TEST DRIVE MEME #7

[sailmods]

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.]

Comments

[crushed_pearls]

"Cool, progress. Which side of that beat-down you came here with was he on? I can arrange for him to meet us where the food is and you can let him catch you up while you also get some food for all that blood loss, and then y'all can go find a doctor or something 'cause what I just did there is just to stop you from dying."

C'mon youngblood.

Erin's ears twitch in anticipation and faint worry.

[glassaxolotl]

"He was on my side. ...I would like to see him. Please."

[crushed_pearls]

Erin visibly considers those words for a moment before she nods. She makes a 'stay here' gesture with her hand before moving Some Distance away to have even the semblance of privacy while she whispers a speech-to-text message to Dimitri:

Dimitri. Please drop all non urgent activities less important than someone dying and proceed immediately to the buffet. Good news incoming I believe. Realize I am a giant fucking hypocrite to say this given that I never use one but please also bring your travel buddy just in case but repeat pretty sure this is good news.

This accomplished she waves for Dedue to follow her as she Leads The Way.

[prince_of_beasts]

Um.

to Erin:

I'll be there as soon as I'm able

to Darcy:

Erin just asked me to meet her at the buffet. She said it's likely good news, but told me to bring backup just in case. I know things are

Strained between you, but you're the person I trust most

I can meet you at the deck six elevators

[saltwaterlungs]

if theres a chance i get to punch erin im in

And she's there at the deck 6 elevators whenever he arrives.

[glassaxolotl]

Dedue observes Erin whisper into some tiny box, possibly also magic.
Then she seems ready for him to follow her, and so he does.

[prince_of_beasts]

Shortly after Darcy arrives, the elevator doors open again. Dimitri steps out, gaze darting uneasily, hand resting loose on his sword-hilt.

"I don't know what she wants," he tells Darcy as they head towards Windjammer. "She hasn't said anything more. I'm not terribly concerned, but ... " He trails off. After October, it's hard to trust that anyone's themself. The possessions seem to have stopped, but how certain can they be?

Suspicion along with every other thought flees his mind when they cross into the buffet. Even at a distance, at a bad angle, he knows that silhouette anywhere, as surely as his own shadow. Dimitri freezes in his tracks. His throat ties itself in a knot, but his voice escapes despite itself, small and strangled --

"Dedue?"

[saltwaterlungs]

"I think she just likes being dramatic," Darcy huffs, following close at his heels. Concern crosses her face when he goes quiet and freezes, and Darcy gently tugs on his sleeve, the whisper too soft for her to hear.

"Hey- Miti, what's up?"

[crushed_pearls]

Erin waves from the table, her own plate loaded with sweets. "Dimitri - aaand Darcy, alright, guess that's happening. The polite gentleman here says he knows you!"

Erin indicates Dedue with both hands, like a saleswoman.

[glassaxolotl]

In the midst of holding up a spoonful of fish soup (which is about all he can handle right now), Dedue freezes the second he hears that voice.
The spoon drops back into the bowl.
He doesn’t know what to say. It may not be safe to greet His Highness by title, and he is not capable of doing anything else.
“...It is good to see you,” he finally rasps.

[prince_of_beasts]

It's not.

"Dedue -- "

It can't be.

"Dedue?"

This is a dream. Or one of his visions. Dying broke something in his mind he hadn't known could break; or he's in the void the ghosts had spoken of, hallucinating as he fails to process utter nothingness --

"DEDUE!"

Dimitri breaks into a run.

He skids to a halt by the table, hands fluttering, afraid -- but when he rests a hand on Dedue's shoulder, he's solid, real, flesh and bone. "You're here. You're really -- you're hurt!" he cries, registering the bruises, Erin's bandage-work. "Were you attacked? What happened?"

(Tw for violence and mental illness stuff)

[glassaxolotl]

This Dimitri is not the one he last saw. He can very distinctly remember the wild eyes, blonde hair matted with blood, the bruises, the raving about how That Woman did this, how he must repay the dead by spilling her blood, hanging her head from the gates of Enbarr...

This is not that Dimitri. But even so, when His Highness touches his shoulder, Dedue knows the reason why and he knows right away that this is just as much Dimitri as the one he was willing to die for.

“I am here,” he confirms.

He doesn’t know how to answer Dimitri’s question about his injuries. He can guess the kind of guilt spiral that would happen if he told the truth. “It is of no concern. Erin helped me.” Which he knows most likely isn’t going to fly as a response but he really hopes will end that line of questioning.

Re: (Tw for violence and mental illness stuff)

[crushed_pearls]

Erin stands, smiling softly; they do know each other, and clearly this is someone Dimitri cares about a lot. She made the right call.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Erin tells Dimitri. "I've got him well enough to not die but your boy here is the walking wounded, not fixed. Figured he could see you, get a meal, and then y'all can find Tendi. Y'know he tried to give me the "don't burden yourself with me" routine? Gave 'im the basics; he's stuck here with us, vassalage isn't practiced on this ship, food's free, don't walk into the infinite store because of Bahamanuel, that kinda thing. You two catch up, yeah? I'll stick around in case you need another shoulder to march him to the doctor."

There we go. Erin trots over to stand near Darcy with her food, feeling warm and accomplished. After a moment she offers her plate towards the girl to be polite.

[saltwaterlungs]

Erin's plate is shoved back towards her with the tips of Darcy's fingers and no small amount of force. Hey remember that argument they had about food?

"So this is Dedue," Darcy offers the faint ghost of a smile at him, "Nice to actually meet you, Dimitri kind of never shuts up about you."

[prince_of_beasts]

"Darcy!" Dimitri protests, face heating. "I don't -- it's not -- " He'd be more convincing if he wasn't blushing progressively deeper, or if he could turn away from Dedue. He huffs. "What's wrong with telling my friends about someone I care for?"

[glassaxolotl]

If you look very carefully, you might be able to spot the tiniest trace of a smile that forms at the corner of Dedue’s mouth.
“This does not surprise me,” he says to Darcy, though he is also looking fondly at Dimitri.

[crushed_pearls]

Erin takes her plate back with a 'hey' kinda look on her face and mutters, "I was bein' polite," under her breath. A roll covered in enough honey to kill a man is selected for Consumption while she smiles at the scene before her.

At a much more audible volume: "I should hope not. That boy may be the most forthright person aboard SS Hellscape, which is saying something considering the competition for the title in this room."

[saltwaterlungs]

Another glare leveled in Erin's direction, but thankfully Darcy has something entirely more pressing to address other than her disdain for the woman.

"Nothing's wrong with it, I just figured you should know. 'Oh I miss Dedue so much', 'Dedue is so strong and amazing', 'I wonder what Dedue would think of this'-"

Any second now she's going to have something thrown at her and she's accepted it. This is her right as Dimitri's friend to bully him about this.

[glassaxolotl]

At Darcy’s imitation of His Highness’ praise, Dedue’s eyes dart away and his cheeks darken. He puts a hand over his jaw to hide the effect.

[prince_of_beasts]

"Darcyyy," Dimitri whines, demonstrating that he can, in fact, turn redder. He sinks to his knees in the interest of folding his arms on the table and burying his face in them. How could you do this to him, Darcy. He thought you were his FRIEND, Darcy. Deception! Disgrace! Betrayal most foul! "I don't sound like that," he grumbles, because he can't deny it, either.

He tilts his head to the side, exposing one eye to look up at Dedue. "I promise I'm not that bad," he pleads. Mumbling, he adds, "Anyway, it's all true."

[crushed_pearls]

"...Were y'all like, betrothed in the service of that prince that Dedue was talkin' about?" Erin asks casually, between bites of her food. "I'm getting real betrothed vibes."

[saltwaterlungs]

"Gay," Darcy coughs. But hey, it's not like she isn't happy for him.

Even if this means functionally losing her best friend here.

Still, the Prince part is Dimitri's story to tell, and she shrugs.

"You do sound a lot like that is the thing."

[glassaxolotl]

“No,” Dedue frowns, trying to push down all the intense feelings that brings up for him.

“We have both served under His Highness’ name for many years.” This is not the truth but also not technically incorrect.

He adds, “A Faerghan noble and a man of Duscur would not be betrothed. That is not done.” He says this as if it is a simple fact of life.

[prince_of_beasts]

Dimitri didn't know he could feel this many emotions at once, which is impressive given how many emotions Dimitri feels at baseline.

Dedue makes a far more graceful save than he could have managed, though even in passing Dimitri flinches at his title. Goddess -- if they only could talk in private -- though in a rare moment of social foresight and an even rarer moment of caring, Dimitri is not going to make a fuss about going off alone with Dedue.

When he feels less like he's about to catch fire, he straightens, at least enough to pull his nose out of his elbow. "... yes. It's ... " Hard to look at the other two. Instead, he explains to Dedue, "Erin and Darcy are trustworthy. I've told them a little of what happened in Duscur, though not all, and I've tried to leave to you the parts that are yours to tell. You don't have to explain any more than you wish to."

[crushed_pearls]

"Yeah. I won't press you for details here but. Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but Duscur is as far from here as Faerghus is. Y'all could literally just get married and no one from home would either notice or care." A little, philosophical shrug. "Silver linings, youngbloods. The things you didn't choose for yourself can be left behind."