<@Grysar> [Date: Sunday March 7, 2004.] <@Grysar> [The morning air is crisp, Katie and Kyon got an early start, the better to see birds and avoid people.] <@Grysar> [Perhaps they wandered the wooded paths for a while, with Katie quite effective at seeing the city birds and those more native to the park in the upper boughs, but now they are headed down to the iris garden.] <@Grysar> [There's a short descent with wooden stairs, the small matter of buying tickets, and then the garden unfolds before you.] <@Grysar> [Start] <@Grysar> [For reference, here's some images of the garden: https://goo.gl/uD01Ll There is no snow in this instance.] * Katie is a little bit ahead, her eyes wide. To hear Katie tell it, she's never been to Meiji Jingu before. That's because she hasn't. She's sometimes taken Kyon's hand while they've walked but mostly let him be while she's looked at this bird or that, chatted about birdsongs, or taken pictures with the camera she's brought along. It's probably a nice change of pace, given all of the Arcana stress lately. * Kyon stops at the bottom of the stairs, and looks around. He's in a dark grey scarf, with his regular leather jacket and dark pants, as well as a plain grey baseball cap and sunglasses, as is pretty common these days. And the regular armwarmers, as well. He surveys the garden quietly. <@Grysar> [Kyon is more familiar and spots a few mandarin ducks paddling. Katie also notes the carp beneath the surface and the trill of birdsong further inside.] * Katie ohs softly at the Mandarin ducks and she creeps over to them, squatting a bit for a better look. And taking a picture if they don't scatter. <@Grysar> [The ducks show no sign of fear, and perhaps would even come closer in hopes of food if they noticed her, but they do not as she is ever so quiet.] * Kyon starts padding up behind her, trying to be quiet, but is probably not so quiet as Katie. * Katie is still in almost-winter gear, though she's ditched the hat and the gloves at this point. It's chilly. Extra so, given it's still pretty early. She straightens and turns to Kyon. "Look!" she calls, quietly insistent, pointing out the ducks in the pond. "They've got so many colors!" <@Grysar> [Kyon's approach, though perhaps requiring more thought than Katie's, is just as quiet. The ducks are none the wiser and the carp swimming beneath are clearly in view.] * Kyon nods curtly, and says quietly, "They're Mandarins. You haven't seen them before?" <@Grysar> [One of the waterfowl rears up, flapping its wing and showing their underside while sending driplets of water sailing through the air. A disgruntled neighbor quacks at this and the first duck settles down.] In books. I think they- * Katie gets distracted by duck flapping, and she laughs a little but doesn't get a picture, then finishes, "stole half their colors from other ducks." * Kyon watches them, amused, and snorts a small laugh. "Don't think that's how evolution works." <@Grysar> [The laugh is enough to get the ducks' attention and they begin paddling away. However, there are more further in, and irises just begining to unfold.] * Katie lets out a faint "aw" as they paddle away, then takes Kyon's hand. "I heard more birds this way." And she heads farther in! * Kyon lets her take his hand without any real fuss, and lets himself get pulled along, pacing along beside her. <@Grysar> [The path turns a corner and the entry stairs are no longer in view, but the two do see higan cherry trees draping their branches high above the path and pond. A red-flanked bluetail sits in one, although given its earlier song perhaps another is nearby.] * Katie lets out a tiny excited squeak and gestures - no words necessary, LOOK AT IT - and then tries to get a good picture. This may require more sneaking. * Kyon watches this, and follows her gesture to look at the bird. It is a nice bird. <@Grysar> [Katie is able to find a fine angle and get a picture or two before spotting the bird's desired mate.] * Katie stays quiet and still, then, and she watches with her camera ready. * Kyon does his best not to move. <@Grysar> [The first bird flies over, chasing the other a few hops before the settle on a common branch. As they do so though, Katie can make out the sound of two people, speaking quietly and respectfully, descending the around the bend on the path that the two of you just traversed.] * Kyon keeps his eyes on the branch, and watches for Katie to take the picture. This is definitely a Katie picture. * Katie notices the voices, but she's still mostly concentrating on birds. She raises her camera and adjusts focus, snapping a picture. * Kyon moves a little again, rolling his shoulders. <@Grysar> [Getting the focus right takes a bit of care and more time than might be ideal, but she's got it! Which is good because there's a sudden call of "Kat-" from back down the path, by the pondside. Moeta has spotted the two of you and called out before Hotaru has the presence of mind to see what Katie is doing and cup a hand over her enthusiastic classmate's mouth.] * Katie glances over, then takes two more pictures before backing away. <@Grysar> [Katie has been seeing the two in class, but she hasn't been doing as much with them of late, completing the required work but not taking full advantages of the lab opportunities offered. She's been kept in the email loop in a perhaps passive-aggressive form of transparency that makes no requests of her but does keep her appraised of what the more directed are doing.] * Kyon blinks, and looks down at the pair of them. "You know them?" He says lowly. <@Grysar> * Moeta looks surprised at the gesture and Hotaru just shakes her head, removing her hand. She quietly comments to him in a voice meant to be too low for Katie to hear: "Even if she wasn't taking wildlife photographs, you shouldn't shout in a garden." She then waves over herself. * Kyon looks at them again, and then down at Katie, an eyebrow raised curiously. "Seems like they know you." * Katie waves back and says, quietly enough for them not to hear without exceptional hearing, "They're from my biology class. We've done group work together." * Kyon nods quickly. "Haven't really talked about them much," he says quietly in return. * Moeta looks up to Hotaru with uncertainty. The taller girl gives a slight shrug and then walks over carefully, trying to figure out what Katie was looking at. * Katie blinks at Kyon. "I haven't?" Pause. "I guess..." And then Hotaru heads there way and Katie smiles at her, waving her over and pointing out the red-flanked bluetail couple. <@Grysar> * Hotaru looks that way and sees the one and then smiling notes the second. She scoots to a slightly better position. * Kyon shrugs quickly, and barely says, "Not lately, anyway." And then straightens. Waiting to see if Katie wants to introduce him or not. * Katie doesn't introduce Kyon yet. Respect for bird watching! <@Grysar> * Moeta looks a little later, eyes widening. He whispers, "Ooh, I don't think I've ever seen one of those here before." * Kyon rolls his eyes a little while all the birdwatching happens, and looks off further into the gardens, jamming his hands in his pockets. * Katie whispers back, "It's pretty lucky." She's holding very still. Don't want to spook them. * Katie probably noticed Kyon rolling his eyes, but she doesn't comment on that. <@Grysar> * Hotaru nods and whispers to Moeta, ". Red- flanked bluetail. In this case the bright blue one is the male." <@Grysar> * Moeta looks surprised at that and whispers back. "Wow, there's two. And yes, I'm aware of how sexual dimorphism works in birds." * Kyon shifts his weight, and moves his sight line down into the flowers more nearby. * Katie comments, softly, "They're pretty early. I wouldn't have thought they'd be here until later this month." <@Grysar> [Meanwhile, Hotaru's phone starts to vibrate in her purse, it may well be ringing soon, she doesn't seem to have noticed yet.] <@Grysar> * Moeta nods speaking softly over the end of Katie's sentence. "I'll say. I normally would have come here at 11, but she insisted.. oh, early in the month right." * Katie tries to estimate if people can normally hear something like that vs. not. She debates for a second, then lets it slide. Incoming ringing to ruin birdiness, no doubt. <@Grysar> [Indeed, the two fly off as the phone begins chiming and Hotaru scrambles to silence it, blushing slightly in the process.] <@Grysar> * Moeta helpfully whispers "Even when not bird watching, you should silence your phone in a garden" in a tone quite effectively mimicking his classmate. That earns a quick dirty look. * Kyon looks between the pair of them, and rolls his eyes somehow even harder than he did before. * Katie sighs, stretching a little. "Lucky we got to see them at all," she says at a more normal volume. And then she gestures to the eye-rolling guy who was looking off towards the flowers. "This is Kyon Sorata, my boyfriend. Kyon, this is Hotaru Meiou and Moeta Mizuko, my classmates in biology. We do projects together sometimes." <@Grysar> [Hotaru frowns as she reads the display on the phone, but she rejects the call and cuts off the opening midi polysymphonic tones the Sailor Moon-S opening. The both of them turn their attention to Kyon and bow.] * Kyon bows at a polite angle, and says formally, "Pleased to meet you." <@Grysar> [Katie, what have you told them about him?"] <@Grysar> [Kyon, do you deem them to be important?] * Katie has told them basically nothing. They *might* know she has a boyfriend. It's even less likely she told them that she lives with him. * Kyon doesn't particularly figure that they're important, if she's talked about them that little. <@Grysar> * Moeta echoes the formality in his response. Hotaru is still a little shaken but recovers fairly quickly, "It is a pleasure to meet you, even if you're key competition for her attention." <@Grysar> * Moeta looks up to Hotaru at that. Really Hotaru? * Katie blinks once, too. Really? * Kyon raises an eyebrow at that one. <@Grysar> * Hotaru looks obviously chagrined at everyone's response, but earlier her tone was jocular on the surface but pained underneath. Moeta doesn't seem that surprised that Katie sort of dropped out of their life but Hotaru seems like her hopes were a bit higher. "I'm sorry, I've got a meeting that I'm dreading later today and it has me all out of sorts." <@Grysar> * Hotaru bows again. "Anyone accompanying a birding expedition at this hour demonstrates the suitable forbearance for dating a biologist." * Kyon shrugs quickly, and smirks. "Thanks. I'll try not to get too upset about the meeting competition." <@Grysar> * Moeta looks thoughtful, does this mean he's actually potentially a catch? * Katie snerks a little, then asks, "What's the meeting about?" <@Grysar> * Hotaru's phone buzzes as a text message comes in. "High school drama." Second buzz. Oh, yeah. I know all about that. Do you- that's a lot of messages. * Kyon looks at the phone. "Thought you were in university?" <@Grysar> * Hotaru gives a pained look to Kyon. "Yes. Going to university should be the end of high school drama, shouldn't it." She looks down at the phone for the snippet showed on the front cover. * Katie glances at it, too. Maybe she can see what it says! Possibly not. * Kyon nods quickly, and then allows reluctantly, "Doesn't always work." <@Grysar> [ Got here early. You still--] * Katie's fingers twitch slightly - the side closer to Kyon. "Where did you go?" she asks, sounding mildly curious. <@Grysar> * Hotaru sighs. "I should take this, in hopes of containing matters..." <@Grysar> * Moeta interrupts to answer, "The Academy, y'know, Tokugawa. Probably really academically cut throat, maybe I should be less jealous." <@Grysar> * Hotaru gives a non-commital nod at that statement. * Kyon glances down at her cautiously. * Katie says, a little joking, "You should always be less jealous." And then to Hotaru, more seriously, "Good luck." <@Grysar> * Hotaru smiles gratefully. "I won't let this ruin the morning, but I should respond to the call. That said, Moeta-san is right, I should step out of the garden first." Can you get back in...? <@Grysar> * Moeta shrugs. "No worries. I can look at ducks." <@Grysar> I think so, I mean if they aren't jerks about it. * Kyon watches the exchange with a small scowl, and looks down at Katie. * Katie glances up at Kyon, then says, "It might not be a good idea to risk it - what if they *are* jerks about it? Then Moeta will be with the ducks forever." <@Grysar> * Moeta gives a pleading look at Hotaru. Don't leave him with the ducks. * Kyon smirks at that response. "Those ducks are used to it. They're used to pairing for life." * Katie laughs. <@Grysar> * Hotaru sighs and then glances around, she finds a stone bench uphill and initiates the call. At this distance, Katie should be able to hear both ends without much trouble. <@Grysar> * Moeta laughs and does actually look at some nearby ducks before looking back to the two of you. "She didn't mean anything by the competition crack. End of the semester just gets pretty stressful even without 'high school drama.'" * Katie wrinkles her nose. "I know," she lies. "I'm sorry I haven't been around as much." * Kyon shrugs quickly. "For the record, it's not my fault." <@Grysar> * Moeta shrugs at that. "We all have choices to make. You didn't leave us hanging, not really." He then gives Kyon a look as he processes that statement. <@Grysar> * Hotaru whispers into her phone after it connects. "I said I'd meet with you, you're calling an hour early, what's the deal?" I don't think I would have. <@Grysar> * Moeta kneels down to take a closer look at the ducks. "We get a lot done, and I think animals are cool and all, but that I'm no substitute when it comes to talking about living creatures." <@Grysar> * Takeo responds. "I told you in the email, man. This Council of Mystery thing is bad news. This author knows stuff he shouldn't." His tone is frustrated. * Kyon looks at him sidewise, strangely. "So you're better talking about dead ones?" <@Grysar> * Moeta snorts. "No, I mean dissection is important and all, don't get me wrong. But I'm more interested in living things but one or two levels down, medical research, that sort of thing." * Kyon nods curtly. "With cells." <@Grysar> * Hotaru grips the phone. "Are you really interrupting my one morning to actually get out in nature this week to complain about young adult urban fantasy literature that strikes too close to home? What the hell, Takeo-kun? I said I'd be there later." <@Grysar> * Moeta nods. He looks over to Katie. "Should I get into details?" * Katie continues listening in, but she says to Moeta, "He can keep up pretty well, but maybe not as many as you went into with me or Hotaru." * Kyon snorts a little laugh, and twitches his hand at her slightly. <@Grysar> * Moeta nods. "We've got some really good professors at the university, even if some of them are research focused. There's a project I'm hoping to get into on how cellular organisms recognize one another. It's mostly focused on the immune system but there are other potential applications." * Kyon nods curtly. "Like what?" <@Grysar> * Takeo snorts. "What's with the angry whispers? Look, forget the fantasy parts. Pretend they aren't in the book. There's still a character that reminded me a lot of you, quiet, always hanging around, knew more then she let on. And y'know, I can't help but wonder." <@Grysar> * Hotaru pales a bit. "I don't know what you mean." <@Grysar> * Moeta smiles. "Well, I suppose it is still the immune system, but take transplants. Part of the reason they're so rare is the need to get a precise match. Blood type matters there but it goes beyond that." <@Grysar> You took a lot of notes back then-- * Kyon nods back to him curtly. "And you want to know more about why." <@Grysar> * Hotaru's interrupts. "Medical records are important. If anyone I helped needed care for the same thing later--" <@Grysar> * Takeo interrupts. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying, if you're not the one talking, you could help me figure out who did." <@Grysar> * Moeta shakes his head. "No, we have the mechanisms down there pretty well. The question is more how to overcome them." He proceeds on in greater detail. * Kyon listens, hands jammed in his pockets, and asks terse questions at appropriate points! * Katie lets Moeta and Kyon talk; she nods on occasion - when appropriate or to indicate that Moeta hasn't gone into too great detail - but beyond that she's largely focused on the conversation she shouldn't be able to hear. Her hands move, too, rubbing together because it's kind of chilly. <@Grysar> * Hotaru lets out a breath. "I'm not sure what part of the concept of confidential medical records is giving you trouble here Takeo-kun. I've done as you asked, but I'm not handing anything over unless you convince me that there's an immediate danger, and then only the relevant parts." <@Grysar> Right Hotaru-chan. Look, it's just better if the two of us work this out. You know how Sumire feels about narcs." <@Grysar> * Moeta then suddenly interrupts his spiel pointing off in the distance. "Hey, I think I see an owl over by the gazebo, that's super rare in daytime, right? C'mon." * Katie starts, looking that way. "Really?" Is there an owl? * Kyon glances off at the bird, and squints. "I don't see anything." <@Grysar> [There is. Katie's sharp eyes can make out a gray one under the boughs of the gazebo roof. A moment later she tkes note of the elderly couple down that way. One of them is actually pointing to the position and probably was what clued in Moeta.] <@Grysar> * Moeta digs a point and click camera out of a pocket and heads down that way, moving with greater than usual care. <@Grysar> * Hotaru is quiet for an uncomfortably long period, her breathing shallow and fast. * Katie glances at Hotaru, then bites her lip briefly and reaches over to Kyon's forearm (his hands are in his pockets). She squeezes it briefly. "I'm going to let her know where we're going." * Kyon glances down at her, stays still as she squeezes his arm, and then nods curtly. "Go for it." <@Grysar> * Moeta looks puzzled by this. "She's bright, she'll figure it out." He then gets going. Apparently he's picked up the spirit of looking at birds. <@Grysar> I kept your trust Takeo-san. * Katie smiles a little, then lets go and puts her hands back in her pockets. She walks in Hotaru's direction, getting closer but not close enough for most people to be able to eavesdrop with how quietly the other girl is talking. <@Grysar> * Hotaru glances up. "Look, I should probably go. I'll keep the meeting. See you soon, okay?" * Kyon follows along with Moeta towards the owl. <@Grysar> * Hotaru looks over at Katie and tries to put up a facade of calm. * Katie approaches once she's hung up. "You okay?" she asks. Genuinely, because even with the facade, Hotaru's pretty obviously not. <@Grysar> [Kyon can actually see it now. Greyish brown with horn feathers.] <@Grysar> * Moeta smiles up at Kyon. "Heh... its chest is puffed out. I've always through owls looked super serious." * Kyon nods curtly, and squints at it through his sunglasses. <@Grysar> * Hotaru does finish up the conversation and hangs up. She's holding her bag pretty tight. Based on past conversation, she takes medical confidentiality very seriously and would probably require a dang good reason. Frankly, given how discombulated she is at the moment, it would probably be easier to find a way to seperate her from her bag than it would be to get her to knowingly hand over anything. <@Grysar> * Hotaru ponders her answer. "I'll be okay. He's a good guy. Just direct and too quick to a conclusion." She's not to the meat of it yet though, and that's obvious from her tone. <@Grysar> [Kyon really can't quite make out the owl thanks to his shades. It blends too well with the wood.] * Kyon isn't about to take them off while he's wearing a baseball cap. So you're the one who's kept him from jumping to the wrong one? * Katie sits next to Hotaru, indicating that she can take some time to calm down. She might be missing an owl for this. <@Grysar> * Moeta lines up a shot. Meanwhile the elderly woman has actually gone from noticing the owl to noticing Kyon and his cap. <@Grysar> You overestimate my social prowess in high school. * Kyon follows the view of the owl, for the angle that Moeta is pointing. * Katie smiles a little. "I didn't know you in high school. Knowing you now, that makes sense." <@Grysar> [Kyon can actually make it out now. It's a cute little guy. The horn feathers look a bit like giant eyebrows on this particular bird.] * Kyon makes a small chuffing noise when he finds it. At least he's spotted it okay. <@Grysar> * Hotaru nods. "But yes. That's what I'll try. I have no idea why the thing he's worried about has him so rattled, but I'm afraid he'll do something stupid if I don't talk to him." <@Grysar> * The elderly woman tries to discretely indicate Kyon's baseball cap to the elderly man. It's not quite working, he's a bit hard of hearing. <@Grysar> * Hotaru sighs. "Really, I think the lesson of high school is there's no set of rules that will let you save everyone." * Katie frowns slightly. "Yeah." And then, more quietly, "Yeah." * Katie looks down at her hands. "It's a hard lesson to learn." <@Grysar> * Moeta looks over at the old couple. Have they found a new bird? Is it past Kyon? Is there a bird on his head? No that's silly. * Kyon makes a point of looking away now, off in a direction where there probably isn't a bird. <@Grysar> * Hotaru sighs. "Yes. I did figure out that for most people, the rule they care most about is keeping their secrets." <@Grysar> * Hotaru gives a weak smile back. "At least when actual justice isn't on the table. But I'm holding you up. And that all should be in the past, fortunately, that's not usually a problem with animals." * Katie nods. And then she says, "I understand. I know about secrets," in a way that conveys that she genuinely does. And animals have none to tell. I think the guys are scaring away an owl. Want to see? <@Grysar> * Hotaru looks excited about that and stands up. "An owl? Really?" She evaluates the risk of the guys scaring it off. "We should move." * Katie laughs, and she stands. One person cheered up! She waves for Hotaru to follow and walks fairly quickly, but not loudly, to where the others are. <@Grysar> [The group reconvenes to take a moment to properly observe the owl with apparent eyebrows of significance.] * Katie is delighted, and she takes a least four pictures of Puffy Serious Owl. <@Grysar> [As the groups seperate Katie can hear Moeta excitingly confiding in Hotaru Kyon's likely status as a celebrity pitcher.] <@Grysar> Yes. What was your first clue? The baseball cap? His height? Or the tufts of orange hair? * Kyon scowls at the owl. <@Grysar> [The elderly couple give Kyon friendly looks of recognition but don't swarm for autographs or anything. It's the wrong place.] * Katie nudges Kyon lightly with her elbow. "Don't take it out on Serious Owl," she tells him. "It's not her fault." <@Grysar> [And soon enough the elderly couple has moved on and the two have time alone. Assuming the serious owl and the ducks aren't spies.] <@Grysar> [Hotaru and Moeta were on a tighter schedule and got going after a bit of owl fun. Also things were kind of awkward in multiple ways, and presumably neither Katie nor Kyon gave any sign that they should really stick around for a while.] * Kyon shrugs quickly. "She can't even see I'm glaring. Or if she does, she doesn't care." High above the affairs of men. She was talking to Takeo Kirishima. He's worried about the same books we are. * Kyon glances down at her sidewise, and lowers his sunglasses. "They're friends?" * Katie looks up to meet Kyon's eyes, and she nods. "Yeah. She told him she's meeting him today." * Katie hesitates a second, then says, "I considered asking Kaede to track her, just to see where, but that's probably not needed." * Kyon blows out a breath, and rocks back on his heels. "Everyone's just popping back up." He nods curtly. "Probably means we can find out if we need to find out later." Not hard. I have her phone number... * Katie's phone is in her hand, and she looks at it. She lets out a sigh. "If I knew her two years ago..." She starts walking away. "She could access *his* medical records." * Kyon shrugs quickly, and moves alongside her. "But you didn't. And you couldn't." * Katie grimaces. "Yeah." So there's no reason to think about it. It's just- yeah. You're right. And I know her now. * Katie tucks her phone back in her pocket. "And I'm going to try to be a better friend to her." * Kyon nods quickly. "Right. And she's got the forebearance for biology. Good to know someone like that." * Katie laughs. "Yeah." She reaches for Kyon's hand. "Come on, I heard some birds that way." * Kyon looks down at her, and snorts, shaking his head a little, before letting her lead him off. <@Grysar> [End!]