[Day: Tuesday, February 4th. Time: 2:50 p.m.] [Weather: Sunny and snowy and cold. The worst combination of them all.] [Yesterday, they figured it out! ... So now what? [They all just happen to be passing the same locker at the same time. Let's find out.] [Session Start] * Katie walks along, eyes puffy and downcast. * Haruko is actually being marginally attentive, and avoids bumping into Katie, but not gracefully. * Haruko tries to get Katies attention. "Hey Katie, how are you feeling?" * Katie glances up at Haruko, then stops right where she is, turns, and starts getting books from her locker. Not good. * Haruko frowns. "I figured as much." * Kyon stalks over and stands with his back to the locker next to Katie, dropping his bag at his feet. He looks over the other two, and shakes his head tersely. "Letting it get to you this much?" I found out that almost all my friends are illusions. I found out that another friend causes this whole thing. I don't even know what's real anymore! Of course it's getting to me! * Katie kicks at her locker impotently, then goes back to shuffling books. * Kyon looks down at her coolly, and nods slowly. "Right. This one, I can see. It's about as bad as I've seen, from a magic standpoint." * Katie sniffs, then shakes her head. "I've been... I don't know anymore." Maybe we can do something about it.... * Kyon nods tersely, and shrugs. "This sort of thing really screws with your head. Best thing to do is figure out what to do next." * Katie grits her teeth. "I don't know." I mean, magic aside, Meimi has a rather human ailment, she seems far more insane than evil. I think those parts of her personality that were your friends meant it. * Haruko sighs, "Though that isn't really very comforting." * Katie says, more quietly, "I don't know." She looks like she's about to burst into tears. * Kyon looks at Haruko calmly, and nods quickly again. "Right. Because whatever she meant, she was screwing with us." It's not comforting at all. Some Page of Swords I am. I can't even see when my friends aren't real. * Katie sighs and finishes. She shuts her locker door and leans against it. * Kyon hesitates, and picks up his bag. "Come back over to the apartment. We need to work things out." [Chikako bounds up to the group! "Katie, look! Today's paper! It's so cool!"] * Haruko ponders, "Should we try this tower reversed..." and cuts herself off as Chikako arrives. * Chikako waves the paper excitedly, grinning. * Katie blinks and looks up. "Chikako?" She takes the paper from her. * Katie starts skimming through it, doing so with much less efficiency than usual. * Chikako nodnods. "Yeah! There's cool news on the cover! It's so cool!" * Kyon nods at Chikako, and smirks softly. "Hey, Chikako. Can I get one, too?" * Chikako nodnods and hands one to Kyon. And Haruko too. Why not? [Right on the front page, the paper has an article about last week's murder of Miki Tanaka.] * Haruko thanks Chikako, then quietly comments that Katie might want a hug from a friend. * Kyon takes the paper, looks at the front page article, and reads through it intently. * Katie reads that article. [The paper goes on to say that the police have identified the killer, but have yet to announce the name. While they have not yet apprehended him/her Sakuragaoka students can rest easy knowing their school was not responsible.] * Haruko skims the paper a bit more intently than yesterday. * Chikako grins. "Our school's innocent. Isn't that cool?" * Katie smiles just a little. "Yeah, really cool." * Haruko shrugs, but keeps quiet. * Kyon reads through it again, and mutters something in Chinese. "Yeah. Definitely." Then he moves on to read the rest of the paper. They won't let me print the name of the suspect yet, though. That's not cool. [The paper's other highlights are sports, and the upcoming festival. Nothing new. Curiously, however, Meimi's columns are still being submitted.] Who is? * Katie blinks at the column. * Katie blinks again. "" * Haruko starts upon seeing Meimi's column, and reads it for the second time in her life. [The column has basic horoscopes. Nothing special.] * Katie frowns a little. * Kyon looks over Meimi's column, reads it quickly, shrugs, and looks up at Chikako. "So who's the suspect?" [22:41] * Chikako looks around to make sure nobody's watching, then motions for everyone to lean in close. (Aries: You will be tormented by an insane magician, possible talk of marriage.) * Katie does so. * Kyon leans in towards Chikako, a cool look on his face. ( Better than Mars. "You are a psychic creation with no real parents." ) * Haruko takes a second to realize what's going on, and then leans in. I overheard the police. Isn't that cool? They say it's Eiko Amano from Seiryuu High. Seiryuu? Hum. * Kyon nods quietly, and a thoughtful look crosses his face. "You hear why?" * Chikako blinks at Kyon twice. "Why what?" * Kyon tilts his head. "Why did she kill the girl? And why here?" * Chikako shakes her head. "No, but I can make a guess. Cool, huh?" They were both really cool actresses before it happened. * Kyon nods tersely. "So they were competing?" * Chikako nods. * Katie leans against her locker again, not really seeming to pay much attention. * Haruko looks surprised at so mundane an explaination, and also leans back. * Kyon nods again, more thoughtfully. "Right. And any idea why she did it here?" They haven't caught her yet, though. But there's only so many cool hiding spots in Tokyo, huh? To pin the blame on our school? Something uncool like that, I'd guess. * Kyon straightens and rolls his shoulders. "Yeah. They might do something like that. Should've known it wouldn't stick." * Chikako nods. "Still... They were supposedly old friends. It's pretty uncool that she was planning this for so long." Maybe she didn't really do it? * Chikako looks to Katie and blinks. "Well... I don't know the details. Maybe she didn't. That'd be so cool!" It's like a really cool mystery! I'm gonna go do some really cool research. Bye! * Chikako dashes off. * Kyon looks over at Katie, and shrugs. "Maybe she did. It can be hard to tell who your friends are." He blinks, and shrugs at Chikako's back. Tell me about it. ( Katie's doubting Chikako's sincerity! ;_; ) * Haruko frowns at Kyon's comment. "Perhaps we should get moving. Do you think your apartment is safe?" (All... blurry. @_@) * Kyon looks at Haruko strangely, and looks back at Katie. "Yeah. Like I said earlier. You should come over. There's decisions to be made." * Katie sighs. "Okay, fine." She picks up her satchel and shoulders it. That Tower Reversed place may be safer if Meimi begins actively using her powers again. But sure. * Haruko follows. * Kyon picks up his bag, shoulders it, and stalks off down the hallway towards the exit and for his bike. * Katie walks after Kyon. * Haruko sticks with Katie. [Cut to the lobby of Kyon's apartment. Time: 3:30 p.m.] * Katie hugs her arms and looks around. [Katie sees a really handsome apartment building.] * Kyon looks across to the stairs, and nods to Katie. "See you up there." He walks over to the elevator and hits the button. [The elevator comes down. Unusually, Sho does not seem to be inside waiting.] * Katie goes to the stairs and heads on up. * Haruko looks confused at this, but sticks with Katie. * Kyon steps into the elevator and hits the button for his floor. [Katie and Haruko get to the third floor well after Kyon.] * Katie heads on over for Kyon's room. * Haruko follows tripping as she exits the staircase. * Kyon opens the door after a minute, already in his slippers. He gestures curtly for them to come inside. * Katie walks in and puts on the slippers. * Haruko does the same. [Katie and Haruko steal Kyon's slippers. Oh, the humanity!] * Haruko proceeds to look around for anything cool. * Katie then wanders over to the table and has a seat. She puts her head in her hands. * Kyon closes the door behind them, and gestures towards the table. * Haruko reluctantly is torn away from her search for toys and sits at the table. * Kumaguro wanders out from the bedroom, and saunters over to Katie, rubbing at her legs. * Katie blinks, then looks down. "" She reaches down to scritch the kitty. * Kyon comes over and sits on the edge of the table, looking down at the cat. "Don't get ideas." He surveys the other two, and scowls. * Haruko lets Katie play with the kitty for a bit then starts "So what are we gonna do about Meimi?" * Kumaguro cranes his neck to better match Katie's hand, kneading against her shoes. What can we do? Well... I have one somewhat unorthodox idea. Obviously she needs psychological help, but somehow I doubt the hospital will give drugs or therapy to someone in a coma. * Katie nods. * Katie keeps scritching the kitty. But... I know there are a few faith healer types around Tokyo, I hear about them occassionally when I work at my temple. Most of them are probably frauds, but if any are real, this is what they're supposed to handle. Insanity isn't caused by evil Kami, but that doesn't mean that someone trained to heal, and work with the supernatural isn't appropriate. * Katie tilts her head. "Maybe..." * Kyon leans forward, and shakes his head tersely as he lays a hand down on the table. "As..." he pauses, and says sardonically, "nice... as it would be to wait and see if someone could cure her for you, there's a better way." * Haruko tilts her head. "Is there a way to dampen her powers?" * Kyon nods sharply. "Definitely. Kill her. That'll stop her." * Katie draws in a sharp breath. "No." * Kyon looks coolly down at Katie. "All she's done is screw with us. As long as she's around, we have no way to know what's real." * Haruko looks shocked. "She's insane, not evil! Not trying to heal her first is...." No killing her. * Haruko sits looking shocked for a bit. * Kyon raises an eyebrow. "You know what she did? She spent all the time since you found out who you were lying to you. Fucking with your head. You want to let her get away with it?" Her personality is probably torn to pieces, I doubt 'Taki' or 'Shingo' or even 'Miemi' herself knew they were lying. She has to be stopped, but killing isn't the way. * Katie frowns. "I won't let you kill her, Kyon." * Haruko tries to change the subject. "So should we try my method, or are there any other ideas?" [emphasis on other] * Kyon shrugs. "There are ways to keep her from other people. But not from us. Other than mine. Not knowing what's real when it hits you is a very dangerous handicap." Handicap That's all you think of her, as a *handicap*? * Kumaguro hops up onto Katie's lap, and butts his head against her chin. He meows plaintively. * Haruko continues to look vaguely horrified, but ponders. * Katie rubs Kumaguro absentmindedly, all the while glaring at Kyon. * Kyon frowns down at Kumaguro, and looks back up to meet Katie's eyes. "I look at her as someone who I thought was on our side, but turns out to have been working against everything we want all along. And plans on continuing doing so. She's an enemy." She's confused, is what she is! I'm not going to kill her just because she doesn't know what she's doing! If we can keep her from effecting other people, wouldn't the doctors notice that her brain was active and maybe, respond somehow? * Haruko stares at Kyon. "Do you routinely kill your enemies?" * Kyon shakes his head irritatedly. "No. Usually, it's not necessary. Here, I think it is. It's the easiest and most sure way of stopping her. Confused or not. You're taking her word for her confusion, after all." Easiest doesn't make it the best. No, I'm responding to how she's acting, she could be a world class thesbian, but it seems far more likely that she's lost it. * Kumaguro rubs against Katie's hand, pressing hard against her. * Katie keeps rubbing Kumaguro, but she's obviously paying more attention to the conversation. * Kyon shrugs to himself, moving his gaze down to Kumaguro. "You get her faith healers, you have no idea if we're still being played with. My way, it's over and done. And we don't have to think about it anymore." If, of course, she's the real Meimi. * Kyon shrugs off the comment. "If she's not, there's no loss. We're in the same situation. That's the same problem as hers." I still won't let you do it. What's your method for keeping her powers from effecting others? * Kyon looks sidewise at Haruko, and flexes his hands into fists. "Put a field around her room. Then she should only be able to affect Arcana nearby. But it's not practical." Because it would require an arcana to stay there constantly? You would need someone who can make a field the- yeah. * Kyon nods tersely. "And the person I know who can do them is too busy to stay around and project a field all day." Who can do them? * Kyon quirks an eyebrow, and looks coolly at Haruko. "Kyoko. But she's got other things to worry about." * Katie sighs and starts rubbing Kumaguro behind the ears. Hmm.. yeah, but in a pinch that gives us a method to shut off her illusions for a bit. * Haruko looks to Katie. "Think I should try the faith healer?" It's better than nothing. * Haruko looks to Kyon. "Worth trying, may I use your phone?" * Kyon scowls, then shrugs and points. "It's over there." His eyes glint. * Haruko smiles sweetly at Kyon, then goes to the phone and calls her father at work. * Kumaguro hops up from Katie's lap onto the table, and winds his way over to Kyon. * Haruko sighs, "No answer, I can try again later, or just ask him tonight." * Katie nods and puts her head on her hands again. * Kyon rests a hand on Kumaguro's neck and pets him down his back roughly, but with obvious care. * Haruko ponders more. "I don't know that much about medicine, but what would the doctors do if we kept Meimi in a field long enough to show them her real condition?" I'm betting even basic equipment would show her far more active than she should be, if she wasn't altering the doctors' minds. * Kyon barks out a laugh, and shrugs. "You know an Arcana doctor?" * Kumaguro purrs loudly, and butts his head against Kyon's forearm. Does time pass in the real world while she's kept in the field? * Katie chuckles a little, but just a little. "Maybe one of the Arcana has magical healing powers." If so, her body should still be there, and reporting. 2d6-1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Katie (2d6-1) and gets 2. * Katie hmms. "It doesn't work that way." * Haruko frowns. "That's unfortunate." I mean, people can be in a coma, but still show thought activity. Like they were dreaming. * Kyon scratches under Kumaguro's chin. "Right. And no doctor is going to believe our reason to check." Oh.... presuming she's insane for standard chemical reasons, would that show up in her brain activity if she's deeply scanned? * Katie shakes her head. * Haruko sighs, "So much for science." * Kyon smirks. "It's a coma. No one would treat insanity in a coma, anyway." * Haruko shrugs "Eh, that might be why she's still in a coma." [Time: 4:00 p.m.] * Katie sits there, with her chin on her hands. Her eyes are still bloodshot, and her expression still distressed. * Haruko is flummoxed, out of ideas, and more than a bit uncomfortable with the sitatution. So she resumes scanning the room for interesting things. * Kyon shrugs disinterestedly. "Why she's in a coma isn't important to the situation. Getting her to stop screwing with us is the important thing." Yes, but killing her isn't the way to do it. [Kyon's phone rings!] * Kyon looks coolly at Katie as he reaches across the table for his cel phone. "Queen of Wands." "Kyon? It's Satoshi. Hey, where are you guys? I've been looking all over for you." * Haruko stops looking around the apartment and watches Kyon. * Kyon blows out a breath away from the phone. "We're at my apartment. There are matters that need to be worked out." "Oh. Okay, I'll be right over." * Kyon nods tersely. "Right." He hangs up. [Satoshi shows up at 4:20 p.m.] * Satoshi knocks on the door to Kyon's apartment. * Kyon stalks over to it. "Yeah?" It's Satoshi. * Katie jerks her head up and looks to the door. * Kyon opens the door, gestures to the guest slippers, and walks back to the table. Thanks. * Haruko looks at the new arrival, then smiles and introduces herself "Hi, I'm Haruko Kinsha, the, umm.. Queen of Cups." * Satoshi removes his shoes, puts on the guest slippers, and walks over. * Haruko stands up to bow, and looks triumphant at remembering her card. Hey, Haruko. Nice to meet you. * Satoshi looks around. "Aren't we missing some people?" * Haruko sits back down to let others explain. Yeah. Sit. * Satoshi sits, looking slightly worried as he does so. I take it Meimi and Jiro didn't just slip off to hit a movie or something? I wish. It wasn't Saki, was it? * Katie shakes her head. So... what happened, then? We found out who was making the illusions. So Meimi's off dealing with that? * Kyon sits at the table, and leans forward, placing his right palm down on it. "Meimi was screwing with us. She's in a coma in the hospital where Taki was. Her mind's putting out these trick people." * Satoshi blinks. "What? What on earth are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense." * Katie eyes Kyon, but continues the story. "The Meimi we knew wasn't real, and neither was Taki or Shingo. They were all illusions." The real Shingo was the one under the bridge. * Satoshi falls out of his chair. * Haruko moves to help Satoshi back into his chair, but keeps quiet. * Satoshi accepts Haruko's help without really looking at her, then says quietly. "*All* of them?" * Katie looks pained. "All of who?" Shingo. Meimi. Ta... * Satoshi looks down, unable to finish. * Kyon nods tersely. "Every last one." He clenches his hand on the table into a fist, and lets it go. "She was just playing with us." * Katie rubs a hand against her forehead. "Yeah." * Satoshi looks up, almost in tears. "But Meimi was really nice! And she liked Jiro! I thought she was our friend! Why the hell..." And Taki... * Katie shrugs. "They didn't know," she says quietly. Well, I should've known that no *real* girl would ever be interested in me. * Katie frowns suddenly. "Shut up." * Satoshi looks surprised, but says nothing. * Haruko grimaces at the interchange, but stays out. * Kyon looks coolly at Katie. "So it does upset you that she was screwing us around." * Katie turns and glares at Satoshi, switching to English. "" She whirls on Kyon. "" I'm sorry. I... "" * Kyon raises an eyebrow, but doesn't change his expression otherwise. "" * Katie just glares at Kyon. [There is an uneasy silence for several seconds...] If you'd like me to excuse myself for a moment, I'd understand, you don't need to switch languages. * Haruko understands little English, but is quite capable of feel bad vibes. ^^; * Katie glances over at Haruko, then deflates a little. "Sorry. I got worked up." * Satoshi swallows a few times. That's understandable, though taking it out on Satoshi probably doesn't help. * Satoshi clears his throat, in an attempt to regain his composure. "No, I deserved that." * Haruko shrugs, "I couldn't say, didn't understand w "the words, but you seemed rather hurt." * Kyon shrugs. "Whatever. It's good that she got angry, too." * Katie glares at Kyon again, but it doesn't have nearly the force it did before. * Haruko shrugs again. ( It's a 0 damage glare :P ) (Aww.) Okay. So... what now? I don't know. We've tried to brainstorm ideas, but couldn't come up with anything acceptable. * Kyon smirks. "The best idea that's come up so far is killing the Moon." * Satoshi rocks back. "Kill her?" We aren't going to kill her, Kyon. * Haruko glances at Kyon. "I said, acceptable, I've proposed trying to find a faith healer, as magic and a broken spirit would be up their alley, but that may not work." And I guess she's too strong to fight fire with fire? Can you make illusions? No, don't answer that. 'Course she is. [There's a knock at the door.] * Kyon looks suspiciously at the door, then gets up and walks towards it. "Yeah?" * Katie looks up at the door. * Satoshi glances at the door. * Haruko looks up, not expecting anyone else. * Taki teleports through the door Is anybody home? * Satoshi stands up, angrily shoving his chair aside. Oh, no. No, no, no. Nice try, Meimi, but I'm not falling for this. * Katie stares and tries to scramble back, but falls off her chair. Ahh, there are people here....Who's Meimi? * Kyon whirls and leaves his fists at his side, peering at Taki. "Wait. Who are you?" * Haruko looks shocks at the entrance, and asks to no one in particular "Is that, Taki, the teleporter?" * Taki blinks at Katie and Kyon's reactions "I'm...Taki." * Satoshi looks at Kyon. "Wait? You think it *isn't* Meimi now?" * Katie gets to her feet. "She- she made an illusion of Shingo, but there was a real one. Same thing with Saki. So maybe..." She winces. * Kyon shakes his head, and looks at Taki sidewise. "If you're the Knight, then tell me where you've been." * Taki looks around the room and notices the lack of said Shingo "So did Shingo finally give in and go to a hospitol or what?" Right after I got home from leaving Shingo here on the 25th my dad says we've gotta go to the Old family house 'cause Great-gramma just died. So we spend all night driving there and get in just before a howling blizzard, wich proceeds to snow everybody in. * Katie looks at Taki blankly. * Haruko ponders. "Could Shingo and or Taki have been real all along, and Meimi simply pretended they were characters to screw with us?" I don't know. Have you ever spent a week with a bunch of people in stuffy house when nobody can take a bath 'cause you're saving the gas to heat the room where everybody's staying? It isn't fun >.< * Satoshi just shakes his head. "I want to believe she's real, but..." * Haruko starts treating Taki as at least a potential real person. "Hello, we haven't been introduced, I'm Haruko Kinsha, a neophyte Arcana." * Kyon smirks, and moves to lean against the wall next to the door, keeping his fists tensed. Ah, I'm Taki, Knight of Cups, pleased to meet ya. ::gives a little bow:: * Haruko returns the bow. I- I need something to drink. * Katie stumbles into Kyon's kitchen. Now, we've all been fed a rather convincing story that you were an illusion, as was Shingo. Perhaps you could say, take us to your house or something, to get rid of this fear. * Satoshi follows Katie into the kitchen. Sure, I don't you'll all fit, but I'll take small parties through. * Haruko looks to Kyon. "Think that would verify it?" [A familiar (to some of you, at least) catgirl pokes her head through the wall. "That won't do any good, nya!"] * Taki stares at the catgirl. * Mimi waves to Taki. * Kyon looks Taki over quickly. "Nah. It wouldn't. I need to verify her story." Hi! I'm Taki, Who're you? I'm Mimi! An imaginary friend of someone who doesn't really exist! * Taki's eyes cross as she tries to figure that one out. * Kumaguro moves out from under the table, and makes a low questioning meow at Mimi. So you're here...but you don't exist? * Mimi smiles and meows right back. * Mimi nods. "Nya! I was created from a stuffed cat!" Was the stuffed cat real? * Haruko whispers to Kyon, "If you can do that by phone you may want to get on that, I'll try and stall them." * Kumaguro treads cautiously over to Mimi, and sniffs at her leg. * Mimi nods. "Nya!" * Mimi smells like a cat-girl :P So you're the imaginary friend of somebody who doesn't exist...but had a real stuffed cat? Well... She does exist. She just created a copy that didn't really exist. * Kyon walks over to the table and discreetly picks up his phone. He moves to the far corner and dials in Taki's number, but he keeps his eyes on Kumaguro. * Haruko looks at Mimi and gives an only slightly forced smile. "Hello, Mimi, my name is Haruko, and even as an imaginary being you are the first Cat girl I've met." My compliments on realism. * Taki 's little mind gives up "Ah...anyway it's nice to meet you." * Kumaguro steps back and essays a low rumbling yowl at Mimi. Now, are you a self contained personality controling yourself, or are you being controlled like Takeo was?" * Mimi looks skyward and rubs her cheek. "Ummm.... I guess it depends on how you look at it." True enough, perhaps I can phrase that better, are you only Mimi, or is another part of Meimi also interfering? Ummm... * Taki continues to look confused, if she keeps this up people might mistake her for a certain other Arcana. * Haruko asks her questions quickly, not giving Mimi all that much time to think. Well, Takeo would say that I'm part of Meimi's subconscious, but she doesn't realize. * Kumaguro bristles at being ignored, puffs out his tail, and voices a second, louder rumbling meow. Makes sense, but is her conscious also getting involved? * Mimi looks around. "I wanted to thank Satoshi for the dance, but I don't see him." =;_;= Ummm.... I dunno. Ak! The dance! I missed the dance! Not like I was going with anybody but still... I'll relay that to him, from what I've heard you are a nice cat-girl, and friendly. * Mimi giggles. "Thanks!" Just like Takeo would like to be, but wasn't able to. Well... It's not like he has a choice. Anyhow, tell him I said hi, 'kay? Thanks! * Mimi disappears! * Haruko curses quietly to herself, and looks to see if Kyon has noticed the disappearance. * Kumaguro flattens his ears to his head and hisses loudly at where Mimi was. * Taki blinks. * Kyon pats his leg twice as he talks on the phone. * Taki finds a chair and sits on it. "I don't suppose anybody is going to tell me whats going on." * Haruko looks with sympathy to Taki. "Yesterday was like that, but a degree of magnitude worse, and far more painful." * Kumaguro calms down somewhat. He walks slowly over to Kyon, and rubs at his legs. Ouch. * Haruko goes into details about what happened yesterday, leaving out anything she feels Meimi wouldn't already know. * Kyon clicks off the phone, and looks at Taki appraisingly. "So. It looks like you check out." * Haruko starts by going over Taki's being shot, and her fake hospital room. * Haruko pauses to say to Kyon "You should probably go tell Katie and Satoshi, they'll be relieved." [Session End]