Mad World.

RP blog for Vivian Pearson, linked to cardinalhq.

[vivianpearson]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Vivian Pearson, the 23 year old cashier at Rewind Rentals originally from Scotch Plains, NJ. Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they’re loyal and aimless, but what you might not know is that they are a human, and that they’re hiding something… ― Mikey Madison, bisexual, female, she/her.

tw: drug overdose, familial death, drug addiction, alcohol addiction.

Born in Scotch Plains, NJ - Vivian had a perfectly happy childhood.

Vivian had an older sister, Chelsea, who she considered her best friend.

When Vivian was 14, her family moved to Cardinal Hill. This was when her older sister met Brandon ‘Cubs’ Szbuska.

Vivian's parents didn't approve of Chelsea's relationship, and believed he was a bad influence on their daughter. However, Vivian was supportive of her sister and her relationship.

tw drug overdose, tw familial death: When Chelsea was 20, she attended a party where she took a pill that was laced with something. She died, and Vivian's attitude towards Brandon completely changed. She hated him for the hand he played in her sister's death, and hated herself for encouraging it.

tw familial death, tw drug addiction, tw alcohol addiction: Vivian went to college where she started turning to drugs herself. She was willing to take just about anything, and drank heavily on top of it. She was initially trying to understand the thing that killed her sister, but when she was high all the pain and crippling guilt seemed to wash away. She became an addict.

Vivian never finished college, and moved back to Cardinal Hill. There, she took a job at Rewind Rentals - a job she likes because she has loved film for as long as she can remember.

[bitethvhand]

"Alright, keep my tapes, and I will be right back." Tapping the glass of the counter, Matilda then turned on her heels to walk out the door. Night was approaching, so she made her way to the grocery store before it closed. While there, she grabbed snacks that covered whatever the mood might strike: spicy chips, sour candy, sweet strawberries, and assorted cans of pop for a caffeine boost. After filling up a paper bag, she made her way back to rewind rentals with only thirty minutes passing.

When entering the shop again, it seemed a few customers were making their last-minute rounds. She eyed everyone, trying to gauge exactly where they were in the checkout process as she passed by the counter. "I got all the snacks and drinks needed for a night off work." Matilda's voice was a little louder than normal, hoping that the remaining people in the store would get the hint. "You only have about twenty minutes until close, right?" Only Vivian could see the smirk on Matilda's face.

[vivianpearson]

When Matilda left, Vivian found the last minute customers piling up. She actually didn't mind most customers, since it was an opportunity to talk about something she loved. The one thing that made her feel sane. But when her friend returned, and made the scene that she did, she couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Yes, only twenty minutes." She said, smirking back to Matilda.

[wcirdo]

"You got it," Paul stated as he reached for a glass to make Vivian her drink. She was a regular at the bar and he wasn't surprised by her order at all. Paul was just about to begin pouring the shot of vodka into the glass when he stopped himself and remembered the special he was supposed to be promoting. His boss had gotten some deal on frozen strawberries in syrup and was pushing them to use them in all kinds of drinks. "Actually, we got a special going on for a strawberry basil lemonade cocktail," he suggested. "Do you want to try it? It's still vodka." Paul wasn't usually one to push a special on someone but he thought it might be something Vivian would like and it was pretty slow in the bar tonight he didn't mind having something more to do than throwing some vodka and lemonade into a glass.

[vivianpearson]

The cocktail did sound good, and Vivian did have a rough day. It wouldn't hurt to treat herself just a little bit. Though she also knew she had to be careful with her money. Well... as careful as she could be as someone hell bent on fucking herself up every day. "How much is it?" She asked, before making her decision.

[hearthandhallows]

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ They giggled, turning to glance at the other with glassy eyes and a lazy grin. “I have a pool in my backyard. Isn’t that so stupid?” Without Addie around, there was nothing holding them to the real world. No anchor. And it hadn’t taken long for old habits to creep back in-. Truth be told, they’d never really left, just… lingered beneath the surface. Waiting. So there they were again. Another house party. High out of their mind, floating through it like a ghost. “What do you even do with a fuckin’ pool, anyway?” they asked, swaying a little as they pointed toward it. “Look–there’s a flamingo floaty.” Their grin widened, a dare flickering behind their eyes. “If you jump in with your clothes on, I’ll do it too.” A beat. “I can definitely make that jump…”

[vivianpearson]

"I cannot imagine swimming every day. Unless I was like... a professional athlete or something." Vivian said, with a little laugh. "Even then, I'd probably want to swim indoors when it was cold." She added, finding the fact that she was even entertaining the thought of being a professional athlete ridiculous. Her? Being anything but a clerk at Rewind Rentals? Unfathomable at this point. When they mentioned the flamingo floaty, Vivian took a quick glance before getting up from the step. "You're on."

[blackcatxmagic]

It had sort of been a chaotic night at the bar, and Leo had had enough. Seriously, it was like every one of the bar patrons was a belligerent idiot, which Leo knew sort of came with the territory. But even by those standards, this had been an annoying night. When Leo stepped out into the alley, he was fully intending to get high because it was the only way he was going to make it through the rest of the night. So when he saw Vivian standing there offering him a hit, it felt fortuitous, like it was meant to be. "You are my hero tonight, V, you really are," Leo said, grinning widely at the woman and eagerly taking the offered spliff. Leo immediately took a hit, leaning against the alley wall and closing his eyes. "Shit, I really needed that," he said, handing it back to her. For a moment, he let himself relax, shutting the chaos of the bar out of his mind, and then he opened his eyes and looked at Vivian. "Well I've been better," Leo replied, "at least tonight. I mean things otherwise are going great." He immediately thought of his new relationship with Felix and smiled. "What about you? Were you waiting out here for me?"

[vivianpearson]

"Drunks driving you mad?" She said, making her feel a little bad for being a drunk herself. At least she liked to believe she was a polite and well behaved drunk, but no one could think clearly in that state. There were many instances where she wondered why she made the choices she made the night beforehand. She took the spliff back, and took a hit before looking over to Leo and answering his question. "No, I'm here for a few drinks. But I wanted to get high first." She said, before handing the spliff back over to him.

[mightytiny]

⋄⋄ 🌵⋄⋄

Izzy's eyes followed the stranger to decipher if she'd made the right call by being lax after the mishap. It wasn't all that much, and now that there was a drink in her hand, less would be able to penetrate her skin. The girl had been known to look for a fight, but the stranger didn't provide any reason that Izzy needed to start a scene. Besides, it had been their drink that suffered the consequences and not that of her own. "No dirtier than they were before," she replied, shrugging imperturbably. "Esta bien. Nothing a washing machine won't fix, and a cerveza bath wouldn't hurt." Izzy held out her own beer to clink with the stranger. "At work today, I spilled some diesel on it anyway, maybe it'll help cover the smell." While that was a scent she held dear to her heart, it ricocheted around the room and usually didn't have the same appeal to those around her.

[vivianpearson]

"Diesel? Where do you work?" Vivian asked, her best guess was a gas station of some kind. Diesel was like fuel for a car, right? It didn't help that Vivian herself hasn't driven since college. Now her old car sits in some stranger's driveway. Or maybe it's all scrap in a yard. The money she got from selling it already spent through. She didn't even have any intentions of renewing her license once it expired. It was only useful as a form of ID but she was sure she'd look older by the time she "needed" a new one.

[javed-kashif]

he nods as the other suggests alfred hitchcock, the name ringing a bell in javed's mind. he recognizes the woman as one of the staff at rewind rentals and feels a slightly twinge of guilt for approaching her when she's off shift.

"didn't he direct pyscho? i've heard of it but i haven't seen it, i've heard good things." he muses, mulling over whether that should be his movie of choice tonight. "i saw dead poets society a few years ago and i thought that was pretty good. other than that i've seen casablanca and to kill a mockingbird...i swear i've seen more than that, those are just the first that come to mind."

[vivianpearson]

"He did. Along with Vertigo. And Strangers on a Train. And so many other brilliant movies." She said, giving the man a smile. When he mentioned Dead Poets Society, Casablanca and To Kill A Mockingbird - it seemed like she was talking to a man with good taste. She respected that. "Did you enjoy Casablanca and To Kill A Mockingbird, too?"

[skyskypage]

"I wish I was more open like that." And he didn't even mean it in a negative way. Sky often felt he had become too picky, to boxed in with regards to his preferences for music, or any art forms he chose to engage with. He wished he could go back to how he had been in his teens, when he would have given anything a go, not cared about whether it slotted into what he thought he liked. "Sure. I can go out and get snacks, if you want?" He suggested, wanting to be at least somewhat helpful. "Anything in particular you'd want?"

[vivianpearson]

"Oh yeah, definitely don't get snacks from here." Vivian said. She normally didn't say that to customers, but given that she had a stake in this snacking, she figured she could make an exception. It was much better to get snacks elsewhere, she thought. When he asked if there was anything in particular she wanted. "Definitely Doritos." She said firmly, when he asked if there were any snacks in particular that she wanted.

[vivianpearson]

Response to Plot Drop 8

Vivian was scared. She was confused. What the hell just happened? She actually felt like she was going to die. Her parents were there, watching her just die... That pain in their eyes which was all too familiar to everyone in her family. It felt so real in that moment, but it wasn't.

What the hell happened? And what was that voice demanding more? Was it some sort of bad trip? She hadn't taken any hallucinogenics. Why was she still afraid?

Maybe it was because that thing she fears could very much be a reality one day. If she kept going the way she was going. This life she has chosen for herself could be her end. Then her parents would have to watch another daughter go, the same way Chelsea did.

She finished the last of her cigarette, she wasn't the biggest fan of tobacco but it helped take the edge off a little. But only a little. She needed something else, because not only was she afraid but she once again felt that deep sense of self loathing. That all her terrible acts were going to cause more heartbreak. Ironically, it just made her want to do those acts.

There was a phone booth nearby, she was going to call her dealer then head over to Breaking Glass. It was like a horrible, vicious, cycle. Except this time, she wasn't sure if she was actually going to get release from the pain. But to her, it was still worth a try.

[covenlcss-deactivated20251101]

"Well, back to the shelf that goes," Onyx does just what she says and replaces the VHS tape to it's slot. There's no other explanation she needs. Onyx and her partner's time is valuable, and not to be wasted on trash that Hollywood is trying to peddle. "Alrighty then," arms akimbo she approaches the till. "I'm satisfied with the others I've selected. Ring me up, so that I can get out of your hair."

[vivianpearson]

"Are you sure? I can recommend you a good horror." Vivian said, as she ran the VHS tapes through the cash register. It would be so easy, horror was one of Vivian's favorite genres. Albeit, there wasn't a single genre that she disliked. Dismissing whole genres was bad film critique. "I'm never bothered by customers who want movie recommendations." She added. It was nice to feel like she was good for something, even if it was as small as that.

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @lovesspell (Eve). LOCATION: The Ceramic Cup.

Vivian's head was thumping when she made her way into the building. There was no liquor left in her fridge, which was her usual way to stave off the hangover, so coffee was her next idea. She actually wasn't too familiar with many of the quaint things in town, and couldn't really tell you what those businesses were all about. When her eyes laid onto the woman, she offered her a smile. "So... is this a cafe or a clay painting thing?" She asked.

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @blackcatxmagic (Leo). LOCATION: Breaking Glass.

"Hey, figured I owe you one." Vivian said, offering him a hit of her spliff when Leo stepped out into the alley during his break. It was only fair since she bummed off him last time. She was glad to see the man again, they had a great conversation last time. "How have you been?"

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @wcirdo (Paul). LOCATION: Breaking Glass.

"Can I get some vodka and lemonade?" Vivian asked, before sitting herself down on the bar stool. It was her usual drink, she'd occasionally stray from it for time to time - but she could trust vodka. She just finished a shift and Rewind Rentals and wanted to spend the evening blowing off some steam - so it really wasn't any different to any other night. Only the location changed between the bar and her bed. She still essentially did the same thing.

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @hearthandhallows (Charles). LOCATION: Some house party.

"I really fancy a swim." Vivian drunkenly said, turning her attention to the stranger sitting next to her on the patio. "Do you reckon I could do it with all my clothes on?" She added, assessing the pool in front of them. "How rich are these people, anyway? Who has a pool in their back yard." She was at that phase of the night where she was just blurting out everything that came to her mind.

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @livrelcvande (Opal). LOCATION: Maplewood Inn.

Vivian woke up and stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. When she lifted her head to get a look at her surroundings, she realized she was in a hotel of some kind. Her head was thumping. What did she even do last night? She got out of the bed, still wearing the clothes she put on yesterday, and made her way out of the room. When she saw the maid, she immediately approached her. "Hi. Uhm... I don't know how I got here."

[vivianpearson]

CLOSED STARTER: @pvtaspcllonyou. LOCATION: Rewind Rentals.

"Do you need any help?" Vivian asked the man who seemed to be stuck making a decision between two VHS tapes. Movie recommendations were her bread and butter, and she was always happy to help any customer with that. Honestly, she probably wouldn't be so good with customer service working in any other store. "What have you got there?"

[javed-kashif]

status: open to everyone @cardinalstart

where: rewind rentals

javed wasn't really the type who watched films often, but that was something he was trying to change. in the years since his divorce, he decided that it would be good for him to branch out and try new things, this was just the latest on his agenda. so, he finds himself browsing the shelves of the local video rental store, trying to decide what kind of film he might want to watch.

it wasn't an easy task, as he finds that he doesn't recognize most of the titles on the shelves. even then, he remembered some of the more popular ones, but hasn't seen most of them. after having no luck finding something to watch by himself, he approaches the nearest person in the aisle.

"i'll be the first to admit i'm a bit clueless when it comes to cinema. do you have any recommendations? you could say i've been living under a rock."

[vivianpearson]

Vivian had just finished her shift and was leaving the store when the man stopped her - she could have told him she was off and to ask another clerk, but she loved giving movie recommendations. It was something she just couldn't resist doing, even when she was off the clock.

"Well, if I'm just going for a blanket overall recommendation - anything by Alfred Hitchcock." Vivian said, with a smile. "Are there any films you do like?" She asked curiously. There had to be at least one, and it would help her give the man better recommendations.