[Ardweden] Katie takes a step back and away at Nozomu's motion, so now she's back in the doorway. She looks up at him with wide eyes. "I-" She licks her lips and swallows. Why...? "I just- don't know my way around." Her eyes dart back to the laptop. [RDMGryphon] Nozomu glances at his bare wrist and then gives the girl before him a carefully blank look. "I can hardly let a young girl wander my own home lost in the dark. If you are hungry, I can take you to the kitchen because I'm going there myself. If you need directions to a bathroom, or back to your own room; I can give them to you. If your problems are of a more feminine nature... I will go wake Tomoe, and I'm sure you'll be able to work something out." His voice firms up as he finishes. "If you're looking for Kyon, I suggest you head right back to your own room and wait until breakfast." [Grysar] [Page of Swords, the mention of these names and this man's comments recall memories that leave sit at the edge of your conscience. The events just before you woke up begin to fade and lose some precision, particularly with regard to faces. You may embrace your identity as Mikari and try to read a situation, while feeling like a bit out of a fish of water here but perhaps stitch together your old memories and new. Or you may reach to the edge of your consciousness and focus on understanding this man, but be left with uncertainty as to the connections. What do you do?] [Ardweden] Mikari stands her ground. The names... they stand at the edge of familiarity, and while this man looks like her father and occasionally sounds like him, he isn't; he's concerned with something different, and that gives her power... Kyon? She studies the man's face, trying to figure out who those people are, and her assigned role in the situation and the person she's supposed to be. She's going to be a spy, by destiny and by choice. She can do this. [Grysar] [Mikari processes what she's heard. She appears to be a guest in this household, but not one held in complete trust. This man feels a bit uncomfortable with her, or perhaps with the person she is thought to be. This simple one piece garment she wears is unfamiliar but comfortable. His silk garb is more familiar and in addition to his reference to his own home suggests that he is the master of this house. Tomoe is a lady of the household, likely not a servant given the way he mentioned her, but perhaps a sister, wife, or daughter. The real puzzle is who is this Kyon? Access to him is restricted, which makes him important. Perhaps an important visitor and maybe one of your kind. No! The tone is not just that of a guardian, it is one of a chaperone. Ha! Mikari, he's afraid that you may engage in some sort of scandalous activity with this Kyon. Well, he can rest assured there and if this Kyon tries anything, you have an easy excuse to demure. He's sounding you out, as if you're both here hoping to make a good impression on the other while getting the measure of the other. It seems the hour is late, the easiest course is just to receive directions back to your room, but it's easier to play a part with one than with many. Perhaps accompany him to the kitchen and ask polite but vague questions. Most men will talk about themselves without much prompting and he seems no exception. Your longer term objective likely won't become any more certain though. It's perhaps best not to mention Mitsuko here, but you do need a briefing. This house is likely wealth enough to have a telephone, perhaps in some strange form. Oddly you are beginning to piece together the use of this technology, so perhaps you could figure it out. More important you think that you may still have Mitsuko's calling card in your purse. A part of you rebels at that thought, listing contradictions, timelines, ages, even something about makeup. But you are possibly in enemy territory with no knowledge of the dangers or your mission. The hour is far too late, but calling Mitsuko when you return to your room may be your best hope of figuring out what's going on. This of course assumes you trust Mitsuko-sama, if you don't, that course wouldn't make sense at all.] [Ardweden] Katie blinks a couple of times, slowly, mentally putting together the puzzle of her current situation. To Nozomu, she just looks tired, and maybe she is. But she also is clearly pulling herself together. "I wouldn't want to put you out of your way," she says after a point, articulating clearly and still without the American accent. "But I am a bit thirsty. If you're going to the kitchen anyway, I'd like to accompany you." Perhaps she'll see a telephone on her way there, or suss out more about this man. She pauses, then offers a small bow. "Thank you for being so patient with me." [RDMGryphon] Nozomu looks at Katie slightly longer than is polite and then shakes his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He walks around his desk and then straight at where she's standing in the doorway. [Ardweden] She takes a couple of steps back, maybe to give him space to get through the doorway. She doesn't overly tense up, at least. To Nozomu, Katie's looking tired but quite alert. [RDMGryphon] Nozomu hits a couple of switches as he passes through the door, and closes it behind him. Katie can hear the slight buzz of the dim electric lights in the hall warming up as he leads her back down the same hallway she came from. "We have decaffinated tea, and some fruit juice." [Ardweden] Katie peers up at the lights as they walk. They're largely unfamiliar to her, but they don't *feel* entirely unfamiliar. Still, they're surprisingly... noisy? No, they're not really *noisy*, but she can't stop listening to them. She hears the man next to her, too. "Tea would be nice, thank you." She considers what to say next, then asks with more confidence than she feels, "What happened, that you were looking at those pictures in the middle of the night? You said that your subordinate had a clever idea?" [RDMGryphon] He leads her to a set of slightly ornate sliding doors and hesitates just a moment before opening them himself. "How much do you know about trends in brewing?" [Ardweden] "Not much," Katie says, honestly. [RDMGryphon] He nods to himself and enters the room, not stopping as he hits the switch to turn on the lights. The layout of the room is a very traditional dining room + kitchen. The cabnetry is all finely finished in light wood, and the counter tops are a dark brown tile. The sink and appliances are all brushed metal, giving them an industrial touch. It feels both impossibly modern, and somehow twenty years out of date. He begins to talk as he fusses about the kitchen, slighty unsure as to which cabinets hold what he's looking for. "Ten years ago, the prices of small sets of brewing equipment dropped enough that any fool that could grow yeast could make his own barrel of swill and call it a 'local beer' or [microbrew] in English. The main focus was experimenting with new ingredients and new tastes. Most of it wasn't worth pouring into the sewers, let alone drinking. Some of the larger companies got involved, or created subdivisions, or simply relabeled seasonal beers. We did not take part." He sets up and fills an oddly shaped kettle before plugging it in instead of setting it on the stove. "As these things happen, the novelty passed and only the lucky and the skilled managed to even pay off the cost of the equipment. In an attempt to save face, the focus has now changed from chasing a quantity of flavors to quality. With extra care being given to the history of the product and its ingredients. Things we have always valued. Yusuda suggested reviving Arisugawa's very first beer. We have the recipe, the know how, and most importantly, the original yeast colony survived the fires much better than the brewery itself did. "But, before we can sell to our customers, we must first sell the idea to the rest of the board of directors. He was supposed to have found a company that makes bottles in the shape we originally used and samples to present at a committee meeting to..." Nozomu glances at one of the appliances and Katie realizes that there is a glowing clock... right where it should be, showing that it's nearing 2 AM. "Today. That meeting has been postponed and I once again find myself cleaning up a mess because Yusuda overestimated himself." [Grysar] [When the hour is announced, a wave of tiredness washes over the Page of Swords. She has been piecing together, or perhaps recognizing more of the strange technology of this strange house as she wanders it. She spots a device in the kitchen that she recognizes as a land line phone, one with a sibling back in the room in which she woke. Her guest room. She's learned some details about her host's calling and the likely source of the fortune that built this place and that this Kyon may be an heir to. More important he seems none the wiser as to the nature of his guest, even if puzzled by her nocturnal wanderings. Strangely she can feel present and memory fighting within her, as she attempts to focus on his business dilemma. To accept his hospitality, express sympathy for his dilemma, and to slip back to her room and its strange wireless phone and to call Mitsuko would be simple enough. Or she could focus on her host's challenge and perhaps learn more of him or earn his trust. Either way the present does seem to be returning her, but why should that bother her, the Page of Swords is not one to seek to recreate the past. What do you do?] [Ardweden] Katie listens carefully to the man, her eyes following him to the tea and then the clock, and by the time he finishes talking, she's stifling a yawn. She's suddenly tired again; she should go to her room before she says or does something she'll regret - call Mitsuko, clarify her mission - but she has a sense, from somewhere beyond thinking and into feeling, that this is the wrong thing to do. She wavers, trying to decide, reaching into that pit to figure out *why* when she remembers the man's name: Nozomu. Nozomu Sorata. Like Kyon Sorata, his... She blinks a couple of times, shakes her head, and looks at him again. That's Nozomu. And she's supposed to be... is... Katie? "So you have a meeting today?" she asks, her accent creeping back and confusion clear in her voice. "And you have to have physical samples to show them, not just mock ups on your..." What is it. Oh. "Computer?" [RDMGryphon] He glances at the kettle and then rubs the bridge of his nose. "There is no meeting this morning because there are no samples. There are no samples because instead of picking them up and then telling the committie that for some surprising reason the demand and therefore the cost of antique... classical...?" He shakes his head and continues. "Styled bottles has increased, he failed at negotiating and stormed out, and instead of telling anybody _that_ so that we could start damage control and send somebody more reliable to do his job, he tried to save face, and I am still awake because he hasn't managed to do even that." Nozomu pauses to take a breath and let it out slowly. “I had a slim hope that what he had done was salvageble, but there just isn't enough there to justify an hour of their work time. Perhaps ten minutes to look at the labels he managed to have made, and twenty to choose who to send instead. The other half hour … No, never mind, that’s not something you need to worry about.“ He’s saved by a soft beeping as the kettle announces that it’s reached temperature and he starts to make the tea. [Ardweden] Katie watches Nozomu make the tea, giving him space in his own familiar motions so he can calm down. He's also facing away from her, which is good, because he can't see the growing understanding and then horror on her face as she realizes what, exactly, had happened tonight. But it's okay. She can salvage this. Probably. Nozomu is deep in his own thoughts, so maybe... But she'd rather not gaslight him. Katie collects herself, and once the tea is finished and Nozomu is pouring it into cups, she says, "If you're worried and there's anything I can do to help, I'd like to know. I'm awake anyway. I could look at the labels again." The accent's completely back. "I guess getting rid of Yusuda isn't an option." [RDMGryphon] Nozomu freezes for a moment, his back still to her, and seems smaller and older than he did a moment ago, but he recovers. “As tempting as it is, as aggravating as he is, he is still family. But he does not make it easy.” [Ardweden] Katie makes a small "oh" noise and then says, sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I didn't know." [RDMGryphon] He turns and sets a cup of tea in front of her. "Don't worry about it, it never came up." He looks up and to the side as he remember. "He is my uncle's grandson and Kyon's second cousin." [Ardweden] Katie nods, touching the side of the teacup and then leaving it be because it's still too hot. Nozomu's adjusting easily enough; she can adjust with him. "So, you do what you can. It sounds like a good idea, but you're not prepared. When is the new meeting, if it was postponed?" [Grysar] [Now that Katie is fully Katie again, the nature of the connections Mikari made come into focus. However, they are also full of contradictions that Katie's subconscious wrestled with as Mikari's echo explored the present. The first puzzle is that the student who protested the subversiveness of the test left in a daze similar to those afflicted by Temperance's power. However, the proctor was no body double for the impatient businesswoman. Perhaps some change is how Winston was tricked as to her survival or perhaps they have a different connection that goes beyond reincarnation. Frustratingly for Katie, Mikari's memories are low fidelity: blurry and muffled.] [RDMGryphon] Nozomu returns to the present. "Assuming all goes as planned, a short meeting to go over the label designs is scheduled around four. I should get home in time for dinner." [Ardweden] Katie frowns a little at the memories - and how frustratingly distant they are - and hides it behind her tea, which is not quite too hot anymore. "What were you trying to do with the label designs?" Is it something that can't wait until morning, she doesn't ask. [RDMGryphon] Nozomu takes a sip of his tea. "Ensure that they were what he asked to get, and that price ranges seemed reasonable. It is not my field of expertise." [Grysar] [The second set of memories takes longer to work through as Katie's intellect slices through Mikari's suppositions. The first point comes easily, that Mitsuko could match the woman behind the camera reflected in Remi's eyes. That said, to acknowledge the limitations of that image, so could a significant minority of the population of Tokyo that wears feminine dress. The next step is harder. The cards do not match, nor do the family histories. Even allowing for reversal of aging the timelines don't fit, unless Natsume choose a very strange and vulnerable path after leaving Satoshi's life. Both are tall, but tall for their eras. Come to think of it Mitsuko wore heels and makeup that enhanced her glamour while her counterpart did the opposite. Fashion to match in both cases, although that may just be a matter of eras, that isn't Katie's strong suit. The remnants of Mikari's fight back. It's not just the resemblances, it's the voice, strong and dependable, the countenance, the willingness to face life's hard truths. Katie brushes these vestigial thoughts away like so many cobwebs, these things can be learned. Besides, Mikari had just met Mitsuko and hardly acquitted herself as a credible witness. All that remains then is the memory of looking at Mitsuko when she looked back from the blackboard. Her face was in soft focus, not just the cinematic memory of a dream but Mikari's poor eyes. Or is vision actually like that for everyone else? They miss so much. But thought is just a distraction from the fact that Mikari realized, no Mikari believed, that Mitsuko and Kazuko Yamagata were one in the same. Had Katie not overrode the ghost's imperative she'd have slipped away from this conversation, digging through her purse, and be calling Kazuko now, seeking instructions.] [Ardweden] Katie wrinkles her nose. "I can't help you with price ranges. But I might be able to with the designs themselves? I think I was kind of confused when you asked earlier..." Understatement. Ha. "I can look at it again in the morn-" She freezes mid-sentence, staring into space, and then says, softly, "" [RDMGryphon] Nozomu eyes Katie for a moment. "That may be for the best. I have done everything that I can tonight. Will you need my help getting back to your room?" [Ardweden] Katie's already on her feet, walking quickly out of the kitchen. It takes everything she has not to run. Japanese isn't even a consideration. "" Her tea is left behind, on the table and barely touched. [Grysar] [As Katie processes before her surprised host, of all things, Sherlock Holmes dictum comes to mind. Once you eliminate the impossible, what remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Of course, when there's magic involved, and inconsistent magic at that, the question of what is impossible is a lot harder. What's even worse, when Temperance is around, memory is less reliable than usual and perhaps can even be faked. That said, Satoshi's been the only one you know that's been a victim to that so it's hard to say how extensive those powers were and under what circumstances they can be used. Which raises a point, you've seen some of the World's plans before. They aren't perfect, there are gaps and holes. Shuffle was hidden but you found it before you were supposed to. Satoshi didn't have a family of actors, he had memories rebuilt around his prior life seen from the outside. Yorihisa primarily manages to keep his secrets by being an asshole all the time and not telling anyone anything. Kyon has met her father, and he's a prominent politician, her anger was too close to the surface for that to all have been a show. As the rest of Katie's emotions flare, a small part of her insists that she is not yet thinking straight. She's had substantial time with Kazuko, or is it Mitsuko, time spent cautiously, probing, watching, and listening. She knows someone that's been through trauma. She didn't keep a transcript, but that woman bears the behavioral scars of someone that has been through things like Katie has been through. The World has been alive a long time, who knows how long, but the scars you witnessed were fresh. Likewise, there was no slight of hand with the cards, you're wise to that trick. Perhaps she exerted her will over the deck or had some arrangement like Satoshi once had made on his behalf, but it wasn't a simple cheat. Similarly, while the up and coming politician may have been playing on a level you got a good read on Aka as well and have a good sense of his level. You're better at this than him and his part of the story, the two rescues, that's genuine. This may just mean that the World's situation was far more dire than you might have suspected, which is possible if she was going up against Sho. You also realize that Satoshi never has really described his mother in any sort of detail. Mitsuko likewise held herself in reserve, back lit by streetlamps, facing boards. It was only the earnestness and tragedy of Mikari's pleas that caused her to show her face. Combined with the assistance of Temperance, likely very few people know what Mitsuko actually looks and, a short list probably focused on her confederates. This makes that very valuable, admittedly dangerous, information indeed, although your ability to control that information can be swiftly diluted. This also raises another odd point, Mitsuko knew your card in both lives, she must have known she revealed her face to you and that memories from past lives could be a reoccurring phenomenon. She must have realized that there was a risk that you'd find out, or even that you may have already known. The World is not one known for flying close to the sun, even Winston hasn't met her, so her willingness to spend so much time alone and vulnerable with you is quite odd. She's certainly lost her people before, Mikari was one of them, but she's lived a very long time and caution appears to be her watchword. All and all, while you and Mikari are both Pages of Swords, you are not as naive nor desperate as she was, you are in full possession of your powers and have learned from hard experience. You think you're missing something here. But that something isn't that reason can't be trusted or that the evidence you've gathered thus far is of no value.] [RDMGryphon] Nozomu listens enough to make sure she turns right back towards her room and not left to where the rest of his family should be sleeping and then ponders and drinks tea until far too early in the morning. [Ardweden] Katie takes the right turn, towards her bedroom, and even follows the path for a while. But once she's beyond sure Nozomu can't track her anymore, she turns down another hallway and follows a circuitous route in another direction - toward where the rest of the family is and, most importantly, Kyon. On the way, she concentrates - or tries, as what she discovered and the information she's still sorting through is almost overwhelming - on hiding her footsteps. [Grysar] [Seeking Kyon's aid absolutely qualifies as helping herself. She's able to swiftly make her way across the mansion grounds, he her keen sight making the best of the shards of moonlight. Finding the familiar sound of Kyon's breathing did not prove to be a challenge for her and she reached his room with ease, nightingale boards having meet their match. [As Katie ponders what to say when she reached Kyon one thing sticks out to her. Your guesses are convoluted at this point. That doesn't mean they're wrong, but it does mean they're improbable. That said, you still has command of many facts and a lot more personal experience with Kyon's competitor than he does. Starting with what you know with confidence, before trying to work out the contradicting parts, and maybe getting some details on "Yamagata's" alleged father, might be the best way to start. It's tempting to jump to next steps and conclusions, but it's good to be on solid ground first. You have a partner, you may be the head of Intel of this operation but he's no fool and is in a way better had space than you are.] [Ardweden] Katie ends up outside of Kyon's room, looks at the door for a moment, then opens it as quietly as she can before she slips in. She closes it behind her and looks around, her eyes as adjusted as they'll be in the dark. She's never been in this room before. Right now, she's not even sure she was shown how to get here. But there he is. "Kyon?" she half-whispers. [Capfox] Kyon stirs on the floor. He's laying in a futon, a couple of blankets on top of him, but he pushes himself up on his elbows. He's in a grey t-shirt, and he says quietly, still somewhat sleepy, "Yeah?" The room itself is a Japanese style tatami room, much like his room in their apartment. There's a desk and a couple of small bookshelves along one wall, a closet on the other. Windows with dark blue curtains drawn sit across from the door. Everything is pretty tidy. There are a couple of calligraphy scrolls on the walls, but it's pretty dark and hard to read without looking at them more closely. There's also a woodblock print of what's probably the family brewery in spring, and another of a view of the sea, probably from nearby here, looking down from the hills. [Ardweden] Katie moves closer, almost not making a sound, and eventually nudges Kyon's leg, through the blankets, with the tip of one slipper. Kyon can't see her especially well in the dark, but her eyes are wide and her hands are shaking. "" She swallows. "" She trails off. [Capfox] Kyon finishes sitting up, letting the blankets pool around his waist. He looks up at her, his expression growing more alert. "" [Ardweden] Katie sits, landing heavily next to Kyon and on top of the blankets. She curls her knees up to her chin and wraps her arms around them, clutching tightly. [Capfox] He turns to look at her more, cocking his head, and then says, "" [Ardweden] Katie doesn't look back. She shakes her head. [Capfox] Kyon nods slowly, and holds his unscarred hand out over her knee, hovering there, waiting quietly, giving her the space to collect herself and talk. [Grysar] [Now that Katie has more time and a comforting presence, memories she's been seeking slowly bubble up. Going over the faces of those rescued some years back, she can put a face together with the woman she came to know. That younger rescuee had more piercings, shorter hair, but even in her stupor she had a determined look about her. She was college age then, not outside of the World's age window, but at the same time Mikari was not thinking of the woman Katie met in those dark days when she made the visual and auditory connection. Hard to say what that means, but while Katie's memory is not photographic she can recall that the young politician's ears bore faint traces of piercings in analogous locations. You hadn't thought much of it at the time as abandoning such a look to fit in at the workplace is not uncommon.] [Ardweden] Katie doesn't move to initiate contact, but her eyes do track Kyon's movement, and they fix on his hand over her bare knee. She takes a few moments, trying to breathe, before she says, "" [Capfox] He blinks, and then says cautiously, "Her?" [Ardweden] Katie swallows and nods. "" Katie tries to take a deep breath and fails as it hitches in the middle and she starts to hyperventilate. "" she manages between breaths. [Capfox] Now Kyon lets his hand fall the rest of the way, resting on her knee. "" [Ardweden] She shakes her head rapidly, still breathing way too fast. "" Katie hiccups, getting in the way of a breath, and if anything she curls in tighter. "" She hiccups again and starts to cry. * Kyon nods to her curtly, and watching his hand, squeezes her knee lightly. "" And then he glances back up at her face. * Katie nods rapidly, hiccupping and crying. She's still looking forward and down-ish, at Kyon's hand, and her unbrushed hair is in the way of him having a good view of her face. * Kyon watches her, and says quietly, "" * Katie tries, "" and hiccups. It takes a few more tries, and breathing not particularly slowing down, before she manages, "" Another hiccup. "" * Kyon nods back slowly. "" * Katie winces. "" She sniffs loudly and hiccups again, bringing a hand up to rub at her eyes. "" * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "" * Katie doesn't say anything, reaching forward to her knee and putting her hand over Kyon's, tightening her grip and holding his there. * Kyon leans closer to her, folding his legs under himself and crouching down more, looking at her directly. "" * Katie so doesn't let go of Kyon's hand. "" * Kyon nods back quietly, and then says, "" * Katie shakes her head and hiccups again. Kyon can tell that she's still crying, but she's not trembling as much anymore, at least. * Kyon watches her for a beat, and then leans in more, gingerly wrapping his arms around her. * Katie briefly panics and almost doesn't let go of Kyon's hand, but then she realizes what he's doing and does so, and once he's hugging her she laughs messily, the sound a little too loud and ruined by the fact that it's also a sob. * Kyon waits there, forcing his breath to be slow and even, holding her quietly, not saying anything. * Katie stays curled up, and hugged, and she gradually, cries herself out, her breathing slowing down, until she's eventually down to a few exhausted tears and hiccups. * Kyon just breathes softly, hands sliding up and down slightly, letting her run through it, not rushing her. He waits for a sign that she's collected herself more beyond the last part of the crying. * Katie sniffs loudly after a time, wiping at her nose. She looks at her hand and hiccups. "" she half-laughs. * Kyon snorts a little laugh. "" * Katie makes a face and wipes her hand on her shirt. "" She hiccups again. "" * Kyon snorts another small laugh, and very lightly pats her back. "" * Katie groans, and she leans against Kyon. "" * Katie adds, muttering, "" * Kyon smirks. "" * Kyon shrugs quickly. "" * Katie laughs, interrupted by another small hiccup. * Kyon rocks back a bit to be more able to look at her face, and offers her a familiar smirk, gauging her situation. * Katie looks up at Kyon when he does that. She's tear-streaked and red-eyed, her hair a tangled mess. But she's alert, now, and she manages a small smile back, followed by her kissing her fingertips and pressing them up against his cheek. * Kyon doesn't pull back, but he does smirk a little bit more fiercely. He settles back in place, sitting cross-legged, watching her again. <@Grysar> [Katie, as you bask in Kyon’s fierce smirk, yu have just enough wherewithal to recognize that you are becoming too comfortable. The adrenaline that was keeping you awake fades as well. If you want to get back to your room unnoticed, you should leave and soon. If you wait, you think you may be able to push through, but it will leave you -Drained. Of course, you could just stay here. But Kyon's parents are wily and on their guard, there's no way that your spending the entire night together would go undiscovered.] * Katie drops her hand down and uncurls, stretching some. "" * Kyon cocks his head, regarding her. "" * Katie trails off. * Kyon nods, slower than usual. "" * Katie shakes her head. "" She blinks hard. "" * Kyon nods quickly. "" He looks at her assessingly. "" * Katie looks down at her hands. And then past them to her legs, now stretched out in front of her. After a few moments, she says, "" * Kyon watches her for a beat, and then says, "" * Katie stays still, thinking about that for a minute. Then she nods. "" * Kyon nods back to her curtly, and smirks a little. "" * Katie doesn't sound super thrilled, but she stands, pulling the ends of her shirt down and sliding her feet back into her slippers. <@Grysar> [Katie is able to return to her room without incident. She knows the path and everyone else finally appears to be asleep in their futons. Her lethargy weighs down her limbs and eyelids as she slides the door shut behind her.] * Katie sighs, kicking the slippers off and padding her way through the unfamiliar guest room to her futon and her bag. She opens it and looks inside, finding her phone. * Katie sits down, being gentle about it even though she wants to collapse, and yawns as she opens her phone. The screen obligingly lights up. She opens her contact list and scrolls to Kazuko Yamagata. <@Grysar> [The number is there, mundanely lit by the glow of Katie's phone.] * Katie stares at the name and number for a long, long moment, characters dark against the bright screen, before she scrolls up to Kyon. She selects that name without hesitation and texts, "back now." * Kyon texts back half a minute later. "Great. Tell me if you need me. I mean it." * Katie swallows, and her phone shakes slightly- oh, that's her hand. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, slowly. Then another, and another, until eventually the shaking stops. * Katie texts back, "ok." She closes the phone and lies down, feeling suddenly, ludicrously heavy, and falls asleep almost instantly. <@Grysar> [Her sleep is deep and mercifully dreamless.] <@Grysar> [End!]