[You're on the roof! Katie still sizzles! Luckily, you spot Saki there. She's lying on the roof, hands folded behind her head and is staring at the clouds.] * Katie smells like burning flesh. That'll get her attention. * Taki tries to stand up, but can't quite make it So she settles for yelling. "SAKI! wake up, pleasewakeupneedhelp." [Saki sits up with a start. "Wha...?" She stares at Katie and Taki. "Jesus. What the hell?"] Tenjirouhadfriend... needthecup...where is it? [Saki blinks, not completely parsing all that. But she reaches in her jacket. "This thing?"] * Taki struggles and still can't stand so she continues to panic and babble. "Yes? Needwatershe'sDIEINGSAKI!" [Saki shoves the cup at Taki. "Here, take it. Careful, though. You know what it does to you."] * Taki struggles and manages to totter to her feet and a few shaky steps. "Wherewater?" "There's a drinking fountain downstairs." * Taki grabs The Cup, freezes for a moment and then wobble/runs twords the stairs as fast as she can. [Taki gets to the stairs!] * Katie lies there. And sizzles. [Saki uses her uber powahz to heal K... ok, she doesn't.] * Taki races down the stairs and out the first set of doors she comes across and keeps running until she trips or finds a water fountain. [Sure enough, it's there.] * Taki runs to it and pours water into The Cup. * Taki wobbles and waits untill The Cup is half full or so and then takes a gamble and teleports back to Katie, she doesn't have time to do anything else. * Taki reappears next to Katie, but can't even so much as try to pour the water onto her before she passes out and collapses. [Katie gradually wakes up to find Saki on the phone, and her shirt torn. There's two light scars on her body: one on the chest, one on her lower abdomen. Both resemble pentacles.] * Katie gasps, her eyes flying open. Her eyes dart around, then she lifts her head and looks down at her chest and stomach. She groans and sets her head back again. * Taki is also there, and passed out like an idiot, and holding The Cup in one hand. * Kaede marches up the steps, continuing to speak into the phone. "And Taki's with you?" * Katie lies there for a moment before shoving herself into a sitting position. "Saki," she says in a half-whisper. [Saki is pacing back and forth, but at that she says, "Yeah, hold on..." and kneels next to Katie. "Hey."] * Katie smiles weakly. She looks like Hell, to put it lightly. "School roof?" She coughs. "Tenjirou?" [She shrugs. "Dunno. I figured that's where you went, but Jesus."] * Katie spots the phone. "Ask." [She puts the phone to her ear. "Yeah. Katie's awake. How's Tenjirou?"] "Is she the one that's asking?" "Yeah." "Then probably better she not hear about it. How is she other than awake?" * Katie hears that, yes. Her face is blank. "He's not dead." Saki: "Too late for that. She seems... I don't know. Ok? There's these weird marks on her." [Saki glances at Katie briefly, and adds, "Uh... Not ok."] "What kind of marks?" "Like stars inside circles." "Pentacles?" * Katie stares into nothing for a long moment, then screams, slamming one hand against the ground. The scream peters out into a hoarse nothing, but she still keeps trying, degenerating into a series of rough coughs. Saki shrugs. "I guess." (Does he hear that? :P) ( Hearing check! ) (It's a scream. He probably would.) [He does.] * Kaede sighs. "She's listening in isn't she?" ["Yeah. She's right here."] "Look...she's lucky to be alive....those marks? He could start them again at any moment. He only chose to let her live for right now..." * Katie takes a breath, and another, and she looks rather like she's hyperventilating while *trying* to cough at the same time. It's not working too well. Tears squeeze out of her eyes, and her fingers try to curl themselves into the ground under her. "That's bad." "You think?" "Look, I'm heading up...I'll be there as soon as I can. Ryuji's here too....I'm not sure if he's coming up or not though.." "And?" "Make sure Katie doesn't do anything crazy." "Uh... Right." She lowers the phone and looks at Katie. "Don't do anything crazy." * Katie doesn't answer; she just cries. She curls in on herself. * Kaede concentrates on working his way up the stairs for now. No more talking unless Saki's feeling uncharacteristically talkative [Saki looks at Katie. "Hey."] * Katie cries and cries, and she tries to gasp out words, but there are no real vocal cords to speak of. * Taki is is unaware of what's going on around her, and will likely stay that way for quite some time. [Saki looks at a complete loss.] * Kaede comes out into the rain and pockets the phone. He eyes the scene carefully. * Katie keeps trying, and Saki can start to make out a few: "careless... not... gonna die 'nd..." She coughs. [Buildings.] (Which roof are we *on*?) (That of the school I'd assume) ( You're on the school roof. Kaede's not :P ) (...) (That's what I thought!) (And no one managed to, y'know, tell him that? :P) (Yup.) (Way to go, Haruko.) (Nobody up there but you and the rain) * Kaede grumbles and speaks into the phone. "Where are you?" "The school. You?" "Apparently the wrong place." * Katie stares down and away, tears streaming down her cheeks. She keeps whispering hoarsely. "Can't do this. Can't. I can't." [Saki still looks at a loss. "Hey, calm down."] * Kaede goes back and takes the elevator, sighing. "Tell Katie...I'll be there as soon as I can." "Right." * Kaede turns off the phone and takes the elevator back down. * Katie 's head snaps up. "Kill me. What if he'll kill me." She looks around wildly. * Taki is still there and still passed out. [Saki rubs her head. "I dunno... Don't let him?"] * Katie lets out a pathetic wheeze which is probably supposed to be a whimper, and she's back to sobbing again. [Saki sighs. "Look... You can't win every fight." She pauses and shakes her head. "I mean...." She pauses again and grumbles. "Rrgh. I don't know what I mean."] * Katie coughs. "Was my fault." "I've had some major screw ups in my life time too." My fault. I can't *do* this. But I have to. "Gotta be one or the other." * Katie nods. Seems she does hear Saki. "Have to. Oh God." And she's back to crying. "Yeah... But something's holding you back." * Katie sobs. She sees the pentagram on her chest and puts her hands to her face. [Saki runs a hand through her hair. "Look.... You want me to do it?"] What? "Kill him. You want me to? I'll do it. Shot me, remember?" * Katie shudders. "'f you wouldn't do it, you wouldn't... haven't so far." [Saki shrugs. "Didn't know where he was until recently."] "Can't say it's big on my priority list, either. He's not the first person who shot me. But I'll do it if you want." * Katie shakes her head, and she switches languages. "" [Saki seems confused by the sudden language switch. ""] ( In other words, Katie's asking to add Saki to her friend's list. ) Saki: "" (Ha.) "" "<.... Oh.>" * Katie runs out of tears, but she still tries to keep crying, setting her forehead against her knees. [She runs a hand through her hair again. "Can't say I blame you for seeking vengeance. Hell, I would've."] * Katie gasps. "" She trembles. "It happens." * Katie presses a hand to her chest. "" "" [End]