<@Ardweden> [It's a Tuesay morning in Japan (February 17), and a Monday evening in Maine (February 16). Satoshi and Kaede have worked out a time for the a phone conversation, cell phone to cell phone style. None of that fancy video camera technology here.] <@Ardweden> [Where are they? In different places and with an ocean separating them, obviously, but besides that. What are they up to? Is Satoshi going to call in time? And what will they talk about when he does?] <@Ardweden> [Let's find out! Start!] * Satoshi is in his dorm room. Paul's out with a study group. Or an anime group. Or an anime study group. Regardless, he's out! So Satoshi takes out his cell phone and dials Kaede at precisely the arranged time. <@Ardweden> [Why anime or study when you could do both? These things need not be exclusive.] * Kaede is sitting on the other end, in his singular room, not his office room for once, in the apartment. He most definitely doesn't have an anime group or any anime cell phone. He does flip his own up, puts it to his ear, fails to press the button (because he doesn't need to) and then deadpans into the receiver. "You're late." * Satoshi laughs. "By like what, thirty seconds? Hi, Kaede." * Kaede scrunches the phone up to his ear, pulling the laptop on his bed closer and starts tapping away at it in the most uncomfortable of neck pinches. "Possibly. Though you're in a far enough time zone so I'll forgive it. Just this once." He pauses the typing for a moment, then regrips the phone, adding in a more serious and awed tone. "...the quality's amazingly crisp for the distance..." * Satoshi sits at his desk and leans back in his not-terribly-comfortabel dorm chair. "I appreciate your forgiveness. And yeah, it's really nice. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" * Kaede *had* gone back to typing again, then pauses. Satoshi can probably almost *hear* the eyebrow raise. "...Watanabe-san, it was a joke." Really? Because it sounds surprisingly decent to me. * Kaede pauses. "...you're learning that from me, aren't you?" Sighing, he goes back to typing. "Anyhow, we were going to get down to business, weren't we?" * Satoshi grins, not that Kaede can see it. "No comment. And yeah. So it sounds like things are better. I've been keeping up with the e-mails. But... what happened?" * Satoshi has stopped grinning by the time he gets to the end of that series of sentences. * Kaede sighs and pauses completely, pushing his laptop off to the side. He takes off the glasses from the bridge of his nose and sets them off to the side as well. "...Katie got to the end of the book." * Satoshi straightens in his chair. "The second book, right? The one Haruko got at the book event?" That's the one, yes. Have you started reading it? I just started the first one. Katie's going to scan me a copy of the second when she gets a chance. "Right. Right..." *He pauses again.* "Thoughts?" On what I've read so far? Not really that much. It seems like a standard school story, but I know it doesn't stay that way for long. So I guess that's like us... * Kaede reaches over and flips open a copy of the manuscript, fastforwarding to the end before clearing his throat and doing a quick room scan for bugs. "Yukiko wakes up, and it's pitch black. Whereever she is, it smells like mold and rust. The ground - concrete or stone - is also damp. Her hands are bound to each other..." He pauses for a second to make sure Satoshi's listening. Oh gods... They did *that*? He actually wrote *THAT*? * Kaede doesn't respond just yet, just continues. "So are her feet, and she's lying down. She tries to use her powers, but she can't manage a good enough angle, and she can't see, so all she does is make the room cold." "The last thing she remembers is going to bed for the night. Now she's here, and in her school uniform - which... she can't see it, but it's undamaged. She's not gagged, though, so she starts screaming to be let out." * Kaede snaps the book closed on the other ends and waits. The book shakes a little in his hand but he just calms it and lets it drop, bouncing once on the mattress. * Satoshi takes a few deep breaths, which Kaede can hear over his end of the phone. "How did... how does... how can he *know*? He can't be knowing these things. He shouldn't be." * Kaede's voice is cool as ice. "Patience, Watanabe-san. Question is. How do you think Katie Andrews feels?" * Satoshi sounds kind of sick. Like he's actually having trouble not being physically ill. "Oh gods. That's... that's *horrifying*. Oh, Kaede... how could someone even think about doing that?" * Kaede's voice is still amazingly even, but there's an edge to it. "What do *you* think, Watanabe-san? Someone thought enough to actually *do* that at one time, didn't they? Personally, I'm amazed Masaru's brother is still intact." * Satoshi's voice is very quiet. "Yeah..." * Kaede lets out a long sigh and turns over, flumping on the bed, half on top of the book, but he ignores it. "My apologies, Watanabe-san. This was supposed to be a more pleasant phone call, wasn't it...?" * Satoshi lets out a breath. "Hey, I asked you what happened and you're being honest... and I'd rather know how bad it really is. It's going to take me some time to process things, though..." You know what I was doing while I was waiting to hear more about what was going on that night? I was awake over here. Kyon called me. * Kaede rubs the bridge of his nose. "Katie's fine. No, that's not right. Katie's *recovered*. She's not going to be fine, Satoshi. Not by a long shot. Not until this is over..." * Kaede then pauses and goes silent, maybe nodding a little, expecting Satoshi to go on. * Satoshi nods, again regardless of the fact that Kaede can't see it. "It's why I didn't ask if things were good, or okay, or fine. Just better. Better is a relative term, and it fits here. But I... I started looking up flights back to Tokyo. Just in case things were escalating. Probably stupid of me, but it gave me a way to distract myself." * Kaede snorts, but his tone is sincere. "Powerlessness. Believe me, Watanabe-san. That's something we're all well familiar with..." * Satoshi exhales. "Kind of feeling that a lot lately." * Kaede's lips thin then he pulls himself up, sitting on the bed. "...you got a life, Watanabe-san. That's nothing to be ashamed of..." * Satoshi laughs softly. "It's not. But I miss you all, and this just drives it home more." * Kaede smirks a little and pulls the phone closer. "Yes. Except you trust Yamada-san implicitly, apparently. I'm not certain how *that* happened from so far away." * Satoshi is quiet for a moment. "Sometimes people just hit it off really well," he says. * Kaede sighs a little and backs off, running his fingers through his hair. "Look. I'm not saying to be distrustful of him. You know how difficult it is to get used to new people. And I believe he was helpful with Katie, so there is that..." * Kaede pauses, "But you know as well as I do. You never stop being Arcana. And not all the lines were very well drawn. I'm not certain he knows exactly what all it really *entails*..." "I'm trying to help with that," Satoshi says slowly. "I'm trying to help him understand some of what it means. But I know I'm not the best person in some ways. There's a lot of it that I still don't really want to face, though I'm trying to work on it. And that's why... that's why I encouraged him to reach out to you guys. So that he could get more perspectives than just mine." * Kaede nods, pushing aside the book now and reaching for his glasses. "Testing the waters. Yes. Actually we're in contact now. He seems excrutiatingly polite." * Satoshi says, with a touch of humor, "That's because he doesn't really know you yet. Err on the side of caution, and all that." * Kaede nods. "Yes, Watanabe-san. There is the side of caution, though, and then there is fearing your own presence is offensive for breathing the same air as you." * Kaede groans, rubbing his nose again and sits more up as he adds, "Katie wishes for me to try. You wish for me to try. Shiraishi-san wants me to try though. I can't really say *no*, can I? I'm just exercising proper restraint. I'm hoping he can as well..." <@Ardweden> ["What do you want me to try?" asks Akemi from offscreen... oh wait, now she's onscreen, having opened the door to Kaede's room and poked her head in.] Well, no offense, Kaede, but... uh, is that Akemi? * Kaede looks over at the door, then cups his hand to the phone. "Akemi! I'm on the phone!" Then turns back to the phone. "Uh...yes. Is that a problem?" <@Ardweden> ["Well if you're on the phone, you shouldn't talk to me. That's rude." She's smiling, though. "Who is it! Is it your secret admirer?"] * Kaede holds his hand over the phone and turns to Akemi. "No. It's yours." And since when did you expect him not to be rude? <@Ardweden> [Akemi gasps, a hand going to her cheek! "I have a secret admirer? Who is it!" And with that, she bounces across the room to try to get the phone out of Kaede's hand.] * Satoshi hears some of that and laughs. "No, my passion burns brightly for Kaede! I just need this opportunity to confess!" * Kaede sits up a little more and reaches back for the phone. "Gah! Give that back!" Except he fights for it halfheartedly. Because, let's face it, it's Kaede. <@Ardweden> [Akemi sits on Kaede. SHE WINS.] <@Ardweden> [She also puts the phone to her ear. "" she calls cheerfully in some sort of terrible approximation of English.] * Kaede has an Akemi on his person. A situation he's more than use to by now. <@Ardweden> ["Satoshi-san!" Akemi cries, and then, ""] <@Ardweden> [Akemi leans on Kaede more, forcing him to hold her up. Worst life ever, Kaede.] * Satoshi laughs a bit more. "" <@Ardweden> ["" She switches languages. "I didn't know you were my secret admirer! You should've told me, I could've had you admire more of me before you left..."] * Kaede reaches up for the phone, trying to snag it as he talks. "He can do that just by seeing your centerfold, Shiraishi-san...really..." * Satoshi blushes a bit. Thankfully he's on the phone. "Kaede was just making a joke. I'll bet you have lots of secret admirers, though. And one very not- so-secret one." And then he hears Kaede's centerfold comment and blushes *more*. <@Ardweden> ["But it's an import! Can we send him some? Oh, a care package! I *have* to take care of my admirers..." Satoshi can hear both sides of this conversation as they wrestle for the phone.] * Kaede comes up from his sitting position. Clearly he's going to end up on top! He pulls the phone close to his ear. "Watanabe-san, I hope Shiraishi-san isn't bothering you, is she...?" Going for the pin. * Satoshi says, warmly, "Nah, she's not. It's good to hear from her. But she doesn't have to send anything. Really. ...hey, did that game footage site that I tried to send you a link to work, by the way?" Because otherwise I guess I'm mailing you VHS tapes. Joshua found a recorder. <@Ardweden> [Akemi yelps, and now she's pinned against Kaede's bed. She squirms for maximum distraction.] * Kaede deadpans. "Of course she doesn't. That's not the point. She will anyway." He tries not to get distracted but it's *hard*. It's Akemi, after all. He shifts his grip to the other ear and tries to ignore it. "You can send them regardless, though I did get it to work. Wouldn't that be expensive though?" If you're okay with waiting and dealing with the website for now then I might just combine some into highlight tapes and send them in a bit. <@Ardweden> [Akemi reaches up to poke Kaede in the side. How ticklish is this guy? Perhaps she wants to know.] * Kaede looks down at the tickle, trying his best not to flinch. Ugh. "That sounds the best, yes..." He shifts the phone to the other ear again. "Say...to your earlier question...." <@Ardweden> [Akemi tickles harder. She's a monster!] * Kaede tries to go on but then yelps and lets himself be tackled by Akemi. Fortunate he's on the bed cause he totally loses grips on the phone which falls on the comforter. * Satoshi sounds amused. "Yeah?" Then: "Uh... what's going over there? You okay?" <@Ardweden> [Akemi can't help but laugh herself as she presses her advantage, tickling Kaede mercilessly. "Give in! Say I win!"] * Kaede's voice is distant but he can't relent. He almost can't *breathe*. He's forcing himself not to laugh though. He doesn't laugh. "I...h-how..." <@Ardweden> [She leans down so her nose almost touches Kaede's, and she eases up slightly on the tickling. "I wiiiiin."] * Satoshi leans back in his chair with a small smile on his face as he listens to more of it. He's glad they're happy. * Kaede sighs, turns his head to the side. He sounds almost *dejected* when he says it. "...fine. You win." <@Ardweden> [Akemi beams at that! Her smile really is stunning. And then she kisses Kaede's nose and then sits up, handing him his phone. He's still stuck under her, though.] * Kaede doesn't mind. He doesn't even struggle to get free. He pulls it up to his ear. He must not be *that* ticklish because he recovers quick, but still enough to get pinned. "Anyway. You were asking how he knew this stuff...I could think of one way to explore that..." He looks up at Akemi. "She should probably know too at any rate. She saw when I almost ran out of the shoot the other day..." * Kaede He raises an eyebrow to Akemi. <@Ardweden> [Akemi raises an eyebrow back in a surprisingly decent copy of Kaede's expression. She's paying attention.] * Satoshi sighs as it's back to Serious Business Time. But it is part of why he called, so. "Yeah?" * Kaede gestures for Akemi. "Akemi? Can you get my deck?" Since when did you have a deck? <@Ardweden> ["Okay!" Akemi slides off of Kaede, straightening her skirt before she leaves to do that.] * Kaede raises an eyebrow and looks oddly at the phone. "I've always had a deck. Since about halfway since this nonsense started happening...don't *you* have one?" No? I guess I should get one. I'll pick something out. <@Ardweden> [Akemi returns with a mostly unused Rider-Waite tarot deck, and she hands it to Kaede. "What's the reading about?" she asks him quietly as she sits next to him.] * Kaede has sat up in the meantime and starts getting the cards, shuffling them. "Council of Mysteries. We're trying to see if we can get a lead on how the author gets his information..." Shuffle shuffle shuffle. "I'll probably check with the Star later if I have to...hers are always better...but in the interest of time... He concentrates on the cards themselves and works them for his first flip, though he'll let Akemi cut first if she wishes. * Satoshi moves over to his bed and stretches out, making himself more comfortable. "I think this is the first phone reading I've ever witnessed." * Kaede presses the phone over to speaker phone now. It was working just to have it out there but this makes it a lot easier for all of them to talk. He sets it down. "Can you hear us?" Yep. <@Ardweden> ["Hi Satoshi!" Akemi calls. She cuts the deck and hands it back to Kaede.] Hi again, Akemi! <@Ardweden> [Kaede flips cards. The Subject: The Magician. The Problem: Justice Reversed. Method (Primary): Seven of Cups. Method (Secondary): Three of Cups. Method (Tertiary): Nine of Swords.] * Kaede almost drops the cards after that first one comes out. He frowns. Really he frowns. <@Ardweden> [Akemi looks at it, too, and she reaches out a hand to touch Kaede's. "It's okay," she says softly, "he's dead."] * Satoshi's voice comes from the phone. "Who's dead? What are you seeing?" * Kaede puts his hands up, not quite hearing Satoshi. "He...I must have gotten it wrong...there's another interpretation right? There's *got* to be..." <@Ardweden> [Akemi's voice comes over more clearly. "The Magician showed up."] * Kaede actually does Satoshi one better. He pics up his phone and snaps a quick picture of the spread. Then goes to send it his way. * Satoshi takes a breath. "Yeah. That's gotta be just... symbolic or something." His laptop makes an "incoming mail" sound and he goes to check his e-mail. That can't be literal. Not that it isn't still troubling... * Kaede has dropped his phone again, still holding his head. "I don't kno--I don't *know*, Watanabe-san. I...this is *Arcana* we're talking about..." * Kaede catches his breath and then calms, continuing. "It's....most likely not literally but we can't discount that possibility. And if it isn't..." He quiets, then adds softly. "...we can't go through this again. We can't..." <@Ardweden> ["He's dead!" Akemi's voice comes across sharply, and she's staring - almost glaring, but this is Akemi we're talking about - at Kaede. "Sho's dead, okay?! He's not going to- he can't just come back like that! Look, look. What's that supposed to mean?" She points at the Magician. "In your spread. What position's that supposed to be?"] * Satoshi opens up his e-mail and looks at the cards. They're cards. Though at least now Kaede doesn't have to describe it to Satoshi. "But Jin knocked him into the portal and it got *sealed*." He's *gone*. He *has* to be. * Kaede grits his teeth at Akemi. "It's the *subject of the reading*. He..." He pauses for a second. "...wait." * Kaede rethinks this, steadying. "What was the subject again, Watanabe-san? Think. What did I say? Exactly?" You said... Council of Mysteries. How the author gets his information. Right. The subject wasn't the author... He got his information from Sho? * Kaede frowns but says nothing. But Akemi can see that's probably what he's thinking, yes. He's getting his revenge even after he's dead. <@Ardweden> [Akemi sighs at Kaede's look. She flops on the bed, putting one arm over her face (but not disturbing the cards).] * Kaede calms again. He's got several onion layers of calm to go through. "Let's...we don't have to jump to conclusions. It isn't necessarily literal...still. I think it'd be best to consider two tracks. Literal and figurative..." * Satoshi takes a deep breath. "Yeah. So... what might the rest of it mean?" * Kaede pokes at the card. "What does the Magician represent? Creation. Transformation. Confidence in your skill but your real source of power is outside of yourself..." * Kaede points to the second card. "Problem: Justice Reversed" * Satoshi starts typing a few notes on his computer as Kaede elaborates. * Kaede frowns, glancing to Akemi for help, then sighs. He does go to his laptop and pulls up his cheat sheet. Then frowns again. "...unwillingness to accept responsibility for one's actions..." * Kaede goes on. "Injustice...dishonesty...karma..." He folds his arms and hisses out a breath. "Consequences of past choices..." <@Ardweden> [Akemi says into her arm, "Sounds pretty appropriate." She doesn't seem happy, for once.] I agree. * Kaede frowns and leans over Akemi, putting a hand on her back to rub it, still speaking to Satoshi as he gestures to the other cards. "The three others are different methods. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. How the problem is coming to manifest itself..." <@Ardweden> [Akemi makes a tiny, pleased sound, and she rolls over slightly so Kaede has better access.] * Kaede doesn't stop. These fingers don't stop. Definitely not tickling. "Seven of Cups. Making a difficult choice. Many cups, but one is the "correct" choice, though all are appealing. Three of Cups. A group of people working together as one. Coordination. Three people celebrating their success..." Nine of swords...well... * Kaede 's hand stops for a moment. * Satoshi types a bit more. "Well?" <@Ardweden> [Akemi makes a tiny, displeased sound.] * Kaede cannot have Akemi be displeased. He starts again. "...regrets and guilt. It's the card that keeps you up at night. Nightmares and torments...like..." * Kaede sighs and frowns, murmuring softer. "Which one of us *doesn't* have those...?" * Satoshi's voice is soft, but gentle. "I know." * Kaede gestures over the cards again. "There's the more literal of who these cards are but quite honestly, I'm not sure I remember any of them..." * Satoshi shakes his head, not that Kaede and Akemi can see him. "Me neither." * Kaede moves his hands to Akemi's sides and then lowers himself to the bed, quietly, just to lay next to her. <@Ardweden> [Akemi sighs as Kaede does that. "Me neither," she says, maybe too quietly (and facing away from the phone) for Satoshi to properly hear.] * Satoshi finishes typing. "Do you want to tell the others about this?" * Kaede frowns, pausing, still next to Akemi. "...maybe we should hold off until we have more information. Until this...this...whatever this is makes more sense..." * Kaede looks up slightly. "I might consult the Star first. See if I can get a better interpretation. I won't tell her what it's about." <@Ardweden> ["She has a name you know," Akemi says, mild laughter in her voice despite the circumstances.] Right. It makes sense. I'll trust you to take care of it. * Kaede makes a face at Akemi. "She's also a brat." He then rolls on his back, looking up at the ceiling. "...but she's good for Nanami at least." <@Ardweden> ["She's the best for Nanami!" Akemi sits up, suddenly, and reaches for the phone. "Hey, Satoshi! How are your classes going? Are they harder in America?"] * Satoshi is a bit startled by the subject change, but again, they can't see that. "American universities are pretty challenging, but they're going a lot better this semester. I'm really liking my writing class, of all things." <@Ardweden> ["Ooh, writing in English. I bet that's really hard."] But it's a fun challenge! * Kaede is so worn out from all that, he doesn't have the effort to grapple at the phone. Just laying down and letting Akemi whatever. He does look at her. Did you turn *off* speaker phone? "I'll let the two of you talk. Though Watanabe?" Yeah? * Kaede closes his eyes. "It was good to hear from you. We should plan to do this again some time." We will. That's a promise. <@Ardweden> [End!]