[So Taki, when are you calling, later that Friday night (the 19th)? 
Sometime on the weekend?]
[Friday December 19, 2003. Taki's friends are a little concerned and a bit 
reluctant to let her go after dinner, but she slips away before too long.]
[She can make the call in transit, elevated train, some quiet spot, or 
wait until she gets home.]
[Start!]
* Taki will make the call while walking home from the station, that way 
she won't have to worry about a train car of other people, or her dad 
overhearing. And thus she proves that she can talk and walk at the same 
time, quite possibly without walking into an awning.
* Haruko picks up after two rings. "Taki?!" She curses herself for not 
settling down before answering the phone. "Uh, what's up?" She follows up, 
cheerfully.
<Taki> Uhm, a couple of things, do you have a couple of minutes? I hope 
I'm not interrupting anything.
* Haruko cups the phone for a moment and says something muffled in a tone 
of dismissal while making a shooing gesture. "You aren't. I'm here for 
you. I mean, now's good."
* Taki nods, mostly to herself. "Ah, thanks. You've been keeping in 
contact with everybody else, right?"
* Haruko's tone gets a little more serious. "Yes. To one degree or another."
<Taki> Something kinda weird, I mean not Arcana weird, just normal weird 
happened. Or at least I think it's normal weird, I don't really have a 
frame of reference. I'm babbling. What I'm trying to ask is, do you know a 
good way to get in contact with Satoshi?
* Haruko lets Taki babble without interruption. "Satoshi?" She sounds 
slightly surprised. "Yeah, I've got his cell and dorm number. He'll 
actually be here for the winter break in a few days, but he's still over 
there. What happened?"
<Taki> I guess I'll take the cell number, it'll probably be less awkward. 
Uhm, do you know anything about his roommate?
* Haruko thinks for a moment. "Paru-san? Yup. Sounds like a nice guy." She 
grins. "Good taste in women apparently."
<Taki> ... I, wait. You knew?
<Haruko> Paru-san has a Japanese girlfriend? Yeah. I mean I'd have thought 
there'd be enough Japanese in America to date one. But maybe not in 
Maine?" She stops to ponder this. "I'm not sure. It's pretty far."
* Taki sighs and then laughs a little. "I, uhm. Actually she's a friend of 
mine. The first one I made after I transferred schools. We all just 
assumed she made Paul up."
<Haruko> Whoa, seriously? That's... yeah, that's weird. But... I guess 
Paul's a lucky guy then.
* Haruko then thinks for a second. "She's a senior right?"
<Taki> Yeah, she's a couple months older than me. So it's not weird age 
wise, I don't think. 
* Haruko nods to herself and sounds reassured. "Good. So yeah... that is 
maybe Arcana weird. But not necessarily bad Arcana weird. Or maybe there's 
something about Maine?"
<Taki> I... hope not?
<Taki> But, I mean, you see why I wanna talk to Satoshi now. 
<Haruko> I wouldn't worry about that part. The kami or the cards have 
their odd ways for all of us. But yeah, that's a good idea.
<Haruko> So ready for the number?
* Taki says softly. "I'd really rather they kept leaving me alone." and 
then she returns to her normal tone of voice. "Give me a second to get 
something to write with, every time I try mess with the menus in the phone 
while I'm talking on it I wind up hanging up."
* Taki digs out her things to not forget notebook from her backpack. They 
went directly to the restaurant from school after all. "Okay, go ahead".
* Haruko is a bit more confident with her phone and double checks her 
memory as Taki went to do dig. She quietly adds. "I'll pray for that." She 
then carefully enunciates the number once taki is ready.
* Taki blinks. "That's the same number he had when he was living here."
<Haruko> Oh right. Yeah, he unlocked it. Or Kaede 'unlocked' it.
<Taki> Is that Kaede thing or a... actually nevermind. Forget I started to 
ask.
<Haruko> He is quite handy sometimes, even when heroism isn't necessary.
<Taki> It's a little strange to hear you praising something besides his 
work ethic. I guess people really can change in a couple of years.
* Haruko seems a little taken aback. "I... thank you. I'm trying. It's 
slow but..." She regain her composure. "How are you doing? I'm glad to 
hear about your friends." Haruko comments, making an assumption based on 
the word 'first.'
<Taki> Ah, well, there's three... well, more like two and a half. I think 
Kenji's still thinks of me as a friend of his girlfriend, but Shizaru and 
Mikage are definatly my good friends, even if they think I'm a little 
weird myself sometimes.
* Haruko repeats to herself under her breath. "Kenji, Shizaru, and 
Mikage." She then giggles. "Well you are a *little* weird. But that's 
okay. So which is dating Kenji-san and which is dating Paru-san?" Haruko 
seems to still be assuming monogamy when she hears girlfriend.
<Taki> Ah, Mikage is dating Kenji and Shizaru's the one who's dating 
Paru-s... Paul-san. Sometimes I think the letter l was invented by 
somebody who didn't like Japanese people at all. I can send you pictur... 
Do you think Satoshi has seen pictures of Shizaru?
<Haruko> Pauru-san? Paulu-san. Okay. So what are they like? I've got a new 
crew over here. Do you remember Maki from the mechanics club? She...
* Haruko ponders for a moment and decides not to repeat the injury story. 
"..was always feuding with Hirokazu. She's my roommate now."
<Taki> She was the one with the short hair right? Did all of the mechanics 
club go with you?
* Haruko nods. "She was! And no, although Ken actually plays soccer for 
us." She giggles. "Which I have to imagine is how he got in Tokyo Tech. 
But I'm hoping some of the students from your grade will make it over. If 
there's anyone else you're curious about, I think I remember where they 
all went."
* Taki tilts her head to think. "Unfortunately, you're the only person I 
know who would go to a technical school, and you're already there."
* Haruko nods. "I think I did make the right choice. I'm next semester I 
actually get to start fluid dynamics and I've really enjoyed learning 
about power plants some this year. Do you know where you'll be going?"
<Taki> I'm going to send applications to a couple of culinary schools, and 
one to a normal college that just has a good culinary department that my 
advisor recommended. I hope that's enough. My grades kinda fluctuated 
wildly for a while there and she said that can be a mark against me. But 
at least I've got confidence in my skills.
* Haruko nods. "If you want any emotional support when it's getting to 
testing time, just let me know. I know you and Shizaru-san, Mikage-san, 
and... Kenji-san will be backing each other up, but presumably they'll be 
worried about their exams too."
* Taki cheers up a bit. "Thank you very much."
* Haruko snaps her fingers. "Let's see... latest gossip. Kyon's being 
Kyon, doing a bunch of things and doing well at all but danged elusive. 
Satoshi and Katie have actually been talking some." Haruko keeps most of 
the pride out of her voice for that. "Meanwhile in my love-life... 
Actually that should wait for another call. I think Satoshi might have a 
test this afternoon, although not a particularly bad one."
<Taki> They've... Wait. This afternoon, I need to look up what the time 
difference is. I don't want to call him in the middle of the night.
* Haruko speaks as if she's had to make this calculation many a time. 
"You're fine. Still morning over there."
<Taki> Do you think I should wait until after his test? I don't want to 
distract and worry him for it.
* Haruko ponders this.
<Haruko> No, he was pretty confident. Also, after the test you may miss 
your window of opportunity and he should know while he's still over there.
* Taki nods. "Okay, well, I'm nearly home. So if I'm going to call him 
soon, I'll need to call him soon. I'll call you back if anything else a 
little weird happens, or a lot weird, or I need that support you mentioned."
<Haruko> Good, I'll keep you in the loop. And if your friends are ever 
interested in catching a race or need automotive help or the like, just 
let me know. I'd like to meet them someday.
<Taki> Ah... maybe when Satoshi's in town something might come up?
<Taki> Anway, good evening Haruko, it... uhm, it was good to talk to you 
again.
* Haruko nods. "Oh, right... Of course! That'll work. It was good talking 
with you too."
* Haruko exchanges good byes and hangs up.
[Taki then calls Satoshi and switches to join the the other log.]