<@Grysar> [Date: Evening of Monday, May 17th. It's been a cloudy and warm day, fairly humid but not to the point where things get too sticky.] <@Grysar> [Kyon has returned home and settled in and Katie has something that she'd like to talk to him about.] <@Grysar> [Start!] * Kyon is sitting cross-legged at the low table in the living room, with some bowls of snacks and a cup of tea, as well as a couple of notepads he's writing notes for his story on. * Katie wanders into the room from her bedroom. She fidgets, hovering at the edge of the living area, before saying, "Hey, Kyon?" * Kyon looks up, and cocks his head to the side, snagging a small senbei from the bowl. "Hey." * Katie shifts her weight. "Can I talk to you about something?" * Kyon taps his pen on the pad, and then sets it down, reaching a hand under the table and nudging out a cushion for her. And then a bowl of tamari almonds. * Katie sits on the cushion and takes an almond. She pops it into her mouth and chews. So, um. * Kyon turns on his cushion to be able to look at her more fully, and nods quickly. And hopefully encouragingly. You know I went to talk to Hiromi's group a couple of days ago. Yeah. Yeah. I haven't really told you about that yet. Uh... Hiromi wasn't there. She couldn't make it. * Katie pauses for a second, thinking about that, then adds, "It might have been better that way." * Kyon snorts out a small laugh, and says, "Can see that." * Katie smiles a little. * Kyon rubs a hand over his forehead, and says, "At least it's handled and we can deal with her now in the open. What happened?" I told them why I was running, and I got their support, but uh... in the process, I had to tell them about how I've been hurt and- um. One of them, Chiaki - she's a Sword, too - she was pretty concerned that I haven't been checked for- I mean. After I was kidnapped by... you weren't around for that, but Tenjirou and Ryo and... * Katie tries to continue, but doesn't seem super able to. She looks away. * Kyon leans forward, resting an elbow on the table, just moving a hand quietly into her line of sight. * Katie sees his hand and doesn't move to touch it, but she does take a deep breath. "So I- think- maybe?" * Kyon furrows his brow, not really getting it, but just waits and flexes his hand a little. * Katie focuses on Kyon's hand. "I mean, maybe I should. She's a nurse. She's... probably right." * Kyon frowns some, and after another beat, says quietly, "About?" * Katie curls in on herself. "I should see a doctor. Just to... see." * Kyon looks at her for another beat, and says, "If you're worried now that she brought it up, then yeah. It'll help." So - she gave me a list of possible clinics, um. * Katie looks around for a second, then remembers she has it in her pocket and pulls out a folded print out, handing it to Kyon. * Kyon takes the printout to scan it over. [It's an e-mail from Chiaki with four clinics that she says would be good:] [* The first clinic is associated with a women's shelter. It provides a range of health services, and is a little more focused on domestic abuse. It on the whole does rather well with victims of trauma.] [* The second clinic is a discreet specialty practice that bundles in some Western style psychiatric services but even after the government insurance pays 70% of costs it's still a +Barter for a full service session.] [* The third clinic is made its name treating many of those that fell victim to the Arcana-related drugs. One clinician, Emiri Toshibara, has a few former patients Chiaki knows that sing her praises. That said, Chiaki has also heard a rumor that her daughter is an Arcana, so maybe not someone to see if you want to make sure you never see them in a different context.] [* The fourth clinic focuses specifically on STDs and sexual health and trauma and is especially sensitive for immigrant patients, but it also sits near a red light district and tends to be understaffed relative to the needs.] * Kyon reads over it, looking non-plussed at first, and his expression darkening, his hand tensing a little, and says cautiously, "Good list." * Katie watches Kyon's expression, still half curled up. She kind of nods. * Kyon is frowning and looking over the list again, hand tightening on the paper, and flicks his gaze up at her without moving his head. "You have one in mind?" * Katie shakes her head. "Um." She looks at the paper in Kyon's hand. "Not the one with Toshibara..." * Kyon nods quickly, and says, "Right. Plusses and minuses for the others. Second might be easiest for me to go to with you." ... Is that the expensive one? * Kyon nods. "But if you want it, we can make it work. Or if you want the one that deals more with immigrants, I get that. It's your call. You tell me what you want, Katie. And. And I'll do it. This... I'll do it." I don't... * Katie blinks, then wipes at her eyes. "I don't really know." * Kyon nods quickly, and says, "Yeah. Don't have to pick now, either. But it's good to know options." He leans further over, and hovers his hand over her shoulder for a quick second before resting it there lightly. * Katie nods into her hands, still crying. "It's all really- it's really- I don't really remember but I also can't even- I can't even *try*, it's so-" * Kyon scoots the cushion over more towards her, squeezing her shoulder lightly, and says, "Yeah, it's. It's hard, talking, remembering. It's." He splays his other hand out in front of her, fingers wide, and says, "I'm here." Did I tell you about that? They posted pictures of me on the internet, they- * Katie breaks down at this point, and she falls into Kyon, crying into his shirt if he lets her. * Kyon scowls, and pulls her in, holding her against him gingerly, and says, voice low and gruff, "Nope. Pretty sure I'd remember that." * Katie manages, between sobs and muffled by Kyon's shirt, "how Kaede found me." * Kyon nods a bit stiffly, running a hand lightly down her back. "So that's something." * Katie makes some sort of noise. It's probably agreement. * Kyon blows out a breath, fluttering her hair slightly, and then says, frustrated, "Shouldn't've taken getting handed a list for me to get this. Sorry. I'm sorry, Katie." * Katie shakes her head and clings more tightly. * Kyon doesn't really increase his grip, but he doesn't pull back, either, instead lowering his forehead to rest against the top of her head. * Katie squeezes her eyes shut, but she's still crying. "Just don't leave me. Okay? Don't- I can't-" She sobs. * Kyon pulls back enough to look at her, actually looking stunned. "You think I'd leave you? Over that? I. Katie." He gently touches the back of her head. "I would never. That's. That's not me." * Katie almost loses her grip on Kyon for a second when he pulls back, and she looks briefly terrified until she realizes he's not actually going anywhere. She takes a shaky breath and nods, trying to relax and largely failing. * Kyon nods back to her, trying to get back to encouraging but mostly still being stuck on stunned expressionwise. He looks fixedly at her chin. "You and me, we are set. This is set. You have me as long as you want me, Katie. That's not something I change on." * Katie nods again. She sniffs and lets go with one hand, so she can wipe at her eyes. * Kyon waits a beat, psyching himself up, and then echoes her movement, clearing some of the wetness from her face with the back of his bare, scarred hand, gaze open. * Katie's eyes widen, and she looks back at Kyon with astonishment. * Kyon reddens slightly, and looks down at the table. * Katie takes Kyon's hand. "Hey." * Kyon glances back up at her, twitching his hand in hers. It's okay. * Kyon snorts, looking back at the table. "That's what I was trying to say." * Katie shakes her head. "That's not okay." It's never- I don't know. I think maybe... the time I freaked out in class. That might be... * Katie shrugs. * Kyon glances back up at her, turning his hand over. "Yeah. It's a lot." * Katie sighs. "Yeah." She looks down at Kyon's hand in hers. * Kyon nods back to her. "Thanks. For trusting me. I know, it's not easy." * Katie manages what's almost a ghost of a smile. "Sometimes. If you didn't break things off with Hiromi, I might not have." She pauses. "Actually talking about this is just really hard." * Kyon nods back quickly. "Yeah. Wish I'd known sooner, but I get it." He smirks a little. * Katie wrinkles her nose. "I thought you mostly *knew*," she points out as she pokes him lightly in the arm with her other hand. * Kyon frowns now, and says, "I should've worked it out. But." He shrugs quickly. "Now I do. So now we can deal." Yeah. It's okay. * Kyon looks back at the list on the table, and says quietly, "But we're picking one. Right?" * Katie looks down at it, too. She tenses a little, but nods. I think... yeah. She's right. And if there's something I'm carrying around from... or if they can tell me some of what happened, then I should know. * Kyon shifts on the cushion slightly. "Always better to know." * Katie nods in agreement, then puts her hand to her face. "Probably can't, though," she says into it. "It's been too long. If I went earlier, but." * Kyon shakes his head, resting his unscarred hand lightly back on her shoulder. "You'll find out enough." Hope so. * Katie picks up the list. So, you think the really expensive specialty place or the one that's good with immigrants? * Kyon looks at it, too, blowing out a breath. "I'd do the specialty one. But the immigrant one could work, just need to make an appointment enough in advance. If you'd be more comfortable with that." Maybe. They're both good. I'd never be able to afford the specialty one on my own. * Katie looks up from the list to Kyon and asks, tentatively, "Would you be okay going with me? Not into the appointment, but... making sure I go in, making sure I come back?" Tell me when, and I'll be there. * Kyon smirks slightly. "Need the disguise more than usual, but that should be fine." * Katie smiles, relieved. "Okay." She looks down at the list again. "We can try to give you a mustache or something." Wouldn't match my hair. But maybe a cold mask. Less fun, but acceptable. * Katie points out the second, more expensive, one. "Would this one be better for you, then? If you're going to potentially be seen near one of them..." * Kyon nods slowly. "Plus if they're that much more discreet, makes it easier." He splays his hand out next to the list. "But if you're better with the last one, we'll make it work." * Katie shakes her head. "No." She hesitates. "Well. The psychiatric services make me nervous, but... Wataru's said therapy's helped him a lot, so..." I guess I could just see and if it's Masaru, I can have you set him on fire. * Kyon snorts. "That guy's not discreet." Yeah, it would just be *so bad*. Come back the next week, and there's a painting of your session in the waiting room. * Katie groans. "Noooo." [And so, Katie and Kyon fell into much more comfortable conversation.] [End!]