sail_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #4

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TEST DRIVE MEME #4

1. you will survive being bested

[you wake up.

it doesn't matter where you were before. going to bed? dying? opening the door to face a great evil? same result. you wake up in a soft bed with starched sheets in a cool, darkened room, sunlight peeking out from behind thick curtains. maybe you're alone; maybe you aren't. maybe you immediately notice the folded paper on the bedside table near your head. if you don't, you better fix that real quick: you won't be able to even open the door before you read it.

the note itself is written in a neat hand on white card stock; there is a stylized logo of a ship with the words SERENA ETERNA printed underneath. the note reads as follows:

Dear Passenger(s),

As your cruise director, it is my great honor to welcome you aboard the Serena Eterna, your destination for fun and adventure! We know you could have chosen any cruise line for your vacation, and we're very grateful you chose ours! On behalf of the Captain, I would like to assure each and every passenger that will we do whatever it takes to fulfill all your needs and desires during your journey with us.

At your earliest possible convenience, please attend the mandatory lifeboat drill by the end of the day. I'm sure everyone is very eager to get started on all the fun and sun, but safety always comes first! You can find your life jacket in your cabin's closet; carry it to your assigned muster station on deck one, where I will take you through the drill. If you can't find me in the crowd, just look for the gal with the winning smile!

See You Real Soon!

Sincerely,
Gal Friday

you walk to deck one. you have no other choice: every time you try to step in a direction some unseen being considers "not towards deck one," you find your legs no longer move, staying stock still, frozen. whether compelled quickly by curiosity, or delayed by pure stubbornness, the result is the same, and you are left milling around with other similarly curious or stubborn people.

you see someone in uniform near the front of the crowd. she seems to be a gal, but is missing the winning smile, along with most of her other features. she seems to see you, though, rushing to your side and placing a lei around your neck with great formality. a voice, cheery but artificial, sees to come from nowhere and everywhere.]

Welcome! We're... I'm very glad to have you aboard!

[you touch the lei. rooster feathers, lotus seeds, and a carved circle of something white and hard, linked onto a silk string.

after the drill is completed, you are seemingly free to go. or, well, your legs work, now. and maybe that's as good as it's gonna get.]

2. think about how many times I have fallen

[for the most part, no one has given the elevators much thought. they've all done their job reliably and dutifully this entire time, never so much as being blocked off for maintenance.

until today, when the doors close behind you as you enter, and don't open again.

for the most part, that's all that happens. the doors can't be pried open, or broken with force or magic, and though the glass walls remain stubbornly shatterproof, you can look through them and try to get the attention of anyone outside. (Friday, down in the atrium, sees your desperately pounding fists and gives a wave, but does nothing else.) the elevators don't move... except, when they do. going up two or three stories, and then dropping, sometimes as many as five stories at a time, stopping just as suddenly.]

3. it was the easiest thing to do

["physically assaulting people is an easy way to get attention" was probably a very bad lesson for the neglected locations to have learned, but it they did it anyway.

this time, it's the sushi restaurant on the promenade, Mikabo. it turns out, the conveyor belt can go faster than one would assume. much faster, actually, with the apparently ability to stop on a dime. both of these factors have combined to create what is functionally a pitching machine, but for dragon rolls, wads of wasabi paste, and exceedingly sharp steak knives, all of which are being aimed at anyone foolish enough to walk by the doors of the restaurant without coming in.

its aim, at the very least, doesn't seem to be the best. for now. because it very much seems like it's getting better.]

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I. that was weird (narrator voice: like every other orientation known to humanity.)

( by and large, kamisato ayaka is operating on the working theory that this is the most outlandish dream she has ever had and, probably, ever will have. the other theory is much less savory and overall she soundly refuses it on principle. certain things she counts herself fortunate for, dream or no: the clothes on her back, the blade not in-hand but prepared to be at any given second, and all the diligently trained senses she's honed over the years to keep her even-keeled.

still.

she can't quite remember the last time she had such an odd dream. never, really. this ship is unlike any ship she's ever seen or read about, and the inability to do anything other than what she was told is...disconcerting. but now that she has the freedom of movement again, she finds she isn't sure what to do with it. the lei around her neck feels heavier than it ought to for what it appears to be made of, but little details like that must be tucked away in favor of the more immediate and direct question: what now?

not prone to clumsiness, it says a great deal about how unsettled she is that she bumps into the person coming around the next corner she takes. her response is to both reach out for that person to make certain they do not fall as well as to say, )

My apologies. I was not paying attention as I ought to. Are you unhurt?

( as slight as she is, one might be caught off guard by how strong ayaka is, and depending on the stranger, the surprise and the unintentional force could easily send someone stumbling. when she looks at them, her gaze is kind and as apologetic as her words, the gentle downcast to it all equal parts respect and poise. even if it is a dream, never let it be said that she fails to at least conduct herself with the behavior befitting of the kamisato clan. )

II. people in glass elevators shouldn't throw...anything, probably.

( of mechanisms such as this, ayaka has only seen ones made of wood. the glass is a curious choice. she questions its strength, but someone or other assures her this is the way she wants to go. she trusts them with a grain of salt, that she can simply get off if she changes her mind at the next floor.

not so of course.

the first time it drops a few floors, it is her training and instincts that allow her center of gravity to shift with the plummet. her timing of a soft upward leap, air crystallizing beneath the soles of her shoes, is such that when the lift jerks to a stop, ayaka lands neatly. even so, her heart is in her throat, eyes darting widely as if to discern the cause; unable, of course to find it.

not prone to panic, but a few more repeats of this rather than causing her to panic, are starting to make her feel...ill.

the next time it stops, as it seems to not jettison off again blessedly, she knocks on the glass as hard as she dares. she does consider simply breaking through it, but this place has so-far proven outside her realm of knowledge. it wouldn't do to cause it to behave even worse. so she bangs her hand against the glass harder. )

Excuse me. May I ask your assistance? Please...

( despite the repeating scares, her tone is level and her volume gentle. the main tell of how she truly is doing would be found only in the slightly wan nature of her complexion, the pallor of someone who may or may not be about to be quite sick but is trying against all odds, to hide it. )

III. this is what all that swordsmanship is for, right?

( of all the things ayaka might have thought she would use her training for, defending against a bizarre machine flinging food and condiments was not one of them. so much for predictions of course; because here she is. the wasabi is nearly as concerning as the knives when it nearly goes for someone else's eye-level. part of the time she uses her cryokinesis to simply freeze things before making impact. but the machine is a machine and ayaka, despite all her years and discipline, is quite human. it grows tiresome. she looks for an opportunity to simply shut down the apparatus, but it is hard to pinpoint with so many knives and dishes being flung out. not just at her, but anyone else daring to even stop to inquire much less truly see what goes on.

and using kamisato art soumetsu feels a bit extreme. it wouldn't just take out the machine, it would take out the restaurant at its mildest. modest whirlpools of blizzard activity tend to do that.

so no.

with a soft sigh, ) Kamisato art: Hyouka. ( she draws her fan at the same time as her blade. a rush of upward cryo energy freezes everything in place, and hopefully the machine too, but not before three stray knives arrow out towards her at the same time. )

[It's certainly good to be back in clothing of his own choice once more, and Ayato can confidently say he doesn't miss those accursed little shorts in the slightest. It's also nice to have the small comforts that being aboard the ship provides in comparison to roughing it out in the woods, despite... Well. The Serena Eterna often feels a bit like a glorified prison boat, though a gilded one all the same.

He's on his way indoors, aiming to spend his afternoon in the lounge and admittedly not paying enough attention to his surroundings either. She collides squarely with the center of his torso, and there's only a split second of indignant surprise before recognition takes over at the sight of her silvery hair.]

Ayaka--! [He cant help but feel equal parts relieved and concerned at seeing her here. It's enough, he decides, to know that she's alright. That she's safe. Besides, the matter of escape will certainly be easier to deal with now that they are once more reunited; separate, their skill in battle is all but unmatched. Together?

The captain better begin to sleep with one eye open.

Ayato has never been one particularly prone to physical affection, but given the circumstances he's not overly concerned with decorum or public images right now. He's wrapping his arms around his sister and pulling her in for a tight hug.]

( with no clarity as to the rather extreme situation she finds herself in, the word 'escape' has not yet crossed her mind. up until now, she held onto the hypothetical of it being a dream. but she knows ayato; no simulacrum of her dreams or otherwise could fool her from the clinging presence of clean water around him, the way others taste or smell specific weather or the wane of light. this is one of a few unique ways ayaka can face this person and know she is not asleep. her hands, briefly having reached out to catch him if he fell before she realized who he was, begin to pull back, just her fingertips brushing his sleeves when she finds herself drawn in. )

Oh!

( soft intonation, easy to miss, easier in fact to miss than to hear. it takes her only a moment's fraction to slip her arms about him in return. when she holds him, she holds him with all of her; not just her arms, not just the quiet lean of her head to his chest where his heart beats most surely, but with her own heart as well, brimming with questions. where are we? how did you get here? it feels as if it has not been as long for me as it has for you...how is that possible? and, again, in a newer, more secret context: are you hurt?

for all that her vision imbues cryo, ayaka herself blooms spring: the small clouds of sakura each a lively flurry of homage and care to the things that matter. in this instance: her family.

they do not often embrace. )

I imagine you will tell me as much as you are able — what is going on, and how it has come to be so.

( her words tiptoe not as on glass but as the thoughtful ripple of a dropped stone. she finds it comforting though: how even here, even all out of sorts and beyond realm of ordinary explanation, her brother is still her brother. and that is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, as good a place to start as any. )

[It is easy - for a moment - to dream and think of older days. An age long past, when she was small and fragile where she is now... Still small in comparison to he himself, certainly, but strong in both conviction and the skill of her physical prowess. When lessons in governance were merely lessons and not occupation, and his afternoons could on occasion be free enough to allow him to make trips down to the beach with his sister's small hand securely within his own, Thoma at their sides.

Back then, when his only true duty had been to play the part of the doting elder brother, to put her wellbeing above his own whenever they strayed too far from the watchful gaze of their mother and father. It was a profession he was still well versed in to this very day, of course, although the nature of his protectiveness had shifted to accommodate her own growing strength.

Ayaka did not require his guardianship any longer, but he would offer it to her all the same.

It's only at her words that he finally makes the move to draw back, the soft-simmering joy on his expression at seeing her here once again hard to miss despite the usual guarded way he keeps his emotions under wraps. A hand lingers on her shoulder, giving an affectionate squeeze.]

Of course. Rest assured, I remain just as thorough in my briefings as always, though such tales will beg the need of a little suspension of disbelief. The situation is rather... Will you walk with me?

[He inclines his head to indicate the direction he had just came from; towards the outside deck of the ship, where the view of the waves and the cool sea breeze might soften the blow of information.]

( to say they are not affectionate would be inaccurate. to say that physical affection is on the rarer side as they have grown up, would be closer to the truth. the way of the three most common faces in the yashiro commission, has long been to not ask for too much of each other. whether this is in their daily works' additions or the way they behave together, it amounts to the same: you may give me what you can and i will not ask of you more. still, to be embraced finds ayaka also time traveling. once: when she successfully caught a goldfish at a festival and told her brother it was for him because they were both pretty. another time: the mourning hardly done but the work and politics demanding they move on anyway, the rain unrelenting and bringing no blooms to speak of. and: the three of them reunited after a large-scale scare in which ayato, ayaka, and thoma had all feared the worst for the other, only to come to the same point of intersection and find each other in quite good health indeed.

strange times, the near-fall and the then inarguable rise of the kamisato clan and the yashiro commission therefore.

stranger still, this inexplicable arrival to something her brother promises to shed light on.

but his hand on her shoulder is warm and familiar and true. the soft glow of her expression is not at all hidden even as she inclines her head equal parts respect and attention. )

"Rather", ( she does not quite chirp, echoes gently, takes her brother's arm and follows his lead. what misgivings she possesses about all of this are not put to rest but rather aside to make room for his explanation, generally soothed by his presence in a way she suspects she should not be but some things can't be helped. ayato's presence will always bring her comfort. a sense of home, wherever she is. ) I await your story. ( her voice softens at the sight of the water. she has the sense she should be wary. but it is beautiful, regardless. )

Complex. [He finishes his prior sentence at her prompting, eyes flitting upwards to watch the clouds pass overhead. Clear skies, as always. He's beginning to miss the rain, longing for the crackling feel of electricity through the atmosphere. Save for the odd occasion that they play the captain's game and participate in various shore excursions, the whole world feels like nothing more than a stagnant pool erected around the Serena Eterna's hull. Unchanging, ever the same.

He's quiet for a moment, debating on where to begin. He knows his sister, and in turn knows that Ayaka would believe him no matter how he delivered the news. He wants to make it sound coherent all the same, wants to make it as easy to digest as possible.]

You are... Aware of our mutual friend's travels through distant lands, yes? Has she ever spoken to you about traversing different worlds as well?

Not in-depth precisely. I am of course aware she carries the climate of the stars the way you weave the immediacy of water, as natural as breathing.

( her words are measured with their steps, each imbued with a grace that for ayaka was learned and instilled with conscious care. these days, it does come as a sort of default behavior, but it wasn't always so. that her inclination even as a child was towards dance, perhaps helps; there is a gracefulness in that too, albeit one she fancies with more freedom than tea ceremonies or social constructs.

where they are now, wherever this is, however, she is already surmising such things will hardly be their primary concerns.

still...the soft tilt of her head is equal parts thoughtful and questioning. )

But I had believed this to be something special to the traveler. Her light is...

( ayaka trails off, the mildest of pinks in her expression. it is hard for her, despite her education and her endeavors, to describe the rather different experience of meeting and befriending the one whose family yet remains unfound. she tries not to think of the dance in the forest and then, thinking of it, unfolds her fan as a sort of absentminded thing to do. )

... well. I did not expect it to be something we, ourselves, would find in our abilities. Am I right to gather this was a miscalculation on my part?

( the answer is of course yes, but she hopes her brother has more to the explanation, gets the sense he is easing into it out of careful thought and courtesy both. her hand still on his arm, tightens only for a moment, as if to check that he is real. )

[His eyes study her expression as she trails off, the corners of his mouth giving the briefest of twitches upwards in amusement as she proceeds to fidget about with her fan. He was sure upon seeing her, of course, but if he had possessed any doubts regarding her existence as an actual person and not merely a cruel illusion... Those are long dispelled.

Mimicry is a skill, but even so he doubts anyone could properly capture Ayaka's fond affection for the Traveler with such an accurate portrayal.]

Not necessarily. While we ourselves are unable to do so, it appears our traveling friend is not the only one who possesses such abilities. This... vessel. [The infliction in his tone turns almost disdainful.] Seems to exist upon some separate form of reality not quite adjacent to ours. From my own prior conversations with others, [thanks ebalon] it's become clear that the entity in charge of this plane is the captain of the ship, and he is responsible for stealing away all the passengers from their own respective worlds. Ours - evidently - included.

[His free hand moves up to cover hers where it grips his arm, giving a reassuring squeeze.] I myself have been here for roughly... Two months, if my math is correct.

( the shock on her face is only rivaled by the surprised noise, a sound she surely has not uttered since childhood or perhaps ever. )

Two months???

( her mind immediately traces back to seeing ayato not a few hours ago. yet his word is as good as any law or better to her; she believes him. it only stands to reason that they are dealing with a confusion not only of location but of time as well. concerning. but when she thinks of the traveler and all she must have seen and experienced, it is not difficult to conceive of or even accept. it is only that, as the information settles and roots with the care of relevance, her brother has been here, not 'alone' but...alone.

over their life together, a word like 'home' became quite specific, but so too did words such as 'alone' and 'together' and 'lonely' and 'here'. words which in a different arrangement or from someone else will always mean vastly different things, and yet to ayaka it is simple enough.

ayato. thoma. taroumaru. their people.

two months.

and knowing her brother, cut off as it appears this place may very well be...

she neatly folds and hides her fan so that she may lay her hand across ayato's, perfectly having him in her hold now as she stops their quiet little walk to look directly up at him. she will never be their mother, nor their father; she will never be ayato either. she cannot be anyone but herself. but. each of these people exists like a season, and maybe a heart has chambers but a soul has windows. sometimes, depending, she might look closer through one or the other to understand something. about her brother, she knows so much of what he's done and built and sustained comes from hard work visible and not. to have even his 'eyes' taken, to not know...

when she smiles, it is soft and it is years, and it is the stray snowflake that catches on your eyelash, crystalline and not without purpose despite its fall. )

I am so sorry. For what it is worth, from what I last remember, everything has been going well. Small and large things are constantly afoot but of late they all seem to deal with recovery and rebuilding. There is little need even in the longest shadows, for as much as our commission might have dipped their hand in the past.

( please do not worry, not too much.

and, )

Just a few hours ago, I was able to say hello to one of my favourite scenes: another game between you and Thoma. I confess I am surprised though, brother; you were losing.

( then her smile brightens, almost playful. )

I don't expect it is in your nature to go easy on your opponents, however.

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TEST DRIVE MEME #4

ayaka | genshin impact

I. (gonna say this is after he gets back from camp so it makes sense shh)

me flying blind thru my ghost tears nods

me rn like https://tinyurl.com/bpavepem

why is that picture of me so accessible

damn haku havent you heard?? youre all over google ig

ig i'll consider it a public service to the reaction image banks

aghafdgf thank you for ur service

my pleasure. also flops in late with milk tea!