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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.
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He's only surprised by the force, which cuts him off, but not the actual save. It is a save, he'd say, even as Spike tries to make excuses for himself butting in. That's what he was looking for. Hm, an interesting person to have a fondness for Noctis but not entirely off-base. He wonders what niche from the princeling's former ragtag group of friends this one fills in.
"It's an art form I've polished quite nicely, yes," he agrees, unbothered and - Spike may be able to tell - letting him disarm the redhead momentarily. "Just ask Noctis, after all. We've had such fun before." Now he's just being an asshole.
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The voice sounds like Spike, but the feral creature before him looks more akin to a daemon than the blond tough-guy he knows. Well, without the miasma.
"Hey, thanks for the save! I owe you one!"
Regardless, he's not going to look a gift chocobo in the beak as he jumps back out of Ardyn's range, calling a weapon, the Blade of the Mystic, to hand and launching back at his adversary with a flurry of blows.
"I'll show you fun!" He spits with a fiery fury.
He's careful to maneuver around Spike, his movements short and quick; he's not going to let Ardyn catch him off guard again. But he's also not going to give the Chancelor any quarter, as he once more summons his Armiger, seizing weapon after weapon, and initiating quick successive strikes, finishing with a final arial slash imbued with the power of light.
Yeah, he's pretty pissed off now.
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"You could kill someone!" Spike scolds Noctis. Which the dark haired man my want, but Spike wanted to fight Ardyn. That's why he intervened. It's why he's staying close to Ardyn now so the other can't slip away.
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What he has in aggression though, he lacks for precision. Ardyn isn't completely unscathed by the blows but he does manage to avoid a decent number of them. The sharp end of a blade manages to scratch his face, for example, as he narrowly avoids it taking out an eye. Through it all, something that can be caught is he doesn't flinch or seem all that deterred by any pain.
In fact, even as he bleeds, he hardly seems to register it at all. "Don't tire yourself out, Your Majesty," he taunts. "The day is still young, isn't it? And I've got all the time in the world to take on you and your friend here. Why not give him a chance to dance too?"
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"That's the point! You don't know what this bastard has done!"
'Then we'll kill him as many times as it takes' Noctis' words to Prompto come flooding back to him as he looks at the Chancellor and the hits he's managed to land. Not enough. Damn it! There's gotta be more that he can do!
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Of course, Spike has the right of it. Ardyn is purposefully trying to get beneath Noctis' skin and rile him up so he's reckless. When all is said and done, it'd be very easy to point fingers towards the raven-haired boy as the problem than himself. He does so want to make a good impression for their hosts, after all.
"By all means," the man answers, not fighting Spike's guidance any but also not making it easier to move him than he needs to. He can still be an obnoxious nuisance without even trying. "You have quite a strong grip," he feels the need to point out, too. "Makes me excited to see what you might actually be able to do." It's been too long since anyone provided any sort of real challenge for the man.
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He follows along as Spike 'escorts' Ardyn away from the main event, though he does not dismiss his blade.
"And what are you gonna do?" He asks Spike, still glaring daggers at Ardyn.
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He knew somethings about humans, and some others. Ardyn was likely not human, given Spike's chip had also not caused him pain when he'd slammed into the pair. That combined with the man's lack of fear of pain or harm had Spike on alert. Didn't mean he wouldn't be fun, just meant he'd have to bring his best.
Once they were away from the potential for sharp pointy wooden objects (aka the tables)--oh and most of the crowd too--Spike gave Ardyn a shove. He kept his eye on him though, and his own posture was relaxed but ready to move in an instant. "Interested to see what you can do too, mate."
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"Most people are," he says, "even if most also don't live to speak of my capabilities." If they do, it's usually an intentional decision on his part. They served his purposes better alive than dead; it's one of the reasons why Noctis' little ragtag group of friends yet lived. Despite how annoying they could be, they were necessary to guide the king towards his rightful path.
"But I'm feeling generous since it's been a while: Why don't you make the first move?"
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Little does he know, that's exactly what Ardyn wants.
He'll sit back and watch for now, learning what he can from the fight. Wouldn't Gladio and Ignis be proud!
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He meant it when he said he wanted to fight the other.
doing rolls for this if you wanna, got a 17
He can tell that Spike was serious though and has to admire the gusto. He can keep this even, sure, but wants to keep it interesting. He does manage to avoid the kick with a quick step back. The punch seems like it will land but Spike will punch a black mist rather than Ardyn properly. "Oh, so close," he taunts, a few paces further away. Closer to Noctis, actually, and he gives the boy a roguish wink before looking back to Spike.
"Is using my shadowstep a bit too unfair? I didn't want to insult you by holding back too much."
Didn't beat it, it's fine.