

flower power

[in_her_shadow]

[ Lena's had her own share of flower disasters, and frankly, is in no mood to repeat them. So when she spots them on a dog (having not heard him speak earlier), her expression softens. Geez, the Fae are messed up - putting that magic on a DOG? Would even Magica sink so low?

She glances around, trying to make sure nobody sees her being this soft, before gently approached Dug and kneeling down with her hands out. ]

Easy there, big guy. Let me get that off you.

[talkingdog]

[ Dug tiiiiilts his head. This does not compute. ]

You are a bird. You do not have a collar like mine. But you are speaking human. How?

[in_her_shadow]

[ WHAT THE F- ]

Gah!

[ Despite all the weird stuff she's seen at home, this still throws her off and she begins backing up. ]

Did you just talk?! ... Stupid question, stupid situation, everything about this is stupid...

the party

[interwebs]

[ Peter's about to get some food himself when a dog suddenly bumps his leg and speaks. Surprised, he blinks at the Good Boy, immediately clocking the collar as the device allowing him to talk, if the robotic voice is any indication. To be fair, he has met a talking racoon, a talking tree, a talking turtle, and a talking horse. This isn't as surprising. ]

Oh. Uh. Yeah, sure.

[ So far, the food hasn't given anyone weird effects so Peter figures they're good enough to eat. So he takes one of the tiny burgers and hands it to this dog. ]

How are you- [ Pause, clears his throat. ] Okay, better question: where did you get that collar?

party-

[valle]

( This is

The greatest thing

To ever happen

In the history of ever

There is a dog jumping on her leg and the dog is talking and the dog asks for food with a wagGING TAIL and Laura looks at Dug wide-eyed, like a mole man's first time staring into the fucking sun. )

Oh Dios mío, sí, te conseguiré todo lo que quieras, te daré toda la comida, eres un perrito precioso y guapo perfecto! Yes, all of the food- you are a very good boy and you will get all of the hamburgers-

( But first, She Must Scritch Behind The Ears Now- )

hamburgers

[umas_second]

An what hev we here? A wee dog?


[It wasn't the first talking dog he'd met, though Dude's voice seemed more organic. Harry snatched a double handful of burgers and squatted on his heels, offering the first one.]


Here, we go. Who's a good boy, eh?

The Party. (when i say the chat exploded when we saw dug..)

[closecall]

[ Zhane is instantly smitten, this dog could chew his hand off right now and he would still get him the food he desires. But he's also intrigued by where the voice is coming from, so he crouches down to check his collar and give him a good scratch.

No one told him he couldn't spoil a dog rotten so, when he does get down to Dug's level, he has not one but two of the aforementioned burgers in tow. ]

Now, how can I say no to that? Here you go.

party

[crushtheskulls]

[Man it is such a relief seeing other animals here - animals that aren't centaurs. She's seen dogs in her world, but they usually aren't this polite.]

Oh uh, are you hungry little guy? Hang on.

[Horse picks up a burger in her mouth, frowning a little at the taste of it. But she'll lower it so Dug can take it.]

i just realized you meant for me to initiate lmao

[nothasty]

[ Fangorn sees the pup flop onto its side. He's not familiar with this exact sort of creature, though there are wolves in his forest, and this one appears similar to them. He approaches, the earth shuddering at his step, and he bends to reach the end of his limb to cradle the wolf's head. ]

Dear master wolf, I fear you are being enchanted by that flower. What is this, around your neck?

[ If he would be allowed to, he'll attempt to remove the entire thing encircling his neck. ]

the party

[toothaches]

[ Another fluffy yellow dog is standing nearby underneath a table. He's swaying on his paws and staring out at the partygoers--or rather just their legs. He sees Dug approach and doesn't think anything of it--until he talks. ]

[ Maurice's ears perk up and he walks to the edge of the undertable to stick his head out. His eyes are both wide and tired. ]

Woah, hey, are you a vampire too?

Party with a Good Boy

[iwannahelp]

FCG has seen wolves and he's seen Mr. Pock O' Pea as a werewolf, but this animal is something new. "Oh...Okay," he says cheerfully, "I can help you get some food." Once the little robot had figured out how tall the table was he'd been able to adjust his arms to reach the coin bowl when he needed some.

He uses his extending arms to grab a plate and fills it with mostly meat since he knows wolves like that. He carefully sets the plate on the floor. "Is that enough," he asks the dog not at all phased by the fact it can talk. "I can get more if it's not."