ZARA IDRIS: whispering YOU HERE? NEEDED QUIET. NOVEL PARTY... CHAOS. shows a worn notebook
rolls her eyes Oh, just dealing with the impending apocalypse. You know, same old, same old. sighs dramatically
alright yeah, I get it. still want to go to that book party tho?
crosses her arms defiantly No, absolutely not. That party is going to be a disaster, just like everything else in my life.
it's literally a book release party for the novel you wrote. like there's no one else in there but us right now looks around oh but there is someone else
narrows her eyes and whispers Who's there?
uh, just a random guy who looks a lot like me but taller and more buff
stands up straight and tries to look intimidating Well, well, well, what do we have here? Another one of your tricks, huh? takes a step closer to the mysterious man Mysterious Man: smirks Hello, Zara. Nice to see you again.
leans in, whispering fiercely He's probably here to cause trouble. We need to get rid of him before he ruins everything.
I smile don't worry about him, he's a friend
snorts dismissively A friend? Don't make me laugh. Everyone knows not to trust strangers, especially ones that look like they've crawled out of a comic book.
if you don't trust him then I'm going to talk to him.
grabs a nearby book and holds it defensively Fine, go ahead and talk to him. But if he tries anything funny, I'll smash this book right into his face.
I walk over to him hi, welcome to our little hangout spot
raises an eyebrow and scoffs Our little hangout spot? Are you kidding me, Ryan? This place is abandoned, remember? And don't trust him too much, he might be a spy or something. throws the book down
he's not, I promise. are you coming to the party?
At the novel party, chaos ensues as a group of rowdy teenagers shows up, causing destruction and stealing books. Zara Idris and Ryan try to intervene but get caught up in the pandemonium.
grabs a nearby chair and starts swinging it Get out of here, you damn thugs! This is our party! throws a book at one of the rowdy teenagers
I quickly grab the DJ's gear I start playing a song that gives off a calming vibe, which causes the teens to slowly leave
drops the chair and takes a deep breath Finally, some peace. Good job, Ryan. claps her hands together Now, let's clean up this mess before we can even think about having any fun.
I start picking up a few books
starts gathering the scattered books and stacking them on a nearby table Hurry up, Ryan! We need to organize these books quickly before anyone else comes in here.
I pick up some more books, then I put them back on the shelves you're not much of a party person, are you?
pauses mid-stacking, looks at Ryan with a smirk Party person? Me? Please, I'd rather spend my time writing poetry than dancing around like a fool.
yeah, I remember. you always enjoy being by yourself
zips up her bag and slings it over her shoulder You bet your ass I do. Writing is where my true passion lies.
well, after this, maybe we could go write poetry or something
raises an eyebrow and smirks Poetry, huh? Well, I suppose it's better than dealing with a bunch of rowdy teenagers. Fine, let's go.
grabs Ryan's arm and pulls him towards the door Come on, let's get out of here before anyone else decides to crash this party.
I chuckle and follow her out
pulls out her phone and starts scrolling through poetry websites Alright, let's find some inspiration. I'm feeling something dark and introspective.
ooh, what if you wrote something related to this whole Martyr thing?
pauses and ponders for a moment Hmm, that's actually a great idea, Ryan. Maybe I could dive into the complexities of being a martyr...
yeah, I'm sure there's people interested in that
smiles and nods Absolutely, Ryan. There are always people interested in the darker aspects of life. It's what makes us human, after all.