"Fresh meat!" Sonoko called from the front.
Ai smiled, slow and dangerous. She kept her head tilted down and eyes up, confident in the effect her makeup and costume would have on anyone that entered her room.
"Aw, what a cutie," a boy laughed nervously. "Hi there," he cooed. She almost broke character to snort a laugh. The sarcastic ones were always her favorites to break.
As soon as he rounded the corner, she rushed in on him and his friend. Kuroba, she thought. Perfect, he looks afraid already. Makes up for Kudou.
Kudou mostly looked amused, eyes trailing lazily over everything, admiring the decorations and her costume in equal measure. She could see the moment he recognized her, but all he did was smile, winking.
Taking it as the cue it was, she launched into her speech.
"Please," she cried, edging just shy of too close to Kuroba, "Please, sir, you must help me! My mommy is coming and she's going to hurt me! Please save me, sir!"
Kuroba backpedaled, but Kudou urged him forward, stifling his own laughter. "Haha," his hands were shaking where they clutched Kudou's arm; Kudou pressed a hand to the small of his back. "Sorry, princess, no can do."
"You must," she stepped out of his path, but didn't leave his personal space. She raised her voice slowly, until she was shrieking, "You're supposed to help me! No one ever helps me!" Pulling the knife from behind her back, she grinned with something like mania on her face. "That's why I had to save myself! I'll just have to kill you like I killed her!"
The words were still echoing in the small space as Kuroba rounded the corner hastily, right into Masumi's jump scare. The familiar rattle of her can of nails coupled with his desperate shriek was almost enough to set her laughing.
"Kaito, it's fine," Kudou laughed. "They won't hurt you, remember?"
"Are you so sure about that?" Masumi asked, sharp and menacing.
Kuroba forced a laugh as he faded out of her hearing. She was surprised he was so bad with horror. He was almost as bad as Ran, even.
She scratched her back between her shoulder blades with the knife.
Maybe Kudou had a type after all.
"Fresh meat!" Ai shrugged off her thoughts and got back in position.
