<@Ciara> [Date: Evening of Thursday, April 29, 2004.] <@Ciara> [Haruko's parents have been curious about this Hibiki boy that she's been going out with, or at least her mom is. So Seiya asked Haruko to bring him by for dinner. There's been some schedule-juggling to make it work, but finally the night has arrived!] <@Ciara> [Haruko has actually gone over a bit earlier to spend some time with her parents before Ken arrives.] <@Ciara> [The table is set with the nice dishes. Seiya is darting in and out of the kitchen, checking on the food.] <@Ciara> [Yuudai is in the living room, with his pipe and maybe also the newspaper.] <@Ciara> [What does a Haruko do? What is she wearing?] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * @Haruko is helping with table arrangements and mostly trying to stay out from underfoot of her mother. <@Ardweden> [Haruko's father is dressed in nice, dark gray pants, a pressed, button-down long sleeve shirt, and suspenders (one presumes to hold up the pants). His feet are in slippers. And he is, in fact, smoking his pipe and reading the paper, reading glasses on, from the living room, which is where the front door enters into.] * @Haruko is wearing a long turquiose dress, shoulders covered, and an evenly cut neckline with white lace. She'd been going back and forth about whether to wear a kimono, even packing a fairly simple one, before deciding it was a bit much. She wears bangles and earings that match the outfit, and took some care with hair and makeup earlier this evening, the with her long tresses loosely braided to evoke small overlapping waves lapping at the shore. <@Ciara> [Seiya has a very simple but tasteful white blouse, a dark blue skirt, and a cream-colored apron over them. (The apron has a few sauce stains on it; there's a reason why she's wearing it.) Her hair is pulled back into a bun, and she has small diamond and white gold stud earrings, plus her wedding ring, a simple white gold band.] * @Haruko's bangles and earrings are fairly simple pieces. Colored stones in simple settings. She's done the beeding work herself on the bangles, which was mostly an afternoon of picking out beads and then ordering them. <@Haruko> This all smells so good Mom. You've outdone yourself. <@Ciara> [Seiya has been preparing a grilled, lightly sauced beef dish with high-quality beef, along with sides of grilled vegetables, soup, and rice. "Thank you, dear," she replies.] * @Haruko finishes her place setting and surveys the table, stepping back slightly into a corner to be sure not to limit Seiya's room to maneuver. "Anything important in the news, father?" <@Ardweden> [Yuudai grunts and removes his pipe. "A professor was arrested for looking up a schoolgirl's skirt. Shameful... Yamagata gave a speech calling for action, but they're words. We'll see if they do something."] * @Haruko frowns, sharply. <@Haruko> I suppose an arrest is something. More than they may have done a few years back. <@Ardweden> [Haruko's father hrms in agreement and folds the paper, looking at another section of the page with his pipe now in his mouth.] * @Haruko grumpily turns her attention back to admiring the food. <@Ciara> [Seiya continues her work in the kitchen, though she seems to be mostly finished and is making sure things stay warm and don't dry out.] <@Ciara> [There is a knock at the door! A loud one!] * @Haruko heads to the door and after glancing out the peep hole, opens it with a smile. <@Ardweden> [Ken is on the other side! He's dressed pretty smartly in a dark blue suit, with a white shirt and tie. (Haruko's seen this one before; it may be the only suit Ken owns.) His shoes are newly polished, and his hair's combed neatly except for a few strands that stubbornly sticks up. When Haruko peeked through the peephole, he was shifting around uncomfortably, but now that the door's open he <@Ardweden> stands up straight, "Kinsha! You, look, uh." Pause. "You look nice." He has half a dozen yellow and orange tulips in his other hand, which he thrusts out to her.] * @Haruko accepts the flowers, admiring them with a smile. "You shouldn't have, but thank you. And welcome to our humble home." She steps back to allow him to enter. <@Ardweden> ["You're welcome," Ken says, wiping that hand on his jacket as he steps in. Yuudai's since stood, pipe in hand, and Ken stops, looking at Haruko's father, who gazes back steadily.] * @Haruko then introduces her parents as they shift their attention. "Father, I'm pleased to introduce Hibiki Ken, who in addition to being a star on the field, has been a bit of an inspiration in getting back into dancing shape." She turns to Hibiki. <@Ciara> [Seiya has finished transferring the food to serving dishes, and hangs her apron on a hook in the kitchen, entering the living room for introductions.] <@Ardweden> [Yuudai hrms and bows. "Welcome to our household," he intones formally. Ken blinks, then bows back, and says something about apologizing for intruding. Because that's what you do. Yuudai seems to think this is sufficient, and he sits back down to open his paper again - but he doesn't put his reading glasses back on.] <@Ardweden> [Ken kind of... stands there, looking around.] * @Haruko shows the flowers to Seiya, "I'll go find a vase for these, but first..." She gestures to her mother, "My mother Kinsha Seiya, our chef for tonight, no credit to me. And you've now met Kinsha Yuudai, though you may have seen him once in the distance at the shrine. But it's hard to meet people during festivals." <@Ciara> [Seiya bows politely. "It's such a pleasure to meet you," she says warmly.] * @Haruko steps away for a moment to find a vase and fill it with enough water to suit the flowers. * @Haruko is certainly eavesdropping while doing so. <@Ardweden> [Ken bows to Seiya! "Nice to meet you," he manages. He hasn't quite cracked a smile yet. But he does realize that he should remove his shoes! So he goes about doing that, replacing them with slippers.] <@Ciara> [Seiya smiles. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to put the finishing touches on dinner." She heads back to the kitchen to do so!] * @Haruko finds a nice spot on the window sill to place the vase and returns. "How are your new classes?" * @Haruko watches Hibiki without staring as she waits for a response, trying to get a read as to how he's taking it all in. <@Ardweden> ["Good!" Ken says a little too quickly. And then he revises to a much more normal, "Okay." He finishes putting on the second slipper and stands. "My math teacher's kinda lame, but it doesn't look that bad."] * @Haruko nods. "Yeah, a good math teacher is still tough but really pushes you along. A bad one just makes the textbook more boring." <@Ardweden> ["I *hate* textbooks." Ken's sounding more normal by the moment. "I just wanna do stuff with my hands, you know?" Haruko can feel her father's eyes on both of them.] * @Haruko nods, "There's a lot of different ways to learn. Sometimes see where things apply in practice work best, it's no less work but for some people a better fit." She then gently takes one of Hibiki's hands and leads him to the dining room, "And it's quiet in their, which means we should not neglect our meal." <@Ciara> [Seiya has just finished laying everything out. There's a portion of beef and vegetables at each plate, a small bowl of rice, and a bowl of soup, plus glasses of water and cups of tea.] <@Ciara> [There are no cups for sake, possibly to Haruko's dismay.] * @Haruko is dating an underaged man, so she can hardly complain. <@Ardweden> [Ken is led, easily at first but eventually he's really walking under his own power thank you very much. "Wow," Ken says upon seeing the spread. "This, uh, this looks really good. Mrs. Kinsha."] <@Ardweden> ["Yes," says Haruko's father from behind them, "You've really outdone yourself this time, Seiya." Ken jumps slightly at that; Haruko can feel it in the hand she's holding.] * @Haruko indicates the guest chair squeezing his hand lightly before letting go. <@Ciara> ["Thank you both," Seiya says, motioning for them all to sit.] * @Haruko takes a seat with a smile, "I'll have to take care in telling Maki, lest she be jealous that I've been to such a feast without inviting her." <@Ciara> [Back in her room at the group house, Maki sneezes.] <@Ardweden> [Ken sits down where instructed and lets out a huge breath. "Uh... tell her. Other mechanic girl can deal." Yuudai sits at his usual place.] * @Haruko laughs. "Other engineer lady please, we're rising socially and professionally, I'll have you know." <@Ardweden> [Ken rolls his eyes. "Fine, Kinsha. Other engineer lady."] <@Ardweden> [Yuudai exchanges a look with his wife.] * @Haruko will let those looks go for now and see how this plays out. She looks to Yuudai before touching her food or drink. <@Ciara> [Seiya returns his look with an almost imperceptible shrug before adding "It's good to give us engineer ladies respect." Her smile has returned.] <@Ardweden> ["Mm," Yuudai hums in what Haruko knows is agreement. He picks up his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu."] * @Haruko does as well, cheerfully echoing her father. <@Ardweden> [Ken stumbles along vocally.] * @Haruko starts by sampling a bit of the vegetables, making a please mmm... "So how has work been, Mom?" <@Ciara> [Seiya waves her chopsticks slightly as she talks. "Oh, quite busy. There's been a few orders lately for some very specific parts that we've had to assemble by hand. Also an independent filming company that needs some lighting and electronics work done."] * @Haruko glances over to Ken. "Hibiki was speaking earlier about enjoy some of that sort of assembly work. He's one of the more relilable members of the auto club for that sort of thing, even mechanic guys often poop out after several minutes with their arms above their heads." <@Ardweden> [Ken laughs, suddenly and around a slice of beef. He finishes chewing and swallows. "They're just wimps. It's pretty easy stuff."] <@Ciara> [Seiya nods. "I tend to work more on precision tasks than strength."] <@Ardweden> ["That's cool, Mrs. Kinsha," Ken says. He picks up some vegetables with the beef. "How does it work?"] <@Ardweden> [Yuudai watches quietly.] * @Haruko actually listens a bit too, working to draw out Hibiki some when the conversation falters but let him take the lead until Yuudai wants to take a more direct role. <@Ciara> [Seiya talks a bit about some of her tools and techniques. It's reasonably interesting if you're into mechanics and electronics.] <@Ardweden> [Ken keeps up reasonably well, only stumbling a few times when he doesn't know a term or another. He doesn't want to admit he doesn't, though, so unless Haruko helps that's going to be trouble.] * @Haruko hmms, and then jumps in to offer a word here and there, with a natural redirect when neeeded. "Yes, she's a wonder finding fault wiring with her multimeter." She pauses a moment, hmming, "Hibiki, I would actually be quite grateful if you could come over and help me set up my test basin in the craft room. Getting the wiring setup without spilling anything is probably a two person job." <@Ardweden> ["Huh?" Ken focuses on Haruko. "Sure."] <@Ciara> [Seiya offers a bit of setup advice but seems content to take a smaller part in the conversation for now.] * @Haruko notices the focus and gratefully makes note of the advice, "I do hope it's not vainity to want my own setup, it'll probably take a fair amount of work to maintain." * @Haruko frowns, "Mechanical engineering isn't just getting my hands dirty, or wet I suppose, but I feel like you're a good example in football and dance. A lot of getting better at a thing is just to make sure I'm doing it, when I'm not reading about it or thinking about it. * @Haruko finishes off her soup, waiting for a reaction. <@Ardweden> [Ken blinks, and he blushes slightly. "I, uh." He shifts, a little awkwardly. "Yeah." And he stuffs some beef in his mouth.] * @Haruko takes a bit of beef, savoring it appreciatively. "I do sometimes wonder what exactly you see in me. I'm not one of the best engineering students at Tokyo Tech, despite my ambitions. If I'm going to excel, even in my niche, I'll probably be too often buried in my work and too greedy for assistance when the physical setups get challenging." <@Ciara> [Seiya does look troubled, just for a moment, at Haruko's first sentence.] <@Ardweden> [Ken freezes at the first sentence, and when Haruko continues down her line of questioning, he practically chokes on his beef, coughing violently while reaching for his tea.] * @Haruko blushes, "Sorry, I got a little meglomaniacal there." <@Ardweden> [Ken gets his coughing under control and finally asks, "Why are you asking what I see in you? Now, in front of *them*?" He points at the parents. Yuudai narrows his eyes, slightly. "What are you getting at, Kinsha?"] * @Haruko freezes for a moment. <@Ardweden> ["Isn't it obvious?" Ken continues. "Didn't you see *enough*? I'm *here*, right? I'm meeting your parents and it's the FIRST TIME I've ever DONE anything like this and now what? You're pressing for more because I'll say anything you want?" Ken throws down his chopsticks and stands, knocking over his chair in the process; he doesn't seem to care.] <@Ardweden> ["Young man!" Yuudai barks, but Ken doesn't seem to care about that, either, as he's already turning and going for the door.] <@Ciara> [Seiya just seems to be frozen in shock.] * @Haruko closes her eyes, "Hibiki, please stay. I'm bad at this, I'm so glad you came, and I'm pressing because I'm trying to figure out the best thing we can be together and what I can give you in return. That's what I'm asking in a foolish roundabout way." <@Ardweden> [Ken stops in his tracks and turns to look at Haruko - only Haruko, the parents forgotten (at least for right now). His hands clench and unclench, then clench again. "Then why are you asking me like that in front of them? What kinda game are you playing?"] <@Haruko> Because when two ambitious people, each with their own dreams and pursuits on seperate tracks, date, we have to make the best of all the time we have. Father, mother, my apologies, I've been trying to make up for lost time and I've put all three of you in an awkward position as a result. <@Ardweden> [Ken snorts. "Whatever, Kinsha. The time thing felt awfully one way anyway." He looks away, out the window and into the quiet, deserted street. "I'm just gonna go."] <@Ciara> [Wait, when did the lights go out?] <@Ciara> [And where did Yuudai and Seiya go?] <@Ciara> [Might have been right as Haruko was finishing her last sentence...] * @Haruko glances back and forth rapidly taking in the change, bizarrely relieved that her parents have vanished. She takes a breath. "May I walk with you?" <@Ardweden> [Ken shrugs. He yanks on his other shoe and goes for the door.] * @Haruko hurriedly puts on her shoes crushing the heels. "I didn't know what would happen tonight, but I am proud to bring you before my parents. Proud of you. I wanted them to see that." <@Ardweden> [Ken frowns as he opens the door and leaves. He doesn't slam it, at least?] * @Haruko slips outside after him. She flicks the door knob lock closed out of habit. "I was wrong, impatient, foolish to talk about the terms of our relationship in front of others, let alone my parents. You shamed me, but your words were just." <@Ardweden> ["God," Ken says, only making it to the end of the walkway before throwing his hands up and turning to look at Haruko, maybe in spite of himself. "*Normal Japanese*, Kinsha. I think I liked you better when you thought I was some sort of lame bully."] * @Haruko laughs a little manically. "Figures. The great thing about you is I don't need to put on an act. Messed that up too." <@Ardweden> ["If you don't gotta put on an act, then why did you?"] <@Haruko> Because I'm kind of a neglectful, high maintenance jerk sometimes. Because I'm afraid that means I'm going to lose you... <@Ardweden> [Ken makes a small growling noise and shakes his head, rapidly. "You still make no sense," he mutters, before starting off down the road.] * @Haruko stomps her foot and then hurries after. "Also I talk to much. Your turn." <@Ardweden> ["What's there to talk about?" Ken asks as they pass a dead street light. "Looks like I'm already breaking up with you."] * @Haruko puts her hand on Hibiki's shoulder, testing if he'll shake it off. <@Ardweden> [Oh, he shakes it off. But he does stop and look at her.] * @Haruko glares at him for a moment, biting her lip. <@Haruko> Talk. I'm worth it. If you don't want me when we're done, then break up. <@Ardweden> [Ken narrows his eyes slightly, then sighs and looks away. "Fine."] <@Ardweden> ["What do you want to talk about?"] * @Haruko lets out a breath. "I feel like I'm in your debt. Do you feel that too?" <@Ardweden> [Ken looks at Haruko again and frowns. "What do you mean, Kinsha? I don't *owe* you anything."] * @Haruko shakes her head. "I mean twice I let you down when you were trying to get ahold of me or we had a date. But then when I try to do something that's like a big couple thing, I feel like I'm imposing on you too." <@Haruko> So I feel like I'm in your debt, and I wonder if that's just in my head. <@Ardweden> [Ken scowls at that. "Kinsha, I..." He shakes his head. "Look. I know I'm not smart. I know you're not dating me for my brain." He folds his arms, looking down at her. "But I'm not stupid, either. I *know* you spend more time with other guys. Or talking to other guys. Sorata. Watanabe. You go to them for your problems, not me. And it's not like I'm not there for you. I'm trying to be there for you! I just... have no idea what you want, how to get you to want to do that, or... we find time, but it's like a chore. A *schedule*. I think maybe we found more time when we were just flirting."] * @Haruko listens and nods. "Well, that's mostly that my lame high school friends are caught up in an arcane mystical tarot conspiracy that you have somehow managed to keep your distance from. And I'm afraid that if I pull you in, I'll get you hurt. It wouldn't be the first time." * @Haruko, as she says this, draws the puddles towards herself on the ground. Nothing showy yet, just setup. <@Ardweden> [Ken doesn't seem to notice, at least yet. "Yeah, you're still no good at speaking plain Japanese, Kinsha. I don't know why you gotta keep doing that."] * @Haruko draws the water up, creating a glimmering scarf, floating about an inch away from her skin starting at each bangle, running up her arms and over her shoulders. "I. Am. Magic. But. Dangerous." <@Ardweden> [Ken practically jumps back. "Holy shit!"] * @Haruko nods, staring at him. "Yup, I'm basically a water spirit." She laughs, "Also, earlier tonight, you made my parents disappear and the lights go out." <@Ardweden> [Ken's eyes are Wide. As. Hell. "A WATER SPIRIT?!"] * @Haruko grins, somewhat ferally, "Yeah, but here's the thing. You're magic too. I'll skip the tarot babble but, again, you got angry and suddenly everyone not like us vanished! That didn't strike you as a little weird? Betcha that wasn't the first time either." <@Ardweden> ["What- no. Nooooo no no, no fucking way. No FUCKING WAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Ken stumbles backwards, actually stumbling into the street lamp and slamming his elbow into it. There's an almost musical clang - not like bone and flesh on metal, more like a rock slamming against it, and he bounces off, bolting.] * @Haruko looks at Hibiki running off and takes a step or two after him before realizing that he's way faster than she is. Fortunately, Haruko likes text books and does a quick math puzzle in her head. Afterwards she turns to run back to the house, start her motorcycle that works in fields, and pursue him. * @Haruko kicks off her shoes after running a few steps, awkwardly. She's not exactly sure how the field mechanics work and hopes that they'll be there later. * @Haruko does put on her helmet, hitches up her skirt, and goes for it. The streets are dark and there's cars to navigate around in the middle of the street. But this isn't her first time on alternate Tokyo streets. <@Ardweden> [It takes a little searching, but Haruko eventually does find Ken, jogging quickly in the direction of a subway stop not too far away, his tie undone and flapping about has he runs. The lights are still out.] * @Haruko eyes the road and sets a parallel course, she raises her helmet visor, shifts her bike into neutral to lessen the noise, losing a little momentum as she over takes him, she calls out. "Running away from facts is lame, Hibiki!" <@Ardweden> [Ken hears the motorcycle, and he seems to realize that he can't quite get away like this, so he stops and turns. "Damnit, WHAT DO YOU WANT."] <@Ardweden> [He squints at the motorcycle.] * @Haruko pulls up even, still keeping parallel, her breath fast and eyes wild. "I want to you to accept what we both are and then to drag you down to a subway maintenance closet and have a good time without having to worry about hiding my powers for once." <@Ardweden> ["Shit, no, I don't wanna go into some sort of underwater portal!" Ken backs away from Haruko. Again. And looks for escape routes motorcycles can't follow.] * @Haruko pulls back slightly, that hurt, her eyes do well up. "You've known me for years now Hibiki. Do you really think I'm a monster?" <@Ardweden> ["You said you're a WATER WITCH. I've known you for years, Kinsha, this is fucked up!"] <@Haruko> High school was nightmare. People disappeared. Crazy statues appeared in the streets. My friends were kidnapped, I was too. That's the fucked up part. The powers meant I had a chance to try to help people. <@Ardweden> [Ken clenches his jaw, then works it. "So, what, you're not human? Some kind of guardian spirit?"] <@Haruko> You've met my parents Hibiki. I was born the usual way. <@Ardweden> [Ken shakes his head.] <@Haruko> I don't know what we really are, where we fit in. But you're one too. <@Haruko> I just know that we're called Arcana and we have a tarot card that kind of sort of describes us. <@Ardweden> [Ken frowns. "That... what?"] <@Haruko> You know that card drawing thing we made you do back then? <@Ardweden> ["Not really. It was probably..." Ken trails off.] * @Haruko nods and continues. "It was a while ago. There's five suits. I'm the Queen of Cups. Water, empathy, maternal." She holds up a hand, "Not perfectly accurate. You're the Four of Pentacles." She pops open her trunk and digs out her deck. "I can show you if you like. If we go back and forth, we always draw the same card." <@Ardweden> [Ken frowns, but he seems a bit calmer now. A bit. "What, like some kinda... like a magic trick?"] * @Haruko nods. "Yeah. Like in fortune telling, the card you draw is supposed to tell you about who you are. Except for us, when we've shuffled the deck and another one of us is holding it, we draw our own card." * @Haruko shuffles her deck and offers it, hand outstretched to the limit, no sudden moves. <@Ardweden> ["Huh." Ken eyes the deck, and his hand gets halfway to it before he pulls it back. "This is crazy, Kinsha. This whole thing."] * @Haruko snorts. "This is why I didn't want to force it on you. But, like, think of science class. Haven't you ever seen something demonstrated that you didn't think should work at all?" <@Haruko> I don't claim to be able to explain the science behind any of this, but I believe in reproducible evidence. I mean things that you can test for yourself and see is real. <@Ardweden> [Ken frowns, and shakes his head. His hand clenches and unclenches. And, then, yes, "Fine." He reaches over and picks up a card and flips it over.] <@Haruko> Four of pentacles? Like a star coin thing? <@Ardweden> [He looks at it. "Can't really see," he mutters, and the lights around them wink back on, with cars roaring into existence. "Ow, shit!" Ken blinks rapidly. It's a lot of light at once, on a Tokyo street not late at night.] * @Haruko reaches out to pulls Hibiki out of traffic. <@Ardweden> [He stumbles out, dazed.] <@Haruko> Climb on board, helmet is in the trunk. We can go back, face my parents, eat some beef, and find out if they can still ground me. <@Ardweden> ["Y... no, I mean... no. I..." Ken shakes his head, and he shakes his hand out of Haruko's. "I gotta- I gotta think about this."] * @Haruko nods, sadly. "I respect that. Can I drop you off somewhere?" <@Ardweden> ["No, that's... it's okay." Ken frowns, but now Haruko gets the impression that he's frowning at himself. "I'll take the train. And, uh. See you around, I guess."] * @Haruko nods again. "If you decide you want to break up after all this, that's okay. But please promise me you'll text when you get home tonight." <@Ardweden> ["Yeah." Pause. "Sure." And Ken walks, not runs, off, towards the train station.] * @Haruko watches for a minute before returning to face the music at her parents. <@Ciara> [Session End!]