[Kaede is there! Wherever there may be!] * Kaede is sitting on his bike. He hasn't left the school yet. Although it's more like laying on his bike, his arms draped over the handle. His head's hanging down over the handlebars and he's just, well, staring at the front tire and down at the ground slumped. * Someone approaches! She's a kind of short girl with long black hair in a simple style. She wears glasses over her green-blue eyes. She's rather pretty, but looks especially bashful. She's wearing the Sakuragaoka uniform and carries her satchel with one hand and what's likely a wooden sword wrapped in a cloth over her shoulder. * Kaede doesn't quite look up at her. He's too busy being depressed. But he does let out a long sigh and mutter to himself. "...maybe this was a bad idea..." * Someone doesn't quite look up at Kaede either. She mostly looks at the ground, although frequently she glances up at him. She looks intimidated by his presence. Which says a lot about her, really. * Kaede sighs and sits up on his bike. "Maybe I should go back and apologize.." * Girl may or may not agree with Kaede. She doesn't offer her opinion. * Kaede looks over at the girl, finally, maybe, noticing her. Well probably since he's just looking at her without saying a word. [The group goes outside, and finds Kaede and a girl at the bikes, looking at each other and not saying much of anything. It must be true love.] * Kaede is just outside the gate of the school on his bike. It doesn't look like he moved very far. If you're approaching, he doesn't notice because he's currently staring at a strange girl while he's semi-slumped on his bike. * Kaede looks more confused than anything at the girl though. * Katie blinks. She stops, looks at Kaede, then the girl, then takes a few steps forward and stops again. * Satoshi walks along wtih Katie, eyeing Kaede and the girl. * Girl doesn't eye anyone, really. She just glances sometimes. She moves to make sure she's not in anyone's way as you head over.] * Kaede slumps back over the bike, staring straight ahead and slightly on the ground, arms crossed over the handlebar. "If you're not going to say hi, what do you want..?" (What's she wearing? School uniform, casual clothes?) * Taki comes to a stop when Katie does, and checks to make sure her drawing is still rolled up, "Hi? Good afternoon? We'll see you tomarrow if you want?" * Girl is kind of a short girl with long black hair in a simple style. She wears glasses over her green-blue eyes. She's rather pretty, but looks especially bashful. She's wearing the Sakuragaoka uniform and carries her satchel with one hand and what's likely a wooden sword wrapped in a cloth over her shoulder. * Girl hesitantly lifts a finger and points towards Kaede. "M... My... um, bike..." * Katie looks at the girl, and follows her pointing finger to the bike. *Is* it Kaede's bike? * Kaede sighs and gestures over to it lazily, not changing his gaze from the groundish position. "I'm not stopping you from getting it...I'm not THAT nasty..." * Satoshi looks around. What bike? * Taki looks at the bikes, what makes hers different than all other bikes? [It's the bike next to Kaede's.] (It's hers and the other ones aren't?) (note to self, stop making passover jokes when Jesse isn't around.) * Katie tilts her head, then walks over a little bit more. She speaks up: "Maybe you could just move yours away a little bit, Kaede." * Kaede looks up slowly at the voice. "Wha--?" He turns his face away from Katie's, a bit ashamed. "Oh..." * Satoshi gives Kaede a level glance, then looks curiously at the girl. * Kaede picks up his bike and lifts it to move it over. He still hasn't "fully" gotten off it though and still straddles it as he walks it. * Kaede also is distinctively avoiding looking at Katie as he does it. * Girl pointedly does not look at Satoshi. The ground is far more interesting. * Katie sighs at that and turns to the girl. "Okay, you can get to your bike now." * Girl approaches her own bike slooooowly. In case Kaede tries to pounce on her or something. * Taki manages to keep her voice level as she calls out, "goodbye Kaede." (He's not really leaving, I don't think.) * Kaede doesn't look ready to pounce. He's not leaving yet, just moves his bike to another rack and resumes slumping posture. (A girl can hope. :P) (Now you're sounding like Haruko) (Which is why she'd never say that aloud) (But I can hear you if I wanted to! ^_~) (You don't want to look in Taki's head right now ^^;) (I've never wanted to look in Taki's head! It's all squishy and purple!) * Katie lets her get her bike and walks over to Kaede. She puts a hand to his shoulder and gently pushes. (Kaede's head is cheese.) * Satoshi follows Katie. He does not push Kaede, for if he had, it probably wouldn't be terribly good for Kaede. * Kaede gets pushed and the bike wobbles to the side a bit, he glances at Katie for a minute then sighs, bringing up the arm attached to that shoulder to push away her hand. "Stop that." It doesn't have much force behind it though... * Taki just follows, and wonders where this will end up. You don't sound very mad. * Satoshi watches for the moment. * Kaede folds his arms across the handlebar and drops his head depressed again. "No. Should I be?" Yeah. I'm the sad one. It's my fault, right? * Girl gets her bike. She unlocks it and moves it away from the group, then sighs heavily. * Satoshi blinks. "Aww, crap. Why *now*?" * Kaede shakes his head. Guys, I hate to interrupt, but... * Katie looks up and at Satoshi. * Katie then glances around. ~Field.~ * Kaede glances lazily at Satoshi. His eyes don't seem entirely focused. Does he even know he's there? Maybe. Maybe not. * Taki looks like she was about to say something, and then facepalms. * Girl looks up, too, then looks at the rest of you, wide-eyed, then rides off! It's gone now. Probably her. Yeah. She probably wanted to get away as soon as possible, and expected us to be gone when she put it up. * Taki nods after a bit, "I wonder who she is." I wonder who she was? Have to ask Kyon later. He might know. Anyhow. Ryuji would. * Satoshi goes quiet again and looks at Kaede. So would Chikako. * Katie looks back at Kaede. She nudges him again. "Didn't answer my question." * Kaede is back to looking at the ground not much moving. He lets out a slight mm as he's nudged. "What question?" It's my fault, right? That you were angry, and now that you're sad. * Taki swallows and mutters, "no it isn't." but there's no force behind her words. * Kaede takes a deep breath. "No. You're just worried..." I just--I shouldn't have gotten mad. * Satoshi blinks in surprise, because he didn't expect Kaede to say that so readily. * Taki stares at Kaede. * Kaede looks up lazily at Katie, his eyes not quite focusing on her. "Is it--is it wrong for me to want to have a life outside of the cards though?" ( Yes! Badbadbad! ) ( The game's called "Arcana" for a reason, dude. ) * Katie blinks. "No. I want one, too." * Taki looks away from Kaede and Katie. And do you tell me everything that happens in your everyday life? I don't remember you talking about the dates you had with Taro or anything like that... * Satoshi says, quiety, "We all do, I think." You were on a date? * Kaede looks up at Katie incredulously. "What? No!" * Kaede may be just a little too emphatic about that. ( Haruko was, though! ) (And if people ever get Haruko and Kaede mixed up...) (Then they need help. ;p) * Satoshi laughs softly. He can't help it. * Kaede goes back to being slumped over the handle bars. "All I wanted was...the phone call didn't have anything to do with you. But...just being nearby, you can't help being involved...and that's not your fault. I know that but... But I wasn't nearby. I knew I'd hear, even if I went, and I wanted to, but I didn't want- * Katie sighs. "So Kyon said maybe Satoshi, and I thought it was a good idea... I mean, Satoshi cares more about letting people have space than almost anybody." * Taki rubs her eyes and takes a few steps back. * Kaede sighs and closes his eyes. "But you sent Satoshi. Because of the stupid STUPID cards...you felt you had to send Satoshi. You didn't trust me to come back on my own." * Katie frowns. "It's not-" That's not fair, Kaede. Don't try to mince it. You didn't trust me to come back on my own. Am I wrong? I- I- * Kaede sighs and opens his eyes, slumping more. "That's what I thought." Three nights ago we were attacked by a loonie, two days ago he showed up at the school and threw somebody off the roof. He's going to be back. You *know* what's happened, Kaede. You know why she's got a reason to be worried. I thought you more than anyone understood that. * Kaede isn't listening to Satoshi. At all. He's got his eyes closed and is lost in his own thoughts. And he's not the only reason. Just one of them. You, yourself once said...Why? * Taki sighs and leaves him alone. * Satoshi could probably find his way through those thoughts if he wanted, but he's not going to. Not now, anyway. ( Kaede .oO(La la la I'm not listening to Satoshi!) ) * Satoshi sighs. "I'll talk to you later, Kaede." The tone of his voice indicates that he fully intends to do it, too. * Taki grumbles to herself. * Katie hesitates, then grabs Kaede by the shoulders and practically shoves him up. "Look at me." * Kaede doesn't comply. Damnit, Kaede! Please. * Kaede looks up lazily at Katie, his eyelids half-drooped. "What?" * Kaede does have the same eyes he's always had though. Nice hazel behind the glasses. * Katie looks into his eyes for a moment, then says, half in wonder, "You don't care about anything I say. Probably don't even hear me." * Satoshi steps back and lets Katie do this. * Kaede says in a dreary tone. "I do too listen to you, Katie Andrews." (n=n+1) You hear me, but you're not listening. It's not the same. * Katie lets go. * Taki sticks with Satoshi. What'd you say? You haven't said anything. Well now's your chance. Tell me what a fool I'm being. What an idiot. Heck, you've called me an idiot already today. You're right. I'm a fool." ( Jin: "I'm not!" ) * Katie stares at Kaede for a moment, then slaps him across the face. * Satoshi winces. [It echoes!] ( well, not really. ) (I use my power to make it echo!) ( But it always does in anime, so it felt obligatory ) (She probably could, too.) * Kaede gets his cheek turned as he gets slapped and stares at Katie incredulously, putting his hand up to his cheek. But yes he's looking at her fully now. * Taki blinks and winces. * Katie glares as she lowers her hand. "What's wrong with you? You think you're the only one with problems? You think yours are so bad you can ignore everything else and shut down the world around you? Closing your eyes doesn't make it go away, Kaede. You know that. It doesn't fix anything." It--but I--I-- * Satoshi just kinda nods at the latter part. He's finally learned that. * Taki doesn't seem to respond at all. * Kaede looks ashamed. "I don't mean to shut it out. It's just....it's just easier that way, I--" He bites his lip. Didn't you tell me not to take everyone's problems on myself once? Where's it getting you? * Kaede looks at her incredulously again. "I'm not--" You are so. Nanami, and I bet you decided to try to help Akemi, and there's Remi, and there's *me*. Not to mention whatever happens at your shop, and then there's what happens here. But I need to! I have to! Can't you see that? I have to! Why? Because you care? Can't trust people to take care of themselves? I know all about that. I-- * Kaede bites his lip and says distantly. "That's not fair..." But it looks like he's thinking about it... * Taki tugs on Satoshi's sleave and then points at a spot that looks like it'd be comfortable to sit down at. * Satoshi nods to her and goes a short distance away. What he wants to say to Kaede can wait. * Katie folds her arms. "Can't trust them to be okay, right? You have to make sure. And you *can't* do it." (If you guys pull out popcorn and soda... ;P) (No, this is Taki, not Tim) * Kaede sighs and looks off to the side again. "I'm such a hypocrite..." At least you're thinking again. * Kaede looks back over at her. "Katie? I have a favor to ask." * Katie blinks, then tilts her head. "What?" Can you--can you walk *me* home this time? Just this once. * Katie blinks again, then glances back at Taki and Satoshi. * Taki is glaring at Kaede, but doesn't say anything. * Katie looks back. "I... guess I could? I mean, Taki and Satoshi were going to walk me home, and I don't want... but..." * Kaede looks over at Taki and blinks, as if noticing she's there for the first time. Satoshi too if he's near her. Oh I don't mean to... Nevermind. * Katie thinks, then turns, looking to the others. "Can you... I mean, Taki. Can you vanish over and come home with me after? I'll call." She pauses. * Kaede starts trudging his bike backwards out of the rack. I don't want to- * Taki stands up and the glare evaporates as she talks to Katie, "No, don't worry about us. If you want to go with Kaede, do it." * Kaede stops at that. * Katie nods and says, quietly, " You guys could do with more alone time, anyway." * Taki nods, "Thank you." * Taki grins, * Taki then looks frustrated as she can't find the word she's looking for. * Katie nods, brushing that over. "" She looks back to Kaede. "Okay." ( <...if Kaede horribly slays you!> No wait, that's not right...) ( ) * Kaede looks back over his shoulder. (What color?) (Murple!) * Katie sighs. She waves. "Off the stand. Off." * Taki sits down next to Satoshi again. [End!]