![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME #3
1. you're the only one you owe (GUEST STARRING:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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
Well, even if most of the terms Tendi uses mean nothing to her, she can at least answer her questions. "I've from Terca Lumireis, but I doubt you've heard of it. Anyway..." Rita crosses her arms and makes a vague shrug as she launches into a rather blunt explanation. "Here's the deal, Tendi. This is some weird, separate dimension, and we've all been pulled here from different universes. The captain's some all-powerful smug jerk who's keeping us all captive here, and so far nobody's found a way back. Oh, I've been here for a couple of months already. Got all that?"
Introducing this sort of information more gradually? Nah, that'd take too long. This is fine, right?
no subject
"Normally it's a big puzzle, or some kinda weird test, he loves putting races on trial, judging them and everything, a real big jerk. Really obsessed with Capitan Picard. Arrg!" Taking a breath to steady herself, Tendi sighs.
"Well, in any case, no way to really get out of it from what I've read, you just gotta go through it. I also have noticed that ignoring him can work." Tendi takes a shirt and holds it up to Rita, this one was looked as if it would fit better, and the red flowers seemed to work well. "How do you like this? Too loud?"
no subject
"Back up a bit--I don't know who the hell you're talking about, but did you say this kind of thing is normal where you're from?" At the same time, her mind quickly turns over the details. It doesn't quite sound like the same sort of situation, though.
no subject
Tendi picks up another shirt, this one with blue and purple flowers. "Of course, I could be totally wrong, and it's something else. Really, we just don't have enough information to make any kind of decision, so best to just keep your eyes open and try to figure things out. And part of that is blending in, after all. Here!" Tendi picks up a shirt with red and yellow holding it up to Rita.
"I think this'll look good with your hair."
no subject
"No," she starts, stares a moment at the shirt, amends it to, "I mean, I don't mind the shirt, but-"
Ah, dammit, she keeps getting distracted! She buries her face in a hand and groans, "Seriously, will you listen for a second? This isn't the same thing, unless that Q-whatever guy makes everyone kill each other for his own sick entertainment!"
no subject
Tendi gives a sigh and puts down the shirt. "And I am taking this seriously as well. As of now, I don't have enough information to act on, so I need to wait and observe. But as you've been here, longer than me, what exactly have you learned so far?"
whoops this is late;;
With a sigh, she reluctantly answers, "Not as much as I'd like... We know that smug jerk of a captain seems to like making people suffer. But so far, even magic can't touch him." She subconsciously clenches her right hand, continuing, "supposedly, only one person's ever escaped, and he's brought thousands here..."
no worries :)
Tendi crosses her arms and looks down, thinking. "So someone's escaped, no one knows how or who? Did they actually escape, or was it just a weird lie to...mess with people psychologically maybe. Sorry, I can be a bit suspicious."