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

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."

[saltwaterlungs]

Darcy elbows Erin in the side, because that's too far and she should know it.

"You can ignore pretty much everything Erin says pretty comfortably, don't worry about it. Should we get Dedue to the infirmary first, or find somewhere more private to talk?"

[glassaxolotl]

Dedue’s face is cold as he glares at Erin. “...Do not say that.”
He means it as much about Duscur as it is about Dimitri.

He glances at Darcy. In a quieter voice, he adds, “Infirmary. Please.”

[prince_of_beasts]

Goddess, they're going to have to talk about that. What can Dimitri even say? When he hasn't yet reconciled it himself? When he'd had time to adjust to the separation before learning it was permanent?

Later, though. When they're alone. For the moment, Dimitri gets to his feet, offering Dedue his hand. "The infirmary's on the lowest deck. I'll help you there."

[glassaxolotl]

Dedue takes Dimitri’s hand and pulls himself up. For a moment, his bad leg gives out, and he stumbles against Dimitri’s side. “I am fine,” he says quietly as he stabilizes himself.

[crushed_pearls]

"Don't worry, the doctors here are top-notch," Erin assures Dedue. "Go on, get well dude. Amazingly enough this ship is full of the kinds of folks who'll try to help."

[saltwaterlungs]

"And people who will make things worse without thinking," Darcy snaps, giving Erin a small shove on the chest and leading the way out.

[prince_of_beasts]

Is it bad, that this familiarity is almost comforting? Dimitri huffs and wraps an arm around Dedue's lower back. "You're obviously not. Lean on Darcy, if you like, but let someone help you. You know I can take your weight."

[glassaxolotl]

The arm around Dedue’s back sends a rush of butterflies through him.
“Mm,” he nods, too overwhelmed by everything that has happened to fight anymore.

[saltwaterlungs]

"I'll get the doors," she offers, and does- darting out ahead to hold the doors for them. She keeps her eyes averted, because they don't need to feel more seen than they already are; either of them.

"Just down this way and to the elevator, you should be able to get yourselves the rest of the way."

[prince_of_beasts]

"Thank you, Darcy. I can properly introduce you later." Dimitri offers up a wan smile. He's more concerned with Dedue, who he'd expected to argue over accepting his help. Supporting him is no effort at all, but Dimitri can feel how heavily Dedue is leaning on him, and it frightens him. Erin had said she'd saved Dedue from bleeding out; Dimitri has to wonder how accurate that is -- if he could have lost his companion without even knowing he'd arrived. (Part of him, paranoid and mistrusting, wonders if Erin is herself; wondered if she'd attacked Dedue to rescue him and manufacture good faith.)

Still -- it's comforting, and it revives something warm and fragile in his chest, to have his companion pressed up against his side like this. Even under the circumstances.

He wants to ask Dedue what happened, but that's far from their greatest concern. He's content to make the trip to the infirmary in silence, though he bristles, glaring and on edge, at anyone they pass.

[glassaxolotl]

Dedue nods in thanks to Darcy and leaves with Dimitri.

They walk in silence for some time. Dedue knows Dimitri well enough to know he’s absolutely wondering what happened. But Dedue doesn’t know how to talk about it. Just the idea of opening his mouth to speak the words feels draining.

Instead, he finally says, voice cautious, “Erin believed you were a knight. Is it unsafe to refer to you as Your Highness here?”

[prince_of_beasts]

Dimitri flinches at his title. It's been months since he's heard it spoken, and it feels like a manacle around his neck, like a familiar cage to a neglected dog.

"Not ... unsafe, no. When I first arrived, I feared it might be, but that wasn't the case. Quite the opposite. Did Erin explain that the passengers here are from different worlds? We're the only two from Fódlan here. In most of them, only a few nations have kings, and their power is greatly diminished. Some worlds don't have kings at all. I don't have any authority here. 'The prince of Faerghus' means nothing to people who've never heard of it."

Dimitri looks up at Dedue, pleading.

"I don't want them to know me as a prince. It doesn't matter to them. I don't want them to think that I think it should matter. I -- I can have friends here. It may be selfish, but ... I don't want that to change."