AUGUST EVENT: DRAGSTRIP RIOT

[sailmods]

[it begins with a PA announcement on the morning of the 12th, Friday’s voice coming through clear and cheerful.]

Any passengers that wish to debark to our latest port of call can exit the ship through the metal detectors on deck zero! Please be advised that all alcohol will be confiscated prior to your exit!

[and whoever heads down to the lowest deck will find that what she said was true: there is a metal detector set up there, with Friday manning it. after placing all metal objects (including weapons, and all your weapons) onto the tray, she gestures for the passenger to step through the metal detector.

they exit in an entirely different location. suffering from a splitting headache, and wearing an entirely different outfit than they had put on this morning, but unscathed. they even got their weapons back!

the interior of the diner is essentially your average jonathan rockets establishment. the narrow lane between booths and counter is manned by an entirely mute Friday clone, who cheerily takes orders and serves up food (cooked??? somewhere???) with an almost unnatural talent for roller blading. there is a jukebox in the corner that can be fed with quarters passengers will inexplicably find on their person. the available songs range from the 50s to the 80s, with a particularly wide selection of songs from the platters.

outside, the diner is a great chrome boxcar, circled by a small parking lot. a large neon sign proclaims it to be GIL’S; it buzzes and flickers on and off often. passengers who have regained vehicles will find these vehicles parked outside. there are also a handful of midcentury American cars; none of them seem to require keys, and the gas tank seems set at full.

past the parking lot is a seemingly endless expanse of desert sand and scrubland, bisecting by the empty highway that the diner abuts. a few miles down this highway, the road forks into a smaller one, which winds its way up a steep, ragged mountain until plateauing into another parking lot, with only a small, old wooden fence between the cars and the edge of the cliff.

should they wish to return to the ship, passengers can leave at any time the same way they entered: walking through a doorway that now claims to be a mop closet. passing through will leave them on deck zero, again with a splitting headache. it’s probably fine.]

Comments

❝as we drove across the river into western illinois❞

[opheliac]

(as darcy does her little investigating, jinx is sitting somewhere from afar with her head and arms resting along the table -- some booths down. she had eaten a whole bunch which was probably a mistake because now she is feeling sluggish. but she thinks maybe if she just rests a little while, her energy will spike back up.

moving her head slightly, she spots the girl and debates whether she should speak. eh. why not? jinx's been rather silent the last few days and honestly misses interacting with people.)

Found anything?

[saltwaterlungs]

[ Ah of course, Jinx is here. Because Darcy can't just try and cut the leather of the stools at the counter open without an audience. She huffs, tugging on one of the sides of her letterman. ]

Fucking nothing. What's it to you?

[opheliac]

(she snorts then lazily lifts her head up; propping her elbow on the table then to rest her cheek in her palm.)

Sheesh, you're soooooo touchy when it comes to me. Why is that, hm? — Even when I'm askin' such a teeny tiny question, it just ruffles you all up inside. It's a lil' flattering.

[saltwaterlungs]

What- you want me to make up that I've found something?

[ At this point, her tetchiness about Jinx is more than anything the girl had actually done- it was just part of life aboard the ship. Sun comes up, waves crash, Jinx gets on her nerves. ]

Fine, there's fucking pirate gold in the seats, you got me, I wanted it all to myself.

[ Darcy rolls her eyes and abandons the seat for the moment. ]

I'm like this with everyone. You're not special.

[opheliac]

Even to your girlfriend? That's rough. Or maybe not!! She could be the type that's into tough girls. (is that a compliment?) — Haven't seen much around lately though.

(nope. but then she quickly adds:)

I'm jokin', by the way before you get all explosive. Which I like.

[saltwaterlungs]

[ Ugh. Everything she says to Jinx just seems to come back and bite her. Darcy briefly considers the logistics of a pact where if one of her friends sees her in any sort of proximity to Jinx, they knock her out and drag her away, in exchange for... Something. Probably just not having to listen to her bitch about Jinx afterwards. ]

None of your fucking business. And good, nice for you, I'm glad you at least enjoy me blowing up at you, because I don't. Just let me keep investigating.

[ She focuses her attention on the counter this time, testing the integrity of the surface with her knife. ]

[opheliac]

(she hums a quiet chuckle in amusement; grinning.)

By all means, Torpedo. Let me know if you find somethin' juicy.

(even if darcy does find something useful, jinx knows fully well she won't tell her or even share the information. but she wishes to say that anyway just because.)

[saltwaterlungs]

I have a name! I have a fucking name, you don't need to keep giving me dumb nicknames.

[ Ughhh. Okay, what would Darcy be doing if this were the Captain- taking a breath, to start with, recognizing that getting a rise out of her was the whole point. So Darcy braces one hand against the counter and takes a breath. ]

I will, actually. If I find anything, you'll be the first to know.

[ Darcy ducks under the counter, scrunching her face up. ]

Seriously not even gum? Jesus.

[opheliac]

But calling you by a "dumb" nickname means that I like you! Don't you want me to like you?

(exact that she literally gives everyone nicknames so it defeats the purpose. but it's not like darcy knows that. but anyhow, she'll continue to observe her as she goes all detective-spy mode.)

[saltwaterlungs]

Not especially.

[ Not even anyone carving their name under there? Man, she'd need to rectify that. ]

You have no reason to like me, I've barely been friendly to you, and you keep making fun of me. So no, I don't care if you like me.

[opheliac]

Ever thought that maybe I make fun of you 'cuz I like you? That can really be a thing, y'know.

(is it the case? possibly. she is fun to mess around with and darcy never fails to bring a smile to her face.)

[saltwaterlungs]

You've got some weird fucking ideas about how to show you like people.

[ Like Darcy does not actively bully her friends. But that's different. Because Darcy's doing it. ]

And like I said. No reason to like me. So. You can stop it now, it's not getting you anywhere.

[opheliac]

I'm gonna tell Stede you hurt my feelings and denied my offer of friendship. And to think, I'm actually puttin' in effort and still gettin' nothing in return.

(what a shame!! but her tone does not match her words at all. the way she she is speaking is cheery but lazy. with no hint of disappointment or sorrow mixed in.)

[saltwaterlungs]

[ Darcy bites back a threat about telling Stede, managing to keep it burning in her throat until the immediate fire fizzles out. The last thing she needs is Jinx having another Stede-shaped button to push. ]

He didn't say we need to be best friends, he just said we needed to not fight. And look at us, [ A screeching noise as she scrapes the knife down the awful plastic under the counter, ] not fighting. You can't make me like you.

[opheliac]

That's fine by me. But I like you. You're fun. And when I like people, I hang around 'em. Sooooo....

(the screeching noise lightly cause her head to twitch to the side; the ghosts of the dead hissing but mentally bats them away -- no, focus on darcy.)

Anyway, ya think this place is gonna turn ugly?

[saltwaterlungs]

Mhm. Only a matter of time. The Captain said he was going to get a lot of power from this excursion, so.

[ Another screeching noise as she cuts down the plastic again. That time, it was on purpose. ]

You should probably get anyone you actually care about and keep them out of here before shit turns ugly.

[opheliac]

(right as she opens her mouth to answer, it gets interrupted due to the sound. instantly, jinx covers her ears while squeezing her eyes shut and doing her best to not whimper over it.)

Hey! — How about you knock it off with that?!

[saltwaterlungs]

Knock what off?

[ A longer, slower scrape. Oh this was good, finally something she could get back at her with. ]

I'm investigating.

[opheliac]

(gritting her teeth, she ducks her head down more -- growling as she presses her hands harder into her ears if that can be even possible.)

I said stop...!!

[saltwaterlungs]

Oh what- I have to listen to you when you stay stop, but you can just harass me whenever you want and there's nothing I can do about it?

[ Screeeeeaaaatchhhhhhh. ]

Fuck you.

[opheliac]

(it's so loud, it's so damn loud. and the screeching seems to slowly lining up with the hissing of the dead and the monsters in her head. she tries to tell them to go away in her mind but it's when she hears "mylo"'s cackling that finally just pushes her off the edge.

jinx slams her palms on the table and instantly slides off the booth. her immediate impulse reaction is grabbing her rocket launcher, fish bones, and recklessly aiming it to darcy.)

I said stop it!!

(is she going to shoot? prob...ably not. it would be very silly to use the only rocket in her weapon on someone as darcy, psh.)

[saltwaterlungs]

[ Lucky or unlucky for Jinx, she's not going to get a chance to. Darcy goes invisible and gets the fuck out of dodge. Fucking with Jinx is not worth getting a fucking rocket launcher to the face. ]

[opheliac]

(what the...? well, at least now she has learned darcy isn't just an ordinary human. another magic user, maybe? either way, jinx lowers her weapon and then exhales out a sigh.

at least the noise stopped.)