come_sailaway | And everything I stir into my tea, comes back to conquer me

Entry tags:

And everything I stir into my tea, comes back to conquer me

Who: Ava and whoever

When: Early June

Where: Various

Summary: More Cute! More Fun! Pre-camping ponderings. Possibly some thievery!

Warnings: Currently none

i. NOT TOO BAD - (closed to Ed)
Ava narrows her eyes suspiciously as she reads over the changed details of the new yet shamelessly the same sign up sheet. Is it really that simple? Or is it just a false sense of security to lure more people in, fall for the same trick twice. It's got to be different, right? Somebody's been texting that annoying call for unity letter around, and she doubts they'd be given much a chance to attempt pulling it off.

She traces her finger over where she'd written her name before, now covered in a scribble, and ponders whether she ought to put her name back on the list.

"What do you think?" she asks, aware of the presence of somebody nearby, turning her glance and, oh, it's Blackbeard. She smiles.

ii. DOOM SCROLLING - (ota)
Since the new sign up sheet went out, Ava periodically checks back to see who else has added their name, how many more are willing to chance the excursion. If it's anyone she knows, what their plans might be to prepare.

"Are you worried?" she asks, either to somebody that's just signed up, or somebody that's instead turned away.

iii. INTO THE WOODS?
Back in the library, Ava is flipping through books that might take place in a forest, involves camping. Mostly she's going by covers, as much as she knows the old saying not to judge a book by one. A lot of them seem to be horror stories, but there's plenty of fairy tales that take place in the woods as well.

This really isn't getting her anywhere at all, and she gives a frustrated sigh at her growing pile, resigning herself to the fact they'll be eaten by bears or sacrificed in some weird ritual and there's nothing she can really do to prepare. The book in her hands gives her a confused pause though.

"You ever go on vacation?" she asks whoever else in the library.

iv. FINDERS KEEPERS? - (ota)
Other passengers seem to keep getting all sorts of neat stuff, and Ava has no idea why all she's gotten so far is some giant Hello Kitty. Is she doing something wrong? Is she supposed to want things a bit harder? Does whoever summon those gifts simply not like her? ~~Is her player just too lazy?~~

Whatever, Ava knows one whole way to get what she wants. Stealing. She'll lurk about in common areas and the hallways, invisible, watching to see if anyone's got anything neat worth taking. Better not turn your attention, or she's going for it.

Alternatively, she might find another reason to spy on your character. Are they looking suspicious? Up to anything odd? Having a hushed conversation? (Feel free to even link to another thread that she's welcome to come spy on!)

v. KNOCK KNOCK - (open to cr or their roommates?)
It's the middle of the night, which is when Ava tends to be most active, most bored, and most likely to seek out somebody to talk to. She knocks quietly at a cabin door, dressed in pajamas and fuzzy slippers and holding a mug of tea.

vi. STEWING - (ota)
There's an uncomfortable awareness that the population of the ship is growing. Which has made the use of the hot tub a bit more competitive, and other areas of the ship far more busy as well. There's less and less place to simply be alone and undisturbed. But she catches the hot tub empty at some point and slips in, a piña colada in one hand and one of those Baby-Sitters Club books in another. Yes, the pages are a bit damp. No, she doesn't care.

If anyone choosing to join her is somebody she knows, Ava will give a small "hey" in welcome. If it's somebody she doesn't, she'll simply glare over the top of the book.

vii. WILDCARD - (ota) HIT ME UP!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And he's taking it about as well as expected. "Entertainment, yes. Based off some novel called Battle Royale. That's... why I was in the library, earlier," Ava prods a bit, to see if he recognizes her from then.

She shuffles a bit closer, a blurred trail that lingers in her wake for a couple seconds before dissolving into static. "This would only be the second, on our particular cruise. But. He's been up to this for some time. The others end when the Captain gets bored."

There's no recognition at the mention of a library. Just a 'huh' and a nod. He's not-- that big of a reader, really. That's Steven's thing. "You find anything?"

He's not sure what it'll help now, but. Whatever.

The blurry thing that happens when she moves catches him off guard for a moment, leaves him confused. Did he really see that? Or are his eyes messed up?

"The others-- what others?"

DID SHE FIND ANYTHING. She wishes she currently had those books Steven handed to her, because the desire to bludgeon him with them is there again. Seriously what is going on with this guy.

But nah, she'll just let the truth do the damage instead. "The other cruises, prior to this one. This isn't exactly the maiden voyage of the Serena Eterna. The Captain captures a group, from all sorts of realities to play his little games and sucks every last ounce of energy from them before starting anew."

How was he supposed to know she'd already ran into his-- sort of twin! He doesn't keep Steven on a leash. Yet. Maybe he ought to.

Yeah, maybe he really should. "How do you know that? What happened with the old groups?"

How do they know that. Rumors, information passed along from person to person, scraped from whatever source they manage to get answers out of. Some even straight from the Captain himself. "Friday told me," Ava settles with. "Where do you think the ghosts came from? And there's an information sharing meeting later today, if you want more than that. Room 125."

She crosses her arms, doing a bad job of not looking quite so annoyed. "You really don't recognize me?"

"Right, alright." So much for a little bit of a reprieve before they end up... wherever it is they're going. Marc's trying to not let it wear him down, but. It's a little hard. They're going to wind up what, fucking ghosts? Great. "I'll check it out."

He pauses. "Huh?"

That gets him to pause, study her a little bit closer. "Not really?"

He has a feeling if they met back home, she'd be more than just annoyed, so-- "I got a-- twin here. Sort of. British guy, loves books. Name's Steven. You-- might've met him."

"A twin. With different accents," Ava points out what must be the obvious. Maybe it's some separated at birth situation, though his slight hesitation before twin doesn't escape her notice. CLONES, her mind provides instead. They're goddamn clones. He's some genetically engineered something or other from a dystopian world where the government... Ava squints. He does look strong, but she's sure she could take him in a fight, isn't all that subtle about the sort of sizing up glance she gives him.

"Right, weird, but my best friends are a skeleton and a billionaire robot, so," she does a bit of a shrug. It's really not the strangest thing she's encountered, now that she's wrapping her mind around it.

"Most people just don't come here with friends or family, is all." Except Stede and his merry muppet crew.

"It's... a little more complicated than that." Split personality with his own body all of a sudden... how do you explain that? He just doesn't realize that he's unknowingly feeding her clone theory though, or making it sound more ominous than it may actually be.

"A skeleton and a robot." Sounds like they could be the next Avengers candidates, so why the hell not?

"Yeah? Well, we were kind of together-- when it happened, I guess." In the underworld, dead. Maybe one can't go without the other, which already makes this a better afterlife than the one he was offered back home.

"So you ARE are a secret government super soldier cloning experiment," Ava says with the tone of somebody who is convinced they uncovered the truth.

She's rather fond of her friends, don't you dare compare them to the Avengers. "They both wear suits, rather snazzy fellows. You'll know them when you see them."

"I was with someone too. But he's not here. Thank god."

"I'm a-- what? Do I look like Captain America or something?" He's not-- well, he's a marine, but he's definitely not a super soldier or a cloning experiment. Yeesh.

"I'll keep an eye out."

He tilts his head curiously. "Yeah? Must've been some guy to get that kinda reaction."

... Oh, that's a bit unexpected. Ava stares for a moment, hands settling upon her hips. "No, you're a bit short for that," she remarks. "Your world's got one of those too? I thought only I was so unlucky to carry the unfortunate knowledge of a frisbee-throwing flag man." And then she remembers, "Ah, his best friend is here, but a bit... brain fried."

Ava laughs, hadn't meant it as an insult. "No, Bill's the best person I knew. He doesn't deserve to suffer this place."

He hadn't really-- thought about it, actually. If people would recognize Captain America or not. But it makes sense, people getting plucked from all over the damn place, doesn't it? "Best friend?"

He frowns. He can't claim to be an expert, but-- "Not the guy that was on the news years ago, right?"

He gives a nod at that. "Got you. Hopefully he doesn't pop up then."

"Yes, that one. But not the one wearing his face blowing kings and things up." At least poor Sarge doesn't know of all that, he can't from a much simpler ti-

Oh. Oh no. There's a dawning realization, a small look of horror spreading across her face. That the whole blip incident that Steven mentioned happening in his world... but if they're possibly from the same world... "Fuck."

"... What?" He's not sure why she looks like he just kicked her puppy across the room, but Marc looks around, scanning for any sign that would cause that look, but--

No, nothing.

"Fuck?"

"He said... people disappeared. Half of them..."

She's scrambling to remember the details, because it hadn't seemed that important outside of generic apocalyptic scenarios she's heard from all sorts of people on the ship already.

"FOR FIVE YEARS?"

Now there's genuine confusion on his face, at least until it seems to click in his head. "Yeah... uh. Yeah. Blipped out of existence. The Avengers-- fixed it, I guess."

He shrugs. "And might have been at least partly responsible."

But you know what, he's not part of all that superheroic shit, so who is he to cast judgement? Besides, wasn't like he was helping the population much, out killing in service or as a mercenary or for Khonshu.

"Caused a lot of chaos, both times."

Ava gives the most dramatic eyeroll she can possibly manage at the mention of the Avengers. "Hate those attention-seeking idiots. Of course they were responsible. Spend more time fighting amongst each other than-"

Ava pauses. "Except Ant-Man. I like him... is he safe? Did he... is he okay?" She figures whatever happened must be rather huge on the news, so maybe he has more details than that.

"Uh, yeah... far as I know. He was one of the big heroes. Tony Stark, Black Widow... now they weren't so lucky." Sacrificed themselves or whatever. Big damn heroes now that everyone suddenly only have nice things to say.

You know how it goes.

That's a relief. Nobody touch a hair on Scott's head or she'll break your fingers.

But look, she's practically beaming. "... Tony Stark is dead?"

"Yeah, last I heard." Not like he keeps up with superhero shit, but hey. He doesn't think anyone's come back from the dead lately.

She's really happy about Stark, huh? "Gonna guess you have issues with the Avengers?"

"And you're sure he hasn't uploaded himself inside one of his androids so he can live on forever and continue to make the world an increasingly worse place?" Because that sounds like something Stark would do.

"That's the best news I've heard all day," she informs him, bouncing on her heels. Damn, and she's stuck here instead of getting to drag Dr. Pym (president of the Never Trust a Stark club) to the grave to take some tasteless selfies. What a shame.

And then. "I just don't like how they conduct themselves. Made it more difficult for people like me."

"I mean, I can't promise that one." Sounds definitely like something Stark might possibly try to pull.

"Uh, guess I'm glad I made your day, then..." And she does look really excited, doesn't she? Huh...

"People like you?"

Whatever, not going to let that thought ruin her moment.

"Oh, you know. Super but without the hero bit. Now there's all sorts of international laws, and super security prisons in the ocean, and people wanting you to answer for your crimes that they made you commit in the first place. Such a mess. Sometimes you just want to live in the woods and be left alone, you know?"

He's almost surprised he's never ended up in that prison in the ocean, honestly. Probably would have just been a matter of time, if he hadn't died. But whatever. He gets it. "Yeah... well. Kind of getting that here at least, right?"

Minus all the messed up shit.

"Getting what? The camping trip? With as many people that signed up for it... not really alone. Or do you mean prison in the ocean? I suppose it's a bit like that."

No laws though, that's nice.

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