[ prp ] my body is a cage ( thezil & reese )

[its me debz]

He had, upon the eve of the great night of Halloween, procured a second head. There had been dozens, waiting for the taking. Faces carved into them, illuminated carefully and arranged throughout all the school and town.

Jack O Lanterns, in honour of his name and likeness.

It was not that Thezil thought himself a god, or a respectable figure from Halloween mythos... It was that these heads were going without true purpose, fit to be retired shortly after the end of the grand Halloween bashes.

Carefully, in his room, the Object head and set his skellyvision upon a newly dusted shelf-- the only possession in all the room. (Spartan: a basic bed, made perfectly. A dresser, full of clothes traditional for his appearance. Shoes to the left of it, two pairs. Nothing else.) With the blindness of a newborn bat, Thezil fumbled to place the Jack o Lantern upon his neck, where it slid into perfect place, locking there with the power of his kind.

And then he'd left, not set to return for a week.

Until now.

Thezil stared blankly at his open door, puzzled. He had surely closed and locked it, but it was ajar. Just enough. He pushed it open, revealing a familiar head of wispy pink hair.

"Reese," he said, voice raspy like a gust of wind. Carved eyes narrowed in both suspicion and bafflement, the flame within the jack o lantern growing a little brighter. "You are not a belonging of mine. Why are you here?"

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Staring up at him, Reese frowned calmly and then pulled out a notepad.

Your schedule changed. And then, in as close as she came to a (tidy and precise) furious scrawl, she added, What happened to your head?!

Then she added another exclamation point in order to convey all the excitement her face was not showing.  

[its me debz]

Thezil shrugged. "I do not give much attention to the time." He shook his wrist, and between the space of a white glove and a black sleeve, a glimpse of olive skin was visible. Absolutely deadpan, he continued. "No watch."

He laughed, and a small plume of smoke drifted from his carved mouth. "It is there." He pointed at the shelf. "And here." Thezil rapped against his gourdly head. "It is not a possession. It is a piece of me. If I wish it so."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Unimpressed at his explanation, Reese gazed at the monitor and then wrote down another question. Does it still function as a head without being worn, or is it just a skelevision now?

Handing the taller student the note she went to inspect the screen and see if she could turn it on.

cherno astra

 

[its me debz]

It would turn on, but maybe only get two or three channels. Poorly.

So, about the same as before, frankly.

"It does not work for my senses without being on my neck," Thezil said. "I can use almost anything. But little feels 'right'. These do not feel 'right' entirely, but it is as close as I can find."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Turning her gaze away from the weird, static-filled cooking show full of yelling creeple, Reese gave Thezil a smug smile. If anything (any thing) could be a head...

cherno astra

 

[its me debz]

Thezil stared out to sea. He stared out to sea, and could hear the gulls, and the waves, and the crowd playing veiledball in the sand.

"Fine," he muttered, reluctant, flame dimming low. "I can function without one. But communication is...difficult. They do not hold my memories, or my emotions."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The air seeming to lighten around her, Reese's smile turned into an outright grin. Another note was handed over, I'll make you a fancy one some day.

Footsteps bobbing a little as she floated up an inch with something that later, she would realize to be amusement, Reese began to inspect the plain room, shooting him disappointed and even worse, speculative looks as it was found decidedly lacking.  

[its me debz]

Thezil paused, taken aback by Reese's smile.

"I was not aware you could do that," he said, candle flickering in what mimicked rapid blinking. "I cannot promise it will be right. But, I suppose, it could go on the shelf."

Heads were not things, just transient vehicles of sensory abilities, and accessories. Like clothes and shoes. "I do not wish to put anything in here unless strictly necessary."

He looked at her, tilting his head. "If you know my schedule, you know that I do not sleep here, too."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Things are necessary. The old argument again. I could put anything on my head and make it a hat. She was obviously still unimpressed with his exemption for clothing. It seemed like an excuse.

At his statement she tilted her head along with him, like a small, floating mirror. I don't sleep at all.

cherno astra

 

[its me debz]

The candle flickered, and Thezil clenched his fist. "It is not the same. I find I am torn: they are valuable, but not as valuable as they could be."

He reached out to push her, experimental. It was not with excessive force, although it was not a gentle touch. "It explains why you have time to intrude."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The ghost slid back smooth and weightless, her feet an inch above his floor. Making a face at him she stated, voice abrupt, "RUDE."

A note quickly followed as curiosity easily won out over irritation. What would make them more valuable?

cherno astra

 

[its me debz]

"I was merely testing," he said, voice flat. "They could only be more valuable if they were mine. My original. The one that is lost, in a place further than I can touch."

And then he laid hands on her sides, moving to raise her up if there was no resistance. "I do not know other ghosts. It is interesting."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"PICKY." There was a grudging respect at that. The pursuit of a Thing of Unique and Singular Quality.

When he lifted her, there was no resistance. It was much like lifting a balloon, a sense that she could float away if not tethered. "TINK." Though the grim was not of the sort who floated, but rather the sort that phased through items. In theory. Mostly Tink just tripped a lot.

cherno astra

 

[its me debz]

"Very," he asserted with a firm nod. "It must feel right. But I do not yet know enough to verbalize, exactly, what it is that makes it feel right?"

An alarmed puff of smoke escaped from the top of his pumpkin at the revelation that Tink was not, in fact, the species Thezil thought she was.

"I see. I thought she was undead. I think it is the blood. But it does explain her clumsiness." It was not said cruelly; Thezil was fond of Tink. Even if he was not the kindest, he was kind in the ways he knew how.

"You are very light. But I remember you making the air very heavy. Is it your power?"

lizbot