quick question #4 (with option to party)

[jainajade]

Surprise costume party! What's your costume?

(Jaina has a mouthful of plastic fangs and a little fake blood. She looks quite pleased with her affected role reversal.)

Comments

[green_tease]

I am always in costume. SO THERE.

(Even so, the fae looks a little worse for the wear. Actually, she could be a green-tinged member of The Walking Dead cast.)

[mai_yamato]

A tricoloured cat strides in, looks at Jaina, and sits in front of her.

It meows once and appears to nod.

[pasht]

Pasht is not doing well. Her irises are bright crimson from the blood she has gorged herself on.

"Poor taste," she slurs. "To survive, I pretend to be a live thing, a pulsing thing. And you, you show up here, at long last, think you funny to disguise you like me."

She get right up in Jaina's face, or as close as a petite woman like Pasht can manage against Jaina's comparative height. The vampire's fury makes her seem much larger.

"You are not funny, and you are not like me." She keeps talking angrily, but the rest is a mixtures of languages living and dead.

[jainajade]

The redhead's grin slides off her face, leaving a crushed expression. She spits her fangs into her hand and wipes her fake-bloodied mouth on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I... didn't know."

[pasht]

"What did you not know, pet? Or did you not think at all?" Yeah, Pasht is still pissed off.

"Wash your mouth and hands. It smells wrong and ugly." She does stop the stream-of-angry-consciousness, though, and sullenly leans against a handy wall.

[mai_yamato]

The calico frantically rubs its head against Pasht's ankle, begging for her attention. It purrs insistently.

[pasht]

Kitty wants her attention? Kitty has it.

The vampire bends down without thinking. "Em hotep, mau."

Something is off here. Pasht stares uncomprehendingly for some time, her crimson eyes meeting the cat's yellow.

"You," Pasht decides aloud, "are not a cat at all. That's fine. I am not human. Hello, fellow little liar."

Pasht smiles, tired but genuinely pleased. For now.

[mai_yamato]

Mai meets Pasht's eyes and nods exactly once. That done, the "cat" calmly lays down at the vampire's feet and purrs contentedly.

She appears to have made a friend.

[jainajade]

Jaina hesitantly walks near. She doesn't complete her approach; she stop a few yards away and doesn't make eye contact.

"Sorry. I didn't want this. I thought maybe I could try to understand - it. You. Not that you're - I mean, you, and what you are."

Sick of verbally flailing, she squishes her lips shut and wrings her hands. A little help here?

[pasht]

Pasht is doing better, thanks to Missy and Mai's ministrations. She thinks this over for a few heartbeats (Jaina's, not Pasht's. Obviously).

"Did it help?"

[jainajade]

That isn't a reaction Jaina had expected.

"Not really. I tried to get into the mindset and think about the changes, but it felt sort of gross. The costume's okay, but it's fake. If those were real teeth, meant for filling my mouth with real—" She breaks off shuddering in revulsion.

"I'm just making things worse. My point is, I don't know how you feel about it. Maybe I can't."

[pasht]

"You understand that you don't understand. That's worth something, child."

Pasht sips her drink and adds, slowly, "It's hard to remember so far back, but I think it felt that way for me, at first."

She starts to say something else, but only shakes her head and turns away.

[jainajade]

Jaina isn't done quite yet. One more question.

"So are we good?" Her voice is thick with emotion. The answer clearly matters a great deal.

[pasht]

Pasht laughs loudly. It is not a happy laugh.

"Good? You want me dead for being the very thing you imitated tonight! If feeling you have some special knowledge of me and my state helps you sleep at night, then go. Sleep. Dream bloodless dreams.

"But you do not know me, not anymore, if ever. Do not pretend otherwise."

[green_tease]

Missy reverts to her usual non-zombie-looking green self. "Thinking isn't my strong suit, so I didn't. Sorry, Tiny."

[pasht]

"It is... well. Okay. She is different. She thinks we should not exist, should be killed, but also that it would be fun to be one of us - only for pretend.

"You are not like that. As far as I know, your costume cannot complain like I can." There's a rueful smile.

"Be a dear and find me some water? I think I can keep it down, and it may help me."

[green_tease]

"Sure, hon!" Missy is on a mission.

She returns almost immediately, carrying what appears to be a martini. "Ignore the glass; it's all I could find. The olive is just to mess with the other guests."

Why? Because she can.

[pasht]

Pasht takes the drink and a small sip. "Ah! Very good, little one. ¡Salud!"

She smirks at the olive. The expression is more like her usual self than she has been all night.