[RDMGryphon] (Encrypted e-mail) From: Taki Shimiru Date: Afternoon of Sunday, March 21 (Japan) Subject: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada Kazuko Yamagata is Arcana. I don’t know what card, but she’s got a field and is one of the people we saved from Sho. She also kinda remembers me. ***** (Encrypted e-mail) From: Taki Shimiru Date: Afternoon of Sunday (a few minutes later), March 21 (Japan) Subject: Not as planned To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada I ran into her having an argument with a reporter over the NDP and not doing enough about all the people that disapeared two years ago… she fielded to try and get away from him and dragged me along. I didn’t get his name, but it sounded like he had a personal stake in the story. Maybe he’s like Arisu? Also no luck finding anything about Uehara Aka at Handai, but I know where the records room is now. I’m on the bullet train headed back to Osaka now. -Taki --- [Grysar] (Encrypted e-mail) From: Haruko Kinsha Date: Evening of Sunday (a few minutes later), March 21 (Japan) Subject: Re: Not as planned To: Taki Shimiru, Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada Taki, thanks for the heads up, hope your trip went well otherwise. Not really surprising that you didn't get anything on Uehara Aka, as sealed records are sealed records. Perhaps too much too hope for but we could try later if it's important. I didn't immediately remember who Yamagata-san was, so I've attached the part of Katie's email that goes over it, in case anyone else forgot. Looking at her picture, what you say could make sense, though frankly that night is a blur for me. _[Yorihisa ana Kazuko's speeches] kind of resonates with older speech patterns from earlier news shows and stuff. [They] also uses a lot of phrases that are heavily used by the Liberal Democratic Party, esp in speeches about education, and when it comes to that double esp to do with speeches about high school in the Tokyo area. Also they’re used a lot more among lower ranking members of the party, sort of a stock speech thing maybe?_ _One of those kinds of people is Kazuko Yamagata. [wiki link to her; there’s no much to be found, unfortunately]. I saw her when Kyon & I went out in December. She looked kind of familiar but I couldn’t place her then. It might be coincidence but maybe not. At least if she’s involved we know one place she’s been._ How'd the encounter go? Was she threatening or otherwise mean? Background for Wataru-san: Often the people we saved are grateful, but sometimes they're just big jerks. We'd rescued friends and allies from Sho in Osaka but he also had captured a bunch of people we didn't really know. He was draining them of their Arcana power somehow, trying to build up a supply to take on the Oni, or so he claimed. It seemed like what he was doing was like (spoilers) the end of Witch Hunter Robin, except even worse in person. I'm going with a pop culture reference as honestly I don't fully understand what he was up to even now. He seemed to have ways to both extract power from Arcana and to make addictive drugs that allowed for a crude form of mind control. Those may have been two entirely separate things though. Most of the villains involved with Sho's drug ring are dead or jail, Ryo Shingo being the notable exception though, while quite evil, Ryo seemed to compete with Sho as often as he worked with his allies. (Guys, correct me if I'm getting any of this wrong) Haruko --- [RDMGryphon] (encrypted e-mail) From Taki Shimiru Date: Evening of Sunday, March 21 (Japan) Subject: Re: Re: Not as planned Uh, no. Really surprised that there was another Arcana there, and she remembered me from Osaka, but I had to catch a train, so we both wound up running away. -Taki --- [Ciara] (Encrypted e-mail) From: Satoshi Watanabe Date: Morning of Monday, March 22 (Japan) / Evening of Sunday, March 21 (Maine) Subject: Question To: Taki Shimiru, Haruko Kinsha, Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada Taki, I'm curious. Why were you in Osaka? Satoshi --- [RDMGryphon] (Encrypted e-mail) From Taki Shimiru Date: Morning of Monday, March 22 (Japan) / Evening of Sunday, March 21 (Maine) Subject: Re: Question To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada My second choice school is down there so I was looking at student housing with Dad, Mikage, and her mom. I’m running out of time for a late acceptance letter from Hattori, so my trading in the title of Knight of Cups for Iron Chef is looking like it’s going to be a long way off. It’s too bad, staying in Tokyo would be more convenient. -Taki --- [Jihatsu] (Encrypted email) From: Wataru Yamada Date: Morning of Monday, March 22 (Japan) Subject: Re: Not as planned To: Taki Shimiru, Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Haruko Kinsha Wow. I can't actually say I'm that surprised - she was turning up often enough to seem connected - but that's still a hell of a reveal. You said you and her both ran away? Does that suggest she doesn't want anything to do with other Arcana right now? We should verify whether or not she's actually dating Uehara. I can't remember if that got confirmed or not. But if so, and that means she might be a source too, does that mean the Osaka events - I mean the ones from 2002 - might turn up in some form in future books? Does anyone know where she would have been back then, before the Osaka stuff? She's a bit older, right? Anyone know which high school she went to? Or am I overthinking this? Wataru --- [Ardweden] (Encrypted!) From: Katie Andrews Date: Late Afternoon of Monday, March 22 (Japan) Subject: Re: Not as planned To: Taki Shimiru, Kyon Sorata, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Haruko Kinsha, Wataru Yamada Wataru's question is a good one. How did she react to you, Taki? You said she recognized you but was she friendly or not? Did you get a business card from her or anything? We saved her back in Osaka so that should be points for us but then again Yorihisa exists. I would like to know more. I don't know anything about Kazuko Yamagata besides what I've already told you guys. I didn't even really recognize her when I saw her at the restaurant in December & I don't think she recognized me. Taki is a lot easier to pick out of a crowd than either of us. Also I think I was wearing a scarf that day. I remember some parts of Osaka very well but given how much we were doing and the condition the people we found were in we didn't even get names. Everyone wanted to be safe as fast as possible. & we had bigger problems. Anyway if she's feeding Aka stuff for whatever reason yeah. Some version of them will turn up in his books. Katie --- [RDMGryphon] (Encrypted e-mail) From Taki Shimiru Date: Monday March 22 (Japan), Evening Subject: Re: Not as Planned To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada She wasn't running away from me, she was running away from the reporter. She sounded relieved, and thanked me for being there, and I think she wanted to talk more, but I only just managed to catch my train as it was. Also, I did promise Mikage's mom that I'd get her back to Osaka before the the last train back to Tokyo, so I really didn't have time to do anything but pretend that I didn't recognize her and ask to be let out of her field. I don't know anything else about her, or how to get in contact and, unless you want me to sign up for Shuffle with my real face or walk into a NDP recruiting office, I think it's going to be a bit before she starts looking for me in the right city. But the reporter was asking questions about the kidnappings in 2002 might be a clue, but I don't know how to get in contact with him either. Then again, I can just imagine how awkward "The good news is that he guy who was responsible for all of that is dead, and all of his friends are dead, but his missing brother probably didn't fall into a hole leading to another dimension, so if can find him, maybe you can get some closure. The bad news is that one of Yamagata-san's associates will be along shortly to erase your memory of this conversation." would be. Also, I just realized that I haven't actually mentioned that all of this took place in the Kyoto Station, and before anybody asks, we were there because Mikage... Actually I don't know why Mikage needed to send her ex-boyfriend a postcard from the old capitol, but it was important to her. I'm going to stop writing before I tangent any farther. -Taki --- [Ciara] (Encrypted e-mail) From: Satoshi Watanabe Date: Night of Monday, March 22 (Japan) / Morning of Monday, March 22 (Maine) Subject: Question To: Taki Shimiru Taki, Ah, okay. I wish you the best of luck, then. Satoshi --- [Rowyn] Kaede comes in with his computer into the coffee shop that day with a buzzing computer, alert with wanting to tell him his own messages. Loads of new messages. Of course. Hard day of classes doesn't always make it easy to get to right away, but there's his cup of gradually cooling coffee ready as there's the hit of another one coming down the pipeline. Fortunately, at this point, he has a filter for it. Unfortunately, that means he knows right where it goes. Signalling the waitress for "Excuse me, sorry. Another one," he finally pulls out his laptop and sighs. They're really going all out lately. New thread, from Satoshi, pings off in his head as he unfolds it. Alright. First time to catch up on all those Taki emails he had been missing... A gradual frown creases his features for this and he types his reply first. ============================= (Encrypted e-mail) From: Kaede Takeuchi Date: March 25th, Early Afternoon Japan To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Taki Shimiru, Wataru Yamada Iron Chef, eh? We'll have to get together sometime to compete in that title. But what about the reporter? What was the reporter's name? I think I missed this and it seems a pretty important question everyone seems to be missing. Why there's still investigations going on in that incident...there's some new lead here I think we're missing. I mean....not doing enough for people who were lost due to the kidnapping incidents? I didn't see it as a hugely political issue. This could just be the typical scandal sheet but tht seems like a rather desperate angle of attack for me. Am I just wrong? If I get the name of the reporter, I'll track his sources to see if there's any bites there. Her being an Arcana is one thing. But this sounds as if she has enemies. And if someone is targetting her specifically with this, this enemy may very well be more Arcana. Am I off base here? Recovering old territory? Let me know. Otherwise, I'm fully onboard with looking into this. Shouldn't take more than a moment of my time. -Takeuchi Out --- [RDMGryphon] (Encrypted e-mail) From: Taki Shimiru Date: March 25th, Mid Afternoon Japan To: Katie Andrews, Kyon Sorata, Haruko Kinsha, Satoshi Watanabe, Kaede Takeuchi, Wataru Yamada I look forward to our competition, which we should probably have before I have to move away from Tokyo. I didn’t get the reporters name, I didn’t get a lot of things I could have out of that. But if I’d stayed I would have missed the last train and Mikage and I would either have to get a cab to drive us back to Osaka and at least be with our parents overnight or spend the night in Kyoto by ourselves. I think you’re the first person to actually say anything about him being a lead. I wish I could get you more information, but all I know is that he was really disheveled and it sounded like he had some personal interest in the story. I mean, a scandal sheet going for a years old kidnapping story by hounding one of the victems? He could lose his job over something like that. Can you do a search for people who wrote stories about it when it was happening? And maybe see if there was somebody who kept writing them after we rescued everybody? -Taki [End!]