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TEST DRIVE MEME #7
1. before she hung up, she said she was a skeleton
[there is no note in your cabin. no forces stall your legs if you decide to walk anywhere but the atrium. in fact, for the first time in hundreds of years, newly arrived passengers on the Serena Eterna are waking up with absolutely no guidance. nothing but your fellow passengers in the halls - or maybe in your bed.
perhaps you end up in the atrium eventually anyway. it is where guest services is, and where Gal Friday… actually hasn’t been in a few days. until today. and she is visibly frazzled, her hair uncoiffed, her suit rumpled, something a bit like a bruise blossoming down from her hairline and over her smooth features. more papers than ever cover her desk, and when she turns to face you, her voice is as cheerful as ever, but audibly strained.]
Welcome aboard the Serene Eterna! [a pause] You know how to work a life vest, right? Everyone knows that! You don’t need me to teach you that!
[a light bulb burns out behind her head.]
… I’ll get right on that!
[freedom includes the freedom to not know what the fuck is happening. maybe you should reflect on that.]
2. grandma went and can't stop screaming
[it’s something about the lighting fixtures, this month. has the Bellona always had a massive chandelier? maybe. who knows. don’t ask questions. either way, in the stillness of the night, or day, or late afternoon, there is a noise like a cord being cut, and the chandelier plunges into the audience below.
it hits nothing, of course. no one is ever in the theater. and that, perhaps, is what the trouble is.
so, the chandelier starts to… travel, one could say. it starts to hang in various rooms: the dining halls, the bars, the clubs… sometimes, if you’re out on the pool deck and suddenly realized you’re under a shadow, you can glance up and see it suspended 20 feet above your head, securely fastened to nothing in particular and yet remaining perfectly in place.
until it isn’t. until it falls, crystal shattering on whatever surface it lands on: floor, table, person… and, wherever the chandelier goes, a lilting childish voice follows it, singing without any obvious source.]
Ring-a-ring of roses, a pocket full of posies… ashes, ashes, we all…
3. jeff bezos murdered the infinite tommy bahama
[the lights of the Infinite Tommy Bahama go out three days into October.
barely an hour after its closure, the lights go on again, and a new banner is unfurled.
physically, it is the same store. you can even see the old signs hidden behind the new ones. however, long gone are the tropical prints and khaki dress shorts. now, one can purchase any number of officially licensed or legally distinct Halloween costumes, decorations, and various other haunted accoutrements, leading back as far as the eye can see, and then farther still. is that a Gal Friday mask? spooky! well, at least you’ll be good and ready for the Halloween party at the end of the month, which is absolutely just a normal party and in no way whatsoever anything even remotely resembling a trick. there are only treats at The Infinite Spirit Halloween!
note: bahamanuel is still here! somewhere! it kinda looks like dan bongino.]
helena adams | identity v
two – this is halloween (infinite spirit.)
three – happy haunts (library.)
four – wildcard.
three.
fingers pinch at the corner of a page, turning it until her hands stop from hearing the low rumble, and a soft voice mumbling a plea. )
...
( she has a few cookies that she made in her ez bake oven wrapped in a white paper towel, still warm, and she thinks if they were eaten now that it would be nice. it'll satiate the hunger that she hears, and despite it being a small treat, at least the sugars will do more than enough, perhaps? pollux waits a few moments before closing her book, and with the five cookies wrapped together, she stands up from her table to walk over to the young girl's own before sitting.
the cookies are set down first. )
Macadamia nut?
( it's said as though she's asking if she's interested. )
no subject
What is that?
[honestly asked, innocently meant. she can tell something was set near her, the source of the smell, but grabbing for it would be the height of rudeness, particularly if it was the stranger's. instead, she offers a polite smile, hoping there will be an explanation while her fingertips rest over the word corridor. oh, would the hero make it in time to save Irene...]
no subject
It's sweet and buttery, and there's a subtle hint of nuttiness! These have a mixture of white chocolate, so the taste is divine as it melts in your mouth. Would you like to try?
( she's already undoing the paper towel wrapped around them, one side and then another until the warm sweetness filters in the air. it tickles underneath their noses, revealing the fact that they're freshly made. )
A small snack while reading makes the experience even more enjoyable, hehe.
no subject
[invited now, she's full of delight, eager to try the treat. but even so, she recalls her manners, and only takes one. small, ladylike bites can't disguise the taste, though, and across her face her surprise and happiness bloom. it's crunchy in the best way, mild and not bitter in the slightest. in short, it is a perfect treat, and it takes all her willpower to not devour it quickly.]
It's marvelous.
[in the way fresh baked things always are.]
Thank you, miss, I can't say it enough.
no subject
( an ez bake oven only allows so much, but the praise makes her smile gently. her hands press against the surface of the table once her arms cross. it fills her with absolute joy to watch the young girl eat to her heart's content, even if they're just through ladylike bites. such patience rather than ferociously devouring them down is key, and awards her with pollux's willingness to stay as it shows no disrespect and highlights her manners. )
As they are now, I do hope the rest of them will suffice for just a little while. The shortages on this vessel are a bit... unfortunate, but a helpful wind passes through every so often.
( which happens to be the cookies. )
no subject
[she chuckles, and realizes she's forgotten something important.]
I'm Helena. It's very nice to meet you.
two – infinite spirit
Is it for the occasion?
( Call it an educated guess, though Tighnari does still sound a bit unsure as he voices it. This place is stocked full of all kinds of costumes along with terrifying odds and ends, but as for him, he's having a bit of difficulty understanding why that might be. A spooky event is being hosted, perhaps? Maybe it's a local cultural thing; after all, this ship isn't outfitted in such a way that it resembles anything from Sumeru, or even Liyue for that matter. With all that considered, it's hard for him to offer any kind of meaningful advice, so he opts to explain himself instead. )
I've seen mentions of this "Halloween" around, but I'm not familiar with the event myself. You'll have to explain it to me if you want a more informed opinion.
no subject
It's a holiday, and some say it's meant to be praying for departed souls. But others say it's when the veil between this world and the other is thin, where strange happenings are bound to take place, where spirits both good and bad can cross over and meet us. No matter what, everyone agrees it's a time to celebrate.
[that doesn't explain the outfits, but she wants to give him time to take in the facts.]
no subject
( There's no shortage, seeing as almost any festival or occasion would encourage some style of dress for the occasion. Perhaps people want to blend in with those spirits, good and bad, who are coming to visit this side of the veil—or maybe it's just about embracing the atmosphere. There will be more opportunities for Tighnari to question it either way. As much as he's curious, for now, the matter at hand is that of the costume this young lady has picked out. Glancing back to where she's set it aside, he offers a nod, more for himself than his conversation partner. )
I'd say it's fitting, if a bit simple. You can always incorporate pieces from another one to embellish it too.
no subject
[he can see, after all, and better choose accessories to make it more striking. simplicity is all well and good for everyday, but for an occasion, she thinks she should recruit some help.]
Though I probably should introduce myself first...I'm Helena.
no subject
Ah, right. Sorry, I occasionally have a habit of missing those.
( Gets a little too carried away with the tasks at hand. Doesn't mean he won't though, nodding as she offers her name before returning the favour. )
I'm Tighnari. You may have noticed, but I'm rather new here. If you don't mind that I'm not familiar with it, I'd be happy to help you pick out some extra pieces.
no subject
[pause.]
You might want to step away from that machine, though. It's going to scream very shortly.
no subject
( Tighnari turns his attention to the machine she's indicated, taking a step back just in time for the thing to scream at a volume that should, quite frankly, be illegal inside of the store. At least, to him it should be. His hands instinctively come up to his ears with such a loud sound, pulling them down against his head as the ghastly scream goes off. She'd saved him from the worst of the jumpscare, but there's no avoiding the headache he's going to get if he stays in this place much longer. )
Is it always so loud here? I would think that something like this would scare away the business too.
( His puffed up tail swishes against the racks behind him as he speaks—an easy tell to his irritation. )
no subject
[the smile dims, and a frown takes its place, worry evident in her features. replacing the dress, she steps over closer to his side of things - this can wait. this doesn't need to happen right now, particularly if it's uncomfortable. he's new, and so Helena's instinct is to make things easier, since it's bad enough to be on this ship in the first place.]
My apologies, Mr. Tighnari. Let's change our plans and leave this place instead.
no subject
( She'd been the one to give him the warning after all. In any case he shakes his head, but exasperated as he might sound, it's no reason to put an end to her fun. She came here for her own purposes after all—there's no reason he should get her to end here for his sake. Instead, he glances over her shoulder, looking past her to get a better sense of how many of these things there might be in that direction instead. )
Perhaps if we go further in they'll have less noisy decorations. Usually they're meant to attract attention after all, it would make sense to focus them towards the front of the shop.
no subject
[but he's got a good idea. the moving decorations seem to be concentrated towards the front - accessories and other costumes and items appear to be further back. sure, there's music playing from the ceiling somewhere, but it's not screeching like the animatronics.]
not Spooky Halloween Ambience
This one has a good colour balance, but like I said, it's pretty plain. I suppose some jewelry or accessories could complement the style. Do you have any preferences?
( Some people have their ears pierced, while others refuse to wear anything too gaudy—the key is finding something she'll be comfortable wearing for more than a couple hours here. )
YES spooky halloween ambience
[even if she couldn't see those pieces, she could feel them, and be pleased enough. she's worn different types of outfits enough to know what coordinates in terms of feeling and what does not.]
You'll have to find matching colors, though.
no subject
( He's rather perceptive himself—the closed eyes, the cane, the subtle way she moves, he understands that there are some areas he may be able to lend his aid in moreso than others. In any case, at least there are some accessories around here too. Better yet, there are other costumes, and Tighnari figures that so long as they choose out the right one, they can adapt the pieces from it to complete hers.
So give him a few minutes, humming lightly as he sorts through the racks and the shelves, and he'll eventually turn back to Helena. )
I take it that bats are a creature that's usually associated with this holiday?
no subject
[she shrugs, since it's a mystery. they might be sweet, for all she knows - though she's definitely heard the expression about them before. they see like she does, and that's enough to make her sympathetic.]
no subject
( Bats aren't even like, carnivores really... Not in the sense that these decorations seem to be trying to sell; rather, they be out here eating fruits and bugs. There are only a rare few he's heard of who go beyond that, so if anything, that makes them a friend in his books. )
one
[ Mikoto jumps back, the thump of her heels hitting the ground mingling with the sound of shattering glass and the subsequent clinking, raising her hands to cover her mouth with wide eyes as the chandelier crashes to the ground. She's not able to avoid all of the scattering pieces, and tiny flecks of glass brush against her tights, but the damage is light enough that she's able to each down to brush the tiny fragments off.
She nods out of habit as she examines the shattered remains before shaking her head at her own foolishness. She takes another small step back, the debris crunching under her heel. ]
Yes, thank you... I would have never expected it to come crashing down like that!
[ Life is always like that though, isn't it? ]
no subject
[she frowns, but breathes a sigh of relief. damage to things can be fixed. damage to people takes more time, and she's certain the mysterious culprit wants bloodshed.]
We may as well move - I can't help but think it's dangerous to remain around here, miss. Perhaps if we go somewhere chandeliers are not?
[a futile hope, but Helena can't read the metatext, and so she can retain her optimism that going outside will be glass free and immune to chaos.]