[Date: April 7th, 2004] [RDMGryphon] Text from Taki to Haruko: Someday I'm going to learn that the "Try to help Katie" lever is a trap and stop pulling it. --- [Grysar] Haruko to Taki: Msg 1: Prob 1: there is no 'help Katie lever' trapped or otherwise... Msg 2: Working on metaphor Msg 3: Sorry, metaphor hard, Hibiki distracting --- [RDMGryphon] Taki to Haruko: It’s the one where I notice that Katie is hurting and I try to help and do something to make her feel worse. Have fun with Hibiki. --- [Grysar] Haruko to Taki: 4) Got phone back, situation is real but ur metaphor is wrong & I know being wrong about helping 5) Not lever -- that's binary the way ur using it 1 | 0 -- help | !help 6) More like 'season to taste' all about situation, not rules, but.... 7) U only played partial role in preparing the dish & u can't taste it, u can only judge by look & smell of dish + her body language & words (words key!) + past history &... 8) U just have soy sauce & yuzu - the dish need something else, 2 bad &... 9) She doesn't like ur brand of soy sauce because of bad past history w/ prior meals 10) ! impossible but hard & often you just don't have a way to help & she has to want help cause it's her meal anyways 11) U can get better but maybe just at one thing at a time & a lot of little disappointments --- [RDMGryphon] Taki to Haruko: Think this is more like fugu than yuzu, and I should leave it people with experience. At least nobody actually dies when I mess up. Take your metaphor and maybe practice on a safer dish? --- [Grysar] Haruko pokes Ken with her toe. "See, people can get my weirdo metaphors. Getting less lame friends and writing shorter texts is not the solution to all of my problems." Sometime later she's able to get back ahold of her phone once more. Haruko to Taki: * That is valid interp. * Also is fugu when Katie isnt asking for help - when she is asking its way easier if still dangerous - just make sure you agree w/ request & ask ?s & pay attention * WARNING safer dish approach still hard * U will see her suffer - feeling guilt & sympathetic pain - but know no good way to help * Give urself distance u need & if you can give her options she may never take & work to get better - all we can do --- [RDMGryphon] Taki to Haruko: Think Osaka’s enough distance? Have souvenirs for everybody, but don’t want to mess up anything else today. Maybe give to you tomorrow to pass around? --- [Grysar] Another natural phone interval arrives about twenty minutes later. Haruko glances over to Hibiki, somewhat apologetically. "She may still be in mild crisis, mind if I get this?" She takes a grunt in response as assent. Haruko to Taki * More emotional dist. than kms, but one can help other. * So is Osaka for real now? Hugs. Big step but important. Haruko then reads the remaining parts and smiles and then furrows her brow. "Osaka souvenirs? What do people bring back from Os-- wait, she hasn't had a chance to go back yet and I don't think she'd get them for everyone. I guess we're in spy mode. Yes, you're dating a crazy woman Hibiki, I think you'd have realized that by now." Haruko to Taki * Can come tmrw -- u may need to tell what goes to who * Want call? --- [RDMGryphon] (encrypted e-mail) Date: Evening of Wednesday April 7, 2004 (Tokyo) (about ten minutes after Haruko’s last text message) Subject: Today To: Haruko Kinsha Ugh. Yeah, Osaka is real now, one of the reasons I went today was to formaly reject her offer. There’s still a chance that I’ll check the mail tomorrow and find a letter from Hattori, but that’s not going to actually happen. As for who gets what, I’ve got five extra Shuffle invites, so you could give them to everybody but Kaede, or maybe it would be better giving him all of them when he gets back. I’m sure that Katie and Kyon will have a better plan when she recovers. I don’t want to talk to anybody right now, just hide until Katie isn’t mad anymore. But, if I don’t pass these to somebody else, I’m going to forget, and then get the worst guilt trip and have to come back from Osaka to hand them out. -Taki --- [Grysar] (encrypted e-mail) Date: Evening of Wednesday April 7, 2004 (Tokyo) (about ten minutes after Haruko’s last text message) Subject: Today To: Taki Shimiru I think I follow, will probably hear more from Katie/Kyon soon, you don't need to elaborate. I can come by and pick up tomorrow morning. You don't have to talk but I can give you a hug if you want. If that letter doesn't come, would like to know when you are leaving and new address. Will miss having you in town. Katie will be dealing with anger in various forms for some time, so please don't stay hidden. But it's okay to want evening or longer alone whatever the reason. Haruko --- <@Grysar> [Date: Morning of April 8th. It's a bit earlier than Haruko prefers to be up, but that's okay because she's driving and she wanted some buffer time so that if they did talk, she could still get to her scheduled activities on time.] <@Grysar> [She texts Taki to let her know she's nearly there from an intersection a few blocks away and then pulls up near the front of her place. Even in Tokyo, she can normally find motorcycle parking. She's not sure whether to expect instruction from Taki or the Knight herself now that she's arrived.] <@Grysar> [Start] * Taki texts Haruko back, inviting her up to the apartment. * @Haruko parks the bike, leaves her helmet in the motorcycle trunk, and heads up. She knocks quietly at the door before long. * Taki unenthusiastically lets Haruko in, she's put at least some effort into her apearance, with clean clothes and an attempt to comb her hair, but there are dark circles under her eyes and her braide is starting to unravle. "Hey." * @Haruko steps in and removes her shoes, but stays largely in the entry way. She gives a quick bow and gives the standard apology for the inconvenience of her visit. She's got it a bit more together, but only a bit, and is wearing a light blue shirt that doesn't quite mask the darker color of her bra underneath. You don't really need to do that, but thanks, and please pardon the mess. I was going to make some cookies so you'd have something pleasent to hand out too, but... * @Haruko shakes her head. "You have a lot on your mind. You don't have to sugar coat bad news from someone else." * Taki nods, and glances twords the kitchen where a couple of mixing bowls, a bag of flour, and a few other ingrediants are haphazardly lined up. "It's something that usaully makes me feel better, but when I try to think of what kind I should make for everybody, I just remember Katie's face from yesterday." * @Haruko nods. "It is a good thing for you, but there are matters it can't fix. Sometimes when we fixate on trying to make up for the past it just makes it harder to see what we can do in the present." * @Haruko reaches over towards Taki's braid, hesitating for a moment to look for permission. "So did you learn anything from her anger?" * Taki closes her eyes and leans back. "Never touch her, never say I understand, even when I think I do, and never, ever, ever make a decision for her. The first and the last are kind of the same thing, but having it in there twice might help me actually remember for once." * @Haruko nods and hmms, letting her desire to fix the braid pass for now. "Deciding for other people is sometimes unavoidable in crisis, but that's the exception. Have you tried writing them down?" * Taki opens her eyes and focuses on Haruko, and then she gives a tiny grin that quickly fades. "Maybe I should study my way to being a better friend. It can... probably can't make things worse." * @Haruko smiles a little. "You joke. But you aren't wrong. If becoming the person we want to be was easy, we'd be that person already." * @Haruko sighs. "I'm going to hug you now Taki, if you don't want that, tell me fast." * Taki blinks. "Eh? Uhm, that's fine?" * @Haruko hugs Taki, and after a few moments eases up but stays close enough to fix that braid. Hair, it's important. <@Haruko> So "better friend" is hard. And you already know some key rules for Katie and that's the wrong place to start anyways. So is there something more specific that's important for you to master? <@Haruko> For your school friends for example. You seemed like a good group, but that each of you probably has ways you'd like to improve. * Taki blinks. "It isn't?" But then she gets distracted by the new question. "Uh, yeah, I guess. And the way I'd like to improve myself is different for all of them." * @Haruko switches back. "Oh, the Katie list is a good list. But it will mostly just help you avoid problems. Better to focus for now someplace where they might want to provide some positive reinforcements." Then she nods. "Huh, that makes sense, just be careful. Picking the person you want to be for each of your friends can get pretty tiring." * Taki starts to move twords the kitchen. "Well, for a lot of people it's the same thing. Shizaru needed me to be a more responsible person to help with student council stuff and make good decisons for all of our classmates, but as Mikage's roommate, I just have to keep two people fed and get better at cooking and try not to drag Arcana nonsense into the house, and I like to think I'm pretty good at the first two. Uh, do you want anything to drink?" * @Haruko follows along. "Well, I don't want you to have to go to any trouble." Which isn't a no. <@Haruko> Those are good answers. If I'm honest, the responsibility is something I've been working on a while for Kyon. Helps for other people too of course. * Taki opens the fridge and takes out two cans that claim to be pineapple, guava, raspberry fruit juice. * @Haruko takes one when offered. "Those are exicting juices, thanks." * Taki offers and mutters a quick itadakimasu before opening her own can. * @Haruko echoes that, raising her can to Taki in gratitude. "So responsibility, decision-making to benefit others, and homemaking with a friend rather than your father. That's not a bad list at all." That's just for two people though. There's Nicola and you and Katie and everybody else too. <@Haruko> But like you said, "for a lot of people it's the same thing." Being responsible is great for everyone around you, let alone for your career. And is Nicola-san going to complain if you become a better homemaker? * Taki ponders, blushes. "I think, only if I spend too much time away." * @Haruko laughs. "Right. So you have to balance things. But here's the other important part. Are those things you value in yourself?" * @Haruko drinks after her question, watching Taki's responses and giving the girl time to think. * Taki looks down. "Can I say I value something in myself when I don't seem to have it?" * @Haruko sets down her drink and puts a hand on Taki's shoulder, gently pulling her closer. "You are flawed Taki, but don't let anyone tell you that you're worthless. You have failed, but so have we all when faced with monsters. Being unsatisfied with yourself and demanding more is part of what it takes to become a better person. You are more valuable than you know." * Taki buries her face into Haruko's shoulder. "It's not even a monster I can fight anymore. Katie killed all of them, but she's still fighting them someplace I can't reach and there's nothing I can do." * @Haruko wraps her arm around the back of Taki's head and the taller girl nestles her cheek against Taki's hair. "That's true." She closes her eyes. "In the first case, Katie won. In the second, it isn't your battle anymore, but..." * Taki just nuzzles in harder and Haruko's shirt's starting to feel a bit damp. * @Haruko gives her more time. After a while she adds. "...But the person you want to become is still needed. The virtues you want to exhibit will still aid those who choose to be close to you." * Taki looks up at Haruko with blurry, but hopefull eyes. (Side note, it's probably a good thing for Haruko's shirt that Taki doesn't wear makeup exept on the specialist of occasions.) * @Haruko pulls back just enough so she can look down and smiles. "So study hard when you're away from us at college. And don't forget to write me, alright?" * Taki rubs her eyes. "Okay dad." * @Haruko is briefly surprised by dad but then thinks for a half a second and instead chuckles softly at that. <@Ardweden> [End!]