boxed up [cookie

[Diane McLain]

So many boxes....

Diane wrapped her arms around herself even tighter, the golden threads digging tightly into her pale skin. Her outfit, as chosen by her drunken, perverted resurrector, barely covered her and seemed something more suited to Mayu’s wardrobe than her own – it also seemed more like Mayu’s size as well. It was black, a corset style one piece strapless dress (which seemed as though it was meant to be worn as a top), which feathered out at the bottom. It was little wonder the cold was biting so hard. She knew that she needed to be away, needed to get some clothes which not only covered her body more but also the golden chains. She was draped with white gold, her body coated in the finest possible chains above and below every join on her body, and stapled into place. On each of her fingers there was a white gold ring, and a single line which was stapled from the tip of each finger to each wrist, and the same for her feet. Her head wore a band, her neck a tight choker, and white dust was blown over her face, only visible as she occasionally glittered in the light.

She knew that she couldn’t take them off, knew that they were the only things that were keeping her soul and her body attached. Not that there was much of her soul left. The spell had ripped it to pieces, made it almost unrecognisable. It was the equivalent of wiping a computer back to factory settings – she could relearn the magic which she had forgotten, but even the simplest spells which few even realised was magic was lost and had to be reformed. Every psychic, empathic and tracking spell was destroyed, and Diane became just another face in the world to them.

She walked into her old room slowly, still a little dazed and incredibly tired. She’d travelled all the way from Lishma’s and was about ready to collapse, but she knew that things needed to done – after she had found some half-decent clothes, though. She looked around herself, wondering with interest why everything was packed away in boxes. Her fingers ran along the edges, wondering if she should open one of them or just go straight to her wardrobe for the clothes.

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu bounced into room, unaware of her unexpected visitor before she had already started her new laptop up. "GOOD LORD!" she screeched, dropping the papers in her hands at the site of her barely clothed and oddly shimmering zombie friend. "Diane?!! What happened?" she ran to her side, ripping through the boxes before pulling out some of Diane's old clothes. "Urg. Welcome back, glad to see you. But what's with the thread?" she asked, quickly getting over the shock more easily then most would have. But she was a zombie herself anyway.

[Diane McLain]

Diane turned around suddenly, seeing her friend was back by her side. "M-Mayu?" she said, a little dazed, most just from her tiredness. She came over to her and put her arms around her in a friendly hug, just wanting to see if she was real, still testing her new senses and body. Feeling skin, her friend, even someone else's hair, was all amazing to her. Even just being able to blink, which she never did in the afterlife, was a simple pleasure she had missed.

"I-I came back..." she said slowly, looking down at the clothes Mayu was picking out for her with a distant smile. She felt as her eyes were watering, another strange sensation, "I got a choice, and I wanted to come back. I made a lot of stupid decisions. I was in Lishma's looking for..." she trailed off, "I was in Lishma's. And I just needed someone to bring me back. In hindsight, Mr Mirrora probably wasn't the wisest of choices," she said, pointing to her outfit and the ribbons of gold, picking up on of the laces with her fingers. "All he did was tie my body to my soul. Its not real... but then what is?"

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu nodded, smiling comfortingly at her. "Well, maybe it'll fade." she offered, trying to wrap the jacket around her at least. "Being dead wasn't fun, was it? Maybe next tie you'll remember that." she didn't rush her, just simply trying to get her to get comfortable. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know Diane had gone to see Ant at his school, or to get revived by him. Either way it didn't really matter.

[Diane McLain]

Diane looked down, taking the jacket and pulling it closer around her. It really was cold, even in the room, and she still felt uncomfortable with her outfit. Walking for miles in terror someone would mistake you for a hooker wasn't her best memory of all-time, it had to be said. "I didn't exactly try to get myself killed, did I?" she said, a little snappy in her tiredness and aggravation. She shook her head, closing her eyes. "Antosha did tell you that... didn't he? That I didn't kill myself?" she asked suddenly, realising that her retort may have been unfair. It still hurt to think of when she was dead, though. Still hurt to remember Antosha trying to make her forget him.

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu nodded, not bothering to react to her snappiness. "Yeah, he told me." she smiled at her friend, looking around the room. "No doubt your tired, so i'll get your bed ready. Oh! Reminds me, Ant is going to come over tomorrow night, and Mel will be over in the afternoon. So. I'll try and get everything sorted out before then." she looked around, hauling box after box off the still made bed. It hadn't even been a month, but they day she'd heard Diane was dead she hide clothes and made her bed. After all, if there were two zombies no doubt others would follow. "Ant says hi." she giggled after the long string of profanity ran through her mind. He'd been checking in everyday now, peeking into her mind without her consent.

[Diane McLain]

She gave a thin smile, not really understanding how Antosha had said hi, but it made her a little uncomfortable. Magic, which had been so comfortable and normal to her before, was now slightly strange, like an advantage the world could use against her until she regained her magical strength. "Oh, I guess that's cool..." she said with a slight blush, moving over to the bed. How was she meant to react? Nothing she had ever seen, heard or felt could show her what the appropriate reactions would be to seeing Antosha and Melville again. "So... whats with all the boxes, anyway?" she asked slowly.

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mauy blushed, setting the clothes on Diane's beside table. "Me and Mel are leaving the school, so I had to pack up everything before we left. I didn't expect you right away, so your stuff wasn't out like it normally was." she smiled again, motioning to the papers on the floor. "Just getting the papers filled out and then we'll be gone. I can get you out too, if you want." she offered, shrugging her shoulders as if it never mattered. But Diane was her best friend, so of course it didn't matter at all.

[Diane McLain]

Diane looked up quickly, not even looking at the clothes and forgetting her tiredness as she heard the news. "Wait, what?" she asked slowly, "You're really leaving the school? W-where are you going? Why-why are you going, what happened?" she asked, her questions streaming out quickly. She was terrified of leaving her friends, leaving the only ones that would actually understand, but she needed the school and was desperate to relearn the spells which had been taken from her.

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu watched her, trying to gently calm her down by touching her shoulder. "Well, Mel and Ant are worried. This school killed you, me, Mel, Bren, and god only knows how many others. The boys want to protect me from it happening again. But hey, if you ask Ant will come back to keep you company." she smiled at her, "He's gotten a lot better, really. Much less creepy and sort of back to where he used to be. But, I mean. Me and Mel will be up in the city if you want to see us. Plus just think really hard and Ant will come save you."

[Diane McLain]

Diane flinched slightly at the list. It was basically a list of almost everyone she had ever cared about. Almost. She put her arms around herself, climbing onto the top of her bed and wrapping the covers around herself, not to rest or sleep but just to feel the comfort around her.

"Sounds logical..." she said to Mayu, blushing and hiding her face as she heard about Antosha. Just hearing his name made her smile, but made her frightened. What if he refused to believe that she loved him again? What if yet another thing went wrong? "Good to know..." she mumbled through the sheets, hiding a smile. Why she was smiling, she had no idea. "Just don't go too far, and I may forgive you."

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu smiled, taking the jacket away from her friend. "Alright. Sleep so that when Mel comes to get me.. You'll be all nice and not going to kill him!" she grinned at her, kicking off the slippers she wore and jumping into her own bed. It pleased her to no end that her best friend was back and an active member of the Zombie club, end if the threads were a little crazy. Mayu slipped out of her jeans and shirt, throwing on one of Mel's over sized ones. A habit she'd gained from the week of living in his room. She sneaked under the covers, shutting off the light and throwing another grin Diane's way. "Oh hey, Dia! Do you think I'd make a good blond?"

[Diane McLain]

Diane leaned back on the bed, putting her head on the pillow and curling the think blankets around her tightly. The metal threads were itching her skin, not to mention that her outfit was digging into her, but she was too tired and too comfy in the bed to take it off. "Blond?" she asked, smiling tiredly as she nuzzled into her pillow. "This a Melville thing, I take it?" she said with a small giggle. "I really think you wouldn't suit it, hun, but I wouldn't worry too much. Melville really likes you, probably loves you. You're the only girl he's ever kept. You must be doing something right." she said, closing her eyes.

[Mayu Nami Yoshiko]

Mayu nodded, curling up under the blankets. "But he likes blonds. I dunno. I just feel... Not enough for him." she yawned, pulling the blanket closer so her voice was muffled. "I mean, we went shopping and I just felt so out of place in his world... And then a group of sluts walked by and all he could do was watch them. I wanted to drop all the stuff and just walk out of there." she frowned, feeling the tears prick at her eyes. "But forget it, good night Diane.." she rolled over, trying to end the conversation by letting her friend sleep. Even if she felt like something was watching them. But it was Ant no doubt, watching Diane sleep.

[Diane McLain]

Diane smiled tiredly, her eyes still closed. "Never thought I'd hear someone say they're not good enough for him..." she said with a small smile. "Still think you must have some sort of super powers to keep him interested for so long..." she tugged on the blankets, wishing suddenly that she could have more than just the blankets around her. "G'nite, Mayu..." she breathed slowly, finally losing her battle and falling asleep.