<@Grysar> [Date: Evening of Sunday, May 16th. It's been a pleasantly warm day, as long as you don't mind some humidity. Not long after Satoshi's return, Katie called the other K's and Satoshi together to discuss a matter of some import. Kyon, naturally, is already at their collective apartment doing his classwork. Satoshi has time on his hands and so arrived a little early and a Kaede is never early nor late. Initial pleasantries have been briskly exchanged (the population is 75% K's) and we now turn to why Katie has gathered you all here today.] <@Grysar> [Start!] * Katie sighs, seated at the table. There's tea there, and a deck of tarot cards, and really, neither of those are surprising. She has her own mug of tea - one with cranes on it - that she's toying with in front of her. So, um... I wanted to talk to you guys about the World. Kyon and Satoshi, I know already know who I think it is. I haven't told you yet, Kaede. * @Satoshi has his own mug of tea and is seated on the couch. * Kaede sits quietly, presumeably for tea. Probably less more for the tarot although tarot is important. He's a little silent in looking at it. "...what do we want to do with this if you're right then?" Figure some stuff out. I'm not... convinced she's against us, or even evil. Right now. * @Satoshi blows gently on his tea. "It's a possibility. That she's neither." * Kyon sets his cup on the low table, and leans back, propping himself up on his straightened arms. * Kaede pauses, then looks up, watching Katie for the moment, then calmly. "This is the first *I've* heard of it..." But then he lets Katie have the show. This is her show. Well, I haven't really *talked* to lots of people about it, because I don't want them to be stupid. Like, Wataru would probably go on a warpath at the bare mention of the name, and Haruko's deep in Council stuff and I don't want her tipping anyone off. * @Satoshi grimaces a tiny bit, but he doesn't disagree right now. * Katie rubs at her face. "So," she says through her hand, "Mikari knew the World when she was her spy, which means I can connect her then to her now, and I'm almost positive she's Kazuko Yamagata, who's drawing the Nine of Wands." * Kyon looks entirely unsurprised, but does pick up his tea and take a sip of it. * Kaede fidgets with his handle but stays quiet and Katie probably *knows* that he doesn't disagree. <@Grysar> [Speaking of people and the Council, the Katie/Kyon campaign white board is rests near where you are all sitting, though it's not directly behind Katie or anything so it isn't naturally the focus of attention. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZPGhBQDknjM8B3MSYkyL5Gre4UiodWyNd -1-Tzuufjg/edit?usp=sharing ] * Kaede *does* respond with.. "And Mikari is....your past self, yes?" Yeah. * @Satoshi takes a breath and lets it out. "I know how the card-sharing works now. When I was doing the ritual in the Bangor Tower Reversed, I had a series of visions." * Katie looks at Satoshi, curiously. "You do?" * Kyon looks over at Satoshi now, raising his eyebrows. * Kaede looks at Satoshi and frowns a little, letting Satoshi speak first before his thoughts. * @Satoshi nods. "It's Death's ability. And The World worked with Death a few years ago." * Kaede takes a deep breath, looking down. "Figuring out who worked past and who worked present is always a pain. I'm still not sure what exactly Yorihisa was doing with the Emperor..." * @Satoshi looks at Kaede. "Oh, they were both there that night. Trying to stop Sho from unmaking the Tower Reversed." * Katie blinks. "Why would he want to do that?" * Kyon just scowls now. * Kaede turns to Satoshi, then for Katie, then for *Kyon*, then sighs, turning to Satoshi. "Many cards go on the table tonight, it seems. And not literally for once." * @Satoshi looks at her. "It's a gathering place for all Arcana. It's a possible gateway to the World Reversed. Maybe he was trying to cut everyone else off from a source of power." * Kyon snorts. "Sounds like him. Big active gestures." He was usually a little more... secretive about the crap he did, though. At least that early. * Kaede considers for a moment, looking down. "How....would that have affected the Oni? Sealing off the Tower, I mean...." <@Satoshi> Well, there weren't many people there that night. The World must have known something was about to go down, though, because she and the Emperor and Yorihisa were all there doing ritual preparations. Masaru was there that night, too, being Masaru. * Katie shrugs. "Maybe significantly. We found the weird... uh, placeholders or whatever... in the World Reversed first, right? The ones that eventually showed up here near where gates opened." * Katie nods at Satoshi. <@Satoshi> I don't know how it would have affected the World Reversed or the Oni. I can only guess on some of this. * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "So maybe the payoff would've been worth it. If he could've pulled it off." He'd think so. * Kaede rubs his forehead. "As much as I'd like to wring Ryo for information on this, I doubt it will do us much good to speculate Sho's motives. Other than if someone ever tries to follow in his footsteps... It may be useful to look into it when there is time, but for now it seems like secondary priority. Does everyone agree on that?" <@Satoshi> Sho's gone. We have other things to worry about. I'd agree. * Kyon nods curtly. "More important things to focus on here." * Katie nods. * @Satoshi takes a sip of tea. "I should clarify something... this vision was actually a memory. One of Masaru's. From that night." Uh... huh. <@Satoshi> Well, this is the night we got linked. * Katie nods. * Kaede frowns, but only slightly. "You've been...remembering when you were linked? When the cards were swapped?" * Kyon looks at Satoshi. "Don't know if that makes it better." * @Satoshi shakes his head at Kaede. "It's not my memory coming back. It's me seeing Masaru's. And it wasn't a swap because Masaru would have ended up with Judgement. It was using his card to obscure mine." * Kaede nods. Ever so slightly. Then turns to Katie. "Katie, perhaps you should continue. Satoshi? I think you should remember what you saw as she's explaining it. Think of anything that connects the dots..." * Katie blinks. "Sure." She sips her tea. * @Satoshi looks at Katie. "If that's what you want to do." <@Satoshi> You guys should hear about what I saw eventually, but I don't want to derail this too much right now. So, uh... so yeah, basically, in the past - at least during our past lives - The World would hide her face; I think she knew the consequences of being found out. But Mikari got her sympathy, I think, and so she got a really good look at her, and got to hear her voice really well. She was... I mean... * Katie lets out a breath. "I think she was kind of terrifying, but Mikari felt like she was her only hope, really. She took her in and helped her when nobody else would. She reuinited her with the girl she loved, even though society said it was wrong, and even though she warned her that it might end badly. She helped other Arcana like that, too." I think she really wanted to change things, and Mikari believed in her vision. * Katie shrugs, slightly. * @Satoshi blinks. "Wow. That is way nicer than anything I could see my mom doing." Yeah. So now, we have Kazuko Yamagata, who... is drawing the Nine of Wands, and talking to *me* about how hurt she was by Sho, and how hurt she is by her family, and I don't think she's actually lying about any of it. I'm not sure she remembers her card, or who she was. * Katie bites her lower lip. "And I saw her power, or some of it. She augmented mine; made me better able to control air." <@Satoshi> I mean, if she had Death change her card, and Temperance mind- wipe her... there's no reason to believe she's *not* a new person. I've been two other people and I don't remember anything about either of them. * Katie nods. "Or if she didn't have them do it - if they just did it." * @Satoshi shakes his head. "No." * Kyon snorts, and pushes himself up off the ground, striding over to the kitchen, and bringing back a couple of bowls of snacks, placing them on the table for people. <@Satoshi> I don't see Temperance doing that without The World asking. ... No? <@Satoshi> They've been working together for longer than we realized. * Kaede starts to respond, then stops, just taking in his tea and watching the exchange between Katie and Satoshi. "I wouldn't discount that possibility. But you saw this too...?" * @Satoshi looks at Kaede. "Oh, I know this. I know it for certain. Because Masaru's wasn't the only memory I saw that night. I saw one from the person who existed between Hideo and me. Takeshi. And Temperance was there. The Temperance we know now. She and Takeshi had been raised together. By The World. Who had plans." <@Satoshi> Surprise, Temperance is kind of my aunt. * Kaede frowns at Satoshi. Just a little as he holds his cup. "You've been busy, Watanabe-kun...." <@Satoshi> Mystical rituals will do that, apparently. * Kyon watches Satoshi for a beat, and says, "Not much family feeling on her part." * Katie sighs. "Why's your family full of at least temporarily terrible women, Satoshi." * Kaede snorts at Katie's statement then focuses on sipping his tea. * @Satoshi looks at Kyon. "Not much, no." And then he looks at Katie. "I *don't* *know*." He takes another sip. "My family tree is the *weirdest*." * Kyon smirks. "Just be glad you're beyond those kinds of biology assignments." <@Satoshi> Yes. * Kaede finishes his tea, takes a breath, then puts a reassuring hand on Satoshi's shoulder. "As far as we're concerned, your family tree consists of you and you alone. You're a part of us and we're here for you in all the ways it matters." * Katie says, a little joking, "That means his family tree consists of *us*, Kaede." * Kaede tilts his head to look at Katie, still deadpan. "Not inaccurate." * @Satoshi gives Kaede a grateful smile, then laughs at Katie's comment. "I mean, you're not wrong." * Kyon snags some crackers from one of the bowls. "Makes for a different kind of complicated family register." * Katie holds her finger up to Kyon. "Better." <@Satoshi> For what it's worth, I'm listed in official records as the son of Takeshi and Natsume Watanabe. And The World was using Natsume as her name for a while. * Katie nods. * Kyon nods quickly. "Sure they look very official, too. No one'd raise their eyebrows at them." <@Satoshi> Oh yeah. Somebody out there was an excellent forger. But I don't know who that was. That wasn't in any of the visions. * Kaede says, almost with dry sarcasm. "Knowing Temperance was part of it as well, it wouldn't even have to be Arcana. It could just be someone they made forget even did it in the first place depending..." <@Satoshi> Man, that is entirely possible. Anyhow. * Kyon nods quickly. "Yeah." He leans back on his arms, looking pensive. * @Satoshi reaches for a few crackers and looks over at Katie to see if she wants to continue or if she has questions for him. * Katie seemed to think Satoshi was going to continue. So you think she's still completely loyal to the World? <@Satoshi> I don't think she's disloyal enough to pull something like this. She was loyal enough to side with her over Takeshi, and they were really close. * @Satoshi looks away for a moment. "I don't actually know how things went from Takeshi to me." * Kyon thins his lips. "Probably we'll find out some day. It'll turn up eventually." It's okay. * @Satoshi looks back at Katie and takes a breath. "But yeah, they were working together as recently as a few years ago." * Katie frowns at her tea, thinking. Then how would Kazuko even work... <@Satoshi> It was maybe three, four years ago that The World was still my mom as I knew her, and the whole card-sharing thing with Masaru happened. * Kaede sighs. "All things tend to eventually, it seems..." Then he turns to Katie. "So you don't think the World is against us? Or possibly even remembers...?" Yeah. * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "I did meet her dad. At a function in April for the publishing house." He looks at Katie. "You remember that?" I'm not convinced she is. Kazuko was... when we told her that we hadn't been invited, she seemed *surprised*. She expected we would have been. And she gave us the invitations. She might be a really good actress, but that on top of everything else is a hell of an act. And she was genuinely grateful that we'd saved her from Sho, and... * Katie rubs her finger against the rim of her mug. "If she knew who she was and was trying to hide, why would she get closer to *me*?" <@Satoshi> I mean that's probably the move that we'd least expect, but... that still doesn't answer why. * Kaede shakes his head. "You're right. It wouldn't make any sense..." Then to Katie. "What did you mean 'How would Kazuko even work'?" She was in a position for Sho to easily take her, she was in a family that gave her trouble. Why would she let herself fall into those situations? And *then* there's Aka Uehara. Like... *why*. <@Satoshi> He's Masaru's brother, right? The weird writer guy? Yeah, the one who isn't an Arcana. When whe met him, he was protective of Yamagata and worried about someone else. A deal with the devil, right? * Katie looks at Kyon. At the time, I thought it was the World, but maybe it's not. <@Satoshi> Worried as in scared of them, or as in concerned about them? * Kyon nods quickly. "There're enough other people to scare him there. A lot of suspects around in the publisher orbit." * Katie looks at Satoshi. "Scared of them. We showed him a tiny bit of power and he freaked out." Then we offered to protect him and he said that whatever's going on is already in motion; he seemed to want out but didn't think there was a way. And he said something about a deal with the devil. * @Satoshi hmms. "Would he have been kind of literal about that? Saki's gone, but Death is the Devil Reversed, and she's still around." * Kaede rubs his forehead. "Did he seem surprised by the power? Cause you'd think if there's writing, he would have encountered it..." Then he groans. "Too many questions to be bomarded with, I know..." He seemed frightened by the threat of it, I think. Uh, Kyon could set him on fire; I don't think he's used to that. All I did was stop the noise and he basically went rigid. Maybe because what he thought was kind of public suddenly wasn't. * Kyon shakes his head quickly. "Just because he knows it's a thing doesn't mean he's prepared to face it happening. Plus he probably doesn't know all what we can do. Specifically." <@Satoshi> So he was fine with magic in theory, but not in actuality? * Katie shrugs. * Kaede takes a deep breath. "This is the problem with rhetoricals. It's easy to theorize what you would do in a situation or that you know more about a situation until it is staring you actually in the face..." What I'm saying is... I'm saying it doesn't add up. * Kyon cocks his head to the side. "He did stand up to it. So whatever's on the other side is hard enough for that." Yeah. And it's not Kazuko, I'm sure. It might be Temperance. Or Death. Or both. Or maybe something else. I had a kind of guess, a while ago, that maybe Aka wanted to be one of us, and I bet that if anyone could make that happen for him, it'd be Death. But that's really just speculation. <@Satoshi> I wonder if Death's ability would work on non-Arcana. * Kyon snorts. "It looks fun til you have to live it." * Katie snorts a little. "Put Masaru's card on his brother, solve Aka's jealousy problem? Sounds like a blast." <@Satoshi> Actually, that might be more complicated. <@Satoshi> Masaru and I are still linked. * Kaede's lips thin. "Putting a card on someone...we don't really have any evidence that it'd give him a power set. So that's a moot point, unless I'm missing something. He'd appear as Arcana without any of the prowess to back it up." <@Satoshi> Do we know what Masaru's powers are? * Katie shakes her head. "When I talked to him about it, he said he couldn't do anything really..." And Aka was always *very* disappointed. <@Satoshi> What if he can't do anything because he's only got part of his card? <@Satoshi> And I've got the other part. * Katie blinks. "Huh." * Kaede goes quiet at that. Thoughtful. It... maybe makes sense? I thought it was just masking, but... Changing powers would be the best mask. * @Satoshi lets out a breath. "There's another thing I saw in the ritual." But it'd be a way of strengthening the person you're marking out, too. If they're caring for you in particular. <@Satoshi> Masaru's paintbrush glowed a little. You guys remember how I used to be able to generate energy pucks? * Katie nods, sipping her tea. <@Satoshi> I can't really do that anymore. It's kind of faded over time. My strength and my telepathy have stayed the same, maybe even gotten stronger. <@Satoshi> What if that was Masaru's power? Oh, you lost that? I don't think he'd be able to make hockey pucks, but maybe brushstrokes or something like it. Yeah. <@Satoshi> I sort of stopped doing it when we stopped... well, fighting other Arcana, and then for fun one day after practice when everyone was gone, I tried to do it again, and it just... didn't happen. * Katie blinks. And nods again. * Kaede narrows his lips again. "...maybe. Except my electricity isn't quite what it used to be, but my...uh...technopathy has gotten stronger...it may just be powers adjusting overtime. Not to discount you..." * Kyon thinks for a beat. "We can see if he can do it more now. If it's reverting. But yeah. Other explanations could work, too." * @Satoshi nods. "We don't need to get into a whole lot of speculation right now." * Kyon nods quickly. "Easy to work on going forward. Just can keep it in mind when we meet." * Katie is clearly thinking, half curling up on her seat. * Kaede nods solemnly. "Experiments and the like. Easy enough to get into..." And then he turns to the group with tea. "I suppose the important thing is....what do we most want to make sense of first with all this...?" We need to figure out what Kazuko knows. * Kyon turns his teacup around in his hands. "First, whether she knows, and how she fits into these circles. We have to rethink her connections. And two, if she's not aware, who's placing her where she is. She's too integrated already." * Katie nods. She looks at Kyon. "You said you met her father?" * Kyon nods, sipping his tea. "Yeah." He looks at the other two. "You know about him yet? Name's Yamagata Katsuro?" * @Satoshi shakes his head. * Kaede turns to Kyon and listens. * Kyon nods to him. "Came off as cagey and a bit of a creep. Good at managing conversation, good at wanting to get people involved, wishes his daughter was still at university so he could ogle college girls." He rolls his eyes. * @Satoshi closes his eyes. "Ugh." But more directly: he knows the Council books author, and isn't a fan. Says he used to be friends with his daughter, so. And he's glad his daughter is working, getting involved in politics, getting people to see things his way. Very natural politician. So she'd be very embedded. * @Satoshi looks at Kyon. "Used to? So they're not still?" * Kaede makes an expression of distaste at that, trying not to set down his tea. "Using his daughter to..." He ends the conversation there. "Suspecting any actual Arcana knowledge is unknown then. As far as her actual involvement in politics..." * Katie is watching Kyon carefully. * Kyon nods curtly, and frowns. "He said she had a mix of friends, and that he didn't like the author. So he made it sound like they weren't really friends anymore. But nothing too strong there." <@Satoshi> So it could be more what he wants than what's actually going on. Got it. * Kyon nods quickly. "He clearly has some kind of tie still. And a powerful one. But whether it's that and how is cloudier." * Katie speaks up, tentatively: "I figured out where Kazuko lives and went digging through her discarded mail once..." She curls in on herself a little, again. * @Satoshi blinks, opens his mouth, and then closes it. * Kyon cocks his head a little, taking this in for a beat, but doesn't really look that surprised by this. "Yeah?" * Katie nods. She takes in a breath, lets it out, and looks between the three boys. She doesn't uncurl, though. "Yeah. She, um, lives in a pretty secure place. Good camera coverage, high quality locks, people at the desk - that sort of thing." I found a letter from her parents, still sealed and in the recycling. It was... I can get it, hang on. * Katie gets to her feet and half runs to her room, leaving the others alone. * @Satoshi takes the opportunity to... drink more tea. Yep. * Kyon watches her scoot out of the room, then looks down at his teacup with a small smile on his face. * Katie returns before too long, an envelope in hand. She hands it to Kyon before reassuming her seat. * @Satoshi really really tries hard not to go O_o at all of this. Really. He tries. * Kyon takes the letter in hand, shooting Katie a quick appreciative look, and takes a look at the envelope. * Katie gives Kyon half an almost smile in return. * Kaede seems to still be deep in thought, but waiting on the letter. Katie knows the look, most likely. Kaede is listening, but processing all of this, waiting to hear about the letter before putting all these pieces together. [The letter is fairly formal and congratulates her on the favor she's found with the mayor. It notes her wisdom in taking the course she did in terms of preserving her privacy and avoiding the depraved press and inept police. It was actually sent to her office; she must have carried it home with her.] [The congratulations seem a bit passive aggressive, noting that they learned of her latest accomplishments some months later through a friend.] * @Satoshi flexes the fingers of the hand not holding his teacup. He looks like he wants to say something but now's not quite the right time. * Kyon reads it over to himself once, and then reads it in a frank manner to the group. The address doesn't match her apartment. I think it went to her day job. * @Satoshi makes a disgusted face. "Wow, that guy is terrible." Yeah. * Kaede is still thinking. Considering it for a moment. "So. An strained relationship at best. A self-centered father..." Does Kaede sound a little bitter? Of course not.... * Katie sighs, reaching for her cup again. "When we, I mean... when Kazuko and I talked... she basically implied that her parents blamed her for what happened to her in Osaka." * Kaede nods, still not looking up directly. "Of which....Uehara-san was a student, correct? * Kyon scowls at Katie's statement, and reads the letter over to himself one more time. * Katie looks at Kaede. "Was he?" * Kaede gives a small nod, looking at Katie. "A student at the university, I believe..." He goes back to a thoughtful look of tea. "...which makes me wonder. Just how long and how deep has he been involved in all of this....?" * Katie shakes her head. "The World turning into Kazuko Yamagata basically has to have happened after the vision Satoshi had as Masaru, right?" And before we got involved as a group. That leaves, what. A year? Or something? <@Satoshi> Yeah. This is what's confusing me. But it seems to go so deep. Is it, like, body swapping or something, too? Doubles? Illusions? Ugh. * Katie flops back. * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "He's got a lot of involvement, and he's been around, but it's not the end of it." He frowns. "There's some mechanic we're missing there." * @Satoshi puts a hand to his forehead. "Oh my god. I'm an *idiot*." He looks at Katie. "Do you have a picture of Kazuko Yamagata?" * Katie looks at Satoshi. "Sure." She gets to her feet and heads into her bedroom again. * @Satoshi looks at Kaede and Kyon. He's not worried about talking while Katie is out of the room; she'll hear him. <@Satoshi> I just saw my mom in a vision. <@Satoshi> So I remember what she looked like a few years ago really well right now. <@Satoshi> So I can look at this picture of Kazuko and compare them. * Kyon nods quickly. "Good idea." * Kaede nods, then snaps his focus to Satoshi. "Wait. You said Yorihisa and...the Emperor was there too? Did we ever meet the Emperor?" <@Satoshi> Given he died that night, I'm not sure how we could have. * Kaede frowns. "Right." He goes to slip his laptop out of his pack. Cause of course he has his laptop on him. "Was the name mentioned or did you just....know that's who it was through his eyes?" * Katie returns with her laptop, handing it to Satoshi. Open is a folder with a few pictures of Kazuko Yamagata, mostly taken from the news or public events. [Also in the folder is a video of Kazuko, probably giving a speech.] * Kyon looks up at it curiously. "When's that from?" * @Satoshi thinks for a second. "Masaru knew he was The Emperor, but I didn't get a name from the vision, so Masaru may have just known his card. And The Emperor and Sho had talked before." * @Satoshi is then given a laptop, and starts looking at the pictures of Kazuko. * @Satoshi watches the video, too, peering very closely at the screen. * Kyon watches as well, but off from the side of the screen. A few months ago, I think. * @Satoshi replays the video once it ends. * Kyon nods back, and looks over at Katie. "Being on the Board leads to speeches." No kidding. * @Satoshi stares at the laptop screen for a few more minutes, then makes a frustrated sound and leans back on the couch. "I can't tell if she's my mom or someone who really looks a *lot* like her. She *sounds* like her, the way she phrases some things. But she could just be getting mentored by her. Like... you remember a few months ago when Kaede was looking into Shuffle things?" * Kyon nods quickly. Yeah? <@Satoshi> There was that video of... of Remi. And offscreen, there was an older woman. And at the time I thought maybe *that* was my mom. <@Satoshi> What if she's mentoring Kazuko too? <@Satoshi> What if she's not Kazuko? * Katie makes grabby hands for her laptop. <@Satoshi> But Kazuko's the best way to potentially get in contact with her? * Kaede starts to say something, then suddenly scowls, going back to his laptop, typing furiously. "Of course." * @Satoshi gives Katie her laptop ASAP. * Kaede glances up at Satoshi, tilting his head. "We're still not sure the time frame on when that vision took place, correct? Like when all of this fits together?" * Kyon leans in and rests his elbows on the table, watching everyone laptop. * @Satoshi considers this. "I looked about fourteen or fifteen in it. It was after I got my nose broken and everything, so. Definitely at least fourteen." * Katie clicks through some things and opens another video - the one where she spotted the woman coaching Remi in the first place. And you said Yorihisa was there too. At least recognizeable. So...if I show you a couple of club photos, do you think maybe we could narrow it down further? * @Satoshi nods. "I think so." * Kaede starts going to the internet! Pulling up a couple of the club activities he can remember. Especially the photos with time stamps available. <@Satoshi> Also, I mean... Kazuko and The World *could* be related. Not mother and daughter, but ... maybe grandmother and granddaughter? Does the timing work on that? Or great-grandmother? <@Satoshi> We don't know that The World didn't have biological kids. * Katie pauses the video, enlarges a section of it, and peers at her screen. "This is giving me a headache. If you're right, how was I *so sure* then?" And by "I", I actually mean "Mikari". * Kyon gets up and goes to refill the tea kettle quickly before coming back. "And then they can just pass it down to their kids, the status? Don't think any other Arcana work that way. It could be special, but that's quite a trick." * @Satoshi looks apologetic. "I don't know. Maybe they actually are linked somehow? Not a full-on card hiding like Masaru did for me, but... a partial link? Something to throw people off the trail just enough? Sorry, I'm just speculating." Katie, do you think the false card trick may be older than we think it is? <@Satoshi> Remember, Death's been around for a while. As long as Saki and Winston and Hideo. <@Satoshi> And like... there's Judgement powers that are consistent. Maybe Death's like that? <@Grysar> [And looking at the picture Satoshi's able to figure out that based on when Yorihisa hit his growth spurt, the version of him in the vision was probably back in 2000.] * @Satoshi scoots over to look at Kaede's latptop once he's got the pictures. * Katie points out the kind of grainy, blown up picture once Satoshi scoots over. "I thought she was using make up and dress to look a little older. Kazuko does that. But now I'm thinking she might *actually* be older." She huffs a breath upwards, at her bangs. * Kyon frowns. "However good the skills are... it'd have to be seamless. Or someone would notice." * @Satoshi points at the Yorihisa 2000 picture. "There. That looks like how I'm remembering him from the vision." * Kaede pulls it up and thinks slightly, considering. "I....do have an in to try and talk with Murimura-san about this...but I would think it would be hard without letting him in on what we are talking about. It may give us more on the Emperor though...he seemed to know him well...." * @Satoshi nods. "I don't know how long they'd been working together by the time of the vision." * Kyon thinks further, leaning back on his arms, tea on the table in front of him. "Could just be that you get different Arcana in the same family, rather than the same card over and over. Some of the descriptions and powers overlap. Just repeating the same card over and over is the strange one. But we know families with multiples already." * Kaede gives a brief nod, then goes back to the laptop, mming at the dates. "Though it still tells us about when the transfer may have happened and how it coincides with this Kazuko coming onto the scene...." <@Satoshi> Would it help or be more confusing if I could give you some information about when The World became the person I knew as my mom? * Kyon smirks slightly. "Hard to say without hearing it." * Kaede points to Kyon, his expression neutral. "I hate to agree with Kyon here but...I agree with Kyon here." * @Satoshi half-smiles. "Fair. Okay, well, in the vision I had of being Takeshi, which was around... uh... early 80's, like I'd say about 1983 because our generation was starting to be born then, she'd already age- reversed herself and started going by Natsume." * Kyon nods slower than usual. "Probably more helpful?" * Katie shuts her laptop and asks, somewhat snappishly, "Are we sure they're different people, then?" And if they are, why would she even do this? * Kyon says slowly, "The kinds of things we're seeing, there'd be no point to train someone to have the same tics and mannerisms, posture, all those bits we keyed on, there's nothing historically to work for that for schools or systems. And they're not similar enough that you'd think they're the same person just looking at them underneath. So I'd think they're different." * Kaede looks over at Katie, a little confused. "I don't think we're 100% certain of anything at this point..." He frowns, looking down. "But if you want to go by Natsume, why change it midway through and become a whole new persona?" If we presume she wanted to pretend to be Watanabe-san's mother, then later this Kazuko...why did the plan change? <@Satoshi> And Takeshi and Temperance's mother *before* that. She's been at this for a while. <@Satoshi> Well, adoptive mother, but yeah. * Katie frowns. "It's too complicated no matter what." She kicks the coffee table lightly. "I'm not a fan." * Kyon snorts a laugh. "That's this life. There's too much weirdness in here." Can you please set fire to the weirdness? * Kaede shakes his head at Satoshi. "Well, yes. But the issue is...if she was already pretending at being your *mother*, why change it again? *What* changed...?" <@Satoshi> Sho? The Emperor dying? <@Satoshi> Me needing my card hidden? <@Satoshi> All of the above? * @Satoshi puts his face in his hands. "None of the above?" Maybe I'll just go accuse her of being the World. And punch her in the face? * Katie is quiet for a second, then says, softer, "No." Everything we came up with still has her believing she is who she says she is. I'm not going to punch her for what Satoshi's mom did. * Kaede lets out a small sigh, settling back. "Really? Things were much simply when we could..." <@Satoshi> Please don't punch either of them? I'd probably break my hand, anyway. I don't know how to punch anybody. I'm not going to punch anyone, don't worry. * Katie points at Kyon with her thumb. "Once I wanted to punch him, but I hugged him instead." Would have probably burnt. Or he would have taken it. Which still would have hurt. Yeah. <@Satoshi> I mean I can totally teach you how to punch, but then Kyon might not be so happy. * Kyon nods. "Let's leave out the punching. And setting fire. For now." He blows out a breath slowly. "And refocus here. There's a lot, but we can get this." Yeah. I am kind of serious, though. I could ask her what she has to do with the World. Do you want me to see if I can wrangle more information out of Murimura-san? The problem is he likes to play so many games to exert his superiority....may be hard. * Katie thinks. Can I come with? I think he avoids me because he's afraid of what I might figure out. * Kaede smiles a bit. "So long as he doesn't think it takes away my impartiality as a judge..." A snort and back to his work. "Not that I'd care." You could just bug yourself and I can listen in and give you advice, like a spy movie. * Katie totally says this with a straight face. * Kaede starts to protest, then *looks* at Katie. Silently. * Katie smiles. <@Satoshi> Is it wrong that I like this plan? Becuase I like this plan. * Katie looks at Satoshi and her smile upgrades to a grin. It's not the best plan if only that Yorihisa would act different because it's me. And Akemi would ask when I'm wearing the catsuit. I suggested it because I know he's on his guard with me and won't say *anything*. * Kyon listens with a look of slight amusement, but as if he's thinking about it, as well. But my hearing's good enough that even through cell or whatever, I can probably pick up on stuff you wouldn't. We'll discuss it later then. And you can tell her that you'll wear the catsuit in the privacy of your own home. You say that as if I didn't already. See? It's just another Wednesday for you. Sunday. But that's another topic. * Katie laughs. * Kaede sips his tea. * @Satoshi nearly chokes on tea. * Kyon neatly drinks his tea. He's good at tea. * @Satoshi takes another sip so he's not coughing. "So, uh, there is one more thing I should tell you guys, if now is an okay time." * Katie looks over at Satoshi. * Kaede turns to look at Satoshi. Doesn't protest, so it must be okay. <@Satoshi> It's about the last part of what I saw in the ritual. The first part was Masaru's memory, the second part was Takeshi's, and the third part was... well, I was me again, and in the World Reversed. Not a memory, but actually happening. * Kyon nods back quickly, frowning. * Katie blinks. "Okay..." <@Satoshi> So I was at the construction site, the one here in Tokyo. The World Reversed that we've all been to, not a Reversed version of Bangor. <@Satoshi> I don't know if I was actually there or this was all in my head. I'm not really going to speculate on that now, but it's a possibility. <@Satoshi> Anyhow, I saw the shadows, like I have before, and I decided that probably the best thing to do was to try to find my way out of there. Makes sense. * Kyon nods curtly again, and finishes his cup of tea. <@Satoshi> So I climb down a bunch of stairs, because I'm at the top of the building, into an underground passageway, and there's someone waiting for me there. * @Satoshi drinks some more tea. "It's... well, it's Hideo." * Katie blinks. She frowns a little, thinking, then says, "Probably in your head, then..." <@Satoshi> It seems like a pretty good possibility, especially since he's being a pretty big asshole, and a Hideo in my head would be about as big an asshole as I could make him. Except he also seemed to know some things. Know some things? Well - so do you, right? And it's not like you've had separate bodies, or anything. <@Satoshi> No. We have not. * Kyon nods slowly, setting his cup back down on the table. "What'd he have to say?" <@Satoshi> Well, we kind of argued for a while... but ultimately, what he said was that while the shadows are my legacy as Judgement, it's not the whole legacy. That the powers and abilities we both have, that's part of the legacy, too. That I know I'm not the Ace of Wands, and I should leave that to Masaru, because that's what he'll be better at, better than I could have imagined. And that... no one is capable of handling my abilities the way I can. And it's up to me to decide how to use them. <@Satoshi> I think he might be saying to break the link, if it's not fading on its own already. Can you just... decide to do that? * Kyon furrows his brow. "So you have to let him go, for both of you to get the most out of your cards?" * @Satoshi considers this. "Well, I draw Judgement as my card now, and if the energy manipulation is really his power, it's fading from me. But I'm not sure what's going on... on Masaru's end. I think we're still linked. But yeah. Let the last parts of the Ace of Wands go. Get the most of our cards." * Kaede frowns, gripping his tea tighter. "If it were that easy, you would have thought we'd have done it already..." * @Satoshi looks at Kaede. "Well, I mean... it's not like I'd really thought about it and I didn't know the nature of the link until now." Maybe part of it's just psychological? Satoshi started drawing Judgment after he knew he was supposed to be Judgment. Before that, it was always the Ace of Wands. * Katie looks at Satoshi. "So maybe you were hanging onto... I don't know, not being the Ace of Wands, but just being not Judgment. Which could have put you both in a weird place." * @Satoshi nods. "It's... yeah. It's entirely possible." He bites his lip. "Also Hideo asked that I not disappoint him, but I, uh... yeah. Not making that promise." So I wonder.... is this about letting *go* or about accepting *Judgment*....? <@Satoshi> It can't be both? <@Satoshi> I think it might be both. * Kyon nods quickly back. "I wouldn't either." He cocks his head. "It could be both." * Kaede frowns a little. "Yes, but I don't think you're trying to be *anything* like Masaru..." What does the Ace represent for you? <@Satoshi> At first it was honestly just "okay I am now in this very strange world and I want to know why." But honestly that was more Arcana in general than the Ace of Wands specifically. <@Satoshi> And then I found out more about why, and Judgement, and Hideo, and I stopped wanting to know. * @Satoshi gently rubs a finger against the outside of his teacup. "Now I think I want to know more again." * Kyon twists his lips to the side. "I can help with that. If that's what you need." * Kaede takes a deep breath, blowing on the tea, saying quietly. "...accepting Judgment also means accepting Hideo....doesn't it?" Good. * @Satoshi looks at Kyon. "I'd appreciate that, thank you." Then to Kaede. "It does. But I feel like I'm starting to move in that direction. I'll probably make mistakes. And knowing there was a Takeshi, a person in between us, that helps. But yeah." And then he looks at Katie. "Good?" * Katie nods. "Yeah." Accepting Hideo doesn't mean being Hideo. You couldn't be Hideo if you really tried. It just means accepting that Hideo happened, which is probably better than hiding from him. * @Satoshi gives her a small smile. 'Yeah. I think it is." * Kaede nods. In agreement with Katie. Then turns to Satoshi. "I've been...Tsumouji-san has been more vocal lately...if I notice anything, I'll let you know? If you think it would help..." * @Satoshi blinks. "Huh, that's... that's really interesting. And yeah, if you, or if he, I guess, heard anything about Hideo or the World Reversed or whatever the previous Tower was, I think that's probably the most relevant?" * Kyon refills teacups in a hostly way. * Katie ends up with more tea! * Katie sips it. * @Satoshi thanks Kyon for the tea! * Kaede has more cups, then leans forward a bit, holding it inbetween his hands. "It's...bits and pieces. Mostly I know he was looking into the whole...Council." His face grimaces a little as he adds, "And the Pentacle." Oh, back then? * Kyon frowns, and sips at his tea, clearly thinking. * Kaede nods, rubbing his head. "I'm still trying to get a clearer picture. When I get more, I'll let everybody know..." His lips thin a bit. "...maybe not in an email. I haven't thought of it yet..." * Katie nods. * @Satoshi nods. "That makes sense." <@Grysar> [And some things were learned and future plans were made. End!]