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thanks MILLIONS to minky for a banner!!! (as you can see, she posted it below)

the current one is by me ^_^

to be added here: a scene from Kat's life with her aunt and uncle, at perhaps age 14

Sometimes it was the anxiety that got to her more than the disappointment. The thought that he didn't just leave....he left and moved on without another thought.

Katherine sat quietly at her computer, playing solitaire. The door to her room had been left open, revealing a space that, the age of its inhabitat considered, was unnaturally clean. If one stepped in, they would see the suitcases stuffed in a corner; near the closet, but not quite in it, as if its owner had either just settled in or was preparing to leave. The only signs that the person staying there was not a mere guest were the distinct wrinkles in the bedspread, the hairbrush on the dresser, and a large Harry Potter poster displayed proudly in the middle of the biggest wall.

Mr. Fischer walked in, gentle but determined. "Hey there, Kat," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He bent down to peer at the game. "You winning?"

Kat slumped back a bit at his touch. "I dunno," she answered, not yet taking her eyes off the screen.

Mr. Fischer looked at her, a small, sad smile on his face. "Well, you can always play again, right?" He stood up tall again and scratched his head. "Hey...I'm about to take your cousins to the movies. Wanna come with us? It'll be good to get out, don't you think?"

Katherine looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess, but I kinda'd prefer to stay in," she shrugged. She knew that a good deal of this proposition was due to the fact that her uncle just wanted her to cheer up. It had been just over a year, and since the "anniversary" of her father's disappearance, she had become more quiet than unsual.

"Oh come on, Kat! You know you wanna come out with us," he answered, widening his smile. He leaned in conspiratorily. "I'll buy you candy and popcorn," he added.

She smiled a bit at that. She knew the offer might not be any good because buying both for her meant buying both for the other three, and that wasn't very likely, but she knew he meant well anyways. "Uncle Elliot, thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I kinda just want to have a day by myself," she said.

Mr. Fischer pretended to look offended. "What? You think I would sink to such petty tactics as candy bribery to try to cheer you up? Well, Katherine, I never!" He grinned, but the goofy smile quickly left his face. "You know, you've had a lot of alone time for the past few weeks...don't you think it's time to get out? Just for a bit?"





((still working))

Notes on Kat's Past

The following are people katherine has known (and still thinks of often) and just how she felt about them....etc.

heart Her Mother: They were very close. Katherine doesn't really like to talk about her very much because she has spent a good deal of her life suppressing memories of her. Since she never had a chance to be at peace with her mother's death, she simply forgot as much as she could in an effort to kill the pain.

heart Her Father: Katherine always wanted to be with a man like her father, because he was one of the kindest people she knew. He and her mother were very much in love, even after being married for several years...they even flirted! Her dad was a strong source of support for her, and as with her mother, she never got the chance to deal with losing this and has been suppressing memories as much as possible. She has never forgiven him for leaving.

rolleyes Mr. Fischer: Her uncle. An all-around nice family guy. He is very laid back and supportive. Katherine likes him a lot, but has difficulty fully accepting him because of the anger she has for her own father...she wants to accept her uncle as a new father figure, but feels guilty...and then angry, because her father chose to leave.....etc.

confused Mrs. Fischer: Her aunt. A very typically motherly woman, and while she is as overly-concerned for her children as any mother, she has the unfortunate tendency to overlook certain things, and often gives in to her kids' every desire. Katherine appreciates and loves Mrs. Fischer very much, but does not really think of her as a responsible parent.

rofl Madeline Fischer: The youngest of the Fischer children, and probably the cutest little kid anyone has ever seen. She is 10 years younger than Katherine, and looks up to her. She is a slightly spoiled child, but will generally listen and obey her parents, even though she may do so with a pouty face. Katherine adores her.

mrgreen Elliot Fischer, Jr: The middle child, and definitely a sweetheart. Unlike his sisters, Elliot never acts spoiled. He is the picture of responsibility...smart, athletic, and caring. He is a lot like his father. Of the 3 children, Katherine feels most comfortable talking to him. He is 5 years younger than her, but often seems mature for his age.

4laugh Erica Fischer: The oldest child, and definitely a classic brat. Erica has always gotten her way, from controlling her mother, to being the popular one in high school. She is a good person at heart, though....she just has a lot of growing up to do. Generally, Katherine has trouble taking her seriously, but she cares for her as one cares for a cousin overall.

eek to be written:

Hope you dont mind me posting but i made a banner for you if you want to use it ^_^



as for a tip to increase gold.... spam on chatter box or if you have a talent you could start a shop. or help out at one.

Myself i'm helping color for my friends shop and when i have a moment i poll whore on chatterbox or i'll be RPing.

Before This...


The following took place when Katherine was about 12. It is a clip from her life that shows her being happy. And while you read, keep in mind that its supposed to be kind of simple and silly...after all, they are only 12. What were you like in 8th grade?





Katherine and Libby sighed with contentment as they watched the credits roll onto the screen. The had just finished watching Practical Magic...a great way to start a Friday night sleepover.

"Oh my god...I want magical powers," Katherine tossed herself backwards so that she was lying down completely on Libby's bed. "Or just even knowing about all the stuff...that'd be so cool."

"Oh my god, totally. But that whole curse thing would suck," Libby replied, slowly leaning back so that she was right next to Katherine. Idly, she poked her head up, picked up the remote, and stopped the movie. She turned off the television, tossed the remote on the ground next to her bed, and let her head flop back down.

"Yeah...but they broke it, didn't they?" Katherine answered, still filled with the enchantment of the movie. "Man....they could fly. How cool is that?"

"It's pretty awesome," Libby nodded in agreement. "But still, I wouldn't wanna risk having my boyfriend die or anything."

Katherine snorted. "That's just because you're obsessed with Tyler Morgan," she said, rolling her eyes. "You know, you really should just tell him you like, like him. I mean honestly...you have all these classes together, you'll have plenty of time to talk!"

Libby shuddered. "Oh my god, I could never do that. And besides, if he like, didn't like me, which is probably the case, then all those classes would be SO awkward...Kat, no, that is never going to happen."

"Well I could always tell him," she replied, grinning evilly. "And if it doesn't work out, we could just tell him I made it up. Or something."

"Come on Kat, you know you could never do that," Libby said with a smile. "You like...barely talk in school. Can you really see yourself saying something like that to Tyler Morgan, of all people?"

Katherine shrugged as best she could, given that she was lying down. "Eh, probably not. But Libs, after this year, it's on to high school...and you probably won't see too much of him. You should just tell him...you've liked him since the third grade."

Libby sighed. "Yeah, well, we'll see what happens. But like, don't expect me to do anything."

"Of course not. But don't expect me to stop prodding you about this."

"Haha. Fair enough." Libby turned her head so that it faced Katherine. "Now what about you, missy? You always say you don't have any crushes but I know you've just got to."

Kat turned her head. "I don't Libs! Really?"

Libby snickered. "You so do. But like, why won't you tell me?"

"Because the last time I revealed a crush, it got around...very quickly. It was, like...so awkward," Katherine ansewred, blushing slightly. Even now, years later, she avoided Danny O'Rourke like the plague.

"That was in fifth grade, Kat. Come on...you can trust me," Libby whined, making a puppy face.

Katherine smiled. "Libs, I know I can trust you. I just...don't like talking about it."

"But why not? Can I like, guess?"

Kat considered. "Yeah, I guess so." A part of her was screaming no, don't do it! but most of her was urging her on, saying, you know you want to talk about him...you know how much fun this could be.

"Ooooh!" Libby squealed. "Okay....is it....Matt?"

"Nope."

"Aaron?"

"Ew, no."

"Well, you never know. How about...um....Jonathan?"

"No...I don't think he showers very often."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Wait, is it John?"

"Which one?"

"Baker?"

"Oh, no."

"Oh my god, so it's John Sanders??"

"Hah. No, it's not."

"Come on! Wait, did you lie?" Libby asked suspiciously.

"Heheh, no, I didn't. Are you giving up?" Katherine replied.

"Um, duh, of course not. Wait...do you like Tyler too?"

Katherine shook her head emphatically. "No. He's yours, as far as I'm concerned. I definitely don't like him. He's like, totally not my type anyways."

"Well, what is your type?"

"I don't know...but if I had a type, it wouldn't be someone like him."

Libby closed her eyes in thought for a minute. "Wait. I totally know who it is."

"Oh yeah?"

"Max Fields."

Katherine blushed. Libby laughed in triumph. "I knew it! I totally knew it! Oh my god, you should totally go for it!"

"No way, I like, don't think he even knows my name."

"Totally not true, weren't you guys lab partners once last year?"

"Oh yeah. But still..."


The girls chattered on into the night about boys and anything else that came to mind. But for Katherine, this had been a particularly nice night...because now she had a secret she shared with someone. Just her and Libby.

She felt like maybe she wasn't so different from everyone else that night.

wahmbulance NOTES ON SYNESTHESIA wahmbulance
...yes, this is a real condition.

*these will probably be expanded upon later, but for now...

(The following has been taken directly from http://web.mit.edu/synesthesia/www/ )

arrow syn-es-the-sia n. Physiol. Sensation produced at a point other than
or remote from the point of stimulation, as of a color from hearing a
certain sound (fr. Gk, syn = together + aisthesis = to perceive).


idea Synesthesia is an involuntary joining in which the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense. In addition to being involuntary, this additional perception is regarded by the synesthete as real, often outside the body, instead of imagined in the mind's eye. It also has some other interesting features that clearly separate it from artistic fancy or purple prose. Its reality and vividness are what make synesthesia so interesting in its violation of conventional perception. Synesthesia is also fascinating because logically it should not be a product of the human brain, where the evolutionary trend has been for increasing separation of function anatomically.


(the following was taken directly from http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/syne.html )

exclaim Synesthesia can involve any of the senses. The most common form, colored letters and numbers, occurs when someone always sees a certain color in response to a certain letter of the alphabet or number. For example, a synesthete (a person with synesthesia) might see the word "plane" as mint green or the number "4" as dark brown. There are also synesthetes who hear sounds in response to smell, who smell in response to touch, or who feel something in response to sight. Just about any combination of the senses is possible. There are some people who possess synesthesia involving three or even more senses, but this is extremely rare.

exclaim Synesthetic perceptions are specific to each person. Different people with synesthesia almost always disagree on their perceptions. In other words, if one synesthete thinks that the letter "q" is colored blue, another synesthete might see "q" as orange.



domokun Diagnosis:
Although there is no officially established method of diagnosing synesthesia, some guidelines have been developed by Richard Cytowic, MD, a leading synesthesia researcher. Not everyone agrees on these standards, but they provide a starting point for diagnosis. According to Cytowic, synesthetic perceptions are:

arrow Involuntary: synesthetes do not actively think about their perceptions; they just happen.

Projected: rather than experiencing something in the "mind's eye," as might happen when you are asked to imagine a color, a synesthete often actually sees a color projected outside of the body.

arrow Durable and generic: the perception must be the same every time; for example, if you taste chocolate when you hear Beethoven's Violin Concerto, you must always taste chocolate when you hear it; also, the perception must be generic -- that is, you may see colors or lines or shapes in response to a certain smell, but you would not see something complex such as a room with people and furniture and pictures on the wall.

arrow Memorable: often, the secondary synesthetic perception is remembered better than the primary perception; for example, a synesthete who always associates the color purple with the name "Laura" will often remember that a woman's name is purple rather than actually remembering "Laura."

arrow Emotional: the perceptions may cause emotional reactions such as pleasurable feelings.


heart Who has it?
Estimates for the number of people with synesthesia range from 1 in 200 to 1 in 100,000. There are probably many people who have the condition but do not realize what it is.
Synesthetes tend to be:


arrow Women: in the U.S., studies show that three times as many women as men have synesthesia; in the U.K., eight times as many women have been reported to have it. The reason for this difference is not known.

arrow Left-handed: synesthetes are more likely to be left-handed than the general population.

arrow Neurologically normal: synesthetes are of normal (or possibly above average) intelligence, and standard neurological exams are normal.

arrow In the same family: synesthesia appears to be inherited in some fashion; it seems to be a dominant trait and it may be on the X-chromosome.

dramallama Famous People
Some celebrated people who may have had synesthesia include:


Vasily Kandinsky (painter, 1866-1944)
Olivier Messiaen (composer, 1908-1992)
Charles Baudelaire (poet, 1821-1867)
Franz Liszt (composer, 1811-1886)
Arthur Rimbaud (poet, 1854-1891)
Richard Phillips Feynman (physicist, 1918-198 cool
It is possible that some of these people merely expressed synesthetic ideas in their arts, although some of them undoubtedly did have synesthesia.

idea The Biological Basis of Synesthesia
Some scientists believe that synesthesia results from "crossed-wiring" in the brain. They hypothesize that in synesthetes, neurons and synapses that are "supposed" to be contained within one sensory system cross to another sensory system. It is unclear why this might happen but some researchers believe that these crossed connections are present in everyone at birth, and only later are the connections refined. In some studies, infants respond to sensory stimuli in a way that researchers think may involve synesthetic perceptions. It is hypothesized by these researchers that many children have crossed connections and later lose them. Adult synesthetes may have simply retained these crossed connections.
It is unclear which parts of the brain are involved in synesthesia. Richard Cytowic's research has led him to believe that the limbic system is primarily responsible for synesthetic experiences. The limbic system includes several brain structures primarily responsible for regulating our emotional responses. Other research, however, has shown significant activity in the cerebral cortex during synesthetic experiences. In fact, studies have shown a particularly interesting effect in the cortex: colored-hearing synesthetes have been shown to display activity in several areas of the visual cortex when they hear certain words. In particular, areas of the visual cortex associated with processing color are activated when the synesthetes hear words. Non-synesthetes do not show activity in these areas, even when asked to imagine colors or to associate certain colors with certain words.

arrow Synesthesia and the Study of Consciousness
Many researchers are interested in synesthesia because it may reveal something about human consciousness. One of the biggest mysteries in the study of consciousness is what is called the "binding problem." No one knows how we bind all of our perceptions together into one complete whole. For example, when you hold a flower, you see the colors, you see its shape, you smell its scent, and you feel its texture. Your brain manages to bind all of these perceptions together into one concept of a flower. Synesthetes might have additional perceptions that add to their concept of a flower. Studying these perceptions may someday help us understand how we perceive our world.





mrgreen Synesthesia Experiment mrgreen

smile Read a list of random numbers between 0 and 9 at a rate of about one every 3 seconds. For example: 7, 9, 4, 0, 3, 8, 2, 5, 1, 6.

whee After each number is read, ask people to write down the number and what COLOR that they associate with each number.

biggrin Collect the answers. These will be called "Answers #1".

xd Two to three weeks later, repeat the experiment, but change the order of the numbers. For example: 3, 6, 5, 9, 4, 1, 7, 0, 5, 2, 8.

mrgreen Collect the answers. These will be called "Answers #2".

pirate Compare Answers #1 with Answers #2. A person with synesthesia will have all or most of the same number-color pairs on both Answers #1 and Answers #2.
This experiment can also be done using letters instead of numbers.