Let's be friends. Best friends.

                                                                                                                                 ♥My name is Kaneshiro Yua, host of Table of Roses, and it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm sure we'll get along awesomely!♥                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

[trustingthorns-blog]

✿ Rosy Cheeks {Open}

So, someone else was dead. The news didn’t particularly faze Yua. It meant, at least, that her safety was guaranteed for a little while, until the killer was executed and the cycle of murder could begin again. At the beginning, she’d considered murder, planned it, even. She’d known how easy it would be to get the contortionist or the volleyball player or the blogger to trust her, to get them alone in some secluded part of the castle, and then slit their throats. 

But she’d missed her chance. Now that she was marked as a witch, the others all suspected her, and even though she'd kept her friends, suspicion would be on her the moment anyone died who had anything to do with her. 

She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to go through with it, anyway. To plan to murder one of her friends, to justify it to herself, that was easy. To actually do it, she suspected, was something that was beyond her. She probably wouldn’t have been able to do it, she decided. She was many things, but Yua Kaneshiro, at heart, was not a cold-blooded killer. 

In the wake of the murder, she’d decided she might as well relax a little while her chances of being attacked and killed were significantly less. And so, Kaneshiro Yua could be found, sitting with her feat up, in the tea garden, sipping a refreshing peppermint tea and taking dainty bites from a small pink cupcake.  

[shslblogprincess-blog]

[Investigation] ‘As he fell he was changed from a frog into a handsome prince, with beautiful eyes.’ || OPEN

By turns, every place that had been her sanctuary in this awful, hellish facade of a castle has grown dark, foreign, covered with death and thorns.

The library had been one of her new favourite haunts — even more so, now that her old name is rolling round and around in her head at every turn. Even with Yua’s support, she can’t get it off her mind — and so it’s easier to allow herself to lose it, in fantasy worlds and fairytales that are simpler and make more sense than here. 

In that, nothing had truly changed.

She smells the blood before she sees the corpse, she’s sure — her mind flashes back to the other corpses she’s seen, unbidden — but she’s so convinced that nobody would kill in this place, not here, that she forbids herself even to think of it — not until she comes in, and sees Jinsei Yuuhara lying in a pool of blood.

It takes her breath away, in entirely the wrong fashion.

 “…No,” she hears herself say, shrill and unbelieving, “—No, Yuuhara-kun, no, no— Yuuhara-kun-!”

In the court drama in her own head, Jinsei had been the handsome prince — always kind to her, if courteously distant, with lovely eyes and a lovelier smile, and while they only spoke on occasion, he fit his role so well that she had grown fond of him merely from that — had defended him on the basis of it, in the last trial. And princes simply don’t die. 

Dizzy and unbelieving, she forgets all about her name for a brief moment — she rushes to his side, dropping to her knees and putting her hands on his unmoving shoulders, shaking hard as she frantically looks his body up and down, trying to figure out how, why, why why why why ?

A thought comes to her; when princes do die, all that’s usually required is a kiss from a princess to wake them. That… would work, wouldn’t it? 

Swallowing, she looks at him face-down on the ground, trembling all over despite herself. She reaches out to gently brush a lock of raven hair behind one ear, touch his cheek—

But it’s so dead under her hands, turning cool and stiff when it would once have been soft and warm, that she recoils as if she’s been burned. Retching and clapping her other hand to her mouth to stop herself, she allows herself, finally, to cry in earnest.

She can’t save anyone, she can’t be who she wants to be — she can’t even play her role right.

Himekomori-sama really is no true princess, at all — this is the final proof. They were right.

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua didn’t really think of herself as a cold person. She supposed she was, when she thought about it. Only a cold person, she mused, saw the world as she did, saw it for what it was. It was all about leverage. Tit for tat. That was what friendship was for, anyway. Make friends with the right people, be kind to the right people, and you’d never find yourself wanting for favours. 

Only a cold person, she thought to herself with a pang of something that felt a little like guilt and a little like hatred, would find themselves caring so little that someone had died. Jinsei Yuuhara. She’d talked to him before this had happened, a few words of greeting at some ridiculous media event, she’d no doubt given a cheerful smile and a bubbly laugh, flashed a peace sign at him, and then moved on. 

He was dead. And Yua didn’t really care. She knew she was meant to care, of course, but she didn’t. She suspected that she’d lost the ability to care about a stranger’s death a long time ago. Hell, she was glad, really. The more people died who weren't her, the better chance she’d have. 

But when she saw Himeko in tears, crying over the body, Yua knew she couldn’t show that coldness. She couldn’t drive away the blogger, the girl who had promised not to hate her, the one who had stood by her even as the bear had revealed that picture, that picture of things she had no recollection of doing but did not doubt for a second that she was easily capable of. 

Yua couldn’t stand the idea of this girl hating her, and it hurt her even to see Himeko so miserable. She supposed this was what it was like, to care about people. To have a real friend. And so, although every part of her brain told her to just leave, let the others do the work and find the killer, not bother exerting herself, she knew she couldn’t live with herself if she let her friend go through this alone. 

The talk show host stepped through the library door, casting her eyes around to give the crime scene a cursory examination, and walked over to Himeko, kneeling beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know you two were like, friends. We’ll find whoever did this, okay? You’re going be okay, Himeko-chan.” Yua was not so sure that even she herself would be okay, but years of practice made her sound utterly assured as she offered a slight, reassuring smile. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

✿ Sweet spring, full of sweet days {Starter for Himeko}

[shslblogprincess-blog]

Himeko wishes she could say that she had calmed down — that she had let the secret run off her like water, like the lie it is, nothing that should get to her. She wishes she could enter the rose garden with grace, and poise — she wishes that she could be the beacon of comfort and light a real princess should be. 

But she can’t.

Who the hell is ‘Himekomori’? You’re █████████ , a grown up, stop playing games!

She can’t. 

You can’t just stay in your room all day, ███.

She just—

If you don’t do something about it, ████████, then I will.

can’t.

The hope had been that the rose garden would bring her solace — something beautiful, something nice, something real, something she can rely on. Instead… it brings her Yua; beautiful, real, nice Yua, glowing a little less brightly now all Himeko can see is the blood on her.

And yet, she calls her by her right name. She looks at her with tears, and any fear that she might have had melts plain away in favour of hopeless desperation — on unsteady legs, she walks over to the fountain, her own eyes red from crying and palms bloody from digging her nails into them. She doesn’t know what she wants to say, but… when she reaches her, the words come unbidden.

”Please—” she begins, standing in front of Yua, staring at the ground and speaking in a thick, uneasy voice. "Please… Kaneshiro-, Yua-chan, please—"

...And then she looks up, green eyes wide and wild and pleading as she clutches her own heart. "…P-please, no matter what… please keep calling me Himeko-chan no matter what, please— never call me by anything else! N-never, never ever!”

Another shaky step forward.

"I… n-never call me anything else, and… a-and I could never hate you, Yua-chan. So.. s-so please… that’s all I want, all I wanted—"

Unsteadily, she turns so that she can sit beside Yua, instead, folding her hands in her lap and gripping tightly; her palms still sting. 

"…That… isn’t so wrong, right?" 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua had definitely not been expecting this. She'd been prepared for hatred. She'd been prepared for insults. She'd been prepared for, been hoping for with all her heart, forgiveness. She hadn't been prepared for tears and desperation, for this wild panic. 

But Kaneshiro Yua was nothing if not adaptable. She kept a sigh of relief at not being hated, at having at least one friend she could still rely on, one person who would still trust her in this place. All was not lost. And whatever she did, she had to make sure she didn't lose this too.

She gave herself a few seconds to stop crying and compose herself, before doing her best to give Himeko a reassuring smile. "Of course I'd never call you anything else, Himeko-chan! If that's who you say you are, then that's, like, who you are!" 

As she said those words, Yua realized that she knew a lot about being someone she wasn't. The talk show host took a deep breath and closed her eyes, blocking out thoughts about a stuck-up, snobby little girl who was hated and mocked and jeered at and beaten up and - 

Those thoughts were replaced instantly with thoughts about a successful, rich, celebrity, loved by a nation, personal friend of all the most famous and powerful people in Japan, a rising star, a superstar, a fashion icon for girls everywhere. That was who Kaneshiro Yua was now, that was the person that name referred to. 

The desire to reinvent oneself, to define yourself as the person you wanted to be - well, that was something that Yua understood well. For the first time in a long time, Yua felt empathy. When she spoke, something was different about her voice. It was no longer quite as bright or bubbly, but it was warmer, more genuine. "I cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, that you'll always be Himeko-chan to me! Like, I might be a media princess, but you're a real princess." 

Cautiously, Yua put a light hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for not hating me." 

[trustingthorns-blog]

✿ Wine gets consumed {Starter for Chiyoko}

Yua wasn't safe. That much was for certain. In this place, surrounded by people who'd seen that picture, she wasn't safe. Hell, even if she were alone she wouldn't feel safe. The idea that she could have done something like that and had the memory taken away from her was terrifying. What else, Yua wondered, had she been made to forget. 

And of course, there was the biggest fear of all. What had happened to Table of Roses, and more importantly, to Yua's reputation? Without the memories that she'd had taken from her, there was no way to know. She trembled at the idea of being replaced on Table, felt like she'd been punched in the gut as she considered the prospect that it could have been cancelled, and decided to stop down that train of thought. It was useless, and worrying would just make things worse. 

Whatever happened, she could come back from it, make some friends who were willing to get her back into the industry, she'd done it once, she could do it again. Things would be fine, Yua told herself as she sat in the meeting room. 

When she heard footsteps enter the room, Yua looked up to see Chiyoko Murakami entering. She fixed her with the same bright, bubbly smile she always wore, but something seemed wrong, as if her face were a mask beginning to crack. 

"Hello. Are you here to, like, kill me or something? 'Cause, oh my god, now would be, like a totally dumb time to attempt that."   

[trustingthorns-blog]

✿ Sweet spring, full of sweet days {Starter for Himeko}

After the motive, Yua had retreated to the one place in the castle where she felt safe. The tea garden. The roses that grew there were beautiful, and they reminded her of her Table of Roses, of her gardens at home, of everything that was hers and that she'd accomplished. Of all the things she had to live for. 

Yua sat by the fountain, upright, her hands folded primly in her lap, a dainty snack in front of her, looking for all the world like everything was fine, like this was a normal girl on a normal day, sitting cheerfully in a pretty garden on a sunny day. 

The tears streaming down her cheeks, however, shattered the illusion. Her hands, if they hadn't been so tightly clasped together, would have been shaking. Yua nearly jumped when she heard the footsteps of someone entering, and quickly turned to see who it was, her face wet with fresh tears. 

Upon seeing who it was, she sniffed, drawing in a deep breath. She could salvage this, she could, she was Kaneshiro Yua, the cutest and best person in the world, and everything would be alright. Perhaps if she repeated it enough, she might even begin to believe it. 

"Himeko-chan..." she almost whispered, her voice faltering and catching in her throat as she spoke hesitantly. "Please tell me you don't..." Yua sobbed, sending a fresh trickle of tears down her cheeks. "Tell me you don't hate me..."  

[trustingthorns-blog]

Motive ✿ You made your bed of roses {Reaction/Open}

When Monobear lifted the picture, Yua's face turned pale. Her hands began to shake. This could not be real. She tried to think, and her mind produced nothing, a perfect blank, a phrase which also described her face as she stared at that image of herself, covered in blood. 

After a few seconds, the blankness began to give way to panic. When had this picture been taken? What had happened? If she had been missing a memory like that one, surely that was just the tip of the iceberg. How long had truly passed between her arrival at the academy and her awakening in this castle? 

Had Table of Roses been cancelled? Worse, had she been replaced, replaced in the role that had mattered more to her than anything else in her life by some stupid, vapid, media-loving slut, no, no, Table of Roses was her show, nobody could ever take it over, it was unthinkable. 

She took a deep breath, and decided that, already having shown shock and vulnerability enough for the moment, it was best to try and remain impassive. Yua folded her arms and looked at the floor for a few seconds, and when she looked back up, her face was nearly expressionless. Hand still shaking slightly, she grabbed a box, looked inside, and shut it.  Looking around the room, she backed herself into a corner, eyes flitting between the others, going from student to student as she allowed herself to shake slightly with fear. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 4 ✿ It's the fresh air that does it {OPEN}

[shslboyscouts]

Ryozo wasn’t necessarily expecting anything specific from the young woman before him, but if he had said that she was expecting such a cheery disposition it would have been a lie. How so very strange, there was something off-putting about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was as if her attitude was designed for reception of others, to bounce off of other people’s words and reinforce a sort of brightness onto them. He didn’t quite get her, and it was this that annoyed him to no end. He usually got everything— every problem, every equation, every mission, every job. But this girl? She was a mystery. 

What she said, however, definitely had some sense behind it. To be frank, she was making the most logical connections than anyone else he had spoken to so far, which also confused him. At first glance, this was just some ditsy girl with a pretty smile, but then she goes and says things like that. Ryozo had to stop himself from demanding she explain her behavior. He knew all too well his grandmother wouldn’t approve. 

"Yes, I agree. This location does seem to be designed to put on a show, from the execution we witnessed to this perfectly maintained garden. Your insight is appreciated."

He paused once more, returning his glance to the flowers in front of him. A silence fell as he contemplated, seemingly running her words through his mind over and over again. 

"I… I would like to speak to you about gardening in the future. Thank you for the offer. I didn’t take you as someone who enjoyed the hobby. Is that why you’re here, to view the flowers?"

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua casually noted the way that it took the boy scout a few moments to speak. That could mean that he was slow-witted, but that was definitely not the impression that Yua got of him. No, it seemed to her like he was the sort of person who thought everything through before saying it. That sort of person could be useful to have around, but they were also hard to read. Yua resolved to keep an eye on Ryozo in the future, not that any of this thought process was belied by her cheerful, innocent smile. 

After waiting for him to finish, she nodded, her tone slightly more serious. "Of course, one of the questions is, is this show being put on for our sake, or someone else's? And either way, why? Why us in particular? Surely it would have been easier to kidnap students from a less rich and prestigious school, right? There has to be something we don't know yet, something big, that makes us special somehow. But even if we did work out the motive, that would still leave the enigma of the means. What sort of person or organization could kidnap sixteen children, many of them rich or famous, and get away with it for as long as this whole thing's gone on? I'm not even sure if a world government could get away with something like that."

She shrugged, the gravity of her words vanishing as soon as it had come to be replaced once more by her default grin and twinkling eyes. "Like, I'm totally serious, I'd love to talk to you about gardening any time! I bet you can teach me, like, so much!"

Yua flashed a peace sign, giggling softly. "A lot of people figure, like, because I'm on TV, that I don't have much of a life beyond that but, like, that's totally wrong. Sure, I spend a lot of time on the show, but, like, at my mom''s mansion  I have a really pretty rose garden! I guess I just like being here because the roses remind of that, tee-hee! I'd worry about the roses, but I'm sure the gardeners are taking good care of them."

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 4 ✿ Truth and Roses [Himeko]

[shslblogprincess-blog]

It was Theseus that was supposed to navigate the labyrinth, not Ariadne.

As lovely as the fresh air is when she exits the dungeons… that they would go straight into a maze is like a cruel joke, plain and simple. It almost feels like a sphinx is going to creep out from around a corner, and stop them with a riddle… one that’ll end in death if it goes unanswered. An ominous feeling… constrictive and oppressive, like the dungeons. The difference is… now there’s a possibility of a way out.

And… she also isn’t as alone as she thought she would be. Even in the shadowy gloom of the walls, and even with the dirt that covers them both… Yua Kaneshiro approaches her, violet-eyed and beautiful, hair like straw-spun-gold even after the muck and dust of the cells. Even now, she’s happy, smiling, with a slight flush to her cheeks that only makes her bloom brighter… she has an effervescence to her that Himeko could never hope to match.

But somehow, when she comes near, it brings a smile to her own lips — as if she’s able to absorb some of that endless energy and channel it into herself. Yua Kaneshiro of Table of Roses was someone she admired a lot, and… to know that Yua Kaneshiro her classmate is someone who likes her, too… it gives her an incredible confidence.

“You’re— you’re really far too kind, Kaneshiro-chan.” she says, folding her hands demurely in her lap as she glances away, head tilted downward just slightly to mask — but not quite hide —  a smile. “I was merely acting on luck, but… if you would have my company, I would be honored to exit the maze with you.” 

She takes a few steps ahead of Yua, then, and… pauses, suddenly seized by uncertainty. But a princess wouldn’t hesitate — a princess would turn round (so she does), smile brightly (so she does) and extend her hand to Yua — and so she does.

"…Would you accompany me?"

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua was glad to see Himeko smile. The blogger had seemed to be affected by the situation around them particularly bad; or perhaps all the others just hid it better. But then, if that was the case, it would be mean-spirited, cruel even, of Yua to blame Himeko for her inability to lie to herself. So Yua was glad that the princess-like girl was happy.

In fact, she wondered how well everyone was really taking it. Nobody seemed to have broken down, not even after the deaths. Of course, Yua knew more than most people how easily emotions could be hidden. She was sure, if they could all be friends and work together, this situation could still be salvaged. But could she trust these people? Any of them? She didn't know, and that worried her. 

Puzzles had never been Yua's thing; she couldn't stand maths problems or riddles or anything of the sort. The only mysteries that had ever been of interest to her were people, how they thought, why they thought, what they thought. She'd always gotten her friends to do her maths and science homework for her with pleading words and hopeful smiles, and she didn't think she had a snowball's chance in hell of navigating the maze alone. 

When Himeko agreed, Yua's smile widened, her eyes twinkling as she let out a soft giggle. "Tee-hee! Thank you, Himeko-chan! Like, seriously, I bet we'll get through this maze in no time flat. You shouldn't downplay yourself, you know? You're like, totally smart. Trust me on this."  

She idly twirled a strand of her hair while she looked around. "If I'm like, totally honest with you, your blog is like, pretty much my favourite blog of all time. Teehee, don't tell anybody else or they'll be jealous, though!" Yua cheerfully reached out and took the offered hand, blushing slightly. "I'd love to, your majesty!" She gave a mock curtsy. "This maze doesn't stand a chance against us!" 

And not a single thing about her cheerful voice, sweet smile, or calm demeanor, did anything to betray the depth of the fear Yua Kaneshiro had that she might die in this castle. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 4 ✿ It's the fresh air that does it {OPEN}

[shslboyscouts]

"Something is amiss here, don’t you agree?"

She was an odd girl, Ryozo had gathered, from her very pink appearance and her long, flowy hair. At least she had dressed herself fine enough, wearing trousers instead of a skirt and a hat to keep her warm. He had always disliked skirts and dresses, as they impaired a lady’s movement so and made her less reliable on a job. It was true, Ryozo also remembered, that the pinker you were the more steady, as proved in the trial earlier. Meaning… She must be very steady, as well. Interesting. 

"I was discussing it earlier with Himeko-kun. It’s strange how the gardens have been maintained so, don’t you agree? Meaning, this location hasn’t been abandoned. Everything seems to be up to speed, and so… That means people have been preparing this location for our presence."

He paused to cross his arms, and look over to her finally. He had wandered to her side, a discontent expression upon his features and a briskness to him that made almost everything seem a little more urgent. 

"I work with plants for a living, as I live on an orchard with my grandparents. It’s easy to tell that these plants have been pruned and watered and cared for. See? The roses have nary a mark upon them."

Casually, he moved his crossed arms to instead place one hand in his pocket, and the other lifting up to twirl the opal he kept around his neck in between two fingers. 

"What are your thoughts?"

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua turned quickly when she heard a voice behind her. A calculated sort of quickly, not slowly enough to seem like she didn't care, but not so fast that she seemed anything other than calm and ordinary. She smiled at the boy scout and nodded. her face becoming slightly contemplative as she took in what he was saying. 

She turned rather slower on her heel as he moved around her, making sure to keep facing him, her posture relaxed and friendly. "Oh my god, you work with plants? That's, like, pretty cool. Orchards are really pretty, especially apple orchards! I like to garden myself in my free time, you know, tee-hee! I just love seeing things grow, especially flowers! Gosh, if you ever want to talk to someone about gardening, I'm your girl, Rokuda-chan!"

When she was asked for her opinion, however, her smile was quickly replaced by a more serious expression as she raised a hand to her chi thoughtfully. "Well, like, ever since we got out of the cells, it's been pretty obvious that this has been planned for a while. Like, I don't exactly think that this castle came with sixteen coffins, a robot bear, and that execution machine that killed Tsukuda-chan."

Yua seemed to stare into the sky as she twirled her hair around her finger, seemingly lost in deep thought. "Really, this whole things feels as if someone is going out of their way to put on a show. I'm willing to bet that the grime and cobwebs and all that were put there on purpose too. The atmosphere of "creepy abandoned castle" is just too perfect. Naturally, that begs the question, why? If I had to guess, I'd say we're being held for someone's sick entertainment. But there's still a lot of problems with that theory... I guess, like, I don't really know! Tee-hee~!" 

And with that, the cheerful bubbly attitude remained as she smiled genially at Ryozo, a carefree smile almost entirely at odds with the seriousness of the thoughts she'd just voiced.

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 4 ✿ It's the fresh air that does it {OPEN}

Yua had surveyed the new level of the castle for quite a while, and all in all it was a lot nicer than those grimy, horrible dungeons. The rooms were still far worse than what she was accustomed to, if only there were some way to redecorate, but she supposed she'd make do with it if it meant getting out of those horrible dungeons and finally being able to wash, even if she couldn't do it properly. 

The jousting area smelt of manure, and was quite frankly almost as dirty and horrible as the dungeons. At least there weren't any horses there. Despite both her parents offering to buy her one, Yua had never seen the appeal of horses. She'd always found them smelly and annoying, not to mention pointless. Why ride a horse when, you know, cars exist and it's not, like,  the eighteen-hundreds, was what she thought. 

The courtyard was very pleasant, reminding her of home if only a little, the foyer was pretty nice, but there was one room that Yua loved above all else, and that was the tea room. The delightful fountain, the cozy atmosphere and, of course, the beautifully maintained roses.  It was by these where she presently stood with her hands behind her back, admiring the flowers with a small, wistful smile on her face, seeming to drink in the scent more than sniff it. It wasn't enough to make her forget the situation, not by a long shot. But it was something, at least. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 4 ✿ Truth and Roses [Himeko]

The trial hadn't been that bad. Sure, people were arguing, and Yua hated arguments, but she'd been through worse. But the execution... well, that was something else entirely. Yua had nearly vomited, when the blade had pierced Kaho and the blood spurted, but she hadn't been able to pull her eyes away from it. She would have vomited, but that would not do for her image, not at all, that could ruin her, and so she'd put all her willpower into suppressing it, and just sat there, staring at the death of Kaho Tsukada with a face as pale as if she had seen a ghost. 

Even now that it was over with, Yua's hands continued to shake a little as she clutched her handbag, holding it close to herself, almost defensively so. At least a smile was back on her face, and thanks to years of practice it barely looked forced in the slightest, going all the way to her eyes as if she hadn't just seen someone die horribly. 

But anyway, now that they were finally allowed out of the dungeons, Yua figured this was an excellent opportunity to explore the castle they were trapped in and hopefully take her mind off of things. However, as she climbed the stairs, she was rather dismayed to find herself confronted with what appeared to be a maze. This was... less than ideal. 

However, much to her luck, she caught sight of someone else ascending the staircase. The talk show host was glad to see that it was Himekomori. The blogger was definitely one of the people she could trust the most in this horrible place. She grinned cheerfully, flashing a peace sign at the approaching girl. 

"Hey, Himeko-chan! How are you?" Yua scratched the back of her head, blushing slightly. "This is like, kind of embarrassing, but I'm not really sure if I'm able to get through this maze thing on my own, and, like, I would really rather not get lost in there." 

Her smile widened a little, her eyes twinkling as she clasped her hands. "You already solved a puzzle, right, Himeko-chan? Would you, like, mind helping me get through here, like, pretty please? You're probably way smarter than I am, and I bet I'd feel safer if I was with a friend, too!" 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 2 ✿ Tis now the summer of your youth [ Shizue ]

[shsl-lepidopterist-blog]

Well jeez. Shizue had gone all this time thinkin’ that Kaneshiro-chan was a whole lot older! Like, all those lady talkshow hosts were like, what, twenties, thirties? Considering the subject content of the show, Shizue’d never really had any reason to think otherwise. Well, gosh, this was awkward. At least they hadn’t said anything out loud…

"Huh… I guess yer right, Kaneshiro-chan, but… I dunno. I still think they’d a been here already if they was comin’… "

They fall silent for a moment, trying to think this over, but Yua’s reaction to being recognized draws a smile to their face.

"Yeah, it’s you!! … … Oh!! ‘m Ariga Shizue, uh, moth person, at yer service!!"

Shizue high fives Yua’s outstretched hand. Yeah!

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua frowned. Was it possible that the police would never come for them? No, no, the police had to be on their way, simply had to be, anything else was simply too horrible to contemplate. They were going to be rescued. They would be saved. This would not be allowed to continue, it couldn't be. 

"Don't be, like, ridiculous. I'm, like, famous, you know, and my parents have a lot of money. There's no way the police aren't searching for us, like, right now. We've all got families that care about us, right? Like, nobody's going to let the police just stop looking."

She was not expecting the high-five, and just seems shocked for a second before giggling and grinning even wider. That had been kinda cute. "Nice to meet you, Ariga-chan! And wow, are you like, a scientist or something? Working with insects sounds really interesting!" 

[shslblogprincess-blog]

[Task 2] "...But whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death." || [Yua]

[shslblogprincess-blog]

"K-Kaneshiro-chan—"

Despite the news that just greeted all of them, Yua doesn’t even look all that phased… not even after bumping into her, after Himeko walked right into her…! They hadn’t had much of a chance to speak before the reveal of the …’motive’, but… Yua was someone she wanted to impress, someone seemingly effortlessly beautiful and charismatic on her show and elsewhere, and she just bumped right into her…!

Even now, she doesn’t seem to mind that much; all that comes out are soothing, gentle words, and as humiliated and terrified as she is, Himeko wants desperately to believe in them — so although she eyes Yua’s hand nervously, pale green gaze wide and cautious, she doesn’t flinch away. 

She’s calling her lovely, and worrying about her, and… that’s a crutch, right now, she’ll gladly take. 

“I’m— that is, I am—” she begins, fumbling and stumbling over her words until she forces herself to take a deep breath. "…I’m… only a little shaken, Kaneshiro-chan, but thank you for worrying about me. It… truly warms my heart to know that someone like you is concerned for me — even in this… this wretched dungeon—”

Her expression twists unhappily, uncomfortably, as if saying the words out loud makes them more real — and, unconsciously, she wraps her arms around herself, holding tight, keeping herself grounded.

"I… was simply a little disturbed by the contents of the book, you see. I, um… as you know, I’m… well, I, I’m somewhat secretive, and— there were things in it that nobody knew, Kaneshiro-chan. I’m— I’m ashamed to say I… I panicked."

It sounds pathetic, and her brows furrow as she trains her gaze firmly on the floor. "…It’s… it’s all very upsetting, and… what the bear said, I— I can’t bear to even think about it—”

The pun is lost on her, but the realization that she’s rambling isn’t, and she catches herself with a look of horror so deep that you’d think she really had found a body. 

"—I apologize! I shouldn’t have spoken at— a-at such length, I’m… I’m being terribly dull. You… shouldn’t have to hear this, I’m— it’s— it’s inappropriate of me— I’m terribly sorry!"

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. The book and the threat of murder? Upsetting. And now she’s making a fool of herself.

Wake up, wake up, wake up.

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua knows how to read people, and the girl in front of her, at the moment, is frankly an utter mess. But then again, who can blame her? Yua had practiced her demeanor, her calmness, her unbreakable coolness, her ability to collect herself and stifle an emotional reaction, over years upon years of, well, working in media and going to high school. Himeko, on the other hand, had evidently not perfected any such skill, and that was certainly not her fault. 

The talk show host saw that her outstretched hand had not been pushed away and that Himeko had not pulled away, and so she put the hand on the other girl's shoulder, squeezing gently. Her grip was firm, but not strong, just enough to remind Himeko that Yua was there and that she was not alone. 

She made a point of meeting the blogger's wide, green eyes, with her own calm violet ones, doing her best to transmit thoughts of calm and safety. If you can make celebrities relax themselves on national television every week, Kaneshiro Yua, you can calm this girl down. 

Yua listened to Himeko's stuttering, trembling explanation quietly, nodding sympathetically, but only slightly, she didn't want to seem condescending, and making sure not to interrupt once. "It's fine, Himeko-chan. I totally understand. The stuff that's in those books is stuff, like, nobody should know. And that's pretty scary. You don't have to be ashamed of panicking. Like, I very nearly did the same thing. I think we're all pretty shaken right now." 

She squeezed the blogger's shoulder, accompanying the gesture with a small smile. "Like, don't worry too much. I know this is all terrifying. But if we all just work together we'll be okay. The police should be coming for us, like, before anything actually happens. You'll be safe, Himeko-chan."  The smile grew wider, and Yua brought a hand to her face to give her trademark giggle. "Tee-hee! Oh my gosh, you, like, don't need to be sorry at all. You're not, like, bugging me or anything. You can tell me anything you like, I don't mind. You're an interesting person, Himeko-chan, and you're my friend."  Yua blushed a little, averting her eyes momentarily before looking back at the blogger, her expression slightly more vulnerable. "God, sorry, that's like, kinda presumptuous of me, I guess. I hope I didn't offend you or anything. It's sort of weird, but, like, I already think of you as a friend, Himeko-chan! Like, you're so pretty, and smart, and funny, who could, like, not want to be your friend?" 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 2 ✿ Tis now the summer of your youth [ Open ]

[theshslvolleyballplayer]

Yua didn’t seem to share her optimism regarding just solving their way out of the dungeons, and had also expressed her fear of being killed-she wasn’t wrong in her fear though. She knew nothing of the mental fragility or otherwise of her classmates and if one of them truly believed in what the bear had said, they…No. Oh nonono, what was she thinking? Yes, it might be stressful, but taking a life is not something to do or to take lightly. Nobody would do such a thing, not for  letters, not for escape…

She had to believe in her classmates. She had to believe they wouldn’t give into this.

"I dunno…I mean when Hime-chan solved whatever puzzle she found, we got to explore all these places, right? So what’s to say we can’t jus’…solve our way outta here? A puzzle an area and all…the final boss could be one huge sudoku puzzle or somethin’ that requires teamwork…”

Yes, that seemed plausible; maybe, just maybe the intent of dumping everyone in here was to build teamwork…odd way of doing it but she’d heard of a video game that did something akin to that, so maybe that was the central theme of this? She wouldn’t know; she wasn’t the gamer in her family.

"Yua-chan. I know it’s hella scary and all, but don’t you worry about anythin’! I’m gonna make sure you and everyone else gets outta here unharmed! So if someone…if someone does try to harm ya, I’ll stop ‘em in a skinny minute! I even got my nifty sword with me to help stop them and then…then I’ll make them apologize to ya for frightening you! So don’t worry none, I gotcha back."

At Yua’s words of admiration, she sported a cheesy grin and slung her sword over he shoulder in an attempt at a cool pose-which was anything but.

"Haha, that’s me! I’m the defender of all, and also the tallest one here, so I’m invincible, hohoho!"

After she stopped trying to be cool, she nodded in approval to Yua’s words of teamwork and friendship. Guess the whole “throw classmates in a dankass dungeon, threaten them and then make them kill each other so they become friends” idea wasn’t so far fetched afterwards…

"Yeah, totally! We gotta team up, beat the game or whatever and then we’ll all be okay in the long run, yeah? Don’t you worry about anything-all of us together are totally gonna rock this thing!"

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua frowned slightly. Could it be, that this was all meant to teach them to work together? No, that was ridiculous. The school wouldn't be able to get away with something like this, what if someone took it seriously? And anyway, the school wouldn't have known about the things in that book, and surely the school didn't have a goddamn animatronic talking bear or a castle. Plus, being told to murder each other did nothing to foster a sense of class community. 

But what were they here for, that was the question. At first, she had assumed the worst. There were still all sorts of people around the world who would pay a lot of money for teenagers her age, and all sorts of rings who would provide them. After all, she was a famous media starlet, and surely there was someone out there who - she cut off that train of thought before she was sick.

But that theory didn't work, and neither did the most popular and logical theory, that they were to be held for ransom, because if you planned to extract value from your captives, the last thing you wanted to do was have them kill each other. 

"I really hate to be a pessimist, Narita-chan, but there's no way that whoever kidnapped us will let us go that easily. If they let us go, we'd be able to lead the police right back here. I think their plan is to keep us here, let us unlock more areas as, like, a guilded cage, and watch us d-die for their entertainment."

But then her sullen thoughtful expression was replaced with a smile as she clasped her hands happily over her chest. "But if you're protecting me, Narita-chan, I don't think anything could go really wrong, tee-hee! It really makes me feel better that you've, like, got my back! But then, that's what friends are for, right? And, like, if it's okay for me to say so I think we're friends!"

She tentatively reached out her arms to put them around Yui and give her a hug. Quietly she murmured "Thank you Narita-chan... I know you can keep me safe." 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 2 ✿ Tis now the summer of your youth [ Shizue ]

[shsl-lepidopterist-blog]

Books are lame. It takes all of about five seconds for Shizue to come to this conclusion, but it’s entirely likely they didn’t even need that much time, considering their dislike of books sans pictures (preferably of moths or butterflies or calerpitters) has been a thing ever since she was little. 

This book, however, is just a little bit different than most of the ones they’ve come across in their fifteen years.

Theoretically, a book about herself should’ve been able to interest them at least a little. But the lack of pictures combined with all the dumb boring words causes her to lose interest almost immediately, and nonchalantly she tosses the book over her shoulder.

"Hey!! That’s real neato n all, but when’re we gonna get outta here? I wanna see my mama n Mayu n Megu n Yuudai again!"

The bear offers no answer, but in turning to face where it was, they see that their boring book landed near someone, and… oh jeez, did she hit the other girl? Well shit, buddy, this is awkward.

But before they can apologize, the girl speaks aloud, presumably to her. 

"Well, like, wouldn’t they a been here already? ‘Sides, we’re in some big ol castley thing, how’re they gonna get down here?"

They squint up at the girl suddenly.

"Hey, I know who ya are!! My mama watches yer show! The roses one, right? Yer Kaneshiro-chan!"

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua was still far too shaken to notice some silly old book from some other person being tossed her way. The things in that book, they were things that she thought nobody had known, because nobody knew, nobody could ever ever know about those things, and, oh, it seemed someone was talking to her. Taking deep breaths, she regained her composure, looking down at the shorter person in front of her. 

That was definitely a charmingly retro aesthetic they had going there, although Yua thought the outfit might be improved by a collar. But then again, she was fairly sure that the two of them were not good enough friends that she could offer some of her trademark well-intentioned, tactful yet honest, incredibly up-to-date fashion advice. She had, in private confidence of course, advised many a TV personality on their outfits, and as far as she was concerned, she had never once been wrong.

But back to the diminutive girl standing in front of her and what she was saying. "I mean, like, maybe the police haven't been able to find us yet, but there's no way that anybody could kidnap so many public figures, from like, the most important school in Japan, and not have the whole country, in, like, completet uproar." 

When she was recognized, Yua beamed from ear to ear. "Yeah, that's me! Kaneshiro Yua, television personality at your service! It's nice to meet you..." Yua trailed off in a way that was evidently an indicator that she expected a name back, extending a polite hand to shake. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Task 2 ✿ Tis now the summer of your youth [ Nao ]

[shsldomesticanimaltrainer]

Nao wanted to run somewhere, anywhere, away from everyone else. This entire situation, this entire environment—was daunting. He almost felt like he was suffocating, and the only way to end it would be to get out and get fresh air.

His heart pounded as he looked around at the rest of the classmates, some had already wandered off, most were destroying their books. It was like a train wreck, seeing so many people lose their cool.

Taking a deep breath and pushing his own fears aside, he tried to call out to some of the others in order to help, alas to no avail— no sound came out and the classmates went by.

Deciding to prevail, he continued to step closer back to the coffin area, to notice a student he hadn’t met yet. She was gripping a table for support and muttering to herself, but he couldn’t hear. However, she soon turned around and began to speak. Nao’s curiosity levels spiked and he drew near her to listen.

"A-Ah uh— I hate to be a pessimist, but.. the information in the books feels all too real for it to be a joke." He wrung his hands and stared to the floor, then turned to the opposite end of the room. "Plus.. this place could be huge.. how will the police find us? They could get lost or trapped somewhere entirely different."

He pursed his lips, then turned back to Yua. “If the police don’t help us.. we have no choice but to help ourselves. And we can help ourselves by not killing anyone, don’t you agree?”

"By the way.. I’m Nao Sadao. I don’t think we’ve met yet.. nice to meet you." At least he smiled. 

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua looked at the student who had just approached her, and some small part of her brain began to analyze his sense of style, the hat was silly, very silly, but if he just made it a bit more subtle it could form the foundation for a cute fashion sense. But that part of her brain wasn't in charge right now, because she was having a teeny tiny bit of a crisis. 

And despite the silly hat, he was talking sense. They could be anywhere in Japan, no, scratch that, they could be anywhere in the world. A kidnapper powerful enough to put them in a castle like this and capture them all in the first place would surely be powerful enough to take them to Europe, or America, or to some private island in the middle of nowhere if they so wished.

But even so, Hope's Peak Academy was one of the most prestigious and influential schools in the country, no, in the world. It was unthinkable that the kidnapping of an entire class of students would take place without a rescue attempt, she was sure of it, it would only be am atter of time. 

Anyway, enough introspection. Yua took a moment and forced herself to calm down, replacing her worried and shaken posture with an upright and cheerful demeanor, gave her trademark bubbly smile and extended a hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you too, Sadao-chan, tee-hee! I'm sure we'll get along brilliantly!"

Her smile remained on her face as she continued, although a little subdued. "And, like, you have a point about this being real. There's, like, no point at all trying to deny that, you're right. But I still think the police will come for us. We're, like, public figures. The media's probably kicking up a shitstorm, and the police, school, and government are going to be doing everything in their power to find us and get us back. But that doesn't mean we can't try and get out of here, huh, Sadao-chan? If we all work together and form friendships, I bet we'll be safe in, like,  no time flat!" 

[ultimatepushover-blog]

Task 2 | Cloudy Sky | Yua

[ultimatepushover-blog]

Akira looked Yua over once before he let this posture relax; he hadn’t spoken to the girl yet, but she was a recognizable face. It was comforting and bizarre at the same time… a student council president was small time compared to a talk show host. Digressing.

"Ah, Kaneshiro-chan. You must be right… a threat… well, I don’t see how it’d be effective as a motive to kill! It’s not like we’re prying these books from each other’s hands…"

By the grace of God… or maybe Satan, Monokuma happened to chime in with his addendum by the time Akira had finished his observation. The hand tucked under his coat and gripping his own book tightly began to tremble. If he’d looked pale before, now you could’ve thrown him into a snowbank and it’d be impossible to fish him out. 

Before Akira allowed himself to panic, he regarded Yua with a worried frown; surely that wouldn’t sound like good news to her, either. Swallowing the lump in his throat and adjusting his posture, Akira tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear and rested his other hand on his hip.

"Uh, ah… nobody will be dying on my watch, I’ll assure you. Even if these… these books we have happen to be genuine… the letters… he could be lying, right?”

[trustingthorns-blog]

Yua found the boy's fashion sense to be interesting. Not bad, by any means. She supposed that he had a kind of geek chic air about him, and she could appreciate that. But now was not the time to evaluate other's personal style sensibilities. 

And there we go, good job Akira. You jinxed it. You should feel bad. Like, really bad. For shame, Akira. Yua paled slightly but didn't seem to be affected by the news anywhere near as much as the student council president. At the very least, she didn't show it.,

As she listened to him speak, Yua could tell he was trying to project an authoritative, trustworthy tone. He was definitely trying his best to be assertive and she honestly found it kind of cute, in the same way that she found a dog chasing its own tail cute. Still, he still made decent points,

"Well, like, does it really matter if he's lying or not? I bet that somebody's going to believe him either way, and that's what really matters. If we really want to stop anything happening, we need to be, like, really careful. But I think we can do it if we all work together, right , Sakai-chan?"