[And so they head to the train station, to await a train that'll take them back into the city.] * Katie runs a hand through her hair before turning to Kaede. "What's wrong?" * Kaede sits pretty silently on a bench, his eyes scanning back and forth as the trains go by. ...nothing. * Katie is standing, for the record. Are you sure? Absolutely. There's a reason for everything, isn't there? * Katie raises an eyebrow. "I don't follow." * Kaede 's eyes are looking intently at the tracks. If Katie's in the way, he's not focusing on her. * Katie snaps her fingers in Kaede's face. "That's my job. If you take it, I'll need to look for a new one." * Kaede looks up at Katie for a moment as she snaps her fingers, then goes back to looking at the tracks. "I have no idea what you're talking about." No, I guess you don't. [The train eventually comes.] * Katie regards Kaede for a moment longer, then goes to get on the train. * Kaede gets up slowly, still not looking at Katie. "The fact is, we're both rather a mystery to each other, Katie Andrews." * Kaede gets on the train too. [The train eventually leaves, too. You're on your way back, but this may take a while.] If people were simple, this would be a boring place. * Katie looks around, then has a seat in a relatively secluded place. I wish certain mechanically minded girls would be more simple sometimes. * Kaede sits down across from her. What did she do? * Kaede shrugs. I'm sure you can guess. Your little escapade the other day shows that... * Katie sighs. "Look, I'm sorry about that. It's just... everything." She pauses, thinking that over. "Everything." * Kaede rubs his forehead slightly slowly. "I understand. It's just...the timing was very bad. Next time, wait until I'm off the phone before you erupt please?" * Katie blinks, then looks out the window. "I didn't really notice you were on it." * Kaede looks up slowly, staring Katie right in the eye. "I know. And that's the problem. It's not like you, Katie..." ( Of course not. He went somewhere private to take the call ^^ ) ...and yet, I can't say I'm surprised. (It wasn't far away. He just walked down the hall; Katie would usually notice someone leaving and taking the phone out.) So....if I told you to stop carrying the burden on your shoulders...you wouldn't listen, would you? * Katie twists her hands uncomfortably for a moment before forcing them apart and flopping them on each side of her. "I don't know." I want to say yes, but I don't think I would. Because I have to. * Kaede sighs deeply and rubs the bridge of his nose. "That answer alone tells me more than enough." * Katie looks back at Kaede. "Kyon left for home. His parents' home." * Kaede blinks slightly as he looks back up. "But...eh?" He didn't want to, but they need help. * Katie sighs. "With the family business." Wait...Kyon has parents...? I thought he was spawned by some oni or something.... * Katie grins. "There are worse people than Kyon, you know." There's Tenjirou. Now he must have been spawned by oni. * Kaede nods slightly and leans back in his seat. "Katie..." You don't have to go at this alone, you know. * Katie blinks. "I'm not." You are too. You're just trying to make it look like you're not. I don't usually try to solve things by myself. I don't go off on my own. * Kaede pushes his glasses up his nose and leans forward. "Would you think any one of us could gather information on our own without you around?" * Katie looks back at Kaede. "You could. You did." ( Kyon and Haruko could :P ) * Kaede blinks a bit at that. "Well...yes...but that's not what I'm asking..." (Anyone could. ^_^) * Kaede closes his eyes and leans back, letting out a deep long breath. * Katie watches him. "Then what are you asking?" * Kaede looks out the windows of the train. "Just...forget I said anything..." * Katie frowns. "No." It's uncomfortable, okay. But you think it's important. * Kaede turns slowly to look at Katie and rubs his chin in thought. "That's weird..." * Katie tilts her head. ...I'm not used to you being straight forward. There may be hope for you yet. * Katie blinks, then laughs. * Kaede smirks slightly, then gets his expression more serious. "All I'm saying is that...the whole Judgement thing aside, you can't seem to step out of the middle of things..." The middle of things. That's funny. It's just too much pressure for one person to handle, Katie. * Kaede raises an eyebrow, now focused fully on her for the first time on the train ride. "Funny? How?" * Katie looks down at her hands, which have made their way onto her lap. "It's funny, because I never used to be." * Kaede looks down at her hands, then her face, listening intently. "How do you mean?" I never wanted to be. You know, I was - I am, I guess - happy on the sidelines, drawing or carving or watching. Listening, too. * Kaede sighs a little. "Yes...I know. Things are much easier when you're just....not noticed." I wasn't afraid of people. But I didn't need to be in the middle. I didn't want to be. * Katie looks back up at Kaede. "I still don't." * Kaede says quietly. "I know..." * Kaede leans his shoulder against the pole. He seems like he's looks a little worn. * Katie nods, her left hand playing with the end of her right sleeve. I'm sorry... About what? You didn't hurt me. No, but... * Kaede shakes his head slightly, closing his eyes and leaning against the pole. "No...I'm really not sorry for worrying." * Katie smiles faintly. I don't want to make you worry, Kaede. * Kaede isn't moving much. It looks like a bit of a strain to speak actually. "Like you said, you didn't want to be. But you can't help it...I wish you could..." I just want to see us all live through this. * Katie pauses. "Tired?" More like...exhausted. * Katie nods. "Take a break." She opens her satchel and pulls out her sketchbook, along with a pencil. * Kaede lets out a faint smirk as he tries to get more comfortable. "I'll take one when you do, Katie Andrews." Oh, now that's not fair. I was going to draw you sleeping. * Kaede blinks and opens his eyes. "...why?" * Katie grins. "Why not?" She flips to an empty page and hrms at it. * Kaede closes his eyes again and grumbles. "Didn't I tell you something about answering a question with a question?" ( "Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten, and hotdog buns come in packages of eight?" ) (Why do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?) ( Some people don't. ^^ ) Yes, I think you did. * Kaede gets back into a comfortable position, grumbling a little more and slacking against the pole. * Katie just smiles and shifts her sketchbook. She studies the blank page a little longer, then starts. [Session End! In here.]