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TEST DRIVE MEME #3
1. you're the only one you owe (GUEST STARRING:
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selenokinesis and creepyoldguy)[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 Passengers(s),
You'll be unable to leave your cabin until you read this note. Congratulations on making it past the first step. Keep reading if you wish, as I have information to share with you, as a fellow passenger stuck aboard this ship. Or don't continue reading, and burn the note. I'm not particularly invested either way, especially if you choose to throw away valuable warnings.
Watch out for the Captain.
Be cautious what you sign up for.
If you die, you'll come back to life eventually, though I would recommend you try not to die.
Your life is the Captain's plaything.
Do not think for one moment that someone isn't watching you.
With that aside, I am now contractually obligated to tell you the following: You will find a life jacket within your cabin's closet, and you are required to bring it with you to your assigned muster station on deck one. A companion and I will take you through the drill. If you cannot find us, look for a tall male with white hair and blue eyes and a friendly-looking man with unkept brown hair and a winning smile.
Respectfully,
Moon Master Ebalon
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 two people standing at the front of the crowd: an exhausted-looking man with white hair who seems rather displeased that he's been roped into this, and a man with a wide grin, bright green tips on his hair, and amber eyes. the latter is waving cheerfully, having an armful of leis. he quite happily puts them around people’s necks and while they’re distracted, attempts to dip them into a kiss.
as he’s basically a walking corpse, and smells like one to boot, it’s not exactly hitting the jackpot. but, he does at least listen to the word “NO”.
the tired-seeming man ignores this and announces over the drone of chattering passengers like yourself,]
Welcome to the Serena Eterna. Do try to enjoy your stay here; it is rather permanent in nature, huhu.
[and from next to his companion, the… er, overly-affectionate man who sounds as though he smokes ten packs a day rasps,]
You’re all doomed!
[you touch the lei. rooster feathers, lotus seeds, and a carved circle of something white and hard, linked onto a silk string.
after the duo complete the drill, you'll find that your legs suddenly obey your command, for what that's worth.
welcome aboard, passenger. we hope you enjoy your stay.]
2. one by one they'll do you in
[it starts, as most things do, with a table lamp. floating down a hallway, or the length of the promenade. ambling at a distinct clip: one-two-three-KICK, one-two-three-KICK.
and that's... not immediately concerning. after all, things float around here all the time; usually plates and drinks, but maybe the shades want to mix it up a bit. the lamp is alone for about a half hour before it is joined by others. a pillow. some knickknack from the ship store. Friday's clipboard. an empty vodka bottle. all have lined up, one in front of the other, and lead a procession snaking around the ship, growing with each passing hour. anyone familiar with the concept would begin to recognize it as a massive conga line.
there is a small chance you will want to join of your own free will. most likely, you will not want that. this does not matter: something compels you, like pins and needles in your feet, to join the dance. and once you have joined in... your body fights your mind on the subject, even as it grows more and more tired.
you pass by a familiar face. they could help pull you out. or you could pull them in.]
3. the price of vice foretold
[the scent of citrus and coconut rum hangs heavy in the air. there is a new storefront on the promenade, tucked between Sand Dollars and John's in a place where you are very certain there was not enough space to tuck a store before.
the clothes for sale are... a lot. like, a lot a lot. but, there are quite a lot of choices, though they do seem to repeat a little, once you've gone in far enough. in fact, even if you actively attempt to find it, you can't seem to find the back of the store. you can see a wall, sure, but it never seems to get any closer, even as you walk towards it.
be forewarned: the infinite tommy bahama does not have food or water.]
no subject
[ Does he seem excited? Yeah, okay, maybe he is. But, look, Jeff's just happy he can admit he's totally lost to someone who doesn't seem like they'll get all judgy about it. ]
It's like... I didn't know this store was so big, you know? [ He looks around, almost awestruck. ] It didn't look so confusing from the outside...
no subject
[ He means, he’s pretty sure it’s ghosts who are doing all the weird poltergeisty stuff with the plates and dishes in the dining hall. And just… there are constantly these flickers of weird figures that he can’t quite see.
He holds out a cold hand. ]
I’m Aiden. Nice sunglasses.
no subject
[ That whoa is soft and almost reverential, like he's 100% sure there are ghosts here with them now, and they can hear everything. He looks up, squinting, as if he can maybe make out something spooky floating in the air...
...or maybe that's just dust catching the light. ]
Yeah... Yeah, you know, that totally explains the vibe here, man.
[ Clearly, Aiden's a wise dude. A dude in the know. Jeff reaches to shake his hand, the coldness not going unnoticed, though it's only a passing observation. Like, hey, maybe the AC's on too high for his comfort. ]
Jeff. [ He lights up with a grin. ] Oh yeah, dude, I got 'em just over-- [ He looks around, his smile quickly fading into a perplexed frown. ] --uh. Fuuuuck. I guess the ghosts moved the sunglasses stand...
[ Here, he'll just pluck one of the pairs off his head and hold it out in offering. ]
I like your jacket, man. It looks like it's seen some shit.
[ He says it with total, like, hipster approval. Aiden must've picked it up at a thrift store, right? He gets it. He's got an ironic army jacket back home. ]
no subject
He ducks down then, re-emerging from between the shirts of the rack. He plucks the sunglasses carefully from the guy's hand and places it on his head, being extra sure to make sure it won't fall off. ] Thank you most kindly for your words, and these bodacious sunglasses. But before we embark on our journey, Jeff, I have to ask you...
Do you believe in magic? [ Aiden points at him, the actual real life wizard. He's trying very hard to be mysterious. ]
no subject
This is the closest he's come to feeling normal since he woke up here. ]
1955? Dude... That jacket's old enough to be my dad! [ Talk about a vintage find. ] Right on.
[ Does he believe in magic? Does he believe in magic? Jeff can't help it, he laughs as soon as he processes the question. It's a sound of pure delight, because it just so happens: magic's his absolute most favorite thing in the entire, like, known universe. ]
Why, you've got a trick to show me?
[ There's something playful in his voice, like even entertaining the notion that magic might not exist is just an inside joke between him and this totally mysterious guy he's only just met. ]
no subject
[ And he slips back into the cover of the circle rack of shirts.
And hardly a moment later, a black-feathered, red-eyed sparrow flits from where Aiden had vanished, perching neatly on the rack. It twitters at Jeff, hopping about and tilting its head. ]