[Day: Sunday, April 10th. Time: 7:30 p.m.] [Weather: Warm, clear.] [Katie is like so totally home and stuff. I'm done in this channel now.] [Session Start!] * Katie is in her room. She's home and flopped on her bed and tired looking. No socks! * Katie stares at the ceiling for a while, then she reaches over for her phone on the dresser and pulls it to her face. She looks at the shiny buttons for a while before pressing the sequence for Haruko's cell. * Haruko is in her garage looking after Kyon's bike and her resent upgrades to it. She picks up slips off a work glove and answer the phone. * Katie has the phone to her ear! She looks at the ceiling. Pretty. * Haruko 's tone is slightly apprehensive. "Hey Katie. How'd things go?" We know where he is. * Haruko 's tone is even. "Do you know who is with him?" Not sure. At least one other person. I'd guess Shika. Maybe Natsuko. Shika has a little brother, I remember, so there's family. * Haruko lets out a breath. "So what's the plan?" * Haruko switches over to cleaning the bike as she can do that one handed while distracted. Tomorrow during school. The younger brother would be out? Yeah. We can do something about it if it comes to that. * Katie rolls onto her side. Field. And we can check before to make sure he's not home sick. ::she frowns and keeps watching:: Have a plan for Natsuko and or Shika? Don't know anything about either of their abilities, really. I'll listen in before. So no specific ideas. That's fair. But if we don't have a big picture plan than it may be more than just Tenjirou who... ::Haruko trails off:: I know. Have a better idea? Okay. Satoshi won't come. Is Kaede coming? I haven't asked. * Katie sighs. "I bet not." * Haruko is silent for a few seconds. There's still the sound of her cleaning the bike. * Katie idly plays with the end of her blanket. I can only really think through the keeping you, Taki, Shika, and Natsuko safe part. But with no Kaede or Satoshi we have to realize that we don't have any protection against his power. Are you going? * Haruko grimaces and stops washing for a few seconds. "If it's just him, or you two can get him while the other person is away, then no." I can't promise anything. Maybe Kaede will go, though. I can't tell with him anymore. * Haruko nods. "I'll go with you. I'll decide about going in based on what you hear." She resumes cleaning. Okay. But if I'm there, I'll be there to protect you two and to protect Shika and Natsuko. Nothing more. And if.. and when things go to hell my priority is to get you guys to safety. All right. I can't hold them off without my wall. I'll need to break the pipes right before we go in. Whatever you need to do, Haruko. What kind of place is it? Nice, five-room apartment, eleventh floor. Know the layout? I haven't been in one, but it shouldn't be too hard to guess. We should break into the apartment above or below it. The less we have to figure out after we go in the better. You can check it out as a puddle, maybe. I didn't know if you wanted to help any more, though. * Haruko frowns and washes. "I don't. But breaking in helps me protect people better. So I will." * Katie closes her eyes. "Okay." Alright. I'll hold them off. I won't expect any help from you two. Grab me on the way out if you can, but don't hesitate if you can't. I just hope it won't be a fight. I'm not in this for a fight. * Katie sighs. "I want something to go right, even if it isn't." * Haruko nods and sighs. "Even if it goes right, we pick up two dedicated enemies." We'd already have them. * Haruko shakes her head. "No. Look, it's your call if it's worth it, but it isn't the same. After this we're hunters. We strike at the wounded in their safe holds. We'll have violated the sanctity of Shika's apartment. That escalates things with them. It might be worth it, but it isn't the same." * Haruko repeats herself at the end. She's definitely sounding unsettled. (just to specify that the repetition isn't an OOC mistake) Really? I see them following those same rules. Tenjirou is a hunter. He'd do all the things I said in a second. But Natsuko is reactive. Obviously I don't know Shika. Just because people are in the same gang doesn't mean they have the same rules. * Katie shrugs. "I guess not." He's evil and I don't know a way to stop him. If that weren't the case I'd be opposing you. The fact that we're hunting him doesn't make us like him. But it does make us very dangerous and it does make us worse enemies. It may be worth that. But it isn't the same as if he was at Ryo or Chariot's house. Maybe not. But they're still hurting us just the same. * Haruko is quiet again for longer. About ten seconds this time. She's still cleaning. * Haruko keeps thinking for about a minute unless she's interrupted. * Katie lets her! The threat from Tenjirou is the same no matter who is letting him rest up. And since his death is what we seek, we'll be morally culpable no matter how we do it. ::Haruko pauses again to reform her thoughts:: I know. * Haruko snorts. "Of course you do. I wanted to start by making it clear that I knew too." * Haruko then thinks a little more. Okay. I used to think honor was about morality. It isn't. Killing someone after kicking their pillow is still killing them. Hell it sometimes means people are obligated to act immorally. But what it's about is... ::She thinks for a little more:: Yeah. It's about the rules you use to restrict yourself. Tenjirou is a coward but he doesn't have any rules. That and his power is why he's dangerous. This tells everyone that if we consider someone evil enough, enough of threat, we don't have any rules either. If they don't trust our moral judgment, that's a problem. They wouldn't anyway. No gang will ever trust another gang's moral judgment. What people do put *some* trust in the limitations the other side consistently places on itself. Tenjirou was always a huge potential danger; he became a real threat when he showed how many lines he's willing to cross. This will prove just how dangerous we are. Some won't care and some might even back off. But that's not how everyone will react. I knew that. I'll just have to take that chance. * Haruko stops washing the bike. "Okay." Her voice gets a bit weaker. "I just wanted to be sure you knew why this was different. And why some will hate and fear us that wouldn't otherwise." Yeah. Thank you. There's one other thing. It's pretty simple. It's just about me and my friends. * Haruko 's voice is still weak and is emotionally flat. Yeah? I don't want you to do anything for me, or for us, that I'm not willing to do myself. It doesn't matter for Tenjirou, but it might matter later. * Katie sighs. "We'll see." * Haruko 's voice loses the weakness and gains a certain intensity. "Do you respect my ability to make moral choices for myself?" Yeah. I'm not going to make you do anything. That isn't what I'm talking about. Do you respect my ability to choose for myself how far I'll go to defend my own life? Yes. Then understand that there are times I'd prefer the risk of death to having you intervene in a way I wouldn't act for myself. I don't seek to limit your selfdefense, but I do want you to limit what you'll do on my behalf. Then you'll have to go over that with me sometime. * Haruko nods. "Okay. I don't see it coming up. But you understand why I'm asking and why it's important to me, right?" I understand. It's okay. * Haruko sounds relieved. "Thank you." You're welcome. I guess that's all. ::Haruko starts drying off the bike:: * Katie sighs. "I don't like it, Haruko. But I have to." No. You chose to. For your safety, for the safety of others, and because he is guilty. But those are reasons I can respect, even if I disagree. * Katie opens her eyes for a moment, and she rolls to her other side. "Maybe I do. But I don't know anything else that's going to work. So, we'll disagree." And I choose to come with you even though I don't like it. Not because you've forced me to or manipulated me into doing it, but of my own free will. * Haruko finishes up drying up the bike. She gives it a last checkover before she starts putting away her tools. * Katie chuckles dryly, then says with vague amusement, "I'm not trying to force or manipulate you." * Haruko snerks. "You mean you aren't going to try to manipulate me this time. Good night Katie." * Katie pauses, then she just says, "Good night, Haruko." * Katie removes the phone from her ear and hangs up, then sets it on her dresser. * Haruko hangs up and then puts her tools away. [End!]