<@Ciara> [Date: Sunday, May 9, 2004.] <@Ciara> [The evening is continuing on at the house party. By this point, almost all of the expected guests have arrived. Some have already left.] <@Ciara> [Notable in his absence thus far is one (1) Ken Hibiki.] <@Ciara> [Haruko has been biding her time, socializing and performing her hostess duties. Let's check in on how she's doing.] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * @Haruko, having finished her bottle of soju since parting ways with Wataru, is a bit red in the cheek. The music is a little louder on the main floor, there's some dancing which Haruko flits in and out of as she looks for stranded guests who might need an introduction, a drink, or directions to the Mario Kart room. Her hair has loosed itself some in the physical activity, but that's not a poor match for her witchy dress. <@Ciara> [Drinks are delivered, guests are chatting, and Mario Kart is in full swing. People shift back and forth between rooms. Haruko is pulled briefly into a dance with Hyun-Jin and Jae-Yong, among others. Haruko's cell phone buzzes with a text.] * @Haruko sheepishly raises a finger as she steps back. "I should take this, anyone need a drink?" <@Ciara> [One or two requsets are called out as Haruko heads out to check her phone.] * @Haruko heads over to the drink corner, laying out the phone to read messages as she works to fulfill requests. <@Ciara> [There's a text from Maki: "Hi, this is your periodic hydration reminder. Am on roof, doing the introvert thing. Lemme know if you need me."] * @Haruko is briefly disappointed by the source but smiles at the message. She pours herself a water in addition to the other drinks. <3! h20 now, MK l8r? <@Ciara> [ Sure!] * @Haruko eyes the phone for a moment. She takes a healthy swig of water, delivers the drinks, then returns to it. <@Ardweden> [While Haruko hangs out, drinking water, she notices something in the window nearby. No.... a someone in the window nearby?] * @Haruko may not be particularly sober at this moment, but she still has Arcana instincts, she finds a convenient wall to read on, obstensibly checking her phone while drinking, and tries to get a better look outside. <@Ardweden> [It takes a bit before the figure steps back into view. It looks like Ken? Yeah, it's Ken. He's peering inside without trying to be obvious he's peering inside. He's only so successful, since there are very few other things someone can be doing with a window at night.] * @Haruko turns away from the window and finishes her water, chugging it down with a practiced ease. She then prepares a matcha hai and a gin and tonic in plastic cups and heads to the door. <@Ciara> [Chidori calls out as she leaves, "Getting some fresh air?"] * @Haruko looks over, steeling herself a bit. "Something like that, I won't be far, stick your head out if you need me." <@Ciara> ["Okay!"] * @Haruko then slips out the door, holding both cups in one hand temporarily. <@Ardweden> [Ken's on the other side, a few feet away! His expression is kind of unreadable, not helped by the dim lighting because outside in the dark. "Kinsha. Hey."] * @Haruko hands him the gin and tonic. "Hey Hibiki." She closes the door behind her. * @Haruko's tone and expression are even, not devoid of emotion, but neither angry nor exactly relieved at this development. <@Ardweden> [Ken takes the drink. He blinks at it.] * @Haruko waits a moment, observing as her eyes adjust. "Gin and Tonic. Prefer a Matcha Hai?" <@Ardweden> ["Nah. This is... fine." Ken drinks it, downing a good amount in almost one go. He shakes his head. "Geez, Kinsha."] * @Haruko raises an eyebrow. "Party a little much?" * @Haruko leans against the door frame. Suddenly tired in the cooler night air as the energy level is a lot lower out here. <@Ardweden> [Ken shrugs. "Wasn't that keen on making a spectacle of myself *again*, this time in front of your friends instead of your family." He has another drink.] * @Haruko snorts at that. "Some of them are your friends too." She takes a slow sip. "But I get what you mean." <@Ardweden> [He makes a face. "Not making it any more appealing, Kinsha."] * @Haruko doesn't seem displeased at his expression. "Wasn't trying to. So we'll skip the spectacle." She takes another slow drink. <@Ardweden> [He nods. And shifts his weight. "So..."] * @Haruko nods encouragingly and keeps sipping. <@Ardweden> [The word hangs in the air for a while before Ken sighs. "I dunno," he finishes lamely. "I've been trying to think about... stuff. You, and us, and the thing... with the water..."] * @Haruko nods. "I'm more dangerous than I really let on. And I'm not going to try to pull you in, but I am what I am. And danger isn't so sexy when it's real life." <@Ardweden> [Ken makes a face. "I know. But like... how. I guess. I need to know how."] * @Haruko tilts her head. "How us?" <@Ardweden> [He makes a small noise of impatience. "No. I mean..." He gestures. "*How* dangerous. Or whatever. What happened in high school, like to- like to Andrews, is that...?"] * @Haruko nods. "It is." She sits down at the curb, making sure there's some room beside her. "Best not to be overheard." * @Haruko momentarily pushes to the back of her mind that Katie is probably hearing all of this. <@Ardweden> [Ken walks over and sits down close by, but not too close by. He puts the cup down as solidly as he can next to him, and hangs his arms over his knees, looking at Haruko.] <@Haruko> So, the word for people like me is Arcana. There's an extended deck of cards worth of us, or maybe two. We're human, but maybe some stories about yokai in prior generations might have been inspired by us. <@Ardweden> [Ken goes slightly cross eyed. "So, uh. More of you. Okay...?"] <@Haruko> So, without rehashing the whole of high school, the drugs, the kidnappings, and the disappearances, Arcana were behind those. Bad ones. The weird statues that appeared around Tokyo, our job was to protect the world from them. The worst of that is over, thank the Kami. <@Ardweden> [Ken blinks a few times, and shakes his head. "The worst of it?" he asks. "That means there's more."] * @Haruko nods. "There's no big mission. No enemy. But there's still a bunch of people with special powers, some of whom paid a big price to get through all that. And we tend to get drawn together. I'm trying to make sure keep the peace, to tend to the wounded, but it's hard and it's not always safe. And the fact that I lean into is part of what makes me extra dangerous." * @Haruko takes another drink from her cup, watching Hibiki's reactions. <@Ardweden> ["So... you're extra dangerous because you're involved with... whatever-" Here Ken gestures vaguely, not lifting his arms from his knees. "Not because you're actually *doing* anything, really."] * @Haruko snickers. "I talk to a lot of people. Sneak around some. Go to weird places. I've hurt people in ways that haven't healed, but I'm a pacifist. I never want to do that again." * @Haruko's amusement was specifically at the implication that she doesn't really do anything. Her voice got more serious for the rest. <@Ardweden> [Ken shrugs. "Just, y'know. You make weird... stuff... happen with water, and you tell me that you're dangerous... that's not as bad."] <@Haruko> The thing about Arcana is sometimes it spills over. I've had a friend hurt because I put my nose in an abusive wretch's affairs. The worst of the worst aren't around any more, but.. * @Haruko lets out a long breath. "I will go to great lengths to protect my friends. I don't think you really want to hear those stories. But that doesn't change the fact that my friends might be better off, safer, without me in their lives." <@Ardweden> [Ken shrugs. "You really think so?" He picks up his drink, looks into it, and just has a sip. Then lets it hang between his legs while he looks out into the street.] * @Haruko frowns, "If you want an answer to that, one that isn't self- interested, ask Takeuchi." She looks down in the direction he's looking. "But I think there's more to life than trying to be as safe as possible." <@Ardweden> [Ken grunts, a little, then says, "Why'd you say I'm one?"] * @Haruko shrugs. "I forget how we knew originally. But lately," She holds up fingers as she counts off, "First, that thing where my parents just vanished and the lights went out. Second, you can bend a streetlight with a blow. There's a test you can do with those mystical playing cards too, but that's less impressive." <@Ardweden> ["Right, you keep saying that was me." He rubs at his face with his free hand.] * @Haruko grins, "If you want to experiment sometime, you know I'm game. But like I said, you want to stay out, I won't push you. Neither will any of my lame high school friends. We won't even ask you to participate in the election if you don't want to." <@Ardweden> ["The whatnow?" Ken looks at Haruko, confused.] * @Haruko lets out a breath. "Think like student government but for people with superpowers. And organized on a social media thing, Shuffle." She shakes her cup, spinning around the fluid at the bottom. "Andrews and Sorata are running and supporting one another." <@Ardweden> ["... Okay?" Ken doesn't seem to know what to do with this information.] * @Haruko waves airly with her cup. "If you want to know more later, I'll show you on my computer later. But the big idea is just that we tended to get in conflicts with one another a lot and the powerful weren't accountable to anyone. Government, done right, can help prevent new conflict and help people who need it." <@Ardweden> [He blinks. "Okay." And then, "I guess Andrews and Sorata are also... like you. Us. I guess." He shakes his head. "Why are you telling me this?"] * @Haruko kisses Hibiki on the cheek. "You asked, silly. Whether you want to be friends, or something more, I want to be straight with you." <@Ardweden> [He pulls away, slightly. "Okay."] <@Ardweden> ["You're still weird, Kinsha." Ken stands up, drink in hand, and offers his hand to Haruko.] * @Haruko stands up and takes it in her own hand. "Guilty." <@Ardweden> [He pulls her to her feet, actually smiling. But just a little. "Yeah." He drops her hand and looks away. "I'll, uh... I'm gonna head off now. I'll see you around."] * @Haruko nods, her tone gentle. "Sure you don't want to come in? We could use the back door and get in on some Mario Kart." She adds quietly, "I miss you." <@Ardweden> ["Yeah. No." Ken looks past Haruko at the house, and then down at her. "I'm not ready for that." And he steps away. "Later, Kinsha."] <@Haruko> [End!]