TEST DRIVE MEME #10

[sailmods]

a. that's where we both belong

[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.]

b. and there's plenty of that down by the sea

[it’s strange to think about, isn’t it? how all those new passengers, the ones grumbling or shouting their way through the forced muster drill, have absolutely no idea what happened just last month. no idea about the labyrinth. no concept of why anyone around them would be a bit more hesitant around shadows.

they’ll learn.

sometimes a shadow is darker than it’s supposed to be. very rarely does anything come of that; just a vague sense that someone is watching you, and little more. sometimes, though, the shadows move. sometimes they grab at your ankles as you walk. sometimes they give you a shove as you go down the stairs. sometimes they pull your hair, or pinch your arm.

sometimes you feel something sharp cut into your lower leg.

that’s not a shadow, though. that’s a fiddler crab. you see the crab, sometimes. the cut isn’t from its claws, which don’t look very intimating; it’s not a very large crab. the cut is from the large kitchen knife crudely taped onto its back. it’s probably fine. it's not chasing you. there isn't evil in its heart. probably.]

c. think I'll go back to the Keys

[one day, in the atrium, two pedestals suddenly appear. on each is a large button: one green, and one blue. pressing the blue button gives you a little treat, popping out of thin air next to you. pressing the green button sends a small electric shock through your body. weird, but, hey, pretty avoidable, right?

except, it seems to be spreading. to every other button on board.

in the elevator. on the soda machine. the arcade. your phone. the bell on Friday’s desk.]

Comments

Stella | Spiritfarer

[spiritcarer]

[A: Morning bell]

[A great many things that Stella expected for herself didn't happen, despite all her belief it would. Now, she was rising from the warm, cotton sheets of a cabin she had forsaken... or so she thought. This isn't her ship, and these aren't her handiwork. The Everlight, still attached to her belt buckle, glimmers with a ever-present radiance. So... would that mean she's still the Spiritfarer?

No time to sit and think. She had to attend calisthenics.

Stella's probably the only one here smiling as brightly as her yellow shirt. She's an A+ student. She even removes her wide star-pointed hat to let Gal place the lei around her neck. A little bow, even. She's confused, but tickled to be here.

Of course... once the lessons are done, and everyone's allowed to physically go their separate ways, Stella finally realizes something's amiss...]

...Daffodil? [She spins around, scanning the deck.] Are you with me, boy?

[B: Don't be afraid, Stella]

[You could start a fight with a poor crab with a knife strapped to its claw. Maybe it really has bloodlust after all, and the only way to sate it would be close-quarters combat.

Or you could be Stella, who is cradling the crustacean in her arms (after confiscating its knife. And now, she's petting it.]

See? Crazy time we're both having, eh? [patpat] Can I get you something? Pudding? French fries?

[C: Big Fish]

[Among the button shenanigans, and the knife-crab fights, Stella finds time to fish.

Which is to say, she's set up a deck chair near the edge of the main deck. Lounging back in it as she holds her Everlight aloft - the small ball of light shifting into a full-length fishing rod that rears back...

And - vrrrr - fires a golden string up and over the railing to the rustling waves below.

She tips her hat back and eyes the sky. It's a nice day to fish. Maybe she'll catch another tuna.]

C

[goodweather]

It's a salt bath down there, I'm afraid. You won't catch much.

[ He has a large pair of owl wings, which would explain why Stella may not have heard him coming up, even if he doesn't really make an effort to startle people. It just happens, you know?

He alights gently nearby. There are a few other oddities about him; he's got small bird talons and scales on the ends of his fingers for one, a wedding band on his left hand, and one of his eyes seems blind. A saber sits in a scabbard at his hip. But he smiles, warm and solid in the way stones in the cooling evening are, and sits down. ]

You might snag a few hot dogs if you're lucky, though. Someone a while ago made a mess that he's still trying to clean up.

[spiritcarer]

[Such birdlike grace! She didn't hear him, but the way he alights kicks up a wind she has to brace against - namely, to protect her hat.

For a fleeting moment, she imagines Gustav before her, but that was impossible. Gustav was gone, had been for some time. Never could it be said that others couldn't have wings, though. So, she tips her hat to him in a welcome gesture.]

Hot dogs, you say? Honestly, that would be one of the stranger things I've fished up. [But not the worst.] It must have been a pretty big mess.

[goodweather]

[ The wurst, you mean. ]

Yes, there’s… a lot of them down there. Like, “someone left a spilling box of infinite hot dogs in the ocean for a month and a half until someone else got pissed” a lot. Thankfully, food doesn’t go bad here—not that I’ll be having any.

[ Ew. ]

So you’re new, right? I’m Phil Connors. I’m a weatherman on most days. [ He holds out a taloned hand to shake, if she can spare one for a moment from her maritime quest for fish and/or sausages. ]

[spiritcarer]

For once, I guess I am! [Stella rises out of her chair now, letting the fishing rod shift back into its usual state - a small ball of light she sticks on her belt buckle. She can take the moment to shake Phil's hand. It's a little more important than fish.]

I'm Stella! Nice to meet you!

[And, since it's practically a reflex at this point, Stella gives Phil a very quick hug.]

[goodweather]

[ That ball of light is a curious thing, but he barely has time to process it before— ]

—Oh!

[ He startles for a moment before bringing his arms around, a hand settling on her shoulder. Not his wings, in case that’s too forward. Part of him wants to though. Who all hugs him these days? Darcy and Security, mostly, and Darcy’s about as repressed as you can get. Cassandra has twice. Erin must have at some point. Other than that…

It reminds him, however briefly, of the Punxsutawney folks. Always so bright and forward and well-meaning and patient and…

And then Stella pulls away. ] You’ve practiced that, haven’t you?

[spiritcarer]

[For her size, Stella gives great hugs. So, once she's broken off, she nods in affirmation.]

Can you tell? I was always pretty affectionate with my passengers. [Professionally so!] Everyone needs a good hug every now and then.

Of course, I suppose I'm no longer a captain.

[goodweather]

[ It's a real testament to just how long he's been stuck here, that those words in combination flick uncomfortably against something in his brain. But all Stella gets is a hard pause and a look of vague confusion. ]

... Oh, were you? What kind of vessel was it that you sailed?

[spiritcarer]

[That's a fair reaction, to which Stella takes in stride. It's not too often she really needs to explain what her profession is. Everyone already seems to know what she's doing even before she opens her mouth.]

A boat - my own. It sailed wherever I took it. But, I guess it was more of a ferry, eh?

[Whatever you call it, it was hers.]

Which is to say, I was ferrying spirits.

C

[decohere]

[a glimmer catches her eye, and Ava swims closer to investigate the golden string.

she gives it a playful tug-tug, figuring whoever is at the other end must be bored.]

[spiritcarer]

[She's got something!

Bored is far from it. Stella enjoys the calm, contemplative moments between the rest of her work, where she could cast a line out and rake in something for her next meal. Sometimes it brought in some good hauls. What's an old shoe, here and there when you could get a good-sized halibut?

So, too happy to follow this bite, Stella starts to reel it in. She's careful to avoid too much strain on the line, lest Ava feel like putting up a fight.]

[decohere]

[there's an appropriate amount of fight, because she doesn't want it to seem too easy when she allows herself to be reeled in. wrapped completely around the string, she rides it up and up out of the water.]

[spiritcarer]

[Huzzah! And to the victor...]

Another octopus? I guess I could make some squid skewer... Oh! Or calamari rings!

[The culinary possibilities are near endless. And there's so many passengers here...]

[decohere]

[oh, somebody new. and apparently hungry.]

Another?

[she's more offended by the idea that there's another octopus lurking around than somebody threatening to eat her. though she does smack at any attempt to touch her.]

[spiritcarer]

[Hungry, maybe, but there were always hungry passengers with discerning tastes...]

...Oh!

[But not so discerning that she would feed anyone a talking octopus.]

You talk? I'm sorry. I didn't realize fish around here did that.

[decohere]

Cephalopods are actually a type of mollusk. Fish are vertebrates. And there's no fish around here, except what you'll find served fried up on a plate, if you're hungry.

All's down there is barnacles and hot dogs.

[spiritcarer]

[...]

Well, sorry I guess? I was sort of hoping that the ocean here would be the same as the one I'm used to.

...Do you want me to toss you back? Even though there's just barnacles and hot dogs and all.

A

[sabigoe]

[ "Daffodil" huh? That's the name of a flower! Fio feels like she would know if someone aboard the ship goes by such a lovely name. Still, despite being a passenger for over a year, there's no way that she would know everyone's names.

A little girl with twintails approaches Stella after the drill ends. She's accompanied by a levitating teddy bear nearby, while in her arms she carries a stuffed bunny rabbit that's not-so magical. ]

Um, hello! You must be new here. [ An awkward, but friendly smile. ] Can you tell me what Daffodil looks like? I can help look around.

[spiritcarer]

[Stella was fairly good with children, having met a few during her profession. Still, a little girl, all alone here? That grabs her for a moment - just a fleeing second - before she's all smiles again.

The floating teddy is something alright.]

Hello! Yeah, I'm a new passenger on this ship. [nodnod.] Well, if you'd like to help... Daffodil is my cat, you see. He's small and super fluffy with this white fur. Honestly, he's about the size of your bunny rabbit there.

[sabigoe]

[ Fio might be alone at the moment, but at least she has quite a few reliable contacts that she can easily message on her phone if she needs the help. She's not worried about the lack of supervision. (And who knows, others might be somewhere nearby to run to her aid when she needs it.) ]

So Daffodil's a kitty! He has such a pretty name! [ She would notice if there's a fluffy white cat around. The animals that she knows aboard the boat are actually shapeshifters, though there's some that she's never had the chance to see in their true forms. Most people arrive alone for some reason... but it doesn't hurt to search around. ]

Oh! [ Introductions. ] This is Leppy. The bear over there is Judy. [ Judith. Lepus. She's introducing them by their nicknames. ] My name is Fio. I've been living on the boat for... a little over a year now. I know most of the places around here.

[spiritcarer]

[A safety net is important! Creating bonds and building those relationships leads to a better life all around! Stella does a lot of that herself, but nobody can protect themselves forever...]

Thanks! I named him myself! [Lily helped, as little sisters often do. Unfortunately, Daffodil is a smart kitty. And he should be in her shadow by now, if he was here. But it couldn't hurt to look, right?

Right.]

Hi, Leppy! Judy! [She's pleased to meet all three of them.] You've been living on this boat for a year now? Gosh, I hope the captain is treating you well.

[sabigoe]

[ She's eight years old now! But, she seems to look the same as when she first arrived. When the Captain is mentioned, she tenses up and falls briefly silent. Sorry, she's going to let someone else break the news to Stella that the ship requires the pain and suffering of its passengers to be able to run. As well as the fact that they're unable to return to their original realities. ]

Um... well... [ She's terrible at concealing her emotions. But she lifts her head, putting on a smile. They can talk about where Daffodil might be, even though it's highly unlikely the cat's around. It gives her a reason to talk about the amenities. ] We have a buffet here! Do you think Daffy might've gone looking for food? We can check around there for him.

[ "Daffy"... ]

[spiritcarer]

"Daffy?"

[...Pff. Stella's smile cracks just a little wider.] I've called him that before, too.

[Something's amiss. Stella isn't sure what yet, but that doesn't mean it will stay hidden forever. Things just have a way of reaching Stella, one way or another.]

Well, we do spend a lot of time around food... So, it couldn't hurt to check. Did you want to come look with me?

[sabigoe]

Daffy, Daffy!

[ She repeats in a singsong voice then breaks out into a giggle. Well, she's glad it's not the first time that nickname has been used. ]

Yeah, let's look together! I know the way there. [ Especially since Fio's been living here for a while, she wants to be helpful to the new passenger. ] Um... I didn't get your name...

[ So she can think of a nickname for you, Stella. ]

[spiritcarer]

Oh, that's good. I always appreciate the help. [And far be it from her to turn down a young child who wants to help her find her cat.

Plus, she doesn't really know her way around.]

I'm Stella! It's nice to meet you, Fio. How long have you been on this ship?