He did the monster mash! [party thread]

[smithnjones]

[OOC: I know there have been a lot of posts lately, but this one can be tagged from now until whenever. I just wanted to get it up this weekend. It technically happens Sunday evening. There has been advertisements up in the journal and around the Kashtta. Non-Kashtta residents can come too! Costume is not required though remember, you can feel free

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[arrowblessed]

Off in one of the corners there stands a small young lady in black with a haphazardly painted face, no older than sixteen (at the most) who some might recognize as Kenzie Douglas. She's perched upon a makeshift stage of sorts-a bunch of empty boxes pushed together that just barely support her weight, covered with a maroon sheet-reading to the small crowd gathered around her.

The book in her hands is large and heavy, easily as big as her head if she decided to hold it up for size comparison, leather-bound and lined with fake gold trim. The cover reads, simply, POE.

She's currently reciting The Raven, one of her favorites, with all the grim enthusiasm and emotion of a seasoned actor whose done this hundreds of times. (The count might not be into the hundreds just yet, but it's close.)

[sophicsulphur]

Iris did only run into Kenzie that one time, so she doesn't recognise the face-painted girl. She does like poetry, though, so she's going to wander over and listen for a while, apologising to those she bumps with her huge (and thankfully, blunt) swordlike accessory as she finds a place amongst the crowd.

Soon she's caught up in the reading, the cadence of the words entrancing her, the talk of souls outpouring and mysterious prophets beguiling a fine fancy for her mind to slip into. As Kenzie finishes with the last line and the small crowd bursts into applause, she's jolted out of her reverie and starts clapping too-- or at least, clapping one hand against her closed fist, since she can't clap very well holding a Keyblade.

"...That was fantastic," she says to her, as the crowd begins to disperse. "Did you write that?"

[arrowblessed]

"Pfff, no," Kenzie nearly scoffs, peering at Iris in a do-I-know-you? sort of way. Once she decides that she probably doesn't, her expression shifts to one much more serious. She folds her arms across her chest, clutching the now-closed book against her body in the process. "It was written by the late Edgar Poe," she explains, "who you might've heard of as Edgar Allan Poe, but the thing is, John Allan wasn't a very nice man-or so I've heard-so I refuse to call him Edgar Allan. I think he would have wanted it that way."

She then arches an eyebrow. "Wait, you've never heard of Poe? The Raven's pretty much his most famous work, and one of the most well-known in the world."

[sophicsulphur]

"Ah, no," she says, sheepishly rubbing at the back of her neck. "Sorry. I'm a Wanderer. Still pretty new to this world."

There's something to be said for the lengths she's going to to defend the man, though. Iris can appreciate that kind of respect. "I think that's nice, though," she adds. "That you think about what he would have wanted. That you honour his memory that way."

She gives Kenzie a soft little smile. "I think he'd have appreciated it. The way you read his poem so well. I can tell you really cared."

[arrowblessed]

When Iris explains that she's a Wanderer, Kenzie's hard look softens considerably. She's still pretty new to this world, herself; as luck would have it, her world isn't all that different from this one.

Well. In terms of literature, at least.

The other girl's compliments make Kenzie smile. She's pretty sure she and Mr. Poe were probably friends or something, in one of her past lives. Maybe even more. "He's my favorite writer. You can borrow my book when I'm done, if you want, but I have a few more things I want to read first. You're welcome to stick around for 'em."

[sophicsulphur]

Aww, Kenzie. Iris could sympathise with that. Feeling a soul connection to someone, that transcends space and time and whether you've even met, in this life... well, she's had something vaguely similar, before.

"I'd love to borrow it," she says, grinning wide. "And I'd really like to listen to you read some more, too. That one was great."

She makes herself as comfy as she can on the ground, ready to get lost in another tale of mystery and intrigue.

[arrowblessed]

Kenzie gives Iris a quick thumbs-up to let her know that she's cool with Iris hanging around, then moves her attention back to the book. She flips through a few pages while humming to herself, looking for something else to fit the mood she's set.

The obvious choice, she thinks, is The Tell-Tale Heart.

"TRUE!" She begins with a cry, startling some of the people around who aren't paying attention. Someone nearly chokes on their punch.

Tonight is so awesome.

She smiles a disturbingly pleasant smile at the person coughing nearby, made all the more strange-looking thanks to the paint on her face, and continues: "Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad?..."

[sophicsulphur]

Ohh, Iris likes this one. The disease had sharpened my senses, the girl goes on, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad?

She's enraptured. This is a story that speaks to her heart: speaks to the love of knowledge, the thirst for senses that reach beyond the realm of the physical, the joy of being filled with the perception of the things above and below.

How then am I mad?

There might be a tear in her eye, just at that.

She doesn't want to be mad. She doesn't want to hallucinate, to see ghostly echoes of unreal things, taunting her with subconscious fears. She wants to see truth, to love truth: to rise above madness and unseeing reality, and see the greater reality for all that it is.

Yes, she definitely wants to borrow this book. Maybe the next time she needs to explain the difference between a vision and a hallucination to someone, she'll quote from that.

[arrowblessed]

There isn't much applause when Kenzie finishes the story, this time; she's done her best to terrify and-slash-or disturb her audience, and it's apparently worked. People kind of stare at her before dispersing, and she could not look more pleased.

The book shut once more, she realizes that now is a good time to get some punch or soda or something before she loses her voice. When she hops down from her little stage, it's in Iris's direction, with the book held out in her hands. "Here, you can take a look at it now. I'm not gonna read anything else for a while."

[sophicsulphur]

"Thank you," she says, softly, taking it from her and holding it close. "--That was the best story. So powerful."

She doesn't seem disturbed by it at all, even though her voice is slightly hoarse from emotion. You get the feeling there's a good reason that, in another reality just a stone's throw from this one, this girl became a Charun.

[arrowblessed]

Kenzie doesn't think much of Iris's reaction. Some might find it a little disconcerting, maybe, but Kenzie simply gives the young woman a little smile and a "come on" gesture as she heads for the tables of food.

"Poe's a pretty dark guy," she says, absently rubbing at an eye and smearing some paint in the process. "But with good reason, I think. Read some biographical stuff when you get the chance. I-" No, wait. She doesn't have any books Iris can borrow.

She would've, but then the Rift happened.

"Um. The library has some, probably."

[sophicsulphur]

"Library. Right. Got it." Kaden was going to get her an ID, so she could actually use the library. Maybe she can ask after that at this party, if he's here.

--Not that Kaden would be here. Why would he be here, at the Kashtta? But it'd be nice if he were here. It'd be nice if they both were here.

Well, maybe not both. At once. Because then she'd have to explain to Kaden why she was still hanging around with Molly, and that would be awkward.

"So what was it that got you so attached to his work?" she says, tagging along after the other girl.

[arrowblessed]

Kenzie shrugs a little and snatches up a cookie once they reach the table. "I'm not really afraid of death like most people are, I think. And I know it's like, whoa, you're fifteen! You don't even know! Except I do, because my parents were killed when I was little, and my family are hunters. Including me."

She takes a large bite out of the cookie, then starts scoping out the punch. She continues, even with a full mouth: "So, I mean, I guess that's why? And I like the way he writes. I've learned all sorts of new words from his writing. It's fun to read outloud, too."

All this as she chews and occasionally sputters a few crumbs. Once the cookie's gone, she retrieves two cups of punch and offers one to Iris.

[sophicsulphur]

"...Huh," she says, smiling at Kenzie. She's suddenly gained a whole new respect for this girl. "I'm... not afraid of death either. I mean, my parents died too, when I was twelve, and... I died. Myself."

She's still smiling, as if she doesn't consider that a problem. It's certainly no barrier to her being here right now.

"But yeah, that-- thanks," she says, at the offer of the punch, taking the cup from the other girl. "That really bothers me, too. When people tell you, oh, but you're sixteen, how could you possibly know anything about life, or death, or what you want? Except, I really do."

She's starting to get along with this girl, definitely.

[arrowblessed]

An improvement on their first meeting, for sure.

Luckily for Iris and everyone else, Kenzie's really mellowed out over the past few weeks. Falling through an inter-dimensional rift really puts things in perspective, you know?

Iris will find that Kenzie is now staring at her, looking a little alarmed. Whatever Iris said after that part about dying went totally over the younger girl's head. "You-what? You died? How?"

[sophicsulphur]

"Um." She always finds this part of the story a little embarrassing.

No, it's not that her death was undignified. It's more that it was a little too dignified, and she doesn't like sounding like she's trying to show off.

She takes a sip of her punch, and fixes her eyes on the floor. "I kind of-- it was a sacrifice. It was either... I could save my own life, but much worse things would happen. So I chose to die." Her eyes flick up to regard Kenzie through her messy bangs. "The afterlife's so amazing, though. You don't even know."