The Back Streets Near The Warehouse District | Tuesday Evening

[nomoralcrisis]

If you asked Topher, there were a lot of great things about living under the Reign of Umbridge. There was having a room all to himself, for one -- people dying/fleeing/living on the streets/getting shoved in detention did wonders for the problem of dorm overcrowding. There was not being mocked for his enjoyment of sweater vests, for another. And

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[survivorjello]

Kate was out for two reasons. One, it was just routine to go out and see about gathering up supplies. (Luke had gotten her pudding, and maybe she wanted to repay that somehow.) Two, she just needed to be outside, even if that meant putting herself at risk for public singing.

She stayed in the shadows, and that was where she was when she spotted Topher. She knew him, of course, from the days she'd still been pretending loyalty. She didn't know what to think of the fact that he was alone, because... well, he was scrawny. He also associated withthe more technical-minded of the loyalists.

For the moment, she drew further back against the wall and watched. Maybe he'd wind up going another way.

[nomoralcrisis]

Sorry, Kate. No such luck.

"Hey, footsteps," Topher observed loudly to no one in particular, taking half a step forward before deciding he might as well try to annoy whoever it was out of their hiding place before advancing. "Do we need some dramatic this-is-a-showdown music for this? 'Cause I've got my iPod in one of these pockets."

[survivorjello]

Ugh, of course he'd want to play it like that.

Kate didn't step away from the wall, but she did pry her ponytail open. Why? Because she was keeping her hair the same length as that other girl with her face.

She'd gotten away with impersonating Natalie for short periods of time before. Some of the newer students were easy to fool with a tense posture and clipped tones.

[nomoralcrisis]

Which would be Topher's cue to take a few steps forward, tilting his head at her like she was a particularly interesting textbook chapter or set of schematics.

"Hiya."

[survivorjello]

Kate stepped out of the shadows, choosing to commit to this charade for now.

"Topher," she said, flatly. It wasn't hard to approximate that tone, since she sounded about as lively herself most of the time, these days. "Should you be out here on your own?"

[nomoralcrisis]

"'Natalie,'" Topher returned, grinning a little now and throwing up some sarcastic air-quotes for good measure. "You know the girl who looks like you generally showers. And washes her clothes. Perks of living in the castle and all that."

[survivorjello]

Oh, so apparently Topher did pay more attention than Kate had given him credit for. Her carefully mild expression shifted into a hard look of annoyance. Which, oddly, actually made her look more like Natalie.

"I shower."

And also washed her clothes when she got the chance. But that was neither here nor there when she was rearing back with her hand in a fist that was heading for his nose, while her other hand already hovered right where her knife was hidden beneath her hoodie.

[nomoralcrisis]

Now, that he hadn't been prepared for. Topher yelped -- wow, it hurt just as much as it had used to, back in the days of going to other schools where girls punching him wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Did you seriously just punch me?" Yeah, he could spot the tiny differences that made Kate look decidedly un-loyalist, but he needed to ask a question like that. "Ow. Fuck."

[survivorjello]

Kate grimaced just a bit after the punch connected. It wasn't the first one she'd dealt but it still hurt like a motherfucker. Still not enough that she couldn't get to her knife with practised ease.

Even if she was already taking steps backwards, looking to leave but not wanting to turn her back on Topher.

"And that's not all I'm gonna do if you don't just leave me the fuck alone."

[nomoralcrisis]

"Except that that would be boring, and then you'd've just punched me without me retaliating at all," Topher countered. "Which would set a really bad impression for the other morons who think they have a shot at taking over. So I don't wanna do that."

Naturally the appropriate response was to dig in his pocket and present his neat new toy.

"This is a way better method," he informed her, grinning, and hit the button.

[survivorjello]

Well wasn't that just about the shittiest thing that could have happened right now?

Kate might have said something to that effect, except, you know. Her mouth was included in that whole 'losing control over your body' deal. The knife clattered to the ground, and she was lucky she didn't fall on it as crumpled down.

The back of her head thumped against the stones pretty hard, though. That was going to hurt in the morning.

[nomoralcrisis]

Topher grinned, peering at her to check out the look on her face.

"Niiice," he said, pleased with himself. "I might actually have to thank Tony for that. Later, Kate."

And so off he went to continue his patrol. The bruise on his face didn't seem so painful now!

[survivorjello]

The look on Kate's face was confused and oddly hurt, thank you very much. And it remained so as he left her lying there, panicked but immobile.

This was not how things were supposed to go.