<@Grysar> [Date: Tuesday May 11, 2004. Two days after the Haruko party and the evening of Satoshi's return.] <@Grysar> [The weather is cloudy and drizzly, which gives the peak of Tokyo Tower a bit of a misty shroud, though the lights do shine through.] <@Grysar> [Hiromi had suggested you meet at the base of the tower for the tour and had earlier texted to double checked that Kyon had eaten and to let him know she was picking something up from a bakery on the way over. The evening's air is humid but not unpleasant and the crowds are smaller than they might otherwise be.] <@Grysar> [She'd also suggested that he may want to bundle slightly, if he gets cold easily.] <@Grysar> [Start!] * Kyon shows up at the base of the tower, wearing a light grey jacket over a long-sleeve black t-shirt, charcoal pants, a baseball cap and sunglasses despite the weather. He tugs on his left armwarmer as he comes up to the base. At least coming via taxi means he hasn't gotten too wet thus far. * @Hiromi is already there. She's wearing a dark skirt with matching stockings, a chimese tightly buttoned, with a light blue cotton jacket overtop that matches her hair. * Kyon spots her pretty easily and stalks through the crowd, hands in the pockets of his jacket, towards her. He nods curtly as he draws close. * @Hiromi apparently did not taxi here or may have arrived earlier, either way, she's a little damp. Her face lights up with a smile though on your arrive. "Shall we head in?" * Kyon looks back down, and then nods quickly. "No point staying out here. Night like this." * @Hiromi leads the way, unafraid to assert herself through crowds when necessary while carefully protecting her Maison Kayser bag. Before long you're both at the front and she's pressed the down button, an act which goes unnoticed by the tourists around you. "How have you been?" * Kyon shrugs curtly. "Getting antsy for my next turn pitching. Gets tense between starts." He leans his back against the wall next to the elevator door. "You?" * @Hiromi looks down a little. "Oh, same old, same old. I think I might actually be able to get my hands on some of the papers that..." She pauses for a moment, "Andrews-san wanted." <@Hiromi> [The elevator arrives, unnotice by any but the two of you. Hiromi heads in.] * Kyon heads in after her, and adopts the same pose against the back wall of the elevator this time. "Yeah?" * @Hiromi hits the (C) button. Not one you've actually ever noticed before. "It took a lot of work and some string pulling, but it turns out we have some meeting records that I can get copies of. Or rather that I can check out, as we don't actually have a way to get a copier working." <@Hiromi> [The elevator closes its doors and begins a descent, slow at first though building speed.] * Kyon nods quickly. "Sounds useful. Thanks for doing that." He smirks. "Never easy dealing with bureaucracy, no matter what size." * @Hiromi smiles again, losing the annoyance of a moment ago. "Hey, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." <@Hiromi> [The elevator keeps moving at a rapid clip, not faster than you've ever traveled before in a skyscraper, but enough that you feel it in your stomach.] * Kyon looks at the panel - where is the (C) in relation to the other ones he knows? <@Hiromi> [Beneath the button for the lobby reversed.] * Kyon nods quickly back to her, and then gestures at the button. "Who built that one in?" * @Hiromi scratches her head. "That's right, it wasn't there before. I'm not sure. I never saw it before I was sworn in." * Kyon frowns. "Must've been hard to build in a new level without anyone noticing." <@Hiromi> [And about at the point where it feels like the journey may be going too long, the elevator begins deaccelerating.] * @Hiromi smirks, "Oh, I'm not sure it's exactly a *new* level." * Kyon looks at her sidewise. "Accessing an old one?" <@Hiromi> Yeah, I think it might be older than Tokyo Tower. * Kyon raises his eyebrows, pressing off from the wall a little. "That'll be something to see." <@Hiromi> [The second half of the journey is smooth and feels faster. The elevator arrives with a soft ding and the doors open to reveal a set of grand wooden double doors. Each have the symbols of the four suits carved into them. To the left and right are hallways lined with grey stone, curving away from from the elevator. The light is flickering and, based on the smell, provided by torch, though you do not see any at the moment.] * @Hiromi steps in and turns to face you. "Welcome, Sorata-kun, as my guest to the Council Chambers." * Kyon steps out warily, and looks around to either side. He bows to Hiromi, and doesn't yet proceed, just taking it in at first. * @Hiromi returns to the bow. The halls to the left and right appear vacant. There are doors on the exterior walls, including an oddly proportioned one in a stone frame curved at the corners. That said, you can't even be certain that it's a door as all as there's no knob or keyhole, just a solid black exterior with a thin white trim on all sides. * Kyon juts his chin towards the mysterious un-door. "What's that one?" * @Hiromi glances over. "We are still researching that one. According to the readings, it's safe but inert for now. * Kyon nods curtly, and looks back at the main doors, drawing closer to look at the carvings. <@Hiromi> [The carvings are fine craftwork, though it's hard to judge the age, though of a similar quality to work you've seen in historic temples and palaces.] * Kyon fixes his right armwarmer and traces a finger over a Cup carving. "Looks like one at a temple I know. Up north." <@Hiromi> [The appearance calls to mind something that Haruko had described of a vision she had during the Chamber of Mysteries discussion. An ornate chamber, stone walls, torches, embossed table and fancy chairs. His predecessor, the Voice of the Council, apparently practically had a throne.] <@Hiromi> [The Cup is cool, but not cold, to the touch; it is definitely cooler in here than it was outside.] * Kyon looks back towards Hiromi. "How long have you been coming down here?" * @Hiromi watches attentively, intrigued by the mention of the temple. "Since the election. Not for every meeting, but we've been trying to get the place cleaned up and back in proper shape." She looks at him thoughtfully, "I forget sometimes that you didn't grow up around here." * Kyon nods curtly, and smirks. "Just a simple country boy." <@Hiromi> [The halls also echo. There are rugs, but they do not cover the whole floor. It is possible to move quietly through them, though noise carries far. Off to the left, you faintly hear the clatter of what might be a small object dashed against the stone, perhaps a pen or a key.] * @Hiromi doesn't hear it and steps closer, resting her hand on the opposite Cup. "There's nothing simple about you." She lets that hang in the air for a moment or two. * Kyon looks sharply off down the hall, and almost whispers, "Did you hear that?" * @Hiromi starts slightly. She listens for a minute and shakes her head and whispers back, "Could be another member or Yamagata-san." * Kyon frowns more, and whispers, "Any reason they'd be here? Anywhere we can go?" <@Hiromi> [Kyon, when listening carefully, does make out faint scratching sounds that he can recognize as writing. Whoever is here, they seem to be working rather than prowling, for now.] * @Hiromi nods and whispers back, "Sometimes people work here, or have meetings. We can go to my office though." She gestures to the left, which does risk coming closer to the source of the noise, though you think you have enough of a fix on the distance that you won't be caught by surprise. * Kyon whispers quietly, "Sounds like it came from that way, though. But if we move quietly... could probably be safe." * @Hiromi nods and lowers her hand from the door, slightly disappointed, she walks along the rug leading you clockwise around the hall. She leads you past a door marked with a Pentacle before stopping at one marked with a wand. She does stop outside and listens for a moment and whispers, "I think you're right." * Kyon just raises his eyebrows in response. * @Hiromi taps her ear and points down a hallway and whispers again, "Maybe in the Lounge or the Archives." * Kyon nods curtly, and waits for her to lead the way. * @Hiromi carefully opens the door to her small cell of an office. There's a historic desk with a chair behind it, and a more modern chaise lounge that may have been acquired second hand. It's a bit nippy in here, though not bad with a jacket. * Kyon zips his jacket up, and pokes his head in to look around the space, still trying to remain as quiet as possible. <@Hiromi> [The walls are undecorated with the exception of a long-since faded tapestry on the back wall, though there's hooks for hanging things on the others. The room is likewise torchlit.] <@Hiromi> [No windows that you can see.] * Kyon nods appreciatively at the room. It sure is an office. * @Hiromi sits down on the low backed part of the lounge after carefully setting down the bakery bag on the desk. She pats quietly next to her. <@Hiromi> [And further looking around, you do see that there's a packet of thin bendable glowsticks lying on Hiromi's desk chair, in addition to a padded cushion that doesn't really match it well but is only visible thanks to your height.] * Kyon moves towards the chair, not quite sitting yet, but also points at the glowsticks. He says quietly, "What're those for?" * @Hiromi whispers back, "Extra light. Yorihisa has a gas lantern, but I don't have programmer money." * Kyon thins his lips. "Should be able to fix that." * @Hiromi has a conflicting mix of emotions on her face, watching his expression. "You don't have to. I just haven't had the time to pick the right one." <@Hiromi> [And the writing noises cease. Not long after a door opens down the hall. Have you closed the office door, Kyon?] * Kyon sure hasn't! He does look up at the sound of the door, though. <@Hiromi> [Kyon can see shadows on the wall from a cross corridor. If his sense of the layout is right, that may be from an area behind the Council chamber. The profile is a perhaps a feminine one, though hard to be sure. She'll likely be in the hall by the office momentarily.] * Kyon looks down at Hiromi, but doesn't actually move to close the door or anything at this point. <@Hiromi> [A woman in a Handai sweatshirt, incongrously drapped over stripped black slacks, emerges. She glances towards the open door, not quite seeing you clearly yet. "Nekotani-san?"] <@Hiromi> [As she steps forward, Kyon can recognize Kazuko Yamagata from pictures shared by Katie.] * Kyon squares up where he stands and bows politely to her in greeting, removing his cap before doing so. * @Hiromi idly looks up with an unpractice nonchalance. "Yamagata-san. Have you met Sorata Kyon?" * Kyon says with polished coolness, "Pleased to meet you." * Kazuko bows politely in turn, while taking the scene in with an appraising eye. "No, I've not yet had that honor. Pleased to meet you as well." It's my first visit to the chambers. It's quite a sight. * Kazuko nods. "The work of generations before us, though not always to the greater good." * Kyon nods back. "Right." He pauses a beat, and then says, "Don't let me interrupt if you have business." My business is finished for tonight. But I'll leave you two to your . I owe you an expression of thanks for your part in the rescue in Osaka, but that can wait for another time. * Kyon inclines his head in response. "Sure. Glad to have been able to help." * @Hiromi stands up, sidling next to Kyon. "That was my start really. I'm just glad that we can be political partners once again." * Kazuko looks to Kyon's left. "And good evening Council Member. Thanks for stepping up the dresscode, I fear I am rather deficient this evening." * Kyon shrugs quickly. "When you're working late, it's better to be comfortable." * @Hiromi waves Kazuko off but blushes slightly. "Oh, this. Nothing special." As you say. * @Kazuko bows again and then turns to head to the elevator. * Kyon bows back as she leaves. Important to be polite to the end! <@Hiromi> [Not long after the elevator dings and you can hear her depart.] * Kyon turns to look at Hiromi at that point, and raises his eyebrows. * @Hiromi sits down again. "She's an odd one." * @Hiromi retrieves the bag of pastries she'd laid on the desk earlier. * Kyon nods curtly. "So I've heard." He looks at the bag. "What've you got?" * @Hiromi looks up hopefully, "I wasn't sure what your favorite was, so I got a melon bun, one red bean paste, and a tart with ginger cream and oranges." She lays each out on the desk, protected in their wrapping. * Kyon smirks a little. "Good choices. Which one are you starting with?" * @Hiromi ponders for a moment, then deftly cuts the melon bun in half. * Kyon widens his smirk somewhat, and reaches out a hand for half a bun. <@Hiromi> [Hiromi places a melon bun half, still secured by wrapper, in Kyon's hand. She remains seated on the chaise lounge, adjacent to the corner of the desk with the treats. The other seats available in the room are on the lounge nex to her, and an ornate wooden chair behind the desk. Or of course you could eat standing up, if you were a barbarian.] <@Hiromi> [What do you do?] <@Hiromi> [Sitting on the desk isn't out of the question, but it is a bit cluttered already and not the largest. He'd probably have to straighten it up first or sit on some papers.] * Kyon looks down at the bun, and then up at her, lifting it to his nose and giving it a sniff to get the aroma. He nudges some of the papers aside a bit and rests against the side of the desk, looking down towards her and taking a small bite. <@Hiromi> [It isn't the freshest bun in the world, but was certainly prepared today and is still quite tasty.] * Kyon looks pleased with the bun's quality! "Good choice," he comments, and takes a larger bite now. * @Hiromi looks up at Kyon in his leaning position. She purses her lips for a few moments before speaking, with the corner of her mouth quirking upwards at the compliment. * Kyon nods at her with his chin. "Go ahead and try." * @Hiromi takes a small bite and nods. "Sorry, just feel a little self- conscious with you towering up there." * Kyon nods back curtly, and smirks. "No reason to. Just easier to see from up here. But I can move." * @Hiromi smiles and takes a larger bite. She takes the time to chew and just keeps looking up at him, scooting slightly to the head of the lounge to ensure that there's plenty of room for him to sit. * Kyon takes another bite, and then waits a beat before pressing off the desk and going and sitting on the chair next to her, although with a pretty good amount of space between them. Good thing it's long furniture! * @Hiromi sits up a bit taller, now that Kyon is close. "So I've been thinking about my powers." * Kyon chews his bun piece and swallows. "Yeah?" <@Hiromi> Like being able to walk outside my body, that's part of it. And it always makes kind of a dream logic sense when I'm doing it. But when I look back, it's a little confusing sometimes. * Kyon cocks his head a little to the side. "Confusing how?" <@Hiromi> Like, you remember how I found the warehouse in Osaka? * @Hiromi takes another large bite. Think while you chew! * Kyon nods back encouragingly, and bites off half his remaining bun. <@Hiromi> So the distance isn't that weird I guess. It felt like I was walking forever, but it really was kind of a blur. But Osaka is a big city, y'know? * Kyon nods quickly again. <@Hiromi> I guess I was drawn there. Maybe called. I don't know. * @Hiromi looks up the smaller distance to her companion. "Do your powers ever scare you some?" * Kyon furrows his brow. "Drawn how? By the concentration of people?" And then he looks back at her sidewise, cocking his head a little. "Yeah. Think everyone has that." Before popping the last part of the bun in his mouth. * @Hiromi sets down the melon bun on the desk before picking up the wrappers containing the red bean paste bun and the ginger cream and orange tart. She holds one in each hand out to him. "I was thinking it was that someone needed help, but it might just be the number of us. Like, a lot of people need help." * Kyon nods back quickly. "Ever tested that elsewhere? Tried to find a group when you knew there were going to be a lot of us?" * Kyon indicated the red bean bun. Traditionalist. * @Hiromi reaches out her hand with the bun, resting it on Kyon's leg. "I haven't done it much since then. Sometimes it just happens, and I showed it to you. But when I was in Osaka I think one of them might have noticed me somehow. Like sensed my spirit or something." She makes a face. "I don't know." * Kyon looks at the bun on his leg for a beat before picking it up, and then looks up at her, frowning. "Any idea who?" * @Hiromi puts the tart back on the desk and contemplates what remains of her melon bun, her appetite somewhat soured. "I think he had some sort of blade on a pole? But not like a spear." * Kyon sobers more at that, and scowls. "Not someone you need to worry about." * @Hiromi nods at that and sits quietly for a few beats. * Kyon eventually scowls slightly less and tears the bun in half, holding the other half out towards her without looking her way. * @Hiromi takes the half with a quiet, "Thanks," and eats it in small bites. "It's probably time for me to really learn what I can do. If we're going to be partners, it isn't fair for me to ask you to show all the bravery, to take all the risks." * Kyon takes a small bite himself, and says, "Just good to know what you can do. See how things work." <@Hiromi> Leaving my body behind wouldn't be so bad, so long as there was someone to watch it. To know if I got in trouble. * Kyon nods quickly. "Just need someone to make sure you're safe. It's a good precaution." * @Hiromi nods, finishing her bun, and then pivots towards him. "You make me feel safe." She tentatively reaches out a hand towards his shoulder. "Want that to be our next date? Should be easy to keep on the down low. We can find a place with no snooping Yamagata." * Kyon pulls away a little, flexing his off hand, and eating a small piece of the bun, filling his mouth with pastry. So no words! Just pastry. * @Hiromi lets her hand hang there and glances out the door for a moment before looking back to Kyon. "Sorata-kun, what's wrong? It's just the two of us here. I promise I won't get clingy in public." * Kyon takes another small bite, and then says, "I appreciate that. I do. Just." He glances over at her sidewise. "We shouldn't do this this way." * @Hiromi grabs the remains of her melon bun tearing it into smaller pieces. "Oh, uh, I don't mind if you want to take the lead for now." She munches on a bite. "But it's the 21st century. You're more experienced then I am, but that doesn't mean men and women aren't still equals." * Kyon thins his lips, and says, "Not what I mean. We can be equals, but not relationship equals. I can support you. I'd be good with your support. Getting to know you more. Working together. Keeping each other safe. But nothing more than that." * @Hiromi looks stricken and the remaining bun falls from her hand. Once she finds her voice, the earlier gentleness is also gone. "But... you said..." * Kyon frowns, and says quietly, "I know what I said. And I'm sorry. That's on me. Thought about it more since then. It's not a good situation for any of us to try it that way." * @Hiromi abruptly stands up, walking over behind her desk and sitting in her cushioned seat, now at eye level with the seated Kyon. "You're sorry? Good." She scowls. "Not a good situation for any of *us*?" Sarcasm drips from her tone with that last word. "I suppose I should have heeded Yamagata-chan's warning after all." * Kyon cocks his head to the side, and watches her for a beat, before saying, "Maybe." * @Hiromi rests her elbows on her desk, folding her hands together, gripped tightly enough that her finger nails leave small indentation marks. "Maybe indeed." Her eyes flit up to the ceiling for the moment as she thinks. "Setting aside the abrupt dumping, I still believe we can be equals. But I've done my part. I've been talking you up for months. Your support sounds nice, but I'm going to need proof." * Kyon raises his eyebrows slightly, and nods. "What are you looking for?" <@Hiromi> We've discussed my governing agenda. I need your help to make it concrete. Not as a campaign promise, but as a show as to why you deserve the office. * Kyon nods quickly. "I can make that happen." * @Hiromi nods. "Good." She gestures that Kyon can leave if he wants. * Kyon gets up, bows to a respectful angle, and gets headed on out, then. * @Hiromi waits until Kyon is out the door. "Oh, Sorata-san. One last thing." * Kyon turns in the hallway and looks back in at her. <@Hiromi> I wasn't always straight with you, and I'm sorry for that. But I have been this past month. Feeling safe requires trust. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but maybe think hard tonight if there's anything else I need to know. * @Hiromi also stands up with that and gives a bow in return, with an angle befitting her status as a council member. * Kyon bows back, and says simply, "I'll be in touch." <@Hiromi> [Once Kyon heads off, he can hear the office door close behind him. Any more reactions from Hiromi are muffled by that, and must be left to his imagination.] * Kyon straigthens his clothes, shoves his hands in his pockets, and heads off back down the hall towards the elevator, taking in the details of the place as he goes. More info is always better, even in times like this. <@Hiromi> [And as Kyon gains a better feel for the layout, we shall end.]