sail_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #9

1. tidal waves out on the sea

[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 aboard! I'm so happy you could join us!

[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. I don't know where I'm-a gonna go

[something new has been set up at Friday’s desk. there’s a sign, but it’s not advertising the next excursion, or anything familiar like that. instead, it says, in big, bold letters, SUGGESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS, with a large downward-facing arrow below it, pointing at what looks to be an empty tissue box with the word “COMPLAINTS” hastily etched onto it. there is a pile of small slips of paper and some pens next to it, and Friday cheerfully informs you that you can submit anything you like, no consequences! and it’s weird that she has to specify, but, also, she really does, doesn’t she?

and there aren’t any consequences! the Captain doesn’t come out of nowhere and dome you instantly for the slight. Friday doesn’t give you the cold shoulder or a rude remark. now, an unidentifiable voice does start reciting your complaint or suggestion, with your name attached, over the loudspeaker at full volume every 20 minutes or so. but, that’s debatable as a consequence. probably. maybe. not actually.]

3. pretty soon we learn to fly

[this was one of the suggestions. apparently. that’s what Friday will say if anyone asks her about it. and they probably will. because surely there has to be some sort of reason why the floor in windjammer is, currently, lava.

like. actual molten magma-type lava, flowing in sluggish rivers around the tables and booths, the sections of the buffet. so, maybe you decide to go eat at one of the many other fine dining establishments aboard today, or at least until the floor decides to stop being lava. or, maybe you decide that those dinosaur chicken nuggets are worth the risk of life and limb. and thus, you climb, clamber, jump, leap - a perilous and terrifying journey, knowing you are only one false step away from an agonizing death.

until you fall in. and then you realize that, no, this is not actually lava at all, for all it looks exactly like it. it’s actually barely room temperature, and strangely watery. you taste sweetened tomato paste. it’s not death, but maybe that would have been a little bit better.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ah, new arrival day. Johnny can't help but be wryly amused. A short man (under five and half feet) in a very nice suit with a white dinner jacket, he leans against a nearby wall, giving Reno a thoughtful elevator look.]

You'll be free to go anywhere on the ship after the muster drill. I can accompany you to get it over with, if you'd like. Just brace yourself, the dame who gives it can be...startling.

[God, he hates these types. They always like to stare and think they were better than him--until he stared back to the point they got uncomfortable and looked away. Never failed back at Shinra HQ. But elsewhere... the big bad Turk reputation didn't proceed him, unfortunately.

He just sneered before his reply.]

Do I need an escort? [a beat and then:] Why, what's with the lady?

[Johnny raises an eyebrow at that sneer, but remains calm. He's been on this ship nearly a year, it takes more than rudeness to faze him at this point.]

Well, she doesn't have a face.

Huh.

[That's a new one. He looked less disturbed by the idea, however, and more confused by it. Or perhaps curious was the better word. A woman without a face was a new one for him even with all his experience with various monsters, from his own world and others.

His head tilts slightly to one side and then the other before he responds with something more than a sound and an expression.]

All right. I'll admit that does sound a little freaky. So, is she some sort of monster or strange cosmic joke? I don't even know what to call that one.

The Captain didn't give her one when she was created. For a faceless abomination, she's pretty friendly, though, and sensitive about her appearance.

Muster drill's this way, by the way. [He gestures in the only direction Reno's able to go, shrugging.]

[???]

Let me get this straight: the captain of this ship made her? And also decided when he did that he wouldn't give her a face? This is exactly why I hate working with mad scientists.

[Yeah, no, not his first monster creation run-in but like he said... he damn well hated weird ass scientists and engineers that created crazy monsters and insane robotic creations. Hopefully this guy was right and this one was as cheerful as said.

With a sigh, Reno starts to move again.]

Yeah, yeah. Fine, I get it. I'm going.

From how I understand it, he’s more like a mad, inhuman magician. Most of those who’d self-describe as scientists on this ship, I trust pretty well.

I’m Johnny, by the way. Johnny Summer. I’ve been here about eleven months now. Arrived the same way you did.

[For a relatively short man, he walks fast, like he’s used to having somewhere to be.]

Great. Even better. [Killer magic sucked too, yo.] Mad scientists, evil magicians.... trust me, not much of a difference in the end. They're all a pain in the ass when they go insane snd you've got to put a stop to their crazy plans.

[Reno doesn't seem to care how fast Johnny walks; he takes his own pace despite the sauntering gait putting him behind the shorter man. He's not gonna walk fast just to get where someone else wants him to be. Least of all the captain of this damn ship. Which already seems to be worse than the Voidtrecker Express.]

Tch. Damnit! Sounds familiar. Been here, done that. Not looking forward to figuring out what this one is all about or how long we'll be stuck here.

You're not the only one who's been through it before, one way or another. There's some other folks who have familiarity with...what it means to be a prisoner, or to be taken from their home.

[He's not really counting himself, quite. He pauses, looking over his shoulder, waiting for Reno to catch up.]

You didn't give me your name. Cautious or just rude?

No, that's my partner. I'm Reno.

[He smiles cheekily. The joke was lost on anyone who didn't know Rude but the redhead didn't care. It still amused him.]

Hmm. Other people been through similar stuff to this, eh? Maybe I'll have a chat with some of 'em.

Not many, but a few. There’s also a fair number of people who understand magic better than me. My world doesn’t have it, see. But I can at least do the friendly welcome wagon thing. I have to be good for something, right?

[The self-deprecation is light, served with a smile.]

Is that all you're good for?

[Reno made a small tsk noise in disappointment. His inflection wasn't exactly the nicest when he said it either. Somethings just never changed--and Reno wasn't one to hold punches.]

I'll try not to hold it against you. [Too late.] I'll figure all that out later anyway. I've got to...

[Do the whole introductory drill bit that he didn't really want to participate in. Especially once he laid eyes on the lady Johnny had been talking about. Yeah, creepy was the least of it.

Well, here went nothing. Better to get it over with.]

Well, I mix a decent cocktail, if I do say so myself.

[He’s going to wait over to one side, while the faceless dame does her spiel. Leaning on the railing, watching the never-changing ocean. Like, he could go, abandon the asshole to figure it out for himself.

…but now he almost feels like he has to prove he’s not that much of a dick.]

That might be warranted after this. Shoulda led with that one, yo.

[Reno said as he turned back towards Johnny while still walking backwards towards his unfortunate destination. He turned back around just in time to halt before he made a fool of himself.

The Turk was bored by the end of it. Didn't matter what happened, he was tired of it. He hated it, thank you very much. Automatic reaction to rules and regulations and having to train up on them. Never failed to bore or annoy Reno half to death.

So when it was over, he was thankful to get the hell away. As he walked back the way he came, wondering where to explore first, he spotted Johnny waiting there. He looked surprised.]

Aww, did you wait just for lil ol' me? You shouldn't have~.

Seemed like the neighborly thing to do. Did you want to go grab a drink? Or--do you smoke? There's only a couple places aboard we're allowed to, I can show you to one of them.

[Food's another option, probably the smarter one than going straight for booze, but Johnny's primed to offer booze first.]

[Reno hesitated simply long enough to consider which option he wanted more than the other. Then decided that was a dumb idea.]

A drink and a smoke would go well together right about now. Lead on.

[So it's the cigar lounge, Tauva, that Johnny leads Reno to; clearly he's a regular here, from how confidently he walks in and addresses the apparently unmanned bar.]

Whiskey sour for me, and whatever my new friend wants.

TEST DRIVE MEME #9

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