[The place: Kaede's room. The time: Late. And poor Kaede can't sleep. Maybe. We'll see. Right now he's settling for bed. Sooo...] [Start whatever!] [Kaede's settling for bed, but he hears a rustle and thump outside, followed by a shrill yell. It sounds ugly.] * Kaede snaps out of bed and his eyes dart from side to side. "What the..?" He runs out to the stairs to check things out. * Kaede notes that he put some jeans on, but he is still barefoot and has an undershirt on. He was getting ready for bed afterall. (Okay. His place is actually the second story over the bike shop. Around the side are stairs leading up to a small apartment overlooking it. ^_^) * Rei is there! Kinda. Well, it might be her. Kaede sees someone crumpled underneath the tree, likely in serious pain, but laughing just the same. * Kaede looks down at her and gives a strong aura of "..." Hehe. Hehehe. I've got to stop having this dream. Ha ha. * Kaede rubs his forehead. * Rei doesn't seem to notice. She stumbles to her feet, wavers, and just sits at the base of the tree, pressing a faintly glowing hand to her face. * Rei is still giggling, by the way. * Kaede looks her in the eyes just in case. Not sure what he'd have to gain. * Rei looks around a little wildly. Kaede can catch her eyes, but he can't tell what color they are, in this light or distance. * Kaede hops back a little and brings up his hands, he then reaches...err..somewhere? and pulls out his wrench. Who knows where he got it from? He lights it up with electrical sparks to see better. The way he's gripping it looks like he's ready to use it too. * Rei looks up now and spots Kaede with her violet eyes. She waves, grinning, and doesn't seem to care that he's holding a light-up wrench. "Hi, Kaede!" One jump and she's in the air again, flying up... and hits her head on a branch, falling gracelessly to the ground. Who the hell are you and what do you want here?!? * Kaede answers a bit hysterically. Rei! Running into trees! Fuck, that hurt! * Rei giggles a little and just sorta stays there. ... * Kaede lets the light wink out. "...okay. If you were really here to kill me, I think you'd be acting so..so.." Words fail him Insane! Ow! Ha! Ow. Maybe I should heal myself. I just think you'd be more convincing. What the hell are you doing here? I got my body back! I can feel again! ...right. * Rei rolls over. "I can feel grass. And I can smell it, too! Did you know, I smelled like garbage when I got it back? Asanjya put me in a dumpster. Shit, my head hurts. It's so awesome." You're a looney alright. * Kaede starts to head right back towards the house. * Rei laughs a little more, on the edge of crying. "Yeah, I guess I am. Was completely useless in that hunk of rock, too. A lot like I am now, but at least I can feel, and smell, and taste. Do you know what that's like?" ...yes? I can feel, smell and taste all the time Do you know what it's like to be unable to? I couldn't even feel pain. I'd get hurt, and I'd just feel kinda tired. Vague kinda tired. It sucks! I don't know how Lazar handles it. It sucks. You don't want to hear it. Sorry. Why are you here in the first place? I don't know! * Rei gets shakily to her feet and runs for the wall. And up, to the balcony. She looks like hell, frankly. Blood's making a mess of her hair and trickling a little down her forehead, but she wipes it away as an afterthought with a glowing hand. * Kaede regrips the wrench and eyes her with suspicion the second time. "You don't? Yeah, but I don't think beating me up is a good idea. Tree's done enough of it already. I just went out flying and ended up here. It's been a while since I've gone flying. Ow. * Rei keeps the hand to her forehead, some of the bruises and scrapes vanishing. * Kaede growls. "I don't care if it doesn't do any good." * Rei blinks. What's with you, anyway? Something else happen? Last time I saw you, you were half-dead and in the hospital. At least you seem to have gotten a little better. * Kaede looks at her. It's just a bit hysterical but he tries to hide it. "Wait, how do I even know this is real?" Wha- uh, you can... try... pinching yourself or something? Hey, does this mean I'm in a dream? Cool. Make penguins appear! Dancing ones! I've never known I was in a dream before. Not that I recall, anyway. I wonder if I'll remember it when I wake up. Wait, I don't sleep. Shit! Maybe I'm in another body, and I'm sleeping, too! * Rei opens her backpack and looks through it, pulling out a book. She opens it, skims a few lines, and hands it to Kaede. "Here, you can try reading." * Kaede takes the book and blinks at it a couple times. "How will this help?" So you'll know if you're dreaming. I don't know, exactly, if it works in practice, but Asanjya seems sure of it, and most people I talk to seem sure of it, so it probably does. At least for their dreams. Even if I'm not dreaming it doesn't prove anything. * Rei takes the book back. "Well, okay, if it's not real, how am I gonna hurt you anyway? And why'd I want to? You're a strange friend, but a friend." * Kaede laughs nervously. "Yes. Sure. Sure you are! We're all friends here!" Though apparently you don't believe yourself, and even in my limited experience with friends which can be whittled down to maybe less than a year - at least the ones outside of family and family friends and that one girl I met a long time who never met me in person - I can tell that, and it's probably not a good thing. * Kaede just keeps staring at Rei incredulously. * Rei beams at him. * Kaede lets out a horribly deflating sigh. "I guess...I could use a walk.. I mean...there's no way the reversed could know about you, is there? And even if they do, what's the point?" Reversed as in reversed tarot, and if they do, what's the point? Do you need some water or something? I can't promise to beat up anybody who comes after us, but I can try, and maybe help you escape, or something... hey, you have bananas in your place, don't you? Can you get me one? Water? * Rei nods. "Splash your face, realize it's real." That's...still not the point. Water doesn't matter, dreams don't matter, I don't matter, you don't matter...nothing matters. Wow. You sound like one of those goths at the cafe. Next thing, you're gonna start ranting about Kirbies in the void and goth vampiric penguins. Banana! * Rei heads into Kaede's house. There's a banana in there. * Kaede rushes to his house and snatches the banana out of Rei's hand. "If you're here for Nanami, I'll kill you, I swear." * Rei pouts as he yoinks the banana. She somehow unerringly found her way into the kitchen. "But I just wanted a banana!" She tries to jump up and grab it back. Why are you *here*? Because I ran into *your* tree! And if you say you just came for a banana, you're stupider than I thought. ... Okay, that sort of ranks up there too. And then you came out and said hi, and I realized where I was- hey, now, I guess that's entirely possible, though I'm not really sure how stupid you thought I was prior to this. ...not very. * Rei eyes the banana. "Yeah, well, a lotta crazy shit's been going on. Can I *please* have the banana? I dunno what Asanjya did to my body, but I'm craving fruit like crazy, and I feel it right there." She points at it. A lot of crazy shit's been going on for *you*? * Kaede hasn't relinquished the banana yet. Meanie. Just 'cause it happens to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen to other people. * Rei jumps up and tries to get the banana again. * Kaede pulls back the banana. "So it's just a coincidence you're here hmm? Possibly! If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have come here physically! ..how does that work? ... If I show you, will you give me the banana? I'll consider it I guess that works. Stay here. * Rei runs off. Possibly to Kaede's room. Man, if Nanami wakes up, she'll have a fit. * Kaede , uh, stays there? * Rei speaks in Kaede's head, now: ~Astral projection is usually a harmless ability. It doesn't hurt anyone in the 'real world'. Not normally, anyhow. But I've discovered that I could do serious damage if I wanted to. It's one of the reasons a clone of me's a frightening possiblity, and not just for information- gathering purposes.~ * Kaede blinks and looks around frantically. As if he weren't crazy enough already. ;_; ~By the way, my body's sitting in your room. But it doesn't need to be. See? I can pick stuff up astrally.~ [Right about now, the knife drawer opens and one that definitely isn't a butter knife floats out.] ~We can play catch the knife all day! Or I could fry you with psionics, or a few other ways. So, like I said, if I wanted to hurt you, I sure wouldn'tve put myself at risk.~ ~Can I have the banana now?~ ...not if you're not here. * Rei might grin; it's hard to tell. But the knife clatters to the ground. * Kaede goes over to pick up the knife and checks it over. Probably still doing it while she walks in the room. * Rei comes running back into the room. "Banana! Sorry about your silverware. It didn't get any dings, did it?" She swipes the banana. ...no, it's fine. * Kaede puts it back. He seems shaken, but fortunately it seems shaken back to the point of reality at the moment. Keen. Thanks for the banana. I have no idea why I can feel fruit now. So messed up. I wonder if she made any deals with demons while she was in my body. I knew I should've laid that out as a ground rule. * Rei peels the banana and eats. * Kaede 's just staring blanky by now. * Rei finishes half the banana and offers it to Kaede. "Want some?" * Kaede doesn't answer. He doesn't even look at the banana or directly at Rei * Rei shrugs to herself, finishes the banana, and tosses the peel out. Then she walks up to Kaede and waves her hand in front of his face. * Kaede blinks slightly and snaps out of it ever so slightly, giving her a tactful "huh"? * Rei smiles. "Hi! I'm Rei, and I'm in your house, and you seem to have zoned out for a while!" I...uh...know who you are. * Kaede doesn't sound too enthusiastic towards talking towards her. No you don't. If you're wondering if this is real, you don't know what anything is. Well, I know who you're supposed to be...I think. But now it doesn't matter if you're real or not if you could kill me in a wink anyways. Sure it does! It matters, because if you think I'm about to kill you or something, you're sure not gonna trust me. Do you want me to leave? I can. I don't wanna make you uncomfortable or anything. * Rei flicks her tail and looks around. It doesn't matter. If you kill me, it's over. If you don't, someone else will try. That's a really optomistic view of the world. Gotta say. Sorry if I don't seem so cheery right now then. If you'd like, you can come back and I can completely fake the whole conversation. No, that's okay. I don't need fake conversation. I fake stuff with myself all the time, after all. Don't need other people lying to me. * Rei takes Kaede's hand - she's surprisingly genetle about it - and leads him back to his room. * Kaede gets lead? * Rei shuts the door after they get there, gently pushes Kaede to sit down on the bed, and nabs a chair for herself. She sits backwards on it, giving her tail room to breathe. "So! What's been going on with you, that you're not sure if I'm gonna kill you or not, or if I'm real, and stuff? It sounds nasty." * Kaede stumbles onto the bed and oofs, then turns towards Rei and rubs his head. "Well, I guess you wouldn't be asking if you were real. I can't really tell anymore. I'm...I guess I'm not as good at it as I'd like to be. * Rei tilts her head. As good at what? 'Cause you're great at keeping bananas from me. ... Well.. Telling what's real and what's not I suppose. Or who's really them or not. You are! Only I got it in the end. But it was a fair trade. Sekrit for fruit. Who's really who? * Kaede nods. * Rei wrinkles her forehead. "What's to tell? Don't say you guys've had a weird body-switching experience with people trying to kill you, too." * Kaede blinks then laughs at that. "I *wish*. If that had happened it'd actually be rather comforting." * Rei huffs. "Not if you got stuck in a big rock body and were unable to smell or taste or feel for days. And I guess not being able to sleep would get to you, too, though less for me. But what happened?" Well... * Kaede takes a look at her. "Who's your best friend in the whole world?" * Rei blinks. She opens her mouth, then closes it, then ventures: "Chie?" I think... she's been there for me, and stuff, and she likes me even though I'm this way, and when I got back, she was the first one to hug me, and it felt really nice, and I was really, really worried she'd turn into a vampire, and- I suppose. So what if someone who looked just like this Chie showed up, tried to act just like her, tried to act like nothing happened.... You mean tried to pretend my mom didn't almost turn her into a vampire? No, not exactly. But they tried to act like they were her. * Kaede seems surprisingly unfazed by the "vampire" comment ... Oh. That'd kinda suck. Hey, something like that happened! Only it was this guy from Asahara who was pretending to be Maria's old teacher. Only there was something kinda off about him, and Maria asked a question and I guess he answered wrong, and we figured out something was up. I guess he didn't do a very good job. I'm not finished yet. Oh. Sorry. Go on. It turns out this other Chie is trying to drive the rest of you apart. But doing it so subtlely that no two of the rest of you really know about i t. And those simple questions you asked the teacher wouldn't be enough because apparently she knows most everything about her already. * Rei puts her chin on the back of the chair and watches. Violet eyes, yup. They're pretty. And it turns out later that the real Chie was locked up in a closet with her throat slit being forced to starve to death. Oh, and imagine Chie's claustrophobic as well... * Rei 's eyes widen. "Like, if they gave her only a tube to breathe with and shoved her in a fish tank with no way... shit." ...maybe something like that. She's afraid of water? And she's left that way for a week. Really, badly afraid of water. She starts screaming and crying and- she would've died! Yes, but she didn't. Probably...one more day before she would have... And...now she's acting so crazy that you can't be sure whether it really is her anymore or whether the imposter, who is still out there, has tried the same thing again... * Kaede deflates a little and stops in a way that shows he's pretty much done. That or he doesn't want to add any more of the details. * Rei nods, her eyes moving to take in the rest of the room. Things seem to be clicking in her head, because the next thing she asks is, "Did this happen to your best friend?" * Kaede doesn't answer that. But it's in that "hit the nail on the head" sort of way. * Rei doesn't say another word, surprisingly. She just jumps off the chair and onto the bed, giving Kaede the best hug she can. * Kaede just sorta sits there like a lump. But a deflated, got something off my chest sort of lump way at least * Rei keeps hugging. She smells kinda like grass and banana. "I'm sorry." * Kaede nods. "Well, I don't think a fake you would have any reason to do this..." Not unless a fake me wanted to try out being nice or something. If it did that, I don't think I'd care. Unless it was all a big lie. But we're used to that. I don't think I've ever lied to you, Kaede. If that helps any, which is probably doesn't. What reason would you have to? You haven't said anything useful anyhow. * Kaede blinks and stutters over that. "I mean...not...really relevant to my situation..I don't think that..." * Rei lets go and eyes him. "Think what?" * Kaede rubs his head. "Nevermind." That me coming here was pointless and didn't help anything, right? That's okay. I spend most of my time being pointless and not helping. A lot of people would agree with me there. If I'm not making things worse, at least I don't make them better. I wouldn't agree with that You're not with Interpol. * Kaede sighs and leans back on his bed, flopping on it. "What does that have to do with anything?" You don't see or know what I do every day. You're not counting on me. And you're not a higher up, so you don't have any expectations of me that come with the job my father's doing. No. Is that a problem? * Rei flails. "Some of the first friends I've ever had, and I can't do anything to help them! All I do is get beat up, kidnapped, killed! My mom's the one that almost turned Chie into a vampire. And what could I do? Nothing! Hermes gave me two trials and I blew them both. If it were just me, she'd be craving blood now." So? * Kaede looks up at her. "It's not like you can be perfect at everything you do." Yeah, but I can at least be good at *something*! Besides being weird. * Kaede lays back on the bed. "The worst thing is when you feel like there's nothing you can do. If you can at least try something, then there's still a chance." * Rei sighs. "Yeah, but... all I do is mess up. Maybe Lazar's right." * Kaede closes his eyes. "You're good at making me feel less insane if it's any consolation." * Rei flicks her tail. "Yay." I don't know. I've never really been much of a consolation to anyone when you get right down to it. * Rei shrugs. She kicks off her shoes and pulls her feet onto the bed - the socks don't match, but she doesn't seem to care. "Me neither. I'm not used to this friends thing. I put my foot in my mouth all the time." * Kaede chuckles, eyes still closed. "Sounds to me like we're kindred spirits so to speak. No pun intended." * Rei grins suddenly. "You don't wanna be a kindred spirit with me! I'm weird and spooky and stuff! And, uh, my family's weird, too! And so are all of my friends. And I crave fruit!" I didn't want to be part of this whole Arcana mess but I am. I deal with it. 'Cause there's nothing else you can do, yeah. * Rei pauses, then laughs. "I kinda asked for this. I mean, I guess it would've sought me out sooner or later, but my dad told me that Mystery Club changes people, and I joined anyway. He didn't want me to." So have you been changed any by it? I guess I've been changed too. * Rei nods. Yeah, I have. How so? Only so much shit can happen before it starts affecting you, right? I don't want to let them know it bothers me, but... What bothers you? * Rei rubs at the back of her head. She giggles a little and forces her hand down, clutching the bedsheet. "Well, uh... wanna know what really bothers me? Besides stuff that's happened, like my being maimed or my cousin being possessed." * Kaede blinks. "Yeah. It's got to be bad if it's worse than that" It's that we- I mean, they, but maybe I... I don't know... we've killed people. More than one. And humans. Not just demons. * Kaede sighs and quirks his mouth a little. "I...almost did too. In fact, I may have. I haven't heard about some of them though..." But they were- I mean, some of them were just guards. Just doing their jobs. Didn't need to kill them. Didn't have to. But bam, they were dead, and- how do you reconcile that? Say they were irredeemably evil? But humans aren't. Most supernaturals aren't. I've met demons and vampires who aren't! * Rei isn't looking at Kaede. It's almost like she's talking to herself, staring at the wall opposite her. * Kaede sighs. "Better than me. I've mostly only fought other high school kids. One's just like me...and one of them..." He bites his lip. "Well, I know at least one's was in a coma because of it...the others...who knows?" Someone lost a hand because of me...I didn't do it but...urgh, this is so *irritating* * Kaede bunches a fist and flops over on his side on the bed, turning fully away from Rei to stare at the wall. * Rei blinks, then looks at Kaede. "If someone lost a hand 'cause of you, I don't think irritating's what you mean. Is it?" * Kaede sighs and keeps rolled on his side. "It's stupid. If she weren't attracted to me..." * Rei looks down at the bed for a moment, then back up to Kaede. She crawls over to him and pokes him in the arm. Poke poke poke. "That's silly." Poke. "You can't blame someone losing a hand because of you just 'cause they *like* you." Sure I can. If she didn't like me, then people wouldn't try to kidnap her to get at me. If people didn't kidnap her and have it all end in one big *mess*, then she wouldn't have lost it... * Kaede doesn't react much to the poking. That'd be like me blaming my dad for all of my problems. Or my brother blaming me for all of his. Or any of my friends blaming any of us... * Rei stops poking and just rests a hand on his arm. "Kaede, it doesn't work that way." I'm not your dad, or your brother, or any of your friends A comparison, then. My brother's face is broken. He'll never be able to use his right hand or arm again. He's lucky he's alive. It wasn't his fault; he was possessed. And my team did it to him. Whose fault does that make it? Who does he blame? I... don't know. I don't. He doesn't remember any of it. That makes it worse. I saw him... the day after, I tried to explain it, but he was barely there, and hell, I was dead, and... * Rei stops. * Kaede blinks and turns towards her incredulously. "...wait. You were dead?" * Rei nods, almost hesitantly. "I've mentioned it before, right? What, did you think I was lying?" Yeah...I guess I just never believe it...especially now. I don't know what to believe * Rei pulls her feet under her and smiles, but it's not a manic grin. "It's okay. Why'd you believe me anyway, even normally? People don't die and come back. It just doesn't happen, right? I must've been exaggerating. Crazy Rei." Sure we do. I'm an example of that right now. Oh, you died, too? Yes? No? I don't know. Probably * Kaede leans back and rubs his forehead. How can't you know? It's a pretty big deal. Unless you just don't remember... dunno what your actual death experience was. Mine was pretty ugly. Well...I swore I told you about this too. But... I don't know. If what they say is to be believed, being blown up by a nuclear bomb is kind of a high-point for ugliness. Oh yeah, that! That's a past life, right? It's not exactly the same, but I guess it's close enough. And it depends on where it hit. If you were near the center, you were vaporized instantly. Not so bad. And why am I being so honest with you? I guess it's easy when you don't believe something really exists.. It is when I'm supposed to have memories of it * Rei blinks. "You don't believe I exist?" Pause, then kinda smile. "It wouldn't be the first time." I've had worse figments I must be some crazy reoccuring one, then. Only I actually am real, so there goes that theory. * Rei slides off the bed and walks over to Kaede's window, tail twitching behind her. * Kaede watches her walk towards the window. "Where are you going?' I thought you would've wanted to get rid of me, 'cause I might not be real. Nowhere, yet. Just looking outside. I like the stars, but it's hard to see them in Tokyo. * Kaede thinks about that. "Illusions aren't so bad. I mean...I've dealt with a couple. They seemed a little annoying at times but other than that they were trying to be nice I can't say I look at stars much though * Rei flicks her tail as she looks up to the sky, trying to spot those pinpoints of light. "I'm not very good at trying to be nice. I haven't gotten much practice, but then, I'm not an illusion, either. Why not? Too busy?" I guess so. And why should you bother with forcing yourself to try? I just worry about being myself and if it comes out nice, all the better. Because I have friends now, and I don't want to hurt them, even if it's only with careless words. But, like I said, I'm not used to this friends thing. I'm not sure what to say or do a lot of the time. Most of them like me the way they are, though, I hope at least. It's a plus. Makoto... * Rei sighs. "I hope he's okay." * Kaede sighs and looks up at Rei. "Okay. Let me ask this then. Did you worry about being nice before they were friends?" Nope. It's easier when you think everyone hates you. * Rei looks over at Kaede. "You didn't, either, didja? Of course you didn't!" Not at all My point is...they became your friends, even with the way you acted before, right? I guess so? Yeah, they did. So? So why would you think you'd need to change yourself? They've always liked the way you are. Otherwise they wouldn't have become your friends. * Rei smiles a little. "I just wish I could do more for them." * Kaede sighs. "We all do...but well..as long as you're there for them...that'd be enough I'd think." Not that easy, but thanks for the advice. I think. If you like giving advice to illusions, if you really think I am one, which I'm not, I might add. Well what more do you think you should do? Protect them! Somehow. Not get kidnapped or killed at every turn. Do what I have to do. I can't even fulfill a test of strength in a *golem* body. You know, super strong and made out of rock. That's how bad I am. * Kaede thinks on that. "I've...almost been killed 4 times I think. Maybe 5. I'm not that strong either. I can't pick up knives without being there for one thing. I really...can't do all that much." But...it's enough I suppose..even if I want to get stronger it's enough.. * Kaede sighs and sits up on his bed. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." * Kaede heads out the door. * Rei blinks. "Okay? I kinda- bye." * Kaede comes back a few moments later....with a banana. "...kinda to say I'm sorry for not believing you earlier." He holds it out to her. * Rei squeals and snatches it. "Thank you!" * Kaede rubs his forehead as he looks at her, or rather around her. "I don't know...it's just...well, if you want to do more, then you just can't be afraid to do it." * Rei immediately starts in on the banana, making some sort of noise that might sound like agreement. I still don't know why she got mad at me for it. I mean..it was the only way I saw that was important... * Rei swallows. "Hand chopping off, or getting locked up?" * Kaede shakes his head then looks off to the side. "I...got pounded to within an inch of my life." * Rei stares at him. You survived, right? Wait, if it's within an inch, I guess you did. Well yes. But she still got upset over it. * Kaede sighs. "It was the only way to settle it though. I don't see what the big problem was." This is different from the other four or five times, right? * Rei has another bite of banana and actually manages to speak around it this time. "What's different about it?" * Kaede smiles humorlessly. "Maybe the fact that I asked for it?" * Rei blinks. Why'd you ask for something like that? Oh wait, only way to settle something. Okay, I can see why she'd be upset, maybe. * Kaede sighs. "But...see. The thing is if I didn't take it on myself, he would have tried to fight us all." Which...I guess is what ended up happening later anyways. But still... If you've got more people fighting someone, got a higher chance of winning. You could outnumber him and all, right? * Kaede sighs. "That's not the point." * Rei has another bite. "Okay, well, I don't know the situation. But she'd be a pretty sucky friend if she didn't get upset." He wanted retribution for us assaulting one of his comrades and putting him in the hospital. I detest the guy but...he was in the right, wasn't he? * Rei shrugs. "I wasn't there. Can't know!" She finishes off her banana and tosses the peel into the garbage. "Maybe he was, but she'd still be a sucky friend if she didn't get upset." * Kaede winces. "She didn't have to get...THAT upset.." What did she do, beat you up? That'd be kinda redundant. ...no. There, see, that's a plus. Otherwise you would have lost that last inch of your life, and it'd suck almost as much as being killed by someone in your own family. Which does happen, I should point out. Oh no. I was fine when she did it...just.. * Kaede winces at the "being killed by someone in your own family part." Really really seriously winces. * Rei might notice that, but she asks, "Just what?" * Kaede doesn't respond right away. He's shaking a little. "Just...just....nevermind." O-kaaaaay. Uh... shoot. I'm not sure what to say now. Do you need to go for a walk or something? Get your mind off it? It's not a school night, is it? I lose track. Yeah it is...but... * Kaede 's just staring kind of blankly at the floor * Rei walks over and snaps her fingers in front of Kaede's eyes. * Kaede watches the snapping blankly. Ooo, pretty. * Rei tries poking him in the shoulder. * Kaede gets poked. He doesn't react but he does blink. Probably as a delayed response to the snapping actually * Rei gives up and pinches Kaede in the butt. * Kaede jumps at that and whips around. "Ow!" Yay! * Rei cheers! Seriously cheers. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Kaede!" * Kaede growls. "What was that for?" You zoned out and I was afraid you were gonna be zombified, but you're not! * Rei hugs him, heedless of the fact that he might bite her nose off or something. * Kaede folds his arms and hmmphs slightly, quirking his head at her. He then oofs with the hug. "All you needed to do to check was offer me cheese." * Rei giggles. "Okay. Do you have any cheese around here? I don't have cheese sense." ...I think so? I don't feel like cheese. Therefore I am not a zombie. That's the best chain of logic ever! * Kaede sounds fairly scholarly as he notes that. It's kind of funny Glad you like it. Remember to tell your friends. It's the fastest route to detecting zombies I'll keep that in mind next time zombies take over a hospital or something. They'll never believe me, but I'll bring some cheese just in case! They'll love it. Trust me. Proven fact. Of course, they might be the dreaded loaf zombies too, which won't help any Loaf... * Rei lets go and snaps her fingers. "I get it! That's why zombies seek each other out! They're looking for sandwiches!" Zombie sandwiches? Perhaps...maybe if we get the loaf zombies to meet the vegetarian zombies, we'll have the cheese zombies all fight together. But there has to be some meat zombies somewhere, unless they're all vegetarian, but that's hard to believe if they try to eat people. Of course, they'll probably just decide to forgo all that and eat your brain instead. It's best to make sure there's not a feast for them in there to begin with. * Rei nods. Well, I think there's better things for you to do than remain here and discuss the finer points of zombie detection. And if there's not, I don't know what that says about you. Probably a lot but I don't feel like putting forth the effort right now. Aww. You're getting rid of me? You should will me to go away! If I'm a figment of your imagination, anyway. Come on! Concentrate really hard. Maybe I don't feel like bothering with that. Besides, I think you've proven well enough that I couldn't get rid of you even if I tried. Please don't stab me in my sleep. I know it won't help but it never hurts to ask I'd never do that. About the worst I'd think of is putting frogs in your bed or something. * Rei darts in and gives Kaede a BIG HUG! "Thanks for talking to me. Really! It helped... probably, I hope, maybe I won't run into any trees on the way home." And good luck with all that stuff you're dealing with. That's always a plus. And...there aren't really frogs in my bed, are there? Toads count too by the way Not yet! Or in the future. * Rei grins. "I can't predict the future. Sorry. I don't think I would even if I could." She lets go. "Take care of yourself, okay? This figment worries about ya." * Kaede nods and pushes up his glasses * Rei waves, then pushes the window open and jumps out. [End it!]