It's All Your State Of Mind [Open]

[woefullymacabre]

Who: Wednesday Addams and You.
What: Ship exploration, mystery investigation, the usual kind of welcome
When: Early February
Where: All over the ship, especially Sand Dollars and the Morgue
Warnings: Wednesday is likely to discuss macabre topics, as well as stare incessantly, pleased if it makes someone uncomfortable. She may also be subject to disturbing visions in threads with players who opt-in. Her opt-in/opt-out post is right here.



I. What Kind of Hellscape Is This?

[A new passenger, a teenager, is walking around the ship with a grim look on her face. She had on black ankle boots, black tights, a black and grey skirt that was almost down to her ankles, a black and grey blazer that had a school crest on it reading ‘Nevermore’ on top of a black vest, tie and a white collared button down. Her long black hair is styled in a pair of braids, resting on her chest as opposed to trailing behind her.

The deck isn’t so bad but most of deck four with its bright lights and neon colours – as if those were ever acceptable – were just making her visibly cringe.

In all likelihood she will turn to the nearest stranger and ask the all important question.]

What kind of ransom do I have to pay to get out of here?

[Her parents would probably do it. Or they’d handle it their own way.]

II. Sand Dollars

[If there’s one thing every modern teenager needs, it’s a mountain of caffeine and while she’s getting the sense that there’s no one around to do the serving, it’s an espresso machine. It’s not exactly rocket science.

Besides, she just read an instruction manual not that long ago. Surely it can’t be that hard to use, after all, Tyler could do it.

She puts the espresso in the machine and turns it on, putting the cup beneath the spout. When it’s finished, she’ll dump the grounds and repeat the process, into the same cup.

How many shots does she need?

However many it takes.]

III. The Disturbing

[Wednesday, after first exploring the ship, is absolutely sure of it. She was pretty sure she’d caught a glimpse of a spirit in the corner of her eye although focusing it on the spot she saw it yielded a whole lot of nothing.

Even walking right up to where they’d been didn’t seem to yield any results.

Some might’ve chalked it up to seeing things, but Wednesday wasn’t ready to do that yet, so she was walking around, mildly distracted trying to see them, grasping her necklace in her hand. A little help from the obsidian wouldn’t hurt if they were shy.]

Come out and speak to me!

[She calls out in a clear voice, as that’s what one does when they attempt to contact the spirit world.

Wednesday is focused on her task and not much else around her, it was a perfect time to ask what she was doing, to make physical contact with her and she may be more susceptible to visions since her guard was completely down at the moment.

The ghosts of course were probably, possibly, not going to respond and if they didn’t she would just have to go to step two and plan a séance.]

IV. Her Happy Place?

[With all the fun activities on the higher levels, surely no one would hang out on the lower levels, but while the infirmary with its medieval surgical implements is pretty interesting, the most interesting place in fact is the morgue.

Wednesday’s eyes light up a little bit and she’s just going to help herself to opening each of the fridges to see what’s inside.

If she’s disappointed, she might decide to take a nap down there. Comfy.]

V. Wildcard

[I’m open to prompts in any location, and pretty much for any reason. Wednesday is 16, and so she cannot partake in alcohol, although that’s also really not her thing. She might also be quite comfortable in the library.]

Comments

[woefullymacabre]

Hard to take that from me while I'm still alive. I'd know if I was dead.

[ She believed that was true for her in particular. She turned her attention to looking over Ava as though assessing her and her statement. ]

Hm. Interesting. [ What flavour of splitting was this? Dimensional shift? Magic? ]

I certainly feel whole.

[decohere]

But it's the only way out. Giving it up.

[a glance up finally, and then a small smile in appreciation of the girl's distinct fashion style. Ava's own clothing is a complete lack of. nondescript grey sweats, and her hair tied into three messy pigtails. she looks very much 'I woke up this way' in the most literal way possible. but that's what the coffee cup held between her knees is for.

at least she's never too sleepy for discussing the existential.]

You are. You just took a divergent path. Things will carry on as they do within the timeline you came from. And you'll figure a new one out here. Or not, and vanish. [shrug.]

[woefullymacabre]

[ That was interesting. A divergent path? She wondered if it had something to do with Jericho itself. After all, there were some strange places in the world, like the Bermuda Triangle. ]

Interesting. [ Wednesday didn't see a need to question Ava's information. ]

I wonder what would have caused that. [ Someone's powers out of control maybe? It was hard to say. ]

[decohere]

It really is interesting, once you get past the whole 'oh no I don't want to be here how unfair it is to exist in a place that I didn't choose' even though nobody ever chooses when or how or why they exist in the first place... [but she's willing to give newcomers a free pass until they settle into the whole being here.]

Caused us to come here? The Captain created this place, but he doesn't choose who comes or goes. It's some... magical force called the Erda Flow. Plucks things right out of the timestream and here we are.

[woefullymacabre]

Do people ever choose when, how or why they exist?

[ She knew why she existed and would rather not think about it, thank you. ]

You would think it would affect the flow of the original timestream. Magic like that tends to leave scars, if there's magic that powerful.

[ Ava might not be wrong, but there might be more to the story. That was interesting. ]

[decohere]

No. But people do prefer having a sense of control. Even if it's just the delusion of such. Almost as much as they like having something to blame.

[she stands and brushes off, but it doesn't do much to correct her frumpled state.]

Nah. It can't alter the flow, because those events have already happened. I knew a man that came from my own world, several years prior. 2014 for him, and 2018 for me. Yet in the years between, he was at the center of several high profile international incidents. Saw his face all over the news. Never could have happened if he actually vanished.

But it's why we can never go back. We're still there.

[woefullymacabre]

Blame for what? You sound like some therapist told you that.

[ Unfortunately for Ava, Wednesday wasn't exactly the best at following strange personal quirks. She also didn't think very much of therapy. ]

An interesting theory. I'm willing to believe it, but I wonder how it happened, and how it works.

[decohere]

You know... [a small squint as she thinks back.] Probably did. Psyche evals are weird. I don't recommend them.

The actual mechanics of it are beyond me. Magic is ridiculous, my specialties are quantum physics and... [assassinations] other things. Most everything around here works because it's meant to. Try taking apart the electronics sometime and you'll see.

[woefullymacabre]

My court-ordered therapist is dead.

[ So that solved that didn't it? She would probably try to claim that clearly it was so traumatic they couldn't possibly subject her to another therapist, right. ]

Sounds like a decent enough project. I can probably put it back together once I take it apart.

[decohere]

One of their other patients take exception to advice, or from stress of having to listen to people's problems all day?

[the girl doesn't seem all that broken up about it, so she saves the whole 'oh that's terrible' routine.]

Broken things go back together once you turn your back anyway. Unless they're from outside this reality. Probably a good way to determine what's real if you're ever having doubts.

[woefullymacabre]

[ The only person Dr. Kinbott seemed to have a real problem with was her, but she wasn't the one to break her, so to speak. ]

The former. I'm not actually sure why he killed her, he wasn't that forthcoming and everyone complained when I tried to get an answer.

[ A little light torture only hurt if one didn't talk. ]

Everything seems to be rather solid...if bright. [ She wondered if there was anything to pick up around the ship, she'd have to test it later. ]

[decohere]

Oh. [wasn't expecting to actually be right. it sounds so cliched.] That's what trying to help people gets you, huh. [does she mean the therapist, or Wednesday, or herself? hm.]

Bright, huh... [a glance around.] I don't know, it's the fanciest place I've ever been.

[woefullymacabre]

If you ask me, she wasn't that helpful. More patronizing and irritating than anything.

[ She considered that a moment. ]

I suppose, but it's like something out of my worst nightmares.

[ Wednesday has been much fancier places, albeit more gothic seeming than bright. ]

[decohere]

Maybe to inspire you to get better at being... less whatever you are, so you don't have to go to her anymore. Reverse psychology. [dry but joking, she doesn't really trust much of anyone that's trying to get into her head.]

Huh. I mean, I guess that's the point. Hard to properly enjoy the death and despair when you're stuck in a kitschy luxury vacation. When we were all killing each other, it was broadcast on the televisions with music and silly sound effects. Messes with your mood.

[woefullymacabre]

I'm not interested. I know what I want and how I'm going to get it, I fail to see how any of that is a problem.

[ She'd told her therapist the same, but her therapist wanted to convince her that she was wrong for being how she was and she wasn't interested. ]

Death certainly keeps things interesting. [ It's been quite the school year. ]

I haven't killed anyone. [ Yet. Although she isn't exactly planning on killing anyone. ]

[decohere]

It's probably less a problem for you and more for other people, but I have no interest in telling anyone how to live. I remain an outcast by choice, everyone around here is so into each other's business.

[and she just only idly spies on them, which is far more effective anyway.]

That's the idea, I suppose. Entertainment value. [small disbelieving squint.] No? Wow. Guess that's on me for assuming. Not your clothing, it's a nice look. But everyone about your age seems to be some sort of child warrior.

[woefullymacabre]

I'm literally an outcast in my world and it doesn't bother me. [ It's an actual thing, but even how Ava means it, she still wouldn't care. ]

I refuse to bow down to peer pressure and do what other people do because they want me to. That's hardly a reason to do anything.

[ She likes what she likes. ]

No...the most physical harm I caused was having piranha eat that boy's testicle. Nobody torments my brother but me. I didn't get to torture Tyler. [ Too bad too, he would've deserved it. ]

[decohere]

See, that's the spirit. You really have to be careful around here with the social sorts trying to adopt you. [totally encouraging social isolation because she's sure the girl is going to be aggressively pursued by the friendship is magic crowd.]

Huh... well, that's creative. No fish around here, I'm afraid. Except at the sushi restaurant.

[woefullymacabre]

I'm aware. My roommate at Nevermore is like that. Then she gets mad when I don't do what she expects. People are needlessly emotional and complex. [ She doesn't exactly get everything Enid was upset about, she was just being her, but at the same time she hadn't meant to hurt her. She didn't like doing that unintentionally. It was far less fun. ]

Yes, I was rather proud of it. It was the swim team. Unfortunately it only got one of them, but really considering, someone should be thanking me for making it more difficult for him to procreate in the future.

[decohere]

Hah, like the raven in that Poe poem? [that seems hilariously appropriate.] But you sound a bit like this vampire I used to know. Claudia. [she misses that tiny little ringlet monster.]

Genius is rarely recognized in its time, I'm afraid. So what did this swim team do that incurred such wrath?

[woefullymacabre]

Correct. [ She sounds rather impressed that Ava knew that. ] He attended Nevermore Academy in his youth, and they're clearly proud of that. His influence is everywhere.

[ She smirks ever so slightly at the compliment. ] They bullied my brother. Tied him up and shoved him in a locker. I'm all for bullying Pugsley, but no one bullies him but me.

[decohere]

[she doesn't know about Poe's personal history, but she's accepted different worlds have widely differing timelines that it doesn't particularly matter.] Wait, so was the school renamed after the poem, or was the poem inspired by the school?

... That's quite sweet. I'd do the same for Klaus. Not really my sibling, but we met when I almost shot him at the claw machine. And then he stole the fish plushie I won. I figure that's what having a sibling is like, anyway.

[woefullymacabre]

An excellent question that I don't actually have the answer to. I wouldn't be surprised by either answer.

[ Is it sweet? Ugh. She hopes not. ] That's probably a decent approximation anyway. My brother can be rather clingy and over-emotional.

[decohere]

Hm. I was thinking about that one about the pendulum the other day...

[a small giggle.] That sounds like Klaus too. But I forgive him.

I'm Ava, by the way.

[woefullymacabre]

Wednesday. [ She offers her name in return. ]

Poe's work was always dark and interesting. That's the kind of literature I enjoy anyway.