[Day: Friday, April 22nd. Time: 5:00 p.m.] [Weather: A bit chilly, but not raining like in Tokyo.] [You stand not far from the HQ of the drug dealers: A dull, rundown building with a cracked window. A sign above it reads "Yamada Studio", and it's very dark inside.] ['Cept Kaede. He got stuck on a trip to the next train station. Oh well.] [Anyhow, session start!] * Haruko looks over the building to see if there's any cars/motorcycles parked outside. [Not on that block.] (And this is right after Kyon checked in with our friendly astral projector?) * Satoshi glances around to keep an eye out for Kaede or less welcome company. ( Yep ) * Taki fidgets with her shortened hair, especially the back. Bah, there goes my idea. So what's the plan Kyon? * Katie eyes the building and tries to catch someone in the windows, if there's anyone, then glances at Kyon at Haruko's question. This'll be good. * Kyon rocks back on his heels. "No one on the ground floor. We go in quietly, establish a guard by the stairs down." Ideas who? * Kaede walks up just about now. He's dusting off his coat and not looking happy. But when does he ever? Hi Kaede. I can guard using a wall. But if attacks me from behind I can't defend myself. * Katie does a quick eye check. * Kaede seems to have the normal eye color, sure. But they may be contacts. Under glasses. Yeah. * Taki drops her hands and looks at Kaede, and then waves. Hey Kaede. * Haruko nods at Kaede's arrival. They really need to extend the doors on the transit system. They do. * Taki nods slightly. * Kaede sticks his hands in his pockets. "So what did I miss?" There's someone we don't know on the roof, Eriko and some guy on the second floor, nobody on the ground floor, and the scythe guy, someone who might be Chariot, and Saki in the basement. Saki and Eriko are both tied up or out right now. * Kyon looks at him sidewise, and smirks, then holds his tongue and just nods curtly to him. He then gestures abruptly at Taki and Satoshi. "You take rear guard. Want to leave the knight with protection. You come down if we call you. Contact us if someone's coming or if you need us." * Kaede frowns. "Split up? Chances that if we go after one, there'll be time to alert the other?" I don't know. We didn't get anything about ways to talk to each other. * Kyon shakes his head quickly. "Got to assume that wherever we go first, everyone in there will know right away." * Taki glances up at Satoshi's face and then quickly down. * Kaede nods. "It's something to keep in mind though. It might be irrelevant anyhow with the one on the roof, depending on how good their senses are." He glances at Katie for a moment. * Satoshi gives does his best not to glance sheepishly at Taki. He nods. "I'll start up a telepathic conversation with Haruko now, so I can alert her later." But if you need me out here, I'll stay out here. * Kyon catches the glance, and rolls his eyes. "Set the angst aside. Need you to be battle ready." He nods at Satoshi. "Right." * Kaede stares at Kyon. "Angst? Since when is caution angst?" * Kyon shakes his head irritatedly. "Not you. Them." You two can work together still, right? * Haruko thinks about the plan for a moment. "There's a risk in going for Saki first. She may not be on our side." * Kaede flicks something out of his coat. "Need to be clearer then." * Taki looks at Kyon, up at Satoshi, and then back at Kyon. "I... yes." * Satoshi, with some effort makes eye contact with Taki and then Kyon. "Yes." * Kaede then eyes Taki and Satoshi strangely but doesn't say anything. * Kyon nods tersely. "Might not, but the sidekick will be entirely useless. If fields go up, she'll be left out anyway. Should be safe." * Haruko gives a worried glance up to the second floor but nods. "Yeah, you're right." It is something we may have to deal with. Better sooner than later. * Kyon nods again, then turns halfway to look at Kaede. "You take out the lights. I can light us down there. Should buy us some confusion." * Katie rubs at her eyes and murmurs, "" * Haruko makes a mental note not to stand right next to Kyon. So if Saki decides to fight us, do we try to knock her out or do we retreat? * Kaede nods. "Right. You spotted the power supply?" * Kyon scowls, looking back at the door. "If the others are out of the picture, we can try to take her down. We don't have the firepower to take her and the other two at the same time, though. If they're in play still, we leave." (Brett? Did we spot the power supply? ^^; ) * Satoshi nods. He unzips his duffle bag and puts a hand in it but doesn't take out his hockey stick just yet. ( Ummm... ) * Kaede turns to Kyon. "So this is going to need to be a blitz assault, then? That won't be easy." ( What kind of power supply are you looking for? ) I don't think easy is an option. (Power lines leading into the building?) Me neither. But it never hurts to hope for it just *once*. (Or a generator.) ( There's powerlines! ) * Kyon rocks forward and back on his heels again. "Too many variables to be easy. We just want the people out." Yeah. Okay, so... what are we doing exactly? And... there, Kaede. * Katie points out powerlines! Because it's her job to point stuff out. Then... shouldn't... I mean... Shouldn't I be the one who... who's going where the people are? * Kyon shakes his head tersely. "Can call you down when we're in a position to get her if we can't get her out ourselves. If you go in and get knocked out, we lose our escape option, too." * Kaede nods and sighs. "Alright." Plus you might end up putting up a field again. * Taki looks down and laces her fingers. "...Oh." And Haruko can tell me when you want me to come down. * Haruko nods. "Right." Then who goes down? Me, Kyon, Haruko? Satoshi, Taki, and Kaede watch the floor and outside? The rear guard takes the back, alerts us if others are coming, stays in contact. We take out the electricity, then charge down. We aim to incapacitate enough to pull out the biker girl, then the sidekick if we can." He nods to Katie, then regards Kaede sidewise. "You're first backup. Be ready to come down after you take out the electricity." * Kyon turns to Satoshi. "Read Katie. Need to be absolutely sure she's the right one." * Kaede nods. "Got it." * Satoshi looks confused for a moment. He then looks over to Katie. "That alright by you?" * Katie blinks. "It's... fine. Does it matter?" * Taki looks up to gives both Satoshi and Katie worried and confused looks. * Kyon jams his hands in his pockets. "Not giving you the Sword if I don't know." * Satoshi looks intently at Katie. "You aren't doing some sort of zen meditation thing, right?" * Katie snerks. "I wish I knew how." Why? I'm getting nothing. I not like normal person nothing, but I just can't read you. * Satoshi thinks to Katie. ~Can you hear me?~ * Katie tilts her head, then sighs. "Okay, meditation." She closes her eyes. * Katie thinks back, ~Yeah. Have to convince myself this is okay. Second.~ * Satoshi nods. ~Say when.~ Now. * Haruko snickers. "Wow, this is even less informative than when you people speak in English." * Satoshi hesitates for a moment as if Katie still presents a bit of a challenge. Then he scrunches his forehead slightly and does his best to gently probe. * Satoshi thinks ~Sorry about this.~ to Katie as he goes. (For the record, I'm not planning to run the Haruko/Satoshi conversations unless there's demand.) (The mental alert ones that is.) * Kyon looks between the two of them and waits. (Um... we'll probably be fine with that.) (I think that for the sake of what remains of Taki's sanity, I'll pass on the Haruko helping Satoshi on the rebound logs. ;p) * Satoshi flinches for a moment and breaks off content. "It's her." * Katie relaxes visibly and opens her eyes. (content->contact) (Content too!) * Katie also edges away from Satoshi. Juuuust a little. So we're ready to do this thing? ( Katie also relaxes and visibly opens her eyes! ) * Satoshi seems to approve of the Katie edging away plan. Should I get a rain going now? I can try grabbing water from the pipes inside, but that's a gamble. On the other hand, my motos operendi is pretty well known. * Taki looked relieved for a moment when Satoshi confirmed Katie's identity, but worried again at their immediate reactions. (Much with the visibility! Handy thing, vision.) * Kyon blows out a breath. "Right." He leans down and unzips his bag, taking out the sword and the Sword. "Want this back when we're done." He offers it to Katie, and then looks at Haruko. "What does it buy us?" More confusion if I can create enough current to cause sparks and overload it. I've never tried that before though so it might be better just to drain it. * Katie takes the Sword and doesn't unsheathe it, instead strapping it on. "Okay." Wall if pipes aren't accessible. Might also hamper scouting by the guy on the roof. (Let's me do my wall if pipes...) * Satoshi lets out a slow breath when Katie takes the sword. He doesn't comment though. ( Looks like any old sword. ) ( I mean ) [Looks like any old sword.] * Kyon muses for a few seconds. "How long would it take you to set up water once we're in? You can get it inside?" * Satoshi glances over to Haruko who nods back to him. This presumably means they have their mental link going again. * Haruko hmms for a moment. "It might take a bit of work to break the pipes (a check). Once I do, about six seconds. Although it'll make some noise while I'm working at it." * Kyon considers this briefly, then shakes his head. "Then do it once we're in. Need the element of surprise; don't want to chance giving it away. Our first attack should buy you time to get at the water." * Taki watches Katie and Kyon and goes back to fidgeting. * Katie nods. Okay, are we ready? Okay. Last question, should Taki keep the cup or should I take it? * Satoshi goes ahead and takes out the stick Haruko made for him. He then zips the bag and hoists it over his shoulder. * Kyon looks towards the door. "She keeps it. Shouldn't need it on our end; if we do, she's coming down anyway." He fastens the sword to his waist, then zips up his bag. * Katie shifts her weight and glances around. "Okay, now?" * Haruko nods. She preps her robe and gets out her tire iron. "Ready." * Taki nods and doesn't say anything, or look at Satoshi. * Kyon scans the group, and nods curtly. "Right. Let's do it." He checks around the area, and gestures for Kaede to head towards the power supply. * Haruko tags along. [To be continued!]