I Heard You Like Trash Characters

Kayla Stern, SHSL Garbage Collector of Melancholic Seas

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A Garbage Bag by Any Other Material Is Just as Sweet | Kayla | Chapter 4 Motive | CLOSED for Kotori

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As Kotori looked her over, Kayla had to wonder if there was something off about her. Did she somehow make a mess of herself without noticing? Maybe she somehow entangled in spider webbing. Unlikely, but... What was it? Kayla examined herself. No, it didn’t seem like there was anything stran- Oh. Oh, my. Did Kotori just take her hands? Kayla had adjusted somewhat to the idea of physical contact thanks to her responsibility over Kotori, as well as her new relationship with Chikako, but it did still serve to fluster her. That was especially so when someone else surprised her with it. Kayla turned her head away, too embarrassed to look at their hands, or at Kotori’s face. 

Thankfully, it didn’t last toooooooo long. Not-so-thankfully, Kotori began tearing up, presumably over something Kayla said. Oh, man. Did she say something wrong? No, that couldn’t have been the case. She was being nice. Should she say something else? If she should have, she couldn’t have; she didn’t know what she should say. Bless Kotori for filling the silence.

So Kotori was apparently fine. Was she lying? Or maybe she really was telling the truth. It was difficult for anyone to be truly ‘fine’ under these circumstances, but you had to take what you could get. Even the smallest of joys could lighten up one’s day here, and make them... ‘fine.’ Kotori seemed to be doing better than she has been, at least. That was good enough for the time being.

Kayla walked over to the bed, and sat on the corner, away from Kotori. “I’m glad you’re okay. What were you doing? Sorry if I interrupted you. But, uh, maybe we could do something together. I could help you out with something, or... you know, there’s that whole new clothes thing, too. Or maybe something else.” She glanced over to Kotori, who was wiping away at her eyes. She shrugged. “I could even get you a tissue if you need it that much,” she teased.

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

[shsltrashy-blog]

Ha. That quirk of Chikako’s always did serve to confuse Kayla. What the fuck did those acronyms mean? Still, it was amusing. Unique. Kayla couldn’t complain about it. She would be sure to ask about it in the future just for clarification, but for now, there was something more important going on. “Yeah, well... Yeah. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? And opposites attract. So... if I’m trash, then you’re my...” Kayla pulled herself away from Chikako. She pulled her hat down over her face, concealing the embarrassment written all over. “... I’m not going to say it. You know what I mean.”

She pulled her hat back up when she heard Chikako speak in a much more confident manner, contrasting with the mood previously set. Wait, what? Vera with Ends... for the night? And... then Kayla and Chikako would be together... for the night? Holy shit. Indeed, Saw, what did Chikako mean? There were certain implications of something like that, and Kayla couldn’t allow such thoughts to stay in her head. She fought them off, replacing them with other alternatives. Maybe they were just going to play games all night. Or, maybe... a night-long staring contest? Eating food? For hours?

Kayla stumbled forward when she was pulled along with Chikako, but was quick to rebalance herself, and follow. Oh, gosh. What was going to happen? In fact, no, that wasn’t just going to be a thought. Kayla had to voice that. “So, uh... What are we going to be doing?”

[shsltrashy-blog]

A Garbage Bag by Any Other Material Is Just as Sweet | Kayla | Chapter 4 Motive | CLOSED for Kotori

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Kayla stood outside of Kotori’s door, turning her head every now and then to ensure that she was still alone. With every passing death, the threat of murder worsened. By this point, Kayla was constantly on edge, even if she didn’t fully express it. She was worried, too, not only for herself, but her friends. Yeah. Friends. She’d never expected to have so many people to care for. At first, she thought she’d spend her entire time on this ship alone, but now, she had three friends. One of them being a... p-partner. It was mind boggling, in both a good and a bad way.

For one, having these people with her made her feel more happy. Human. They also helped to give her the strength she needed to carry on under these harsh circumstances. However, it also meant that she had to worry about them constantly. Were they in danger? Did they need help? Who should she check up on? Having those three made it difficult to support each one, especially when considering that Kotori didn’t want to be around Chikako. Understandable, and to be fair, Kayla didn’t want Chikako around Kotori, either. It would’ve been nicer if they could get along, though. Then Kayla, Kotori, Komaka, and Chikako could all spend time together, and look out for each other. 

So, there was that worry that maybe something would happen to someone while Kayla wasn’t there. Maybe it was unrealistic to worry about such things all the time, but the stress of the killing game was really getting to her. She wasn’t as strong as she presented herself to be. Thus, Kayla felt concerned when Kotori didn’t answer right away. She was considering leaving to see if Kotori was anywhere else, but just before she was about to leave, the door cracked open.

Seeing Kotori’s face was a relief. She was safe. Good. Kayla stepped into the room, and stopped at its centre. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt.” She turned to face Kotori. Her features were a lot softer than usual now. Her face wasn’t as cold as it used to be. “And, I’m fine. I’m just here as a friend. I wanted to be with you. How are you?”

Kotori’s willingness to say more than a single short sentence was a good sign. Maybe she really was recovering. That would make things much easier for Kayla.

[shsltrashy-blog]

A Garbage Bag by Any Other Material Is Just as Sweet | Kayla | Chapter 4 Motive | CLOSED for Kotori

It was yet another day. Normally, a new day was something to look forward to, but with the motive in place, things were different. Especially a motive of this nature. The threat of another murder happening was... no. It wasn’t even a threat at this point. Another murder was bound to happen, and that thought concerned Kayla, who was standing outside Kotori’s room’s door. Kayla needed to be around Kotori to protect her. Not only to protect her, she supposed, but she also just wanted to be there for Kotori. Kotori definitely wasn’t feeling well, and as Kotori’s friend, Kayla knew she should be present for her.

With a sharp inhale, Kayla knocked on the door. “Kotori? It’s me. Kayla. Can I come in?” Really, Kayla didn’t even know if her blue-haired friend was there, but it was worth a shot. Kotori hadn’t been seen anywhere on the way over, so... Yeah. Hopefully Kotori was there. 

Kayla rubbed her exposed left shoulder. It’s been about a week since the left sleeve of her top was torn off, so she did have time to adjust to its absence, but sometimes it did still make her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Kotori did offer a change of clothes, didn’t she? Maybe Kayla would finally take her up on that offer. It might help to distracted Kotori from the motive. 

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

[shsltrashy-blog]

Okay, so, an upgrade straight from ‘Trash-chan’ to using first names. To outsiders, the transition would’ve been incredibly strange, but to them, or at least to Kayla, it was almost natural. Nice, too. She would’ve been fine with just sticking to their previous nicknames, but moving to first names was a pleasant bonus. Good thing Chikako was on board with the idea. 

Kayla’s eyes widened for a split second when she felt Chikako’s presence over her hip. Instinctively, she flinched, but with some meticulous mental effort, she managed to stay in place. Things really were going in that direction, huh? That was certainly a surprise. A bad one? No. A good one? Possibly. She was unspeakably nervous, given her lack of experience with intimate relationships and contact, but those things were, generally, innately good.

Even beyond that, though, there was just the simple fact that... Kayla was rather fond of the girl before her. They got along well, had similar world views, and just as a person, Chikako was a respectable individual, as far as Kayla saw it. Not just respectable. Likeable. There was no debating that Chikako was a unique person. From her experiences to her interests, quirks, and personality. All were strong selling points.

Loving Chikako, though? That was something Kayla had never considered before. That contributed to the fluster that Chikako’s declaration of love delivered. With words like that, Kayla really would have to dig into her heart, and identify her feelings towards Chikako. Kayla enjoyed Chikako’s company, had a degree of trust in her, respected her, and had a liking for many of Chikako’s traits, positive or otherwise. Was that love? Kayla didn’t know, and the distracting sensation of her heart’s pounding didn’t provide any clarity, either.

And then it happened. Chikako’s lips pursued Kayla’s, erasing any need for words in the moment. The foreigner kept her eyes open at first, shocked by what had just happened, before her eyes closed, and she settled into the motions. It was a little awkward. Neither of them had any experience with this sort of thing, but, maybe it didn’t really matter. Even if they didn’t have experience, the thrill of it all, and the proximity shared with Chikako... those were things that made Kayla feel... happy?

Chikako pulled away, leaving Kayla standing awkwardly in silence. She was motionless, silent, as she registered all of what had happened. The redness of her face persisted, and as hard as she tried to hide it, she couldn’t fight off the giddy smile her lips stretched into. She, too, lowered her head to the floor, to hide her embarrassment. A pointless effort, considering Chikako couldn’t see it anyway, and nobody else was around, but it was a reflex; Kayla never did like showing her emotions. 

Finally, she spoke up. “It’s fine. You surprised me, but not in a bad way. I... kind of liked it.” Kayla softly kicked away at the imaginary dirt on the floor before her. “And, I think I love you, too.” 

Regaining control of her senses, she raised her head, her eyes falling upon Chikako with a newfound intensity. She pouted, debating whether or not she should continue with what she was about to do, before she decided to do so. She stepped into Chikako, and embraced her. “Don’t expect me to do this too much, okay? I’m not the type to touch others. But, you can hug me, or... do... that mouth-to-mouth thing whenever.” She didn’t want to say the word ‘kiss,’ apparently. Too nerve-wracking. 

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

[shsltrashy-blog]

Kayla shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s in the past. Was it unfair? Sure. But I won’t let myself get held back by it. Not by the garbage of the human race, either.” She looked down at her feet. Why was she talking about this? Chikako was... perhaps the first one she’d shared these details with. They haven’t been speaking for as long as Kayla and Kotori have, but there was just some kind of special connection. They understood each other, to an extent. “You may be the first to ever understand, though. It’s nice being able to share with you.”

Thinking Chikako was making some kind of mistake in closing the distance between them, Kayla stepped backwards slightly, only for Chikako to pursue. Huh? She raised a brow. Why was the mood like this? Was what Kayla was thinking going to happen... going to happen? The faintest of blushes painted her cheeks, imperceptible in the night. 

Now, Chikako liked glasses? But she acted so strangely whenever glasses were brought up. Normally, people don’t act that way around things they like. Was Chikako just an exception, or...? Oh, did she mean it like ‘that?’ It was then that Kayla was reminded that she still had her costume’s glasses over her face. So, all this time, Kayla had been playing into Chikako’s fantasies? The redness of her cheeks intensified, to a point that Chikako could probably see it, especially with how close they now were.

There were a few moment of silence as Kayla stared into Chikako’s eyes, mulling over the latter’s words. It seemed that, despite the understanding they shared, there were still some things Chikako wasn’t fully correct about. Her, that was humanity for you. They were individuals. Of course they wouldn’t know everything about each other.

“Call me whatever you want.” With their faces as close as they were, Kayla lowered her voice; it was unnecessary to speak at a normal volume with their current proximity. Though, at the same time, it also helped complement the tender air around them. “Being called trash does remind me of my past, but not in a bad way. Remember? Not all trash is bad? I understand that. And, hey, I call everything and everyone else trash, too. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t think that way.”

Kayla averted her eyes from Chikako’s, flustered by the way things were going. “So, yeah, call me whatever you want. If you want to call me ‘Kayla,’ go ahead. Then, do you want me to call you Chikako?”

She wasn’t going to initiate the thing, Chikako. Step your game up.

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

[shsltrashy-blog]

“It’s good to have dreams. Dreams are what keep us going, and alive.” The pale white light reflected off of Kayla’s eyes as they stared into the moon. “Trashy ideals, dreams, hopes... They’re all trash. But, like we’ve said before, trash doesn’t have to be bad. It can be good to have.” She glanced over to the girl beside her. “Cling to something. Do you want to leave this place? Do you want to stay? Whatever it is, cling to it.” 

Kayla held the kit up to her face, further examining the contents. The beads really didn’t look too bad. Though, like Chikako formerly implied, they also were something you’d expect to find in the trash. Good thing Kayla was the expert with trash. She’d know exactly what to do. “... Yeah. Bracelets. They’re not really my thing, but, I don’t know. If you want to, I’ll wear one. They’re supposed to be special.” She lowered her hands, and by extension, the kit. “But, like each other? Is that supposed to mean anything?” 

Oh, wow. How could Chikako so easily come out with words like that? Talking about how poorly people view her, completely unprompted. It was surprising. Though, then again, this was Chikako. The girl was full of surprises. Unfortunately, not all surprised were good. It was somewhat painful to hear about how feared, despised, and unnoticed she was. It reminded Kayla a little of herself.

There was a brief silence as Kayla formulated her response. When she spoke, her voice carried a rare tenderness. “Those people that don’t appreciate you are trash. The bad kind. People shouldn’t be looking down on others like they do. But, it happens, and at least you’re not one of those people.” She reached over to the table behind her, dropping the kit, and Yumi, onto it, and accepting her glass of wine into her hands. “Like you, people thought poorly of me as well. I was homeless, you know? Before arriving here. And, living on the streets, people didn’t treat me like a person. I was just some bag of garbage in the background. And that was one part of what got me to think the way I do.” She took a sip of the wine, and returned it to the table.

Chikako’s move to remove the sweater of Kayla’s costume was met with no resistance. Kayla helped to remove it, inviting a fresh wave of cold once the layer was gone. “Right. Thanks. Why did I have to wear this thing, anyway? I mean, it looked nice, but why that, and not anything else?”

[shsltrashy-blog]

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

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As Kayla was watching Kotori, she noticed the latter’s eyes tear up. As a result, Kayla could feel her heart drop. Now what? What could she do? It was made even worse when Kotori began sobbing. Kayla bit her lip. She glanced over to Sorrel, who made no move to comfort Kotori. Well, if it was up to her, then... she stood up, and walked over to Kotori, extending her open hand. If Kotori didn’t want to accept it, she didn’t have to, but this way, at least Kayla felt as if she was doing something. “It’s okay. We’re safe.”

When Kotori pushed her hair out of the way of her shoulder, Kayla got a better view of the current state of the wound. It had healed somewhat, but it still didn’t look very good. At least it could finally be properly treated. The physical wound, at least. Not so much the mental and emotional scars. Those would require much more extensive care. Kayla would definitely be busy for the next however-long. 

Kayla turned to Sorrel, who was then by her side, inspecting the wound. Kayla looked back down at Kotori’s shoulder, critically watching Sorrel’s every move. She knew that he probably meant no harm, but if anything were to go wrong, she’d stop him. These circumstances meant that she had to be cautious, for Kotori’s sake. Especially given the fact that Sorrel was now a known murderer, even if he’d confessed to it. Kayla still felt a level of caution around him that contradicted the respect she had for him.

When the verdict was announced, that stitches would be necessary, Kayla narrowed her eyes. Would Kotori be ready for that? She looked up at Kotori. Hopefully Kotori would be fine. She continued monitoring Kotori’s condition as Sorrel scavenged around for the necessary supplies. Kayla picked up each of the items Sorrel brought over, examining them to make sure they were safe. Thankfully, they were. 

“Thanks for this, by the way, Trash,” Kayla said, turned away from him. 

[donkeyjackinggirl]

Presenting... || Komaka || Chapter 4 || Day 2 Afternoon || Closed for Kayla and Chikako

[shslanthrolologist]

Chikako, curled up in her ball of embarrassment, explodes back up again.

She is renewed. Revitalized. Re-assured that she cannot let Komaka or Kayla destroy those glasses.

“N-no. I’ll tell you what you have to do, kay? Just give them to me. I need them now. I have my own personal relationship with oculars. DW, I’ll deal with it. Glasses killed my parents.”

They didn’t but convincing Komaka probably won’t take a lot of actual effort. Kayla will be obviously suspicious, but she can worry about her some other time.

“Hand me the glasses. I’ll dispose–gck–them.” Sweet spirits, just looking at them make Chikako’s face go flush red.

She just can’t help but imagine somebody wearing them for her in the hypothetical situation bubbling in her mind. It’s…a really nice feeling. 

[donkeyjackinggirl]

“Chikako-san don’t be silly,” Komaka said as she listened to her words after hearing Kayla. Maybe she was right to not break the glass case quite yet…

“Glasses can’t kill people. Only people WEARING glasses can kill people,” Komaka said as she grabbed the spectacles and looked them over.

“Tell me Chikako. Who was this person like? This person who killed your parents and wore glasses like these? Did they look like Kotori?” Komaka asked as she held them up, “or Takki-chan? Or Chieko-chan? Or… maybe they looked like Kyohei? I dunno.”

“Wait,” Komaka said as she looked to Kayla, it was her wearing the glasses that seemed to really set Chikako off, so she gently applied the glasses to Kayla’s face once more.

“However hard it may be Chikako-san it’s important to face your personal demons. Destroying the eye-wear IS too much yes, so instead we’ll help by gradually exposing you to it.”

Komaka looked over to Kayla for a second.

“… you know Stern-sama you look kinda cute wearing glasses,” Komaka commented.

(art by @sakura-rose12 thanks!)

[shsltrashy-blog]

Glasses... killed Chikako’s parents? What a fully believable story. Not. Kayla raised a brow questioningly. Something was definitely up, but what it was, she couldn’t tell. She’d have to ask later. Every time glasses were involved in a conversation, Chikako was acting strangely, and it’s been confusing Kayla for some time now. 

Now, what Komaka said about people wearing glasses killing people as opposed to the glasses themselves, was a lot more realistic. To that, Kayla nodded. She was surprised to see Komaka reaching out to her face once more, extending the glasses over to her. Kayla made no move to resist, but she did shut her eyes instinctively. When the glasses sat in front of her face once more, her eyes opened, and again, she was lost in the blur of the room.

“... C-Cute?” Kayla lowered her face to the ground, hiding the warmth that reddened her cheeks. “Shut up. These glasses are trash. They don’t make me cute. I’m not cute. Anyway!” She sighed.

“Exposing Trash-chan to what?” Kayla fumbled about. “These trashy things?” She looked over to Chikako, staring for a moment to confirm that the girl she was looking at was, in fact, Chikako. She walked forward, and reached out to the anthropologist’s face. Thanks to the glasses, Kayla was unable to effectively gauge the depth, and so, her fingers brushed over Chikako’s nose, just barely missing her eyes. “Ah. Sorry, Trash-chan.”

Kayla squinted. “... Do I really have to wear these?”

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

[shslanthrolologist]

“W-well, uh, duh. The moon is the biggest fucker there is. Civilizations have always considered it a major player in the fucker industry. A real MLF. Major League Fucker.”  Nonsensical blabbering isn’t going to get her anywhere. 

“I–er–got you this trash. I wasn’t intending on using it ever, so it might help fill a garbage bag? If you ever wanted to–like–do that.”  She hands Kayla an unused Friendship bracelet kit. Tons of little beads and bobbles you could find in any landfill.

“Not to get all sappy, but you’ve been really nice to me these past few–how long as it been, weeks? I just–yeah. Sorry if my words are garbage, Kayla-chan. Just…I’ve never really met somebody before that understood the nature of people in the way I do.” Chikako begins to twirl her pony-tail shyly. 

“It’s nice…to feel a little less alone. That’s all i’m saying.”

[shsltrashy-blog]

The moon. Ah, yes. Quite the fucker it was. A big fucker. The biggest fucker, according to Chikako. Kayla breathed a huff of amusement. Chikako sure has been acting strangely as of late. Not that it was a problem, though. In fact, quite the opposite; it was intriguing. What made Chikako act this way? Kayla would probably never know. Probably.

“I have no idea what you just said. But, yeah, I’d love to be able to land there one day. It’s a big fucker. There must be a lot of waste I can collect there.” Kayla’s blue eyes reflected the pale moonlight as she stared up at the moon. “Bring stuff down with me, make a proper living... Sounds fun. Maybe one day.” Would she live long enough to get there? Maybe not. But, it was good to have some hope to cling on to.

Kayla looked back at Chikako, who was holding out some kind of bracelet kit. She quirked a brow, unsure of what exactly the item was, but she accepted it regardless. It felt... nice, receiving a gift from someone. This was the first time she was given something for a long time. And, even longer than that, was her smiling, until now. She couldn’t fight off the warm smile that crept onto her face. Well, that was definitely the first time she’d smiled since she first woke up on the ship. You should be proud, Chikako.

Once she noticed she was smiling, her face relaxed into its usual look of apathy, though a faint blush remained. She turned her head away from Chikako to hide it. “Thanks, I guess. It’s trash, just like you, and I’ll toss it into a bag eventually. But, it was yours first, so, you really don’t want to do anything with it?” Kayla looked down at the object in her hands. A kit... beads... she’d seen something like this before, hadn’t she? “... A friendship bracelet kit, right? We could make some for us, if you want.”

Raising her eyes to meet Chikako’s, Kayla tugged at her own sleeve. Her costume was still rather uncomfortable. “Like you say, your words, too, are garbage. But not all garbage is bad. I was just being my usual garbage. I still think I’m the bad kind, but if you think I was nice, then that’s you. What I can say, though, is that you’re not alone. You’re not bad to be around, so we can talk some more.”

[donkeyjackinggirl]

Presenting... || Komaka || Chapter 4 || Day 2 Afternoon || Closed for Kayla and Chikako

[donkeyjackinggirl]

“…” No reaction. But there’s an obvious tension in Chikako’s eyes.

FACE. SO. CLOSE. SO CUTE. SO–FUCK SHUT UP.

No reaction. Can’t react to this. Just…

Chikako holds her breath. Literally holding her breath to stop herself from screaming.

A small release of air and voice comes shortly after. Chikako sounds akin to a dying old woman at this point.

“Then…….stop wearing them…………” not even a LOL or LMAO? Why is this girl so short on words?

O-oh. There she goes. She’s laying down now. Curled up in a ball.

Is she going to be okay?

“Stop wearing?” Komaka looked at Chikako and then to Kayla. It seemed as though a realization dawned on her.

“Chikako… why didn’t you tell me,” Komaka said as she looked down at the curled up woman.

“Stern-sama. It’s well known that people who’ve suffered through trauma or accidents find certain objects, words or actions to be unnerving enough to cause them further distress.”

Oh dear.

“These things can trigger relapses of said memories and involuntary responses… I think glasses are one of these kinds of triggers for Chikako!”

noooooooo

“Chikako-san I’m sorry,” Komaka said as she grabbed the glasses off Kayla’s face, placed them onto the glass case and proceeded to hold up a freaking BASEBALL BAT?

“I’ll destroy this horrible eye-wear! As long as I breath I swear to you, Chikako-san! You will never see me, Kayla or ANY WOMAN wear glasses for as long as you live!”

Komaka holds the bat overhead. She’s about to shatter the glasses.

[shsltrashy-blog]

Stop wearing them? Good advice, actually. Kayla nodded, but turned to face Komaka first, listening to the latter’s explanation. At least, she tried listening. Komaka used a bunch of big words there that Kayla just couldn’t understand. Usually, she could get a rough meaning of unfamiliar words through context, but when so many big words were used together? Not so easy. Kayla just stared at Komaka, lost. “Ooooookaaaayyyy... I’ll just take them off, then?” 

Kayla reached for the glasses over her face, but just a second too late; Komaka got there first. Kayla’s eyes followed the glasses over to the glass case, and when she saw Komaka pull out a baseball bat, her eyes widened. She took hold of the opposite end of the bat. “Komaka! You can’t just break them like that. The glasses are trash. Let me take care of them. In a way that won’t break the case. You still want to open it sneakily, right?”

What a strange group. Chikako and her glasses problem, Komaka and her... whatever problems she has. She has too many. And Kayla and garbage. Kayla knew the group was a weird bunch, but... she felt comfortable within it. She was glad to have both Chikako and Komaka. Having Kotori more engaged with the group would’ve been better, but, you can’t have everything.

Kayla glanced back at Chikako. “Are you okay? I’ll try not to wear them again, if what Komaka says is true.”

[melancholic-seas]

Stained Glass | Chikako x Kayla | Chapter 4

Alright. So the spirits have decided to give Chikako some major breaks these past few days. Probably the entire duration of being on this ship has been a constant blessing in the mere fact that none of the murder attempts of Chikako have been successful. Good to know she’s got lady luck on her side for some things.

And the lady delivers yet another gift on this night.

She’ll never admit it. Chikako will never admit her undying love for the aesthetic that is glasses. It’s just something about glasses, flawed vision in general that she really admires! Maybe it was the female role models she fell in love with watching during her childhood. Or maybe it was her infatuation with the mere concept of flaws before she even became one to study them so much.

But this–somebody has to be fucking with her. Kayla is right there on the observation deck–just standing there! With glasses! She’s so fucking adorable what the actual fuck.

Alright.

Whatever. Just…pretend that the glasses aren’t there! Just walk up to her, present the gift, and move on. No need to make a big deal out of anything. Keep it calm. Chill. Relaxed.

…Chikako makes her way over to Kayla, poking her shoulder to get her attention.

…

“HEY KAYLA–SHIT I MEAN TRASH-CHAN. UHHH WHAT THE UP IS FUCK? HAHA LOL.“ 

Can she have a take two on that?

[shsltrashy-blog]

What a silly event. Cosplay? What was the point of that? It was just... wanting to be someone else, right? But, no matter what you did to change your outer appearance, your inner self would never change. Once trash, always trash. And everyone is born trash. That was the way Kayla saw things, at least.

So, she wasn’t exactly enjoying things. She constantly pulled at the clothes she was made to wear. She adjusted her glasses every now and then. It was just so uncomfortable. People actually did this as a hobby? Unbelievable. Well, Kayla wasn’t going to disturb the peace and stop wearing her costume. Knowing Chikako, she was probably serious about her threat. And, while Kayla had no problems defending herself, she’d rather avoid such a confrontation. 

Sadly, Kayla couldn’t find Kotori anywhere. She was worried for her, but... surely she was safe. A motive hadn’t even been provided yet. She couldn’t have been killed. Clinging on to that belief, she stood out on the observation deck, staring out into the bright darkness of the night sky. It was still as pretty as ever. And, as usual, Yumi was hugged to her chest. Some things never change. What was different, however, was the glass of wine on the table next to her. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but the stresses of these past days have been getting to her. Maybe she could escape a bit. 

When she felt a tap on her shoulder, Kayla turned to face Chikako. “Y-” She was cut off by some obnoxious yelling from the other girl. Holy shit. Kayla narrowed her eyes, unimpressed. “You don’t have to yell like that, Trash-chan. What’s up is fuck is that I was looking up at that fuck.” Kayla turned away from Chikako, and pointed at the moon ahead of them. “What’s up with you?”

[shsltrashy-blog]

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

[shsltrashy-blog]

If Kotori wanted to talk, she’d say something, right? Right. So, Kayla accepted the silence that befell them, and entertained herself with her mind, idly tapping her foot as the minutes passed. What did the future hold for everyone? Was there still room for ‘hope?’ Images of the karaoke night held earlier in the trip flickered. She didn’t particularly enjoy it at the time, and while she made no effort to recall the memory, now that it was there, she felt a strange longing for times like those to return. 

...

...

Who knew how long it was until Sorrel arrived? Certainly not Kayla, who was wrapped up in her own world. Hearing his voice, she turned to the survivalist with a blank stare. “Yes. That’s us, Trash.” Still not dropping the whole ‘trash’ thing, huh? 

In response to Sorrel’s question, Kayla glanced over to Kotori, who apparently had the same idea of looking back at her. Kayla’d hoped that maybe Kotori would be able to say something, but she had to admit, that hope was unrealistic. She returned her attention to Sorrel. “... I guess we could use some help. I was waiting for someone to come. Luckily, it was you. I wanted to treat Kotori. Can you help?”

Kayla turned to Kotori. “But only if she’s okay with it.” 

[shsltrashy-blog]

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

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Silence. Oh, tense silence. Kayla had already made an effort to comfort her friend, seemingly to no avail. Without so much as a word from Kotori, things remained somewhat uncomfortable. Thankfully, at least, this was still Kotori. If it was her, then Kayla could manage. 

But, if Kotori wasn’t going to say anything, then what should be done? Would it be too much of a bother for both of them to have a one-sided conversation? Or, maybe, would Kotori appreciate Kayla’s efforts? Maybe they could do something in silence when they got to their destination? Play a game? No, Kotori probably wouldn’t feel up to it. Damn. It was easy doing things by yourself. It was relatively easy doing things with another person. It was something else entirely to pretty much do your own thing with company depending on you. 

Aaaaaand, the clinic. They arrived. Once they did, Kotori broke off, and sat in a cot. Kayla set her things down on the floor, and began walking around the room, looking for anything that might be of use. Occasionally, she glanced at Kotori, who was clearly off in her own world. What a tough situation. Kayla shook her head as she continued her search. 

Bandages, a wet gauze, some disinfectant, and a lollipop. She’d still be down for a lollipop, right? Kayla returned to Kotori, and set the gathered items down by Kotori. 

Kayla knew she could perform basic first aid, but... was she missing something? A tool? Or did she have any misconceptions? Fresh, minor cuts were no problem. But she’d never had to deal with a deeper cut that’s been left open for as long as this has. Maybe it’d be best to wait for someone else to come along. Waiting a few minutes couldn’t hurt; Kotori seemed just fine. 

“Let’s... wait for a moment,” she suggested. Kayla took the lollipop, and extended it to Kotori. “You can keep it for now.” She gestured to Yumi, still resting on Kotori’s shoulder.

She took her seat, opposite of Kotori, and sat in silence...

[shsltrashy-blog]

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

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Yeah, Kotori definitely wasn’t taking this well. She probably wouldn’t be making the mental recovery Kayla’d hoped for back when Kototi was first attacked by Ends. That attack was bad enough, but it was manageable, for the most part. Then, she was beaten by Sango, and made to stab someone. Finally, she was called a killer by various people, including one of her friends: Chieko. So, for Kotori to feel this way was a given. Unfortunately, with how withdrawn she was now, it was going to be very difficult if not impossible to help her.

Like, her only response was a single-word apology? Nothing more to work with? As far as Kayla knew, touch was out of the question, and conversation wasn’t viable, either, so the only thing she could really provide was her own presence. Maybe sprinkle in some words here and there to combat the awkward silence. 

Kayla nodded, turned, and lead the way. “No worries.” After just a single step, however, she stopped. She felt a pull on her shirt, and looked back at Kotori, who was holding on to her. What? Was Kayla Kotori’s guardian now or something? Whatever the implications were, the way Kotori relied on her made her feel... special. Had this happened earlier in their friendship, Kayla would’ve thought otherwise, and likely tell Kotori off. But now, they were relatively close, and Kotori could use the help. So, the foreigner shrugged, and continued walking to exit the trial room and move to the newly available clinic.

There was a tense silence for some time, which gave Kayla more time to think. Given Kotori’s current state, she was weak in every aspect now of physical, mental, and emotional. She was already the target of murder once, and the target of what might as well have been a murder another time. Who was to say that she wouldn’t eventually fall victim to another person? Kayla glanced back at the girl trailing behind her. Kotori’s relationship with Chieko might’ve been strained after that trial. And... ah, everything considered, Kayla really was going to have to become Kotori’s guardian, wasn’t she? The thought made her anxious. Was she really going to be able to do the job right...?

Hey eyes drifted from Kotori’s face to the stuffed rabbit on her shoulder. Right. It was still there. Would it be safe? Just sitting on Kotori’s shoulder meant it could easily fall off. Hopefully Kotori would do or say something if it eventually did. 

Kayla returned her attention to the path in front of her. “Everything will be fine. You still have me, and I’ll do all I can to protect you. You’re safe with me.” Empty words, really. She had no idea what the future held in store for them, but she had to say something to help put Kotori at ease. 

If she recalled from the map correctly, the control quarters should be... right around the corner. Then, from there, they could access the clinic. “We’re almost there.”

[donkeyjackinggirl]

Presenting... || Komaka || Chapter 4 || Day 2 Afternoon || Closed for Kayla and Chikako

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Chikako and Kayla as guards, and Komaka as the thief? So, a game. Admittedly, a possibly fun one, depending on how everyone played. Though, Kayla would’ve preferred to be the thief. That was more up her alley than being a guard. Still, a fun suggesti- Oh. Okay. Sure, you can just withdraw that suggestion, Komaka. Kayla was somewhat disappointed, but made no effort to express that, and followed along with Komaka’s words. 

Learning to pick locks. Got it. This was something Kayla could definitely teach Komaka. It was something she had some experience in. So, having to watch Komaka work for five minutes was just... sad, and tiring. After the first minute, Kayla breathed a silent sigh before sitting down cross-legged on the floor. She turned Yumi on her lap to face her, and began having a hushed conversation with the rabbit. An eavesdropper might have been able to find that the ‘conversation’ was about how boring the current situation was. Of course, one could only hear Kayla, and even then, only if one noticed her whispering, and then decided to home in on said whispering.

Finally, it seemed Komaka was done. She threw the hair pick away, and... it hit Kayla’s forehead. “Ow!” The foreigner cried out instinctively. It didn’t really hurt, but, y’know. Instincts. She looked up at Komaka, who was then looking down at her. “Watch what you’re doing, you clumsy garbage.”

Then, Komaka pulled out some glasses, much to Kayla’s surprise. Where did Komaka get those? Did she just happen to own glasses? Kayla quirked a brow with intrigue. “Paper clips are everywhere. We can gather at least five in two minutes. Then, I can teach you.”

Midway through her speech, Chikako began yelling something, but Kayla was sure to finish with what she was saying before she gave her full attention to Chikako. And, well... what the fuck was that girl talking about? Not just talking, but yelling. Kayla actually looked concerned. At least, she would, if she’d bothered ever really emoting anything beyond the subtlest of hints. 

Kayla stood up with a grunt, and walked over to Chikako. “Don’t throw yourself off. Let me do it. It’s my job as the garbage collector, Trash-chan. I have no idea what you were talking about, but... you do you?”

She looked back over to Komaka, and reached out to the glasses on her face. “Can I try these, by the way?” Without waiting for a response, Kayla took the glasses into her hands, and placed them over her eyes. “This... feels nice. I’ve never worn glasses before.” Sure, it felt nice, having the glasses’ temples hug around her face, but... she didn’t need glasses. Her eyesight was decent enough, and... well, simply put, the world around her became a daze from behind the lenses. Kayla leaned into Komaka, squinting to get a better look at the other girl’s face. Then, she turned to Chikako, and similarly leaned into her. 

“These aren’t helping my eyes.”

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Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

The trial was over. It was a strange one, really. A confession from the killer right away? And, then, that killer got away with it? Madness. Though, Kayla couldn’t blame the others, either. She herself had voted for Sango. Sango’d hurt Kotori, and in Kayla’s eyes, Sango was much more deserving of execution than Sorrel, even if execution was something she couldn’t endorse. The taking of another person’s life disgusted her. But, if someone had to die, then it might as well be a Sango rather than a Sorrel.

Kayla couldn’t get herself to watch the execution. Instead, she hid her face behind Yumi, waiting for it to be over, occasionally peeking out to see if everyone else was leaving the room. When, eventually, she did find that she could leave, she turned to move, but stopped when she found Kotori still standing in place, crying to herself. Kayla frowned. She’d hoped that Kotori would be able to better handle herself, but... it was understandable that she couldn’t. Kotori’s been through a lot recently.

But, what could be done about this? Kayla certainly didn’t know. She wasn’t good with emotional affairs. She would’ve liked to just leave, and avoid her weakness, but this was Kotori. Kotori was a friend. Kayla’s first friend among the class. And Kotori was fragile. Even if Kayla didn’t know what to do, she at least had to try. With a sharp inhale to steel herself, she slowly moved over to Kotori.

“Kotori... Come on. Let’s go.” Staying in the trial room was definitely not a good idea. That much was obvious. Kayla was just about to turn away from Kotori and leave the room, assuming that Kotori would follow, but upon receiving no response or acknowledgment, her feet remained fixed to the floor. “Kotori? We can... check the new area out. There’s a clinic. I can help you there.”

Still, no response. Well, this was a problem. Kayla raised her hand slightly, wanting to extend it over to Kotori to grab her attention, but stopped herself there, too. Touching Kotori wasn’t going to end well, right? Eeeeeehhhh.

Well, if she couldn’t touch her, then... Kayla set Yumi down on Kotori’s shoulder. Close enough.

“I’ll stay with you here, then. When you’re feeling up to it, we should go to the clinic, okay?”