01 [Saturday, December 27, 2003.] 01 [At Haruko's suggestion, she and Kaede went to go check up on Reiji Ozora, the erstwhile Eight of Cups who went absolutely fucking batshit because he used the Pentacle. They're meeting at their agreed upon time in the early afternoon outside of the Ozora's apartment building. It's in a decent area of town: nothing special, but nothing particularly bad, and predictably close to Shunyo Academy.] 01 [Start!] 06* Haruko drives up on her diesel bike. The streets are largely plowed and she easily navigates around puddles before slowing to an easy quiet stop, slipping into a parking space between two cars. 06* Kaede 's already been there for a while by now, one hand in his pocket as he leans up cooly against a lamp post. He seems to be checking up on his phone, as per usual. It's a welcoming, innocuous distraction. When, you know, it's not trying to let him know it's life story. Fortunately, Mimi knows when to shut up by now. 01 [Mimi-san instead pops a selfie from Akemi into his brain once in a while. He wanted a distraction; his phone is up for the challenge!] 06* Haruko dismounts cleanly on to the street, quickly checking her phone that she's not late. "Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for coming Takeuchi-san." 06* Kaede breathes out as he rolls his shoulder, then looks up at the apartment for the moment. "It's not an inconvenience, Kinsha-san. It's just..." He breathes out slowly. "Not easy to stay unconnected, is it?" 06* Haruko nods and then just looks at Kaede for a moment as she processes that. She smiles slightly. "No, not if your the sort that cares about people." 06* Haruko then takes a deep breath and steps up to ring the relevant apartment. 06* Kaede doesn't crack a smile in reply, just pushes his glasses back. "Depends on the type of people..." He turns his phone as he looks at it, then adds, "Twenty million connections in this area alone...new ones happening every day...it's only going to get worse and worse..." He clicks the phone shut and slips it into his pocket. 01 [There's a minute's pause before a girl's voice comes over the speaker: "Hello?"] Ozora-san? It's Kinsha and Takeuchi. 01 [There's a buzzing that signals the door's unlocked for them.] 06* Haruko opens the door and queries quietly with sympathy. "How much of strain is that for you? I can feel the presence of my element, but it doesn't demand my attention." 06* Kaede snorts and pinches his nose a little. "It's livable. Mostly. Think I'm getting better at the radius though. Were times where I'd get sudden transmissions from Tokyo Tower." 06* Haruko 's phone, for the record, is named Uhura. It's an early generation smart phone that's a pain to use in a variety of ways but offered features revolutionary for the time. The technology magazines have already declared it obsolete, as Haruko could hardly afford the best phone of 2002. However, she's personalized it to a great degree and uses the obscure features. 01 [Uhura says hi to Mimi! Oh god, they're talking to each other.] 06* Kaede wiggles his fingers. "Still need contact for much anything more than just the surface, so at least there's that. I'm not certain I want to know the inner secrets of a trolley car just yet." He then turns his gaze towards his pocket and eyes it. Stop that, you. 01 [Mimi sulks. By which I mean it shuts off. SULKING.] 06* Haruko smiles a little more. "Well, you've got me for that sort of thing. Although honestly I haven't studied public transit as closely, perhaps I should." 06* Kaede glances at Haruko, a little confused as he raises an eyebrow. "Why would you?" 06* Kaede steps towards the door at that and cracks it open. No sense in keeping Kyoko waiting out here. 01 [Inside is an entryway with mailboxes, stairs, and an elevator. Kyoko and Reiji live on the second floor.] 01 (Sorry, didn't mean to be confusing!) 06* Haruko 's bag, for the record, is a bit overloaded. She's holding it to her a bit more tightly than usual. She heads in and heads up the stairs. "Well, now that we're done with *all that.* I'm trying to focus on what the planet needs. Mostly through... Oh, I'm babbling, sorry. Short version is I feel a bit self-indulgent only studying speedsters and the like." 06* Kaede blinks a little, then stares straight ahead. "Ambitious." With no real tone to indicate what he really *thinks* of it. He makes his way up the stairs now. 06* Haruko briefly flashes a look of slight annoyance at the comment but then contemplates it for a moment as she walks. "Yes, I suppose it is." 06* Haruko knocks once they reach the door, verifying the number once again on her phone. She's apparently not that familiar with this place. 01 [Before too long, they reach The Ozora Apartment. It's completely plain; no personalization at all, at least on the outside. Not even a welcome mat.] 06* Kaede wanders up to the door before pushing his finger against the bridge of his glasses, expression still annoyingly neutral. "There's nothing wrong with being a little self-indulgent now and again though, Kinsha-san.." Then he tests the door. "Hello?" 06* Haruko smiles at that. "Well thank you Takeuchi-san. Probably silly to try to bend both my hobby and my profession towards the natural world." 06* Kaede breathes at that. Yeah. Natural. "What we have isn't "natural," Kinsha-san. But in a way, we have to make it as much we can..." 01 [The door opens! On the other side is a Kyoko Ozora, wearing jeans, a t-shirt with a sparkly panda on it, and house slippers. Her long brown hair is still tied in a ponytail on the top of her head. "Hey," she says, backing away so they can enter. "Come in."] 06* Haruko bites her lip for a moment. "That gets into theology." She shifts her attention. "Hey Ozora-san." She steps in, removing her shoes and making the customary apology for the inconvenience of having a guest. "How are you?" 06* Kaede bows slightly to Kyoko, holding himself back from head-bonking potential. "Ozora-san. Yes, we'll come in then." He does the same and lets Haruko do the talking for now. 06* Haruko also exchanges a bow, slightly deeper thank Kaede's once she's in she glances around the place for Reiji and her eyes don't quite match her outward calm. 01 [She shrugs. "I can't complain, I guess." Upon entering, Haruko and Kaede can see that the Ozora apartment is somewhat cramped for two people. There's a small kitchen/eatery to one side, with dirty dishes in the sink and rice cooking in a cooker. A Pao Pao Cafe apron is slung over one chair at the table just large enough for two people. The living area is just as small and, well, lived in, with books and crumpled notebook paper scattered about. There's an older television set and a Playstation hooked into it. No sign of Reiji, not yet, though there are three closed off rooms - it'd make sense for those to be bedrooms and a bathroom.] 06* Kaede nods and cuts right to the chase, as is proper. "Where is your brother?" Not how. Where. 01 [Kyoko gives Kaede a hard look, but it fades after a moment. "In his room. He's been pretty good today." She waves for them to sit down in the living space. There's enough room for three people without using the floor.] 01 ["I'll go get him if you want."] 06* Haruko goes to sit down. "Thank you." 06* Kaede glances at Kyoko for a moment. "Could we go to him? Or does he not let any in his room?" His eyes follow her as well, tracking. 01 [Kyoko shifts her weight from one leg to the other. "Just... sit down, all right?"] 06* Kaede thins his lips and then sighs, planting himself down on the couch. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it must be difficult..." 01 ["Yeah, but he's a *hero*, right? Even if nobody cares." You could cut Kyoko's bitterness with a knife.] 06* Kaede 's expression clouds a bit as he looks a bit down from Kyoko's gaze, but not entirely. "We would not *be* here if we didn't, Ozora-san." He shakes his head slightly as his hand tenses, looking down at it. "I...just got a taste of it really...I can't imagine..." 06* Haruko tries to avoid wincing at that. "And yes, he is. If it weren't for him, at best we'd likely have fallen in some stupid gang war and at worst, we'd be nothing at all." 01 ["I wasn't saying... you know, whatever. I'm going to get Reiji now. Just stay there, okay?" Like there are many places for them to even go. She heads to one of the closed off rooms and knocks lightly on the door, puts a pleasant expression on her face, and enters, closing it behind her.] 01 [From where they are, Kaede and Haruko can hear Kyoko saying something on the other side, but they can't make out what it is.] 06* Haruko looks around the room as she waits, trying to figure out if Kyoko has keys or helmet denoting a vehicle or any other indication that Haruko could offer her help in kind. 01 [There are keys tossed carelessly on the coffee table, but they're clearly for the apartment and what looks like a bike lock.] 06* Kaede settles into the couch and sighs a little bit, relaxing back into the chair. "Remind me, Kinsha-san. Did you...ever feel the Cup?" 06* Haruko nods. "Cup duty was split between myself and Taki. It felt very different than my healing, like the difference between a stream and a gushing river. But I was always so immediately afraid for someone's life when I used it, so I don't really remember what it was like." 06* Kaede starts to open his mouth, then stops and looks distantly for a moment, mouth slowly closing. He adjusts his gaze more away after responding, "...yeah." 01 [Meanwhile, they can hear a male voice on the other side of the door. It starts at about Kyoko's level, but it quickly rises to loud enough for both Haruko and Kaede to make out. "... THEM! GET OUT!" and Kyoko's, pleading, "Reiji!" "NO MORE! OUT!" And Kyoko does just that, appearing outside of the door and closing it quickly. She leans against it, breathing, while screaming starts on the other side.] 06* Kaede winces at that. Visibly. Not even *trying* to hold steady on that one. 01 ["I- uh." Kyoko blinks at the pair, visibly trying to hold back tears. She smiles shakily. "Not as good a day as I thought. We could arrange another time?"] 06* Haruko looks to Kaede, really listening him for a moment before her attention is diverted. She also winces. "I'm sorry Ozora-san." She returns the smile. "Perhaps that would be best, thank you for having us." 06* Kaede nods and stands slowly, shifting his stance as he grips Mimi like a security blanket. Still, he does keep fairly stoic. "I...yes. Could we...perhaps some time out of the house sometime? I'm sure it would help to have a break..." 06* Haruko places one hand into her purse instinctively reaching for his deck and nods in agreements with Kaede's comment, "If it might be more comfortable for him to avoid crowds, I could borrow a car or we could walk." 01 [Kyoko nods. "Kinsha-san has my number. Leave a text, okay? It's hard for me to know my work schedule more than a week ahead of time." The screaming dies down on the other side of the door, and Kyoko glances back at it, then returns her attention to her guests. "I... don't know how good of an idea it'll be to take him out. I'll ask." She doesn't say who she's asking.] 06* Kaede nods, then turns to Haruko questioning. "Maybe we could visit you at work instead. If you had a moment. It might be more relaxed..." He doesn't wait for an answer as he backs towards the door. "Anyway. Thanks for your time." 06* Haruko nods, "Of course. We can always just come here or to work." Haruko continues with a polite lie, "Also, I drive by this area fairly often, so if you ever need a pickup or an errand run, it would be no trouble at all." 06* Haruko stands up to leave with Kaede. 01 [Kyoko smiles a little at them. "Thanks."] 06* Haruko nods and vamouses as fast as politely possible. 06* Kaede makes sure he puts on his shoes and then leaves, as casually as possible, then blows out a breath, rubbing the back of his head once he's outside. It's not going to be easy, that one... 06* Haruko fiddles with her tarot deck and checks the directions one time, apparently to her satisfaction as she goes. She might be a bit incautious in replacing them as she's quite distracted. "I think I may try a reading, sometime when we don't have an appointment. Care for a ride?" 01 [Haruko and Kaede exit the building without saying a word. Wataru, not that either of them know him, is just turning the corner onto this street. There's nothing special about that guy.] 06* Haruko notes Kaede's look of concern after the offer. "Although from a strict empirical point of view, I can't dispute leeriness of motorcycles. So see you if you prefer not to I'll see you at Ueno. 06* Kaede only notices special people! Ones who have a floating name over their heads. He quietly moves on with a snort. "I'd not get on that death trap if you paid me..." He softens a bit and then adds at the end. "But...thank you." 06* Haruko giggles a little at the snort. "Geeze, my father says the exact same thing. You're welcome. I'm glad we did this, even if it didn't work out this time." 06* Kaede stalks away from Haruko and, most of all, Wataru. Who is that guy? Who *needs* that guy? Not him. He needs a subway! He waves behind his back at Haruko as he leaves. 06* Wataru has his nose in a book and is walking down the street like the normalest of unspecial guys! 06* Haruko heads to her bike, bounding on to it and taking off like an absolute pro, undisturbed by the snow or ice. Wataru doesn't register with her in the slightest. 01 [While Wataru walks down the street, his foot slips slightly against something.] 06* Wataru almost slips, almost swears, and then looks down... 01 [It's a tarot card with some wear at the edges. The Wheel of Fortune.] 01 [Underneath that is what looks like a printout for driving directions to Ueno Park.] 06* Wataru frowns, and crouches, picking up the card. He looks up -- apart from the rapidly departing motorcycle, there's no one really around...... 06* Wataru looks at the back of the card, and at the map. If anything is a sign, well, this must be... Anything special of note here, besides the directions? 01 [There's another printout underneath the directions. It's an e-mail from watanabe9@hotmail.com to hkinsha@titech.jp.edu. "Sounds good! Let's get together at Ueno Park. We can walk around for a while before we figure out where to eat." Signed, "Satoshi"] 06* Wataru stands up, thoughtful. He pockets the whole thing, then reaches into his jacket for his own well-worn deck of tarot cards. He looks around, then walks into a Family Mart, ignoring the irrashaimase's to slip into the bathroom. Okay, quick and dirty reading time. Is this really a good idea? 01 [Because the GM is hurrying this along, Fate just gives it to him: If he follows this trail, he'll get some answers.] Answers are good. Answers are what he's been seeking for years. He uses the bathroom because hey, convenient, washes his hands, goes out and buys a bottle of oolong and a piece of paper-wrapped fried chicken, and heads towards the subway, enjoying the Unjapaneseness of eating while on the go. (Wataru finishes his chicken and tries to calm his mind, in case this gets ugly. In his coat pocket, his hand carefully levitates a 50-yen coin, spinning it with as much control as he can manage. Answers aren't always happy endings.) (He gets out at Ueno station, and treks to the park, wondering where to find what he's looking for.) 01 [To the main channel. End here!]