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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
[The Doctor beams in delight and goes to give her a big old hugs-filled hug. Oh, right, he didn't ever tell her and casually remarks]
Just changed my body since the last you saw me with that question mark umbrella. Blimey, I'm not even sure where that went.
Wasn't me. Whoever is running the show brought us here. Remember what I told you at Lake Vortigern?
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Changed your body...? [she kind of misses the old one. This face is all new and weird] You mean the technology bit... yeah. But how did that happen? And is it cause of that you...changed?
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I have a way of tricking death. Rather than dying, I regenerate.
[The Doctor is glad she remembers the quote, that tells him about when Ace is. And is rather sure at this point that this is her]
No, that isn't what caused that to happen.
[The Doctor stands more stiff and feels his hearts pounding in his chest. Because he is afraid of being rejected and it's completely understandable. Those eyes are for sure older than when last they met]
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Okay well...[she rests her bat on her shoulder] What now? Is this the captain's tardis you think? Or something else? We can break things and find out if anyone comes running.
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Good question.
[Ten rubs underneath his chin]
Not sure this is a Tardis.
[Ten whispers]
Don't think we need to break things but we definitely have to find out where we're not allowed to go.
[There is that cheeky sparkle in those eyes]
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Yeah, a lot happened since I last saw you, to me that is. Let me see if I rig open the door first.
[It will be a lot harder without his sonic but he could! And Ten clicks his tongue]
You see the thing is - [The Doctor thinks about how he use to be able to casually pick up a grenade and toss that a Dalek and now, he talks Daleks to death]
I'm different now... I've - Been though some stuff... I've - [A hard exhale he may as well say it]
Been through war. And I'm trying to resolve things different now.
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Yeah okay. [she wants to see how he'll do it and then well...he seems like he's gone through a hard time. It's weird to see him like that, so soft around the corners. And a war... it feels like they kinda do wars all the time, but little ones. So this must have been something big and maybe he lost someone important]
Oh... Must have been pretty rough. [she's not even sure what to say about it. she wouldn't know what to say about it even if he looked like he did before. Now she's really kind of confused but maybe she'll think of something later]
But what do you mean different?
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My friends don't use guns. We compromise.
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Try reason, be clever and hope it doesn't have to come to that.
[Ten's eyes are direct with Ace and there's fire and shadows]
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Well... it might come to it. Reason isn't going to work with everyone. But I'll give it a go. [she's also not sure he won't change his mind when it's convenient]