[PRP] The Dead Do Talk (Aisha x Hollandaise)

[The Semblance of Unity]

UNDER MY LOA LOA LOA, EH EH EH

It was a combination of bodily aches and nervous relectance, but Hollandaise moved slowly through the undead dorms, as though she were swimming instead of walking. The dorm was cool, cooler than her own and she forwned, goosebumps prickling around her calves. She knew the reasoning behind the temperature - most dead were in some sort of decomposition. Part of her still thought that decomposing bodies should be the ground, used as feed for green and growing things. But she could admit, albeit a little reluctantly, that not all undead were like that. Aisha hadn't even seemed undead... Thezil had been.... weird, but not decomposing. Still, instinct had her sliding through the more shadowed parts of hallways, avoiding other students and flinching at small noises.

Aisha's room was one a nicer floor, she thought distractedly, although she knew the topmost floor or so was reserved for vampires. Hollandaide had heard their arrogance rivaled even demon's. Thinking of Zar, she snorted and continued onward, almost passing by the door twice. She was here. Her heart beat a rought tattoo in her chest, and her throat felt uncomfortably tight. Hollandaise had left things for Aisha, gifts, and then Aisha had gone with Deszeld (not Aisha's fault), but also kissed Deszeld (very much Aisha's fault). Hollandaise still wasn't sure how she felt - two wrongs didn't make a right, but she felt like maybe, just maybe, they were both wrong a little bit. With a deep breath, she knocked timidly, the sound gentle and soft.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Aisha had straightened up. She had a tendency to be messy, mostly throwing her clothes around and making blanket nests in her bed while she surfed the net and listened to music.

The door swung open, stomach fluttering nervously, and Aisha smiled. "Hey.. C'min." She knew it was probably uncomfortable for the warder in the halls of the undead dorm.

Aisha's room was a warm contrast to the chilly hall. She had a small, simple bed, and her room was full of dark wood tones and paneling. Plants and small trees filled empty space along the walls and wooden masks hung beside posters of brightly lit concerts and trippy looking promotional art. One whole corner was dominated by a large pet bed where Twizzler stirred from a pile of minipets (a voodoo cat and a fawn child the most obvious). Another corner had a desk, a stereo, and a large hookah. Every coat hook had hoodies of earthy shades (and band logos) hanging en masse.

"So ummm... this is my room..." Her arms swung around and she sat on the bed while Twizzler fluttered awkwardly to Holly in greeting.

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise had barely begun to look awkwardly around the room when something fluttery smacked into her. It was small, kind of pudgy and very, very soft for a little bat. Instinctively, her arms moved to cradle the minipet. "T-Twizzler!" The warder's face lit up in a smile, the first real one she'd made since the dance. Twizzler made small noises of delight as it squirmed in her grasp, seeking out the scratches it was used to. She had missed the little beast, especially after going to her cold, sparse room. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and exhaled, thinking how easy it would be to take Twizzler and bolt. Turning slowly, she faced Aisha and shrugged a little.

"Uh, Twizzler seems happy here. It's a... nice place."She felt awkward, more than awkward, upset and guilty and a myriad of unpleasant emotions when all she wanted to feel around Aisha was the pleasant friendship they'd had before. Aisha even kept plants.

"I...I'm sorry." It wasn't enough of an apology, she knew. Aisha wasn't disgusting and really, how had she let what seemed such a little thing now feel so big before? Aisha wasn't decomposing, or disgusting, falling apart in rotted pieces. Her loa glowed with a comforting light. Hollandaise's hands tightened around Twizzler and the bat squeaked in protest. She let it go, watching as Twizzler flipped-flopped its way to Aisha. Her mouth openeed, and closed, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why did you kiss Deszeld?"]

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Aisha frowned a little even as Twizzler fluttered into her arms. She cradled the fluffy little bat and he only remained with her a moment before he bobbled back to the pet bed where her voodoo cat stretched sleepily, circled, and curled back up to nap.

"We had a good time." Aisha shrugged. "She kissed me and I never kissed anyone before so I kissed her back." She erased the deliberate jealousy attempts, that they'd kissed outside too and that the dance kiss was for show. That Des had wanted to kiss Aisha even in the tiniest way (and had). The zombie didn't want to upset Holly more. She also wasn't interested in Des like that.

"But... I spoke with her. Because I thought she'd take you to the dance and she didn't. She like-likes you and..." Aisha shrugged. "Me and her are friends. Like I ..." she looked hopeful, "hope you and I are friends... or can be."

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise frowned. Aisha's words were, at best, a non-answer, and at worst, they were flat-out avoidance. The warder shifted uneasily and caught herself, stopping the movement; she nearly reached a hand for her hair, for her leaves, and stopped it. Nervous gestures, more signs of weakness she did not feel like showing. Hips rolling slowly, she walked to Aisha's desk and lowered herself into the seat with careful movements, crossing one leg over the other. To remain standing would've caused her to fidget, to squirm and tap toes and shift as though she were a nervous child dragged somewhere all unwilling. As it was, she was still all stiffness and nerves and more 'what-if-screw-up-again's. Her hair she neatly flicked out of the way - she had often sat on it and the consequential sharp tug was always annoying.

"I am glad," she said slowly, in a tone that meant she was not sure she spoke the truth. "-that you enjoyed the dance." Hollandaise reached up a hand to rub at her still-swollen eyes. She had cried more after coming to this school than in her entire 50 years before. Aisha's next words were met with eye widened and Hollandaise's face seemed to crumple a bit. "Deszeld does not like m-me - she said she n-never wanted t-to see me again." Quickly, she inhaled, a creaky, gasping noise, and pasted a strained smile back in place, before abruptly launching back into speech.

"I know I said some awful things and I'm sorry - you aren't disgusting, you don't have bits falling off or goop or anything. I'm sorry I reacted badly and I know I hurt you and I don't know if you can ever forgive me, but... I miss being your friend." It was probably weak, as far as apologies went, but Hollandaise wasn't sure what else to say. Aisha had been easy to talk to and she missed that. Hollandaise felt weighed down. Nothing was going quite right at this school and while she wasn't sure how (except in this - here, she knew how she was at fault), she knew it was her doing. Aisha, the stalking, Deszeld. She curled her toes uneasily against the floor, unable to look the undead ghoul in the eye.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"She does though.. because I asked her straight up and that's what she said." Aisha frowned. Perhaps she'd shifted perspective on things a bit, but she wasn't being avoidant.

"Maybe you guys need to stop trying to punish the other and instead actually talk. You know.. talk without making demands on behavior." Aisha sat on her bed and sort of flopped sideways with her head on her hand to watch Holly. "I mean I know.. she's bad. She wanted me to sleep over before the dance and then she laid in front of the door like a guard dog so I couldn't leave." The zombie snorted a bit. "She told me she owned me for the dance and had to give me 'permission' to do everything but..."

"She's really weird ok. Weirder than.." Her brows lifted, the skill on her face looking as skeptical as she was,".. weirder than most goopy zombies."

The apology was handled with a shrug, because Aisha hadn't quite forgiven and forgotten but she was working through understanding. "It did hurt my feelings and.. I'm sorry if I did or said anything you thought was meant to hurt you but.." She frowned. "Even goopy zombies are nice. And I know it's probably some cultural thing but we are here now.. in this place where everyone is supposed to be accepted. And your going around talking to people like..... Zar." She almost spit the name, not because she hated him (she didn't know him) but he seemed to make Holly increasingly miserable on Critter, "when there are legitimately nice ghouls and boils who wouldn't act like asshats but maybe you are overlooking cause of your bias."

Aisha breathed a slooooow exhale. "Sorry I just... It's a really unfair point of view."

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise waited until Aisha had spoken, emotions swirling uncomfortably in her chest. She didn't believe the ghoul's words about the dragon at all. If Deszeld liked her, then how could she have been so cruel? The way she'd kissed Hollandaise had been nothing like the obvious gentleness Aisha had gotten. A flicker of jealously passed through her and ruthlessly, she tried to stamp it out. Deszeld was less important now. Or rather, not less important,. but more hopeless a cause. So she did not respond to Aisha's words on Deszeld, not yet.

"I don't want to be here, this school..." she said lowly, before looking up. Her voice changed, became almost casually conversational, as though she were speaking of the weather. "Did you know that I'm not allowed back, or to write, or anything unless I become a more perfect warder? I don't get a home until I prove myself. But all the things they taught me are unraveling - that undead are unnatural and should never have been reanimated. But if you hadn't come out of a pumpkin or been reanimated I would've never met you and I like you. I was so shocked and I felt so stupid for not noticing what you were and it felt like I was betraying... disappointing the Elders all over again." Her fingers twisted with each other in her lap. The comments about Zar were ignored - Hollandaise liked picking at him on Critter, for some unfathomable reason. "I'm trying to change, but it's... hard."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Aisha frowned. She didn't know what it was like to be sent away from home. She was here voluntarily for the most part. She missed home in the good comforting ways.

"I'm sorry.." The zombie ghoul frowned a bit. "I know I don't need to apologize but it has to hurt." Being sent away and realizing what you were taught was wrong. "But maybe you just need to make the best of it. Maybe you should.... go on the assumption that most everything they said is wrong and... well that means you aren't a waste either."

She offered her hand, if Holly wanted to hold it or just needed comfort. "Cause you're not a waste or a failure. We're just all young and stupid." Aisha laughed a bit. "My papa says the young are meant to make mistakes."

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise gave Aisha a grateful but shaky smile, folding the ghoul's hand in hers. She had been worried about being forgiven, but it seemed like they could be friends. Her shoulders slumped a little in relief, causing the leaves to rustle. Hollandaise had missed Aisha.

"I cannot-" She made a small, helpless motion with her hand, her mouth twisting. "-just assume everything they taught me is wrong. I have to become a normal Warder, not this thing I am now. Obviously, some of what they say can't be trusted... but how do I know which? Thank you, though." It was all very confusing for the younger warder. She squeezed Aisha's hand and laughed faintly. Her toes tapped against the floor.

"I do not think I can be everything I need to, not when I keep screwing things up. With you, with Deszeld." Hollandaise fell silent, eyes burning. Deszeld didn't care about her anymore and she had no idea what to do. "I am not good at fixing things, Aisha."

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Maybe you don't need to be a normal warder." Aisha believed in options. "We're here to find out about ourselves... what if you find out you don't want to be like them? You can be anything else you want."

She huffed a bit, the loa flaring between her lips. "I don't.." Her volume had dropped almost secretively. "I don't think I'm meant to be a healer. I don't even have interest in it. My loa.. is meant for healing and.. well I know it doesn't agree with me on some things. But that means I'll have to change."

The orange in her eyes flickered a moment, withdrew tightly and flared with it's own awareness.

"I think change is normal though."

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[The Semblance of Unity]

"It's just... if I'm not a normal Warder, then I don't really have anywhere else to go. I guess I have three years to figure things out." It wasn't a solution, merely a postponement. But she had time. She shrugged a little and looked at Aisha. Her loa... With each breath, Aisha breathed orange, comforting and warm.

"What do you want to do instead of heal? Will your color change? Would your father be upset?" Whatever Aisha did, Hollandaise would support. She owed the ghoul and Aisha was her friend. Suddenly, she imagined her with pink instead of orange and, despite her better efforts, let out a giggle.

iloveyouDIE

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"He may be..." Probably. Well she was sure he had to be but had no idea if he really was. He was always supportive of her but never let her forget her intended purpose. It scared her a bit. He could, if he wanted, simply unmake her.

"I have to unbind with this loa and bind with another but.. I'll have to go home for that and see. It may change." They were all colors.

"What?" Aisha piped at Holly's giggle. She smiled even though she didn't know the joke. "C'mon what?" She poked her.

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I.. ah-" She giggled again and squirmed away from Aisha's fingers, wincing as her ribs twinged angrily. "A pink loa... would be really girly on you. N-not bad... maybe! Just... that color!" Hollandaise hurried to say between infectious giggles, the words tripping over themselves out of her mouth. She was aware, suddenly, of how her funny thought could offend the other ghoul and, out of all things, that was the last thing she wanted.

"If only you could get... tie-dye." Hollandaise snorted inelegantly.

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[iloveyouDIE]

"Hey!" Aisha was laughing though, flailing lightly against the warder. "I'm girly!! I wore a dress at the dance!"

And big boots but.. still.

"I dunno maybe purple? Or blue?" Her own loa seemed to retract again, not fond of being treated like a tradeable accessory. Aisha didn't like displeasing it but there was only so much she could do when they didn't mesh very well.

"Though I guess I don't really get to pick." Her smile relaxed, "Whichever one wants me... if any.." If not she would be forced to cooperate with the loa inside of her or she would become a mindless zombie like all the rest.

the semblance of unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She flashed Aisha a smile, certain that Aisha would have an easy time of switching. The ghoul was sensible and sweet and all-around good. "Of course one will want you! I cannot imagine one not wanting you. You could put them all into a little fighting ring - may the strongest loa survive." Could loas fight separately or would they need host bodies? It was a fanciful thought and Hollandaise spent a few moments pondering it (and thinking up a possible betting scheme, imagining the loa fights turning into some sort of shady underground operation. Eventually, the loas would wispily and violently revolt and take on no more host bodies.) Hollandaise blinked several times before speaking again.

"Yeah, I saw you at the... the dance. You looked really pretty." And Hollandaise meant it - Aisha's paint had been perfect for that night and it was obvious the ghoul had enjoyed herself at least somewhat. She swallowed and shifted creakily in the chair. "You looked really pretty and so... so did D-deszeld. Though I cannot tell her that." Hollandaise's fingers were back in her lap, twisting around themselves as she remembered their fight.

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