sail_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #5

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TEST DRIVE MEME #5

1. not subtle revealings

[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! 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. a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling

[the reflections are missing. all of them. in mirrors. in television screens. on the backs of spoons. nothing looks back at you.

then, figures do show up. not your own, like you'd expect. thin, wispy apparitions, people with pleading eyes and hands, reaching out to place their palms against the surface, from their own end. faces familiar and not, beckoning, mouthing words you just can't quite make out. help me, it might be. get me out, perhaps. just until you're close enough, until your skin warms the surface of whatever it is you're peering into. and then, those same hands wrap, all too real, burning-cold against your flesh, and pull, trying to drag you through the surface, making up for their lack of strength with desperation. any flesh unlucky enough to enter the reflection comes back bone-white and cold, all sensation dead, though it will fade within a few hours.

in retrospect, it looks a bit more like they were saying something different. something more like, better you than me. or maybe it's not even words at all. they look a bit more like they're laughing.]

3. complex mementos

[but, hey. sometimes changes are good! like, today, in Playback, there's a brand-new game available for all the children to play! it's an old-fashioned sort of claw machine, the type that's so large, a particularly dedicated kindergartner could wriggle their way inside. the prizes vary, and sit loose: bags of candy, stuffed toys, firearms, painfully early-00s electronics, actually that one just looks like a dead iguana, tiny ship-branded knickknacks... like all the other games in the arcade, the game starts up automatically upon being touched; lack of quarters shouldn't keep you from having fun! pro tip: they are loaded, and they will go off if you suck at claw games and let it fall.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Uh, I think he said nanotechnology? All I've seen from him is some anti-gravity stuff he said he used for his lab.

...Why are you asking so much about him?

Because I'm familiar with a scientist who has a similar name.

[Not a lie. Just not the whole truth.]

Oh, really? And what do you think of this scientist with the same name?

[Rich folds his arms, glaring a bit at the man now. He can't say for sure, but Six doesn't seem too happy about the idea of someone he knows being on the ship.]

Why would it matter to you? It might not even be the same man.

[Keeping his face nice and neutral.]

It might not be. But if it is, I want to make sure he's safe. No matter who decides they've got beef with him.

[Rich is... decidedly less neutral, still glaring at the man, but at least he hasn't really threatened anything.]

[It's doubtful this kid could do much to him if he tried. Still, Rex didn't look like much at first glance either.]

Not the best idea to pick a fight with everyone you come across.

I'm not picking a fight! I'm telling you to stay away from my roommate. Only way it'd be picking a fight would be if you were deciding not to take my advice.

[He's still shifting back and forth on his feet, though, as if looking for an opportunity to deck the guy.]

A threat is picking a fight. Do yourself a favor and walk away.

[And Six is going to take his own advice and start walking, intending to leave. This conversation is going nowhere though, apparently, César is here. Wonderful.]

Do yourself a favour and get off his ass, you prick!

[Rich is, naturally, marching after him with the intent to catch up to him. This jerk might be talking about the same César. If that's the case, then he can't just let the guy leave without promising his safety.]

[Six comes to a stop. He doesn't face the kid.]

Do yourself a favor, kid: Let it go and walk away.

[Every muscle is like a coiled spring on a hair trigger. He doesn't know what this kid is capable of, so he's on high alert in case of attack. And if the kid is very, very unlucky, he'll meet the fate the faceless woman barely dodged.]

[The kid does not let it go. He doesn't stop coming towards Six either. His hands are curled into fists, like that's going to do absolutely anything against a guy with crazy future laser weapons, but he's blinded by anger and protectiveness.]

No! Promise me you'll stay away from him! That's all you've got to do, so why won't you?

[He gets close enough then for a strike, and after pausing to see if Six will finally answer... he takes a swing.]

[And that fast, those coiled springs release.]

[Six slips past the fist flying in his direction, bringing his free hand up to slam the heel of his palm directly into the kid's chin with enough force to slam his lower jaw into his upper one. Then he grips the kid by the throat, forcing him into the closest wall.]

[And that magna blade that he's had in hand the whole time? It comes to a stop mere millimeters away from the kid's right eye. (It took every bit of willpower he possessed not to let the blade slice through.)]

Don't. Do. That.

[It all happens too quickly for Rich to even make a sound. One moment, he's rushing forward, the next, his vision tilts and screeches to a halt as he's slammed against the wall.

He's dizzy enough that he doesn't struggle, and when he recovers his vision enough to see what's right in front of his face? He's practically holding his breath. He very well could be dead right now. He could have been murdered right here if Six hadn't pulled his punch back.

...And if that's what Six would do to a random kid, what would he do to César?

His breath comes out in a trembling exhale, and he squeezes his eyes shut as he tries to speak through the pressure on his throat.]

Then don't hurt him. And I won't do that.

[Six is deathly silent for several long seconds, that blade still hovering in front of the kid's eye.]

Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to let you go. Then we're both going to walk away in opposite directions. Because if you try that again, you might not be lucky a second time.

All right?

You literally just have to say one thing to me. Why can't you do that?

[He tries to look far less terrified than he actually is, hands reaching up to grab the arm still holding him against the wall.]

I don't give a shit how lucky I am, but you're not taking César away from me.

[There is a hot flash of anger at the kid's pleas.]

Because if they are the same César, I'm not sure what I'll do if we bump into each other. He took away something very important to me that I will never get back.

Now do the smart thing, kid: Take the deal and walk away.

That's not good enough! I don't know what he did, but if you're hurting anyone, I'll take the blame.

[He's already used to that. He's nearly died once before. Getting a couple extra months in was great, if he can't be revived. At least he got what he had been missing for a little while.

He smirks at the man holding his life in his hands, defiant as ever to orders.]

I've never been the smartest. Or all that good at walking away. You stay away from him, and I'll walk. But until then? You're not getting rid of me.

[Six pulls the magna blade away, the sword folding up with a touch of a hidden control. Still holding the kid pinned, he slides the sword up into his sleeve one-handed.]

I don't take trades.

[He then tosses the kid to one side, intending to send him to the floor.]

[Rich falls like he's expected to, of course. But within moments, before he's even really caught his breath, he's up on his feet again. He is being incredibly stupid, but he's also incredibly worried for his roommate. If anything happens after this... wouldn't it be Rich's fault for letting him walk away?

So he's running again. Like an idiot. Well aware he's going to get himself stabbed, too desperate to really process that. He doesn't try to swing at him, though, just reaching to grab Six's sleeve and hold him back.]

[Six dodges out of the way and slips around behind him, grabbing the kid's arm and forcing it behind his back at a downright painful angle. With just the right application of force, that arm will come right out of its socket, but Six refrains for the moment.]

Are you so stupid that you'll throw your life away over someone who might not even be the same César?

[Even though Six is about 90% sure it is the same César at this point.]

[He needs this kid to stop rushing him, or his reflexes are going to get the better of him. ~~Killing kids gives him nightmares.~~ Perhaps it's time to play the Big Bad Wolf.]

[He smirks, letting the expression filter into his voice.]

Or maybe it is the same César. If it is, I might take that trade after all. Torturing someone only lasts so long. Physical pain dulls after a while. Trust me, I know that better than anyone.

But emotional pain? That lingers. Especially guilt. Every day it's as sharp and fresh as the first. If it's the same César, I'll pay him a visit but I won't touch him. I'll just let him know that he's the reason you died.

[Rich yelps in pain, but bites down hard on his lip to muffle the sounds of it, not wanting to give the bastard any satisfaction. He struggles as much as he can in his position, still stubborn as ever, even if the man's words cut into his core.]

You... don't you fucking dare mess with him. If you take the deal, you wouldn't need to kill me, right? I'll back off.

[It's stupid for him to try to bargain when all the pieces are on Six's side of the board. There's nothing he can barter with, physically and mentally pinned like this.]

I... I'll stay away from you too, okay? Let's just... both end this. Don't hurt him, and we'll both stay out of your way. If he fucked with you so bad, you'd be better off that way, right?

You offered yourself up as a trade, kid. That was stupid. I offered you an out before, but you didn't want to take it. Why would I take a lesser deal if you're giving me the opportunity to make him really hurt if it is the same César?

[He applies a bit more pressure, not enough to force the limb out of its socket just yet. If the kid keeps struggling, he'll do the job for Six.]

And what he stole from me had nothing to do with fighting. He used his machines. And unlucky for you, part of what he took was a good chunk of my sense of mercy. I've done horrible things, kid, but I was getting better until the César of my world stepped in.

This isn't a comic book or a video game. People don't heroically die and come back to life to be met with smiles and claps on the back. Even if somehow you were revived, you really think your friend could ever look you in the eye again?

F-Fuck you... you're a monst-gah!

[Unfortunately for Rich, he does keep struggling, managing to twist himself in such a way that his arm finally dislocates. It brings tears to his eyes, a burning sensation searing through his arm, and God, he hopes he didn't open up any scars.]

I-I don't... I don't know what he did, but please! Just leave him alone!

[Like he has any say in what happens to him now. His intentions didn't matter. His stupid martyr complex did fuck all. All it's going to get him is a revival and... probably out of César's life for good.]

[He's one of the Numbers, Rich. "Monster" was kind of a requirement of the job.]

Feel free to ask him.

[He releases the kid and starts walking away.]

We're done here.

[And Rich collapses on the floor for the second time, but he's finally too hurt to push himself back up. He tries to brace himself, only to slip and bang his head against the floor. All he can do is watch the man walk away, disappearing down another corridor, leaving Rich to lick his wounds.

God, Watson is going to be pissed with him. He's not even going to think about César, or he'll start crying like a baby on the spot. He just props himself against a wall, fishes his phone out of his pocket, and starts the process of piecing himself together.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME #5

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This is going well. :D;;;

welp. rip rich I guess!

LOL At least this is an important lesson of not to mess with guys in green suits? XD;;;

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON, RICH

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