[Date: Saturday, October 18, 2003. Time: Afternoon!] [It's the bottom of the sixth inning. Lions are behind 3 to 2, but had closed it up some in the fifth and the Hawks were three up, three down in the top of the sixth. Thus Lions fans are cheering with the feel that momentum is still on their side.] [Meanwhile, inside the booth, Kenichi just received a pennant from the intimidating Nozomu, and its so sweet.] [Kurose is at bat for the lions.] [Start!] 06* Haruko nods and looks pleased that Katie has only shrugged at her offer of help rather than actively waving it off. 06* @Tomoe sits down again, watching the field! 06* Katie had tucked the piece of paper into her pocket and is now standing and leaning against the chair in front of her, watching as well. 06* Nozomu returns to the table to get his tea, but then walks back to the window to stand and watch. [Kenichi vigorously waves his pennant, echoing the fans in the bleachers, who overbound with enthusiasm at least until Kurose gets out on a pop fly which takes a bit of the edge off.] 06* @Tomoe winces slightly, and sips her tea... 06* Haruko watches Kenichi and ponders for a moment before taking another drink of her beer. "That was kind of you sir, the young master seems to rather enjoy his new toy." She relaxes as she sits, her posture not matching the formality of her tone. (Gahh, this keeps coming out way too pithy) (Huh, wonder what happened on the desktop. Oh well, still here on the laptop) 01 (Maybe Nozomu's a pithy guy!) 06* Nozomu turns his head to Haruko. "I for one, am far too old to run in circles cheering with a flag. It's best to leave that job to those most suited for it." 06* @Tomoe smiles. 06* Haruko chuckles. "I see, skill at delegation isn't just a matter for the office." She glances over at Tomoe after taking another drink. "I see Kyon got his knack for practical leadership naturally." 06* Katie keeps watching the game, not sure what to say. Haruko's so much better at buttering up than she is. It is a good skill for him to have, and one of the reasons I have high hopes for him and the brewery after I retire. [Kuriyama gets a series of balls, putting the crowd on its feet before he pops it to infield. The short stop dives to catch the ball but Kawasaki can't flip it to first in time. Single!] 06* @Tomoe follows the action... Looking a bit more serious now. 01 He splits himself a lot, doesn't he. Baseball, writing, fencing, the brewery... He's generally good at all of it, but do you ever think that maybe Kyon spreads himself too thin? 06* Haruko stands up to cheer after the single, this time managing to not spill any of her beverage, mostly thanks to the amount she's consumed. She looks like she has a thought, but she bites her tongue when Katie begins speaking. 06* Katie is watching. She was watching when she said that, too! [Noda gets a pop fly. Boo.] <@Tomoe> "What do you think, my dear?" she asks Katie. 06* Nozomu frowns, but if it's at the game or the question he's not saying. 06* Katie tilts her head, still looking out the window. "It's a hard question to answer, which is maybe why I asked it. But I mostly think he does." 06* Haruko bides her time. It's a skill she learned as a freshmen in college. Yay for personal growth. (Haruko, not going with the first stupid idea in her head? That's not character growth, that's an imposter!) 01 (Nono, totally growth. She's said all sorts of weird/stupid things earlier. I highly doubt someone managed to switch her while I was around!) 01 (Anyway, that's Katie's statement. If you want more, you'll have to yell, "HOLD IT!" and press her for information.) 01 (Or, uh, do it in a quieter, more subtle fashion. :D) (*OBJECTION!* ... wait, wrong button.) 06* Haruko does go with the second stupid idea in her head and finishes off her third beer. She then snacks on edamame. Tasty. (* Kate laughs at that.) 06* @Tomoe thinks about this... "Well, he should be the judge of his own capacities." She glances at Katie. "But being attentive to him in this way is sensible, and perhaps we all need someone looking after us." 06* Nozomu looks resoultly at the window. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 06* @Tomoe smiles privately, but rather broadly. I would think sir that in business, and in life, its easier to take on multiple challenging tasks if you know that a trusted partner makes sure that nothing falls through the cracks. [Sakata hits into a fielders choice, ending the inning.] 06* Haruko frowns and mutters, "And it's easier to be a pitcher if your line up doesn't hit into stupid outs." She takes another drinks and frowns more at the empty bottle. 06* @Tomoe briefly considers getting something alcoholic. 06* Haruko is summoning a runner, so now's your chance Tomoe. ^_~ 01 (She totally should!) (Man, all my attempts to reply to Haruko keep coming out as too sarcastic or challenging.) (Go for it. Haruko put herself out there some.) (She's also flushed enough that its probably a bit easier to dismiss her.) 01 (Nah, you should totally sarcasm/challenge at Haruko.) 01 (Mostly because I think it'd be awesome.) Mhm, young lady, what multiple challenging tasks have you delt with to give this advice? (It's too bad she's not drunk enough to forget herself and freak out the parents.) <@Tomoe> (would get some cold sake, but given that they likely don't have the family brand she wouldn't dare :P) [And about then the runner appears.] (Ha. We should have brought a bottle of our own.) 01 (Haha, if she got so drunk she started on Arcana stuff, Interesting Things would happen. :D) (She'd mysteriously lose her voice for one!) 06* Katie looks at the runner. "Can I get some takoyaki, please? And more Coke?" 01 (Inserts done! Mostly!) (Yay, invatations to be mailed! One less thing to worry about!) 06* @Tomoe orders a yuzu shochu highball. There. 06* Haruko actually gets a serious expression. "Allow me to give you a proper answer to that question, but first." She looks over the menu and orders a bottle of Arisugawa brand sake. "Yes, I see it isn't on the menu. But we'd rather like to toast Sorata Kyon, and it wouldn't be proper to do with a Choya brand, now would it." She also slips the gal two 1000 yen bills. Go for broke. 01 [The runner takes track of the orders, gets to Haruko and her yen, and nods. "I think some just came in. Not enough to put on the menu yet, but I'll see if we can make an exception for a celebration." She goes to take orders from Mayumi and Kenichi, and then heads off to fill orders!] 06* @Tomoe will cancel her highball if there's Arisugawa sake on the way! ^_^ 01 [Consider it canceled!] 06* Haruko bows gratefully. "Thank you. 06* Haruko then orders some okonomiyaki and looks back to Nozomu-san. 06* Nozomu gives Haruko a bemused look. "You are quite the gambler." 06* @Tomoe finds this to be a very strange and gutsy move of Haruko's. She watches the situation discreetly, analyzing what Kyon sees in her - and specifically as a friend and not a potential mate. It's interesting! 06* Haruko gives a lopsided grin. "And I don't always win. You see, my experience with balancing multiple challenges sometimes end in failure. High school would have been much tougher for me if your son wasn't there, sir, to help put me on the right path and when I overreached to help me recover and learn." [Mayumi meanwhile pays attention to the game and watches Kidokoro get a walk. Kenichi does too. Adults are boring... boring!] I see. 06* Katie nods. "He helps her now, too. Kyon's been really good to Haruko." Too good, she doesn't say. How nice of her! 06* Haruko takes a breath, steeling herself and glancing at Katie in case her compatriot is signalling for her to shut up. She smiles at Katie's comment. 06* @Tomoe keeps out of the conversation for now, just listening. ^_^ 06* Nozomu looks closer at Haruko, but doesn't see whaterver it is his son sees in here. (Which is a damn good thing too.) "That's certainly kind of him." 06* Katie keeps watching the game. 06* Haruko continues, breaking out full art of distraction. "It is sir. But Kyon and Katie have managed tougher things than I have with fewer mistakes. And I've seen them support each other through it. And I've seen my parents come home from meetings like the one you described earlier. Whole companies weren't at stake weren't as high but I think confernce rooms were just as imprisoning. Perhaps 06* Haruko it is not the case for you, but they always said they got through those hard times by knowing who they would be seeing once they'd escaped." 06* Katie furrows her brow a touch as she tries to work through what Haruko just said, but she's had a lot of practice doing that, so her expression clears up fairly quickly. 06* Haruko 's level of intoxication may not be contributing to her eloquence. [Sacrifice bunt! Runner to second.] 06* Nozomu takes a bit longer, not being used to deciphering Haruko's particular brand of crazy. "There have been times when I wouldn't have know what to do with myself without my Tomoe-chan." 06* @Tomoe almost blushes a bit! Ah, Nozomu! ~Â 06* @Tomoe focuses on the game. A bit shy! <@Tomoe> (flattered though. But just a bit embarrassed.) 06* Haruko nods and smiles at that. "Your son had his choice of any of number of women, sir." She looks a little whistful for a moment. "I only know of one that qualified for his trust in those situations." She then bows. "I've been babbling and distracting you from the game sir, my apologies." 06* Katie is so with Tomoe in that watching the game thing. 06* Nozomu nod and turns back to the game. Filing Haruko as the crazy friend due to not knowing any better. 06* Haruko watches the game as Kawasaki flies out to right getting Kidokoro to third. Two outs, but a pull ahead run potentially at the plate. She quietly comments to herself, "C'mon sake." And then loudly cheers for Kyon to get the Lions out of this inning. 06* Katie hears that but can't make sake magically appear. That's Haruko's power! 06* Haruko can't actually produce Arisugawa brand sake. Nozomu would dismiss it as generic. (Clearly Haruko needs a phone that can call Taki 3 years in the future, THEN she could get it delivered instantly!) (Even Haruko's not that silly. She'd be calling future Taki for advanced electronics. ;P) (*Taki gives Haruko an iPhone) (* Haruko hugs Taki. "You are the best knight ever. Even including the hot ones in films.) [Kyon gives it is all, full count of balls and strikes. The tension is mounting.] 06* Nozomu leans forward. [And its a ground hit to the pitcher, Kyon reaches for it, spins, and sends it sailing to first base for the out!] 06* Katie beams and claps. That was awesome. Go Kyon! Whooo! 06* Nozomu grins and walks back to sit next to Tomoe. 06* Haruko reaches over to hug Katie, although she's probably easily dodgable given her present state. "That was so cool! Did you see that?" 06* @Tomoe clappy-claps! "Gambare, Kyon!" 06* Katie lets herself be hugged and snorts a little, but she keeps grinning. "Obviously." And then she untangles herself from Haruko. "That was a really good play." [Mayumi similarly celebrates, Kenichi isn't excited by fielding but joins in the cheering because cheering is fun.] 01 [The runner returns, stepping into the room, with full orders: more juice and another pretzel for Kenichi, takoyaki and a Coke for Katie, okonomiyaki for Haruko, and Arisugawa sake with four cups. Yay celebration! She gives the orders where they are due, puts the sake more or less in the middle, bows, and leaves.] (Gah, stupid decorum, I can't poor the drinks, but I can lead the toast!) 01 (Haruko ordered the drinks. She can totally pour! Drunkenly.) <@Tomoe> (yep! she probably should. Yay sake!) 06* Haruko smiles with relief. More booze means less awkward second doubts about whether she just humiliated herself. She pours surprisingly adeptly, despite a jittery hand the liquid smoothly fills each cup without spilling. Perhaps she has bartending experience. (She's just a cheater and could do just as well with the bottles and glasses behind her) ( Shush, they don't know that.) 01 (I know it!) (True.) <@Tomoe> (I find it pretty fun really that I know almost as little as Tomoe does about all this stuff! It makes things interesting ^^) <@Tomoe> (and my reactions realistic, I guess :p) 06* @Tomoe gives her a short bow of thanks when offered a cup. 06* Katie waves her cup away. "Thanks, though." 06* Nozomu gives a sharp, polite one and waits for everybody, except Katie it seems to have one. She'll have to make due with her Coke. "To Kyon!" <@Tomoe> "Un!" Tomoe smiles, raising her glass! To Kyon! 06* Katie grins and raises her soda. "To Kyon," she repeats. 06* Haruko reciprocates the bows and then raises her cup and beams. "To Kyon!" (If this were a chapter in a book, I would totally end it right here.) 01 (Haha!) 06* Katie sips her soda through a straw. It's not like sake at all! 06* Haruko swirls the sake remaining in her cup while glancing over to the game where Abe is in the process of striking out. Safely looking away from the parents, she whispers, "If you ever want it watered down, let me know. As awesome and or scary as it would be to see you uninhibited." She then tilts her head and makes a bit of a face as she judges which of the two would be more likely. 06* Katie grins at Haruko. 06* Nozomu takes another sip of sake, slowly. 06* Haruko giggles at that, then looks more serious, whispering again. "How'd I do?" 06* @Tomoe speaks quietly to her husband, in an aside: "He's doing well, isn't he." Kyon, of course. [And Hara is up at bat and singles to the left. Mayumi and Kenichi both start cheering loudly as Ohsaki comes to the plate. Kenichi is jumping up and down before he remembers his pennant and starts waving it like mad.] 06* Katie eats some takoyaki, and then writes quickly on her notepad, "Little heavy, but okay. Thanks. :)" Look, emoticon! She pushes towards Haruko. 06* Nozomu nods at Tomoe. 06* Haruko grins at that and remembers that she has food. She snacks on her okonomiyaki while sipping at her sake. "Go Ohsaki-san! Bring Hara home!" 06* Katie reaches up and adjusts her earplugs again. 06* Haruko then whispers in response. "You're welcome. Anyhow, I can afford to be the idiot friend. Kyon doesn't need to bring me home to them.' 06* Katie snerks and writes: "You're good at it." She slides that towards Haruko and grins. 06* Haruko then smiles and whispers. "These are really good. You should try some." She looks at that and smiles, then frowns briefly, and then shrugs and straightens up. "I choose to interpret that as a compliment." That said, even Katie may have trouble hearing her over the cheers as Ohsaki gets a double. 06* Katie claps and readies for MADNESS from Kenichi. [Hara runs around second, third, and goes for it, but a long lob out of left field beats him to the plate. Ohsaki on second, two outs.] 06* Nozomu winces. "So close." 06* @Tomoe tsks again, sympathetically... [Kenichi doesn't care about that idiot on first overruning the base. His "DADDY DADDY DADDY" chant resumes as he runs around. He tries to lead the room in a wave. Haruko joins in, she likes waves.] 06* Katie totally does the wave! 06* @Tomoe has a soft laugh, cheered by his youthful enthusiasm. She even joins in the wave! n.n 06* Nozomu raises his hands, but doesn't stand. [And Gotou comes to the plate. Strike! Strike! Ball! And a long drive to left field that sails out the park! The stadium erupts and Kenichi looks proud, "Look what I did Mommy!" Mayumi smiles, "Yes, you and Gotou-san and daddy." She then cheers like crazy at the Lions take the lead. 06* Haruko cheers as she refills her glass, offers the spare cup to Mayumi, and refreshes anyone who wants a drink. (Final poses?) 06* Nozomu does stand to cheer for the home run. 06* @Tomoe stands as well! Oh well done! Well done indeed!!! 06* Katie does another one of those dances, this one with takoyaki in hand! 06* @Tomoe is just elated enough from success and sake to actually have a sweet little laugh at Katie's dance! [Mayumi takes a glass as well and switches over to banging a hand on the table to keep the clapping going.] 01 (Yay!) (... Huh. Here's a fun bit of characterization excercise: Which of your characters would or wouldn't offer to share the Sake with Mayumi.) 01 (Hehehe.) 06* Haruko grins and keeps drinking. "Good game, good drinks, good company, go Kyon and Ohsaki-san." She then takes a moment to judge her situation and whispers, "Man... I am getting wasted. If I talk too much, take me to the bathroom and I'll transmute myself. It's the only way I got through freshmen year." (Theo probably wouldn't. Jinx might, but probably wouldn't bother as he's unlikely to score with her after her husband got a double play. Prudence might, she's big on teamwork.) (And it's a weird list for me Yushiro, Keika, Josh, and Yumi would. Taki, all of the Tens, Nozomu, and probably Henry wouldn't.) 06* Katie nods before putting takoyaki in her mouth to keep from laughing. 01 [Session End!]