TEST DRIVE MEME #3

[sailmods]

1. you're the only one you owe (GUEST STARRING: 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.]

Comments

[ex_heaved685]

[ There's silence behind the door as Vi mulls that over. She hasn't gotten a visual on this person yet, doesn't know if they're really well meaning or trying to mess with her. But this seems too far removed from a cruel trick to worth the trouble. ]

A note, you said? Where is it?

[ That seems... relatively low risk. How could reading a note go wrong for her? And it's not like she has any better option here. That and her arm is starting to shake from impact and stress. ]

[bazooka_girl]

Look beside the bed, there's a little card there on the table. All you have to do is read it.

[which seems absolutely barmy but she's used to things like this at this point]

[ex_heaved685]

[ Vi braces her hands against the door, letting her head hang forward as she gasps in air to calm herself before pushing herself off the blood stained panel and towards her bed.

The note is right where the stranger said it would be. Good Janna, that's a lot of words. She's shaking so hard she has to sit, starting over three times before the lines stop running together and start making sense. She sets the card down and goes to the door to try the handle again. There's a soft click and it swings open just a crack, Vi peering through at the person beyond it. ]

Care to explain how that works?

[bazooka_girl]

I don't know. Might be something psychic or something. [she shrugs] I don't even know how we got here, but I want to find out.

Name's Ace, by the way.

[ex_heaved685]

[ As far as satisfactory answers go... that one is miserable. But Vi really has no better theory so she lets it pass. She hesitates just for a moment before opening the door the rest of the way and creeping out further into the hallway. Bloodied knuckles get shoved into her jacket pockets to hide the mess from view. ]

Vi.

[ Just a pause ]

So, where is 'here', anyway? Are we out on the water already?

[bazooka_girl]

Dunno, but we're out on the water, yeah. [Ace fishes around in the pockets of her bomber jacket and casually hands some plasters out like she didn't notice and it's no big deal] I think it's some sort of cruise ship? But the lady who makes the announcements doesn't have a face... I haven't seen anyone else but the people dragged here so I don't know if that's normal or not.

[ex_heaved685]

[ Vi gingerly takes the bandages from Ace and turns them this way and that, trying to figure out what the hell the insane looking scrap of rubbery fabric is. She's still listening though, as she begins to peel the backing off them. ]

No face? Like she's wearing a mask?

[ She knows tons of people in Zaun with large metal facial implants to replace missing jaws, noses, and eyes. It went with the territory of the nation. It wouldn't shock Vi to see that here. ]

[bazooka_girl]

No, like, it's a regular face but she has no eyes or mouth, just skin covering over them. She can still talk though so I don't know if she's a hologram or robot or alien or what. Or maybe just from the future or...has some kind of...deformity or something. She seems pretty nice though.

[and then watching Vi with the plasters]

You stick them on with the cloth side down on a cut. It helps stop the bleeding and keeps it from getting infected and stuff.

[ex_heaved685]

[ What Ace is describing with a lot of casual words is something that sounds two clicks short of horrifying and frankly, a little gross. Vi makes a face at the description. ]

So, where does she breathe? Out of her ass? You know what, it doesn't matter.

[ Vi sticks the sticky bandages to the top of her knuckles over the vile, dirty, and discoloured wrappings already there. Not the most hygienic but at least it's top the blood from flowing freely. ]

Creepy ship, creepy woman and we're trapped with both of them. Did I miss anything?