[Capfox]
Kyon gets up in the morning at a pretty normal, fairly early time for 
him. He tugs on a plain dark grey t-shirt, stretches, adds a pair of 
Lions shorts, and walks out.

The first odd thing is that the soda is out, which he's sure wasn't there 
before bed. So. That means Katie must have been up and about.

The second thing is that he goes off towards the bathroom, and there's a 
shape on the couch. He leans in the doorway and smirks. Katie, asleep 
with a blanket and a cat all over her. Okay. But normally, him walking 
around like this would be enough to wake her up. So she must really be 
out.

He goes and puts on some coffee, and then comes over to crouch next to 
her by the couch, looking at her slightly quizzically, and not saying 
anything yet.

[Ardweden]
Katie doesn't stir the entire time: not when Kyon walks through, not when 
he starts the coffee, and certainly not when he crouches nearby. The 
coffee maker almost finishes dripping when Kumaguro yawns and stretches 
on his toes from his position on Katie's neck and shoulder. He moves to 
shove his head into Kyon's hand, and his tail ends up in Katie's face.

Her nose wrinkles, and she slowly blinks awake, half-squinting at a cat's 
butt and then Kyon past it.

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks at her softly. "You get tired of your bed? You don't usually 
sleep out here."

[Ardweden]
Katie reaches up to brush Kumaguro's tail away, but she doesn't move 
otherwise. Her words come out as a half-asleep mumble. "<Was thinking. 
And lonely.>" She's clearly too tired to bother with Japanese.

[Capfox]
Kyon rests a hand down next to her shoulder on the couch. "<Could've 
woken me up if you wanted.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie shifts her attention (and moves her head a bit) down to focus on 
Kyon's hand. "<Didn't want to bother you. I...>" Hair falls over her 
face.

Kumaguro, not to be left out, rubs up against Kyon's arm because it's 
right there. That means more cat tail for Katie. She tries to move it and 
the hair aside with one hand. It doesn't work out so well, and she makes 
a small, irritated noise.

[Capfox]
Kyon's smirk turns into a crooked smile, and he picks up Kumaguro, 
snuggling him against his chest to much feline approval, including a 
headbutt against his chin. He rubs back against the cat's head, and says, 
"<Bother me if you need to bother me.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie rubs her eyes after tucking her hair behind her ear and looks at 
Kyon and Kumaguro. She'd normally make some sort of teasing comment about 
how adorable they are, but she's just too tired. So instead, she just 
says, "<Okay.>" She sits up, the blanket falling to her waist in the 
process, and then immediately pulls it back up so it covers her arms. 
"<It's cold. Who made it cold.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks at her. "<This is why you don't come home with me for New 
Year's.>" He presses himself up, still carrying the cat. "<I'll get you 
some coffee. Might make it easier.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie looks way up at Kyon and smiles. "<Okay.>" She yawns and stretches 
a bit under the blanket, then starts removing her earplugs.

[Capfox]
Kyon bangs around in the kitchen for a bit, getting together the coffee. 
"<Regular?>"

[Ardweden]
"<Mmmhmm.>" The second earplug ends up on the kotatsu. This is followed 
by a Katie - well, not on the kotatsu but under it, and she shifts and 
pulls her oversized sleep shirt so it's past her butt and under the 
blanket. She grabs the blanket behind her and wraps it over her 
shoulders. That's *two* blankets. Katie 1, Cold 0.

[Capfox]
Kyon comes in shortly and deposits her coffee, properly milked and 
sugared, on the kotatsu, and moves to sit opposite her, tucking his long 
legs under the blanket on his side. "<So.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie's looks down at her coffee. Her hands reach out from under her 
blanket to grasp the mug, but she doesn't drink it yet. She turns her 
attention up to Kyon.

[Capfox]
He cocks his head slightly, and regards her. There's a mug of tea in 
front of him, which is steaming, too. "<What's on your mind? Must be 
something, if you slept out here.>"

[Ardweden]
"<I remembered who Izumi is.>" Katie blows on the top of her coffee and 
takes a tiny sip. Still too hot. She sets it back on the table and plays 
with the handle. "<She was Fuyuko's friend, or tried to be.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon nods curtly, and waits, wrapping a hand loosely around his teacup. 
After a beat, he says, "<I remember her, too.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie nods, still looking at her coffee mug's handle. She knew that. 
"<Wataru and Izumi are close. That means Wataru and Fuyuko...>" She 
trails off for a second, then continues, "<also maybe friends. Or tried. 
She- he->" Katie turns her attention to a tiny speck on the kotatsu, 
between herself and Kyon.

"<Yushiro,>" she says softly. "<I killed him. And Fuyuko... she killed 
herself because...>" She looks back up at Kyon. "<Some people- when 
they're friends, or when they love someone, they can't. Won't. Refuse to 
understand.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon regards her for another beat, and then says, "<Some people do. But 
you don't know if he does. And you don't know if they were friends." He 
wraps his hand more fully around the cup, and adds, "<And even if they 
were, it's not your fault, Katie. You don't blame yourself for other 
people.>" 

[Ardweden]
Katie sits there, letting Kyon's words sink in for a moment, then 
releases a long, slow sigh. "<Yeah.>" She picks up her mug with both 
hands and sips. "<You're right. He might not be, and even if he was, he 
might understand. And I don't blame myself for Fuyuko. It's just...>" She 
trails off, looking at a spot above Kyon's left shoulder. "<Other people 
might. There's precedent.>"

[Capfox]
"<Yeah, other crazy people. Crazy delusional weirdly connected people. 
Nothing about the socio student says he's like that at all.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie shifts her gaze slightly so she can focus on Kyon again. "<Have you 
met other Arcana?>" she asks him. But she smiles a little, and she sips 
her coffee again.

[Capfox]
He smirks back at her. "<Good point. But he doesn't know all this stuff. 
And you forget, I've worked with him before. Didn't seem like the kind of 
guy to fly off into a rage like that. We can't say for sure, but even if 
he was friends with her, it won't set him off.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. "<You're probably right. I was just...>" She hesitates, but 
even in English, coming up with the right word is difficult. "<Worried. I 
guess.>" That's obviously not it, but it's close enough.

"<It's strange,>" she continues, playing with her mug's handle again. 
"<Some things never go away.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon watches her hands on the handle, and then sips his tea. "<That's 
what I've always thought. Some memories, you're stuck with. But this is a 
different situation. Different guy, different everything.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie keeps playing with the handle. She shakes her head. "<It is, but it 
isn't. He- it->" Her gaze turns up to meet Kyon's, and it's suddenly a 
little desperate. "<I go back. I go back all the time.>"

[Capfox]
He looks back at her steadily, and then says, "<I know.>" He pauses a 
beat, and then adds, slower, "<It happens to me, too.>"

[Ardweden]
"<Yeah.>" The word comes out like a sigh. "<It makes me feel like I'm 
crazy. And alone. And... if people knew more, like they would hate me. I 
just... I can't get away.>" Katie abandons her coffee to pull her blanket 
more closely around her.

[Capfox]
Kyon regards her for a beat, and leans over the table, resting his elbows 
on it. He keeps his voice steady, hands splayed out. "<You don't have to 
get away, Katie. And you're not alone. You have people who know you. And 
we don't hate you. You know Takeuchi doesn't hate you. Or Haruko. The 
people on your side don't hate you.>" After a beat, he swears lowly in 
Mandarin, and adds in Japanese, "You know I don't hate you."

[Ardweden]
Katie looks down at Kyon's hands when he leans forward. One is callused 
by pitching, and the other has an ugly, black scar. Her eyes trace the 
scar while she says, "I feel like you don't. Haruko and Kaede..." She 
shrugs, the blanket moving with her movement. "They probably would."

[Capfox]
Kyon regards her, and says simply, leaving his hands in her view, "Why?"

[Ardweden]
Katie just shakes her head and somehow pulls the blankets more closely 
in. Now she's a Katie cocoon.

[Capfox]
"Katie," he says, leaning more over the table, and looking at her 
wrapping herself up. "Why would they?"

[Ardweden]
"Because." Katie shifts, and Kyon probably has the feeling she's bringing 
her legs up under her blanket, too. Her gaze switches to his other hand. 
Calluses. Calluses are interesting, with their little bumps and wrinkles. 
"They shouldn't."

[Capfox]
Kyon raises his eyebrows, but keeps his gaze on her, not moving. Keep 
still, or you might spook the Katie. "They shouldn't like you?"

[Ardweden]
She shakes her head again. "I'm a monster." The words come out barely 
above a whisper, and with them, Katie pulls herself in even more.

[Capfox]
Kyon narrows his eyes at that, and looks at her for another beat, 
thinking. Then he abruptly pushes himself out from under the blanket of 
the kotatsu, and unfolds himself, straightening. He runs his right hand 
down over the scar on his left as he moves behind her and crouches. He 
tentatively reaches towards her, pauses, and then leans in and hugs her 
to his chest, lightly through the blankets. "You're not," he says 
gruffly.

[Ardweden]
Katie's eyes follow Kyon while he stands, moves around the table, reminds 
himself of the scar... She stiffens noticeably when she can't track him 
anymore and lets out a small sound when he hugs her, almost like she's in 
pain. But she doesn't fight it.

[Capfox]
Kyon almost lets her go at that sound - his hands actually move off her. 
But then he flexes them once, as if verifying nothing happened, and then 
holds her again, closer this time, moving his face against the back of 
where the blanket is on her neck. His voice is quieter, but he says, 
"You're not, Katie."

[Ardweden]
Katie twitches slightly when Kyon lets go, and she stares down at his 
hands while he flexes them. When he hugs her again, she relaxes - really, 
she almost collapses - and just lets him hold her.

[Capfox]
Kyon does just that for a bit. Sometimes the pressure gets a bit greater, 
sometimes lesser, but he is there, and constant. After a few beats, he 
says again, "You're not. And they're not going to hate you, Katie. And 
I'm definitely not going to."

[Ardweden]
Katie shakes her head, then says, still just as softly, "Maybe they 
would. I... Satoshi has no idea, he- he trusts me."

[Capfox]
Kyon moves against her back slightly. "Those are your friends, Katie. And 
your allies. And I know them, too. He'd be surprised. Shocked, even. But 
not hate you."

[Ardweden]
Katie sighs. "We'll see." Pause, then, "Maybe." She leans back, just a 
little.

[Capfox]
Kyon snorts, and adjusts his hold on her to match. "Maybe. It's a bond. 
It's not going to change like that."

[Ardweden]
Katie snuggles in. This really is nice. "Maybe." She's sounding more sure 
by the moment - less lost, and more like how she usually presents 
herself. "We're trying to rebuild our friendship. He doesn't know much. 
Or anything. I..." She sighs, again. "I try to keep myself hidden."

[Capfox]
Kyon adjusts his weight again. If she's starting to sound better, he 
doesn't want to move, so he stays behind her, holding her. "You don't 
have to keep yourself hidden. What good's friendship if it's not with 
actual you? Just keep him at arm's length, if that's what you want. But 
you don't have to confess all your sins and hope he'll forgive you. Tell 
him if it comes up, and you need to do it. But otherwise, it's not his 
business what you did. He wasn't there, it didn't hurt him. It helped."

[Ardweden]
Katie laughs dryly. "It's not about what I did. That doesn't make me a 
monster. It's who I *am*."

[Capfox]
Kyon sounds fairly puzzled behind her. "You're not a monster. Katie, I 
live with you. I see you, and I get you. And you're not."

[Ardweden]
"No, I mean... I'm not stupid, Kyon. The things that I want, and the 
things that I do... they aren't things that normal people want. Or do." 
Katie pauses, trying to come up with an example. "You thought I looked 
through the chest in your room. The one with the books in it. And you 
were right, but you never *showed* it to me. You never told me that those 
books were there."

[Capfox]
"But I knew you'd know," Kyon says quickly. After a beat, he continues, 
"What we went through wasn't normal. All that fighting. All that tension. 
Because you can't know when something's going to happen. It changes you. 
But it doesn't make you a monster, Katie, to change. It makes you a 
survivor."

[Ardweden]
"Monster, survivor. When I met you, I thought..." Katie trails off, 
tempted to stop, but Kyon is warm and his heartbeat is strong and she's 
still sleepy, but in a safe way. "I thought you didn't mean the things 
that you said. And also that you're an asshole. Which you still are." 
That bit comes out gentle and light, but she continues, more seriously. 
"I didn't understand why you said the things that you said. I didn't even 
understand that you really *meant* the things that you said. Or how. Even 
though people were trying to kill me the moment I knew I was Arcana, I 
couldn't."

[Capfox]
Kyon lets out a rough breath of laughter at her charge of asshole. "Yeah. 
I had a head start. I was further that way before everything started. 
Like you said, and that helped. But I was at this for a while before you 
all got involved. I had a whole other team before you. I knew what I was 
doing. But I did still have to change to get there."

[Ardweden]
Katie smiles at Kyon's laughter, not that he can see it. When he 
finishes, she asks, "How?" It's a light question; nothing desperate and 
nothing forced.

[Capfox]
"How did I change?" he asks back, and waits for a beat, thinking. When he 
talks again, his voice is slower. "I got here, and everything had changed 
a lot. I didn't know what was going on. I had to learn. Things were hard 
to believe for me, too. And I was always competitive before, but I never 
really fought. Sports and..." He stops there, his grip loosening 
somewhat.

[Ardweden]
Katie blinks and looks down at Kyon's hands when his grip loosens. 
"Kyon?" she asks, alarm and concern obvious in that one word.

[Capfox]
Kyon rests one hand over the other, covering up the scar, but doesn't 
pull away further. "I'm here. Just, playfighting." He squeezes his bottom 
hand with his top one. "You want to know how I got this scar?"

[Ardweden]
She relaxes. And nods, but also says, carefully and truthfully, "Only if 
you want to tell me."

[Capfox]
Kyon takes a deep breath, and starts, "We went out to this park, the day 
after we graduated from junior high. Sou-kun and me." He waits a second, 
waiting to see if Katie's going to protest the name or not.

[Ardweden]
Katie actually doesn't, for probably the first time since she was found 
in the closet. She just sneaks her right hand out from under the blanket 
and squeezes Kyon's left forearm - unscarred and relatively safe - very 
lightly.

[Capfox]
Kyon continues, then, not moving away. "We used to go there a lot. Knew 
it really well. So we found a good spot, sat down. My mom gave us money 
to buy food for a lunch, and a blanket, and we just hung out. Talking. He 
was joking a lot about high school, what we were going to do together, 
he." He cuts himself off, and he says, voice low, "It was just normal. 
Everything. A really good day."

[Ardweden]
Katie leaves her hand on Kyon's arm, and she nods. "He was your friend," 
she says, softly and with some understanding. "The one you told me that 
you had, near the beginning."

[Capfox]
Kyon shifts his weight behind her. "Yeah. I never met anyone like him. We 
were really close. We fought each other for everything - knowing he was 
trying to do something made me want to do it harder, better, to end up on 
top, and he did the same thing with me. But it was good. There was this 
respect, and he was fun, too. Sharp, fast, and outgoing. He did some 
acting, too."

[Ardweden]
"I'm not surprised," Katie says, but she doesn't sound distant or angry.

[Capfox]
Kyon's not going to push his luck there, though. "So we're in the park, 
and I tell him I got him this graduation present. It was this blue-black 
shirt, his style. Matched with his hair. And he liked it, but he gave me 
this look, and told me, he left my present off nearby. So he goes off to 
get it. And I watch him go off, and go to the edge of the clearing we 
were sitting in, and I watch him bring back this box." He closes his 
eyes, and says, "This dark purple cat carrier."

[Ardweden]
Katie looks off to where she last heard the cat. "Kumaguro?"

[Capfox]
"Yeah. He was about a year old, then. Sou-kun says, he always knew I 
wanted a pet. And he went to the shelter, and Kumaguro's coloring 
reminded him of me, so he got that one." He smirks faintly. "He says, he 
knew it'd piss my mom off, but I deserved a cat if I wanted a cat. We'd 
just work out where he could go at home, and it'd be fine."

[Ardweden]
"Did you always want a cat?" Katie sounds gently curious.

[Capfox]
"Yeah. But they're hell on tatami."

[Ardweden]
Katie laughs.

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks. "So I figured Sou-kun was right. I'd work out that part 
later. And Kumaguro wasn't even afraid of me - he came out, and he let me 
pet him. Right off, he walks out of the cage, yawned, and just waited for 
me to pet him. Got in my lap. It was a great choice."

[Ardweden]
"He's a sweet cat," Katie agrees. "Except when he's not."

[Capfox]
Kyon makes a sound of agreement, and then says, voice low. "And Sou-kun 
was going on about what I should name him, and this toy he got for him 
but he left it at home, and I just." He pauses, and then says, his 
intonation going faster. "I just got up and hugged him, hard, just, so 
fast, I nearly squashed Kumaguro. He scratched me a little, but. I had 
to, then. I don't know."

[Ardweden]
Katie's eyes go wide, and her grip on Kyon's arm tightens. The thought of 
him hugging someone like that is just so *alien* to her that she just... 
but then she realizes what she's doing and why he's saying this. She just 
as quickly, almost apologetically, eases her grip.

[Capfox]
Kyon snorts. "Right. I know. Doesn't sound like me." He squeezes his hand 
again. "But it happened."

[Ardweden]
"It was you before. I never met you from before. How would I know?" Katie 
shrugs and leans back into Kyon some more. She takes a deep breath. "I 
trust you."

[Capfox]
Kyon shifts slightly to take her weight against him. "Right. So, I hugged 
him. And that was fine, but we were still half kids. So hugging him 
turned into scuffling. And scuffling turned into fighting. Playfighting." 
He lowers his head, not quite touching the back of hers, but she can feel 
his breath there, down the back of her neck.. "We did that kind of thing, 
too."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods a little and closes her eyes, concentrating on Kyon's 
presence. "Playfighting."

[Capfox]
"Right." He rubs the back of his hand. "We go for a few minutes. Still 
normal. Half-serious, half-not. Normal good day in the park. Just got a 
great present. Hanging out with my friend." He stops, and then when he 
starts again, his voice is quieter by a notch. "Then I swing towards him, 
this backhand, not even that fast. And my hand... it just bursts into 
flames. Bright orange flames, all around my fist. No idea what was 
happening. I did that four times that day before that one. Four times. 
And there it was."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods again, her eyes opening a little. She looks down at Kyon's 
hands, right over left, and remembers when she saw Souichirou almost a 
year and a half ago. "You hit him in his face."

[Capfox]
"Yeah. He didn't even move. Too surprised, I guess. And I had no control. 
No idea I could control it. I didn't know what was happening. It." He 
swears in Mandarin, and then grits out, "It stuck. My fist. It stuck 
there, and he screamed. He never screamed, he never raised his voice, 
Katie, never. And I couldn't stop it. My hand was there, and the sound. 
The smell. Everything. It was me."

[Ardweden]
Katie winces, and she squeezes Kyon's arm again. "That's not- Kyon. You 
didn't mean to do that." And then, more quietly, "I'm sorry."

[Capfox]
"Yeah." He turns his hands over, and now the scarred one rests over the 
callused one. "But I did it. I got off and called for help. And they took 
him away, and I didn't see him again, for years. I didn't mean to. I 
don't know how I did it. But I did."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. "Is that..." She hesitates, then continues, "Is that why you 
came to Tokyo?"

[Capfox]
Kyon nods, his forehead brushing against the back of Katie's hair. "My 
parents. The best way to keep it from being a scandal there. Bad for the 
company, bad for the family, bad for me. They found somewhere that would 
take a sudden enrollment, found a place to set me up." His voice sounds 
like he's smirking, a small bit of wry humor. "If I behaved and did well, 
then I could go back after school. And they let me keep the cat."

[Ardweden]
Katie lets out a breath through her nose, and her other hand sneaks out, 
to Kyon's right forearm. She hugs them closer to herself. "That's awful. 
You're not a burden. They shouldn't have treated you like one."

[Capfox]
Kyon shrugs curtly at that one, but he doesn't resist her holding his 
arms. "They made it sound okay. It was a hard decision. They love me. 
They did then, they do now. Just also a lot of expectations, too. And I 
don't know what it would have been like there. Going to the school we 
were supposed to go to. Doing the things we planned, without him. Fresh 
starts aren't bad." He pauses for a beat, and adds, "I don't blame them. 
But it wasn't easy."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. Her expression says she doesn't entirely agree, but Kyon 
can't see that. "And Souichirou... You didn't see him again until he was 
wearing your face."

[Capfox]
"Right." He goes quiet for a few beats, not moving. "I heard he'd 
disappeared. So I figured that was his parents doing what my parents did 
with me. Just sticking him somewhere. I never figured he'd do any of what 
he did."

[Ardweden]
Katie shifts so her cheek and ear are against Kyon's chest. She listens 
to his heartbeat and thinks for a little bit, connecting her thoughts 
with others she had throughout the story, before saying, "You couldn't. 
You didn't know what was happening to him and how he was changing. He 
couldn't know what happened to you. He couldn't know how you changed, or 
if you changed... what you thought and felt and why you did what you did. 
You loved him, Kyon. Maybe you still do." Katie keeps going, not allowing 
enough of a break for her boyfriend to even think of objecting. "But the 
Souichirou you killed wasn't the same one you accidentally hurt. And I 
don't think... I hated him. I hate him now. But I don't think that he 
hated you. He couldn't, if he stopped long enough to listen and know. He 
hated an idea of you. He hated what he thought you did for reasons he 
thought you did them. But not you."

[Capfox]
Kyon is quiet again for a few beats, and then says, "Didn't he? I ruined 
his life. I didn't mean to, but I did. The goals he had for himself, I 
took away. So he doesn't know why. He didn't want to listen to me 
explain."

[Ardweden]
"Maybe he wanted to hate you more than he wanted to know the truth. Or 
maybe the demon he made out of you - the one that helped turn him into 
what he was - was bigger than anything you were."

[Capfox]
Kyon shrugs. "Maybe. Not going to find out now." His voice turns cool, 
but it shakes slightly. "I don't regret killing him, Katie. We had to, 
where we were. There wasn't a choice, if he wasn't going to change. I 
wish there'd been a way to have the choice. But he wasn't there to be 
reached."

[Ardweden]
"I know," Katie sighs. "You did what you had to do. But... I'm sorry, 
still."

[Capfox]
He waits a beat, and then says in the same tone, "Thanks."

[Ardweden]
Katie lets silence fall for a few moments - or relative silence, as she 
listens to Kyon's heartbeat and his breathing. She feels his warmth and 
reminds herself that he's physically there, at least. Okay. So... "I'm 
not Sou-kun."

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks slightly, and says wryly, "I noticed that."

[Ardweden]
Katie rolls her eyes. "Dork," she says, affectionately. "I mean that I'm 
not him. I'm not scared of you. I wouldn't be angry at you or hate you. 
Not because of an accident."

[Capfox]
"Right," he says cautiously.

[Ardweden]
"I mean it," Katie says, firmly, ear and cheek still against Kyon's 
chest. "There's probably a hundred reasons why I might hate someone or be 
angry with them. That's not one of them."

[Capfox]
"Okay," he says, some of the caution dropping from his voice. "Okay. Got 
it."

[Ardweden]
"So..." Katie takes a breath. "You know about your fire, and you learned 
how to control it. And we never fight like that, ever. So I don't think 
it'll happen again - at least not to me. But I understand, I think... I 
mean, I think I understand why you go back, all the time."

[Capfox]
Kyon doesn't move much; he's been in the same position for a while now. 
All he says is, "Yeah?"

[Ardweden]
"Yeah," Katie says. She doesn't move, either. "You weren't in control."

[Capfox]
Kyon breathes softly, and then says, quietly, "Yeah. I wasn't."

[Ardweden]
"So you-" Katie's voice hitches. She stops, swallows, and then continues 
steadily. "So you're careful. You put distance between yourself and other 
people. It's physical distance, but it's also just... who you are. You 
don't want people to get too close. The farther away they are, the safer 
you are. The less likely things won't be in control."

[Capfox]
Kyon shifts slightly as he listens, and then says, in the same tone as 
the previous statement, "Yeah." Then a bit more bemusedly, "Really got me 
worked out there."

[Ardweden]
Katie shrugs, just a little, but Kyon can feel it. "I've known you for a 
while, and I'm not stupid. It's the same. I mean, it's not exactly the 
same, but... it's almost the same." She adds, more quietly, "I feel the 
same way."

[Capfox]
Kyon nods curtly. He tenses - again, a slight movement, but all these 
little movements are tangible at this distance. Then he leans down and, 
very tentatively, kisses the top of Katie's head. It's just a brush, 
really. He doesn't untense - he barely even moves back a little, as he 
says softly, "I figured. Not stupid, either. But it's good to hear."

[Ardweden]
Katie blinks slowly when Kyon kisses her, then lets out a small, quiet 
laugh. "Hearing stuff matters as much as knowing stuff."

[Capfox]
"Yeah. Which is why I told you." He pulls back somewhat, retreating to 
where he was before kissing her. His voice stays low, but there's less of 
a coolness to it than before. Easier to do since Katie's not looking at 
him. "Never told anyone that before. Not even my parents."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. "I'm- I hope you're glad you did." Then she asks, gently 
curious, "What did you tell them?"

[Capfox]
Kyon snorts a laugh, and squeezes his hands together. "What could I? 
Didn't know anything." He shrugs slightly. "So I told them that. I had 
burns, he had burns. But no lighters, no fire, no obvious source for any 
of it. They probably figured I was lying, but no one could say why any of 
it happened. And we wanted to keep it quiet. So no one wanted to look too 
hard."

[Ardweden]
"Yeah... I don't tell my parents anything. And I know it drives them 
crazy, but I just can't." Katie sounds like she regrets it a little, but 
there it is.

[Capfox]
"Yeah. Bothers them enough to talk with me about it," Kyon says equably.

[Ardweden]
"It does," Katie says. And then, lazily, "I'm glad I can talk to you."

[Capfox]
"You know you can." He smirks, and adds bemusedly, "So wake me if you 
need to wake me, next time."

[Ardweden]
"Okay." Katie shifts, snuggling into blanket and Kyon. "I don't think I'm 
making my classes today."

[Capfox]
"Yeah?" He adjusts his weight again. This isn't an entirely novel 
position for him to be in, but to be in it by choice is pretty strange. 
"Too tired?" he asks.

[Ardweden]
"Exhausted," Katie agrees. "And comfortable. Just don't care." Her tone 
turns mildly worried, "Did I keep you from anything?"

[Capfox]
"Nothing that couldn't wait for this," he says, and a note of regret 
comes into his voice. "Should probably go check in now, though."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods reluctantly. "Okay. I'm... I'm going to eat something. And 
then go back to sleep, I think."

[Capfox]
Kyon nods quickly. "There's a melon bread and some juice in the fridge."

[Ardweden]
"Okay," Katie says, but she doesn't move.

[Capfox]
Kyon waits for a beat, and then says, "Katie. You have to start here."

[Ardweden]
"But I'm comfortable," Katie whines. Still, she uncurls and moves to one 
side, pushing her way gently out of Kyon's grip and also the blanket.

[Capfox]
"You can get comfortable again. All those blankets," he says, bemused. He 
stretches a bit, then gets up, slightly stiff, and stretches more, 
rolling his shoulders.

[Ardweden]
"Not *as* comfortable." Katie untangles herself from the rest of the 
blankets through only partially effective kicking and then stands, 
pulling her shirt down as she does so. Freaking sleep shirts, they always 
ride up. She scratches at her hair, which is a mess.

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks down at her, watching her get herself settled for a beat. 
"Just do your best. And get some breakfast."

[Ardweden]
"<Yes, Mother.>" Katie yawns, stretching, while she wanders into the 
bathroom and shuts the door behind her.

[Capfox]
Kyon snorts a laugh, takes his tea from the table, and goes over to his 
computer, booting it up and settling it in. He rewarms the tea while he 
waits for everything to start up.

[Ardweden]
Katie messes around in the bathroom, doing morning bathroomy things. If 
Kyon is close enough, he can probably hear her humming softly through the 
door in between water running and such.

[Capfox]
Kyon can hear little snatches, since it's quiet. He logs into the 
computer, and then opens up his e-mail and web browser, sipping his tea.

[Ardweden]
After another ten or fifteen minutes, Katie emerges from the bathroom. 
She's brushing her hair, which is much more in order now (never mind that 
she already said she's going to go back to sleep), and heads for the 
kitchen to open the fridge. Hmm, juice and melon bread.

[Capfox]
Kyon's sitting in his chair, and calls out to Katie. "So I got your e-
mail."

[Ardweden]
"Yeah?" Katie asks as she pours herself a glass of juice.

[Capfox]
"You want to meet him without me?"

[Ardweden]
"Yes." Katie goes to put the rest of the juice back in the fridge. "Is 
that a problem?"

[Capfox]
Kyon considers this for a beat. "He doesn't like me. Might be more open 
without me there. Why not take Haruko?"

[Ardweden]
"Numbers," Katie replies automatically. She gathers the melon bread and 
juice, then heads for the living room, where there's a warm kotatsu, cold 
coffee, and closer proximity to Kyon. "Remember when we all went to 
dinner with him?"

[Capfox]
Kyon turns his chair halfway towards her, and nods quickly. But she 
already knew that.

[Ardweden]
Katie tucks herself under the kotatsu blanket again and deposits her 
breakfast on the table. "Kaede and I left during dinner to compare notes. 
We agreed that Wataru felt overwhelmed. That's why, when we came back, I 
talked to him in English. It's isolating but not in a bad way." She sips 
her coffee and makes a face. "It worked."

[Capfox]
Kyon regards her sidewise. "That dinner was a big group. People who'd 
known each other for a long time. Getting dropped in that's different 
from meeting two people."

[Ardweden]
Katie shrugs. "Sure." She abandons her coffee for juice. "But even so, he 
doesn't know what any of us can do now except Satoshi. And..." Katie 
hesitates, then says, "I don't want to ruin Haruko's chances. Or mine."

[Capfox]
"Chances of what? Getting him on our side?"

[Ardweden]
"More or less, yeah."

[Capfox]
"And you think going together will ruin your chances."

[Ardweden]
Katie frowns. She hides it with melon bread.

[Capfox]
Kyon turns more in his chair to face her, and switches into English. 
"<Katie. I get not bringing me. I'd put his guard up. Haruko won't. So 
why don't you want her?>"

[Ardweden]
Katie looks up at Kyon, her eyes wide and melon bread in one hand. 
"<I...>" She stops and to the side with her free hand to lightly touch 
the blanket she was bundled in just a little while ago. That's not 
enough, so she grabs a handful, clutching it as hard as she can. Katie 
looks down at it. "<I need to seem vulnerable.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon watches her movements, holding the blanket, and says, "<And you have 
to do that by yourself?>"

[Ardweden]
Katie draws the blanket closer to her, but she doesn't wrap herself up in 
it. "<You told me that I shouldn't worry so much about Wataru.>" She 
didn't answer that question at all.

[Capfox]
"<And you told me we can't rule anything out. You don't usually get so 
easily convinced.>" He leans forward towards her, resting his elbows on 
his knees. "<So why do you want to go by yourself so much?>"

[Ardweden]
Katie doesn't say anything, at least not right away. She just looks at 
the hand clutching the blanket for a while, then Kyon. Her eyes are 
unfocused and confused. "<I want to be safe.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon watches her, taking in her appearance. He says calmly, "<Right. But 
you'll be safer with Haruko.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie shakes her head. "<I'm safer with her when she's around. I'm safer 
with you when *you're* around.>"

[Capfox]
"<But you're right about bringing me. Don't need to convince me bringing 
me won't be good for dealing with him.>"

[Ardweden]
She nods in agreement and looks down at her melon bread. The other hand - 
the one on the blanket - lets go to pick at it. "<It's not just about 
dealing with him. It's...>" Katie pulls off a piece of bread and looks at 
it. "<They attack the weakest.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon raises an eyebrow at that one. "<Good thing that's not you now, 
then. And even if you were, that's reason to take Haruko, not go alone.>"

[Ardweden]
"<No, I'm...>" Katie sighs. "<I'm explaining badly.>" She rolls the piece 
of bread in between her fingers while she looks up at Kyon. The confusion 
and distance are gone, now; her gaze is sharp and together. "<So 
vulnerability is useful for a few reasons. One is that when you share 
secrets or who you are, other people feel safe doing the same with you. 
You're open and raw, and that makes them feel for you. You're weak, and 
you're not a threat.>" She pauses, waiting to see if Kyon's following her 
on this.

[Capfox]
Kyon nods curtly, and waits for her to continue.

[Ardweden]
"<And that's probably good for dealing with Wataru. It's a good place to 
take it... if I can't be Scary Katie, I can be Vulnerable Katie, or even 
both at the same time. There's a lot of it to go around. A lot of hurt 
and... I can pick and choose. The best lie is the truth.>" Katie looks 
down at her little ball of melon bread and puts it on the kotatsu. She 
tears off another piece and starts rolling it up.

[Capfox]
Kyon watches her for a beat. "<And you can't be vulnerable with Haruko 
there?>"

[Ardweden]
Katie rolls her eyes. "<Have you seen the way she looks at me? I mean, 
yes, but really? She both wants to save me and is kind of terrified of 
me. So no. I can't be *as* vulnerable with Haruko there - I can be 
vulnerable to Haruko, but it's not the same thing. And... I still feel 
like numbers matter to Wataru.>" She pauses, considering something.

[Capfox]
Kyon waits. If she's considering something, might as well let her make 
her point before continuing.

[Ardweden]
"<The other thing,>" Katie says finally, "<is I still want to be sure. I 
want to know, as best as I can and as soon as I can, if he's going to try 
to kill one of us because of some bullshit revenge-connection-prophecy 
reason. And people like that attack the weakest.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon frowns at that. "<I don't think numbers matter much if he likes 
Haruko. And if you're really worried about that - and I don't think 
that's this guy, Katie, but to be safe - then you should bring someone 
with you. He's a Major. If you think he's a threat, you need backup. If 
you don't think he's actually a threat, having Haruko as a counterpoint 
to you is good. Different approaches. And she can play along.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie looks at Kyon, considering, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, 
she eats the melon bread ball in her hand; this is followed by a large 
bite of the bread itself. One ball lies untouched and alone on the 
kotatsu.

[Capfox]
"<You can get a sense of him either way, if that's what he wants.>" He 
watches her eating, and then says, "<I trust you, Katie. But this is the 
smarter play.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie just nods, then answers after swallowing (she's not that much of a 
barbarian). "<Probably, yes. I know. Haruko is meeting with him tomorrow, 
anyway.>" More melon bread for her.

[Capfox]
Kyon nods back quickly. "<Want to catch onto that?>"

[Ardweden]
Katie shakes her head. "<It's during class.>" Never mind that she's 
skipping class today. "<And we already sprung someone he didn't expect on 
him once.>"

[Capfox]
"<So set up a different time where she can go with you to meet up with 
him. She knows it's important, she'll go along.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie just nods and then drinks some juice. Kumaguro takes this moment - 
when her hands are filled with breakfast things - to hop up on the 
kotatsu and snatch the melon bread ball. "Hey," Katie says to the cat, as 
obviously he only understands Japanese.

[Capfox]
Kumaguro does not reply, and instead carries it off to jump on the couch. 
As one does.

"Hey," Kyon says sharply, and the cat stares at him, stopping eating. 
"Don't."

Kumaguro doesn't eat the bread, but he doesn't give it back or anything. 
He just sits there.

[Ardweden]
Katie sets her juice and breakfast down, then turns and scooches to the 
couch. "You know you're not supposed to do that," she tells Kumaguro as 
she tries to take the little bread ball from him.

[Capfox]
He starts, baps her hand without any claws out, and then jumps on the 
back of the couch, leaving the bread for Katie to reclaim. If she wants 
it.

[Ardweden]
Katie does want it, so she takes it! She sticks her tongue out at 
Kumaguro on her way to the trash can, too. When she comes back, she says, 
"I wish you could be my back up, instead of Haruko." That was so not to 
the cat.

[Capfox]
Kyon is still watching the cat, who has decided to wash his paws, and 
then looks up at Katie. "Yeah. Me too. Can't even say why he doesn't like 
me. Got a good grade on the project we had together. But he doesn't, so 
I'm out."

[Ardweden]
Katie laughs. For some reason, she finds that very funny.

[Capfox]
Kyon just looks at her, eyebrows raised. Which part of that was funny?

[Ardweden]
She laughs until a little after she sits back down, then smiles at Kyon. 
"You're adorable."

[Capfox]
Kyon frowns slightly. "Right." He turns back to the computer. "Going to 
tell the group you're going to meet up with him along with Haruko soon."

[Ardweden]
"What? You are. And emailing them about it is fine, as long as you tell 
me what you're saying first."

[Capfox]
Kyon turns back to the computer to find a new message from Haruko having 
arrived. He opens on it, and skims it quickly. "Huh. Haruko's asking if 
you want to see if it would work if you go along. She'd contact him about 
it."

[Ardweden]
Katie moves to the side to see around Kyon, and she reads the e-mail from 
where she is. She takes more time doing it, though. "She knows I wasn't 
feeling good." Pause. "I still don't want to get involved. I don't want 
to upset Wataru."

[Capfox]
Kyon looks at the screen, and then nods curtly. "You want him and Haruko 
to make friends first."

[Ardweden]
Katie shrugs. "Haruko probably has the best chance of any of us besides 
Satoshi. And I don't think it's good for him to think that we invite 
people at the last minute all the time." She looks down at the rest of 
her melon bread - there's maybe a third left - and picks off another 
piece thoughtfully.

[Capfox]
Kyon nods again. "Right. So I'll tell her you'll go next time."

[Ardweden]
"Okay." Katie eats the bread that she'd picked off, not bothering to roll 
it into a ball this time, and then tears off another piece and eats that, 
too.

[Capfox]
Kyon nods, and turns back to the computer. He opens a reply e-mail to 
Haruko, and types up:

_You can come back and look at the books more. You need me to be here to 
help? I can deal with rampant girliness. Just don't expect help on that._

_Katie's passing on meeting with Wataru that time. Once you're more 
connected, she'll go and work with him. Better to build up to it. Should 
stay out of it myself for now, unless you need me._

_And don't handcuff yourself to Katie. It won't end well._

He turns back to Katie. "Good?"

[Ardweden]
Katie reads from where she is. "Yeah." Then she adds, "That's really 
good. Haruko might even think you have a sense of humor." This is said 
with less lightness than she'd usually manage with a statement like that, 
and she puts what's left of her melon bread into her mouth.

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks. "I have a sense of humor."

[Ardweden]
Katie rolls her eyes, and Kyon may get the impression that if she didn't 
just put the rest of that bread in her mouth, she'd probably throw some 
of it at him right about now. "I know that," she says after she swallows.

[Capfox]
Kyon nods back to her, and looks amused. "So I shouldn't share?"

[Ardweden]
"You should!"

[Capfox]
Kyon nods again, then turns around once more, and sends off the e-mail. 
"Done."

[Ardweden]
Katie lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and she picks 
up her juice, looking into it.

[Capfox]
Kyon hears her long exhale, and looks back over his shoulder at her, 
regarding her sidewise.

[Ardweden]
Katie doesn't look back or give any indication that she notices Kyon 
looking at her. She just sips her juice quietly. The amusement that was 
in her eyes is gone.

[Capfox]
Kyon just looks at her for another beat, and then asks, "You good?"

[Ardweden]
"Thinking." Katie puts her juice down and gives the glass a quarter turn 
on the table. "I've been making a lot of bad decisions. Or trying to."

[Capfox]
Kyon nods quickly. No denying that. But he waits for her to continue.

[Ardweden]
Katie turns her glass again, looking at the juice inside. "I hate it."

[Capfox]
Kyon turns and looks down at her slightly from the chair, stretching out 
his legs. Seems natural. "So let's work on that."

[Ardweden]
Katie looks back at Kyon, all stretching his legs and calm. "How?"

[Capfox]
Kyon considers for a beat, and then says, "Just think of whatever the 
teleporting Knight would do. And then do the opposite."

[Ardweden]
Katie snortlaughs, followed immediately by a throw pillow aimed for 
Kyon's face.

[Capfox]
Kyon deflects it away, and smirks fiercely. "That was good advice," he 
admonishes.

[Ardweden]
Katie just throws another pillow at Kyon's smirk, but she's laughing.

[Capfox]
Kyon bats the second pillow down towards the floor, still smirking, and 
then says more seriously, "Work through it. Talk with people before you 
decide. Talk with me. Get sure of yourself again."

[Ardweden]
Katie is out of pillows to throw. She puts her hands in her lap instead. 
"I'll talk to you."

[Capfox]
"Right. If you're planning, a second opinion's good. As long as you still 
act in the end."

[Ardweden]
"I'll still do what I want," Katie says, not quite casually. "It's 
just..." She looks at her juice. "Yeah."

[Capfox]
"Wouldn't tell you not to. You still have to be you. But sounding it out 
helps."

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. And drinks juice. Despite everything, she is managing to 
finish breakfast - even if it is during one of her classes.

[Capfox]
Kyon looks down at her, and twists his lips to the side. "Gonna have to 
get ready to go to class soon."

[Ardweden]
Katie looks at Kyon curiously. That's an expression she hadn't really 
seen before. "Yeah." And then she grins, a little mischievous. "You could 
skip with me."

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks at her. "Trying to lead me off the path?"

[Ardweden]
"I wouldn't make you do anything you don't want to." There isn't even an 
attempt at innocence there.

[Capfox]
Kyon snorts, and continues smirking. "Because that never happens."

[Ardweden]
"Nope," Katie says, her eyes still amused and mischievous. "Never." She 
finishes her juice.

[Capfox]
Kyon considers her for a beat, and then allows, "Just the morning one. 
Have to go to the afternoon one."

[Ardweden]
Katie's eyes widen in surprise briefly, and then she breaks into a big 
smile and cheers! Actually cheers, like, hands in the air along with a 
"Yay!" She hops to her feet and runs over to give Kyon a half-dressed 
hug... then remembers that it's Kyon and she's thanking him and all of 
the stuff they talked about earlier that morning, so she hesitates right 
before actually doing it.

[Capfox]
Kyon stiffens slightly, but does hug her lightly in return, not getting 
up. That'd just make this whole hug thing more awkward.

[Ardweden]
Kyon staying seated is pretty awkward in and of itself, and in her 
efforts to hug him, Katie ends up with one knee on his chair. Whatever, 
the chair will live. She squeezes him more tightly briefly when he hugs 
back, and she kisses him quickly on his temple. "Thank you," she tells 
him, and then before she can stop herself, "I love you."

[Capfox]
Kyon gets some color across his cheekbones, and stays silent for a couple 
of beats. His arms go loose, and then he says, in a low tone, "Me too."

[Ardweden]
Katie pulls away when Kyon says those words and loosens his grip on her - 
her knee is still on his chair; she's not pulling *that* far back - and 
she looks him right in the eyes for a few moments. "Good."

[Capfox]
He meets her gaze, and then smirks. "<Good?>"

[Ardweden]
She grins in return. "<Yeah. It's good.>" Katie kisses him lightly on the 
forehead now. "<I don't know what I would do if you didn't love me back. 
So it's good.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon is clearly still discomfited a bit by the kissing, but he's not 
shying away. "<Right. Dodged that one.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie laughs. "<Yeah, that's good for you.>" She notices Kyon's 
discomfort and pushes herself off of his chair, standing fully. "<Sorry, 
I just... I wanted to show you. I, uh...>" She shifts, suddenly a little 
awkward.

[Capfox]
Kyon shakes his head quickly. "<No, it's not you. You know that.>" He 
frowns, irritated with himself. "<You know why now. But it's not magic.>" 
He looks up at her, trying to catch her gaze this time. "<I don't mind. I 
can't say it's easy yet. But even if it's not, you should get to do that. 
And I'll get there.>"

[Ardweden]
"<No, I->" Kyon manages to meet Katie's eyes, and her own are wide. She 
catches herself, allows a slow blink, and stops all excess movement. 
Then, more calmly, "<I know. I just... I want it to be for you. For both 
of us. Not just because I want something or you want something.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon makes a small gesture with his hand from the edge of his chair, 
still frowning. "<You think I don't want that? I do. I tried it before. 
That was for you. And for us. It wasn't a trade. It was good.>" He 
scowls. "<Just not there yet. But it's a step.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie nods. And then, "<It *is* good.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon meets her gaze for another beat, and then nods quickly. "<Good. So 
what do you want to do now?>" He smirks a little, scowl fading. "<You've 
got my morning free.>" 

[Ardweden]
Katie stretches up and to the side with both arms. "<Well, I *was* going 
to sleep. And that'd be easier if you're here, but it kind of seems like 
a waste now.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon shrugs curtly. "<If that's what you want to do, that's fine. Have to 
rest some time.>" He smirks a bit more. "<Not very interactive, though.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie tilts her head. "<Do you have any ideas?>"

[Capfox]
"<It's your morning. Got me at your disposal. And that's not an everyday 
thing. Must be something you want to do.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie snerks. "<Yeah, I'm so lucky.>" It comes out as lightly sarcastic; 
she can't help it. Even though it's true, Kyon sounds arrogant. Still... 
Katie considers for a little bit, then she looks out the window and 
considers some more. And then she decides, or maybe she settles on 
something, because she looks back at him.

"<Teach me how to play baseball.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon raises his eyebrows. "<To play? What part?>"

[Ardweden]
"<I don't know. What do you think I'd be okay at? I didn't play a lot of 
baseball or baseball-likes before moving to Japan. I'm a girl, and I was 
shorter and younger than everyone else. Kids are jerks basically 
everywhere.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon sizes her up. "<Second base. Or you could try batting.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie tilts her head. "<Wouldn't I have to do both?>"

[Capfox]
"<Yeah. But this is day 1. Could start with one or the other.>"

[Ardweden]
She blinks, and then her face lights up as she realizes her request to 
learn how to play baseball in January is being taken seriously. "<Okay! 
Fielding, then. I'm probably better at that than I am at hitting a ball 
with a stick. That looks really hard, by the way.>"

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks. "<It is. Batting's not my strong point. But I'd go easy on 
you.>"

[Ardweden]
Katie makes a little pfft noise, and she pulls her hair back with one 
hand. "<Yeah, for a professional baseball player.>" She smiles. "<I'll go 
get dressed! You should, too. And eat something.>" And she scampers off 
to her room. She must have found some energy in the melon bread or 
something.

[Capfox]
"<You want to do this, we should go to the team training ground,>" he 
calls after her, as he gets up. "<I can check availability.>"

[Ardweden]
"<Okay!>" And then she's gone.

[Capfox]
Kyon turns back to the computer, and pulls up the webpage for the 
training facilities. It's pretty quiet this time of year, so booking a 
small fielding practice area isn't hard. After he settles that, he goes 
off to shower and change.

[Ardweden]
Katie certainly has a head start at that. By the time Kyon finishes 
getting dressed, he finds her by the door, pulling her sneakers on.

[Capfox]
Kyon settles his stuff in his bag, does up his jacket, and then gets his 
shoes on, too. "Good with taking the bike?"

[Ardweden]
"Yeah, let me get my earplugs." Katie runs to do that with her shoes on, 
grabbing the adjustable ones that can pass as hearing aids instead of the 
simple but comfortable ones she sleeps with. She also picks up her bag 
and a scarf.

[Capfox]
Kyon waits in the doorway, picking up his bag and hoisting it over one 
shoulder, and gets on his hat and sunglasses. They're going to the 
facility, though, so it's probably fine.

[Ardweden]
Katie pets Kumaguro on the way out the door. Once Kyon closes it, she 
says, teasingly, "Am I going to need to get a hat and sunglasses, too?"

[Capfox]
Kyon smirks back at her. "Get through your first practice first."

[Ardweden]
Katie laughs. "Okay, okay." And she heads for the stairs, because she 
effectively never takes the elevator. They're only eight floors up.

[Capfox]
Kyon jams his hands into his pockets, and follows her down, taking the 
steps two at a time behind her.

[Ardweden]
And so, they go to the Saitama Seibu Lions training facilities to play 
baseball in January! It's effectively deserted except for them. Katie is 
exactly as bad as anyone would expect, but Kyon is surprisingly patient 
with her (if also constantly amused). She reads his amusement and 
actually seems to like it, for once, and still puts in a good amount of 
effort. Afterwards, she even convinces him to do this with her again some 
time. Maybe without skipping classes, though.

The end!