<@Haruko> [Date: Morning of Friday, April 2nd, Japan. Evening of Thursday, April 1st, Maine. Haruko and Satoshi have a previously arranged video chat. Let's see what they're dong now.] <@Haruko> [Start] * @Satoshi has the room to himself tonight, as Paul has an anime club meeting/showing. It's convenient! * @Satoshi opens the video chat window and waits for Haruko to log on. * @Haruko has finished her exams and she's in a sports bra along with athletic shorts. She's presently fixing her hair up into a pony tail, her tank top lying overtop the chair. Maki had a planning session with the astronomy club this morning so she has the room to herself. * @Haruko is caught by surprise when her computer and phone simultaneously remind her that it's phone call time. Hastily finishing securing her hair, she rushes to log in. * @Satoshi is wearing a light blue button-down shirt, probably jeans, and his hair's loose. He looks kind of tired when his face shows up on Haruko's screen. Then the tiredness is immediately replaced by a blush. "Um. Am I interrupting something?" * @Satoshi politely glances aside. * @Haruko glances down and sighs. "And Maki is right, I do need a morning checklist for this coming semester." * @Haruko hastily pulls overtop her tank top which actually does nicely complement the broad straps of the sports bra. "It's safe, or at least I'm no more risque than usual." * @Satoshi turns his head back and laughs just a tiny bit. "Okay. I did get the time right, didn't I? Daylight Savings isn't until this coming weekend and that's when everything jumps ahead an hour and now we'll be thirteen hours apart instead of fourteen. Like when I first got here." He pauses. "Daylight Savings is *weird*." <@Haruko> Honestly, I just let my calendar handle it for me. But yes, time is right. * @Satoshi smiles. "Okay, good." He leans a bit closer to the screen. He really does look tired. * @Haruko looks at him for a moment. "You still up for this? Need any coffee?" * @Satoshi shakes his head. "Nah, if I drink it now I'll have trouble sleeping. I've learned that over time. And I don't actually have to do late night work tonight, so..." * @Haruko smiles a little. "So, what would you like to talk about? Hockey news first, I'm guessing." * @Satoshi grins. "Am I really that predictable?" * @Haruko laughs. "Yes, but when I'm excited about a thing, am I any better?" <@Satoshi> Point. So, yeah, we're going to the in Boston! Our next game is going to be on the 8th - probably the 9th for you - against Boston College. And if we win, then we go to the championship! That'd be against either Denver or Minnesota. * @Haruko nods and notes this down on her calendar. "I think we were originally planning to hook something up live to watch. But I guess with Kaede traveling..." * @Satoshi nods, too. "Yeah, we're still nailing stuff down for that. I mean, it would be really awesome if he and Akemi could actually watch the games, and maybe record something from there, but... I'll figure out some way for you guys to see things. Especially if we make it to the final." He looks at her. "Actually if Kaede's in transit then it might just be the final. Assuming we make it. But I'm going to think positively, especially since Boston College is a team we played a few times this season and won against more than we lost." * @Haruko nods. "Yeah, it's easier to think about a known quantity." She looks pensive for a moment, "So, when I eventually get to watch, what should I be looking for? What do you pay attention to when you are in fan mode not athelete mode?" * @Satoshi leans his chin against his hand for a second in thought. "Hm, well... I mean, I always pay attention to how the guys are moving. Their skating, their positioning... there's a lot going on, but I'll usually pick a couple players and focus on them when they're on the ice." * @Haruko jots down a note or two. "So I do know how to watch figure skating and some racing, but what should I look for in hockey skating in particular? I'll need more help on positioning, but let's start easy." * @Satoshi begins ticking things off on his fingers. "Speed, if they're trying to avoid other players or going after them... what they're doing with their sticks is also important, but that's a different thing." * @Haruko nods. "Let's keep it simple here. Speed makes sense." <@Satoshi> So, I mean, being fast is a pretty good advantage, but you have to keep pace with your teammates. <@Haruko> There's that whole off sides thing, right? * @Satoshi grins. "Yep, exactly! And icing, too." <@Haruko> Icing? <@Satoshi> Yeah, that's when the puck ends up all the way at the other end of the ice because you shot it or missed a pass. <@Haruko> Okay, so off sides is about not getting ahead of the player with the puck. But when does icing come into play? Like I've watched a little on TV to prep and sometimes it seems like it just gets knocked to the other half of the rink. * @Satoshi smiles. "You have? Who've you been watching? Oh, and, uh, yeah, it's only icing if it crosses the center line and goes all the way across the opposing goal line at the end of the rink. Unless it goes in the net, in which case it's a goal and a very embarrassed goalie." * @Haruko laughs and nods. "Kokudo Tokyo. I had Hibiki help me find something. I've also been asking him some questions, but he keeps huffing about how soccer and hockey are totally different sports." <@Satoshi> Oh yeah, they're really good! And soccer and hockey are really different. Well. They both have goals. And goalies. But everything else is different. And hockey's better, of course. * @Satoshi grins. * @Haruko rolls her eyes but keeps smiling. "Vey objective there Satoshi." * @Satoshi gives an exaggerated shrug. "Would you really expect me to say anything differently? * @Haruko sticks out her tongue. "You were saying earlier about your predictability." * @Satoshi laughs. "Okay, true. That's completely fair. So do you have any more hockey questions?" <@Haruko> Two. I'm ignoring sticks, so lets skip straight to positions. What should I look for there? <@Satoshi> Okay, so, you've got your three forwards - one in the center, and then the two on the wings. For my line, I'm the center, Liam's on the left, and Joshua's on the right. And then there's two defensemen who stay somewhat behind. So you want to see how the forwards are matching with not only the opposing defensemen, but also the other forwards. * @Haruko nods and jots down notes. <@Satoshi> So there's a couple different formations you can go with, but I mean, the thing is probably just to pick a guy and watch him for a bit and see where he goes. Or a girl but women's hockey isn't on TV as much. <@Satoshi> If you get to see any of our games, look for the number 92. * @Satoshi grins again. <@Haruko> That at least I knew. <@Haruko> Last question, who am I allowed to find cute, aside from you? Because if I'm actually keeping myself from checking my phone for more than an hour, athelete appreciation is going to be part of it. * @Satoshi blinks a few times and blushes. "Um. Uh... uh. Well, I'm pretty sure Liam would never forgive me if I didn't mention him, so... number 67." * @Haruko nods. "67, check." She continues to watch Satoshi expectently. * @Satoshi shifts nervously. "I mean... I guess when the camera pans over the bench you can look at everybody and see who you like?" * @Haruko nods and maintains a serious expression. "Okay, but just your team? That's fine, but I screwed this up at one of Ken's game and later made a comment about an enforcer on the other side." She shakes her head, "Huge mistake." * @Satoshi tries to nod solemnly. "Yes. Just Maine, please." He still looks a little overwhelmed. * @Haruko shows a hint of a grin. "Satoshi, you're a center on a team in the , you've got great hair, and you'll be showing your stuff on the ice. People are going to find you cute." * @Satoshi reaches up to rub his nose with his right index finger. "I'm, uh. Um. I think they should be paying more attention to how I play than how I look." * @Haruko thinks for a moment, dropping the show of solemness. "Doesn't the one lead to an appreciation for the other? I mean it's different for you, like you said they mostly show guys, but say the olympics. It's kind of mutually reinforcing for me." * @Satoshi looks down for a moment. "I don't really... watch the Olympics. I mean the last one was when everything was going on anyway, but... yeah." * @Haruko notes Satoshi's reaction and ponders is there something he's afraid of or is it something else? For now she just holds up her hand, "Sorry, I don't mean to push. And I think you can seperate appreciation from action and emotion. That's important to me as I'll be at no small number of dance practices for the next few months." * @Satoshi blurts out, "We should go dancing sometime. Um. If that's okay. If you're not busy. I haven't danced in a while and I like doing it and we talked about it before and we didn't have time, so." * @Haruko smiles broadly. "I'll always have time for that. I want to show off some of the moves I've been learning. They moved the setting to the eighties but are mostly keeping the original mid-century New York choreography. It's just too good touch." * @Satoshi relaxes slightly. "Yeah, I'd like that. When are your performances going to be?" * @Haruko idling notes down, on a post-it beyond the sightline of the camera, ask about Olympics *after* playoffs over. "Oh yeah, we just got the date. It's later summer, so thankfully the performance is well before my other classes get really hard." She checks her notes and names a date. "I'd love it if you could be there." <@Satoshi> I'd be leaving mid to late-August, so as long as it's before then, I'll definitely make it. * @Haruko's eyes glint a little as Satoshi says that. Probably a trick of the light. "Oh, good. And thank you for getting me a response on my offer. Even if I disagree, I appreciate the way you're putting my family first." She shakes her head, "I don't even know why that sort of nobility from you surprises me at his point." * @Satoshi looks a little embarrassed. "Ah, well, yeah. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. And I'm not really noble, just... I wanted to make sure they'll be okay. But, I mean, if you guys need any heavy lifting done, I think it'd be fine for me to stop over and do that." * @Satoshi does seem to have relaxed, though. * @Haruko slowly shakes her head, smiling. "It would be ungrateful to further insist, but that attitude is why it would be so easy to welcome you has family." * @Satoshi smiles warmly. "Aww, thank you." * @Haruko leans in. "And surely, if you will help at the shrine, you would not turn down dinner afterwards? Mom would insist on fixing some of the dishes you've been missing over there." * @Satoshi laughs. "Okay, yeah, I cannot say no to your mom's cooking. Thank you." * @Haruko nods. "Think about what you'd like to have and let me know." <@Satoshi> Sure. I mean, anything she'd want to make would be good, but I'll think of a few things. <@Haruko> Don't worry, she'll have her own variant, whatever it is. <@Haruko> So, are there other things you'd like to talk about? <@Satoshi> Yeah. * @Satoshi takes a breath and lets it out. "Hinako mentioned Hideo, huh?" * @Haruko nods. "She was asking how you were doing. And I do think she means you, Satoshi, and not some remnant of the past." * @Satoshi frowns. "If she means me, then she shouldn't call me Hideo. And why would she want to know how I'm doing?" <@Haruko> This is a fair complaint, I think it's just a thing she does to everyone. It was disturbing one of Taki's friends too. <@Satoshi> I mean, it's kind of... rude? I wonder if she'd stop if someone asked her to. Then again, I'm not sure I'd really be all that eager to talk to her, so. Was she just asking about me because everyone else was there? * @Haruko puts an elbow on the table and rests her head on her hand. "It is kind of rude, but everyone has been too shocked to say anything." She then looks over to Satoshi, "I don't think it was just perfunctory. Do you recall anything about your prior interactions with her? Aside from the belts." * @Satoshi swallows. "The time when all of you were trapped in between worlds... when Saki and I went to the World Reversed and we met Komine-san and got the Cup... right before that was the first time I met her. She told me to go to Kyon's apartment, and then I met her and Saki there and found the rest of you." <@Satoshi> She called me Hideo then. <@Satoshi> I was still... still doubtful about it. <@Satoshi> After what happened with Komine-san, I knew it was true. * @Haruko nods. "That in and of itself must have been a lot to grapple with. And she was always giving quests as well." * @Satoshi shakes his head. "I don't... I don't regret it, though. If the price of saving you all was finding out what I used to be, then it was worth it. More than worth it." * @Haruko blushes and looks him in the eye. "Thank you. And please remember all you've done for us on those times when you judge yourself harshly." * @Satoshi smiles. "I'll try." His smile fades a bit. "Could I ask you something about Komine-san?" * @Haruko nods and closes her eyes, expression pensive.' <@Satoshi> Before everything that happened in the World Reversed and we brought back the Cup, did you ever have any dreams or visions or memories of him? <@Haruko> No. I had no dreams at all until this past winter. * @Satoshi blinks. "Huh. I wonder if that had to do with part of his spirit having been in the World Reversed." He frowns. "Not that I have memories or dreams or anything. I'm pretty sure I can't." * @Haruko nods, eyes still closed. "Perhaps. Did you have more to ask?" * @Satoshi opens his mouth to say something, then stops. "No," he says, a moment later. <@Satoshi> Not now, at least. * @Haruko opens her eyes and waits for another half a moment and hears the follow up. "Perhaps a conversation to continue, after playoffs." * @Satoshi nods. "Yeah." * @Haruko settles back. "But on the Heirophant, I would advise that you perhaps think less of her associations with your predecessor or more on the other things she may be saying or doing." * @Satoshi tilts his head slightly. "Do you think we need to worry about her? After she talked to Yamagata at the graduation? And about a Council?" * @Haruko shakes her head. "Katie is looking into Yamagata and the Council." She makes a face, "I think they're trying for something next week. We'll keep you in the loop, but if it happens before the playoffs..." * @Satoshi sighs. "I'm going to be out of touch for a while because I'll be traveling and then in Boston and everything. I'll make sure to let everyone know when I'm about to be difficult to reach." He pauses. "Do you think... people will understand if I just don't think about Arcana things for a few days?" * @Haruko nods. "I think that's the right thing to do. If it's a real emergency, we'll get in touch. Otherwise, catch up once the season is over. Just be aware I may ask the same courtesy for a few days if I actually have a role in the show. I think we've all been pretty good about respecting finals too, thankfully." * @Satoshi smiles, relieved. "Thanks. I'd definitely do that for you, too." <@Haruko> So, other topics? <@Satoshi> How was the graduation? <@Satoshi> Other than unexpected people showing up. Or, I guess, Hinako was kind of expected since her sister was graduating. <@Haruko> Not bad. I think it was a little much for Wataru-san, but that's fair. I enjoyed meeting two of Taki's people, Mikage-chan and Kenji-kun. They were fun. Shizaru-chan got pulled off for administrative stuff I think, but she was a proper lady on stage. <@Satoshi> Aww, I'll have to let Paul know that. <@Satoshi> My friend Haruko says that Shizaru was a proper lady on stage! * @Haruko nods and grins. "Tell him that. It was great to see Taki graduate too, even if it makes me feel a little older that we've all moved on." * @Satoshi slowly nods as well. "Yep. It's kind of weird that she'll be starting her first year as I'm finishing mine, but I guess I'm getting used to being a little out of sync with the rest of you." He pauses. "So everyone else was there? The whole group?" * @Haruko quickly answers in the affirmative before thinking a moment. "Wait, no, no Kaede. But I think Taki and Takeuchi-san can be a bit like he and I, except with fewer attempts at commnunication on either side." * @Satoshi looks pensive. "Hmm, yeah. I just remember our graduation last year, how we all said we'd get back together for hers. Well, okay, that was probably not realistic of me at all, but it was the spirit of the thing. I guess times keep changing... it's silly to think they wouldn't." * @Haruko does look a little sad at the casualty of the promise. "Well I do appreciate that the two of you got together for iceskating with me. And we can do a rental lakehouse over the summer, although I'll get your permission before nailing down the invite list." * @Satoshi nods. "Right, yeah. Did you have places and people in mind already?" * @Haruko nods. "I'm actually checking out some places now. All in driving distance. There are some with neat dunes in addition to simple beaches. As for people, I'd like you, Hibiki, Katie and Kyon. I'm comfortable with the rest of the group being invited but I don't insist." * @Satoshi grins. "Not exactly eager to share your vacation getaway with Kaede?" * @Haruko shrugs. "If Akemi-chan comes too, totally worth it." <@Satoshi> Do you want me to ask them? * @Haruko nods. "I'd like that. Takeuchi-san and I are doing better, but our communication is still a little weak. If you ask it'll be easier to have an honest conversation about what they want to do and what their needs are." <@Satoshi> Okay, I'll try. I think this could be really fun. * @Haruko nods and grins. "So that leaves Taki and Wataru-san. I think they're getting to know one another, but we don't necessarily need both." She then frowns, "I hate to leave out Maki, but this may be easier with just Arcana and we'll do something else fun together." * @Satoshi makes a face. "You think this is going to be an Arcana vacation, huh?" * @Haruko shakes her head. "This is going to be a vacation. There's no Council agenda or anything. But just sometimes it's easier not to track who is around you when you're talking about stuff." <@Satoshi> Hmm, yeah. Okay. I'll think about it? And let me know what other thoughts you're having on it? * @Haruko nods. "No pressure on anyone. Well, except Hibiki, mild pressure there. I'll respect your choices. Otherwise, I mean, I do want to find a place where Katie can try hang gliding and I can actually experiment in the water while we have a spotter, but I don't think thats at odd with actually enjoying ourselves. Much the opposite." * @Haruko also decides, based on earlier conversation, it's totally not the time to mention skinny dipping. Have to be super tactical about that and ideally lightly inebriated all around. * @Satoshi blinks. "Hang gliding, huh? I guess that's the closest you can get to flying. That's a really neat idea, and very thoughtful of you, Haruko." * @Haruko blushes at that. "I had some help from Kyon working the idea through and getting a model she can practice with. Don't tell her yet, not sure she's gotten it." <@Satoshi> I'm not quite sure I'm up to that sort of thing yet. I'm a lot better with heights than I used to be, but the thought makes me kind of nervous. Do you think there'd be a place with like a beginning climbing thing to work on it? * @Haruko nods. "Sure, I'll add that to my criteria." * @Haruko shrudders slightly. "I've been trying to work with Kyon on my own fears. We haven't made that much progress and I still don't even like thinking about it. But it still feels good to try to take it on." <@Haruko> No, Not good, it feels liberating. * @Satoshi nods slowly. "Yeah, it's a big thing. A very big thing, and hard, and if you want me to help with any of it, let me know. Though I can see why you're asking Kyon." He stretches and blinks. "Ah. My shoulder was feeling a little odd earlier, but it seems fine now. I don't suppose you cam heal people just by talking to them, can you?" * @Haruko shakes her head. "I think that is beyond my abilities, but sometimes I can give them a chance to tend to themselves." * @Haruko writes down the beginning climbing thing, while she's thinking about it. Also an oblique note about a past conversation * @Satoshi rubs at it. "Well, whatever it is, it's definitely good." And then he yawns. "Sorry. Still kind of wiped out from games and middle of the night things and all my classes." * @Haruko nods and glances at the clock. "I understand, I may feel that way in a few hours." She asks, a little tentatively, "Was there anything else? I'm good on my end. Glad we talked summer plans." * @Satoshi shakes his head. "Nope. I'll keep you updated on playoffs and summer plans." * @Haruko gets up and puts together her bag, still looking at the monitor and camera. "So what should I say to wish a hockey player good luck on the big games?" * @Satoshi smiles. "Exactly what you said." <@Haruko> [End!]