[Same day time and weather.] [Haruko and Kaede arrive at Tokugawa Academy. It's 7:30 p.m., though, so they may not find much.] * Kaede looks at the silent school, then to Haruko for a moment, sighing. "What was the point of coming all the way out here anyway...?" People live near their school. So, I guess I'll get to checking a phone book for her address. ::Haruko goes looking for a public phone:: [Haruko finds one!] * Kaede shakes his head. "Not always...there's always some shifting around...but generally..." He loses the frown for a moment and takes off his glasses rubbing them. "So what are we going to do about Katie...?" * Haruko starts looking through for Kourakuen familes in this area. "There's no easy answers. I guess keep her tied into the group. Try to stop it for now with Tenjirou." Tenjirou is not the problem and you know it. At least I hope you know it... * Kaede sighs. "Listen, if we're going to do any good for her...well, I know we haven't worked well together in the past but..." * Haruko looks to Kaede. "We're working with different value systems here. I'm willing to accept the validity of yours." [Haruko doesn't find any matching names.] * Haruko double checks and frowns. "Unlisted number maybe. Or she's living with people with a different surname." * Kaede looks at Haruko then takes out his phone. "Don't happen to have her number do you?" * Haruko shakes her head. "I'm afraid not." ( Gimme mind rolls. ) Call Sumire and get it? I'm a human tracking device, remember? * Haruko nods. "I could do that. You have any other ways to check? I'd rather not ask for a favor just yet." * Kaede shakes his head. "If she's unlisted? Not really." He pushes a button on the phone and adds dryly. "We could have went with Katie and asked Tenjirou for her number. I'm sure that would have went over real well." * Kaede then looks at the school. "And knowing the school's reputation, she could really be anywhere." * Haruko flinches slightly at that but nods. "Okay, I'll try Sumire. Oh, but I could use a second reason for the call. Could you please pull up a concert schedule for Shattered Heaven. They've got a webpage." Shattered Heaven? * Kaede raises an eyebrow, but shrugs and takes out his laptop. * Haruko gives a sad smile. "Heavy metal is a common interest." She gets out her phone and gets ready to call Sumire. You think getting a phone number is the same as "calling in a favor"? You sure pick chinsy friends. * Kaede connects to Shattered Heavens. * Haruko frowns. "We haven't done much together yet. All I've done is ask for a meeting and then back out and send allies instead. I'm not on solid ground here." [Kaede gets a connection! Four Japanese guys that look like WWF wrestlers with stringy blond spaghetti hair and shouting obscenities fill his laptop screen.] We've got contact with Zein. I think she's more open than you think. However, THAT I think would be a bit much to pull in a favor for. * Haruko shrugs. "They rock. Anyways, I need the next few concerts that aren't sold out. THIS is something that's your interests? * Kaede shakes his head and checks out tickets. I'm buying the tickets, we both like the music. It's a start towards building closer ties. I really wish you'd stop saying that. Why? She's a person, not a shoelace, Haruko. [A 2-frame .GIF of one of the stringy guys playing an electric guitar pops up.] [Kaede also gets a listing of upcoming concerts. Most of them are sold out, but there's one in a few weeks that still has a few seats left.] These guys are way too flashy. This site is tasteless beyond reason... Anyhow...would you like me to order them? I think I can order them online. * Haruko nods. "I haven't forgotten that. I take these relationships very seriously. But I'm not a fighter, for me to be able to protect the people I care about I need to build networks." She glances down. "Hmm... let me call first in case she's not available then." She glances at the date and then calls up Sumire. [The phone is answered, and loud music blares out. Loud enough so Kaede can hear it easily.] * Kaede half-sighs but focuses on his computer. Good computer. * Haruko speaks loudly into the phone. "Hey! Sumire! It's Haruko! I can't hear you, could you turn the music down please?" * Haruko sighs and speaks quite loudly again. "Still not hearing anything. I know, text me at MechanicMiko. We can work out the concert details that way and you won't have to turn off your music." * Haruko repeats and spells out her sig, quite loudly, before hanging up. * Haruko rubs at her forehead. "Hirokazu's next assignment is going to be to rig something for my phone so that I can filter out high decibel sound while still getting speech." Why Hirokazu? * Haruko looks sheepish. "I'm running out of kinda of zen mechanic assignments." She looks at her phone for any message back. "Dang." She didn't hear? * Haruko shakes her head. "Maybe not. I'll try sending a message to her number. Might work." Haruko then sends. "Hey, it's Haruko. I couldn't hear you when I called earlier." She follows up checking if the date Kaede found would be good for the concert. [Haruko's phone rings halfway through the message.] * Haruko picks up the phone turns down the volume slightly, and then answers. You know, if this doesn't work, try calling her ag--I wonder if that's her. * Kaede nods to Haruko then stands up, walking over to half-listen to the phone. If it's the heavy metal, he could hear it. * Haruko holds it so Kaede has a slightly better chance of hearing. * Haruko smiles. "Not a problem. First did you want to see Shattered Heaven? I can get tickets for the..." She glances at the computer and then rattles off the date. * Haruko fishes through her bag with her free hand. * Kaede sighs and walks off a bit, not wanting to intrude. "Darn. I wanted to try something." Great! ::Haruko fishes out her wallet and holds it out to Kaede while holding out two fingers:: Alright. The other thing is that I was considering talking to Natsuko and Senshirou to see if we could get on better terms with them. If you think that's a good idea, I could use their numbers. Oh? What did they say? * Haruko sighs. "Damn. I was hoping Natsuko... Oh well. Guess I can just hope Senshirou doesn't get mixed up with the drugs or the black cards." * Kaede looks over oddly at Haruko at the last comment. * Haruko nods. "Can't blame you. Well I guess I could still use their numbers if you've got them. But seems like it's not my lucky day. Anyways, I'll call you later to remind you about the concert." * Haruko nods. "Later." She then hangs up. What was that? No numbers. Natsuko apparently is still actively backing Tenjirou. Senshirou apparently had "other things he had to take care of." Sumire wasn't ever all that close to either of them. And could you buy me two tickets? I've got a joint card with my parents. ::She fishes it out of her wallet and hands it to Kaede. Some group, isn't it? * Kaede sighs and shakes his head. "I guess we didn't come together under any better circumstances." He goes about ordering tickets. Most of them seem about average for Arcana. * Haruko smiles slightly. "We were a bit more selective." By chance more than by act. Honestly, I don't think you'd have sought me out given the chance. I'd have tried to make sure you'd know enough to look after yourself and have somewhere to turn. But no, we wouldn't be allies like we are if it weren't for chance. [Kaede gets a confirmation screen: "Order tickets? "] So don't give me that "we were more selective" bs. We were lucky. Throughout most of this, we've been lucky. ...you're SURE you want to see this? * Haruko looks at Kaede. "We have been lucky, but I wouldn't have a rapist as my close ally. I'd have gotten him kicked out or left. And yes." * Kaede shrugs and clicks confirmation. He's probably not thinking "fuck yeah" though. ( You have to order them now. Otherwise you're a loser. XD ) (And this affects Kaede how exactly? :P) [Please wait while your order is being placed....] [AWESOME!!! You're order has been received.] * Kaede hands back the card. "There you go. Hope you wear protection." Ear plugs might not be a bad idea. We'll see. So, keep trying for Natsuko or go for Zein or the Jackals? You want to talk to Zein alone? Mmm...say... We're here at the school. Wouldn't the emergency records need contact phone numbers and such? * Haruko purses her lips. "No. But on the other hand until Tenjirou's dead the group will be focused on hunting him. If we're to get this under control, we're going to need to know more before Katie starts her next hunt." * Haruko nods. "Good point. Can you handle security cameras?" I've never tried, and never tried to sneak into a locked building before so...probably? * Haruko pulls out her hair picks and then digs through her bag for the extend set. She also puts away her card and wallet. I can scout in watery form first just to be safe. I'd like to talk to Zein though...personally. * Kaede nods and takes his laptop under his arm, just in case. * Haruko nods. "Well, raid the school now? Then maybe start on Zein?" * Haruko finds her picks. She then digs out her Miko outfit. Depends. So we find Natsuko. Then we talk to her to find Tenjirou. Then what? * Haruko slips the Miko outfit over her clothes. "I'm not sure how much help Natsuko will be, given what Sumire says, but we can try. As for the information on Tenjirou, if it's his location and not how to protect against kidnapping, then I'm still out." ( It's a school, not a high-tech corporation bent on domination through artificial supernatural armies and clones >.> ) * Kaede sighs. "And the chances of Natsuko listening..." He shrugs. "What do I care? I'm just the walking battery and search engine, right?" ( Doesn't mean there might not be a security camera or too. ) * Haruko shakes her head. "You're reactive, but you're much more than a tool. And I think we're both trying to save Katie from going too far." * Haruko walks to a somewhat secluded spot as she talks. * Kaede rubs the bridge of his nose. "What's with me, lately? I used to have this all shut out..." * Haruko transforms into liquid form and then changes back. She then folds up her school uniform and puts it in her bag. "Friendship maybe. Katie and Akemi. They're both very clever at what they do." Akemi'd deny it. And Katie... * Kaede sighs and looks away. "I don't know what to think about her anymore." * Haruko chuckles at the first thing. "Doesn't matter what she says, it matters what she does." She nods at what he says about Katie. "Well then, what do you feel, now that you're more open?" * Haruko walks around the school, trying to find an unobtrusive place to enter. Like she's going down a road where I feel I'll eventually have to do the worst... * Haruko stops suddenly. "Your worst?" * Kaede shrugs. * Haruko bites her lip and keeps walking. "She wouldn't come after you. She may well stop being recognizable as the person we knew, that doesn't mean she'll go after us or people we care about." [The best place is probably the front door, if you can get past the lock.] * Haruko walks up to the front door and glances around to make sure there aren't any cameras or the like. Cautious thief... err.. borrower that she is. I'm not saying she would. That's not the point. But didn't you say you'd only use violence in response? Otherwise it would be murder? ::She gets to work on the lock, assuming no observers or cameras were seen:: ( Electronics (securities) and lockpick roll ) * Kaede smiles, though there's no mirth in it. "It would be a response." Because she was your friend? No. Why then? * Kaede looks at the school. "Because she'd be turning into Her." [Haruko gets the door unlocked.] * Haruko frowns as the doors fail to open. "She tortured for fun and she toyed the innocent out of caprice and cruelty. Katie is becoming someone with few inhibitions about ensuring her own survival, far too few for my taste. That isn't the same." The door clicks as she says that. * Kaede shakes his head. "If someone does it for fun and someone else does it for necessity, is there really much of a difference if they're both premeditated?" * Haruko slips the door open slightly, then goes watery. "Werren't you arrrguing earrrlier that intent makes the differrences between killing and murrderr? It also makes the differrrence between a murrderr hurrting herr own soul and a monsterr." She then slips in the school, staying by the door for now. She glances around for any security systems. And are you saying that if a soul is damaged enough, it won't turn to shutting it off completely? Katie's not going to become a killing machine on my watch. * Haruko returns to human form and opens the door. She then goes hunting for the office. [The office isn't far from the entrance.] To end this, we've got to go towards the source, not keep dealing with peripheral insects. * Kaede walks after Haruko. [You arrive at the office! It's hard to see where you're going with all the lights off, though.] * Haruko grabs her bag from outside and closes the door after them before she walks off. "I don't intend to let it happen either. But you underestimate humanity, or perhaps overestimate it. ::she cringes at the insects reference:: That's what I thought for a while too." She sighs. "If it comes to that and I still disagree, I will do my best to stop you. But Kami willing it won't come to that." * Haruko glances around for a desk lamp to turn on. One that wouldn't be seen from the windows. She then slips on her gloves and turns it on. [The light clicks on] * Kaede eyes Haruko. "You'll stop me even if she's no longer recognizable as Katie Andrews anymore?" (Good question, Kaede. Who *is* Katie Andrews? ;P) (Not you! *thwak*) (Ow.) * Haruko walks over to the physical files and starts glances through them. "If I don't think she's a monster, even if she's not our Katie anymore, then yes." She chuckles bitterly. "And I'll probably be trying to stop her at the same time." * Kaede shakes his head. "You're a fool, Haruko-san." [Haruko finds a file for Natsuko.] * Kaede sighs and folds his arms. "I should have just left you all at day one. That's what my main gut feeling was." * Haruko copies down the information and then quickly tries to do the same for Senshirou and Tenjirou. That is if there's anything in Tenjirou's file we don't already have. (You couldn't. Katie dragged you everywhere. ;P) (You're the peanut gallery. For once, Katie's not close enough to hear. ;P) (That's what YOU THINK.) You may well be right on both counts. But I hope not. (Unless the hospital's INSIDE the school, uh, no.) (She'd have cringed from the heavy metal) [Haruko gets Senshiro's information, but there's nothing new in Tenjirou's file.] * Kaede rolls his eyes and waits for her to be done. * Haruko puts all the files back and starts walking out. And if she does not harm the innocent, who are we to judge? I will no longer be her ally and if it comes to that will no longer be her friend, but I don't claim to possess the wisdom to judge her soul. * Kaede sighs. "It's not that simple. I mean, if you're putting it that way, then aren't we judging Tenjirou's soul as well?" He looks straight ahead. "And besides, I don't give a fuck what happens to Tenjirou." What I worry about is who's doing it and how it's done. Tenjirou harms, kidnaps, and sells the innocent and from what he's said to me I think he'd rape without his powers. And without his powers, the police could deal with him. * Haruko nods. "But he has powers. Look, if Katie goes too far, your murder objection still applies." She looks at him. "I don't claim to understand you, but I think there's depth to your feeling you aren't yet ready to express." She walks out the door. "I'll listen if you want to talk, but for now I fear all I can do is help you keep it from happening." * Kaede nods. "And that's all I ask for right now..." He sighs slightly and closes his eyes, dropping his head slightly. "At least there's someone on my side..." [Session End!]