<@Ciara> [Date: Tuesday, March 2nd.] <@Ciara> [Haruko has reached out to her network - well, her potential network - of contacts with inquiries about meeting up to discuss the Council of Mysteries, Shuffle, and whatever else might come from said discussions.] <@Ciara> [Her efforts have gotten her, thus far:] <@Ciara> [An eagerly-worded reply from Hirokazu letting her know that she can call anytime!] <@Ciara> [A cordial reply from Sumire that, while it implies that she is rather busy, she should be able to arrange a phone call in the near future.] <@Ciara> [A formal reply from Matthias that he would be amenable to scheduling a meeting with her, though he is also busy.] <@Ciara> [A very formal and also rather distant reply from Ryuji that he would potentially be able to schedule a meeting with her.] <@Ciara> [It does appear that scheduling a meeting with either Matthias or Ryuji will take some time, and Haruko can really only meet with one of them in the near future. The other would have to wait for a while. Possibly a few weeks. Possibly a bit longer.] <@Ciara> [So now Haruko has some decisions to make. What does she do?] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * @Haruko ponders her choices. She's been reading more of book two and every now and then flipping back to book one. Do Matthias or Ryuji possibly figure into either? <@Ciara> [There's not really a Matthias analogue. Some of Kensuke's fellow team members and opponents are handsome, well-dressed boys with swords, but, well, whether or not any of them are meant to be Ryuji is not clear.] * @Haruko thinks and makes a judgment call. She writes her best attempt at a dignified follow-up note to Ryuji that some of the characters in the books do seem evocative of dashing swordsmen, but nothing that strictly draws on his personality, but she'll watch for that in future books. She proposes some dates in the second half of March, not necessarily expecting anything to come of it. * @Haruko then writes a formal note to Matthias, thanking him for his time and offering meeting possibilities in the next couple weeks, to chose from at his convenience. * @Haruko then replies to Sumire, asking her when she'd like a call and noting a few limitations on Haruko's end. * @Haruko finally sighs, smiles, and writes a quick note to Hirokazu, proposing a handful of times it would be convenient for her to call him. <@Ciara> [Hirokazu gets back to her within a few hours and says he's available anytime; the earliest one she suggested is totally fine if that's what she'd like to do.] * @Haruko gives Hirokazu a call later that night, as proposed. Maki's out for a bit so that shouldn't be too awkward. <@Ciara> [Hirokazu picks up right away. "Hello, Haruko! How are you?" He's pretty cheerful-sounding.] <@Haruko> Hi Hirokazu, doing pretty well. End of semester projects are finally wrapping up and I think I might be finally turning the corner on some tinkering. You? <@Ciara> ["Oh, I'm also doing pretty well! I finished a new build of my game! Added some brand new character paths!"] * @Haruko rolls her eyes but smiles. "Okay, if you'd like we can chat about them after the other matters. It'll give us something nice to end on." <@Ciara> ["Okay." Hirokazu almost sounds like he's pouting for a second, but then he brightens. "I can give you a complete walkthrough! It'll be great!"] * @Haruko's face falls at that. There goes her evening. "So, want to talk about Shuffle or Council of Mysteries first?" <@Ciara> [Hirokazu immediately launches into a tirade. "I cannot believe that Yorihisa is stealing my tarot ideas! That traitor! After all the time we spent in Computer Club together!"] <@Ciara> ["Can I sue? Is that a thing?"] <@Haruko> Not really a lawyer, don't know. But what had your idea been? The game or something else? <@Ciara> ["The game! It was going to be really great! And now everyone will think I'm ripping off this *social media* site."] <@Haruko> Well, tarot was already kind a big after Escaflowne right? It's been around hundreds of years, I don't think anyone could legitimately accuse you of ripping him off. <@Ciara> ["Maybe." He lets out a huff. "I think I'm more upset that he didn't ask me to help out or send me an invite or anything more than him stealing my ideas. I thought we were friends."] <@Haruko> I didn't realize Yorihisa had friends. He always seemed super standoffish to me. <@Ciara> ["Well, he did ask for my opinion on projects sometimes!"] <@Haruko> Oh yeah? Like what sort of projects? <@Ciara> ["Oh, coding, little games, things like that."] * @Haruko nods. "Did he seem like he was working with anyone back in those days or was he just doing his own projects?" <@Ciara> ["Hmm... pretty much on his own."] * @Haruko nods. "If you decide to check it out, I'd be curious about what you see. But if he was your friend, he might have thought you were safer outside of it. I'm a little suspicious that it might be a web to catch new Arcana for someone else." <@Ciara> ["Maybe I will check it out, just to see how he's coded some things up. Although he's really good. I don't think I could get much just from looking at it."] * @Haruko frowns a bit. "Okay, if you do, could you let me know if anything weird happens? Or even if it doesn't." * @Haruko gives a little more detail on what she knows about the website without talking about the World, she does make sure she explains the card draw bit and what it's doing. She then briefly turns to Council of Mysteries. <@Ciara> [Hirokazu notes that he will be careful about the cards. And no, he hasn't read the books yet.] <@Haruko> If anything, that series seems like it's ripping us all off more. Except it isn't taking the you care do to actually significantly seperate characters from real people. <@Ciara> ["Well, it's not really tarot, you said? Have you asked Maki-chan about it? ...sorry, Maki."] * @Haruko's voice softens. "No, she doesn't tend to go for that kind of story. More sci-fi for her, particularly the stuff with real physics." <@Ciara> ["Oh, right! Of course!"] <@Ciara> ["So, that's really all I know."] * @Haruko sighs, preps some tea, and switches rooms over to the lounge, setting herself up on the couch and listening all about the paths, accelerating where she can. * @Haruko does encourage Hirokazu a lot to stay away from anything that rings too much of real people, particularly her roommate or Katie. She does try to give actual helpful feedback otherwise, but despite her best efforts falls asleep on the lounge couch while listening to some of the variations in the third playthrough. <@Ciara> [Hirokazu proceeds to talk to Haruko for a while, and he very well may not notice that she's fallen asleep. Which may be just as well.] <@Ciara> [Date: Thursday, May 4th. Time: Evening] <@Ciara> [Sumire sent a quick followup e-mail to Haruko that morning confirming that she would call Haruko that day. Haruko is free to wait for Sumire's call wherever she pleases.] * @Haruko is actually working in the club that evening. She's reserved a quiet spot and is actually going to run a small test of the eventual audio system for Katie's helmet. Making sure the audio isn't too loud on a Sumire call seems about as close as you can come to a real life field test at this stage of development. <@Ciara> [It's about fifteen minutes after the originally scheduled time when Haruko's phone rings.] * @Haruko picks up on the headset, using the phone's bluetooth connection. "Moshi moshi!" <@Ciara> [Loud rock music comes through first. Then a voice: "Haruko, how are you?"] <@Haruko> Can't really complain, yourself? * @Haruko makes a note that the audio quality on the music is actually really good. Getting parts off that audiophile catalog might *eventually* pay off. <@Ciara> ["Things are going. We've got some new concert dates scheduled."] * @Haruko nods. "I'd went to one last fall in Harajuku. It was a pretty good crowd. They guy I was with at the time could be pretty snobby about popular groups but he didn't have anything bad to say afterwards." <@Ciara> ["Cool! Appreciate it! So, okay, you wanted to ask about this Shuffle thing?"] * @Haruko nods. "Yeah, we might have just been late to the party. You've been on that? It seems like one of my former classmates, not sure if you've met him, might be trying to collect information on Arcana." <@Ciara> ["Hmmmm..." Sumire considers this. "Takeo got an invite. Our manager's been encouraging him to take it. Social media is big for musicians, you know. Get out there and promote your image and everything. Get our foot in the door early. But you think this is just an information gathering front?"] * @Haruko bites her lip. "I think it is an information gathering front. One of my friends did a reading and it does sound like some big Major Arcana is involved. It might also have a legitimate purpose, but I want to make sure anyone goes in eyes wide open, particularly those that want to keep a low profile." <@Haruko> Arcana-wise I mean. You're actually famous. Sorry, shouldn't fan girl. <@Ciara> [Sumire makes an amused little sound. "I guess you haven't been to any concerts since last fall. We're not pulling in the numbers that we used to. Tenjirou, damn his eternal soul, was a huge draw." She is surprisingly, perhaps even disturbingly, calm as she says this. "I do appreciate the warning, though. We'll have someone discreetly check it out."] <@Haruko> You're welcome. And I know you're busy so I'll send you an update in maybe a month or so. And please let us know if you have anything you'd like us to keep an eye on, but... <@Haruko> That concert was one of the few times I actually got stodgy Kenta- san out on the floor to dance. I don't know much about crowds or what it takes to succeed. But you three are good in a way that doesn't at all reflect just the afterglow of a bastard with superpowers. <@Ciara> ["Heh. Thanks. Wish more people saw it that way, but we just have to keep working at it. Listen, I gotta go. Meeting with our manager. But check back in a month or so, yeah? It's been nice talking with you." Sumire hangs up, but there was a note of genuine warmth in her voice at the very end.] * @Haruko removes the headset and scribbles some notes on the call and the headset quality. She quietly sings one of Sumire's songs to herself as she works for the next hour or so, before one of the clubmates walk in and reminds her of the "No Haruko singing without ear-pro in place" policy. <@Ardweden> [The next day - Friday the 5th - Haruko finally gets confirmation from Matthias that he'll meet her on Saturday. He suggests a trendy restaurant in Shibuya with the note that they have private rooms. A quick internet search tells Haruko that the price tag is a stretch for her normally but she could make it work; with her finances as they are now, it's a resounding hell no.] <@Ardweden> [What does she do?] * @Haruko stares at the menu and looks over to Maki before shaking her said. There are limits to even free food finding powers. She calls home at a time when she thinks her mother would be around. <@Ciara> [The phone rings a couple of times before it is answered by one Seiya Kinsha. "Haruko! Sweetie, how are you?" Her voice is warm and cheerful.] * @Haruko lights up. "Pretty well in most things, Mom. Classes are finally coming together. Hibiki still confuses me sometimes but I've learned to iceskate which is more than I can say for some dates. I'm a little worried that I'm not as good with electronics as I think, but that may come with time." * @Haruko takes the time to pay her proper filial duties for a bit. She hasn't talked with Seiya in too long. <@Ciara> [Seiya chats happily, giving Haruko encouragement regarding her classes and suggesting that she bring this boy over for dinner at some point.] * @Haruko takes a deep breath. "Mom, we've been dating like two months! Half that time I've been neglecting him because things are stupid busy. Isn't it just a tad early? Isn't father always telling me to take things slow?" Her words not withstanding, her tone is playful. <@Ciara> ["Well, I think your father might enjoy meeting him. It's been a while since one of your friends came over. Whatever happened to that nice boy with the lovely hair? Watanabe, yes?"] * @Haruko smiles. "He's actually in Maine, North Eastern United States now. He's playing hockey and thinking of majoring in English. For all that he's had a tough time in family matters, I really envy his linguistic skill." <@Ciara> ["Oh, that's quite a long ways from home!" Seiya goes on to express sympathy regarding family matters, and then make inquiries about Maki. The conversation seems to be moving to a logical wrapping up point, Haruko. If there's something you want to ask your mom, you may need to get on with it.] * @Haruko sighs. "So, Mom, I have a favor to ask. Some bad short circuits and some club stuff have left me a bit short. Which is fine, Maki's a huge help for tactics there. But I've got a meeting with one of the contacts Kyon has introduced me too, but he wants to meet at a nice place, a *nice place in Shibuya.*" The way Haruko says that last phrase indicates that this is practically a form of insanity but one that she's never seen before. <@Ciara> ["Oh, is this one of the internship contacts you were mentioning?"] <@Haruko> Kyon has been a huge help on the internship search, but some of his contacts are kind of fancy. * @Haruko sighs. "But, I've been talking with Maki about the need to get someone diligent and good with numbers in the automotive club presidency. Between that and maybe having a meal or two at home when I might otherwise have gone out, I think I'll be in a more sustainable place soon. <@Ciara> ["Well, it would be nice to see Maki again. I know she's been busy too. And I am still interested in meeting this Hibiki boy. So think about bringing them when you come home for one of the dinners, all right? I'll have your father wire over a transfer."] * @Haruko agrees with her mother's suggestion without complaint. She then replies in the affirmative to Matthias and consults with Maki about what she should order. She'll be paying dearly for this meal, so she wants to find a lower end item that will be worth it. <@Ciara> [Maki raises an eyebrow at those prices, but she accepts the challenge!] <@Ciara> [The next day, March 6th, Haruko arrives at the restaurant for a late lunch. Since she biked over, she'll need a few minutes to park, unless she wants to use the valet service, and then she'll probably want to freshen up post-helmet removal.] * @Haruko gave herself a little time to park and checks herself on the street with a compact mirror around the corner. She's wearing her blue blazer and slacks as she didn't have an appropriate formal and motorcycle friendly skirt. She's going jewelry light as sometimes it's better not to try than to risk being underdressed. However, she does take a moment to pin up her hair before walking in. <@Ciara> [Haruko's arrival is greeted by a maitre d', who is happy to show her to a side room close to the front of the restaurant when she states that she's here to meet with a Herr Weiss. That is the right word, isn't it?] <@Ciara> [Matthias is waiting for her, dressed in a sharp deep gray suit and a tasteful dark purple tie. While he has kept his preferred hairstyle of having long bangs in the front and shorter hair in the back, he stopped dyeing it after high school and it has now grown out to be an attractive shade of light brown.] <@Ciara> [The table is already set with lots of silverware. Lots. Of. Silverware.] <@Ciara> [We did mention this was a restaurant that specialized in Western cuisine, yes?] * @Haruko sure hopes it is the right word. She heads in, paying attention to her posture. She was warned by Maki that there might be lots of silverware, it's supposedly pretty simple, just start on the outside and work in. She gives a proper bow, "It is a pleasure to see you again. I appreciate you taking the time away from Keio to speak with me." <@Ardweden> [Matthias stands when Haruko enters and bows. "It's not much trouble," he says politely, and goodness he's cleaned up well. "I'm always happy to spare some time for old contacts. Please, sit."] * @Haruko does so, sitting with poise and grace and letting a few strands of hair fall fetchingly over her cheek. Now is no time to be intimated by hot guys! "I don't have any specific agenda beyond what I already sent ahead, so please focus on what you deem most important, including new business if you prefer." * @Haruko may have actually played out the scenario of going to a nice dinner with a particular high-status gentlemen a few times in her mind before this. Substituting Matthias in doesn't disrupt it too badly. <@Ardweden> [Who would ever be intimidated by Matthias? Who sits down smoothly and picks up his menu. "Of course. How are you finding university life? You're going to Tokyo Tech, right?"] * @Haruko smiles. "Correct." She gives an easy shrug. "It's challenging at times, if I was not choosing classes that pushed me, I would be making poor use of the experience. But I've had the opportunity to mature as an engineer and it appears my desired path of studying tidal power may be a viable one. How are you finding Keio?" <@Ardweden> ["Challenging but profitable," Matthias says with a small smile, and then a waiter comes in! Matthias raises his hand for his attention and orders antipasto without consulting Haruko.] * @Haruko briefly considers raising an objection but puts it out of her mind. She looks at his choice and remembers her discussions of various options with Maki, "Ah, I look forward to trying the olives on that dish." <@Ardweden> ["They're very good," Matthias agrees, and he gestures for Haruko to order if she wants. And now the waiter's looking at her.] * @Haruko picks a bread course. Maki recommends bread at this sort of place as both fairly filling and usually quite tasty. <@Ardweden> [And so, the meal continues! Appetizers come out and are shared, then a real first course, then a second, with ordering all the way... why does this place have so many courses? To top it off, Haruko's not even getting full; it's clear the restaurant's dishes were designed with three to four courses in mind for a full meal. The food is very good, but she may or may not be enjoying it as much as she could, given a quick calculation tells her that she might end up in financial trouble even with her parents' emergency money.] <@Ardweden> [Matthias, on the other hand, is calm as hell and seems to be ordering without care when it comes to price tag. He's not Kyon. Honest.] * @Haruko has been having a bit more trouble keeping the act up as the courses mount, once she fumbles her utensils, again with a small shrug and noting that she sometimes misses the precision of chopsticks when dining on other cuisines, but the variety is certainly worth the challenge. <@Ardweden> [Matthias seems amused, if anything, and will actually help Haruko hold her fork correctly if she needs it.] <@Ardweden> [Finally, during what must be the main course (Haruko's been steadily working her way into the innermost sanctum of her silverware), Matthias sets his knife and fork down - he'd gotten some sort of beef dish rare... mignon, maybe? - and leans forward. "So," he says, "what did you actually want to talk about?"] * @Haruko looks up from her plate. She is holding her fork in the manner that Matthias showed her, she even had encouraged him to help her adjust her finger position and blushed slightly as he did. Dinner is a battlefield lacking currency and she'll use what weapons she has at hand. "We were shut out of Shuffle and are left puzzled as to its larger purpose. We can live with the polite exclusion, but if there's a legitimate purpose and key players were being contacted, I thought you might already know." <@Ardweden> [Matthias nods. "This is a social media site, isn't it?" He pulls his phone out from an inner coat pocket and flips it open.] <@Haruko> Yes. The spokesperson and designer is Murimora Yorihisa. He attended our high school and does credibly have the technical skills to pull this off, but heretofore had shown no interest whatsoever in socializing. We have reason to suspect a Major player is the prime move behind this. <@Ardweden> [Matthias is inputting something in his phone, and when Haruko says that last sentence he glances up at her. "How Major?"] <@Haruko> An Arcana of the prior cycle. We don't have solid proof and I do hesistate to speculate. <@Ardweden> [Matthias sets his phone down, still open and facing him. He picks up his fork and knife. "Why not? Your insight could be valuable."] * @Haruko smiles. "In my psychology class, we discussed a concept called 'confirmation bias.' If we lay out theories before all evidence is on the table, than we risk adjusting our interpretation of new data to fit the guess, rather than vice versa." She gets a faint trace of a grin. "Some of my comrades have accused me of doing so in the past, so I take special care to avoid that risk." <@Ardweden> ["Understandable," Matthias says, carving a small bite of beef off of his fillet. "But if you truly thought your current interpretation of the data wasn't worth mentioning, you wouldn't have done so."] * @Haruko proceeds to build her case. She deliberately leaves out discussion of Satoshi's past, but does lay out the odd speech pattern, the age and the formal dress, the company and its apparent training role, and the finally ends with a full discussion of the reading. <@Haruko> There is one notable incongruity, Winston Connery had said he believed the World never let herself age over her mid-thirties. But, despite his capability to know everything, I do not necessarily trust that he is fully cognizent of such matters involving womenfolk. <@Ardweden> [Matthias eats slowly at points and messes with his phone at other points, but nowhere in there does he seem to be ignoring Haruko; on the contrary, he asks questions and makes comments to prompt her to tell him more information in greater detail. By the end, his phone is back in his hand and he's paying full attention to Haruko.] * @Haruko, having finished her discussion, ceases talking, giving him time to think. She takes a long moment to taste one of the croquettes that has been lying on unattended on her plate. With a small flick of her tongue she licks her lips therafter. "These are simply marvelous, you must try one." <@Ardweden> [Matthias considers for a brief moment. "Connery's a lot of things, but he's the fool if he wouldn't put it past an Arcana who is possibly centuries old to go against what she'd normally do if it got her what she wanted. Nobody but Saki Morikawa can live that long without some level of cunning." And then he notes Haruko's statement. "If they're that good, you should have it. Thank you, though."] * @Haruko proceeds and nods. "We tend to think the same way." She gratefully does eat her own croquette, she wasn't kidding about the marvelous and the Kami know she won't be back here any time in the next few years. <@Ardweden> [Matthias has another one of his small smiles. "Then I wouldn't say that your intuition is off." He glances at his phone. "I did get an invitation to Shuffle, before you contacted me about it."] * @Haruko nods. Now is the part of the dinner when she focuses on looking charming and listening. <@Ardweden> ["I didn't join, however. I've little interest in testing something that may not even take off. But I will look into it... and this connection with the Council of Mysteries. It is strange, though. Why would a series of light novels that so blatantly mentions us be connected with a site that's connected with what seems to be a way to fish out Arcana? I would think that most of us would want to <@Ardweden> avoid anything of the sort, at this point."] * @Haruko thinks. "The best hypothesis I have heard is that for the novels may not be for people like us, but for those who weren't full on participants in the war. Those who might not even know their own card, but may recognize enough oddities that no one else can explain to be drawn in. If you have powers, but don't know why, it might be very compelling." * @Haruko frowns. "But..." <@Ardweden> [Matthias raises his eyebrows, waiting for Haruko to go on.] <@Haruko> I have seen the author, actual name Uehara Aka, in person at a book signing. One reading pegged him as a Magician-type, not in terms of power but in terms of personality. He may have just found a story he wants to tell. He seemed to enjoy playing with me when I walked into his web. I'm not sure the way he was acting aligns with the Shuffle approach at all. <@Ardweden> ["Perhaps not," Matthias agrees. "He may not know much about it- or much about us, for that matter. Even if he does have a story, he might not have the entire thing. Not to mention..." And he smirks. "It's dangerous to toy with those more powerful than you."] <@Ardweden> ["Uehara Aka sounds like the kind of man who has just enough information to cause trouble, for himself and for others. After all, look at what happened to the actual Magician."] * @Haruko nods and then drops her mask of sophistication for a moment as an idea occurs. "Do you have any ideas on dissuading him? I want to be sure I offer compelling options to disquieted friends." <@Ardweden> ["Dissuading Uehara, you mean?"] * @Haruko did pause a moment before saying disquieted. She chose that word real carefully. * @Haruko nods. <@Ardweden> [Matthias frowns. "A show of force or power, possibly... someone could force Temperance to act and erase his memory. It's been done before."] <@Ardweden> ["Alternately, legal action may be possible, if we can prove - without touching on Arcana - that he's copying one or more of your lives closely. I'm only a student in law, but I could look into it."] <@Ardweden> ["But the threat alone might be enough."] * @Haruko nods and leans forward. "Understood. At the end of his second book, he raises the specter of kidnapping. Some of those were reported and were largely restrained by the police. But we would need a willing complaintant I think." She leans back and frowns. "Perhaps I should see how closely it could be traced to me, and what that would necessitate reporting that I had not previously." * @Haruko closes her eyes for the moment. "I would appreciate a preliminary look into that question." <@Ardweden> [Matthias nods. "Certainly, I can do that as a favor for you." He glances at his phone again, then flips it shut. Ambient noise from the restaurant that Haruko didn't even realize was missing - it's really quite quiet in the private room normally - comes seeping back in.] <@Haruko> Is there anything I can help you with? * @Haruko glances at the phone for a moment. Silence and phone use. That's a neat trick. Someone in her group is at least partially replicable. <@Ardweden> ["Let me know more about Shuffle and Uehara Aka as information comes up. This sounds like it may involve all of us."] * @Haruko nods. "We've taken to using encrypted emails for such communications. I'll begin using those with you on these question, and I'll send over the instructions that helped me, as it was more of a hassle than I first expected." <@Ardweden> ["It's much appreciated." Matthias offers Haruko a business card with fresh contact information, and shortly after that, the waiter returns! Matthias orders a couple of small desserts, one for himself and one for Haruko, and he offers to take the check.] * @Haruko gasps slightly in a show of surprise. She bows, "You are far too kind sir. We shall have to invite you over for our next formal meeting, when your schedule allows of course." The knowledge she's financially secure makes the dessert taste all the sweeter. * @Haruko returns a business card with proper ceremony. Kyon helped her design them for the internship search process. <@Ardweden> [It's a nice card! Matthias accepts it with a little bow. And then they have a nice, comfortable dessert, settling back into polite small talk. Not long later, Haruko leaves with a full belly and all of the money her parents had wired her. It's probably a pretty good feeling!] * @Haruko walks around the corner, leans against an alley wall, and just breathes. She sends quick texts to her mother and to Maki, updating them as to the situation. After a pleasant drive back to campus she dismounts her bike with an easy smile before frowning for a moment at her pleasure. She sends a quick text to Hibiki saying, "Missed you. We should do something." <@Ciara> [Session End!]