[Date: Wednsday, January 23. Time: 2:50 P.M.] [Weather: Sunny yet cold. Snow only very lightly covers the ground] [Our day begins with Shingo, sitting at his desk as the last bell rings, signaling the end of class.] [Session Start] * Shingo stands and picks up his books. * Shingo walks to his locker quickly to put them away. [Shingo spies Katie and Taki a few lockers down. The three of them agreed to meet at Kyon's apartment today.] * Shingo puts his books away, takes out his bokken, and walks down the hall to Katie and Taki. * Katie sits by her locker with Taki, pointing at an open textbook. "No, you need the determiner there. It's , not ." * Katie nods, a smile growing on her face. "Yeah, that's it!" * Katie looks up and waves at Shingo. * Shingo nods at Katie. * Taki turns and waves at Shingo "Katie's helping me with my English." [Chikako comes running up. "Hi everyone! There's snow on the ground! It's so cool!"] * Katie snickers. "Yeah, that happens when it snows." * Chikako nodnods. "Isn't that cool?" Anyhow, here's your paper! It's so cool! Snow is great isn't it? * Chikako hands Katie today's paper. * Chikako nods at Taki. "It's cool!" * Katie takes the paper. "Thanks Chikako. Good luck reporting tonight." Thanks! It'll be cool! * Chikako runs off. Always is. * Katie opens the paper and starts skimming. So, what'd she write about today? * Katie makes a face. "Ken, soccer, some burger place." She hands the paper to Taki or Shingo, whoever grabs it first. * Taki takes the paper and looks to see if the burger place was any good. * Katie gets to her feet and opens her locker, grabbing her coat. [The burger place has a high review, especially with the fact that it IS a burger place in Japan.] * Katie pulls on her jacket. "Anyway, ready to go?" Yes. In a second! ::folds the paper and runs down to her locker to get her jacket and the rest of her books:: * Katie waits for Taki, and as soon as she gets back starts heading for Kyon's place. * Taki gets her stuff together and returns. "Ok, now I'm ready." * Katie smiles and nods, then heads out. * Shingo follows after Katie. * Taki walks after Shingo. [Two train stops and a bit of walking later, the group finds themselves outside the apartment building.] * Katie checks the address again. "This is the place." Mmm. * Taki looks up the side of the building, "Which apartment number was his?" * Katie hands Taki the slip of paper and heads over to the building. * Taki looks at the paper. [The apartment building's lobby is especially nice inside. There's confortable-looking furniture over a reddish-brown carpet, with a large TV near the back. It has two elevators with windows to view the outside.] Wow! I wish I lived in a place like this, my apartment is soo tiny! * Shingo says nothing. * Shingo so very much says NOTHING. It's okay, I guess. * Katie walks over to the receptionist. * Receptionist talks in a think Hollywood-ish accent. "Yeeees?" * Katie blinks, then idly wonders if this woman knows English. "Um, can you tell me what floor Kyon Sorata is on?" Yeeees! Third floor. * Katie smiles. "Thanks." She heads for the elevators. Yosh. * Shingo follows that page. Thankyou. ::walks to the elevator:: * Katie presses the up button. You're wellllcome. [The group arrives at the elevators!] * Katie waits for an elevator door to open. :P * Taki pushes the button. [Um.... The elevator doors open, Katie presses the button, they reach the third floor. Woot!] * Katie gets out and starts looking for apartment number 314. [After searching 13 appartments, Katie and co. locate it.] * Katie knocks. Or rings the buzzer, if there is one. It's always in the last place you look. Of course. * Kyon calls out. "Yeah?" It's Katie. You told us to show up today. * Taki nods, "Unless you arn't trying to find it, inwhich case you find it in the first place you look." * Kyon opens the door a few moments later. "Yeah. Come in. The others aren't here yet, though." * Katie steps in and glances around. "Others?" [The apartment is an 1-LDK with a bathroom, quite large. After the little entryway, there's a well-appointed kitchen off to the left. A plain table with 4 chairs sits in the dining room. There are a couple of burnished silver lamps, and a paper box lamp hanging from the ceiling.] [Straight ahead, there's the living room. Out the window, there's a nice view of the street below. There's a couch, a large TV, and an armchair, along with several bookshelves.] * Shingo steps inside and BOGGLES. * Taki walks in and takes off her shoes...and then gets starryeyed. * Kyon shrugs. "Yeah. I told you yesterday. You're going to be properly introduced." He smirks slightly. * Katie stares. "" * Shingo recovers his composure. Wow... It's a good place. Not much like home, though. * Katie blinks. "Oh yeah. Have to take off my shoes." She does that. * Shingo shrugs. Not like home? Your parents don't live here? * Kyon gestures at the side of the entryway. "The guest slippers are over there. Try to find ones that fit." He shakes his head. "No, they don't." Oh. Um... * Katie goes over and finds a pair of slippers that fit reasonably well. More or less, anyway. * Shingo takes off his shoes and slips on the smallest pair that will fit him. Granted, there's not likely to be a pair too small for him, but... This is all yours? Wow again... ::picks a pair that seem to be the right size and nearly gets it right. Yeah, it's mine. Makes it easier to live here. [A black and orange tabby cat runs in and jumps up at Kyon.] * Katie blinks at the cat. * Kyon smiles warmly and scoops him into his arms. "Hey, you. Yeah, it's good to be home." Hmm, that sounds a lot like what my Dad said whe...Neko! ::walks over to whoever's currently got the cat:: * Katie grins. * Taki scritches the cat behind it's ears "And what's your name? Hmm?" * Kyon pulls the cat back a bit, scratching his neck as he cradles him, and gives Taki a cautious look. "His name is Kumaguro. Be careful, though. He doesn't usually like other people." * Katie walks up and gets a better look at the cat. * Taki holds one of her hands out to Kumaguro. "So what do you think Neko-san?" * Kumaguro sniffs at Taki's hand and curls back into Kyon's arms. * Katie smiles. "Cute." She looks around the place again. "So, um... what do we do until the others get here?" We wait. * Kyon stretches uneasily, and puts the cat down on the table. "Yeah. I've got food. Or you can sit around. Up to you. They shouldn't be too long." All right. * Katie heads over to the table and has a seat, pulling out her sketchbook as she does so. She hmms at the cat. Hmm, What do you have to eat here? ::starts walking towords the kitchen:: * Shingo sits down at the table across from Katie and waits. * Katie flips open the sketchbook and starts drawing, glancing up at the tabby every so often. * Kumaguro stares unflichingly at Katie. * Katie giggles. "" * Kyon waves towards the cabinets. "The usual." He heads over to the living room and looks out the window, his back to the others. * Katie glances up at Kyon, then looks back at Kumaguro and her sketching. [There's a knock on the door.] If I had more time, I'd offer to cook something up. * Kyon turns quickly. "Yeah?" * Kumaguro starts, and tries to hop up onto Shingo's shoulder. ["Eight of Cups"] * Shingo blinks. * Katie winces as her pencil pulls across the paper at the knock. She grabs her eraser and starts fixing the picture. * Katie looks up at Shingo again, then outright grins. "Now *that's* cute." She flips to a new page. * Shingo blinks again. * Taki walks out of the kitchen. * Kyon walks quickly over to the door and opens it halfway. "Hey." * Katie starts another drawing. * Shingo blushes. And that's even cuter! It is! *reaches for another pencil and adds the blush* * Shingo turns beet red, except for his scar, which remains a bone white streak across his face. You asked us to come. My sister won't be joining us today, however. * Kyon nods and cocks his head. "Why not?" * Katie blinks at Reiji's voice, then turns to get a better look at him. She frowns. "" she mutters, before going back to busily drawing. * Reiji makes his way into the apartment and starts taking off his shoes. "She has an afterschool job." * Kyon shoots a look at Katie. "Right, right. Maybe next time." He smirks at Shingo. "Found your weak point, Knight?" * Taki thinks to herself, "too bees...something someone?" I'm not weak. * Kumaguro cleans his whiskers on Shingo's shoulder, and settles down. He doesn't seem inclined to go to Reiji. If I was weak, I'd be dead. * Katie keeps sketching, not acknowledging Kyon or Taki. * Kyon shrugs. "Fine. You're not weak. But you let little fuzzy animals sit on your shoulder, and you blush. Sorry to draw the wrong conclusions." * Katie speaks up as she keeps drawing. "Bet you blush sometimes, Kyon. And you let little fuzzy animals sit on *your* shoulder." Hmm, no I don't think either of them would make a good magical girl, besides Kumaguro doesn't talk does he? * Kyon shakes his head. "Kumaguro doesn't sit on my shoulder. No further up than my arms. And feel free to point out to me the first time I blush. I'd like to make a note of it." I'm sure it will be recorded in the history books. * Katie finishes and shuts her sketchbook. * Kyon waves a hand at Reiji. "Anyway. This is the Eight of Cups, my colleague." * Katie nods and folds her hands over the book. * Reiji nods. "We've met before, briefly." * Kyon leans against the wall, arms at his side. "Of course you have. You had to send them to me." * Reiji nods. "I felt it was necessary. You could do more for them than I." * Katie quirks half a smile at that. * Kyon sighs. "It was basic information. You could've told them something." -_- But not enough. And not what they needed to know. * Taki pulls up a chair to watch the verbal sparing. * Kyon waves a hand. "Fine, fine. Why you did it isn't important. Since you dumped them on me, I've had to take them on." * Reiji nods. * Shingo twitches. * Katie opens her mouth to say something, then stops herself. She mentally records what she was going to say, though. * Kyon crosses his arms. "Sho came by the Tower as I was sending them off on their ways." * Reiji frowns at that. More so than he was already doing. "I was afraid of that." You know something I don't? * Reiji shakes his head. "Just a theory." Which is? I'm beginning to think he can detect newly awakened arcana, or maybe arcana in general. He probably arrived with the intent to persuade them to join his faction. * Shingo twitches. * Katie glances at Shingo. * Taki looks over at Shingo. * Kyon scowls. "That would explain things. At least that didn't happen. Even if they're not that strong now, who knows what he could've done to them." * Katie hmms and idly rubs the back of her head. "Excuse me, but... can you stop talking like we aren't here?" Rest assured, you've held my attention the entire time. That would be nice, but if you insist on carrying on, by all means go ahead. * Kyon nods curtly, but doesn't look over at them. "I'm paying attention. You weren't saying anything." * Katie looks over at Kyon. "I'm just trying to be polite." * Kyon turns halfway from Reiji and smiles sarcastically at Katie. "Please, don't stand on ceremony. If you would like to contribute your theory, go ahead." * Katie looks evenly at Kyon. "If I knew more about what's going on, maybe I could come up with one." I see.... You still don't know who you are. As it is, you gave us basics, like you said. And you were happy to throw us to the dogs, until Sho showed up. I know I'm the Page of Swords. Does that count? No. You know what you are. Not who. * Katie sighs. "Fine, then I don't know." * Kyon shakes his head. "You can do this part. I'm not doing it." This isn't a part either of us can do. So there isn't something you can do that can tell us 'who' we are? * Kyon raises an eyebrow. "I thought this was something you could do." * Reiji shakes his head. "This is self discovery. I can't help them any more than I can help you. Or myself, for that matter." Then what can you help with? We need answers, and we're not even sure what questions to ask. * Katie shakes her head. "" she sighs. "" If I'm to provide any answers, I'll need questions first. Okay. What did we need to know that Kyon was supposed to tell us? Likely, whatever he told you. I presume he mentioned about the arcana, the disappearances, the factions, and such? He mentioned that we exist, that Judgement exists, and that factions exist. And that's about it. Yes, though we don't know about the factions except that the Band is mean and Sho is strong. * Katie nods. * Reiji nods. "And he's quite correct." I'm sure he is. * Taki nods "And that Saki probibly isn't strong enough for either of the others to bother with." * Katie pulls her arms around her at Saki's name. I've had little contact with the Band, and I'd prefer to keep it that way for now. And Sho is a danger. * Reiji blinks at Taki. "Well, perhaps that is where we can start." Ohh? * Kyon watches Reiji talk, rocking back and forth on his heels. I know very little about Saki Morikawa. She's an arcana, certainly, but I don't know which. * Katie blinks. She's an arcana? ... Why the hell would an arcana eat other arcana? * Reiji nods. "Indeed, though I don't know what her goals are. If she even has any." Didn't Kyon say she was? No. * Kyon looks over at them. "Oh. Didn't I? Sorry." * Taki scratches her head, "I thought that's what I heard..." He said he didn't know what she was. At any rate, I've recently learned that Sho had been contacting her. * Kyon shakes his head. "No, I said she wasn't the big problem, and that she wasn't aligned. That's all. But Sho's trying to get her?" * Katie puts her head in her hands. "" * Reiji nods. "That's not all." * Taki gets confused. * Kyon scowls. "Figures. What else is he doing?" Typically, Sho will only initate contact with an arcana once, and tell them they must join him or they will die. However, he's contacted Saki at least twice. Possibly more. So she could be working for him? Possibly. * Kyon cocks his head slightly. "That is strange. Only reason I could see for that is if she's very strong. But if she was, she would have made more noise by now." Or it's also possible she's a very powerful arcana that he's desperate to get. * Reiji nods to Kyon. ...Maybe she's just having too much fun being quite...::shudders slightly at the though:: * Katie looks up at Reiji. "Well. If you haven't heard, Saki Morikawa ate Hiro Kasuga." There's one other option. Sho may b... Hm? I hadn't heard about that. * Katie nods. We walked in on her doing it, the Friday before I called you. * Taki nods slowly. Hmm... * Kyon nods tersely. "Should've told you last night when I called, but I didn't think it was that important." Sho could be using her to take people out. She sure seemed to enjoy herself. He could. It bears some researching. * Katie shrugs and flips through her sketchbook. "Yeah." So, Reiji. Why is it that the less of us there are, the better off we'll be? It isn't. My idiotic sister misinterpreted my theory on Judgement. * Katie looks up and tilts her head. "What theory?" Oh...What do you think about Judgement? * Shingo waits for it. I had thought that Judgement took the arcana with the least power first. My sister presumed that by eliminating a number of the arcana, if not all of them, she would be able to prolong our lives. * Shingo blinks. * Shingo looks at Katie. * Shingo looks back at Reiji. * Kyon muses about that, and pushes himself off the wall. "Forgive me, Eight, but that makes no sense. Even for her." * Katie blinks and looks back at Shingo. "That... makes no sense." I hope you're wrong. * Taki blinks "...That sounds...backwords, if Judgement was going after the weakest first, wouldn't she want want the less powerfull Arcana to stay alive as long as possible?" My sister's reasoning is pathetic. I suggest introducing her to a logic text. * Kyon shakes his head. "She's been a liability since day one. Too bad you're stuck with her." ... * Reiji turns to Taki. "Not quite. My thoughts were if the arcana Judgement meant to destroy were already dead, it would throw a wrench into the system." My sister took that as an indication to kill them. Fortunately the idiot didn't succeed. * Katie hrms and runs her finger along the binding of her sketchbook. "It's a good thing, yes. Still, your theory may be wrong, because as far as I can tell, I don't have any powers." She would take it that way. And she wouldn't be able to pull anything off on her own. She just needs to learn discipline. She needs to learn to think sometimes. * Reiji faces Katie. "I believe my theory is wrong, yes. However, I doubt that you have no powers. Likely, they just haven't awakened yet, or you've been using them without realizing." Maybe she could use a little help with that, instead of constant riducule. * Taki nods. "But spending too much time thinking can also be bad." * Katie blinks at Reiji. "... Maybe. I'm not about to let Sho know any of that, though." I've tried to instill discipline. She is as incapable in that as she is in anything else. * Shingo smirks. Maybe you weren't trying hard enough. There has to be something she's good at. Other than messing things up...or maybe that _is_ what she's good at... She's good at failure. * Kyon shrugs. "When she deserves praise, she gets it. Praising failure does nothing." If you treat someone like an idiot, they will be an idiot. * Katie snickers at that and opens her sketchbook, flipping to her unfinished Kumaguro picture. Hee. * Kyon smirks. "If only that explained all of my surroundings." * Katie starts drawing again, keeping an ear to the conversation. * Reiji glares at Shingo, the first his expression's changed since the frown way back when. He turns to Kyon. "If we're finished, I have some business to take care of." We aren't finished. I have one more question. * Taki looks at Katie. Then ask it. * Katie keeps sketching. "When you said 'who we are', what did you mean? Self discovery only explains so much. We need to know what to look for." And why is it so important? There is more to being arcana than being named after a card and having powers. For the time being, that's all I can say. Ah, more puzzles. You're good at that. * Reiji pulls on his shoes. Fine, then explain where everybody went so suddenly when your sister tried to kill us. * Taki tilts her head and looks confused. "Too many pieces of too many puzzles, but I don't want to think that killing people is the solution to all of them." * Katie keeps sketching. "I don't think it is, Taki." Or any of them for that matter. * Reiji nods to Kyon. "If you'll excuse me..." He makes his way to the door and lets himself out. * Kyon waves absently. "Yeah, later." * Shingo twitches. * Katie frowns. ... Must be one of thoes things we're supposed to find out ourselves. * Shingo shrugs. * Katie looks for Kumaguro. I'll figure it out eventually. Maybe. * Kyon waves a hand. "I can tell you now." * Katie looks over at Kyon. "Hrm?" * Kyon nods. "We're..." he hesitates, then says sourly, "equals, after all." * Taki smiles at Kyon, "And will this be one of the beat around the bush around the bush untill Shingo looses it answeres or a straight out one?" * Katie grins. "Of course, Kyon." What would I be losing? Your temper. * Katie turns back to Kyon. "You were saying?" Yep. I don't lose my temper. * Katie blinks, then bursts out laughing. No, you just get very very annoyed sometimes, right? * Kyon looks at Kumaguro sleeping soundly on Shingo's shoulder, and lets out a brief, harsh laugh. "Sure you don't. Of course not." Anyway. Kyoko might be incompetent on her own, but she's not useless. * Katie catches her breath. "No one... no one's useless," she grins. * Kyon shakes his head. "Many people are. Not the point, though." So. You noticed how everyone suddenly wasn't there? Yes. * Katie nods. * Taki nods. One of Kyoko's powers is to put out a field. Hers are pretty powerful. If you're not Arcana and you're in the area, you aren't in the field. * Katie blinks. How big is this field? * Kyon smirks. "As big as they need to be. Anything that happens in the field happens in some other dimension; it doesn't affect the people or surroundings at all." * Taki boggles. ...Interesting. * Katie blinks again. "That... is powerful, yes." So there are others who can put out these fields? The size of the field is random, but it can let people fight without ruining the buildings. Good to have someone like that on your side. Yes. If you want to fight. * Katie looks at Kumaguro, then goes back to sketching. Or hide. The reversed Tower is a giant field. I see. People outside the field can't see people inside it. And they can only leave it. The people in the field, you mean? Right. Not everyone is as powerful as Kyoko. You can't always get rid of normal people. They can leave, but they can't get back in. I see. Arcana can get into the field and out at will, though. * Katie nods thoughtfully and moves to another area of the drawing. How odd, usefull but odd...But who am I to talk? * Katie grins. "I don't think vanishing is that odd, all things considered." If you say so, Katie. I say so. It's not that uncommon a power, the fields. Other people can do it. Some people can sense one, too. Ok, Katie has spoken, Teleporting isn't odd. Hmm, can somebody learn to put up one of these fields? * Katie finishes that section, glances up at Kumaguro, then starts rooting in her satchel for the rest of her pencil set. * Kyon shrugs. "If it's a power you have, and you haven't found it yet." Ahh. * Katie pulls out the box and opens it, selecting one and shading. "Maybe I can do it, since I haven't found any powers. I don't know how, though." * Kyon smiles coolly at Katie. "Maybe you can ask Kyoko. You'll meet her later." * Katie stops shading. * Katie looks up at Kyon. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not." Why not? She's on your side, after all. Maybe. But she... * Shingo looks at Katie. * Katie frowns and goes back to shading. "I guess it doesn't matter," she murmurs bitterly. "Not in your world, anyway." * Kyon walks over to the table and straddles the fourth chair. "An ally's an ally. You take them where you can get them." It's hard to go from having a person who tried to kill you to calling them an ally. It's only hard if you hold a grudge. * Katie snaps her pencil case shut with a sharp sound. "Maybe I am holding a grudge," she says angrily. "It's a misunderstanding, I know that. It's that she's willing to do something like that that bothers me." You can help, too. So you're here. * Katie glares at Kyon. "" * Taki tries to follow the English conversation. You being Arcana means you have potential to have power. That's all. You don't come equipped with superpowers out of the gate. Some people don't, anyway. Unless you fall out of the gate like I did... But that doesn't mean she's useless. No, I don't. So instead of those powers, or keeping the person alive long enough for it to happen, you de- I need to get back home. I'm leaving. * Katie stops midword and blinks at Shingo. * Taki blinks at Shingo? "Why?" * Katie nods slowly. "Okay, Shingo. Take care." It's not that late is it? ::looks around for a clock:: * Shingo stands up and walks to the door. * Kyon clenches a fist. "Wait a second, will you?" * Shingo changes back to his shoes. [Time: ... About 5:00, I'd say.] Why? Because it doesn't make sense for you to hold grudges. You may not like what I did. You may not like me. But I can help. I'm trying, damn it! Have I treated you badly today? * Kumaguro blinks sleepily on Shingo's shoulder, and licks his cheek. ... * Shingo blinks. I have to get home. * Shingo turns his heat to look at Kumaguro. You need to get down. * Katie stares at Kyon in shock. * Kumaguro doesn't look inclined to move. He nuzzles Shingo's cheek. * Shingo picks Kumaguro up off his shoulder by the cat's sides and sets him down on the floor. Fine. Leave. But I'm doing my best. I said I'd treat you as equals. And I'm doing that. You know what I know. You have access to my network. * Katie softens a bit and she looks at her drawing. "You're taking your anger out on Shingo, Kyon. Wrong person to target. He needs to go." I don't think kuma wants to loose his walking bed, and I do think Kyon's trying... It's just that...how long has it been since you had to deal with the ordinary world on ordinary terms? * Shingo leaves for home. * Kumaguro stretches and pads back to the table, hopping onto it. I can try to explain, but it's... hard in Japanese, and I don't think Taki wants to miss it. * Kyon smirks, and absent-mindedly pets Kumaguro. "Fine. Do it in English. I'll translate." * Katie glances up at Kyon. "Okay." That sounds like it'd work. Do you want me to start with you, or with Kyoko? * Kyon bows slightly. "Whatever." Or... let me start this way. * Katie looks up at the ceiling. "" * Kyon glances at Taki. "Life before this wasn't great, but it wasn't bad." Ok. ( You had Chikako ;_; ) (She's generalizing. And no wonder Taki thinks English is a wordy language. ^^) She was totally normal and unremarkable. * Katie sighs. "" She looks over to Kyon. Nothing great, nothing bad. * Taki wonders how much she's missing, Katie's talking a lot longer than Kyon. * Kyon waves a hand at Taki. "It's the gist of it." * Katie nods at Taki. Ahh, I was just wondering. * Kyon looks coolly at Katie. "Want that in English or Japanese?" Either works. Fine. What you're supposed to think is about how to survive. It's ugly out there, but calling it pointless won't stop it. Hmm, if he speaks in English then I can listen to Katie sum it up in three words. * Katie snickers. You know what my life was like before I found out? I was happy. I'd never come to this damn place. But I found out, and I dealt with it. * Katie shrugs. "" * Taki listens to Katie and waits for the three words. She's going to try to survive, since she doesn't know what else she can do. * Kumaguro rolls over and stops on top of Katie's sketchbook. * Katie sighs. "" She blinks at Kumaguro. * Taki nods, "Surviving is good, I'd like to actualy live and have fun and have hope, but survival would be the least." And you can call it pointless all you want. I'm not explaining why it is how it is. Think what you will about it. * Kumaguro twitches back and forth, his tail swishing and his paws pointing towards Katie. * Katie cautiously puts her hand out to rub Kumaguro's belly. "" * Katie shrugs and rubs the kitty. * Taki turns to Kyon. "Well?" Kyoko started her off here, with her misguided attempt to off you all. It bothers her that she was willing to try, since she couldn't. ...It bothers Katie that Kyoko tried to kill us and couldn't? or It bothers Katie that Kyoko tried to kill us and Katie can't do that? No, I don't know everything about why. I know enough to guess at some things. That's something. It takes a long time to get that far. It bothers her that she would try on such little evidence. Right? * Katie nods. "More like, it bothers me that she would try at all. If it calls for action like that, she should have found some other way." But yes, that it's little evidence makes it worse. Ahh, now that makes sence, thankyou for clearing that up. * Kyon raises an eyebrow. "In a choice between you and someone else, you'd let yourself die?" * Katie smiles, her gray eyes looking down at the cat. "I never had to answer that. I might." * Kumaguro purrs softly, curling around Katie's hand. I won't let you. * Kyon looks surprisedly at Kumaguro, then up at Katie with his normal expression. "Think about it. Is there more?" * Katie rubs the cat's head with her other hand. "More how?" You're my friend, If there wasn't any other way, I'd find it, I'd make it. Thanks, Taki. That's good to hear. * Kyon glances over at Taki. "She doesn't like what I do, because she doesn't feel my logic is sound." * Taki nods. Anything more you want to say? * Kyon smirks. "It offends her ethics." * Taki nods again. * Katie chuckles. "" She pauses, then adds dryly, "" * Kyon sighs. "It amused me before. Now, it's more worrying. Still amusing, though." * Katie glances at Kyon. "" * Kyon snorts. "Me, and you by extension." * Katie sighs. "So, there you have it." She skritches Kumaguro behind the ears. * Kyon looks at her. "You are that lucky. And Kumaguro likes you. He doesn't like many people." * Taki looks more and more lost as half the conversation starts to take place in English. * Katie chuckles. "Yeah? It's a little shocking, I'm not much of a cat person." * Kyon looks back to Taki. "She thinks she might be too soft for this, and wanted to know that whether I was worried about her or myself. The break in the chain still stands, though. So if you care to clear it up, Kyon, feel free. My turn, Page? * Katie nods. * Taki sits and listens some more. I have no respect for Kyoko beyond what she deserves for her power. Beyond that, she's easily misguided, and she relies on her brother too much. * Kyon runs a hand through his hair. "And to be frank, I'd have preferred finding out that I was Arcana the way you did rather than the way I did." * Katie nods. "Seems that way." She blinks and looks up at Kyon. Do you mean finding powers, or finding that you're the Queen of Wands? So you're not normal. You accept it. It's the way it is. You work with it. You move on. * Katie nods. "I know. I try to." * Kyon waves a hand. "The powers. The title wasn't nearly as bad." * Katie shakes her head. "It looks like... ah, I'll give my theory in a bit. After you're done." I'm not going to excuse Kyoko's actions. I will say, though, that in a choice between an ally and an enemy dying, I know which I would choose. Yes, but we weren't an enemy. In her eyes, you were. However idiotic a view that was. You represented a threat to her survival. A tacit threat, but a threat. * Katie sighs heavily. "So stupid." * Taki nods. * Kyon snorts. "Did I say otherwise?" No, of course not. * Kyon reaches into his pocket and lays a piece of jerky down on the table. "Fine. As for me. First of all, being told about what you are? That's a boon." * Kumaguro bends away from Katie, walks across the table, and eats the jerky. * Katie watches Kumaguro eat the jerky. "You didn't have that, I take it." No. I didn't. I said that yesterday. Sorry. Slippery memory. So. You're Arcana. And you have the potential to be powerful. But you aren't now. * Katie shakes her head. Right now, I am involved in a very ugly battle. I don't even know all of the people I could be up against. Your potential for power is not the issue. You understand? Having to take care of three more people puts me in much more risk than I would be otherwise. You think so. I don't, but we've been through this already. Tactically, it is unwise to take on more responsibility than you can handle. Agreed? Yes, but we can get back out of trouble. * Katie looks down at her (now uncovered) sketchbook and wipes cat hair off it. * Kumaguro looks at Katie almost indignantly before hopping into Kyon's lap. * Katie blinks at Kumaguro's expression and giggles despite herself. Hee. Agreed. Though I don't see why you didn't guess a different faction would approach us if you didn't take us in. * Kyon waves a hand. "The Band would likely have killed you. And I had no reason to believe Sho would have any idea who you were. I'm sure he would have later, if not then. Assuming we were still living, of course. And later, I could have done something about Sho's attempts. Now wasn't the best time. * Katie shrugs. "Maybe. I..." She frowns and switches to English. "" * Kyon glances at Taki. "She doesn't want me to get offended." Just telling the truth. If I *really* didn't want you to get offended, I would have held my tongue more than I did. * Katie grins. Heh. So, you arn't offended, Katie isn't offending, I don't suppose you know the reason why two male Arcana can't be in the same room without getting into a fight with words do you? * Katie bites her lip. * Kyon snorts. "It has to be the right two. Reiji and I get along fine." I bet. * Katie looks down at her drawing, then goes about carefully removing it from the sketchbook. If you say so, but then I've only seen the two of you together once, and we aren't the best of circumstances. Look. I keep my word. If you're on my side, I help you. Have I given you any reason to doubt that? * Kyon smirks. "No, you certainly aren't." She's only joking. * Taki nods. That isn't about her. It's about you. And your Knightly friend. Rather, it's not about what she said. I understand you're a little band. * Katie shrugs. "I have more reason to trust Taki and Shingo than you or anyone else outside of my family. I'm sure you understand." Trust them all you want. That's up to you. Trust me, because I'm bending over backwards to help. Because I said I would. You don't need to like my methods, but they've kept me alive, and I'm not changing them. * Katie sighs and rubs her hand against her forehead. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't *be* here." I've seen you stand up for us against Sho, I came here, I do have reason to trust you, and I do. * Kyon nods. "Fine. Then meet with Kyoko. Doesn't have to be now. But she can help, for all her idiocy." * Katie taps a finger against the table. "I can't say I'll like it, but I will. It has to happen sometime, anyway." * Taki nods. "For all we know Kyoko might be a nice friend to have, we just know she's a louwsy enemy." * Katie looks at her watch and sighs. "Okay. Thanks for inviting us over, Kyon. Is that everything?" * Kyon puts Kumaguro on the table and gets up. "Yeah, that's it. I don't feel like cooking, so I won't offer." * Katie grins. "That's fine." I need to get home before my parents panic, anyway. * Katie packs up her sketchbook and pencils, then stands and shoulders her satchel. She takes her drawing from the table and walks over to Kyon, handing it to him. "Here, this is yours." * Kyon nods. "Right. Go, then." He blinks at the picture. "Yeah?" And I'll need to get back before my Dad gets hungry enough to try and cook something for himself. She's good, isn't she? Yeah. * Katie grins. "Yeah. I figured you'd like it. Dun't know about Kumaguro, though." She looks affectionately at the cat, then goes to the door where she starts putting on her shoes. * Kumaguro runs to the door and yowls. * Katie blinks at Kumaguro. "" * Kyon shakes his head at the cat. "If you saw the picture, you wouldn't do that, you." * Katie giggles. * Taki sighs, "I'll have to befrend your cat next time, it seems." Maybe I'll be more flattering next time. It was just something I had to draw. * Kyon puts the picture down on the table, walks to the door, and scoops up the cat. "If he lets you, sure." * Taki goes for her shoes. * Katie rubs Kumaguro's head. "" she says conspirationally, just loudly enough for Kyon to hear. "" * Kyon sighs. "Don't give him ideas." ...If the cat understands English I may scream... * Katie grins at Kyon. "You wouldn't, would you?" She waves. "Take care." ( ) (Bwahaha!) (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!) * Katie opens the door and, Kumaguro willing, is out of there. * Kyon smirks lightly. "Yeah. Later. Watch your back." Always did, even before this. * Taki waves goodby to Kumaguro and Kyon. "Take care!" * Katie shuts the door behind Taki. Soon as she leaves. :P * Taki exits. [Session End!]