shining-brat-blog

[shining-brat-blog]

shslclassicist:

Kohana wasn’t going to stop Katherine from helping, although she did silently hope that nothing was placed on too high a shelf. It would be infinitely embarrassing if she had to beg her roommate to reach up for her, and even worse if she had to clamber onto the counter. Either way, she was preoccupied with choosing teas. The grocery store did not have a selection to match her own collection at home, but there was still a fair variety. Rather than going through all the available choices, she decided to play it safe with Earl Grey. Everyone liked Earl Grey, right? She couldn’t imagine Katherine disliking it, anyway.

As she started the process of making the tea, she continued to talk. Katherine was actually pleasantly polite company. It would be so easy to make assumptions about one to whom fame came so early, and box her into the stereotype of a spoiled stage brat. But for now, she was actually among the more genteel residents of Cliffside, and for that she was grateful.

“Law? I wouldn’t say I’ve ever considered it. My career path’s always been predetermined, more or less.” She shrugged. “Besides, if I was to pursue any other career, it would be in academia. I’m far too at home in a library compared to a courtroom.”

With the kettle on, she turned her attentions back to the book. There was certainly a familiarity about it, and it irritated her how she couldn’t identify it. Until she got one look at the handwriting inside, that is. It was almost as familiar as her own, and seeing it startled her so much that she hardly noticed that Katherine had been inquiring after her wellbeing.

“Oh!” She started, quickly shutting the book and putting it down before it could distract her any further. “I did actually know Caroline, somewhat. We were considering recruiting her into the company. She was a talented young woman with bright prospects. It’s just such a shame that she threw all of that away in a moment of blind panic.”

There was a slight pause before she continued. “It just makes you think, you know. It could happen to the best of us. Is anyone really safe here?”

“Well, you seem to really like books so academia makes sense. You do see like a library lurker, I mean we met in a library so if that’s any proof.” She remembered it as a doll of a girl using Katherine to get her to grab her a book then question her crappy choice in romantic literature... The stuff is just an easy read, and Katherine isn’t really picky when she reads. “Your career is predetermined, huh? I guess I can understand.” She put the last item away with a sigh, “While I did pick acting when I was little, at this point the choice to switch career paths is out of the point. My mother would never allow it.”  Katherine watched her, leaning against the counter with arms crossed. She seem entranced by the book she had given her, which made the actress wonder what the book was exactly. “Oh? So you did know her... Yeah, it is very unfortunate that she... killed Aki-kun.”  Her next question made her pause because she was wondering the same thing not too long ago, “I... If you ask me... No one here is safe.” Katherine’s face hardened into a neutral stare at the floor. “No one is safe in this murder village when the Fool is dangling motives over our heads. They’re probably not going to stop until each one of us becomes a monster with a prey’s snapped neck is between our jaws... So, either we give in to the Fool and become the monsters they want us to be or we get out somehow... But it’s like they’re everywhere so it’s not like we can do much.”  “Did you read that one rule about the cameras? I didn’t even notice cameras until I started looking... The Fool is watching us, always...” It made her feel... gross, for once not wanting the camera on her, “I just want to know why... Like, what is the point of all of us murdering each other... There has to be an end goal, right? This can’t be just because some sick freak with too much time on their hands had a whim.” 

fac fortia et patere | chapter 2 | Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

Fairy Light Lovers | Saiyuri | Chapter Two | Katherine

Okay so this "vacation" sucked. People were dead, others were tired, others on edge, nervous, and scared. Yuri felt the full gambit of these emotions (minus the "dead" part) over the last few days. The only silver lining she could find was the company of her roommate and maybe-girlfriend, the talented and beautiful and wonderful Katherine Ueda. Now, Saiyuri knew well enough that this setting wasn't exactly ideal for courting someone, but she might as well make the best of the amenities that were available to her. Besides, a nature walk with a beautiful girl sounded like the perfect thing to lift her spirits.

So here she was, waiting in their shared cottage for her roomie to come home. Of course, nerves were getting her if only a little bit despite the fact that the chance of being rejected was minimal. Still, she couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach nor the pounding of her heart. Maybe, juuuust maybe, they'd make this little fling of theirs official tonight. The get-away indeed sucked. Katherine ended up losing two old classmates, one being a very good friend of hers. Since Aki's murderer Saiyuri would have to handle a very distressed Katherine. Sure, Saiyuri got to hold and cuddle her which was a plus, but she would be sobbing quietly. The reason for Katherine's closeness was a sad and somber one. In good news, Katherine has been in a slightly better mood lately. While she was still sad over Aki's death, it seemed like she was finally getting through the mourning.

Which was a perfect time to get closer?

Saiyuri's maybe-girlfriend walked in casually, holding a few bags of food. It was nice that more food sources have opened up. One can only eat so many burgers before growing sick of them. "Hey, Yuri-chan." Katherine started putting the food away, "How are you feeling today?"

"Welcome home, Kathy-chan!"

Yuri got to her feet the moment Katherine walked through the door. Ever polite, she walked over to help put groceries away, trying not to think about how wonderfully domestic and sweet the scene would be in a different context. She'd take what she could get though.

"Honestly, things are kinda crummy, buuuut I know you know that." She closed the cabinets of their kitchenette once she had finished putting away her part. Turning to face Kathy, she smiled, excited to finally extend her invitation. "I thought about something though! We have more places to go now, right? You haven't really been out and about much since... Well, since Aki." Her voice softened when she brought up Kathy's late friend. She still had trouble treading lightly with that.

"I thought it might be nice if we went on a walk together in the nature part that just opened. What do you think?" It was cute to hear that, to hear welcome home was such a heart warming thing to hear. Living with Saiyuri truly has helped Katherine get through this and her cheery attitude kept Katherine's smile up. The two have gotten closer lately, not saying that they didn't hit it off the moment they met but what was first an exciting blossom of a very gay start has cooled into loving relationship that each of them are too shy to make an actual move.

Hearing Saiyuri's mood, Katherine gave her a little nod, everything was crummy but weeping wasn't getting them any closer to getting out of this place. "I guess I have been a bit of a hermit since Aki's trial... Maybe some fresh air would do me good..." With all the food put away Katherine walked over to her bag, "A walk sounds wonderful, but before we go... I got this thing from the fortune teller and I think you might like it." From her bag she pulled out the light up frame, "I-uh... Maybe once we get out of here and this all becomes a memory... We can take a picture together and put it in this frame... Here, it's for you." The taller girl held out the gift with a blush. "Oh my gosh!!!" She took the frame, examining it and switching it on and off a couple of times for good measure. "Kathy-chan I love this!! Ugh, I swear if I had my phone we could fill it right away. Ahhh!" She stood on her tip toes and threw her arms around Kathy's neck, hugging her for all she's worth. "I love it! Thank you so much!!"

Though reluctant to let go, she did if only to examine the gift a bit more. Of course she would need to pay her back somehow. Maybe she should give that weird machine a try, she did have a bunch of those coins saved up. She couldn't let a gift go unmatched, after all!

After taking a brief moment to set it on their table, she turned to Kathy.

"So! How about that walk? I wanna see what that fairy tree is like." The reaction to the gift was just what she was hoping for! Saiyuri was happy with the gift, so happy that she hugged her. "I'm glad you like it, Saiyuri." She wrapped her arms around her roommate. The blush on her face didn't go away.

"Right! The walk sounds lovely, Yuri-chan." She walked over to the door and opened it, "Let's go see that fairy tree. It sounds as cute as you." And so they went. Saiyuri held her tablet with the (rather unhelpful) map in one hand and gently took Katherine's own hand with the other. They walked through the village as the sun was beginning to set, providing a beautiful backdrop for their outing. Or should she refer to it as a date?

As she walked hand in hand with Kathy, Yuri was quiet, opting to take in the scenery and get lost in her own thoughts. Of course, her mind quickly wandered back to the other girl. She seemed fine now, but...

"Hey, Kathy-chan? You sure you're okay?" This was nice. A calming walk at sunset, holding hands with a cute girl, it was all very ideal for a date… That is what this is, right? Well, Katherine will just quietly assume that it is unless told otherwise. Regardless this best way to forget the horrible situation the group is in. Katherine seems rather calm, feeling herself relax by just touching Saiyuri’s hand.

Hearing Yuri’s concern, it was clear that she was still worried for Katherine’s state from Aki’s recent murder. “Yuri-chan, I… I am not okay and I honestly doubt I ever will be okay… All of this is so overwhelming but… I can’t sit around forever. It isn't fixing what happened… All I can do is hope for the best…” she rubbed her thumb over Saiyuri’s hand, “Thank you for being there for me… You comfort me so well. I can only imagine what sort of mess I'd be without you…” Yuri smiled at that. She normally wouldn't be one to grieve for very long, but she had no idea how close Kathy and Akihiko were. She wouldn't presume to know either. If all she could do was comfort the other girl, then by all powers that exist, she would.

"I wouldn't just leave you in the lurch you know! I..." What exactly should she say? Should she vocalize her deeper feelings now? Was it the right time? "I care about you. A lot! I really do, and when someone comes to get us, when we get out, I wanna still be there for you."

They were getting into the more thickly forrested area now. She took it as an opportunity to crowd in just a bit closer.

"Also, you're not too shabby yourself with the whole comfort thing." Saiyuri was so sweet and always seemed to be cheerful if nothing else. It really brought out the better parts of Katherine, who felt like she could be a little numb time to time. “I care deeply for you too, Saiyuri…” It made her heart beat a bit to say that. “When we get out of here… I want us to still be together, Y’know? I can't imagine us not being around each other after everything we been through… and what we might have to go through.” Romantic situation or not, they can't forget that this little murder game the Fool is putting them through isn’t over.

“Am I? I'm glad you think so… I’m not all that well versed in organic emotions so I never really thought that I’d be good at comforting… I’m probably learning from you, Yuri-chan. You're unbelievable sweet… You're so sweet I could eat you up.” That was a good line she has heard from a few different films… That was a good line right? “These woods are pretty thick… It's a good place for privacy.” Had it not been for the setting sun and cover of the trees, Katherine might've seen how much her comments made Saiyuri blush. Damn!! These lines weren't revolutionary or anything but come on!! Katherine was the one saying them!!

"W-well..." Goodness gracious what was she to say to that? "I guess I wouldn't mind that so much." She looked up at Kathy through her lashes, hoping she looked as cute as she wanted to. She had to impress!

"You know... I am glad we have more room now. I was dying to ask you out you know." She said it! For sure, now it's an established date. She looked up at Kathy to gauge her reaction. "I never took myself for a nature date kinda girl until now." It is a date!!! Yes!!! That conformation made her heart beat more. Thank goodness for heavy makeup or her face would be beet red. So, this is a date, what should she say? Or do? Should she smooch her? No, too soon. “I guess that is one good thing about the trial. We have more room to roam and… have dates to go on.” Katherine looked happy, there was a goofy smile on her face as she looked at everything except for Saiyuri’s face.

“I'm glad you asked me out, Saiyuri-chan… This is my first time being with a girl and I'm honestly having a good time…” It reminded her of the times she has been with boys. Nothing ever make her heart skip a beat when she was with her old boyfriends like how Saiyuri makes her feel, “I like you a lot… I-is that too bold? I'm use to quick relationships but I don't know if you like to take things slower or not but…” There was a lump in her throat, “I just like you… a lot… Wait. I already said that...” June 9, 2017 "No! Not too bold at all!" Saiyuri was smiling happily up at the other girl, over the moon with how well she took the whole date concept. "I like you so so much!! Honestly? I haven't had long relationships either. Things were waaaaay too busy and then my flirting hasn't really gotten me a long term girlfriend basically ever, which sucks, but I think this time is different right?"

She squeezed Kathy's hand lightly. They were rounding the bend now, and it was nearly completely dark out. Where was this fairy tree thing anyway? Surely they must be getting close.

"Kathy-chan, you're so cute... You know that right? Like, how ridiculously cute you are?" “Being kidnapped and forced in some freaky village to play murder games is just a good time as ever to go on dates and start relationships… At least it will show that if a relationship can survive here it can survive whatever problems day to day life might throw.” Katherine lifted Saiyuri's hand and left a big pink blue kiss mark on the the back of her palm. “I think I'd be lucky to have you on my side during this… Anyone would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend.”

Hearing her compliments made Katherine turn her face off to the side, sadly not letting Saiyuri see whatever reaction her words were having on her, “Thank you, Yuri-chan. I hope you know that you're stunning…” Yuri opened her mouth to retaliate, deflect it and say that Kathy was the more stunning of the two of them, but the sight of something stopped her. The fairy tree stood next to the path, lit by countless small lanterns and larger than one could imagine. It was absolutely gorgeous.

"Well, we're here!" Saiyuri smiled and started towards it, pulling Katherine along. "Now, I don't really know why it's called a fairy tree? But if we caught a glimps of a fairy somehow, I'd take it as a sign of good luck, don't you think?" Eena - Last Saturday at 8:49 AM Seeing the beautifully lit tree ahead of them was certainly a sight to behold. It was wonderful, and very romantic, so spending some time under the tree is a good moment to make a real move.

Katherine walked over with Saiyuri until they were standing near the bark of the tree. "Actually, fairies should be anything but good luck since they're tricksters but... I don't think we need a fairy..." Katherine slowly put her hands on Yuri's waist, pulling her in close to her body, "I have all the luck I need with me right now... And what a beautiful lucky charm she is..." Katherine face was deep red, her light brown eyes was looking at Saiyuri, waiting for her reaction. Saiyuri's eyes blew wide at Kathy's compliments. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, meaning to get some sort of counter out, but found she was simply too flustered to do so. Finally, she opted just to bury her face in Katherine's shoulder, effectively hiding her blush.

"Y'know," she began, voice muffled. "I didn't think anyone could possibly out-flirt me but you take the cake on that."

It took another moment for her to look back up at Kathy, but when she did, she accompanied it with a smile. Her arms wrapped around the other girl's waist.

"You know what I think would make this better? How about a kiss for good luck?" "A kiss?... Well, I might break my back trying to get to your level... Unless." Katherine, having a sudden burst of courage, bent her knees and wrapped her arms around Saiyuri's waist. The actress lifts her with an unseen strength, lifting Saiyuri to Katherine's height. She then pinned her back to the trunk of the tree. Katherine had her body pressed up against Yuri's to make sure she wouldn't lose grip.

"There we go. It will make this a lot better..." There was a soft smile as she leaned her head in, giving the lovely singer a kiss under the light of the tree. Yuri squeaked involuntarily when Kathy hoisted her up, face turning even more red. She gladly wrapped her legs around Kathy's waist, making sure she wouldn't fall. That'd be an awful thing to have happen right now. Total mood-breaker.

Besides, who knew someone would actually pick her up for a kiss? And oh, what an amazing kiss it was. Saiyuri closed her eyes and kissed back tenderly, feeling as though she'd died and gone to heaven.

It was over too early, though. They pulled away from each other and Yuri was speechless. She stared half-lidded at Kathy, heart pounding in her chest. Katherine just melted into the kiss. It was such a warm feeling that rushed through her chest. All the time she has wasted doing this with her old lovers, no one has made her feel this way. Saiyuri was something very different and Katherine was loving every moment of it.

When they parted, Katherine looked over Saiyuri's face... And she started giggling. While she laughed Katherine pressed her forehead against Saiyuri's, "My lipstick looks good on you." The moment Kathy started giggling, Saiyuri couldn't help but follow suit. At the actress's comment, she smiled wide, blush still bright and warm on her cheeks.

"I think we missed a spot though."

With that, she went in for another kiss excitedly, wrapping her arms around Kathy's neck. "Oh, did we?" There was goofy grin on the actress's blushing face before going back into another kiss. Saiyuri could hear Katherine happily humming in it.

Once they pulled away Katherine moved one arm away from Yuri's waist and to her face, palming her cheek. She rubbed her thumb against her cheek. Katherine stared into the singer's eyes, her own full of loving affection. "... I wish we could have met back at the academy... Who knows what could have been different... For us." Starting a relationship in a murder game could put a lot of stress under the pair.

"Well...better late than never, right? And hey, it's not like we're never getting out of here."

She punctuated the sentiment with a peck to Kathy's cheek.

"We'll be rescued, we'll leave here, we'll be together forever and we'll invite everyone to our wedding. Doesn't that sound fun? I know a few venues that might be really nice." "We kiss and you jump to weddings? You are certainly in a rush for a perfect ending." At least Saiyuri's words moved Katherine's thought from their current reality. "But a wedding sounds wonderful!" She moved her girlfriend away from the tree and helped her down to the floor. "If we get out of here with our wits still with us, we can handle anything the outside world will throw at us."

Katherine took one of Saiyuri's hands and put the other on her hip, "Imagine our first dance. We're both in beautiful dresses, the people we love are around us watching but we'll only see each other." Saiyuri giggled at that. "What can I say? Love at first kiss is totally possible! Besides, it may just be because I want to show off how i look in different dresses. And of course admire you in one too."

When Katherine set her down and took her hand, Yuri couldn't help but press a kiss to Kathy's fingers, enjoying their warmth. "I already only see you, darling. It's hard to take my eyes off of you, did you know that?" "I had a feeling. You're not very subtle in your staring, Saiyuri..." She giggled.

"Love at first kiss, hm?" She giggled. "Well, if we are to get married, we need to get engaged first..." She bend down and gave her a kiss on top of her head, "And that means I need to propose to you... I want that to be perfect as I can make it here. So, please give me some time to get that ready." She pulled away but was still holding her hand.

"We better get back home, my love." Those words felt so nice to say. "It's getting late..."

With that, the two lovers made their way out of the forest, returning to their bed to dream of a future where they are free from Cliffside.

[shining-brat-blog]

Uncan(e)ny Reactions | Shin | Chapter Two | Katherine

When Katherine thinks about it, she's been giving out a lot of gifts lately. Maybe she wants everyone to be a little more at ease since Aki’s trial, maybe she wants to make more friends, maybe she wants everyone to trusts her more. Who knows the answer? No one, really.

She found herself once again at this door, she had given Kohana a book not too long ago and now she's back with a gift for Shin! While she wanted to keep the cane, she thought its sleek style fitted Shin more. Maybe Shin would dance with it! That would be cool!

One hand held the cane behind her back as the other hand knocked, “Shin-sama! I have something for you!”

At this time of the day, Shin was usually bound to be out and about, training or wasting her time or chatting with people. At any given time of the day she was bound to be doing the same, really, and it was only due to the lucky circumstance of Kohana having mentioned in passing how little she was around that she had decided to spend a bit more time at what passed for her home while she was here. So when Katherine knocked, it was actually Shin who opened the door to their cabin.

When she did and found herself faced with her beautiful fan, her grin was the automatic, honest kind, with just a bit of smugness at being reminded that yes, she was that grea, great enough to have a fan, probably several even.

"Oh heeeey, it's you. Katherine. Kathy? I can call you Kathy, right?"

She stepped aside slightly, and nodded towards the interior of the cabin.

"Come right in, let me fix ya a drink."

"You can call me Kathy." You can call me whatever you want you beautiful graceful dancer...

"I'm glad I caught you at your cabin, Shin-sama." Katherine happily walked in, though side stepping so Shin wouldn't see the cane, "I actually came eariler to give Kohana a gift I thought she would like. When she opened the door she thought I was here for you but it did remind me I got something from the fortune machine that I thought you might like..."

Once inside and the door was closed Katherine revealed the gift: The sleek and stylish cane, "I think you might like it. It's very beautiful and I think it would fit you well. Maybe you can even dance with it, or just strut around the village." A gift? How thoughtful. Shin loved when fans brought her gift, particularly the  self made kind- she fondly remembered one very loyal fan who brought her all manners of lunchboxes to her performances, all made with such love and dedication.... They did end up having to arrest her for apparently  using that same dedication for going through her trash, but hey, it was nice while it lasted. And Shin had always thought her trash ought to be someone else's treasure.

Given that it had come from the machine, though, she doubted that Kathy's gift would be self made, so what could it be? Shin had given gifts from the machine, but had yet to receive one. What did it have in store for her?

Her face froze when she revealed what it was, smile stuck on her face but not the warm kind anymore while her eyes darted to Kathy's face, then back to the... the thing in her hands, then back to her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking, how much she knew. She didn't move, didn't flinch, just stared for a while, squinted. Then, finally, without ever so much as raising her hand to accept it, she spoke, and he voice was rough enough to make it sound like she'd only just woken up, and without any hint of the warmth and exctement that'd been there before, replaced by an underlying anger, a threat, even.

"Is this a joke?" Katherine had expected a warm acceptance of the gift. Shin would give her that award winning grin, take the gift, and maybe do a little move to ask if she looked good. It sounded like something a flirty woman with an ego bigger than the Earth would say and do. Much to Katherine's surprise, this is not the case. Her reaction to the gift was not what she expected at all.

Shin seemed... angry. A slowly growing anger to the gift. So much so that Katherine felt that she was in danger. The smile on her face dropped as she pulled the cane into her body, "N... No? Shin-sama, I thought you'd like it... I... Did I do something wrong?" Katherine was so confused. "Oh sure, suuuure why WOULDN'T I like it, right? Just bein so helpful and all that, ain't cha? Best intentions only here, givin the cripple a damn cane, who WOULDN'T love it!?" Shin's voice grew louder and more agitated with every moment she spent sending herself deeper into her way of thinking. She wasn't yelling yet, but she wasn't far off either. Seeing her grinding her teeth, gesturing sharply along to her words, it wasn't easy to tell whether she was taking things out on Katherine, or whether this was the restrained version- it sure did feel a little bit like she'd accidentally poked the surface of what may be turning out to be a sleeping volcano.

But it didn't break out. At least not more than it had already. Shin glared for a few seconds, but then, finally, squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples as if she were fighting off a headache. With a final sigh, she ran her hand through her hair. The tension wasn't gone, but when she opened her eyes at least she didn't look ready to start a fight. Angry, irritated still, but with an underlying sense of.... was it hurt...? Tiredness...? Something cold and hard to grasp underneath all the hot burning ire.

"Look."

She clapped her hands in front of her and took a deep breath. Steadied herself.

"I ain't... I ain't yellin at ya. I shouldn't a gotten angry, that wasn't cool, I ain't gettin angry at a... a /fan/, right? They're the ones who brought me here, right...."

There was the slight attempt at a smile, but somehow her words sounded more like an accusation than a compliment. At least she wasn't yelling anymore. "I... I-" This is REALLY wasn't what she was expecting as a reaction to the gift. Shin started her rant, speaking so angrily to a fan with only the best intentions. All Katherine wanted to do was give Shin a gift she thought would fit her but it seemed like the actress struck a cord with her.

Katherine whole vibe had a sudden shift before Shin was even finshed chewing her out. Katherine's face dropped to a neutral expression, not sad or scared as it was before. Her whole body became stiff in a upright posture, pressing the cane so deeply into her body that it looked like it would just go through her. It seems that  her eyes glazed over during this shift. Regardless, it was a strange reaction to someone being yelled at.

Not really answering Shin's attempts to smooth this mess over, Katherine just bowed deeply. Her voice was cold, but not in a harsh way, more in an empty way. Cold and without feeling,  like a robot for lack of a better term. "I am so sorry... I'm so sorry I make you angry, I'm sorry I disappoint you..." The familiar words flowed out of Katherine with ease. She was still bowing, showing no signs of stopping.

Her reaction was uncomfortable at best, it didn't match her other personality nor her look. It was like a child had gotten scolded and cannot do anything but admit regret for a reason they do not know. "Hey, hey, what's this all about..."

Shin knew what this was "all about". It was all about how she'd gone and screwed up. It was never, in any scenario, her intention to hurt a fan, but it had happened before, oh lord had it happened before. Shin was, by nature, a careless person when it came to the feelings and wishes of others. Her own thoughts and interests came and passed too quickly to pay attention to much else. That brought with it that she was also rarely ever there to deal with the fallout, that had always been Natsume. Oh, she was aware how many poor girls she'd comforted behind her back because she'd suddenly moved on. And to make matters worse, the few she had dealt with had been crying or yelling, in some cases slapping, but not... whatever this was. This just felt uncomfortable and awkward. On top of feeling guilty immediately, she also didn't know what to do. At least her anger was immediately replaced with that mixture.

She raised her hands, unsure whether she should follow her instincts and take her by the shoulders, but ended up sort of just hovering then above them for a while before dropping them back to her side.

"Now look, ya ain't got nothin to be sorry for. This... this is totally on me, see, I'm the asshole here, ya were just tryin ta get me a gift and I- shit, yellin at a fan. It's like, what is this, amateur hour? Am I right?"

She tried her hand at a laugh again, but it was somewhat a failure, coming out choked halfway through.

"And, and the gift? It's awesome lookin! And uh, Astaire did a dance number with a cane in Top Hat, ya seen that one? It's tap dancin, but ya know, if it's Astaire ya can bet ya sweet ass I wanted ta do it." Why was she acting like this? The thought hit Katherine while Shin was trying to smooth over the sitution she caused. Shin was someone she cared about. Katherine tried to do something nice for her, Was trying to make her happy but only ended up getting yelled at. Katherine now knows why she is acting like this. This sitution was different. Shin didn't have any power over her and how dare she yell at Katherine for trying to show some kindness.

Slowly Katherine stood up to her full height. There was a quiet rage look to her face, like her face was casting a shadow. Swiftly Kather held up the cane over her head, her hands gripping it tight. For a moment it looked like Kather might hit Shin over the head with her gift.

But she didn't.

Shin would hear a loud snapping sound of the nice wooden cane right next to her. Katherine had swing down at the floor next to the dancer so hard that she broke the cane in half. Once again she stood straight, holding the upper half the cane out to Shin before dropping it in front of her.

Without another word Katherine walked out of the cabin, leaving Shin with... whatever the hell just happened. Shin wasn't easily intimidated, and at first when Katherine straightened up she was even relieved. No more bowing, no more... whatever that had been. But then she saw her expression, and did something that was unusual for her: She shrunk back. A little. Unnoticably really. And out of surprise more than anything. But she did shrink back from the taller woman, now suddenly embodying the dangerous warrior side of amazons instead of just their body type.

whoops

She tensed when she raised the cane, ready to defend herself or strike, anticipating a strike that was sure to come.... but didn't. Instead, a loud snapping sound as it hit the floor, and broke in two. Shin stared. She stared at the cane. Then back up at Katherine, still glaring, angry. She wasn't sure what she'd done. Or rather, she knew what she'd done, but she hadn't expected her to switch from apologetic to agressive so quickly.

She wasn't sure what to do now either. All she could really do was watch her leave, and so she did, watched her walk away. Only when she was out of earshot did her words return.

"What the hell?"

She mumbled to herself, looking back at the cane. Slowly, she closed the door. That was... weird. That was more than weird. She bent down and picked up the wooden gift she hadn't wanted at all just minutes ago. She still didn't really want it, but now it felt akin to a piece of evidence, broken once in the middle, and why?

She sighed deeply.

"Well done, Shin, real fuckin well done. Messed up that one good."

[shining-brat-blog]

shslclassicist:

Kohana looked at the book with mild confusion. Why was everyone feeling the need to thank her for that trial? She’d only been the one to guess that the robot cat was the taser and endure having shoes thrown at her. Even the paper she’d fished out of the trash had ultimately proved to be a red herring. Yet people seemed to think she’d been the leading figure. Not that she was complaining, of course, especially not if it meant that people would listen to her and just shut up instead of all arguing over each other. But she supposed that was probably a vain hope to have.

But since she was emotionally invested, Kohana supposed Katherine was unlikely to view it objectively. In many ways she had it easy, having none of her fellow classmates from Hope’s Peak in with her, nor any friends. It was so much easier to cope with the death of someone you had only known for a few days than someone you’d spent years with, after all. That probably clouded the child star’s judgement.

Gingerly, she took the book from Katherine. It seemed familiar, but from where? She recognised that battered old cover, but it certainly wasn’t from her collection. She’d know if it was.

Realising that she was too preoccupied with her own thought, she offered a grateful smile. “Thank you very much, but really, it was a group effort. I just facilitated it. Would you like to come in?”

She didn’t wait to hear an answer before heading back inside, down the corridor to the kitchenette, leaving the door open for Katherine to follow.

“I’m sorry for the mess.” She apologised, referring to the groceries strewn across the table. “I haven’t had time to pack this all away. Do you drink tea?

“You did a great job keeping everyone on tract. Have you ever thought of being a lawyer, Kohana-chan?” Katherine was happy that Kohana took the gift without much of a fuse. It showed that she liked it, or at least she was polite enough to accept average gifts with grace. Grace seemed like a word she would describe Kohana. Yet again, she heard Kohana dumpster dived during Aki’s investigation... But that was just a rumor, right? There was no way someone like Kohana would do that... Right?  Anyways, Katherine walked into the cabin and shut the door behind her. She looked around the room. It looked just like her’s, assuming all the cabins looked like, the only differences being from those who live in it. “Yes, I love tea.” She walked over to the bags of groceries, “Please, allow me to help.” Without waiting for an answer Katherine started putting away the food. “It will be nice to eat some home cooked food. I could only handle burgers and mutton for so long before growing sick of it...” The thought of eating more meat made her green in the face.  “How have you been holding up? It didn’t seem like you knew Aki-kun and Caroline-san much but I can’t see their deaths being easy on anyone’s mind.” 

fac fortia et patere | chapter 2 | Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

shslclassicist:

The period following Caroline Chambers’ execution was an odd one. It didn’t feel real. Kohana returned to her cottage and continued with her translation work. She went to bed that night. She got up that morning. She got dressed in just the same way as she always did.

The screams and the carnage of a girl just her age, one so talented and with so much potential, burned themselves onto the back of her thoughts. Caroline Chambers’ execution and the blank stare of a lifeless Akihiko Fujiwara were ever-present in the background of every mundane action. Yet life was carrying on, the world was still turning, and the rhythm of life in Cliffside was as tedious and quiet as it had been before. But the change was unmistakable. It thrummed under the silence, a gentle heartbeat now forever altered. Peace was unattainable now. Fear pulsed through the community. Kohana was grateful for the silence, but that gratitude came tempered with the knowledge that it could not, and would not, last forever.

She was glad that she had finished book 3, because thinking of Pentheus only reminded her of Caroline. All actions had consequences, she reminded herself, looking back over her translation and tweaking the phrasing ever so slightly. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, so to speak. But did she really deserve it in such a brutal way?

Ah, but who was Kohana to pass judgement?

At the very least, the Fool opened up different areas to them. She did not comment on the hypocrisy of their actions. She just took the opportunity to visit the grocery store.

She supposed it would have been prudent to talk with her roommate first, to kill two birds with one stone and shop for both of them. But, she thought, as she emptied her bags and began to pack away various amenities in their cottage kitchen, it did not matter when everything was free. Truly, were it not for the murder and the being held against their will, Cliffside life would be quite pleasant.

But the knock at the door did confuse her somewhat. Shin was not there - perhaps it was Miss Nannini calling to talk to her? Putting down the punnet of grapes she had been holding, she quickly skirted over to the door, readying an apologetic smile -

- only to see a bright pink amazon of a young woman in front of her. To her credit, Kohana did not show any surprise, only tilted her head to the side and managed a slight, polite little smile.

“Miss Ueda, what a pleasant surprise. I’m afraid that Miss Fukui isn’t here right now. Is there anything that I can do to help you?”

And like that, it was all over. Aki’s murderer, Caroline Chambers, bit the dust in a horrible and revolting way. Her punishment made her stomach knot up and twist. It was all sickening but... Maybe Caroline deserved it? She murdered Aki-kun, he will never come back. it didn’t matter the reasoning, she still killed him. Katherine felt bad all over and just wanted to forget the start of something that she knew was far from over. Just how long until the next murder? If someone as smart and kind as Caroline was able to fall for the Fool’s threats then who is safe? Katherine felt like that the answer was no one. In each and everyone here had the potential to do what Caroline did, even herself. It made it harder to look in the mirror. 

For now, all she could really do is keep living, keep going in this damn village. Wake up, get dressed, talk to the people in this village, and hope this all goes away. With the new areas opened to them Katherine was able to take longer walks, get better food, build up some of her relationships.  If growing up in a superficial world of cinema has taught her anything, it is that people love gifts. Katherine had one gift that she had a feeling Kohana might like. It was some old book of poems that Katherine had no use for so... She walked to Kohana’s (and Shin’s) cabin and knocked with the book in hand. When it opened and Kohana assumed Katherine was there for Shin, which reminded her that she also had gift for Shin but that will be for a later time. “Kohana-san, I’m glad to see you are doing well. I actually came over for you.” She holds out the book to the smaller girl, “I got this book from the machine and I figured you’d like it a lot more. Take it was a... thanks for running the trial so smoothly. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how well that would have went... I’m sure Aki-kun would thank you for handling his murder with the grace you did... I wish I could have been more help but we were really good friends back at the academy and so with his murder... I just was emotionally not there. So! Thank you, Kohana-san. Please take this book as thanks.” 

fac fortia et patere | chapter 2 | Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

The Pinkest Gays You Know| Katherine & Saiyuri | Chapter one

@shsl-songstress​

A shower was exactly what Katherine needed right now. With the cold pond water making all her clothes cling to her body, she had little time to process what was really going on in this freaky little town, she'll think about that later. Once the Fool was gone she grabbed her bag, the tablet, and the key and sprinted off as fast as she could. The cabin room was very cozy, but Katherine has no time to study it. She grabbed her personal towel, a change of clothes, then tossed her bag onto the top bunk before claiming the shower for a couple of minutes. It wasn't long, maybe twenty minutes. Katherine would walk out of the bathroom in her pj, which was just a white sweater with the words 'fuck off' across the chest (a sweater she stole from a certain friend in high school) and some pink shorts. Her hair was down and makeup off, this was the plainest anyone would be able to see her, speaking of someone seeing her... "Oh, Hello." Her roommate was there, a girl she didn't recognize 

Saiyuri hadn't made much of The Fool's speech. Sounded like one's standard pre-vacation briefing, like when they gather you at the start of a cruise and teach you how not to die should something tragic happen. Feeling tired and slightly grimy from her unexpected bus nap, she would also head off to her room moments after The Fool's warm welcome. And of course, she would not get distracted by the fast food that her stomach longed for. Absolutely not. No way. She made a quick detour to McNaldo's before fully committing to going to her shared cabin. Of course, it would be rude of her not to pick up something for her roommate as well. With a bag full of burgers and fries (and all of her luggage, obviously), she sauntered into the bedroom with a bright smile on her face, prepared to greet her roommate in the best possible way: with food and friendliness. However, this only would have worked had her roommate actually been in the room. Now that Yuri thought about it, she did notice the sound of the shower running across the hall. Well, no point in waiting to chow down. After hefting her suitcase onto the bottom bunk (the top had already been claimed, darn), she settled next to it and retrieved the burger her stomach had been longing for. It was such a shame that the first sight her roommate was greeted with was Saiyuri going through her unmentionables with a mouthful of burger. Hurriedly swallowing, she shut her suitcase and stood up, wiping her hands with the cheap paper napkin they provided. "Hi! Sorry you had to see me like that, I'm starved. Have we met?"

"It's okay. I can understand, it was a long time before any of us got food." She looked down at herself, "And I'm not really presentable right now myself so... Even?" Katherine put her towel on her head and started drying her hair, "I don't think we have." Once most of the water was gone she just draped the towel over one shoulder, "Katherine Ueda. It's nice to meet my roommate..." She held out her hand.

Saiyuri mentally berated herself for never taking notice of this girl before, as she was absolutely adorable. Super tall too. Long legs, adorable features, lovely hair... She was staring. It took her a moment to come to her senses enough to realize that she had, indeed, introduced herself. Katherine Ueda... The name certainly sounded familiar. Not one to keep people waiting longer than they need to, Yuri shook Kathy's hand lightly, delicately. "Saiyuri Horiuchi! I'm a singer! What would your talent be?"

There was a small look of curiosity on Katherine's face when she noticed Saiyuri's eyes drifting to different parts of her, was she... No! Of course not, Katherine is just being silly. "Saiyuri Horiuchi. That name sounds sort of familiar... Oh! Me, I'm just... My title is Child Star." Her hand pulls away. Yuri was dressed in a lot of pink, that is one thing they sort of have in common. "I like your hair. You pull of pink very well. I'm glad I'm not the only pink girl here."

Yuri smiled brightly. Now that she thought of it, Katherine had been in a lovely dress earlier as well... "I'd say you look absolutely stunning in pink. You'd look gorgeous in any color actually. Perhaps we should trade beauty secrets! But first, are you hungry?" She steps back over to her bedside table to retrieve the bag of food. Can't flirt on an empty stomach. "I got enough for both of us!"

Saiyuri sure was laying it on thick, "Well, I-I don't know about any color..." That just made her play with her hair a little, thick but nice compliments. "Actually, I am really hungry." She took the bag from her room mate and opened it up, it smells so good, "Burgers and fries... I haven't had this sort of junk food in forever." She takes out a burger and hands the bag back before sitting on Yuri's bed, hopeing that she won't mind. "My mother has always had me on a strict diet. I figured I could give myself a little break since I'm here. Thank you, Saiyuri. This was really nice!" She gave the other a small smile before taking a bite into it. It looks like the child star was really enjoying the cheap food. "Oh-" She suddenly remembered. Katherine put a hand over her mouth to cover the food that was still in there, "I took top bunk just because I figured it'll be easier to get up since I'm tall, but if you want top bunk we can trade. I dont mind at all."

Yuri moved her suitcase to the floor. There'd be time to go through it later, for sure. For now, facetime with a gorgeous actress was much more important than arranging her underwear by style and color. Sitting across from the other girl, she happily took another couple bites out of her own burger as she listened to Kathy's anecdote. "Sounds awful, but mine gets the same way. My mom and my voice coach and my agent are all against happiness in the form of food. No rabbit food for as long as I'm on vacation, I say! Also, I don't mind bottom at all." Did Yuri even realize the implications behind what she had said? The world will never know. Swallowing, she smiled at Katherine. "And hey, this vacation is the perfect time to detox! Like a sleepover every night! Our host person is weird, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy ourselves, right?"

She swallowed her food before nodding to Saiyuri's words, "Exactly, I don't even want to see a single piece of lettuce while I'm here. I can go work out and diet once I'm back home. I'm going to enjoy myself since I'm here." Katherine was liking how smilely she was, Katherine has met people who smiled too much and they always seemed way too childish or really fake but Saiyuri seemed so real. "Okay, I'm happy to hear. I've... actually never had bunk beds before so I'm a little excited." A sleepover every night, it wasn't a bad idea to think of it like that. "I've... never had a sleepover before. I've seen shows and movies where there are sleepovers... You want to paint our nails and talk about boys every night? I'm down for anything but..."

"Weeeeell, nails yes, boys no." She gives Kathy a little wink for good measure. "And like, listen, sleepovers are awesome and not at all like they are in the movies. Believe it or not, pillow fights in our underwear are not required. Personally, karaoke has always been my favorite but I don't think they have any karaoke machines here, which sucks, but oh well."

"I think you would have an unfair advantage with karaoke. You'd just show off your voice." Katherine took another bite of the burger, "Mm, I have some bottles of nail polish we can use. I think that part will be fun..." If not boys, then... oh.  There was a little blush on her face, "Well, I'm glad underwear pillow fights aren't required because those scenes always looked way too force... Um, then you want to talk about... the girls?" Katherine always entertained the thought of liking girls but she just hasn't really gone through it. "There's a lot of pretty girls here, don't you think? We should invite them to a sleepover. That sounds fun."

"Hey, showing off isn't ever bad! We're like the most ultra-talented people in the country, we should get to show off a little bit." She took another bite as she considered talking about the other girls. Certainly, they were all very cute in their own rights... It wouldn't be too bad to gossip a little bit, maybe invite them over one night. "There are absolutely a lot of pretty girls here and a sleepover with all of them is the literal best idea I've ever heard. Except, maybe we should leave the girl with the tattoos out... If we're being honest, she kinda freaks me out a bit."

"Yeah... I guess we are..." Katherine got quiet until the conversation carried onto the sleepover once more. "The tattoo girl?... I think- Well... I guess it doesn't matter if we leave her out. I don't think she'd want to come." The actress shrugged her shoulders, "Having a big group party with the other girls would be fun... I'm glad my roommate is you, you seem really nice, Saiyuri."

"Awww, I'm just being my own sweet self. I'm pretty glad you're my roommate too! One performer to another, it's nice to let down my public image for a bit. People always expect me to be like weirdly sultry and enigmatic since I'm a lounge singer. You know, like that mysterious girl in the back of a cab that you catch a glimpse of and fall in love with at first sight. It can get pretty annoying, especially when almost all of that attention comes from boys." She grimaces as if to prove her disgust. "But anyway, I need to try on your pink clothes and give that hair color a shot. It looks so good on you!"

It sounded hard to keep up that sort of public image, but Katherine completely understands. She has to go through the same thing every day. "Heh, my clothes are pretty revealing... My mother thinks being sexy will make me more of an attractive choice for movie parts, that's why I wear such bright colors, it's very eye-catching, don't you think? ... I think your clothes fit you just fine... You can try my hair color if you want. I have some dyes in my bag I can spare."

"Being sexy has its merits but like really only if you want to. Your mom sounds terrible and I'll fight her myself." With that, she finishes her burger and reaches into the bag for a few fries. "Also, hair dying sounds like a perfect activity for a sleepover! We should make a list of stuff we wanna do at this thing, right? Gotta keep our guests entertained!"

"I... Thank you?" She's never had someone say that they will fight her mother? The idea was tempting though." Katherine was only half way through the burger, a habit of eating slowly. "Activities... Um, painting nails, hair dyes, ghost stories, food... Uh, spin the bottle is a party game..." Secretly, Katherine loved the shit out of Spin the bottle, she side-eyed Saiyuri, "If you don't mind kissing girls."

"What have you learned about me in the last fifteen minutes that indicates that I wouldn't be completely, 100% down with kissing girls?" She put on a false expression of indignation. The very thought! "Spin the bottle is absolutely going on the list. How abooooouuut... Shoot, I don't even know if we're allowed to have movies in here. Oh, but we can absolutely raid the restaurants and pig out. That sounds super fun."

"...Pff-" Katherine held back a laugh, her reaction was so cute. Yuri really wasn't holding back at all, "You're not shy at all about liking girls, are you! What a bold singer... I guess you have to be bold to keep up that smokey lounge singer image you have going on." She was very interesting, to say the least. "I think we need just a TV and a dvd player for the movies. Would a horror movie be good? I think it will make everyone a little paranoid with the current situtation."

Oh, that laugh shot Cupid's arrow right through Yuri's heart. This was totally and utterly unfair. She couldn't help the blush that spread slightly over her cheeks "Not shy at all! Though, my mom gets mad if I flirt with girls in the audience so I have to restrain myself there. Girls are awesome though, you gotta admit. But to be honest, I'm a baby about horror movies. I'll be shaking in my boots just during the opening credits, but if all the others are cool with it then I'll just cling to someone's arm or hide in a blanket the whole time."

She finally finished the burger. Katherine politely grabbed the bag from where it sat and took out the fries, "It's heart breaking that your mom didn't allow you to flirt with the girls, girls need some love too from attractive lounge singers." The actress popped the fries into her mouth, "Mm, well if we watch a scary movie, my arm is open for you, Saiyuri." This girl was flirting with her, and Katherine found herself flirting back. It was... different from the times she's been around boys. It was nice.

Saiyuri almost choked on the fries she'd just put in her mouth. Oh my god. Oh my god. She had to regain her composure and fast. It wasn't often that girls would be receptive to her advances, and while she never pushed those who clearly weren't interested, she couldn't help but feel disappointed when that happened. That didn't seem to be the case here, however, which was shocking. "Attractive? You think?" She was sounding eager, she noticed. Why wouldn't she be? "That's so sweet... You sure know how to make a girl feel special, huh?"

"I, I hope so? If I'm being honest I don't... flirt?" Kather shrugged her shoulders and took more fries, "I'm really use to guys taking control of all the flirting and me just going along but... I'm surprise you seem so shocked, Saiyuri. I thought someone like you would be use to flirting?" Honestly, Katherine was! Saiyuri was very attractive, how was she not use to this already, "And yes, You are very cute."

"Listen, do you know how many times I've been rejected by straight girls? This is a one-in-one hundred occurrence! Especially with someone as gorgeous as yourself! Don't think I didn't notice how pretty you are before, because I absolutely did. Flirting is like breathing for me but the only people who flirt back are guys which is very non-ideal, you know? And like, the whole point of a lounge singer is while we're all dark and mysterious and sexy, we're like supposed to be unattainable right? You want to talk to us but we just slip away into the night. That's sorta what I've had to do so even if a girl in the audience showed interest, I couldn't do a thing about it!"

"..." Katherine just stared at her for a moment, her face hot red from being called gorgeous, but then there was a slight frown, then Kathy brought it back to a smile, "Saiyuri, calm down..." One hand patted the singer's shoulder, "I think I can get the surprise now but luckily for you... This isn't a lounge so you don't have to go disappearing into the night. In fact I don't think you'd want to slip away... All your stuff is here... and you'll be sleeping here. Slipping away isn't a good idea." She was so happy that Katherine was flirting back, so eager! "If I'm honest I've never really flirted with a girl. It seemed like only men were interested in me... Thanks for giving me more interesting options..." Her eyes drifted over Saiyuri for a moment, "I think this is more fun. This roomate thing will be a lot easier I think."

"Oh, no, trust me, this is definitely more fun." Saiyuri smiled warmly at Kathy, happy that she seemed as excited as she was. "This is gonna be an awesome vacation and I'm super excited. But like, promise me you'll give me your phone number when we leave? We gotta stay in contact!" To emphasize this, Yuri pulled her phone from her pocket (no reception still, weird) and set it to add a new contact. "Pleeeeaaaase?" She holds the phone out to Kathy.

"..." There was a small smile on Katherine's face. She happily took Saiyuri's phone and put her number down, naming the contact <3 Kathy <3 before handing it back to her. "We should hang out once we're done with the vacation. I mean, we can hang out here, of course, but I think I'd really like to go out shopping with you at a small or something. I can't believe we were at the same school the whole time and we never got to meet... That's sort of sad."

"Shopping with you would be so fun! We could do one of those fun trying-things-on montages from the movies! You know the ones..." Yuri leaned back against the wall behind the bed. "Also, I really hope there are more things to do in this place. I saw a few places weren't open yet, but maybe we'll get some fun stuff in the next couple days. I wonder if there'll be a spa... Imagine how nice a spa day would be."

She giggled, unbridled this time, "A shopping montage? So we try on different clothes and shake our heads yes and no to outfits? Why not, sounds like a fun time. I'm dying to try clothes that aren't bright pinks or blue anyways." Some duller colors might be a little easier on the eyes. "A spa day sounds really good." Steam rooms, back rubs, and foot care. Sounded so very relaxing. "I normally go with my mother. It's probably the most relaxing times I spend with her.

"Aww, but you do brights so well! Ah, I suppose it reminds you of your mom though, huh? In any case, I still think you could pull off anything." Yuri smiled. She meant everything she said. "See, lucky for you, you found your new spa partner! We can just forget about our moms and have a day just for us. Sounds fun, right?"

"Just us. I think that sounds like a great idea." Right, don't think about what's back home. Just focus on fun. This whole trip is all about fun. "Forget all problems and just let loose. I think we'll have a lot of fun here together. I hope they open up new areas to us soon. There aren't a whole lot of entertainment spots in this little village area."

"Man, I at least hope the store opens soon. And that they have my brand of shampoo. I only brought a little bit, you know, filled up one of those travel bottles." Yuri chewed a fry thoughtfully for a moment before remembering something very important. "Ah! Shoot, I still need to shower. I'm all nasty from the bus nap. What was up with that anyway?"

"Y'know, I have no idea... Everyone fell asleep. Maybe there was something on the bus?" A number of things could have happened that caused them to go to sleep. It doesn't matter anymore, at least not to Katherine. "Either way, We're here. Better make the best of it." Katherine pushes herself off the bed, "Better go take your shower. Who knows what could have been on that bus."

"Will do! I'll be fresh as a daisy when I get back!" Saiyuri got up from the bed, handing the bag and what fries were left in it to Kathy. She quickly retrieved her own pajamas and various toiletries from her luggage "Try not to miss me too much, kay?" With that, she left the room, already excited to get back.

She took the bag of fries that her shoved into her hands and gave her a smile, "It'll be hard not too." Katherine said as her roommate busted out the door. After putting the fries in the fridge, Katherine sat down at the table, soaking up everything that just happened... She blushed horribly, holding her face.

[shining-brat-blog]

The Last Coin in the Well | Katherine | Body

Just a few moments ago, everything was alright in this little village. Katherine and her roommate was in their cabin, taking about this and that but then… The music stopped. For some reason, a knot twisted in stomach when all she could hear silence. Unfortunately that silence was quickly broken.  The actress stood there next to Saiyuri, next to everyone trapped in this HELLHOLE of a village. Everyone stood there, either agape at the scene or not showing anything at all. 

On the floor everyone stood around the fallen body of… probably her only true friend in this place. All she could do was stand there. It was Aki… “A…” The same Aki that came up to her when they first came to HPA.  The same Aki that shared his arts and supported her own arts. The same Aki that has been her friend since day one.  “A-Aki…” The same Aki that was always so kind and had a wonderful mind. The same Aki that just wanted to support the mom he loved so much.  The same Aki that took a walk with her, wanting to just toss a coin in the well, the last time Katherine would ever see his bright smiling face.  “AKI!” She wailed, fat tears started pouring down her face. Never before had the group seen her expose so much emotion. Her cries and screams were violent audibility. Her whole body shook. Not wanting to see the scene in front of her she quickly grabbed Saiyuri and hugged her tightly, sobbing over her.  Aki was dead and he is never coming back. 

[shining-brat-blog]

Tablet Update

Just a minute after the Fool’s second departure, the tablet you found in your bag upon arrival turns on with a small beeping sound. A file has been downloaded and opened automatically:

VICTIM: Akihiko Fujiwara

TIME OF DEATH: [5:30]

TIME OF DISCOVERY: [5:40]

DISCOVERERS: Shinobu Fukui, Natsume Nannini, Caroline Chambers

SCENE OF DISCOVERY: The Chapel, Exterior

CAUSE OF DEATH: Blunt force trauma to the skull

[shining-brat-blog]

shsl-streetartist:

The use of the nickname only seemed to ease him further. Finally, there was something almost normal in this place! If Katherine wasn’t here, he felt he may have been considerably more miserable.

“I know, but at least we can now. I’ve just been flitting between everyone, as usual.” The accompanying chuckle was the closest he could come to relaxing right now. He was thankful he didn’t have hearing problems or else this conversation would have been impossible. “Then let me join you. I’m curious as to what you’ve been up to anyways.”

As they started to talk he took a nearby pebble and began to dribble it down the path idly. The interruption in his sleep schedule was definitely beginning to show its effects as he had to stifle a yawn while as they walked on.

“Yeah, why not? I don’t think anyone’s tried yet and they don’t seem to be doing much for us.” The boy shrugged, “But if you think we should try a pebble first, I’ll go with that.” With the mention of the mysterious machine in the square, he became curious. “Oh, you tried that thing too? What’d it give you? It seems like it gives out a lot of junk, but I haven’t really asked around to see what the others are getting.”

The sleeplessness was starting to show on Katherine as well. Her make up was looking a little sloppier than usual and her steps were heavy. Her eyes tracked the pebble the artist was kicking around.  “I tossed all my coins in at once since I didn’t really want to carry them around. It’s like the only purpose they have is for the fortune machine so... Anyways, I got a really slick looking cane, a digital picture frame, and an old book with poems in them. The only thing I really liked was the cane... I guess it does give a whole lot of junk, at least it gave me one cool thing.”  Making their way from the cabins, they could see the waters of the pond. Katherine smirked at the sight, which was an uncommon expression for her...

“Do you really want to know what I’ve been up to? Do you know a guy name Omen? He’s someone I knew back at the academy. We never got along. I don’t know if you saw it but we started a fight when we first got here. I pushed him in the pond, he pulled me in, I punched him... Good fight.”  If Aki remembers, when they did meet the Fool for the first time Katherine and Omen were soaked to the bone. 

Well Wishes | Chapter One | Closed for Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

shinthedancer:

It was peaceful out here so early in the morning, with fog still clinging to the grass along with the morning dew. Even the ducks seemed to be quacking more silently. A picture to get lost in, really. Something idyllic. Romantic even. And Shin appreciated the time during her morning jog she could spend letting her thoughts wander, going through her plans for the day, shaking off sleep. Some people said working out so early caused their energy levels for the day to be depleted already. For her, it was quite the opposite, nothing better to really wake her up than a bit of a workout. Sweating just enough for her to be prepared for the day.

Still apparently not awake enough to notice she wasn’t alone at all.

She’d been stretching her arms when she heard the loud call of her name, and when she turned she was what was honestly one of the most impressive women she had ever laid eyes on heading towards her: Tall and statuesque, even more so than Shin herself, and with an almost Amazonian air to her features, clashing with the bright neons of her clothes, mostly pink and more the look of a gisnep star than an Amazonian goddess.

Of course Shin had seen her before. It was hard to miss her. But while she still didn’t know exactly who she WAS, this strange beauty seemed to have a clearer idea of who she was faced with, and the confusion over this was quickly replaced by a realization that made her switch to another thought process entirely: A fan. She was dealing with a fan!

She let go of her arm and put her now free hand on her hip instead, chin raised and with a confident (and a little smug) smile in place already. She loved her fans. Really did. And that this one was blushing only served to bolster her ego even more.

“Mornin to ya too. Surprised someone else is out here this early.”

It was unusual for her to have to look up to someone. HPA and its freakishly tall students… But she couldn’t say she didn’t appreciate it, from an aesthetic point of view. Lots to appreciate there.

“Hmmm….”

She hummed in agreement to the question.

“Gotta stay in shape, ya know. Can’t stop trainin, even if-“

It was only now that the black smudges across her cheeks really caught her eye. She’d been so busy appreciating herself for having a fan, and that fan for having an impressive stature that the logical conclusion hadn’t hit her until now, and even now, there was more confusion on her face than anything.

“Hey, have ya been cryin? Ya make up…”

She pointed to her own cheek, mimicking the streaks the eyeliner had left on her fan’s pretty face.

“Have I been...?” Oh, oh no.  Katherine wiped away the ruined make up on her sleeve. Should she lie and look dumb or tell the truth and look dumb? The choices are endless. The taller one sighed out a shaky breath, “U-um... Yeah. Yeah, I was crying but it’s nothing to worry about, Shin-sama. I have it under control now.” Now, before it gets any worst, it was time for Katherine to quickly change the subject, “Um, I’m a big fan of yours. My mother use drag me to go watch professional dancers and since she is a big fan of jazz and swing... So I guess it was only natural that I became your fan.” Totally doesn’t also have to do with how good looking you are, nope! “If we are trapped in this village, at least it will be a little more lively with you around...” 

Mood Indigo|Chapter 1|Open

[shining-brat-blog]

shsl-streetartist:

Really, could they have chosen a more agitating type of music? At least with Rock or Pop they could tune the noise out. But this? Nooo. The constantly changing tones always found a way to invade someone’s eardrums and remind them of its presence. He never realized he could hate an art form as much he did now but, low-and-behold, it had happened.

‘When this is over I never want to hear another note of this stuff again.’

He needed to calm down. Sure, the subtle pains at his temples were making him irritable, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t make an effort to soothe his agitation. With all the heavy news that was dropped on them today, Hiko just needed a distraction. Maybe getting the chance to be with his friend would do the trick; they hadn’t gotten the chance to talk much since the trip started, after all.

It wasn’t hard to spot the actress leaving her cabin. Already feeling himself relax at the familiar face, Akihiko wandered over to the pastel-haired girl with a cheerful wave.

“Hey, Kathy! We haven’t gotten much of a chance to hang out since we’ve gotten here. Want to walk to the well with me?” It was a simple request, but there wasn’t much else to do in this place. What a shame there weren’t any large walls for him to ink. Cliffside could use a modern touch in his not-so-humble opinion.

“I want to see if anything happens if I throw one of these coins in there.” They seemed pretty useless, so why not?

Never in her life has she wanted her headphones and mp3 player more than right now. Polka music! POLKA MUSIC. Why! Anything would have been better than this crap! It only made it worst to think about the Fool’s threat... Kill someone or your loved ones might get hurt. It got Katherine really thinking about how she felt about her family. After everything that has happened and everything she does for their sake. Is killing someone really worth it? She’s going to have to think about it more.  It’s been hard sleeping lately with the loud polka music playing non stop. As soon as Katherine started dozing off it seemed like there would be one note in the song that is way louder than the others and would wake her up. It’s been hell and honestly, going to actual hell might be better as long as it doesn’t have polka music. With little sleep, Katherine figured she might as well her day and maybe find a place where the music is at least a little less noisy. There has to be once place where the music isn’t as loud. All she wants is an hour of sleep!  When Katherine walked out she was greeted by a face she knew well- Akihiko! 

“Aki, it’s nice to see you. We really haven’t had any time to hang out. I was actually going to try to find a place where the music is a bit more muted. I might as well start at the Well.”  The two started walking away from the cabins, “You want to throw one of the Fool’s Gold down the well? You know you can get stuff from the Fortune teller booth with them? I don’t think they’re all useless. I got an interesting bundle of items from them... Why don’t we toss a rock first?” 

Well Wishes | Chapter One | Closed for Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

Chapter One: Shake Things Up

A week has passed, and nothing has changed. Your laundry is cleaned, as if by magic, as are the dishes created by your dining in the food court. Friendships, alliances, and perhaps even rivalries or feuds have been established in your time here, but otherwise…nothing.

This changes now.

The speakers across Cliffside crackle to life, but instead of a voice, music plays. Obnoxiously loud polka music plays abruptly, startling birds from nearby trees. After several minutes of relentless polka, with no sign of letting up, you head to Town Square to find answers and retribution for this assault on your ears.

There you find…The Fool. They’re sprawled on the stage, comfortably lying on their side with a book in one hand and an apple with one bite out of it in the other. How did they even take that bite with a mask on? The world may never know.

When all 16 graduates of Hope’s Peak Academy have gathered, The Fool looks up from their book. If you look closely, it appears to be upside down.

“Oh, didn’t notice you there,” they lie. “Was too busy enjoying this amazing music I just found. Annoying, right?”

Keep reading

[shining-brat-blog]

shinthedancer:

It���d been a few days, since they’d arrived in Cliffside, and so far the most remarkable thing was how unremarkable their stay was shaping up to be. Nothing had really happened that was out of the ordinary- no big party, no events planned by staff, hell, no staff aside from the one who’d greeted them here, the Fool. Shin had seen them from time to time, talking to people, wandering the grounds, keeping busy apparently doing whatever work they were up to. Alone. Not even the bus driver was anywhere in sight. Still, their clothes were always cleaned somehow, as were the cottages, and food was readily available. But who was Shin to complain about apparently invisible staffers cleaning up after her?

She’d fallen back into her usual schedule- getting up at 5, jogging, taking a shower, breakfast, then practicing the day away- no, that wasn’t quite true. There was no piano here for her to practice that particular skill on, for starters. Irritatingly so, it’d been one of the modes of really expressing her emotions still open to her nowadays, and her fingers twitched all the more for the lack of it. She’d even started to fidget a little at times. Fortunately, there was always jogging, and she did it with an energy brought from the deep reserves of someone who had way too much of it and few ways to let it out.

Maybe she was going a little faster than usual, stomping down a little more aggressively. Maybe she added more time to it, more stretches afterwards, more practice. Maybe for those reasons she preferred to do it alone, without having to keep in mind that Natsume had never been quite as good at it as she was. Or maybe she’d just discovered her humanitarian side and found it in her to not wake her poor partner at 5 in the morning, every morning, to make her train for something that would never happen. Would… would probably happen…. At some point. It would. Just not today.

One thing she had to admit, albeit begrudgingly: Coming here, taking her out of her usual surroundings, really did clear her mind somewhat. Made her think about stuff. See things more clearly. Couldn’t do much to fight, so being forced to wait may be the way to go, for now, and while being stuck here (for how much longer, she quietly started to wonder) she had no choice but to do just that. Until then, train for the best outcome. Train.

She’d just gotten done with her daily morning jog, coming to a stop in front of the small duck pond. She enjoyed ending things here. It was small and quaint. Helped her calm down. Physically, of course. She was not upset, even though her movements while running may suggest she was. Even now, they were sharp, curt. It was just because she’d been training. Everyone got tense when training.

Her hands on her knees while she caught her breath, she watched the ducks go about their business in the water and, not for the first time, wished she had brought some bread. Eh, would be sweaty now anyway. Besides, no pockets in her workout clothes. Tight leggings, tight shirt, no pockets. Even this early in the morning, it was already too warm for her to be wearing a jacket or sweater. Getting sick be damned, she liked the feeling of air on her skin when training.

She groaned as she straightened her back again, and pushed back some wayward streaks that’d fallen into her face. Up, time for some stretches. Starting with her back. It’d been hurting a little lately. Probably the new mattress. Just stretching a little did wonders though, and she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of it while quietly watching two ducks fight over something- what did ducks have to fight about, anyhow? Their brains weren’t even big enough to understand real troubles to be upset over.

It was just about time for some of the earlier risers to be waking up too, though she doubted she’d see any of them out here. It was usually just her at this hour.

Nightmares. A girl such as herself suffering from nightmares is just plain childish. It has been a couple of days since everyone arrived to Cliffside and even if the place is empty, the exception being the Fool who seems to wander from time to time, it was still a pretty calming place. So why in all hells was Katherine having nightmares? She’ll wake up in a cold sweat with fear and panic but not remember what the nightmare was about. Her poor room mate kept having to deal with her tossing and turning since Katherine is top bunk. After waking up a certain amount of times she figured that sleeping wasn’t working out so a walk will have to do. After putting herself together Katherine left her cabin in order to clear her head.  The nice thing about it being so early is that she can’t run into any one just yet. Lots of people who came seem like the horribly cheerful type and while those people were nice and all... They also just seemed so... Fake. Always smiling, seemingly not letting anything get to them. So happy all the God damn time.  Katherine wasn’t any better though, who she is as a professional and even as a person, all fake.  The wash-out star finds herself at the lake, her heavy eyes drifted from the ducks to the shifting waters. She steps closer until the edges of her sneakers are at the edge of the waters.  Happy people tend to annoy her because she feels like they’re so fake and yet here is Katherine. Disgustingly bright colors, horrible clothing, a bland personality. A horrible body to go along with it. Pretty eye candy with a rotten core. Disgusting.  She wrapped her arms around herself. Is this what the nightmares are about? Did those dreams come back? Oh God. Katherine could feel the tears rolling down. She tried her best to wipe them away- Her makeup isn’t waterproof after all. Katherine must look like a mess now that she cried. Sucking the tears back, she started walking towards the cabin so she could fix herself until-  There was a very handsome woman also on the pond’s edge. It’s like all of Katherine’s despairing faded a bit at the sight of... “Shin-sama!” Oh god, did she just yell that. Katherine would fling herself into the pond and drown if she was alone.  “I-I mean... Good morning.” She tried to put on her neutral expression but her face was red. “Going on a jog?” 

Mood Indigo|Chapter 1|Open

[shining-brat-blog]

shslcrypto:

Omen yes. 

“Just fuckin’ try to kill me!” Apparently Katherine took it as an invitation. The shove threw him off balance, but he grabbed one of her arms tightly and ducked under the water to give him more leverage to pull her just as off balance. 

The water wasn’t cold, but it was chilly. Significantly chilly. 

Omen attempted to stand up and move so that he could get behind her to hold her down. Given her comparative height, even if he was successful she most likely could get him off. He wasn’t actively trying to kill her, after all – just prove a point. A point which he is likely not proving.

Oh damn right she was going to drown this boy! He is some dead, dead meat, such dead stinky meat that not even starving junk yard dogs will eat him.  Of course this was before she felt him holding her down. The attack took her by surprise, even with her superior height, he was able to hold down her struggling body- for a few short moments at least. Katherine shook him off and was able to stand back up. She coughed out some water, “Fuh! Y-You... You...” She couldn’t even think straight! Katherine was seeing red. In one motion the girl’s fist flew, knocking Omen right across the cheek.  Sure, Katherine started it, but she had a gut feeling that Omen was going to deserve this sooner or later. 

Waterproof Makeup (Hopefully) | Katherine | Prologue | Omen

[shining-brat-blog]

shsldoormat:

Natsume had never met a child star before (not counting Kaito); the dance sphere didn’t necessarily intersect beyond reality TV, and even then Dance! Dance!! Dance!!! had been a show between dancers for dancers first. And though Natsume had been lead to believe that these child stars were maybe kind of self-absorbed or haughty, Katherine appeared to be none of those things. In fact, if Natsume was seeing things correctly, she even looked a little flustered at what she’d said. And, well, how could Natsume not smile at that.

Even better, it seemed like either there was a part of the internet mob that didn’t actually spread her name around or that Katherine just didn’t care enough to pay attention. Thoughts of both brought some hope back into Natsume’s heart–maybe the drama really would die down soon!

It probably shouldn’t have been as surprising as Natsume found it that show business already had drama at the ripe age of nine, but she couldn’t even imagine being that jealous of someone especially over something like that. She chuckled empathetically, “Your mama must have been furious–gum’s not easy to get out of hair. But you look like you’ve moved on from that gracefully.” Not that getting gum in your hair was something to start a life long vendetta over, but with the way some people were… “I know this situation will pass eventually, I only hope that I can leave it behind me as gracefully as you’ve done, Ueda-san."Placing a finger against her chin in thought she shifted her gaze up, as if remembering something. "But Chigusa-san was already charming people back then, huh.” Her thoughtful look turned into a slight grin. “He said that he thought he was pretty awkward as a kid, but maybe it’s different from the outside looking in.”

“My mother was fuming, she was threatening to sue the girl’s family. Looking back on it, it was a pretty funny time. Luckily the makeup artists had some weird spray that was able to get the gum out. It took awhile but they didn’t have to cut it out.” Natsume was right! she moved away from the childish act of bullying with ease. It never bothered her much, her mother expressed her emotion enough for them both of them when that happened.  Katherine put a hand on Natsume’s shoulder, “I doubt this little fight will last forever. Just wait for another cute girl like yourself to take a photo with him and all the focus will be on her. Then you’ll be free from all the raging fangirls. I have faith, Natsume-san.” Going onto her next thought, Katherine couldn’t help but to giggle ever so slightly. “Chigusa-kun was a cute boy if I remember correctly. He’s just trying to be overly modest. Don’t let him fool you.” 

Great Expectations | Pregame | Katherine

[shining-brat-blog]

Katherine found herself standing in front of the creepy Fortune Teller box in the middle of the creepy little town they were trapped in. Her eyes looked over the little golden tokens. She never liked coins, they were so easy to lose, she didn't really like any sort of metal or paper money- Cards are so easy. With nothing to lose except this stupid tokens, she slipped one into the feeder, one after another, until there was none left in her hand. Katherine was actually quite curious now.

The machine reacts much quicker than it did to the others before it, the crone sitting up with a sudden jerk. Nothing more happens for a few seconds, almost long enough for anyone to consider just walking away. Then, with another jerk, just as sudden, the figure raises an arm towards Katherine, and her mouth snaps open. Nothing comes out. She is stuck in her silent scream for a few moments. After that, she just slumps again, returning to her lifeless state.

With that display over, three items fall out of the machine. Then, three slips of paper follow.

Katherine received:

Glowing Photo Frame: A picture frame that allows digital photographs to glow in the dark. The colours gradually change, just like a lava lamp. There’s a label on the back, warning against contact with water. 

 Cane: Sleek. Stylish. Made from wood and painted black with a silver handle shaped like an eagle’s head. Looks like something a villain in a movie would use. A short tug reveals there is no hidden blade inside it, which is somewhat disappointing. 

Leather bound book: An old and tattered book of Ancient Greek poetry. It’s barely intact now. Someone has scrawled notes all over the pages in pencil.

  The slips of paper read:

“You think you’re above it all. You’re not.”

And

“One in the hand is worth two in the bush, but one can kill two birds with one stone. Do with this information what you must.”

And finally

“Filial loyalty is more important than laws, silly girl.”

[shining-brat-blog]

shslcrypto:

[cw: gendered slurs]

Omen wasn’t expecting her to grab his arm and bandana, not one bit. His eyes widened at the sudden grip. The bandana slipped down, the knot pressing into the back of his neck and pulling as she used it to help propel him forward. He tried to resist but to no avail.

He hit the surface of the pond hard.

Then disappeared below it in a splash. 

It took a moment for him to stand up, erupting from the water dripping wet and seething. “You bitch, what the fuck!” Omen angrily grabbed her leg with both hands and pulled as hard as he could, hopefully dragging her into the chilly water.

She might have started crying from how hard she was laughing, “Ahahaha! You look like a fucking fool-” Her teasing ceased when she suddenly found herself on her ass and being dragged. “AH! Omen no!” Is all she was able to get out before being pulled into the wet depths of the pond.  Slowly, she stood from the waters, “You... Ugh!” Katherine was soaked to the bone. Her bangs were stuck across her eyes thanks to the water, in one sweep of her hand she pushed them back, slicking them onto the top of her head. Her blue eye makeup was running down her face as if she has been crying. Without a word she pulled off the fur coat she wore as it was heavy with water and only weighing her down. Once she tossed it to the shore she turned to Omen.  “You’re dead, you god damn asshole!” One step closer, Katherine palms his shoulders and shoves him, extending her arms fully to give him the best shove she can give him in this current situation. 

Waterproof Makeup (Hopefully) | Katherine | Prologue | Omen