[Grysar] Sometime after Wataru heads down, Katie hears an less familiar set of feet treading up to the roof. Before long, Nekotani Hiromi emerges, carrying a aluminum tray of hot food, about half filled with yakiton with the other half filled with a sampling from the table. She's wearing a fitted set of jeans, a t-shirt with a crossed crescent moon and star wands, and glittery lipstick to match. She glances around, eyes fixed on the table first. --- [Ardweden] Katie's since moved to the table so she and Wataru and Maki could play games, so that's where she is. She swallows her distaste and gives Hiromi a small wave when she sees her. --- [Grysar] Hiromi lays down the tray and then bows back in response to the wave. "Ah... Andrews-san." She pauses for a moment, apprehensive as to whether she got the name right, "Glad to meet you again." --- [Ciara] [Maki has gone to use the bathroom, so it's just Katie and Hiromi for the moment.] --- [Ardweden] Katie kind of bows. She's definitely been improving on the politeness front. "Nice to see you too, Nekotani-san. Escaping the crowd?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi shakes her head. "I came over after my shift, but the table was full. So I swapped some food around and brought some up here." She sits down by you and takes two of the pork skewers and offers one to Katie, 'Yakiton?" --- [Ardweden] Katie sort of blinks, then sort of smiles. She closes her sketchbook and sets it aside. "Thanks," she says, taking it. --- [Grysar] "Itadakimasu." Hiromi takes a bite and then quickly realizes her mistake. With her free hand she digs through her purse and brings out a stack of napkins bearing a boar's head logo. She dabs her chin with one and then takes a second quick glance around the roof before continuing to speak. "I'm sure Sorata-kun passed this on, but I did want to express my appreciation to his people as well." She fidgets with her yakiton, which smells of fresh cooked meat and seasonings. Her vocal speed picks up as she continues her spiel, "What you all accomplished two years ago was amazing and I am glad to have done my part in it. Now that the gag order is over and you all are voters and maybe even future colleagues, I look forward to working with you." --- [Ardweden] Katie looks at the napkins with mild curiosity when Hitomi brings them out. She turns her attention more or less to the other girl. "I'm glad you did your part, too," she says, because she is - for whatever that's worth. "Sometimes it's hard to believe it was two years ago. How have you been?" --- [Grysar] "The working world is both more free and more exhausting than I expected." She takes another bite, contemplative. "My high school friends mostly drifted apart." She looks past Katie, quiet for a moment before continuing. "The Council is a lot of work and responsibility, but I do really like some of the people I've gotten to know through it." She stops talking to take another bite and then realizes something and chews quickly. "How has it been for you?" --- [Ardweden] "Okay," Katie says neutrally, feeling out how to deal with her. Hiromi's not going to go away any time soon and it's best to be consistent, so she opts for more honesty than she would otherwise. "I'm going to college; almost didn't get in, because of what was going on when we were in high school. Entrance exams weren't something I spent time worrying about." She gives Hiromi a small, rueful smile. "I had a hard time believing things were actually over. I guess I was right." --- [Grysar] Hiromi listens and nods. "I was thinking of going to college, but..." She then cuts herself of. "Shouldn't be surprised Kyon's surrounded by smart people." --- [Ardweden] Katie grins, a little. "Guess not." She tries a piece of yakiton while she cuts sound out of the area. She's angled so she the entrance to the roof is in view, so that shouldn't be a problem. "You know that he's running for a seat, right?" --- [Grysar] The yakiton, while obviously not homemade, is freshly prepared and the high quality of meat Katie has come to expect from Japan. "Of course, I've lined up four votes for him already." She leans in. "He may have a tough race, Yamagata-san is suspiciously perfect. I've trailed to her about her ideas some and I think she has cards she's not showing... Did it just get quiet?" --- [Ardweden] "Yeah, that's me. It stops eavesdropping." Katie smiles apologetically. "You were saying?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi's eyes widen, but she resumes speaking quickly enough. "Like it's great that she does that super boring secretarial stuff. But once I started paying attention to her after I found out Sorata-kun was running, I realized she was always sticking around afterwards, talking to people in little groups. And sometimes she'd ask questions to 'clarify something for the minutes' like 'how do the funding dues' work for my Benefit society idea." Hiromi takes another bite off her skewer and munches angrily for a bit. "Look, paying for stuff is important, I get it. I agreed to talk to hear out some of her ideas, even if it means missing out on a shift at Famous Nyah. But, like, you're not alone in being left hurting by what went down. Chiaki-chan is always telling me the Council needs to show we can help Arcana with problems and aren't just one more distraction. We need to agree on a goal and get to work." --- [Ardweden] Katie tilts her head, slightly, while she listens. "She's basically the treasury secretary? It sounds like she's taking advantage of her position." Like anyone else with half a brain wouldn't. "But you have a position, too. What goal are you trying for?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi harrumphs mid-bite at that question, and then has to cough, covering her mouth with a napkin. "Just secretary. She doesn't even have any financial duties. That's Yumi-san, or Yuji-san, maybe both. Yamagata- san just ask if anyone wanted to take that role at the meeting where we did the first election. When nobody did, she volunteered. But since you asked about my goals:" She then sets down her yakiton on a paper plate and pulls a Tokyu Hands light blue matte agenda book out of her purse. She then switches into her stump speech holding up a single finger. "Redecorating the Lobby Reversed to make it a more useful gathering space for Arcana, one with a monument to all who stood against-- the Magician-- and the Oni." Second finger, "An hourly wage for those who are serving the common good. Yes, this includes council members, but ultimately if we want people with special abilities or roles to put in the hours, we have to make it affordable for them. Third finger, "A Benefit Society to ensure we care for those with supernatural plights and those injured in the line of duty." --- [Ardweden] Katie eats yakiton while Hiromi talks and watches the other girl. When she stops, she says, "That does sound like it's going to take money." --- [Grysar] Hiromi nods and looks Katie over for a moment before continuing more slowly. "The benefits society would require dues, Chiaki-can is trying to figure out how much, though there's lots of historical examples. But beyond that, where do you think all that Shuffle money really comes from? So long as you've got a front company or something, it's easy for a lot of Arcana to get filthy rich. The programmer has already done it." She gets a steely look. "Yamagata-san is in on it too, I think. They're loaded and want to buy their way into popularity. Some of that's fine, I guess, but they're doing it on the cheap and we've got real needs." --- [Ardweden] Katie puts her now empty skewer down and leans forward slightly; Hiromi obviously has her attention. "What do you mean, loaded and buying their way into popularity?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi continues in a hushed tone. "At Seiryuu you quickly learn to figure out class. I don't know software, but we did have some computer company kids. Shuffle is fancy and looks like it came from one of those loaded companies. I'm grateful for what they've donated to the Council, and sure, maybe Shuffle is 'critical for us to remain undiscovered in the information age.' But what they donate is probably less than the salary for like one of their engineers." Hiromi makes a face, "Yamagata-san has been dropping some hints that she has ideas how to pay for stuff. But the way I see it, you start this up with a tiny purse and hold in reserve the money to do useful things afterwards? Not a bad way to win not just votes, but gratitude." --- [Ardweden] Katie rolls her eyes. "Shuffle sounds like the opposite of undiscovery," she points out. "If it's the information age, isn't it smarter to stay off the grid? It looks more like discovery, to me - of other Arcana. Which isn't necessarily bad, if people are lost and confused, but that's not the same goal at all." She pauses a second, then asks, "She hasn't told you how she'd plan on paying for things?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi nods along with the critiques of Shuffle. "Ha, yeah, you still are the witty one, I should remember that." Hearing the question, Hiromi leafs through her agenda book, "Well, she's not really supposed to speak at meetings unless she's on the agenda. But, when she invited me to talk one-on-one she said something like a, uh, something wealth fund? The royal cards are involved, maybe? Anyhow, like you start a fund and all Arcana can become shareholders and the Council gets the first cut of the interest. And as it grows, Council gets more more funds. But, like, you need some big wigs to start and she can 'earn their confidence.'" --- [Ardweden] Katie makes a 'huh' sound. "Hopefully she'll be willing to do that even if she doesn't get elected." She sounds like she doubts it. She thinks about this for a little while, then looks at Hiromi. "You've changed, some, since the last time I saw you. You seem braver, and like you're thinking about things more." --- [Grysar] Hiromi finishes her first skewer and takes a little time to contemplate that. "I... I've had some inspiration." --- [Ardweden] Katie tilts her head. "Yeah?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi thinks about it for a moment, "Well, I'm a Councilmember now. The people have put their trust in me. Chiaki-chan, Misami-kun, and Ijima-san have put their trust in me. I want to live up to that." She then looks out a little wistful, "Have you ever had anyone that really sees you? Through the illusions and the fronts you put up, but also what you could be?" --- [Ardweden] Katie blinks. "Honestly, I don't know." She pauses, considering. "Maybe. Is that what happened with you?" --- [Grysar] Hiromi nods, she seems ready to say more but then thinks better of it. She takes a second skewer. --- [Ardweden] Katie tilts her head, then looks down at her empty skewer. She picks it up, turning it between her fingers. "I do know what it's like to be relied on, to have responsibility... I felt it then, two years ago. And I'm... worried, now, with the Council having been formed without us knowing." --- [Grysar] Hiromi listens with some interest. "I know, I was telling Sorata-kun. It's ridiculous the way you were excluded. I've stood up for you all in Council, but we can do even more together now that you're in." She processes the first part of what Katie said. "What did he... rather, what were your responsibilities?" --- * Katie blinks a little. "I gathered information, and helped keep the group together." * Hiromi ponders that for a moment. "Your team does have some big personalities." * Katie rolls her eyes. "Tell me about it." * Hiromi snorts. "I bet your stories are better than mine on that." * Katie tilts her head. "Do you have many stories about our group?" The question sounds innocent, but it really isn't. * Hiromi grabs another skewers, twirling it with her fingers, this does spill a couple drops of sauce on her outfit, which goes unnoticed. "Sorata-kun isn't a gossip, if that's what you're asking." * Kyon makes his way up to the second floor, carrying a can of beer and a glass of water in one hand, consciously tromping louder than normal to make announcing his oncoming presence clearer. That wasn't really what I was asking. * Hiromi abruptly ceases twirling the skewer. "And you didn't tell me any stories." She takes a large bite, but takes the time to properly chew. She may have more to say, but there's a pause. * Katie just watches - well, really, listens to - Hiromi eat and waits. Kyon's going to be here soon enough. * Hiromi swallows, "There's been discussion, you've saved all the Minors on Council at least once. Yorihisa also hinted that the team had a good snoop. And by hinted, I mean he said to keep my big mouth shut because I'm not as clever as I think." * Katie snerks. "We helped *him*, too, but he was an asshole about it. Didn't even say thank you." * Kyon emerges onto the roof, pressing the door open with his shoulder, and takes in the view. Looking around the space, taking in who's there, particularly if there are any non-Katies. * Hiromi nods. "He said you saved his life once. At some cost--" * Katie looks over, once Hiromi stops, and waves. * Kyon waves back curtly, giving another quick check for other people before stepping over towards them. [Hiromi is sitting next to an aluminum tray of hot food, which may all be infested in Kyon's sight by the presence of more than a dozen remaining yakiton skewers. Her jeans actually fit her well, a bit of spilled sauce not withstanding. She displays the instruments of her office on a t-shirt with a crossed crescent moon and star wands with glittery lipstick to match.] * Katie is there, too, also at the rooftop table. Her sketchbook is closed, and she was clearly just talking to Hiromi. She gestures for Kyon to sit down. * Hiromi beams a little at the sight. "Sorata-kun, good to see you." She slips over one seat to make room for him between Katie and herself. * Kyon frowns at the tray, but comes closer anyway. "Didn't realize you were up here, too. Brought you some water," he says, and passes it to Katie. "Did you need anything?" he asks Hiromi. * Hiromi is thirsty now that she thinks about it. She glances around and then looks a little relieved that she wouldn't have to send him away. "Maybe something from the cooler." * Katie takes the water with a small smile. "Thanks." * Kyon nods back to Katie, and then stalks over towards the cooler, popping the top open and looking inside. [Mostly water bottles and sodas, with a six pack of beer somewhat buried.] It has been nice catching up with Andrews-san, and getting a better feel for just who Yorihisa was so worried about. * Hiromi then scrunches her forehead. "Or part of it, are you the techie too?" Nope. He's worried about everything, isn't he? * Kyon snorts. "We're all scary," he comments, and grabs out more water to bring back to the table. * Hiromi laughs. "Yeah." After a beat she corrects herself. "Well maybe, not equally." * Hiromi looks over to Kyon, "How's the campaign going? Picking up any votes tonight?" * Kyon shrugs quickly. "Haven't been doing too much electioneering here. Mostly catching up. Restrengthening ties. Meeting people I'm supposed to be meeting." * Hiromi nods and continues with no small amount of pride. "Well you can count on four from me. We've even made progress on the absentee ballot thing, so Ijima-san moving to Osaka won't cost you her vote." * Kyon raises his eyebrows. "Yeah? How'd you get that set up?" He hands her the water bottle he took out for her. * Hiromi checks her notebook. "We've got it narrowed down to three choices." She holds up a finger, "Voting over Shuffle directly with some public or personal key thing happening. Apparently Yorihisa trusted your techie to verify it." Second finger raised she continues, "Mail with some sort of magic seal." She then raises a third finger, "Or something about an owl through the World Reversed. Which Norishige was capable of doing, but it would be 'taxing for us both.'" * Kyon snorts. "And it's too magic academy. Takeuchi will look at the tech. If it can work, he'll make sure it works." * Katie nods in agreement. It'll mean less strain on one person, at least. * Hiromi nods. "You might be right about that. Hanged Man is apparently still a no show, despite having received a formal invitation." She shrugs, "Not everyone likes fantasy I guess." * Hiromi finishes her skewer and opens her water. * Hiromi also properly thanks Kyon for that, now that she's not answering his question. * Kyon nods curtly in exchange. "We can follow up with that, too." * Hiromi raises an eyebrow at that response. Well she tries, she actually raises both. She gives a curt nod back. "Anything you'd like me to be working on my end?" * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "Think there are any flippable votes that we could get if we worked an angle?" * Hiromi thinks and flips through her notebook. I don't know much about the faction-affiliated groups, aside from your team. But... * Katie has a drink of water. * Kyon nods back and waits, opening his can of beer, and taking a look down at Katie. * Hiromi scowls, "I didn't notice it at first, but like I was telling Andrews-san, I think Yamagata-san has been trying to steal some of my ideas just because she might have some way to pay for some of them." * Kyon frowns. "Yeah? Like what?" * Hiromi doesn't have to double check her notebook this time. "A royal wealth fund of sorts. People can invest in the Arcana and we can help pay for things like Benefit Society with the interest. She says the hard part is building confidence so big wigs wouldn't hold back." * Kyon scowls. "Which sounds like buying votes." * Hiromi continues with the scowl party. "Yeah." She leans back in her chair and takes a drink. "But, like, for a lot of people, things didn't just get better after we saved the world. There's taking exams seriously after apocalyse thing." She briefly makes eyecontact with Katie but is subtle in her acknowledgement, "And like for most of us, even if we've got special talents, it's not like something we can go to talk to a job counselor about. But just being ordinary doesn't feel right either." A little help, maybe some purpose, that can go a long way. * Kyon thins his lips. "That I can help with. Done some of that already. If it helps to offer it to more people, I can try that." * Hiromi takes a moment to process that. "That might work. I don't even think you need to go one-on-one, she's had a head start there anyways. But if you show something concrete, that be enough that people take a second look at your natural leadership." * Kyon nods curtly, cocks his head to the side, and says, "So find someone to demonstrate this on." * Hiromi nods. "I'll see if I can find someone with a problem." She then smiles a bit, "I also really should give you the Council Chambers tour at some point." * Kyon snorts. "That shouldn't be hard. I can think of a few." He rolls his shoulders. "Right. It'd be good to see what they've come up with." * Hiromi looks to the calendar pages and her agenda book and suggests a few evening possibilities in the not to distant future. * Kyon notes that he hasn't brought his calendar with him and that they should follow up via email to pick out a time. * Katie drinks more water and stays quiet. That works, and if I don't see your email, text me. Sometimes I forget to check. * Hiromi yawns before swiftly covering her mouth. "Sorry, had the early shift at Famous Nyah today." * Kyon nods quickly. "Sure. I get it. Happens for me, too. Lots going on." * Kyon smirks. "Yeah. Got up early to exercise, too." He smirks. "Can't party much when you're pitching." * Hiromi glances over Kyon as he says that. The boy does indeed work out. "Yeah, I've been thinking of getting a gym membership. But all the ones I can afford seem pretty lame." * Kyon snorts a laugh. "That qualify as a problem I can help with? Because that's easy to solve." * Hiromi laughs. "I wouldn't say no, but I'm already voting for you." She smiles a little coyly. * Kyon nods back to her. "I'll see what I can do." * Hiromi nods decisively, though the mixed emotion of gratitude and dread at the prospect of actually developing a gym routine wrestle behind her eyes. * Hiromi gives a quick bow of thanks as well. * Kyon sketches a quick bow in return. * Katie speaks up, now. "If it's not asking too much, I'd like you to consider voting for me, also." * Hiromi glances over at Katie, a little startled to hear her speak again. "Oh, you're taking a run at the King and maybe the rocker? Well Sorata-kun trusts you and that's good enough for me." * Katie smiles, more genuinely than before. "Thanks." Pause. "Is there anything you can tell me about them?" * Hiromi thinks. "Don't know much about uh, Himeyama? I imagine may actually be one of the more famous of us, since, you know, it's right there in the band name. But as for the King..." People don't know that much about her. Like she helped deal with one of the artifacts and she has a manifesto about how the Council should be organized. It was at least twenty pages long, but there weren't enough copies for everyone. ... Hope she's making more copies, then, or it's a pretty awful manifesto. * Hiromi nods. "And maybe like an summary that's one page. Double sided would be okay." * Kyon snorts, and sips his beer. So she registered first thing when her group was notified, unlike Himeyama-san who still hasn't decided, but some people think she might at the last minute. She has a group? Do you know who's in it? * Hiromi leafs through her notebook. "Two of Swords, Knight of Pentacles, Page of Cups. Don't really know them that well, can probably count on them to line up behind her, though I don't think she's the leader or anything." * Kyon glances at Katie, and quietly says, "I know one of them. Can do some followup." * Katie blinks at Kyon, then comprehension dawns. "That'd be good. Thanks." To Hiromi: "Is there any chance you can get me a copy of her manifesto?" * Hiromi lets out a slow breath. "I may be able to get someone else's but probably means meeting with her. I haven't met her, but she did say she'd be happy to talk to any of us about her ideas. She asked for two hours. At least." Hiromi runs a hand through her hair. * Katie makes a sympathetic face. "Maybe I can get it some other way." * Kyon furrows his brow. "Sounds like she has a lot of time on her hands." * Hiromi nods. "She's apparently kind of intense. She even has posters, Yamagata-san saw one somewhere. So be careful I guess." She looks over to Kyon, "I think she's a student." Most students I know don't. * Hiromi snorts, "You go to one of those genius schools though." * Katie snerks. * Hiromi leafs through her notebook, "Arai-senpai had summarized a bit of it. Apparently she thinks that dividing up the council seats by suit means that most of us are 'unqualified seat warmers' and that the system 'ludicriously treats being in touch with your emotions and being skilled at logical deducation as being equally important.'" Hiromi's tone indicates that she takes some of these comments personally. * Kyon sips his beer and manages not to comment on this at this time. I... can't see that really gaining traction, if she's putting it that way. * Hiromi nods. "Yumi had said it was basically 'the Council is dumb, I'm smart, vote for me.'" She frowns, "If she gets more concise, she might get some support. Like, most of us are kind of judgmental, you know?" * Kyon barks out a laugh at that one. "Yeah. We know." I'm pretty smart, too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go around telling everyone they're stupid. Isn't diplomacy part of the job? * Hiromi nods and looks a little relieved to hear Katie say that. "Well, I think it's not that she's telling the voters that they're stupid, it's that she's telling him she's better than the people in power now, and you can be smart by voting for her." She frowns, "And it couldn't be that maybe actually getting things done is hard, and takes a lot of boring meetings, and we aren't all idiots." * Hiromi shakes her head. "And I ran because the system is kind of messed up, but now I'm apparently part of the problem." She dramatically finishes her water, in a matter that might have been more impressive were it a beer. That sounds like politics. * Katie glances at Kyon. "Everyone becomes part of the problem." * Kyon nods curtly. "Or someone will think they are." I didn't really pay attention to real politics, but I guess Seiryuu taught me that well enough that I wasn't really surprised. I'm glad you two understand. [End!]