A Fancy Cake

Hi there! I'm Higanbana Furusawa, SHSL Confectionary Decorator! I've got a super-big ton of orders, but I can definitely take care of you~! Affiliated with Death Drop Game Show STATUS: ROBOTIFIED

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Start Together, End Together | Epilogue

Never softly finished the work in her basement base. Blood adorned her like a ballgown, glinting ever so beautifully. It was natural on her, a good look. But she didn’t seem to appreciate it too much. She huffed as she worked… applying the final touches to her very last robot…

Memories taken, then some erased… body burned… switch the robot on. And speak to him. Speak to Kai. She waited for him to reorient himself. She knew it was odd to wake up after death- she had felt it before as well. Her voice came out soft and sweet… but this time, it wasn’t sickening or mocking. Just gentle.

She reached out.

“Listen. I know things seem a little weird right now, and I don’t really look the best either, kyahaha, but we should go. Our little project went under… more like when down in flames- sorry about that. Neither of us really did any good- I even erased your memory of it, per your permission. We really, really need to go. Will you come? I’d really appreciate if you did.”

Despite being disoriented, Kai managed to register her words eventually.

“…So it got that bad, did it? So……I guess I was right, huh?”, he could only murmur. 

Hearing a mechanical whir from within you was… unpleasant.

“…Well, I have nothing else to be ‘alive’ for, so I see why not. ………But where? Where can we go?”

Never looked down. She didn’t really want to speak of where they were going, but she knew she had to. Courtesy, and all.

“Where? Heh, it’s not gonna be pleasant for the survivors of this ordeal. We’re going to my Laboratory, with my Father. He’s got plans… and I’d like to unravel them. Redeem myself a bit for the next wave of kids. Maybe do some good. I don’t like being a puppet anymore.”

Never shrugs, yawning. Bleeding. Ew, gross. She tried a little to wipe away the blood- both her own and his, but to no avail.

“You’ll be fine though. You can even join in my little redeeming party if you want. You just can’t really go public unless you want the police on your ass.”

The so-called mastermind let out a laugh. 

“…There’s nothing about me to redeem, especially if I was willing to have my memory erased– but I did make a deal with you, didn’t I? I pledged loyalty to you and you alone. So… utilize that how you will.“ 

His expression then fell, and he sighed.

”…You’re all I have anymore.“

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Finally, you can rest... | Endgame

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Close your eyes, sister... | Juliabot, the 3 Girls | Endgame

Juliabot seems to listen to the mysterious man with no questions. She begins to usher you into the Laboratory. It’s strange. This place is unfamiliar, and a bit scary. There are many people rushing around in it. Doctors, and young children chasing after said doctors with smiles, or laughing. Others seem to be crying- it really depends on what hall you’re being pushed into by Juliabot.

If you are of the Special Arts wing, you see beautiful children singing and dancing in the halls, and the halls themselves are adorned by the children’s pictures and paintings. You’re joined by AI-3V3, or as Yumiko named her, Hana. She seems nervous, but pays a kind smile, leading you along into the soulful depths of the wing.

“It’s not bad here… we’re sheltered, we don’t experience bad things like the other two wings do. S-Since you’re forgetting the game, I’m sure your life will be good here… no harm is done to this wing, so our artistic ability is honed…”

How comforting.

If you are pushed into the Brutality hallway, a huge metal door is slammed behind you, and within it the scent of blood is intense. Children who appear to be training, or standing in a military-like line, listening to orders and saying ‘yes ma’am/sir’. The sound of screaming is loud, and in the distance, you swear you can hear gunshots. A chorus of chaos. You would quickly find out how easily death is found here, if you were ushered into this hallway. Sasha joins your side, if you were put into this wing. She stares up at you. Her glare harbors the slightest amount of pity. 

“The pain will go away after a while. They alter your body so you don’t feel it anymore. And with how many times our minds are constantly erased to make sure we obey, you’ll be mindless soon anyways. It’s a sad existence, but at least you don’t hurt for very long.”

How scary.

And finally, the Intelligence wing. If you were pushed into this hall by Juliabot, you’d see that everything is systematic here. It’s pretty… barren, actually. A door also slams behind you if you are put into this wing, and the sound reverberates throughout the quiet. The most one notices right away is how silent it is here. You only hear the softest of murmurs, coming from different rooms. Robotic whirs and sounds echoing in the silence as Tomoko stands at your side here.

“I can’t say you’ll enjoy your time in this wing. We have it the worst. But little success is found here. You’ll die quickly, which is a kinder fate than living here.”

How depressing. Yet simple.

Those sent into the mysterious fourth wing… find nothing. They are never seen again… or are they?

Juliabot lets out a sigh as she finishes pushing each student into their new respective homes.

“Uwaah! What a good, good day! But gah, I’m so tired now… I think it’s time to rest…”

On the stop, though nobody is there to witness, she sits down, and shuts herself off. Symbolic, in a way. It was all over..

It’s all over…

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

It’s time to rest, you see... | Father | Endgame

The silhouette of a man held the door open, leaning on it, with a checklist in hand. He cleared his throat, then began to speak out in a voice that was distinguishable like ice. It was cold, and sharp. It cut deep into you.

“Ayano Akiyama- Hitman. Nayeli Kikuchi- Reggae Dancer. Shizuko Hayashi- Somnologist. Lucas Dell- Reserve Course. Yumiko Hayashi- Florist… only 5 true survivors. Mmmnng… I’ll throw Aden Knutson in with Aimi’s robots. She’ll deal with him, hmm…”

He walked towards you all, surveying the survivors. He would scoff at any robots who dared look at him- as if they were shoddily made. He muttered things under his breath when around the living.

“The hitman will go to Brutality, ehh… the dancer to Special Arts. I’m glad we have somebody to go to Intelligence- the somnologist shall make a name there. Reserve course…? Well it must have been fun infiltrating the school. He can test the new fourth wing for subterfuge, and as for the florist… eh, throw her into Special Arts as well, she seemed to get along with AI-3V3…”

It was strange, how he barely acknowledged you all as people. He acknowledged you as… subjects. Not really alive. Just soon-to-be experiments at his disposal. 

He finally speaks to you.

“Listen up, subjects. You shall all be serving as the second test for creating a pure and progidal race. We can create prodigies- this I know. They have been successfully made and now stand before you as these three girls- Tomoko, Sasha, and AI-3V3. They were the first test. But we have never attempted to turn current, already living prodigies to our cause. So you’ll be the first attempt. Be glad- you’re helping the future turn into something bright.”

With that, he turns on his heels.

“What’s your name, robot? Juliabot? Escort them out. I need to prepare the memory erasal. Girls, kill the students if they do not cooperate.”

And he’s gone.

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

So this is the end... | Juliabot... and Father| Endgame

You breath a sigh of relief, or perhaps you shed tears. Maybe you are angry, the only one who knows is you. So he is dead. The mastermind Kai is dead. You all take a few moments to react… but soon, you can hear the sound of crashing, and the house jolting in what seems like a mini earthquake. This goes on for a good minute, before stopping. You hear doors open, and Juliabot vibrates with excitement. 

“Ooooh, come on come on come on! We have to go! The doors are open the doors are open. We can finally get out of the house. Ooooh, I wonder what will happen outside?”

What a sick joke. You know what will happen. You can hear the ocean outside.. and once you’re all ushered by force to return upstairs, the scent of saltwater assaults your noses, yet when you approach the doors, no water is seen. You only see the figure of a man, standing at the door.

Never doesn’t seem to have followed any of you upstairs to witness the oddity of a new person. Yet, the frequency of new faces has left you less surprised, and more acceptant of what’s to come. This man was nothing more than a silhouette, and gave a more chilling aura than Never could have ever given. Apathy was the main feeling here.

The only thing this man gave off was the feeling of complete, utter, apathy. Just being near him gave you the shivers. With him, were the three girls from upstairs, in the tubes. Finally let out, you see. They seemed to cower at his presence.

[superconfectiondecor-blog]

Don’t look at me, I’m sobbing over Naynay

[the-monster-that-walks]

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Let's Meet Again Sometime | Higanbana | RE: Never, ATTN: All, Huang Yi

At some point during everyone else’s talking, Higanbana had calmed down just a little bit more. Not enough to stop crying, but at least enough to stop shaking and feeling like she was going to fade out of existence. Oh, she still felt horrible. She did. She was still upset and angry and despairing and she wasn’t borderline-insane, why would he say that, but

But she was able to think about other things, as she leaned into Nayeli’s hug, her arms bent so she could rest her hands on Nayeli’s shoulders in a small pseudo-hug.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll all forget this.’

That meant…everyone, right? Even Higanbana herself?

That had been what she’d wanted initially, to at least keep the students from knowing they were hurting their friends but she had at least been offered to keep her memories. It was selfish and cruel and awful of her, but…she didn’t want to forget everyone too. She’d changed so much over the course of this 'game,’ and not just recently. She’d stopped smiling so often–

'Follow up on those feelings. Do what you want, and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise because…..’

She’d started to show how she really felt. If she forgot all this, there’d be no reason for her to show it anymore. She’d be just as she was, and she’d always hated that. She’d go back to hating her own smile and how she couldn’t show anyone her feelings.

And if she forgot, that meant…

Her grip tightened on Nayeli’s shoulders a bit.

That meant…

'It’s, er, not cool being alone…’ 'Can I call you Big Sis?’ 'We can b-be friends..in f-fact we are friends Higanbana-chan..you have been my friend since we met so..don’t worry we are friends!’ 'You say that like I’d let something happen to you. Higanbana, you’re my friend.’ 'I’m glad you consider me a friend, despite who I am…’ 'Really? Y-yes, I’d love to go…!’

She’d finally had friends. A best friend. A little brother. People she loved. And she’d forget all of them even existed.

“…g-g-guuuysh?” Higanbana quietly sobbed out. Not entirely sure who that was directed at. All of them. Yeah. “Y-You know..y-yoou know…I kn-know it'sh dumb b-but I r-really– I r-real-ly did love you. I w-was so h-happy to meet you a-and be f-friends and y-your big sister a-and…a-and bake together–” Yumiko. Eri. “–and eat together–” Ayano. Huang Yi. “–or wh-when Nayeli-chan taught me dancing, a-and Z-Zeta-san just said they liked my name a-and Aden-kun and Allen-san got their bread and - a-and I wi-wish I could’ve shown you g-guys my bakery, o-or seen Aden-kun’s home and just–”

She was rambling. She was rambling and her throat was tight and she was sure she was annoying at least three different people right now. But she wanted it to be said.

“But I loved y-you guys a-and I h-hate th-that this h-happened…I d-don’t w-want to forget anyone, I don’t want to go back to who I used to b-be…”

She fell silent again, save for the small sobs still escaping as she finally hugged Nayeli properly. It was all any of them could do now, right? Just…just be together and wait for it all to be over?

“….h-hey…h-hey Huang Yi-kun?”

Selfish. Selfish Higanbana. But in this situation, you can afford to be a tiny, tiny bit selfish. Right?

She looked up at him, still crying a bit…and just held one hand out.

“I kn-know you d-don’t…b-but if we’re going to f-forget each other…Y-You were o-one of my first friends here, y-you w-were m-my first best friend–” 'Damn it, I loved you!’ “–c-can… …c-can you hold my hand? Before this is over?”

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

WaterWorks | Higanbana | RE: Kai, Nayeli

Higanbana shook her head as Nayeli comforted her, eyes squeezed shut, tears trickling down her face. She still shook under Nayeli’s touch, but she was. Trying. She was trying, and someone else was making it difficult.

“I’m n-not i-insane,” she sobbed out, having apparently heard Kai’s words. “I’m not. I’m n-not insane, I’m not, I j-jussht..”

And then she was leaning into Nayeli, sobbing against her shoulder. She had…a lot…to cry about. First, like everyone else, that brief hope her family was alive, only to find that no, no they were dead. The Furusawas were dead, she was the only one left, her sisters were gone and…and what about their husbands? What about them trying for a family? They were dead now, they couldn’t– And then Kai was still talking and everyone else was talking and Yumiko… Yumiko was so…

She couldn’t even spare Yumiko’s feelings then, could she? Because Kai didn’t care in the end. All that time she refrained from saying what she’d heard, for Yumiko’s sake, all that time she just wanted Yumiko happy, and now…

And just.

All of this. All of this was horrible.

…had Kai told Yumiko what he thought of her? Did Yumiko think that too, did Yumiko hate her? She hated all this, she didn’t care about the Alice Project or robots or anything, she just wanted her friends and to not be hated and for everything to be like it was before.

“I’m not…I just did wh-what Mom told me to, I just wanted to m-make things easier for everyone, I ju-just…I just had to smile, I h-had to - I w-wasn’t insane…Why’s he s-saying…?”

“M-Mom, can I talk to you about–” “Higanbana, sweetie, this is really a bad time. It makes me sad when you talk about that.” “But it was really scary, a-and I–” “Higanbana, can you just. Smile for me? I’d like to see that pretty smile of yours. …There you go. Now, just keep smiling. When you think about being in that place again, just smile. When you think about him, just smile. If you at least pretend to be happy, soon you will be for real. And you won’t think about it anymore. Everyone much prefers it when you’re smiling.”

Smiling. The pool. Both those times she just wanted to help, and here was Kai. Saying first that she was insane for it and then that none of this would have happened if… She just wanted to help everyone. She couldn’t even be angry at Kai for what he’d done, she’d done far worse, hadn’t she?

Unable to speak anymore, Higanbana just. Hid her face in Nayeli and kept crying. She just wanted this to be over, she wanted to go home. She just wanted her friends to be okay and happy and none of them were.

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

LadyBug, LadyBug, Fly Away Home~ Your House Is-- | Higanbana | RE: Kai, all this noise

tw: panic attack

Finally, they caught him.

Or rather, he outed himself.

Higanbana…couldn’t bring herself to feel much of anything once he started talking.

And when he did, she just frozen, staring ahead at Kai and Yumiko, but without really seeing them. The words pounded in her ears, and even with everyone else offering their two cents, she couldn’t fixate on any words’ but Kai’s own.

“I…”

‘Come on, though; the fucking potato kid figured it out, mostly because I stopped hiding it, but still. How shitty does your combined IQ have to be, seriously?’

“I did know,” she said, loudly but flatly. Like she was just reciting a script. “P-People told me–” which people, she preferred not to say. Didn’t want to throw anyone she cared about under a bus. “I did know, but I– But I did-n-’ say anything because I j-just wanted to l-look out fo-for Yumiko-chan!” Even with an exclamation mark, she still doesn’t sound very emotional. Just blank and mechanical, and it was not because she had been robotified. “I w-wanted to-to h-ehlp her I s-saw h-how much she hurt in the other trials so I didn’t say anything because I w-wanted her to be okay I didn’t want her to be mo-more upset than sh-she was because we were friends and I thought you cared about her so I didn’t say anything because how would I feel if someone said my boyfriend was–”

Her chest hurt too much. Everything hurt like hell.

Kai knew about them. Kai and Never knew about them, they

“Y-You know what I diiiid…”

Higanbana wasn’t even looking at Kai anymore, just staring at her podium, shaking like a leaf. Her chest really hurt now. Everyone else was protesting that they weren’t bad people, they couldn’t - shouldn’t - be judged by Kai and Never of all people but– But they knew. Kai knew. That was why Higanbana was here, because he knew she’d–

“I was j-just a kid…I w-was just…I waa-as scared I wa-aaas–”

'Nothing would have happened if little miss Baker hadn’t kicked the bucket. Nada.’

None of it would have happened.

Her fault.

She caused this. She caused all this chaos, she caused her friends grief, she caused this trial, she did this, everyone should point fingers at her, this was her fault she

“I j-uuu-ust w-wanted t-t'helphIjus’…jush w-wanted t-to h-help you I w-wash t-tr-tryi…t'pr-tect erryoo..”

No one cares, Higanbana! You did this, you died, you jumped in the pool, you did this! No one cares what a murderer thinks. Kai knows. She’s a killer, she–

Higanbana slowly sank to the floor, bent at the knee, with her head bowed and her arms over her head. She went completely still, but those close to her could hear tight, wheezing sobs.

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

When the Red Spider Lilies Bloom | Higanbana | RE: Ayano; ATTN All

tw suicide

“….”

Higanbana fidgeted a little, averting her eyes, focusing on her shoes. Finally, she looked up and answered.

“…yeah.”

“I kn-know they w-were pretty…p-pretty disjointed, b-but I wasn’t thinking entirely clearly…B-But I meant everything I wrote in there. I kn-know it’s not the right time for this, but - but when Never and I spoke, I thought there might be a way to prevent it from happening, to keep us out of those wings. N-Never made it clear there wasn’t, s-so…A-And I know you promised we’d escape but it was after Huang Yi-kun died and I was just too upset to– S-So we made a deal. I th-thought if we couldn’t escape the labs, maybe we could at least…a-at least forget about each other. I asked her to erase our memories of all this first, s-so we wouldn’t know we would be hurting our friends and loved ones. The only condition was that in return, I would still remember everything. I’d suffer and everyone else would be fine… But I had to not die in order for her to keep that deal. I thought I could do it but when the motive was announced, I just. I couldn’t let anyone here die. I couldn’t…”

“S-So I thought…I thought it was better if only one person died and not two. I wr-wrote the note for you because I thought…I thought again and figured you could do it after all. And I wrote the note for Nayeli-chan because I knew what’d happen to me after I jumped in, and I didn’t want her to think I wasn’t going to…”

She couldn’t speak anymore, looking down and wiping her eyes, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold her sobs in.

“I-I’m s-sorry, w-we went of-f-track…U-Uhm, i-in the place w-we were i-in, there w-was a girl in a tube. H-her name w-was Naomi - I d-don’t know i-if she’s related to Never or the Mastermind, b-but she was there.”

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Gomenasai... | Higanbana | RE: MM Trial, Yumiko

Higanbana stood by, looking at each of her still-living friends in turn. Spuds. Nayeli. Yumiko. Ayano. She glanced briefly at Kai and Travis, wanting to acknowledge them, too, but not knowing them well enough to really…mean anything with a look. But all the others recieved a lot of emotions in one glance/half-smile: sadness, relief, apologies, regret…

“…I know it’s late but…I’m glad you voted right…I saved someone after all…”

She rubbed at one eye before speaking.

“When I woke up in the other place, Never gave me a clue to the Mastermind’s identity. But all she said was ‘The mastermind is missing a part of themselves.’ I’m not sure if that’s literally or…or metaphorically. 'Part’ kind of implies the latter, I think.”

She turned towards Yumiko again.

“I made a deal with Never earlier and she told me when we get to the lab, the living students will be divided into groups according to their talent - Intelligence, Brutality, and Arts. We’re - you’re - going to be monitored and tested on, at the best. At worst, you’ll be tortured - Never told me there was a chance of someone in Brutality killing someone in another wing.”

[shsl-flowerprincess]

If anyone would still like to talk to Yumiko during this hiatus!! Message me on skype? Ive been wanting to thread but I do know that Yumiko is not ((^:

[superconfectiondecor-blog]

...I was about to answer before realizing I was dead.

[superconfectiondecor-blog]

Higan-mun: 8)

Ayano-Mun: dont " 8) " me you fothermucker

Higan-mun: 8D

Ayano-Mun: CLOSE THAT MOUTH RIGHT NOW OR IM GOING TO

Ayano-Mun: WRITE A *VERY* STRONGLY WORDED LETTER

Higan-mun: 8)

[superconfectiondecor-blog]

It’s a little ironic.

The girl who couldn’t swim became a mermaid.

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Lose My Dignity? | Chapter 5 Murder

tw: drowning, water

art credit: x

Big Brother File:

Name: Higanbana Furusawa

Time of Death: 5:45 AM

Location: Pool Room

Cause of Death: Asphyxiation (Drowning)

Notes: A sense of deja vu~. -Never

Once you get a good look at the notes, committed them to memory and whatnot, the screen flickers and changes. Oh. How odd. Usually their up until the end of investigation, but this time, Julia’s face returns. It’s been a while since you’ve seen her. She wears a weary smile, but it’s obvious it’s not a happy smile. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to you all. Forgive me. I hold an announcement. Well… sorta, it’s… not an official one from Never… it’s my own. Before you guys go investigate… can… can we take a moment to remember the fallen? Especially Higanbana, since she’s the most recent… um… I’m sorry if this is impromptu… but this is my final announcement I’m going to be making. I am no longer of use now that the game is coming to a close. I’m being taken apart so to speak.”

“S-So. If you could. Just appease me and honor all of the fallen. Nobody deserved to die. Not even the murderers. I’m sorry my gameshow got taken over by the Mastermind and Never.”

She sighs. 

“Now go and solve Higanbana’s death. It’s the most important of all these deaths. It’s absolutely the most important. It’s… ah… just, please, try your best. And thank you all for trying your best. I am so, so proud of you. G…Goodnight, Houseguests.”

And the screen returns to the Big Brother File. How strange!

Well, let the investigation begin!

[deathdropgameshow-blog]

Will I, | Chapter 5 Murder

I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy any of this. Just because I felt some heartache doesn’t mean I’m less of a monster. Ha~ Ha~ Ha~

We have so much in common, don’t we _____?

A little heartache, a little doubt in the world, but wont break our minds that lean towards darker deeds- and no, I won’t let you back out now.

Who would accept you after this? Absolutely nobody? Correct~! I’m sorry for overpowering what you wanted. Your motive, so to speak.

Though I suppose that could be your despair, couldn’t it? You never truly got to be in the lead. Yet, you’ll still be punished for having this idea in the first place.

Hee, hee, hee… sometimes the world is so cruel. We adults just aren’t fair, are we? Well, at least you….. [CONNECTION LOST]

Words of the One Watching, Big Brother. End of transmissions.

The familiar bell tolls. You are called to the pool room once again, as you did last week, and the Big Brother flashes upon the screen the usual announcements are shown upon as usual. It seems there is another murder, strange you think. Well, actually. Is it that strange to think about? The stakes were high this time around, but the mood was not. Everybody is drained. Everybody is tired.

You’re just trying to drag yourself through this at this point. Yet there is such mystery still swirling around this place, not just around the Mastermind and their plot, but around Never herself…

But for now, you leave these thoughts behind.

It’s the final investigation.