<@Ciara> [Date: January 16, 2004] <@Ciara> [Time: Late Afternoon] <@Ciara> [Katie and Haruko and Wataru are finally going to get together and talk. They've agreed to meet at Wataru's apartment.] <@Ciara> [Is this Wataru's nefarious scheme to lure them to his place and enact his evil plans?] <@Ciara> [Is this Katie's nefarious scheme to infiltrate his place and enact her evil plans?] <@Ciara> [Is this Haruko's nefarious scheme to... uh... something?] <@Ciara> [Whatever the schemes and plans, Wataru has given them directions and asked them to buzz the intercom once they arrive.] <@Ciara> [Haruko has picked Katie up on her motorcycle and the two rode over together.] <@Ciara> [They are just now pulling up in the street outside. The building is in a quiet, fairly residential neighborhood not too far from Waseda. It's not a super-fancy building, but it's definitely on the very nice side.] <@Ciara> [Session Start!] * Wataru is ludicrously nervous. He's *sweating*, which he is entirely certain the girls will notice, because GIRLS. He changes t-shirts, washes his face real quick, and pulls over a light, clean zip-up hoodie, which is medium horizontal stripes in light and dark brown. He's in baggy jeans and fuzzy socks, and right now, he's standing in front of the open fridge, looking at the bottles of Oi Ocha cold green tea, Calpico milk soda, and Coke. He wonders if it's enough. Should he have also gotten Oolong? * Haruko comes to a smooth stop and removes her helmet, letting Katie get off first. * Katie does, and fairly easily, removing her helmet. She looks a little dazed as she hands it to Haruko. * Haruko hair does fall fetchingly down her side as the helmet comes off. She slips off the bike in one smooth motion, taking Katie's helmet while giving her a slightly concerned look. "You alright?" My ears are ringing. It's normal. * Katie blinks a few times, shakes her head, and starts adjusting her ear helpers so they block effectively no sound. * Haruko hmms as she hangs the two helmets on her arm and retrieves a tote bag from the trunk of the bike with her free hand. "Ah... for most people the padding in the helmet is enough, and too much more risks leaving you isolated from street sounds." * Haruko glances in the spare, appraisingly. Yeah, I know. Kyon and I talked a little bit about getting a different helmet, but safety concerns for the rest of the population... * Katie also retrieves her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. * Haruko then grabs her own purse, seperate from the tote. Now that the bike is safely locked up and she's carrying helmets around with her, the adaptness of her bike dismount quickly fades. "They do make ear protection that would be sufficient, like the sort people use on airport tarmacs and the like." * Katie hmms thoughtfully and nods, looking around. She heads over to Wataru's building. * Wataru looks at the clock on the microwave. He runs his hands through his hair, and rehearses what he's going to say. * me heads over as well. "I can see what Kyon has lined up already. We can probably find some proven designs for test pilot helmets and the like. The only real challenging bit would be to do it subtly without compromising the structural integrity of a conventional looking helmet. Yeah. * Katie smiles faintly. "Safety first." You can talk to him about it, but I'd really appreciate that. Maybe we could get an intercom thing too, like you have. * Katie stops in front of the front door with the intercom, and she looks questioningly at Haruko. <@Ciara> [Wataru is in Apartment 302.] <@Ciara> [Or so he claims.] * Haruko nods. "Bluetooth, good for short range and you can standardize different systems." She then gets more intent at the activity at hand. "I'm ready." She lets Katie push the button though. * Katie presses the button, then! <@Ciara> [The intercom in Wataru's apartment buzzes!] * Wataru JUMPS. "Okay, okay. Doing this." He rubs his palms on his trouser legs, takes a few calming breaths, and heads over to the intercom to answer before it takes too long. "Hello?" * Katie speaks on the other side; she's so quiet that she's a little hard to make out, though. "Hello? This is Katie and Haruko." Hi! "Oh hey. Let me let you in. Thanks. * Wataru presses the button, and mentally slaps himself in the forehead. *Buzz*. It's let me *buzz* you in. *UGH*. (he does not say. Anyway, the intercom isn't operational any longer.) * Katie doesn't seem to think anything of it as she and Haruko get buzzed in! She opens the door for the other girl, since she's closer. * Haruko follows along and continues talking once their inside. "Also, it's compatible with some phones, although to be honest I needed Kenta's help to get that working the first time. The standard's still a little finnicky." Maybe it'll get better over time. <@Ciara> [Inside is a small lobby with mailboxes, an elevator, and a stairway.] * Katie steps in after her and heads for the stairway immediately. The elevator doesn't get more than a cursory glance. * Haruko gives a quick longing glance and heads after. "Yeah, that seems likely. These things normally tune themselves or just get replaced." So if you have bluetooth, can other people with bluetooth listen to what you're saying? * Katie doesn't seem to notice Haruko's glance, but she totally does. She doesn't seem to care, though, opening the door to the stairs and moving up them with quick, light steps. <@Ciara> [As Wataru is in Apartment 302, it's only two flights of stairs.] * Haruko shakes her head. "No, it's not like common band radio. You pair devices. I mean, like, your CIA might be listening in or something, but it should be possible to get it encrypted." * Katie hmms. "So basically," she says as she rounds a flight of stairs, "if Kaede got to it then it should be secure from everyone but him." * Wataru quickly decides to actually put out the drinks, so that they can't see the rest of the shit in his fridge. Right. And three glasses. Okay. He goes out into the dining room, rearranges a stack of papers on the table, and then goes to nonchalantly sit on the couch for the few seconds until they arrive... * Haruko 's pace is a little slow, apparently she was doing something earlier that left her with legs that are feeling a bit heavier than usual. "Right." She sighs. * Katie stops at the third floor and is about to open the door when she looks down at the other girl, still climbing. "Are you okay?" * Haruko stops. "Oh, well, I suppose he's never used anything electronic against me, even in the our worst days." She then glances up and sees that Katie is half a flight ahead of her. "Dance practice after lunch." * Haruko resumes moving. * Katie smiles. "Fun." And I don't think Kaede would. Not unless he felt like he needed to, and I don't know why he'd think that with you. * Katie opens the door once Haruko gets there and makes her way to 302. * Haruko grins. "It was, just hard fun." She follows along. "Yeah, you're right. I mean, I'm not sure he'd know to ignore the stuff he was supposed to ignore. But... that's kind of unfair. He's rude but not intrusive, at least to me." * Haruko moves at a reasonable speed on hallways, so they get to the door quickly enough. * Katie knocks! * Haruko idly chatters. "Not even that rude these days." FUCKING HELL. "Just a minute!" Wataru says, in what he thinks might approach a pleasant, welcoming voice. He breathes, makes sure Masaru's paintbrush is still in his pocket, and then walks over to the genkan to open the door. Which he does! With a smile. "Hey." * Katie was about to say something to Haruko, but then she heard Wataru on his way and, well. She didn't say anything to her. Instead, she smiles a faint little smile at Wataru. "Hi. Can we come in?" * Haruko gives a warm smile and a quick bow. "Thank you for hosting, we apologize for any inconvenience our visit puts you to. "Of course," Wataru says, his smile growing a bit more sincere. Okay, I can do this. They're here, and this is going to go fine. "Come on in." He moves aside to let them take their shoes off and stuff!! Gives them room! <@Ciara> [You all have the floorplan, but as a reminder: shoes go on the right and there's a coatrack on the left.] * Haruko comes in and lays down the motorcycle helmets and then removes her shoes and coat. "So I hear this is your Seijin no Hi year?" Between the polite patter she's totally checking out the joint, eyes a little wide at the side. She's being subtle, for a Haruko. <@Ciara> [There's a nice framed picture of Puget Sound and Seattle on the wall in front, and a big leafy plant in a pot just to the left of it.] * Katie walks in, looking around. She doesn't apologize for her inconvenience (she is so bad at that), but she does take off her shoes and coat, putting them where they belong. She's wearing paint and... acid?... stained but clean jeans, dark purple socks, and a gray fitted t- shirt with a filigree pattern in black. In the center of the pattern, it says "Trouble." in English with corresponding katakana underneath. No scarf today, so the scar on her neck is fairly obvious. "Yeah!" Wataru says to Haruko, watching them check out his apartment. He can't help see Katie's scar, although he doesn't stare for more than half a second. "Is it next year for you guys?" * Haruko is wearing a simple pale blue chemise under her hooded sweatshirt stitched with "Seasons Don't Fear the Reaper." She's also got a pair of jeans and sneakers and looks like tights under the pants. "Yeah, missed it by less than a month." * Katie catches Wataru's eye briefly when he looks away from the scar, but her expression doesn't change. Instead, she shakes her head. "2006 for me." "Well, that just means you get to party three years running, right?" Wataru says. "With your friends, I mean." He leads them into the living area, whenever they're ready! * Katie nods a little, then follows him in. To the living room! * Haruko follows along. "I suppose it does, I'm going shopping in a couple weeks to see if Maki and I can find discounted furisodes. Should be fun, so long as I manage our time so that she doesn't get bored and pick something just to be done with it." <@Ciara> [To the living room! As you walk in, you pass a mirror on the left, and then make a right turn, passing another door. The living room itself contains a green leather couch, a purple beanbag, and a TV stand with a TV and games on it. Directly in front is a set of sliding doors to a balcony.] "Ah, man, shopping for this was the worst, yeah. I had my friend pick something." * Haruko wears a purse over her shoulder and clutches a tote bag wrapped around a cylindrical object, three or four inches in diameter. * Haruko nods and smiles. "So then, your friend is to you as I am to Maki. Although I think if I pull it off right, she'll actually enjoy it, amid mild grousing." * Wataru smiles, although he has no idea who she's talking about. That other girl? Or was that Taki? * Katie glances at the games curiously. "That sounds like Maki." <@Ciara> [There is a selection of drinks laid out on the coffee table.] * Haruko looks at the drinks. "Oh, how hospitable." She then reaches into her bag. "But, since I promised to provide drinks next time..." * Wataru has a Gamecube and a pretty solid selection of games. And a handful of movies. * Katie just stands while Haruko and Wataru work out drinks, twisting the ring on her right finger a little as she looks around. * Haruko hands over a bottle of Sake wrapped with a blue ribbon. The brewer is from the Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto region but not otherwise distinguished aside from a pretty label with an ink print of a babbling spring. "Congratulations, adult, a gift for your collection." <@Ciara> [Behind the couch and to the left of the balcony doors is a bookshelf, and beyond that is a dinette set with four chairs. There's also a corkboard full of miscellaneous things on the far wall.] * Wataru raises his eyebrows. "Oh - w - wow, oh man, you really didn't have to...--" He looks at the bottle! <@Ciara> [That. That is Haruko's nefarious scheme.] * Katie catches sight of the corkboard and shifts so she can get a better view. It's not like she needs to move closer, and Wataru's distracted. [It's a nice enough bottle, though it doesn't have any award medals or the like. She's peeled off the price sticker. The back of the label praises the pure water of the region that is the basis of its superior brand of sake.] <@Ciara> [The corkboard has, among other things, some purikura pictures of him and Izumi, some of which are from Coming of Age Day, a photograph of a girl about twelve years old at a summer camp, various miscellaneous ticket stubs, and an old Japanese newspaper clipping with a picture of a young male figure skater.] "W - well...." Wataru gives her an awkward smile. "That's really kind of you. Thanks." He takes the bottle, with a bow! It was no trouble. Really, I like this brand and its not too expensive. You can return the favor next year or, y'know, whenever. * Haruko bows back. * Wataru grins. "All right. It's a deal." He puts his hands in his pockets, finding the paintbrush there. Right..... "So, uh, do you guys want anything to drink? I have tea, Calpico, Coke, and, uh, sake I guess," he chuckles. * Katie smiles again - and again, just a little. "Coke is good. Where do you want me to sit?" * Haruko is tempted for a moment but then answers, "Tea, please." "Uh, couch I guess? Sorry, I don't have much in the way of chairs. Go ahead and sit on the couch, I'll get one of the ones from the dining room." He puts the sake bottle down on the table, after an awkward moment of not knowing what to do with it. Then he opens the coke, which fizzes alarmingly but manages not to spill, and pours Katie some. And then some tea for Haruko. There! "I - I'll go get the, uh. Chair." He runs off. It's only a few feet away! * Katie takes the Coke. "Thanks." It's fizzy; that's how cola is. She goes to sit on the end of the couch closer to the balcony, not perching on the edge, but also not settling in fully. * Katie sets her soda on a coaster in front of her, if there is one. [THERE ARE NO COASTERS. Wataru is a terrible housekeeper and host! He will never hear the end of it!] * Katie puts it on the table, then, not thinking much of it. It's his table. *Kyon's* the one who insists on coasters and crap. * Haruko giggles slightly at his flailing and thanks Wataru for the tea once it arrives. She chosen a to sit next to Katie, not crowding the girl, but not at the far end of the couch either. * Wataru comes back with a dinette chair, wood with a padded seat. He pulls it up to be more-or-less facing them, pushing the beanbag further towards the wall. "I think I'll go for tea too." He pours himself some, because, you know. Whatever. * Katie sets her bag down between Haruko and herself, letting it lean against her side. * Katie folds her hands, but soon that turns into her messing with her ring again while she waits. * Haruko lets down her purse as well and crosses her right leg over her left knee. She sips her tea. She's not as good at the waiting game and glances between Katie and Wataru, a triffle confused as to what comes next. <@Ciara> [There's something weird about the atmosphere today. Katie feels some sort of resistance that she might be able to push through, but she can feel a headache coming on. Or she can just drop the attempt entirely.] * Katie winces suddenly. Okay. Fine. She makes a short, annoyed gesture and stops her attempt to block sound from traveling farther than she wants it to go. * Haruko glances over and then steps in. "So, I think you had questions Yamada-san?" She continues pauses for a moment. "Somewhat urgent ones, based on the the quick scheduling requirement." "So, ah..." Wataru scratches his head lightly, through all that hair. "I mean, yeah. I mean, not *questions* so much .... I mean, thanks for coming." * Wataru sighs. "I guess no more small-talk, huh." * Katie pinches the top of her nose. "" And then she looks up at Wataru. "No, no more small talk." * Haruko smiles. "I thought that might be easiest." She frowns for a moment as she caught a bit of that english before resuming her smile. "Katie and I are well known for our bewitching and mind clouding presence, I thought it might be easiest if we didn't make you perform elaborate host rituals." * Katie snorts and smacks Haruko lightly on the shoulder. * Haruko grins and apologies for nothing. * Haruko, despite her grinning, was moving a little slowly when she was moving around the apartment and is adjusting her legs every so often as if she's a little tired and they're bothering her somewhat. She's definitely trying to be nice, polite, and proper, but there's a real undercurrent that she's got a life she could be living and she's not sure what all this fuss and urgency is about. But now that she's here, she wants to move things forward. * Haruko also is splitting her attention between Wataru and Katie. Her posture is almost that of a chaperone sometimes, though she tries to hide it. * Wataru exhales, trying to ignore the pressure building behind his eyes. "All right, fine. I was trying to... never mind." He looks at them, thinking about how he'd get out of here if things turn sour, and his hand clutches the paintbrush in his pocket. * Katie's gaze goes to Wataru's pocket. Then back to his face. "I can start, if you want," she offers, a little softer and raspier than normal. * Wataru puts it on the table, in a simple, fluid movement. "You're the ones with questions. I apologize for not giving you answers sooner. But I know you want them. So. Here we are." * Katie nods. She relaxes, slightly, and shifts so she's a touch more comfortable. * Haruko makes a soft aah sound. She sips her tea. * Haruko watches and listens. She's curious about Wataru but apparently she slightly misunderstood who prompted this gathering. She tries to keep an eye on Katie's behavior, taking advantage of the fact that the girl probably can't resist herself in studying the apartment and its occupant. * Wataru looks between them. "So, I've been coming to understand that every... um, every one of us, every Arcana, can do stuff. For most of my life, I thought it was only me." He breathes, calming himself. He also gets more comfortable in his chair, but stays mere inches away from the paintbrush. "Um... Satoshi made it... pretty clear... that I should tell you more about me." He looks between them again. "Before I do though, let me just say I... I was going to anyway. I just... I wasn't ready. But he said it was important, and... Well." Wataru straightens up a bit, feeling slightly more on familiar ground. * Katie nods. Her eyes are firmly on Wataru. * Haruko nods, her expression softening. "Hearing isn't always the same as understanding, particularly when new information comes fast." "I can read things." He frowns, looking at Katie. "I... I can use things, things with a connection to people, to ... like, know things about them. That time, in the Tower?" He keeps looking at Katie. "You and Kyon... you looked like you were getting ready for a fight. And then when we didn't, but it still didn't seem like you were all okay with that guy..." Wataru takes the paintbrush back between his fingers. "I took this from him, just in case one day you needed some info on the guy. You. We. Whatever. So. That's what that was." * Haruko tilts her head and listens carefully. * Katie blinks. Her eyes go back to the paintbrush when Wataru picks it back up. "Know what kinds of things?" * Wataru hesitates. "Maybe where they are, or how to find them. Or how they've interacted with the thing. Sometimes I can see what they're seeing. I ..." He looks at Haruko. "When Reiji disappeared from school, after a while, I got worried, right. I had something of his, so... I managed to see through his eyes. I saw him, one night, wandering around Osaka, alone and looking for answers. It didn't help. There wasn't anything I could do. But I saw him. You know? I saw what he saw." * Haruko's eyes widen slightly and she nods. "What do you remember?" "...He was walking down almost-deserted streets, always flipping cards. Tarot cards, I mean. And every time it was the Ace of Pentacles. And he'd follow the cards. And then it was the Nine of Swords." He exhales. "There was't much after that." * Katie lets out a breath through her nose. "Reiji and the cards..." She looks out the window for a while, then suddenly: "I can control the wind, to a degree." * Haruko gets a little notebook out of her purse and scribbles down a couple items from that in fairly oblique shorthand. She smiles at Katie's comment and waits a moment before piping up herself. * Wataru's hands clench slightly, at the scribbling. He definitely is getting a headache, now. He looks at Katie. "Yeah...?" * Katie smiles at Wataru. "Yeah." She waves a hand, and a breeze caresses the back of his neck, fluffing his hair slightly from the bottom. I can also stop sound. In the park - that was me. * Haruko puts the notepad down for now and shifts her attention over to Wataru. He's still the new kid and probably will reveal a little more than he intends during the demonstrations. * Wataru goes very still at the airy touch, even a little pale. He swallows. It looks like it takes him a long moment to collect himself before he says, "Impressive. Please don't do that again, though." He clenches his jaw, working through a few more breaths. "I wouldn't use my powers on you without your consent, so I'd appreciate the same." * Katie 's eyes widen, and she pulls her hand back. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to show you-" She glances at Haruko, then looks back to Wataru, and she almost looks like she's going to cry. "I'm sorry." * Haruko watches intently for a moment and then reaches out a hand to Katie's shoulder. "I'm sorry Yamada-san, the wind can be playful, but sometimes play isn't appreciated and we will respect that." She doesn't smile but just looks at him with an even expression. "I can show you my powers too, I'll talk you through each step, and we can stop any time you like. Please know that Katie would do the same if I made that mistake first and then Katie went second." * Katie turns to Haruko. "No," she says suddenly, "he's right. It's not the wind. It was me. Don't blame it on something it wasn't." And then to Wataru. "" * Haruko keeps the even expression. "You're right, I meant that you can be playful." * Wataru gets a look of sympathy, as the shock wears off. "--It's okay. You didn't know." He tries a little smile, reaching out, affected by Katie's reaction. "" He pours her some more Coke? * Katie just nods, folding her hands tightly in her lap. They're shaking slightly, but she keeps it together. She hasn't touched her Coke, so that doesn't work out too well for the pouring. So I've already told you I can heal. And the way I heal is by touch of the wounded area. I used to be able to just make contact anywhere, but I... some of my battle scars weakened that ability. * Haruko continues speaking but is having some trouble maintaining eye contact. "So you may want to think about whether I have your consent to do that for you in an emergency. But you don't have to decide now." She looks down. "To be honest, I have forced healing on people before, so long as they didn't explicitly say no. But I'm not sure that it's quite the same any more, now that my powers are weaker." * Haruko actually looks to Katie first when she finishes saying that. * Wataru looks at her, now... "Healing, huh? I mean - man, I really hope it never comes to that. But... I guess if I get hurt or something, and you're around?" Although seriously, what are the odds? "Assuming there's no funky side effects, I think that would be okay." "Uh, and thank you. I mean. For even offering." * Haruko nods. "I haven't had any side effects yet." She frowns. "Well, so beyond that, my element is water. So, I'm going to give you a quick telekinetic demonstration, if that's okay?" * Katie looks back at Haruko, and she gives her a small, sympathetic smile. She takes a breath, then says to Wataru, all traces of her previous difficulty gone except for the tenseness in her hands: "In some ways, Haruko's the best of us. She wouldn't hesitate." * Haruko looks up again, reassured. She looks to Wataru. "The key words in that sentence are 'in some ways,' just so you know." Hey, I'm not going to lie to the new guy. * Wataru quirks a brow. Telekinetic? "By all means," he says. NEW GUY. 8D -- he keeps his face cool and collected. BUT, NEW GUY. 8D * Haruko giggles and then draws a bottle of water out of her purse and opens it. She focuses and the contents float out into the air forming a disc. "I can sometimes do tea and other non-water materials, but the risk of making a mess is higher." * Katie shifts. "Haruko's control over water is a lot more impressive than mine with wind, I think." "Wow," Wataru says! "How -- *wow*," and he leans in a little closer. He's especially curious about the surface! Is it smooth? Wibbly? In movement? Still? * Haruko then intently focuses on the disc which had a fairly smooth surface and it seperates into a sphere and a thinner disc. The sphere forms itself into a rough figure, like a minature wooden artists model, about four inches tall. She moves one hand beneath the disc in unison and figure skates along the top before attempting a twirl. At this point both remain still, though there's a bit more wobble as she divides her attention. * Katie waits for Haruko to finish her demonstration. * Wataru's jaw just plain drops. * Haruko let's the figure spin twice before losing a bit of control and splashing down into the disc. She grins. "I can deal with more water and make walls to protect people. And I keep my hair damp to let me practice rampant vanity." * Katie says, seriously, "She's not kidding about that vanity part." * Haruko smirks. "Hibiki is officially not complaining. Or rather we have a date, he may complain on the date, wouldn't rule that out." * Katie suddenly looks at Haruko, and she sounds the most like a normal eighteen year old girl that she did since she got there. "You *do*? Okay, tell me about it later." * Haruko nods. "Deal." * Katie flashes a brief but genuine grin, and she looks at Wataru. * Wataru watches this. Girls! Girls, girling all over his apartment. Girls with *dates*, no less. Guh. No, he's not envious at all. He drinks his goddamn tea. So. You have questions, too, right? Strange things that happened since you got to Tokyo? * Haruko looks like she might have been about to continue, but she lets Katie lead the conversation, no need to overwhelm the guy. Or questions about me, maybe? * Wataru holds on to the paintbrush, and frowns a bit. "Well... Yeah, but.... I kind of expected you guys to have a lot more questions on your end. I mean." He pockets it. "Satoshi kind of implied this would be a big deal. Are we good on that front, then? You know what you want to know?" I know about the paintbrush. And the... * Haruko looks to Katie for a moment and then back to Wataru. "I have one more, but it doesn't necessarily have to come now." * Katie gestures vaguely. " Floating." You give trust to get it. You gave, and so I wanted to, too. But you've been scared since I've met you... there has to be a reason for that. When we started, answers were rare and nobody wanted to give them. It's not fun. * Wataru has a crooked grin. "Yeah, but it's nothing like what Haruko can do..." And then he looks more serious, as the conversation also gets more serious. He nods. Seriously. * Haruko watches the two of them, letting the water float back into the bottle and then putting it away. So. * Katie looks Wataru in the eye, and she asks, seriously, "What do you want to know?" * Haruko lets out a breath and listens. "You're right that I'm scared," Wataru says, crossing his arms but keeping his back straight. "And the more I learn, the less ashamed I am to admit it. You've been through all this shit, all of you have, and it's been hard, and you're all battle-scarred. But you had each other, and you still do. I.... I was never in those battles. I don't know what the hell is going on. And I was alone. So, yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared of all of you, I'm scared of whatever's out there," he gestures towards the window, "I'm scared of what might have happened and what might be waiting to happen." He kind of feels like there's something inside him trying to tumble out... He tries to take another one of those calming breaths. He looks at Katie, evenly. "And I'm scared, because I feel like I'm not even nearly scared as I should be. Is that right? Is there something none of you are telling me, that I should be scared shitless about? Satoshi keeps being vague, talking about dangerous things... But I feel like I should know. What's out there that's scaring the rest of you?" Things most of us like thinking are dead and buried. * Katie glances at Haruko. "Some of us like thinking we're heroes, because we fought monsters." She looks at Wataru. "And we did fight monsters. But the real danger wasn't monsters. Almost... they only were at the end, really. That day that looked like the end of the world. And *they're* gone. But the danger that was ourselves? Other Arcana? We're still out there." * Haruko nods. "Some fear means you're paying attention." I do think it's different now, Sho himself prompted a lot of it, played people against each other, did kidnappings. He brought out the worst in everyone. But there was worst to be brought out. Always. Sho didn't force anyone to do what they did. *He* didn't control minds. * Wataru gets that pale, stiff expression again, at the mention of Sho. That's a name he learned, by the end. You knew him. "I was there when he died," Wataru says, jaw clenching. "It wasn't the first time we met." He was around, stirring things, making threats. I'm sorry you had to share that experience with us. * Katie looks out the window again and murmurs, just loud enough for Wataru and Haruko to make out what she's saying, "He tried to get me killed a lot more than once. Easy targets... and then..." She stops. * Haruko very gently reaches out over the bag and puts her hand next to Katie's on the couch.. She lets her pinky brush up against the edge of the other girl's hand for a moment but goes no farther. * Katie pulls her hand away without thinking about it. She doesn't look away from the window. * Haruko looks at the reflection and waits for a moment, mentally reviewing the emails she was included on and everything she's picked up from Kyon on Katie of late, because Kyon thought it was important for her to be here and the two of them have seemed closer of late. * Wataru looks at her... "I won't force you to tell me," he exhales, folding his hands. "We all... Stuff happened that hurt all of us. We've all got stories we'd rather not think about again, even me." * Katie shakes her head. She looks at Wataru. "It's important you know." * Haruko uncrosses her legs and closes her eyes for a moment before shaking her head and opening them again. She rests her arm atop Katie's bag, giving some space, but there if Katie wants it. You were scared. What happened that made you so scared? * Katie moves her hands so one is over each knee. She rests them there. * Wataru places his hands flat on his knees, thinking back with a few of those nice calming breaths that really do seem to be doing the trick today. Okay. "Lots of things," he starts... "I....." God, just thinking about where to start is making him feel like his vision is narrowing. "Well, I mean... Before I came to Japan, stuff happened. Not Arcana stuff, but stuff... accidents. With my powers. I had a *reason* to hide, and close myself off, when I got here. I was already too scared of myself to dare to get involved." He somehow, magically, manages not to run away screaming. "But then, at school............" Vision narrowing! Push through! * Katie waits, perfectly still while Wataru talks, but her eyes aren't without sympathy. * Haruko says softly, "We weren't trained, and I know I've used my powers in ways that permanently hurt others." * Wataru swallows. "I met Sho once, in a construction site. I got Reiji out of there. I barely knew him then. Not that we really became close after that." He sighs. "I met someone I think was called Torajima Tenjirou, but that evening is a blank. And I was too busy helping Izumi after that to think about it much, but..." He shakes his head, frowning. Push through. "He felt *wrong*. And I couldn't do anything. My friend Fuyuko..." He goes very still again, not looking at them, clenching and unclenching his hands. It's not even clear whether he really heard Haruko. * Katie's hands tighten on her knees, slightly. But her voice is even. "You knew Fuyuko." * Haruko gasps at my friend Fuyuko. The even expression or smile she's kept this whole time really starts to slip as sorrow and guilt compete for emotional dominance. * Wataru's eyes snap up to her. "I knew Fuyuko. It is *knew*, isn't it. Because even after everything, she..." Wataru takes a breath, and stands up. "I'm sorry, may I stand up? This is hard. It's not you." He breathes. Paces a bit, as he continues. "I saw her come in to school - or not come in - with... with the marks of how her brother treated her. You knew her too, huh? God, I wanted to do something. But how could I? Izumi and I tried to bring her out, to ... No, it..." He runs his hands through his hair. "You're getting the story. Gimme a second. Because this is important." * Katie turns her head to watch Wataru. She nods. * Haruko takes a moment to process the word 'knew.' * Haruko visibly whitens and she struggles to keep her hand out for Katie. Her left hand digs into her thigh as she stays quiet and lets Wataru finish. It's just as well no one is really looking at her because she's just a little bit blurry at the edges. * Katie reaches over without looking away from Wataru and puts her hand lightly on top of the one Haruko's holding for her. * Wataru makes himself get a grip on what he wants to say, how he wants to tell it. "You wanted to know why I'm afraid. This is as good an example as any. When I found out Yushiro died, you know what I thought? I thought, 'Oh god, this is me. I did this, somehow. Something happened in my sleep, some power I didn't know I had, and I ripped him apart with all the impotent hatred I'd built up about him'." Wataru exhales harshly, almost panting, and he looks at Katie with an imploring gaze. "This is why I'm scared. I'm scared of what I might do. I'm scared of people knowing what I can do. I'm scared of what all of you can do, and why you want to know me, and what you want to do with me. But most of all, I'm scared that I know fuck-all about what's actually going on with any of this, what it means, or how I can keep myself and the people I care about safe. From everything out there, but also from me." He lets out a shuddering breath, into the silence of the apartment. * Haruko starts for just a moment. "It wasn't your... I..." She looks to Katie for a moment, feeling desperately unsure and yet also somehow as if she is intruding. * Katie is silent for a moment - a long moment - then she says, "" She stops, then swallows, and her grip on Haruko's hand tightens. "" * Haruko closes her eyes again for a moment before opening them by sheer force of will. She puts her other hand atop Katie's and just accepts the tight grip on her right. Color has not returned to her cheeks and she strains to understand the english without much success. That said, she certainly recognizes Yushiro. * Wataru just looks at her, for a good, long moment. Then, suddenly, he feels almost all the tension leave his body, and a sensation he doesn't immediately recognize creeps up on him. It's only when he's pressing his fingertips gently into his aching eyes that he realizes he's laughing - just a little, and not out of anything resembling hilarity, but laughing nonetheless. He opens his eyes again, and goes over to Katie, expression open and yet somehow unreadable - the laughter, which may have just been nervous release, has already faded into a gentle smile. He crouches down comfortably near her. "" He asks, voice unguarded and more earnest than she might have ever heard him. * Katie blinks. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn't it. But she nods. "" She pauses, gathering her thoughts, then continues. "" * Haruko listens and sometimes regrets what parts of English she has picked up, all too useful that. However, she shows no fear at Wataru's proximity. Her terror has a very different source. * Katie is looking at Wataru but not looking at him, her eyes unfocused slightly, but she presses on, her voice as steady as when she started. "" * Katie blinks, and focus returns. She looks - actually looks - at Wataru carefully. "" She pauses a moment, then adds, "" * Wataru 's expression becomes more somber, and he nods.... "" He exhales.... Sits down on the carpeted floor, easily. "" Wataru blinks. "" * Haruko's left hand tightens her grip a bit on Katie's hand. She's unsure if she's trying to provide comfort or just afraid Katie will let go of Haruko's right hand. But she doesn't need to work that out right now. She's obviously lost the thread, but she gets a word here and there and has her guesses. * Katie nods. "" She takes a breath. "" And looks to Haruko. "I think I'll be okay. You could leave if you wanted." * Haruko looks at Katie and takes a deep and careful breath. You may both use english if you like and if either of you ask me to leave, I will. But... * Wataru gets a little alarmed at the idea of being left alone with Katie. But... I was a part of this too. I said then that it was also my responsibility. I wanted revenge for Maki and had some stupid idea that we could just hit him some and scare him off. I am culpable in this and you can't protect me from that. * Haruko takes a moment to find her words, giving opportunity to interrupt. * Katie frowns slightly at Haruko. "I'm not trying to protect you. I just wanted to talk to Wataru alone, and you thought you had better things to do. This is all history." * Wataru lets them work it out. Doop doo... * Haruko closes her eyes and opens them again. "Katie, I don't really think my social calendar matters at the moment. It's history, but wounds linger." * Katie nods. "Okay." And she pulls her hand from Haruko's grip, picking up her bag, standing, and going to Wataru. She sits down in front of him, crosslegged. The bag plunks next to her. If Haruko's not leaving, she'll just do this. "" she says, with a small, slightly awkward smile. Back to English. * Wataru looks at her oddly, but is okay with this. "" He hazards a smile? * Haruko's left hand is dragged by Katie's for just a moment before she lets go. That's okay. She's a big girl, she can sit on the couch, cry a little, and be the emotional chaperone. * Katie holds her hand out to Wataru, for a shake. "" * Wataru looks at her hand, terrified that something horrible is going to happen if he shakes it. But really..... He looks at her, and then shakes her hand anyway. "Pleased to meet you," he says in Japanese. "" * Haruko closes her eyes for a moment. She's still pale although her edges are no longer a triffle blurry. "Yamada-san, may I use your bathroom? I think I saw it by the door." Her voice is perhaps surprisingly even. * Katie glances back at Haruko. * Haruko is sitting there. Awkwardly. She does have a purse in one hand and looks as if she's fretting a bit about her decision. * Wataru looks at her. "Uh, of course. It's - yeah, on the far side of the door." It takes every bit of Japanese restraint not to ask if she's all right. Japanese people hate that, don't they? * Haruko stands up and gives her practiced smile with a quick acknowledging nod of thanks. She heads off, purse in hand. * Wataru eyes Katie. * Katie watches her walk into the bathroom. A mixture of emotions cross her face, and then she looks at Wataru. "" * Wataru backs off. "" He exhales. That damn headache is flaring up with a vengeance. "" Where do we go from here? * Katie nods. "" And then, more lightly, "" * Haruko gets to the bathroom and gently shuts the door behind her. * Wataru has a weak smile, as the Buffy Musical Episode end song floats into his head in spite of himself. Why is the path unclear? "" He hugs his knees, looking at her. "" He rubs his forehead. <"Fuck it.>" * Katie nods. "" She reaches up, and she pulls her ear helpers out of her ears. She looks down at them, turning them in one hand. * Wataru looks at them... * Katie holds them up with a rueful smile. "" * Haruko stands still for a bit before whispering. "I'm sorry, I don't have the discipline to wait to find out for sure. The dampening is for him. You'll hear anyways, but hopefully it'll be quieter." * Katie hears Haruko, but she doesn't respond - why would she, anyway? * Wataru blinks at the earplugs thing. "" * Haruko takes the waterbottle out of her purse, opens it, and sets it down on the floor. She whispers a quick "Sorry Yamada-san," before telekinetically using the water and a bit of that soap to give a quick clean to the part of the floor by the rug. Briefly grateful for weird American soap customss, once she's done she sends the soapy water down the drain with a wave of her hand and takes the towel off the rack and carefully stuffs it in the crack under the door, muffling the sound from the room though likely not completely from Katie, particularly sans earplugs. * Katie nods. "" The corner of her mouth quirks up. "" * Wataru sits around. "" * Katie curls her fingers around her earplugs. "" She opens her bag to tuck them inside. "" she says, half to her bag and half to him. "" She glances at him. "" * Haruko takes a scrunch out of her purse and pulls back her hair. She then takes out her phone, puts her purse off in the corner of the room behind the toliet, and sits down beside it. She contorts herself a bit too do so and raises the lid before bringing up the web search function. * Wataru looks at her. "" * Katie nods. "" "" * Haruko searches for Fuyuko Kageri. If the initial search doesn't work, she goes on to add search terms for Chikako or Arisu, as one of them probably would follow up. * Katie blinks. "" She laughs, short and humorless. "" * Katie pulls her sketchbook out of her bag, followed by a pencil. "" * Wataru frowns, and sits up straighter. "" "<*Fuck* Sho,>" Wataru snaps, in spite of himself. "<--Sorry. Go on.>" * Katie smirks. "" She flips to a page in her book. "" She pauses, then says, "" She looks up at Wataru. "" <@Ciara> [Haruko finds an obituary for Fuyuko Kageri, dating back to October of 2002. The cause of death is unlisted.] * Wataru has a bit of a crooked grin at the mention of him helping them kill Sho. That's right. He might have not been in the band before, but he was a guest musician on one track, at least. -- Caught up in his own metaphor, he gets confused as hell for a moment when she mentions a Band, and then catches on, when she says Torajima's name. "" He blushes, frowning. "" He glances at Katie warily. "" * Katie looks down at her sketchbook. It's an empty page. "" She takes a breath. "" She stops, then starts again. "" * Katie looks up at Wataru, her expression tight and her eyes pained. "" * Haruko's hand drops, phone intact. She'll be in the bathroom for several minutes, persisting into dry heaves before she really gets herself together. * Wataru is still blushing. "" He winces. "" Wataru curses himself for having let that slip. He's going to have to work harder to protect her, now. * Katie doesn't look surprised. "" * Wataru laughs...! "" * Katie shakes her head. "" She doesn't laugh, but maybe it's because of what she was just talking about. * Wataru "" He has a deep breath. "" He asks, expression awkward. * Katie turns the pencil in her hands. "" * Wataru's expression hardens. "" * Katie nods, gaze off to somewhere behind and beside Wataru's head. "" She taps her chest with her pencil. "" * Katie stops, then continues, "" She blinks, looking at Wataru. "" * Wataru's blood runs cold. He swallows, throat having gone dry during Katie's explanation... He nods, once. "" he says. "" He exhales, rubbing his aching head with both hands. "" * Katie shrugs. "" * Wataru sighs. "" He looks at her for confirmation. A gang war, after all, like he assumed. But... <"So what's this about the end of the world?"> * Katie smiles a little at the memory, then continues, "" * Haruko finishes in the bathroom. She takes a bit of time to clean herself up and use the mini sink. She then regathers and puts away her belongings and rehangs the towel. She takes a moment to adjust her make up with her compact, slightly mitigating the pallor of her skin, although she fails to notice that she's still wearing the scrunchy. She then flushes the toliet a second time and rewashes her hand. Wataru can probably hear it this time. "" * Wataru cocks a brow. * Haruko opens the door and heads back to the entrance hallway. She shivers a little and pulls over her hoodie. * Katie runs her left hand - without the pencil - through her hair. "" * Wataru cocks the other brow, without uncocking the first. * Katie shakes her head. "" * Haruko sits down on the couch again, downing her tea in one gulp and reappraising the situation. "" He runs his hands through his hair. "" * Katie laughs. "" * Katie smirks. "" * Wataru lets out a long exhale. "" * Katie nods. "" * Wataru swallows. "" * Wataru has a tight, surprisingly dark expression. " He runs his hands through his hair again. "" * Haruko listens and watches, she keeps an eye on Wataru as he had wanted her to stick around earlier, but she's not sure that's still the case. * Katie watches Wataru for a long moment, then says, even and measured, "" * Wataru nods, taking a breath. "" * Haruko notes the lull and coughs, lightly, into her hand. She sits at the far end of the couch this time, as she doesn't trust her breath, tea or no tea. * Katie looks back at Haruko. "Hey," she says. Holy crap, Japanese! "How's it going?" * Haruko gives a sheepish grin. "Oh, dealt with my sensitive stomach, you know how it is. So..." She glances between Katie and Wataru. "I can get you two drinks if you like." She tries to maintain the grin. "And then stick around or head off, your choice. Either way I can give you a ride when you're done Katie." * Haruko looks between the two of them when she says "if you like." * Katie lets out a breath through her nose. She looks at Wataru. * Wataru looks at them. "I mean... You're welcome to stay. I..." He looks at Katie? He really doesn't understand the dynamic between them right now. * Haruko gives a bow. "Thank you, but I'll be alright either way." * Katie looks down at her pencil. And the sketchbook. And then she says, without looking up, "Do you want to sit on the floor?" * Haruko smiles. "Drinks first, if you want them?" She stands up, drops her tea cup off in the sink, and gets herself a cola. "I'll have some Coke, I think, thanks," he says. I think mine's still on the coffee table. * Haruko nods and gets Wataru a coke as well. She takes a quick sip out of her cup and refills it before returning, hopefully that'll cover it. She gives Wataru his drink and then picks up Katie's and brings it over closer to her before sitting down. * Katie smiles at Haruko. "Thanks," she says, *finally* drinking some soda before putting it on the nearest table-ish surface. Which is probably still the coffee table, just closer. * Haruko smiles, for real this time. "You're welcome." * Wataru realizes that there is capital-H History between these two. He decides not to pry. "Thank you," he says, accepting the drink. * Haruko sits crosslegged next to the two of them. "So, uh, I guess." * Wataru can't help but have a rather cute little half-smile at the English. Yay Englishings! * Katie watches Haruko get comfortable, or as comfortable as she can. She looks at Wataru. "So... yeah. Some people, they're still out there. And I don't know which ones will come back, or will want to do anything..." She shrugs. "Or if there are people out there that we *don't* know about." * Haruko nods and sips her soda. "But.... if the whole thing is over, the gates are closed... What's left, people pissed off about things they did to each other's friends two years ago? " We actually have mostly been able to live our lives. But it's a tense sometimes. * Katie says, softly, "Sometimes." She seems to think there's something bitterly funny about that. * Haruko winces slightly at that. "Speaking for myself." * Wataru has a question that's been niggling at his brain for maybe longer than he realizes, and that finally takes form enough for him to ask. "So, what do you want from me?" * Katie shakes her head at Haruko's words, and at Wataru's, she looks up at him again. "Just..." She glances at Haruko. For me? Keep the peace, show compassion when you consider what we've done. And I really appreciate your help with Reiji, but that's not compulsary. * Haruko looks back to Katie. * Katie looks at Wataru. "" It's almost a joke - it's all so obvious - but the way Katie says those words, it's not. "" * Haruko watches Katie as she speaks and listens to her tone. She doesn't nod, that would be foolish, but she does look back to Wataru without a lost expression. * Wataru nods, with a deep breath. "I mean... I hate to say that sounds basically like what any decent human being would do... But I can promise I'll do everything I can to be a decent human being, if that means anything. And I'll help." He looks between them, feeling very much on the spot, and feels his face get warmer. "...It sounds like... It sounds like you guys were... are..." He shakes his head, changing tracks. "It sounds like you had a lot of political bullshit and infighting with other Arcana. I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty glad I never got tangled in that. But I'm in with you guys, now, I guess. I don't want to be caught in a gang war. I really don't. But I'm on your side, cause the last thing it sounds like you need is one more loose cannon messing everything up." * Haruko actually seems rather reassured by this. "Works for me." * Katie laughs. "Yeah. Just don't work *against* us. Please." She glances at Haruko. "Sometimes we don't agree with each other, but we at least try to do that." * Haruko nods and sips her soda demurely. * Wataru snaps his fingers, as a thought occurs to him. "Any chance you could provide me with some kind of list, or some red flags? People I should watch out for, people who are bad news, stuff like that. Sounds like there's a bunch of assholes out there, I mean, not Sakurag--" WAIT no that is an inside joke with Izumi. "I mean, you know." * Katie raises her eyebrows. "Sakuragaoka?" * Haruko gives Katie a mischievous look at that comment that looks over to Wataru. "We'll figure something out, we try to be careful about writing things down. I keep some encrypted files on my phone and even then I try to be careful with names." * Wataru chooses to ignore the Katie, this time. "Or you can just tell them to me sometime. I can try to remember. Or, Satoshi showed me how to encrypt emails...?" Oh, nice. I'd never be able to do it without Kaede. Took me a while. Kenta helped with that too, although he just showed me techniques so it was still kind of a pain. "I, uh, may have taken a few tries to get it right, yeah." ^^; * Haruko nods. "Email was tricky even after I protected my phone messages, I sent a lot of messages to myself before I got right." * Katie sips her soda, content to let Haruko lead now. * Wataru chuckles a bit. "I, uh, yeah. Some dumb stuff happened. But we've got the hang of it now." [And so, Haruko lead the small talk for a bit and as she babbles along the weight of the day and the confessions begin to drain the energy out of Katie and Wataru and it's time to go, although perhaps after kicking Haruko out (it may be the only way to get her to stop small talking).] * Wataru is definitely not a huge fan of small talk, and has a quite entrenched migraine now, so, he will pick up on any hint of leaving and encourage things in that direction - even though he won't be the first to mention it. * Katie chases Haruko out - not literally; she just says, yes, thank you Haruko, I'm going to talk to Wataru for just a second. I'll see you outside. And shuts the door on her. Haruko, doubtless, is glad she can take the elevator this time. So everybody wins. * Haruko scrams, carrying helmets. She's content to be chased out and waits down by the motorcycle. * Katie looks at Wataru. She seems tired. "" * Wataru works on his fight-or-flight reflexes at being caught in a room alone with Katie. He can do this. * Haruko does eep when she notices the time on her phone while exiting, so probably just as well. "" he says. "" * Katie nods. "" She fidgets with her bag strap. * Wataru stands around in white-and-pink striped fuzzy socks, maybe just only noticing that he's totally in white-and-pink striped fuzzy socks. * Katie looks down at the socks, too. * Wataru looks at them, grimacing. "" he says, because what else do you say? * Wataru smiles... "" * Katie runs her fingers through her bangs. "" * Wataru nods. "" If they're standing near the door, she can probably see the moody picture of Puget Sound. * Katie smiles a little. "" * Wataru actually grins. "" * Katie laughs. "" "" He shrugs, quickly. "" He scratches the back of his head. "" * Wataru frowns... * Katie shakes her head. "" She smiles, a little wanly. "" "" He huffs, through his nose. "" * Wataru has a weak smile. "" * Katie laughs, a little, as grabs and puts on her coat. "" She shakes her head. "" * Wataru finds himself feeling just too exhausted to be on edge. He stays a couple paces away from her, hands in the pockets of the hoodie. "" He holds on to the paintbrush in his pocket. * Katie looks at Wataru's hand - the one tucked in his pocket. She slings her bag over her shoulder, then pulls her sketchbook out of it - a different one than Wataru saw her holding earlier. She flips through it. * Wataru eyes this. * Katie eventually finds the one she was looking for and starts removing the page very, very carefully. * Wataru frowns... * Katie hands the page to Wataru. It's a full, colored pencil drawing of Tokyo - the section near the construction site - on the day that was the End of the World: a red, burning moon against a pitch blue-black sky, white snow standing out against it in swirling winds, blue-white lightning striking down to the earth, and Tokyo Tower in the distance. And just below, on the distant horizon, is the start of a daybreak. It's terrible, but it's beautiful, too. [Katie's sense of perspective and attention to detail are both excellent, and her color blending is very, very good. Wataru has to look for a while until he notices the only living or maybe-living things on the street below: a single white rabbit with red eyes, sitting in apparent triumph over what looks like a dead and bedraggled wolf.] * Wataru gazes at it in awe. "" He looks up at her. "<*Katie*>", he says [in a ludicrous pile of punctuation]. "" * Katie actually blushes a little. "" * Wataru blushes too, now. I'm - we're - the rabbit...... "" He does look like he could hug her, really, shifting his weight awkwardly from foot to foot. But he doesn't look like he's going to close that distance himself. * Katie smiles. "" "" he says, looking at the amazing picture again. "" * Katie's eyes widen. "" And then everything else sinks in. "" "" He shrugs. "" * Katie shakes her head. "" she says, ruefully. "" "" He has a crooked grin. * Katie groans. "" She pulls out a notepad and sets it against the wall, then starts writing her e-mail address on it. "" "" * Katie hehs. "" She tears the top page off and hands it to Wataru. There, now he has her e-mail address, too. "" "" Wataru accepts it with a formal bow, but chuckles a bit, too, and puts it in his pocket. Still hanging on to that drawing, though. He wonders where to put it until he gets it framed.... * Katie bows back, amused, and turns to leave. "" she says, and she sounds like she means it. "" * Wataru nods. "" He thinks for a moment. "" There. That'll confuse that orange-headed weirdo. <@Ciara> [Session End!]