sail_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

1. now it's fun to wake up in a strange chateau

[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! We're so glad to have you!

[you touch the lei. rooster feathers, lotus seeds, and a carved circle of something white and hard, linked onto a silk string.]

2. messing with my mind was fun at the time

[freshly lei'd, your legs are forced to lead out onto the deck and towards your muster station. the same woman is there, carrying a clipboard. this time, she introduces herself as Gal Friday, the cruise director, before immediately going into the muster drill spiel. it is very boring, and you are not allowed to move, except when you are required to show you know how to put your life vest on. you could try to not do this, but Friday will move to stand in front of you very closely and just. look in your direction until such a time that you decide to do it. and I'm sure your fellow passengers want you to just get on with it, too.

but, once it ends? she reiterates her desire to welcome you aboard. and, then, you're free.

well, free to move about the ship at your own leisure, of course. which is a kind of free, and probably the best one you can hope for. you could try to escape, maybe, if you have the means to; Friday certainly won't be one to stop you. that's what the barrier is for, after all.

but, wouldn't you much rather have fun?

the buffet is full. the pool is open. the casino jingles and chimes.

welcome aboard.]

3. lots of mystery in the history of the devils I knew

[you were never alone.

a few days have passed since you first arrived on the Serena Eterna. perhaps you've made yourself a little routine, and settled in a bit. or maybe you haven't done that at all. either way, you're here, and it looks like somebody is pretty pissed off about it.

it starts small. sometimes nearby plates skid off tables, or a pool chair upends while you're walking next to it. and sometimes that chair is aimed right at your head. objects are moving with quickly increasing frequency, and a wide variety of styles: some are dropped, or pushed, and others and others are tossed, but a few of the items are thrown, with great force and odd accuracy. if Friday is around during the lighter moments, she simply titters and cleans up whatever mess is made. if a pot of soup sails off the buffet line and nearly drenches you in boiling minestrone, she simply walks away.

and then there's the voices. hundreds, maybe thousands, calling out. not all are intelligible English, but you seem to understand them anyway. some sound scared, or angry. some are screams, others whispers. some sound entirely strange, while others are achingly familiar. and they're all saying the same exact thing:

Get Out.]

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[ Fighting back to back with Flynn is exactly where Yuri should be. It feels right, and he can't help a grin. Even against an enemy they can't see, he'd rather have Flynn at his back than anyone else.

But he hears that same awful voice, and even if he doesn't like to back down from a fight... what are they going to gain, here? He smacks away another coin, and the aura around Dein Nomos is enough to ward off another spray of them. He grabs Flynn's wrist and pulls him back toward the door.

Apparently giving the ghosts the gald is enough to count as "buying" the shirt, because, this time at least, and they make it out of the store. The pelting gald stops after they've left the premises, and Yuri pants, then breaks down in a laugh, letting go of Flynn. ]

That was wild.

[ That is an understatement and Yuri must know it. Flynn lets himself be dragged from the shop, happy to be away from the mess and the gald and the voices, quiet now they're outside.

Still. As Yuri lets go, Flynn twists, looking back at the still, silent shop, merrily lit and winking with all sorts of absurd touristy paraphenalia. A few gald glint mockingly from the floor.

Slowly, he lowers his sword, looking back at Yuri, still draped in the awful new shirt. ]

...perhaps they didn't agree with your choice in shirts, either.

[She continues to frown, staring at him while waiting for an answer--but also not certain there is an answer just yet, not with the information they have.]

...How can you think about food at a time like this?

[She sounds skeptical, but it's less at him and more at--everything else. But she shrugs, anyway.]

I suppose you won't be much help if you pass out...though I don't know if I'd trust the food here just yet.

[She can go along with it, though--all they have to do is find somewhere to eat.]

[She tilts her head to the side a little.] Only sometimes? [It's a gentle sort of tease as she completely understands the "sometimes" with family. Or. At least her family.

An eyebrow raised.] More dangerous? I hope it isn't the cutlery next. [Trying to make light of it. Their situation.] I could probably use more work on the dodging.

[She tests the door—which she had left unlocked—and then peers into the room before advancing in. Then pauses to look over her shoulder at him.] Shouldn't take a moment, so long as the closet doesn't put up a fight again.

[Nell leaves the door open as she crosses the room and gives the closet a hard tug. It refuses the first tug but then opens on the second, almost hitting her in the shoulder like it had before. The life-jacket goes right on the hook it came off of with the second one, then she firmly shuts the door.]

There. Now it's safely away and hopefully I won't need it. [Any time soon.] Did you need to...? [She gestures at the other door that leads to the bathroom. Might as well politely ask before they go off on an adventure.]

[Grief drives people to do...things they wouldn't normally do. Nell is a good example what with not taking her medicine and forcing Theo to use her ability to placate her mind. And they both went to the house...

The grip on Luke's shirt tightens for just a moment and then drops, her arms now going to hug herself. She licks her lips and glances around, wondering if she's even ready to talk about what happened in the house. Part of her is still trying to figure it out, what parts were real and what wasn't...

Luke shared with her, though, and after their childhood it was hard sometimes to get him to share the vulnerable parts. Always have to have that societal appropriate mask in place... (Thinking ala "We Happy Few")]

She was there... Mom... [Shaking her head as she drifts a little bit away from him.] But she was acting really weird, even from what I remembered of her... She put her locket around my neck and then I was. I was standing on the other side of the railing and I... [Slipped. Those little slippers she's got on her feet right now, those are the culprit.

Nell takes them off her feet one at a time, throwing them into the laundry cart one at a time.]

I didn't. Just like you, Luke, I didn't do what the House did.

[She sits on the chair next to him, first making sure it's actually still where it's supposed to be. Then her arms go on her lap as she leans forward.]

Sounds like you deal with them regularly... [Said completely unsarcastically.] Any tips?

marshmallow gal;

[Sanji is still wearing his lei as he leans against the ship's rail, pops a cigarette from its pack, and lights up. His first drag is slow and purposeful. He's sucking up that nicotine because he needs it.

One might assume he's on edge because of their mysterious circumstances. This many strangers inexplicably waking up on a cruise ship in the middle of the sea? That's not just suspicious; that's terrifying. That, however, is not what's bothering him at all. Any misunderstanding samaritans approaching in hopes of a little commiseration may be sorely disappointed when he starts mumbling.]

Keep it together, Sanji. She may not be all of a woman, but she's still all woman! Her name is Gal for shit's sake! She's not the reason you're stuck on this soulless heap.

Plus, her hair is flawlessly coiffed.

[He hmmms to himself, still frustrated, before turning on whoever's closest.]

She looks like a marshmallow girl, doesn't she? Hot chocolate coffee with marshmallows! The perfect drink to show appreciation for a busy lady.

flying off the shelves;

[The disembodied voices have been plaguing the ship for a while now. Perhaps you were hoping to slide into the library for a quick break from the cacophony? Well, too bad.

The furniture is in chaos, with half the reading chairs lying on their sides and books scattered every few feet. A pair of dress shoes is sticking out from behind one of the bookshelves. It belongs to a tall, blond man lying flat on the floor. A book of fairytales blankets his face.

Still, when he hears footsteps entering the room, he raises a hand and points to the other side of the library.]

Careful. The science fiction section has a shitty sense of humor.

"The Amphitheatrum?" It's not the same one - but she does know if a large one she's been too several times and assumes, "Visiting them is always an affair but dramas and speeches are preferred to gladiators or exotic hunts." Because they weren't fir show in her time but in active use.

[A good time? That is not what he promised at all. Leave it to the algae to miss everything important! Zoro returns his swords to their sheaths, and Sanji clicks his tongue in frustration. He then slams a full glass down on the buffet table he'd managed to save.

Did he pick that up for Zoro before they even started fighting? The world will never know.]

That's not what I came here for, you moron! But I guess I've got my answer anyway. If you were ready to fight me, that must mean you took down King.

Aye, you won't cover it all in one wee trip. [He appreciates that she's taking this all in her stride and approaching this as an opportunity for learning and exploration. It's so easy to reject everything that's happening around her and just stick to what she knows. The old ways are best, and all that.]

Maybe there'll be something in the gift shop. Some terrible kitschy t-shirt at least with the company logo emblazoned on the chest. [Jeans, probably not as likely to be found in a gift shop, but you know, if there are clothing and apparel shops on board, they might sell jeans. Although he hasn't quite figured out how they're supposed to pay for everything yet, considering, you know, he was beamed up in here without even his underpants. It's not like he stuffed his wallet up his arsecrack.]

...no. I don't think I'll live to see it, to be honest with you lass. The Tiberiuses of the world want to keep us starved and desperate. [He's not overly optimistic about the world as it could be, either. He got out of that fight a long time ago when magic consumed his life. Still, he wouldn't be caught dead putting himself through that meat grinder.]

But. You're on 'oliday. There's no need to worry about all that while you're here, eh? You're just gonna have a great time for the next few days.

Uh-- no. Thanks. [He flashes her a tight-lipped smile and takes a small step back to give her a little more room to exit her cabin. From what he can see where he's standing, her cabin layout and decor is quite similar if not identical to his, so he thinks it's safe to assume they're all much of the same in there. Won't really help if you end up in the wrong room somehow. But at least if you get to know your own room well, you can be resourceful if you end up in someone else's and need to put up a fight.

It's probably a bad habit, to always be thinking like a fight's going to break out, but it feels inevitable at this point. He's never awakened somewhere unfamiliar and just. Enjoyed a few days sailing out on the ocean for no discernible reason and get booted out of the boat once they hit land.]

I think we should head back the way we came from, and find the middle. You wouldn't put anyone with any information all the way in the front or in the back, would you? [Is it weird that he's asking her as though she's the cruise director? Well, maybe, but he's just asking for her opinion, not like she's a subject matter expert here.]

Ha-ha.

[ Yuri rolls his eyes, slipping Dein Nomos back into its cords, the naked blade swinging down by his leg. That's going to get dangerous, probably. ]

I bet they didn't like the gald. Maybe gald is some kind of insult here or something. This whole place is weird.

[ Weird people, weird screens everywhere, weird Vibes. But, hell, it's still a vacation ]

Dunno, I'm hungry.

[ He isn't. He just... doesn't want to actually think or talk about this anymore.

But either way, he starts toward the inside of the ship. There has to be some kind of food here, right? ]

I'll be the test subject. You don't hafta eat til I survive.

[ And, anyway, he's already dead! What's the worst that can happen! ]

[ He nods; he understands, the house twisted things around for him too, and by the time it started to straighten them out it still wasn't right. ]

I know. I told everybody you didn't do it, that you wouldn't, but... They didn't believe me.

[ His expression twists, sad and resigned and bitter, because of course they didn't. They never did, no matter what. And sure, sometimes he gave them a damn good reason not to believe him, but that was only After. Anything that had to do with that damn house was the truth. ]

...I saw her too. Right before... I tried to burn the whole place down but she stopped it.

[Rita finds that smile almost as unnerving as--everything else. But between the parfait finger-painting and the bouncing croissant, she'll take the smile.

She doesn't, however, take his hand. That'd be way too embarrassing!]

W...well, if you really insist, I can help you out!

[The edge of fear is still in her voice, but she decides to take this convenient excuse to escape the not-haunted pastries--and the buffet tray that's stubbornly continuing to rattle on the floor--and starts to stride towards the door, glancing back to make sure Flynn is following.]

I've heard food poisoning can be pretty miserable, you know.

[The irony that Yuri is probably far more aware of that fact than anyone else in their group is currently lost on Rita as she keeps up with him, as she there's something else on her mind.]

I'd expect this from the kid or the old man, but it's pretty unusual for you to be so focused on your stomach.

[Hell, the two of them are usually the last holdouts when everyone else is complaining about their hunger. She fixes Yuri with a look instead of keeping an eye out for a place to eat.]

[what, a promise to kill him isn't a good time?

Zoro eyes the glass, a little surprised that he didn't have to repeat his demand more than once, and then picks it up and slowly sips in case it's not actually booze - keeping a daring level of eye contact the whole time. Only when Sanji mentions that name does he drop his gaze and ease the tension in his shoulders slightly]

'Course I did. Motherfucker was tough, but I managed.

[downplaying his near-death experience and haki, as you do. No big deal.]

What can I say, the ocean makes me hungry.

[ Said deadpan. Don't look at him, Rita. He isn't meeting her eyes at all, under the guise of looking for a restaurant or kitchen or something. He really doesn't want to have to voice these thoughts that he's having.

A distraction. He needs a distraction from this line of reasoning. Rita's smart, too smart, he knows that she'll figure him out. Luckily, the ghosts of the ship seem to be on his side, because just as they're walking in the indoor part of the ship when the carpet runner is tugged as it by a very strong person, and Yuri goes, arms-wheeling, stumbling back ]

Watson chuckles, despite himself. "I admit you have me there. Let us say that I know my strengths. Come, we should find a place for you to sit and eat before we go looking for a restaurant."

He glances warily at the ghostly clerk behind the register, not at all certain how this is meant to work.

[Oh she is definitely scrutinizing him even more now and is already opening her mouth with a retort when--

Suddenly everything spins, and before she knows it, she's flat on her ass on the floor--and now very, very distracted.]

Who the HELL did that?!

[She's back on her feet immediately to blast whoever the culprit is, but she doesn't see anyone--they must be around the corner!]

Think you can hide?!

[Aaaand she's off, rounding the corner of the hallway to see...nobody. She keeps glaring at the empty corridor, though.]

[ Well, distraction achieved, at least. Yuri catches his balances, Dein Nomos swinging dangerous next to him (really, that thing needs a sheath), as he watches her disappear. It only takes a moment before he shrugs internally and runs after her.

That was weird. That was really weird. Is someone trying to kill him? Wouldn't be the first time.

He sure hopes that fuckin' Zagi isn't here, too.

He skids around the corner ]

Rita! Wait up.

You didn't see the jerk that did this, did you?

[She's still scowling, hands on her hips, as she turns to Yuri.]

Someone's good at hiding, apparently.

Option two: This girl thought she was Philia in a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

And Diana might have gone with that, if the chick was a Cainite. Except she wasn't. She was a living, breathing person. A living, breathing person who was clearly acting out some Roman epic fantasy. In all fairness, Diana had been through the golden age of Hollywood and had been super into movies like Ben-Hurr and Quo Vadis. Mostly for the pageantry and the costumes and the romance.

She got it.

But seriously...what was she supposed to do with this? Was it a joke? Was it serious? Something in between?

"Yeah," she said, aiming for diplomatic. "Well, I'm not a fan of killing innocent animals..."

It... certainly is.

[ A weird situation, and one that certainly can't just go on. For all that Flynn is enjoying the chance to breathe and the fact that Yuri is here, whole and alive and well... ]

Yuri—we can't stay here.

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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;o; they will help each other heal. gotta break first though...

oof. darn you dreamwidth for eating things!!!

sanji | one piece

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yuppppp </3

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