<@Ardweden> [May 12, 2004.] <@Ardweden> [Today is the day Satoshi is supposed to return! But he hasn't done that yet. Haruko spent early afternoon hanging out with Katie, talking Arcana politics and associated worries. It went pretty well; Katie seems to be taking her seriously as a friend and as a campaign manager, and they even went out to get ice cream! It was fun, and conversation turned to much more mundane (or maybe silly) things... well, until Haruko gets a text.] <@Ardweden> [It's from the Two of Cups; professional and rather short, the message says, "I have time to meet with you today if that's all right." Crap! She's with Katie, and Satoshi should be arriving at the airport later! What does a Haruko do?] <@Ardweden> [Start!] * @Haruko lets out an aggravated puff of air. "Now they're available. Of course." <@Ardweden> [Katie looks over. "Who?"] * @Haruko hovers her finger over her phone. "My councilmember. Two of Cups." <@Ardweden> ["*Oh*." Katie pauses. "I should meet with Norishige sometime, but I feel like I'd want to drop him off a bridge with all of his fate stuff."] <@Ardweden> ["Maybe that wouldn't really improve my election prospects," she considers.] * @Haruko sets down her phone and keeps a straight face as she tries to spoon up her remaining icecream. "No being annoying would be a considerably harder line. And as someone in the sometime-annoying demographic, I think my people would be wary." <@Ardweden> [Katie snorts an unladylike laugh. And has some of her own ice cream.] * @Haruko takes a bite of ice cream, thinking for a moment and suffering a brief headache as that was a little much at once. After a moment she gives an apologetic smile, "So, I'm thinking I may ask your tentative leave. As I'd like to join you and Satoshi and anyone else that can make it at the airport. And the Two has been unresponsive for a while before this, so I don't know when I'll have another chance." <@Ardweden> [Katie rolls her eyes. "Sure, just leave me alone with my ice cream." She waves Haruko off, already reaching for her bag. "Have fun."] * @Haruko has an obvious pang of guilt as she sends a quick text back. Today works. Could we meet soon? <@Haruko> Thank you for providing ice cream to such a mixed up and overscheduled wretch as I. <@Ardweden> ['Yes,' the Two sends back. 'The Tower okay?'] <@Ardweden> [Katie shakes her head. "It's not entirely your fault. Let me know how it goes, okay?"] * @Haruko's eyes widen just a tad at the location but sends back a quick 'Yes' followed by an estimate of when she'll get there. <@Ardweden> [Blipzoom, Haruko is on her way to Tokyo Tower! It's teeming with the expected people, being all touristy and all, and upon approaching it she realizes that she has no idea what the Two of Cups even looks like. It's not like anyone's standing outside with her name on a board. What's the plan, Haruko?] * @Haruko had no time to change and is still wearing her sleeveless top and pants. The latter are a little worse for wear with a small rip and a few marks from the tree climbing, she's tied her overshirt around her waist to disguise that. She scans the crowd for familiar faces and sends a quick text, 'Here.' <@Ardweden> ['Meet me at the elevators,' the Two sends back.] * @Haruko had already been working her way towards the entrance. When the message had come in, she had stopped by a tree in the plaza to take a quick selfie, with Haruko smile only at 25% strength and no v-signs since she's in professional Haruko mode. <@Ardweden> [Haruko gains 1x Professional Haruko Picture.] * @Haruko texts the photo, 'See you there.' She grumbles about formal texters as she slowly pecks in the message while walking. 'Here is my photo, since it has been a while and it is crowded.' By that point she's reached the door and goes ahead and texts anyways before headed to the elevator, keeping a look ouot. <@Ardweden> [She makes her way to the elevators uneventfully, scanning the crowds waiting there. As usual, there's one that's strangely ignored... and one person standing by it: a short young woman wearing a light pink dress and cardigan. She's Japanese, and her hair is dyed blond and cut almost boyishly short... she looks over and waves a little, with a small smile. She looks really familiar to Haruko.] * @Haruko returns the wave and heads over and offers a quick bow. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me." <@Ardweden> [She bows back. "My pleasure. I'm sorry about the wait." And then she hits the button for down. "I already checked; there's nobody there, and it'll be useful to have a change of clothes if you want to talk to my brother."] * @Haruko processes that with a smile, puzzling through the words. "Sounds good. Sorry for being so dressed down myself, I'd been out with a friend." <@Ardweden> [She smiles. "It's no problem." The elevator dings open, and she steps in!] * @Haruko steps in as well, hits the down button, and waits for the elevator doors to close. "I sometimes envy fictional Magical Girls, for their ability to immediately change into appropriate attire." <@Ardweden> [The Two of Cups laughs. "Tell me about it. It'd be *so* useful."] <@Ardweden> ["We are magical, right?" The elevator starts to drop, with only the two of them in it. "We can make fields, and some of us can even change who we are. Why not be able to transform our clothes?"] * @Haruko thinks. "I suspect that there may be more men than women responsible for the creation of Arcana. They seemed to have overlooked a fair number of things." <@Ardweden> ["Yeah. It's ancient stuff, who knows." The elevator nears the bottom, and there's a familiar lurch in Haruko's stomach to let her know that gravity reoriented itself. The doors slide open, revealing the familiar sight of the lobby in the Tower Reversed.] * @Haruko snaps her fingers. "Drat, I was really hoping once someone became a Councilmember they got given an instruction manual." She steps out into the lobby taking care to leave room for Yumi to do the same. <@Ardweden> [She grins, walking out, too. "Yeah, well, we're all kinda making it up as we go along." She goes to sit in one of the chairs, smoothing her skirt out as she does so.] * @Haruko goes to sit by her, adjusting her overshirt. "How have you been these past few years Councilmember Maeda?" <@Ardweden> ["Better," she says with a shrug. "You were with, uh, the Sakuragaoka group, right?"] <@Haruko> Right, we had a few chances to meet in the bad days. I'm glad we did, but I'm sorry the circumstances weren't better. <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods. "I'm sorry I don't really remember you." She leans forward. "It was a really difficult time. I didn't really want to... come out. So if we did talk, I probably wasn't myself."] * @Haruko shakes her head. "No apology needed. I think I had more of a chance to speak with your brother, but even he might remember Sorata Kyon or Katie Andrews more than me." <@Ardweden> ["Yeah," she says with a nod. "That sounds about right."] * @Haruko has a variety of admissions and statements go through her head, all rejected for being too familiar. "In that case, please let me reintroduce myself. Kinsha Haruko, Queen of Cups, engineering student at Tokyo Tech. My powers are healing and water-related." * @Haruko leans forward as she says that, and bobs down further on instinct as gives the introduction. <@Ardweden> [Yumi laughs and bows from her seat. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yumi Maeda, half of the Two of Cups and your current Council representative. You should be able to help pick another one soon, but I hope I can help you in the meantime."] * @Haruko grins at that enthusiastic greetings. "I have a few election questions, but first I was curious whether there is anywhere that you are presently hoping to lead us. I've heard a bit second hand about the first election, but I don't know what each of the members hopes to do." <@Ardweden> [Yumi shakes her head. "I don't..." She pauses, and bites her lip.] * @Haruko looks sympathetic. "So more that you and the other Councilmember Maeda wanted to help than you had an agenda?" <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods. "I'm sorry." She sighs. "It happened so fast, and nobody else really wanted the job. I'd never thought of myself in a leadership role, but..." She shakes her head. "Making it up as we go along."] <@Ardweden> ["I don't think it's really fair to push much right now, anyway," she continues. "We haven't even done the first *real* election yet. And that's going to matter, not just to fill out the Council, but also to let us know what people actually want."] * @Haruko smiles a little more at the real election. "I think that's a good way to think about it." <@Ardweden> [Yumi smiles! "I don't think all of the Councilmembers agree, but..." She shrugs. "What're you gonna do."] <@Haruko> So, if it would be okay, I'd like to tell you about to the candidates in our group. Your brother may also want to give his opinion about them, since we had worked through some hard things together, but we'd like to earn both of your support. <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods. "Sure thing." She opens her bag to pull out a notebook and pen. She flips to an empty page and looks at Haruko.] * @Haruko takes out her phone and begins to pull up a picture or two. "So, oh, here." She shows a Kyon baseball picture. "So Sorata Kyon is the Queen of Wands. He has experience in student government and in business as a leader and even in rough times could be a very steady presence." <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods, looking at the picture. "I remember him. He's hard to forget." She looks back up at Haruko. "It'd be nice to have someone with practical leadership experience around... though he's not the only person running with that qualification."] * @Haruko nods. "I think what distinguishes him is that he's had that tested under fire. He was willing to put his life on the line repeatedly against to try to rescue people and to defend against attacks by the Magician's allies." <@Ardweden> [She nods, thoughtfully.] <@Ardweden> [And so takes notes.] * @Haruko smiles sightly. "His family business is also hospitality, which I think will be useful for bringing people together. We would have wanted to participate earlier in Council matter, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a real need for healing between some of the groups of Arcana. I think he's in a position to help make that happen." <@Ardweden> ["You think so?" Yumi doesn't sound completely convinced.] <@Haruko> I hope so. It's not like he has a power that will somehow make things okay. But he's good at working with a wide mix of people and is hard to rile up but not easily intimidated. <@Ardweden> [Yumi raises her eyebrows, slightly. "I heard he was ingratiating himself with Nekotani after hours. Is that what you mean?"] * @Haruko blinks. "Oh, uh. He knows Councilmember Nekotani from the rescue in Osaka. But..." <@Ardweden> [Yumi is taking notes. Yup. She looks back up at Haruko.] * @Haruko sits up a little straighter and her tone shifts a little more formal. "I believe they both are working a few different jobs. That may have been their best available time to discuss Arcana matters. I can ask him if you like, but we are not in high school any more and adults can have legitimate work meetings regardless of their gender." * @Haruko stressed 'not in high school anymore' a bit more than she intended. <@Ardweden> [Yumi holds up both of her hands. "I was just asking about his methods."] * @Haruko relaxes at that and chuckles. "Sorry, I'm a bit new at this. But yes, he is good at talking to people or groups, finding out what they need and looking for common interests." She shrugs, "That might have been what someone saw." <@Ardweden> ["Whose interests would he be most interested in pursuing?"] * @Haruko thinks about that moment and then smiles a little. "His position is secure. I think finding a stable foundation for the Arcana, like he tries to ensure for his friends and compatriots, would be his priority." <@Ardweden> [Yumi leans forward slightly. She seems interested! "What do you mean by that?"] * @Haruko takes a breath and thinks for a moment. "I include myself in this, but I think what we went through left a lot of us damaged, and not in ways my powers can easily heal." She leans in a little herself. <@Haruko> He's helped me face my fears. For others, he tried to make sure some of what they were facing after the war didn't overwhelm them. He's not big about being out front, and taking credit, but he's someone others can lean on. <@Ardweden> [She notes. "Yeah... I think he has that in common with Nekotani, at least. Maybe I'll hear from him directly about what he thinks he can do."] * @Haruko evaluates that statement about Nekotani without comment. "You should." She then smiles. "I'm glad that my suit is represented by someone that asks pressing questions." <@Ardweden> ["I've had enough of not asking questions," Yumi says, looking up from her writing.] <@Ardweden> ["So, any more about this candidate? You said you're supporting two?"] * @Haruko looked like she was about to inquire there, but is effectively redirected. "Katie Andrews, her agenda is a more focused, but, uh, mind if I dig out my notes. We were talking earlier and I want to make sure I get the wording right." <@Ardweden> ["Sure." She smiles!] * @Haruko digs out her notes from the bag and after a quick glance finds what she wants. "No going back." <@Ardweden> ["Hm?"] <@Haruko> A lot of people were victimized by Arcana. We mustn't go back to those days. <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods, slowly, and writes that down. "It's a good start."] * @Haruko nods more quickly and continues with a voice that's quiet but impassionated. "Right. She's not claiming she has some perfect answer to solve all of our conflicts.." <@Haruko> But step one has to be agreeing to ground rules that just because we have powers doesn't mean we get to abuse others. And that all victims matter, whether or not they're Arcana and whether or not they have powerful friends. <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods, writing that down.] <@Haruko> If you have any suggestions or concerns there, I know she'd want to hear them. Too many of us, and not just the women, know about it first hand. <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods. She looks a bit away from Haruko, then down at her notepad, not saying anything.] * @Haruko waits a few seconds. "I can talk a little about what that means to me, if you like." <@Ardweden> [She nods again and clears her throat. "Sure." Her voice is a little dry.] * @Haruko takes another slow breath and digs her water bottle out of her bag, laying it down between the two of them. "So, I made a lot of mistakes back then. And while I was kidnapped once and in some fights, in a lot of ways I kind of got off easy." She gestures to the bottle in case Yumi would like a drink. <@Ardweden> [The other girl reaches over and unscrews the cap, taking a small drink.] <@Haruko> But, for a few years, there's been stuff that I thought was mostly my fault. I mean, sure someone put a hand up my shirt within a minute of meeting me, but I didn't say no. And maybe I was tricked into doing something that left me feeling defiled, and if I'd been more clever or more principled it would have never happened. But... <@Ardweden> [Yumi's screwing the cap back on. She's looking at her notes, but not taking any.] * @Haruko shifts her gaze to look at Yumi. "She convinced me that exploitation isn't just wrong when it happens to other people. When I don't know all the messy details. There's stuff that people just shouldn't do, and we don't need to make excuses for them. Just like I try not to make excuses for myself when I mess up or hurt people." <@Ardweden> [Yumi nods again. She looks up at Haruko. "Thanks for sharing that with me."] * @Haruko tugs a little at her hair. "You're welcome. So, I guess that's my case for each of them." <@Ardweden> [She writes for a bit. "Katie Andrews, was she with you and Sorata?"] * @Haruko thinks for a moment. "Yeah." <@Ardweden> [She sighs. And looks up at Haruko. "I need to thank all of you for helping me, back then," she says, seriously. "Please convey this to Katie Andrews and Kyon Sorata, too. I was in a... very bad place, and you helped me get out."] <@Ardweden> ["I know that Yuji probably didn't make it easy for you..." Yumi trails off for a moment, looking away, then back at Haruko. "We were both trying to do what was best. But like you said, that doesn't excuse the person who hurt us."] * @Haruko listens. "You're welcome, and I'll tell them. We had help from others too and I'll let them all know." <@Ardweden> [Yumi smiles. "Thanks."] <@Ardweden> ["It counts in their favor; don't think I've forgotten. I just need more than that to advocate for them."] * @Haruko nods, she'd already lost the smile earlier and had a sense where this was going. "I understand. Do you think the other Councilmember Maeda will have any questions?" <@Ardweden> [She shakes her head. "We'll see what he has to say later." She grins. "We can get back in touch with you?"] * @Haruko nods and gathers up her things and takes out a card holder, presenting her engineering student card to the Councilmember. "Please don't hesitate. And.. uh... if you ever want to talk about transforming, my powers touch on that in a smaller way, and I've never really had someone to talk about it with." <@Ardweden> [She takes it. "Sure. That might be nice."] <@Ardweden> [End!]