steamed-artichoke

[steamed-artichoke]

"It is good to meet you as well, my name is Elphaba," came her reply, as she looked the other woman in the eyes.  This park seemed to hold a number of people who did not bat an eye at her skin tone.  Some still did, as was expected, but she was surprised that so far, more people seemed to react like Aqua, calmly and without question.

"Did you get that book at the library here?  I'm surprised by how extensive it is," Elphaba thought it was a decent place to start their discussion.  Given that so few meetings went quite so smoothly, she still had some difficulty keeping up or starting friendly conversations, "Does it say anything about where the creatures all come from?  I have seen so many here that I never saw back home in Oz."

sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀs—ᴀǫᴜᴀ&ᴇʟᴘʜᴀʙᴀ

"I have to agree," Aqua nodded. "This place—Atlantis—I think it might actually be my favorite area in this park." 

What was there to hate here, after all? The waters, the way the creatures that inhabited the artificial duplicates of their homes swam, and the comfortable level of background noise could easily lull one into a state of mental peace. Even if it was temporary, it was a pleasant experience while it lasted. A moment ago Aqua would’ve simply chalked it up to her love for the vast ocean but now it looked like she wasn’t the only one who shared the thought that the tunnels were a soothing place to find yourself in.

Aqua closed the book in her hands (it’d be rude if she had her attention somewhere else while she spoke to someone, the book wasn’t going to run off or something after all) and turned her head to look at the other woman standing near. The other’s skin tone reminded her of Maleficent’s skin, she realized now, but the darkness didn’t roll off her in waves the way it did with the horned sorceress at the Enchanted Dominion.

With that reason in hand, despite the faint similarity, Aqua’s tone didn’t bear any hostility when she spoke. There was no reason to. The other wasn’t hurting anyone and she didn’t look like the type to bring misfortune to another just for the sake of it. "My name is Aqua, it’s nice to meet you."

[steamed-artichoke]

♋

♋ - What drew you to this muse?I have always been attached to the character of Elphaba.  I spent most of my preteen, teen, and up early 20s years (basically from 12/13ish-now) listening to the Wicked soundtrack and becoming very attached to Elphaba emotionally.  What really tipped me over into finally making this account was seeing Wicked live on stage for the first time just over a week ago in Toronto.  It was an amazing show and it finally cemented a muse.

[steamed-artichoke]

☤

☤ - What do you have in common with your muse?I can relate to Elphaba’s family situation just a little.  Specifically, with her father.  Although not to the same degree as her, I feel as though that my father and I have a very strained relationship.  I can relate to Elphaba in that she feels her father isn’t proud of her, because at times, I don’t feel as though mine is proud of me at all.  Just substitute green skin for not being straight, and being “oversensitive” when he makes homophobic remarks.

[steamed-artichoke]

Munday Questions: Reblog as Text

❤ How long have you been RPing?

❥ How long have you been RPing this character?

유 Who was your first muse?

♋ What drew you to this muse?

☮ Is there anything you don’t like about playing this muse?

✌ What is the easiest aspect of playing this muse?

☏ What is the most challenging aspect of playing this muse?

☢ How many active muses do you have?

☠ Who is a muse you would want to play?

☤ What do you have in common with your muse?

☑ What are the biggest differences between you and your muse?

♚ Do you and your muse get along?

▲ Of the two of you, who is more mature, you or your muse?

♪ Are you comfortable playing your muse?

✈ Is it easier to write angst, fluff, or crack with your muse?

⌚ Is it easier for you to write as canon characters or OCs?

[steamed-artichoke]

♥ / ♖ / ♬ !

♬ - a song that fits themBeautiful With You by Halestorm is a song I think works very well with Elphaba.  In the more literal interpretation of the song, it could describe how Elphaba felt with Fiyero and their relationship.  That despite knowing and seeing the person that normally scare or disgust people, he loves her for those things.  (Although these intense feelings do come later in the timeline that I have altered for Elphaba arriving in PP, so Idk if that still works).But also, the song works I think with her friendship with Glinda (in an abstract sense, but I do admit that I also ship Glinda and Elphaba like whoa).  Because similar to what I explained above, Glinda has seen and known Elphaba, and most people barely tolerate here.  But Glinda becomes her friend and they come to mean a lot to one another.(Like I said before, I’m going to limit myself to one of each headcanon, since I’m still getting to learn Elphaba as a muse.)

[steamed-artichoke]

♥ ☠ and ♖ !

♥ - family headcanonElphaba never discussed her feelings about their mother’s passing to her sister, Nessa.  Nessa, because of this, assumed it was because she blamed Nessa for it, because it was complications giving birth to her that killed their mother.  What she didn’t know was that it was because Elphaba blamed herself, because the complications came about due to her mother ingesting milk flowers (at the insistence of their father) to prevent Nessa from turning out green, like Elphaba.

☠ - angry/violent headcanonElphaba’s default setting is anger.  Usually because people visibly reacting to her green skin is so constant and so angering for her.  But she has never lashed out violently against anyone for reacting this way.  Instead, her anger manifests itself as angry ranting or cutting remarks in response.

(I’m limiting myself to one of each kind of headcanon because 1) Elphaba is a very new muse to me and I’m still adjusting to her, and 2) I am sleepy as all get out.  And I was already asked about the last one.)

[steamed-artichoke]

☮♦♖

☮ - friendship headcanonGiven that Elphaba scares so many people away, it is not often she makes friends.  So, when that does happen, she can become almost hyper-attached.  To this point, a lot of people seem to think she is in love with her friends, when in reality, her friends mean so much to her that it seems over-the-top to most.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanonIn addition to reading, Elphaba enjoys some writing as well.  Nothing terribly serious, or anything she would show to others, but it was a way she could unwind when things were stressful for her.

♖ - for a childhood headcanonBefore becoming jaded (no pun intended), Elphaba continued to hope throughout her childhood that people would stop seeing her green skin as something scary.  She wanted so badly to make friends as a child, to have any sort of connection outside of her father or Nessa.  It took her a number of years to understand that most first meetings with people would end similarly.

[steamed-artichoke]

More Headcanon Prompts!

★ - sad headcanon

☆ - happy headcanon

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

✿ - sex headcanon

♡ - romantic headcanon

♥ - family headcanon

☮ - friendship headcanon

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

✏ - old age/aging headcanon

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

☼ - appearance headcanon

✖ - for a tattoo headcanon (One they have or one they want)

♖ - for a childhood headcanon

♬ - for a song that fits them

✄ - for a drunken headcanon

[steamed-artichoke]

When the boy offered to take some of the books, she lowered the pile so he could take those.  But her own book, the one from the Wizard, stayed tucked under her arms at all times.  She did not want to let that book out of her sights, or her grip at all.  It was far too important to her to let someone else carry.

"I never started studying, actually," Elphaba answered, leaving out the part that she would have, if not for being dragged here from Oz.  Her abilities so far were there, she clearly had the gift, but she had difficulty manipulating it properly.  She could get things to react how she wanted, most of the time, but higher-level magic was beyond her.  Mostly, she was able to enchant objects or move them around.  Like when she pulled her sister's wheelchair back into her hands when they were about to be separated.

She was pulled from her thoughts when the boy explained that he recognized a few books.  So he could use magic as well then.  Interesting.  He looked nothing like someone from Oz, so clearly wherever he was from, they could use magic there as well.  She followed him to the table he pointed out, now much less weighed down by books.

"So, you can use magic as well, then?" Elphaba asked, setting the stack of books that she carried down on the table, "How much training do you have?"

there was a library here? / @elphaba

❈ ~ "Here, let me take some of these." He said as he went over to her and grabbed some of the books on the top of her pile. Some of them were thin, while the others were hardbound and had a lot of pages. Some of them had locks attached to it, and he wondered if you needed a key to open it, or if you just needed an incantation.

❈ ~ "What do you need this many spell books for?" Ven asked, curiosity getting the better of him, "Are you studying to be a sorceress?" He remembered his days under Master Eraqus, having to study the basics of magic and what-not. He looked at the books again and noticed that some of them weren’t even for beginners. Some of them were also written in a text that he couldn’t quite make out, but then again, magicians didn’t just write their notes and findings in plain, understandable texts or else anyone can comprehend the contents of the book and use the spells inside for their own gains.

❈ ~ "I guess not." He reasoned, "Hey! I know some of these books…"

Anyway, they had to go and find a table, or else they’ll both get tired before they could even find a vacant spot. His eyes scanned the place before landing onto a table, about five shelves away from them, and it had two vacant seats.

❈ ~ "Over there." He looked back at the girl, checking to see if she was alright before making his way to the table.

[steamed-artichoke]

Becoming disheartened by not finding anything helpful around the park, Elphaba had decided to try and calm herself.  And so far, there were very few places in the park that Elphaba seemed to be able to do so.  The workers there put her on edge, and she didn't get much in the way of privacy to decompress with having a roommate.  So, she had decided to go and wander the aquarium that was indicated on the map.

And so far, the tunnels were helping her unwind.  The comforting silence, save for the sound of the water, and the colourful and interesting creatures were lovely to watch.  She had been wandering slowly and pausing every now and again when she found an area that was particularly full of interesting aquatic life.  Even in Oz, which was known for having a variety of interesting creatures, so many of the creatures weren't recognizable to her.

At some point, Elphaba registered that she was not alone.  Another woman had come the same way as she had, and stopped to watch the fish that she was watching as well.  She didn't mind, so far there was no screams about her skin or staring.

"They are, I never saw anything like these creatures back home," Elphaba replied when the other woman spoke up, "They're beautiful, though, and so interesting.  It's nice, to have something around here that's just so calming."

sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀs—ᴀǫᴜᴀ&ᴇʟᴘʜᴀʙᴀ

Atlantis was easily her favorite area so far. She’d never been somewhere with so much water in one place and she found it to be very soothing, which was something she was glad for. If the thoughts of being stuck here ever became unbearable, she knew she could come here and her spirits would be lifted. Perhaps not completely but a slight mood booster was better than nothing. 

Aqua had been to Atlantis a few times before but this time she was here solely dedicated to know more about the aquatic life that inhabited the waters. Keeping her mind busy was definitely a better alternative than stressing her mind silly with no results to give for it in the end. Besides, studying the fauna here would be a good experience. 

Aqua stood at the aquarium tunnels with a book, trying to find out what each species swimming in front of her behind the glass was all about. Some of the fishes surprised her—there was a particularly innocent looking one that hid terrifying abilities behind it’s razor sharp teeth. You couldn’t see said teeth but you’d probably be able to see them when it was too late. There was another that glowed in an odd manner to keep predators away. The Land of Departure didn’t have any fish like these. The fish at the place she called home were all pretty harmless and didn’t have many qualities that stuck out too much.

"I’ve never seen anything like them before. They’re all so unique. I didn’t know fish like this actually existed until I arrived here,” she told the woman standing beside her. Aqua was entranced by the seemingly endless variety of marine creatures the aquarium held behind transparent walls. Small talk was nice—Aqua hoped the other female wouldn’t be too bothered by it. "What about you? Are they new to you too?"

[steamed-artichoke]

"It's nice to meet you, Yukari," Elphaba let her hand return to her side, recognizing that Yukari did not want to shake hands.  She offered a small smile instead, glad that this encounter was going so much more smoothly than a lot of first-encounters did in her past.  Green skin did not exactly make a good conversation starter, given that it managed to scare most off.

"How long have you been here?  If you don't mind my asking?"  Elphaba wanted to know as much about the surroundings and the people there as she could.  She was still determined to find a way home, and any piece of information could be helpful.

Sensibility or not, Elphaba could not imagine herself calming down very much in this situation.  Although a great deal of her anxiety came from the inability to know what was happening in Oz.  When she had been brought to this amusement park, she had been learning a lot about Oz, and how things weren't quite as wonderful as she had been lead to believe.  She needed to know if Dr. Dillamond was alright.  Not to mention she wasn't there to care for her sister Nessa.  Or to know whether Glinda had been swept up by something like what happened to Elphaba, or whether she had been hurt by whatever brought her to this place.

Exploring the Park [Closed starter for Yukari]

-

'Normalcy' - like most, if not all other concepts within this reality - is not only thought of, but know as a subjectivity as far as she herself is concerned. This isn’t to say that she thus doesn’t not register the young lady’s complexion as one peculiar, even outright unnatural; rather, she is at least able to appreciate that her own moment’s stare, afforded not too long ago, is very likely to have not been the first the other has received in her time — and almost certainly not the shortest, either. It could be the case that all folk from her reality share her colour of green, but without anything else before her as evidence does she doubt this much.

The poor thing seems to carry herself with a degree reservedness and uncertainty implicit of an ongoing…prejudice (for want of a better word), if she’s not mistaken.

But, again, where she is personally concerned, the stranger’s hitherto-unseen skin colour is more a trivial point of interest rather than anything worth dwelling on too much. Instead, she should wish to spend her curious energies on contemplating the girl’s attire: just as well not something particularly strange to her, though in any case worthy of good noting. In fact, Yukari would dare to liken her to an acquaintance left back (she can presume) in Gensokyo, with an iconic pointed hat and dark robes.

It would seem she has all the more reason to do so when she has her reply, too.

At the mention of her admission, the blonde’s smile widens in a show of recognition. “Elemental spells do take a bit more learning, mm — even then, it can take a special sort to emanate the weather credibly. A gentle breeze like that is hardly likely to do much damage anyway.” A mental note is thus made to keep an eye on this one: mostly for curiosity’s sake, though she might come in use later. (Who’s to truly know in this eerie wonderland, anyway?)

Her observation is received as a compliment, and - in turn - with a modest bow of her head before she move one hand from her parasol to take the other’s hand. “I approach these matters as I will, though am in the habit of ensuring I have some sensibility about me. You may call me Yukari.”

[steamed-artichoke]

Throughout the explanation of what he knew so far, Elphaba listened patiently and nodded to show that she was listening.  So, between what she had seen on her way to the hotel area and what was being described, this place really did seem to be an amusement park.  That just made things more bizzare to her.  What sort of park held people captive?  Or didn't even have exits, for that matter?  She sighed, almost more confused than she had been when arriving.  This was going to take some adjustment.

"I just came straight here when I first arrived, I wanted to try and gather myself a bit before exploring," Elphaba answered, "I came here from Oz.  Specifically, The Emerald City.  The last thing I can remember was my meeting with the Wizard.  I was told I may be able to work under him, and I needed to ask him what was happening with the Animals losing their abilities to speak, among other horrible things.  I don't remember the whole meeting, I just remember being handed his book, then arriving here."  After a few beats, Elphaba looked back up at her roommate.

"What about you?  Where are you from?  And what do you remember doing before you were brought here?"

-

[steamed-artichoke]

If there was one thing Elphaba couldn't stand, it was the feeling of being judged, even in a subtle way.  So, when this girl literally started circling Elphaba to study her, like she was some kind of exhibit, it angered her very quickly.  Green skin was not something that (aside from her) occurred in nature, she understood, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed people treating her as though she were a specimen on display.

"Perhaps I should get this off my chest.  No I am not seasick, yes I have always been green, no I did not eat grass as a child," Elphaba raised an eyebrow, "Generally inhuman skin pigments aside, it's not wise to go around blurting out such blunt questions."

But then Weiss mentioned looking for a way out of the park.  While this girl was driving Elphaba up the proverbial wall with her self-importance and lack of tact when it came to the fact that Elphaba was green, she supposed two sets of eyes were generally better than one.

"Elphaba Thropp," Elphaba reluctantly answered, "And so far i haven't had any luck alone.  So I suppose I'll take you up on the invitation."

Green Grass, White Snow {Closed}

[steamed-artichoke]

The library was certainly a draw when Elphaba discovered that there was one.  It could be the key to her finding out more about her situation, or perhaps even finding a way home.  She did not like the idea of being away from Oz, and that she had no idea what was happening there.  Very few people seemed to care about the Animals slowly being silenced, and she had wanted to speak to the Wizard about it.  She couldn't remember whether or not they had arrived at that part of the conversation before...  Well, before whatever brought her to this place.

She rushed about the shelves of books, feeling more in her element now than she had since she arrived, and picked up any volumes that seemed promising.  There weren't as many as she would like, of course, but she had to hope that there was something for her to discover.  She also picked up a number of spell books, hoping for some sort of transportation spell.  So far, she was having difficulty translating her own spells.  Although, between her own book (tucked under her arm as always) and the stack of books, she felt as though she would drop one before she found a table to begin her research.

When she heard a voice coming from nearby, she stopped and looked around until she found the owner.  A younger looking boy with strangely spiked blond hair was the only person she could see nearby.  Well, given that some of the books at the top of her pile had started to shift, she wouldn't refuse the offered help.

"Yes, actually," Elphaba replied, surprised at the lack of reaction to her complexion, "Thank you."

there was a library here? / @elphaba

Olympus Square, Olympus Coliseum. They were one and the same, weren’t they? Oh wait, they aren’t. One is a world, and the other is a theme park attraction of sorts. Still, the resemblance of the theme park to the world itself was uncanny, as if the one who modeled the place had gone to Olympus Coliseum as well! The place was all too familiar, Ven wondered if Herc was here somewhere.

❈ ~ "He’s probably off somewhere in the real Olympus Coliseum, though." How long has it been since he last saw Hercules, anyway? It feels like a long time, although he’s not too sure. Hercules was probably a true hero now.

As he continued exploring the place, and familiarizing himself once more with the grounds, he turned a little ways to the left and was greeted by an unfamiliar building, but it looked like it belonged in the park though. “I wonder what it is?” He thinks to himself as he approaches his new destination.

Getting closer to the entrance, he notices that there are books almost everywhere.

❈ ~ "Oh, yeah… the map did mention that this place had a library." Why it was at this side of the park, he’d never know. The library was said to have tomes filled with any and all information, books of dead languages, books of spells and the dark arts, maybe their were books about the Keyblade War as well? Although, he knew enough about that.

Still, his curiosity got the better of him and he found himself entering the library. Now then, what section should he start with?

Oh, maybe a little magic studies wouldn’t hurt.

He was about to enter the Spells section when someone rushed past him, a lot of books in her arms.

❈ ~ "Would you like some help with that?" He asked the person carrying the heavy looking spell books.

[steamed-artichoke]

She had known more than a few people who would react poorly to the situation, or to Elphaba herself.  So, Elphaba was glad that so far, that wasn't the case in this encounter.  So far, Elphaba had yet to meet someone who was so articulate, as well.  And who seemed so calm about the situation.  Elphaba, herself, likely looked at least a fraction as anxious as she felt.

"Considering I haven't learned any whether-related spells yet, I guess I'm not," Elphaba started, finally composed with the map in her book and said book tucked back under her arm, "I have to admit, I have yet to see someone who has taken to this situation as calmly as you have."  This girl looked so elegant compared to Elphaba, who was wearing the black dress and pointed hat that Glinda gave her when she went to visit the Emerald City, so she looked a bit more somber by comparison.

"I'm Elphaba," she extended a hand to shake, "What's your name?"

Exploring the Park [Closed starter for Yukari]

-

If truth be told, the very artificial elegance of the place is indubitably that which had drawn the gap youkai to the so-called ‘Julia’s Kingdom’ from the get-go.

Each area of the park had its own quirks and novelties from what she could tell from the map of the park, but there is something in particular about this twee kingdom. She can’t help but remark, if only to herself, about the seeming tackiness of the ‘ye olde times’ feel about the area — but as appears to hold true for the entirety of this world, there dwells within her the suspicion that nothing here is truly as it seems.

She of all people is hardly a stranger to the weird and the deceiving, after all.

And yet, in spite of what concern lies beneath the surface, Yukari is outwardly inclined towards an enjoyment quite natural to places of this ilk: it’s an amusement park, and - why - what the shame it would be if at least somebody wasn’t having a touch of fun here. As she ambles from attraction to attraction with parasol in hand, she admits there to be a certain charm about the place. Granted, it isn’t one great enough to conceal the sinister undercurrent to her well-trained eye, but it’s a good effort all the same. Ah, and those smells—

…Just then, however, she stops in her tracks. Her eye catches a stray sheet before her; she begins to bend to retrieve it, only for its apparent owner to beat her to the punch. Its awfully sickly-looking, she naturally notes — yet she isn’t inclined to stare as much as others would, and just as soon straightens her own posture before making her address.

“Your apologies?” — her words are only a good-humoured mockery, disguised well behind that smile of hers. “Unless you are responsible for the wind, I see no cause for them. The breeze otherwise has a tendency to go where it will, as a wanderer without a path will, you know.”

[steamed-artichoke]

Elphaba sat back down on her own bed, and kept the book in her grip.  She was very protective of it, partly because of it's contents and it being the only way to really channel her abilities, and partly because it felt like her last connection to her home of Oz.  She listened intently while Meowdar spoke, nodding when appropriate as not to interrupt.

"I haven't done much looking around yet, but so far it seems as though the map is correct in indicating no exits," Elphaba agreed, frowning a little.  She didn't like to think about being trapped in this odd place forever.

"I will keep that in mind," she replied to his statement about the weather, "I'm sure your efforts will be appreciated."  She hadn't registered anything strange about the hallways, but to be honest, she was still busy trying to digest everything about her situation.

"How long have you been here so far?" she was curious as to exactly how much he had experienced so far.

-

A human with green skin? Well, he certainly learned new things every day. He did know some other species with green skin, but it was an odd adaptation to see on a human. “Good to know my nose didn’t fail me then.” He flashed a fanged grin as he stood. “As far as I’ve seen, we’re all pretty well in the same ship here. Er, same…vessel. Something like that,” he muttered.

The book she carried caught his interest for a moment before she extended her hand to him. Of course, he could look into that thing later. “Elphaba,” he repeated curiously as he took her hand. “I’m Meowdar of Andrado.” He bowed his head slightly. “I can’t tell you much about this place, and I’m not sure why I’m here either. I had a mind it was purgatory for a while, but most I’ve talked to are quite convinced they’re alive, simply transported.”

He frowned, leaning back to sit on the a/c. “I can’t say what I’d prefer the truth to be, but I suppose we’re stuck going along with it for now, since there are no exits.”

He paused for a breath, lost in the thought until another one crossed his mind. “Oh, make sure to watch out for the weather in the hall. It changes daily. I’m not sure what sort of contraption they use to control it, but one of these days I’ll shut the thing off.”

[steamed-artichoke]

Spotted

Taking a break after wandering the park for over three hours, Elphaba sat on a bench and read over the spells in the book from the Wizard.  She was able to understand parts, but not all of it, and she had no idea how she was able to understand.  She had never learned the language that the book was written in, and she couldn't recognize the words, but somehow she understood what they meant without her eyes registering the language as usual.  It was unsettling.

She looked up from her book when she heard nearby footsteps.  She looked up to see a young man walking in her general direction, although not necessarily over to her.  She couldn't see him too well from this distance, but something she had learned about this setting was that she was better off keeping tabs of her surroundings at all times.