[Day: Thursday, March 6th. Time: 2:50 p.m.] [Weather: Cold and snowing.] [Yesterday a Kyon imposter showed up! Fun! And Kaede totally screwed up his dinner with Remi. More fun! Today you gather at the lockers, for not so much fun.] [Session Start] * Satoshi puts stuff in his locker, then shuts it and turns around, stretching idly. * Katie is sitting at her locker, as usual. Not reading, not sketching, just... sitting. * Haruko walks up, slowly. She's wearing a wool coat that has the end of two large yellow looking gloves poking out of their pockets. She's got her nose buried in a rather worn looking magazine. In her right hand is an unopened box of takeout chicken. * Kaede walks down the hall, looking with his normal expression but going a little slower. * Satoshi walks over to Katie. "Heya, Katie. Sorry about leaving you guys yesterday. I had to finish a project for class today. I take it things went not too horribly?" * Taki walks down the hall from her usual direction, she walking a bit slower than usual, and if anybody bothers to look she's still wearing Satoshi's necklace. * Katie pops her eyes open with a start, looks at Satoshi almost wildly, before settling down. "No. Not that badly." * Satoshi blinks. "Are you okay? Yeah. * Katie yawns. "I'll be okay." She rubs at her eyes. * Satoshi nods, then looks over at the others. "Hey, guys. How are you?" * Kaede heads over to his locker without comment, opens it, swaps stuff out, closes it...then his head falls forward and bangs as he rests his forehead there. His kaban drops out of his hand and to the floor. ...that good, huh? What happened? * Katie leans against the locker again... and when Kaede bangs his head against his, she jerks awake. ...Satoshi? * Taki looks around before answering Satoshi, "I'm allright, have you seen our overly friendly ...What's wrong Kaede?" * Haruko reaches the group and leans back against the locker. She doesn't look up from her 'Tokyo Autoshow '98 Fantasic Cars Demonstration' "Has anyone seen Jin, I couldn't find him." Yeah, Kaede? ...can you remember to strap Jin down to wherever he sleeps with you? Tightly? Why? * Taki stares at Satoshi for a bit, and then turns pink and looks away quickly. * Kaede turns around and slides down the locker with his back to it..he seems to have trouble keeping his head upright. * Haruko puts the magazine down, she slowly looks over to Kaede, if anyone's looking her eyes are rather bloodshot. "Do you have him? I was going to teach him to wear welding equipment... but I couldn't find him..." * Katie glances at Kaede, yawning again. "You look like me." Okay, did everybody *not* sleep last night except me? ...I...don't know if I can stay doing this any more. Did things go that badly with that guy? No. It has nothing to do with him. It was...unique... * Katie looks at Kaede. "Why not?" * Haruko shakes her head. "No sleep would have been better. Alright, we're all here. Let's move this war council to the pool." * Kaede 's head falls forward as he whispers under his breath. "...my life is a living hell." * Taki blinks confusidly at Haruko, "the pool?" * Satoshi looks at each person in turn. "Am I missing something here?" * Katie suddenly seems more awake, peering at Kaede. "What happened?" Kaede, what's wrong? Nanami...she.... * Haruko nods. "Where the doppleganger can do the least damage." She sticks her hand into a pocket and searches for something. ....Someone's after her. Something happened to Nanami? (Cover the mirrors, Haruko. That keeps dopplegangers away.) Who? * Satoshi blinks. "What? Who?" Wha...Do you know who or why? I...don't know...but I think...it's because of who I am. * Katie sighs, slumping back against the locker. She looks up at the ceiling, then swallows dryly. "Great." Because you're Arcana? ...Then why wouldn't they go after you..? Because attacking people you care about is easier. She doesn't remember it...at all..but she came home last night...with a bloody nose...black eye.... Alright, so we find who did and deal with them. Can we discuss this at the pool. * Kaede nods and his head droops even more. Dammit. If somebody tried something with my dad I'd...I'd...It'd get messy... * Katie flicks her gaze to Haruko. "Why the pool? Wouldn't somewhere more private be better, if thaat's what you're looking for?" I just...thought.....they could get anyone. There's fields that can take in normal people...and there's no witnesses.... * Satoshi looks up at the ceiling briefly and mutters. "Guess that's the advantage of not having anybody around..." I guess...I've always known that in the back of my mind....but..... * Haruko looks at Katie. "Whoever that bastard is, he's had no trouble spying on us much anywhere to get information. I don't think hiding will work." * Satoshi sighs. "Dammit, Kaede, I'm sorry. That never even occured to me." * Katie nods almost lazily. "Then why bother moving?" * Kaede 's shoulders sag. "...My life is hell..." * Katie reaches out with one hand to place it on Kaede's arm, even though she doesn't seem willing to move much. We'll find out who did this... * Kaede doesn't seem to react at all to that. * Haruko takes her hands down and throws out a burnt ball of paper. "Because the fire was real, we'd be safer by the pool, even if he finds us." * Katie strengthens her grip, then pulls him towards her. * Kaede feels a bit like a ragdoll at first before he finally notices and blinks, looking at Katie. * Katie glances down at the paper. "Fine. I'm just... not in the mood to deal with Riko today." * Taki kneels down and picks up Kaede's kaban, "There's allways the roof." * Haruko glares at Katie. "I'll handle her, she's not going to try to kill us." * Katie smiles faintly at Kaede, then gives him a loose hug. * Kaede blinks. His arms aren't moving at all, stiff at his sides. He looks rather lost. * Katie tilts her head so it's near Kaede's ear, then speaks to him, quietly. * Kaede blinks and just watches Katie without much of a change in expression. He looks a bit in shock though. * Taki stands back up, and watches Kaede and Katie. * Haruko leans back against the locker and slowly lets her back slide down until she's sitting on the ground. She hugs her knees. * Katie tightens the hug, saying something else. * Satoshi just stands there and watches, not really sure what to say, or even if he should say anything. * Kaede watches Katie out of the corner of his eye. "...what I have to do?" * Taki looks between the Ks and Haruko, trying to work out what she shoul do. * Katie lets go. She looks very, very tired, but doesn't waver from Kaede's gaze. "What you think you need to." Just... think about it first. * Taki finaly decides to walk over to Haruko and take a seat next to her, "I'll still hold up my end of the deal from last night, so don't worry." * Haruko puts her head down. * Kaede lets out a small nod, staying kneeling in place, still watching Katie. * Haruko looks up to Taki and hugs her, tight. * Taki blinks once and then returns Haruko's hug. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you." * Katie winces as a group of chatty students come walking down the hall. * Kaede blinks slightly at Katie's reaction and tilts his head. "You okay? I mean besides being tired.." Haruko had a good idea. I just want to go somewhere quieter. ...quieter? * Haruko smiles ever so slightly. "Thanks. I wish you could do that in my dreams too." We could all go to my place, if you wanted. It's...pretty dead here. Except for us. I know, but... * Katie pauses, seeming at loss for words. * Kaede watches Katie. * Katie lets out a breath. "I couldn't sleep." * Taki makes a face, "I have enough problems with my own dreams, if I figure out a way to make them go away I'll help with yours." I figured..but there's more to it than that... I couldn't sleep because my parents came home in the middle of the night. And then they talked, and sometimes they yelled, all night. They went to their room, and- and I could still hear them. And then, today, everything was just so- * Haruko nods. "He kept killing me... each time in a different way, it started simple, but then my brain got creative." * Kaede rubs his forehead. "I'm...not really in the mood to think about it..." * Katie swallows. "Loud, I guess." * Satoshi blinks, then says, softly, "Oh." Hmm...I guess lack of sleep could do that... ...I'll try to speak softer. * Taki hugs Haruko tighter, "That's horrible, but they were just dreams. That's all. You're still here and I'm still here and Satoshi is here, and even Katie and Kaede." * Katie looks pained. "I don't know. I can usually sleep through it." Now that she mentions it, Katie is speaking a little softer than usual. * Kaede lets out a deep breath and pushes up his glasses. "I guess I'm glad Jin came by in a way...." Akemi really did help after all... * Satoshi opens his mouth to say something to Katie, then stops and turns to Kaede. "Wait, when did you see Jin?" * Haruko nods. "I know, that's why I'm hear, every instinct in my body is telling me to find a bike and drive away." Last night. Wanting chicken. * Katie giggles. Where would you go? ...it isn't funny. Last night? But he... no, wait. I was in my room, and he was in the living room with the TV on, so if he left, I wouldn't have noticed. So that's why you wanted me to tie him down? * Haruko looks distant. "Doesn't matter, just direction and speed." (What is it with Jin and bondage? :P) * Kaede sighs slightly. "Having threats on your family makes you a little irritable..." (...no comment.) Sorry. I'm just... um... . Out of it. You're perfectly justified. What did he do? Just what? Out of it. No, before that. Wish I had Jin... He could follow me, he doesn't have his own problems, could just wear that gear to keep him safe. * Katie rubs at her forehead and says quietly, "" She looks up. "Oh. " * Kaede rubs his nose slightly and sighs. ...sure, NOW it bothers me. What? Now what bothers you? * Taki puts her head on Haruko's shoulder, "He gets lost though." That I can't speak another language...it's never really mattered before... * Haruko giggles, it doesn't quite sound right. "I could leash him again.. it worked once." * Katie blinks a couple times, then nods in understanding. Funny how the unimportant things jump out at you at the strangest times. Ahh. Yeah, I've been studying English for a long time now, so I don't even really notice. If you want, I can help you learn. Not when I'm half asleep, though. I need to get earplugs. (Taki would make a comment to Kaede but she and Haruko could be in a field for all the attention they're giving you) (It's okay. I'm paying attention to you o/~) * Taki shakes her head, "I don't think he'd like that much, not that anybody could tell...but I think he shoud be free to do what he wants..." (Run free, Jin! Run free!) * Kaede hmms and goes over to his kaban, opening it up slightly and pulling out his notepad. He tears out a piece of paper from it and tears it again in half, crumpling them up and holding them out to Katie. "Here. May be a little crude, but it's all I can do on short notice." * Haruko lets up a little, Taki can probably breath easier now. "You're right, I just need to trust you guys, but I don't think I'm going to be able to think straight until tomorrow." * Taki blinks a few times as Kaede takes his Kaban back, but doesn't say anything to him. * Katie blinks, then smiles slightly and takes them. "I don't think paper's strong enough, but thanks just the same." Well, hopefully with all of us thinking in different directions we'll manage to find the one that takes us where we want to go. * Katie looks directly at Taki. "Where do you want to go?" * Haruko lets go of Taki for now. * Katie tries putting the paper in her ears, taps her fingers lightly against the lockers, and removes it. * Taki leans back a bit and looks up as she thinks, "It used to be someplace where I could just be a normal, average student and have a normal life...but that's not what I want to do anymore." Not working? Right now I just want to be me, and with my friends...So wherever you go I'll go too. * Katie shakes her head. "It's okay." * Taki shakes her head, "No, no. I changed my mind on that a few days before I met Katie and the fake Shingo." * Kaede takes a deep sigh and crawls back over to the lockers, resting his back against them. "I wish...I knew who was doing this..." * Satoshi runs a hand through his hair. "Is there anyplace where we can start looking? Any leads?" * Katie nods at Taki before settling back and closing her eyes. "Maybe we'll find out, for at least one of the problems. I called Kyon last night." * Satoshi looks over at Katie. "Let me guess. He's still away, right?" The real one? Of course he is. And yes, the real one. * Haruko stands up. "I know a lead on Kyon... we should talk Kaede." So, who'd we go out to dinner with? * Haruko rubs her forehead, "There's something else." I don't know whether to be happy or really, really worried that I was right about that. * Kaede takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "I don't like the guy. He's an arrogant, cocky, self-centered bastard. But he's our bastard." I don't know. He has a suspicion, though. I'm going to talk to the fake one and see if I can get proof. * Taki nods at Kaede. * Katie opens one eye. "That means if I lie later today, you won't react." * Satoshi frowns. "By yourself?" * Haruko keeps rubbing her forehead, thinking. Since when do I ever react? Or... yeah. * Taki nods at Katie, "I'll try not to." You'll get no problems from me. * Kaede adjusts his glasses, not looking up at all. "So what did you want to talk about, Haruko-san?" * Katie closes her eyes again. "Mmm." * Haruko looks up at Katie. "I remember, Taro, he's almost definately not an Arcana... it's not on topic but you should know." Okay. * Haruko walks over to Kaede. "He didn't heal like an Arcana, it's different, it's not a solid rule, but..." Heal like an Arcana? What do you mean? * Taki looks at Haruko with interest. * Haruko looks over to Kaede and tilts her head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to ignore your problems.. it's just that. Right.. I can't heal normal people at full power." * Kaede laughs humorlessly. "Ignore my problem? What's the point in focusing on it?" Because your sister got hurt, and while the fake Kyon is...annoying, he hasn't hurt anybody yet. * Haruko stares up at Kaede, her eyes don't quite focus on him. "Then please... drop the honorific, I need my friends now. Its selfish.. but." * Kaede looks up calmly at Haruko. "Are you telling me how to speak now, Haruko- san?" * Haruko hugs her shoulders and walks off a bit down the hallway. "Do what you want. Let's talk about that lead." * Kaede gets up and pushes his glasses up, walking silently after her. His calm expression doesn't change. * Taki stands up and follows Haruko, "Hey, wait up." * Katie doesn't move. She might be dozing off, finally. I think she just wants to talk to me, Taki-san. Taki can come. * Kaede blinks and looks up at that. Then I'm staying. ...Okay....I'll stay with Katie and Satoshi and you can go. * Haruko sighs. "Alright, just you then. Whatever." * Kaede walks over towards Haruko, glancing slightly at Taki as he passes. * Taki nods to Kaede, "Please excuse my interuption." * Kaede doesn't answer and walks down the hall. * Taki walks back to Satoshi and Katie and takes a seat next to Katie. "Well...here I am..." * Katie doesn't move, but she does say, "Hi. Crazy day, huh?" * Taki nods, "I've had worse, yesterday comes to mind." * Katie snickers and says, with a small amount of humor, "And the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that..." Nah, Sunday was positively boring, I sat around all day and tried to study. Okay, we can skip Sunday. * Satoshi looks around. "Maybe I should find Jin. I'll talk to you guys later." He waves, then runs off. * Taki nods at Katie, "If you skip that then the next boring day would be.... Uhm..." The Sunday before that? Maybe things take breaks on Sundays. * Taki thinks, "I wonder why that is..." If you want to mix paganism and Christianity, which the Japanese seem to like doing anyway, Sunday is the day of rest and all. * Taki leans against somebodys locker, "I guess that's true...Haruko would know more about religious stuff than me. I wonder if we can use that do to somehtng other than colapsing and doing homework." * Katie chuckles and continues speaking in that same soft tone. "You have to do homework sometime." * Taki nods, "I know, I know...I was buried under it after my trip." * Kaede walks back down the hallway. His expression hasn't changed. At all. * Katie mmms and nods. "But I thought you got caught up." She opens one eye to see Kaede approach, then closes it again. * Haruko walks back, she looks like the weight on her shoulders has been added too. * Taki nods "I did eventualy." [It starts to rain] * Taki looks up at the celing, "Hmm, me, Shingo, Kyon...I wonder what it is about us and picking up duplicates." * Katie lets out a sigh as she hears that, even though she isn't that close to the exit. "Cold rain. Even worse than snow." (Wasn't it snowing at the start?) * Haruko shivers a bit and continues to hug herself. (Yup. It can happen.) (Does all the time here. We get rain, hail, and snow at once!) * Kaede looks out the doors and chuckles humorously. "At least that means it's warming up a little I guess." I'm just glad I've started to pack an umbrella no matter what the weather is like in the morning. * Haruko grins mirthless. "Guess if I can't come to the water, the water will come to me." ...I wonder if she got home alright... Do you want to go check on her? Haruko should be able to help. Maybe you can call home. * Haruko slowly looks up. "Help what?" * Kaede hmms. "I guess....I'm worried about her too, but that's not who I was talking about. An unexpected friend dropped by to help take care of Nanami...I didn't have a chance to walk them home." * Haruko walks over to the window and idly watches the rain until people know what they want her to do. Yeah? That's good to hear. * Taki blinks, "Oh...so..." * Kaede takes a deep breath. "So I suppose, as much as I hate to admit it, I would have been worse off if that hadn't happened..." What hadn't happened? ...You arn't talking about who I'm thinking about anymore...could you please start again from the begining? ...no thank you. * Haruko seems somewhat tranfixed by the rain. * Taki blinks a few more times, "Uhm...then is there anything at all that I or anyone else here can do to help you?" * Kaede replies matter of factly, idly twirling his pencil. "Probably not." * Katie opens her eyes, studies Kaede for a brief moment, then closes them again. * Taki slumps a bit. * Haruko idly draws little circles on the window with her finger. If you want to go home, Haruko, go home. * Kaede shifts slightly and takes out his cell, looking at it for a moment. * Haruko shivers and looks back at Katie, her voice is fairly pathetic. "I don't want to be alone... There's no one I can talk to about this." * Kaede taps his cell phone idly with his finger. * Katie opens her eyes again and looks at Haruko, unblinking. "You seem to be fine with talking to Taki." * Taki stands up, "Then howabout me and Satoshi go with you and talk about thing that arn't this,...like that paper he's supposed to be working on?" * Kaede picks up the phone a little and hits the autodial for home. * Haruko makes I contact with Katie before replying with Taki. "That's why I'm here, our group is all I have for support on this. But I don't want to be a burden... and protecting Nanami from immediate threats matter... and.." * Haruko looks away for a moment. There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, It's when you don't ask that you have problems. ..there's some things you have to handle yourself. Or else you'll never grow. * Katie keeps her eyes on Haruko. "If you're talking about your fear of fire... that is what it is, right? Fear of fire?" * Kaede waits for an answer at the house. * Taki nods, "But if you get crushed under them you can't grow at all." * Haruko snaps at Kaede. "We don't have to face everything alone to grow! I'm sorry, I need my friends and we're different that way, and I've tried to be a friend to you and it seems I've failed and I just don't know what to do." Haruko's voice trails off at the end. Haruko-san...shut up. * Taki rubs her forehead. * Kaede blinks and looks up, confused at Haruko for a second. "Wait...you think YOU'VE failed? That's what this is about?" * Haruko glares at Kaede, her eyes are still bloodshot but they're full of passion. "No... this is about the fact that fire has scared the hell out of me ever since it damn near killed me. You also don't seem to want my friendship, but I don't know what to do because I can't think straight because I'm terrified." * Kaede looks evenly at Haruko, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Yes. You seem to act as if you've had a hard life. I don't see how I could possibly understand." * Kaede goes back to waiting on the phone. * Katie studies Haruko. At least you have a reason to be afraid. * Taki is at a loss for words. * Haruko keeps glaring at Kaede "No. I've had an easy life. My life is still easy, except for this one thing. And your life is still harder now, but I can't help being afraid, I'm sorry." You're afraid? YOU'RE afraid? It hasn't hit you yet. No one's really come after you seriously, have they? So you're afraid of fire. Everyone has something they're scared of, as irrational as it may be. * Taki takes a few steps back away from Kaede. Tell me, what ARE you scared of, Haruko-san? Besides fire...because that's normal. Right now, what are you scared of? * Katie doesn't move. Her eyes don't close, though, and they move from Kaede to Haruko and back as they talk. * Haruko yells at Kaede. "It's damn near killed me before and would have if the Kami had intervened. And yes I'm being emotional and stupid. And yes, my parents are both alive, and maybe that I have all this and still have problems makes me a terrible person. But I'm still willing to try whatever I can to help Nanmai as afraid as I may be and you won't accept it!" * Katie flinches and claps her hands over her ears. * Taki winces but stays where she's standing. No, you're right. I won't accept it. Because there's nothing you've proven to me that you can do about it. * Kaede pushes his glasses up his nose. "But you're not answering me. * Katie keeps her hands over her ears. She doesn't seem keen on watching the conversation anymore. * Haruko notices Katie's reaction and quiets down and hugs herself tighter. "I'm not going to justify myself to you. I will do whatever I can, and if I'm not good enough for you so be it but I'll try anyways." * Kaede taps his pencil on the notepad, eyeing the wall. "I can't stop you..." * Taki tries to find her voice and speaks softly, "That...That's all that can be asked of a person, that you keep moving and do what you can.." * Haruko just stares. "Correct." She then walks over to Katie and taps her shoulder gently and speaks softly. "It's over, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled." * Kaede keeps tapping, staring blankly, his face completely devoid of any response. * Katie removes her hands. "It's okay. I'm just not handling this well." She looks up. "None of us are." * Haruko goes back to hugging herself. "I'll be better after tonight. But I'll still be afraid." It's not going to go away. * Haruko nods. "And I don't intend to rely on divine intervention to live this time. And I do intend to live." Then live. No, no it won't, but it might quite down enough for us to catch our breath, and maybe it'll happen before sunday. * Haruko nods and looks at Katie. "It's just hard to do alone right now, but Kaede's right, my fears don't really matter, not like everything you and he have to deal with." * Katie blinks, then laughs. * Haruko looks confused. No..it's not going to go away... * Kaede looks over at Katie a little oddly. * Taki sighs. * Katie leans her head back against her locker and lets the laughter slow and eventually stop. She looks at Haruko, again. "Me? Just deal with your problems. We all have them." * Kaede watches Katie for a while. Then slowly breaks into a smirk for just a split second, before it turns into a long breath. * Haruko nods and looks over to Taki for a moment. "Thank you for your offer, I'll take it soon enough, but escaping isn't enough. I need to find out how to beat this." * Haruko 's tone is extremely grateful. Katie's right... * Taki nods, "Running away won't solve any problems, but it might buy you the time to find a real answer." * Haruko nods and tears up a bit. "The worst part is that he knows about whoever the imitator is, how does he know so damn much?" * Katie blinks. I'm sorry? * Kaede seems taken aback too. "Wait...what? Uhm... * Haruko looks at Katie. "Every time I mentioned the fire, he asked me if I was sure. He was bloody thoughtful about it, he knew I was afraid. I'm sure Kyon knew, and that scared me for a long time, but he was my ally." * Katie blinks again, then shakes her head. "Yeah, he knew. He's not stupid." * Kaede tilts his head. "Haruko..." It's been apparent since we went to that amusement park. * Taki looks up at the ceiling, "I wonder if some part of Miemi knows him..." Yes. She does. * Haruko keeps crying. "I was always afraid of that... When I told Katie, I was oblique, as I was afraid.. but also I didn't want to make it any easier for her to find out." * Kaede frowns a little. * Kaede sighs and turns off the cell. It probably rung long enough anyways. * Taki takes a deep breath and then walks over to Haruko. * Kaede gets up and walks over to Haruko, gesturing to Taki to stop. * Taki stops walking at Kaede's gesture. And I don't know if it's just the fear, in the shop fire, I was bruned worse than I should have been, the doctors said. I mean, I'm water right. * Kaede kneels down in front of Haruko and looks at her softly. Shh. * Haruko shivers. Haruko, calm down. We all have our weak points...they're going to come out. * Katie straightens herself against the lockers and watches. But hiding them isn't going to solve anything...we just..have to find a way to make them seem a strength. * Haruko lets herself slip down to the floor. "I don't see how.. it's just a weakness... I didn't even escape by my own strength last time." There's a way to overcome everything. And it's not going to help if we're so worried about them coming out that we try ignoring that we have them....we just...need to use them. Somehow. * Taki slowly sits down on the floor. * Haruko looks slightly up at Kaede. "How? I can face it, I think about it, I can talk about it, but I don't know how it'll help." It'll help more than ignoring the problem, don't you think? * Taki doesn't flinch at that, realy, it was just a trick of the light. * Haruko nods. "Should I talk about it, or..." * Katie speaks up, quietly, "Maybe you can see a . A mind doctor." * Taki reaches around to her backpack and digs out her dictionary, this might take a while, as she's looking in the 's' section. * Haruko looks up. "I.. never had to face something that made it worth the money. And I'm afraid it wouldn't work fast enough to help me with fake Kyon." So? What are you going to do? Avoid fake Kyon for the rest of your life? I thought you were more worried about the rest of your life than the next few days. It might help in the end. * Haruko looks up with a bit more passion in her eyes. "No, I'm going to beat him. I just don't know how yet." Well then. That's a start. * Haruko thinks, she's still crying, but it's not as bad as before. * Haruko bites her lip for a moment. "I'll talk to my parents about a doctor, but for now, I could use the talks that you offered Taki. And.." * Kaede tilts his head to the side. "And?" * Taki stands up, "I know offers of help are being turned down left and right, and that you don't want to run, so I'll have to find some other way to help you." * Haruko looks up to Katie. "I need to know what you think about him, it's scary but I'm not going to be able to figure it out on my own, not now. I know if you were certain about anything you'd tell me, but I could use anything you can give me." Kyon. What do you want to know? * Haruko looks up to Taki. "Thanks... I want your help, talking, temporary escape might help." Haruko turns back to Katie. 'What I think' covers a lot. * Kaede turns to look over at Katie silently * Taki nods and listens to what Katie has to say. * Haruko nods. "Our minds work different, this isn't easy. But if there's still a real Kyon, and if this isn't illusion 'cause the papers still burned, what could it be... how could he have the fire?" He could have palmed something... * Haruko tilts her head. "I didn't think of that." * Katie nods at Kaede. "I remember him reaching into his bag." She looks back at Haruko. "Or he could have fire powers, too." That's possible too. There's no saying our powers are unique. * Haruko nods. * Taki nods at Kaede. I think Jin has the some power I do... Probably. It just... um... shows differently. Annoyingly. Yeah, that too. * Haruko seems to mostly have stopped crying. "Alright, please let me know as ou figure out more." Haruko sighs. "Any thoughts on how he knows everything?" No. But I'm sure we'll find out soon. * Kaede blinks suddenly. "When does Chikako usually come by with the paper...?" * Katie reaches into her satchel and pulls out a small packet of tissues, tossing it to Haruko. Before now. But she doesn't always show up. * Haruko takes it and starts to wipe away the tears. She quietly says, "Thank you." * Kaede takes out a deep breath. "...you're sure?" * Katie nods at Haruko, then looks to Kaede. I'll call her tonight, and if she's not around, I'll hunt down the fake and hurt him personally. C...er May I help? Sure. It'd be like a party. * Kaede frowns slightly. "...why do you get all the fun?" * Katie giggles. Because I thought of it first. * Haruko stands up hesitantly, she then goes and stands next to Taki. Still..I'm going to try calling again... * Kaede dials home once more. * Haruko grins slightly, "Borrow my phone, and take pictures if you can, once the fields down." ...If I knew where all of you lived I could come pick you up like Jin...Well, not exactly like Jin...I'd call first and tell you I was coming and then I'd knock sort of thing. You could see my house after this if you liked, you could meet my father before we come and bless your house, it might be fun. * Taki smiles at Haruko, "Yes, that sounds like it would be a lot of fun, then you could come to my apartment and meet my father." * Katie watches Kaede. * Haruko smiles. I'd like that. * Kaede takes the phone away from his ear and sighs a little as he turns it off, but he looks a little better. "It's busy...guess that means she's alright though.." * Katie nods. That's good. * Taki nods. * Kaede looks up. "Thank you, Katie." * Katie blinks. For what? You know. And if you don't, what does it really matter? It's a compliment. * Katie chuckles. "Then you're welcome." She closes her eyes and leans back again. * Taki looks around at her friends in releaf and glares out the window at the rainy sky as if dareing to to break into sunshine and rainbows. * Kaede stands up slowly. "I think I'm going to head home..I don't have my umbrella though..." * Kaede gets his kaban and goes to get his heavier jacket. If you want to wait with me, we can share mine. But you're probably in a hurry. You're sure? * Haruko stretches a bit. "Well, worst comes to worst, I'll just get together an army and take down fake Kyon. I think Saki and Ryuji would be convincable, it's a happy thought anywas. What? Sure I'll share, or sure I'm going to wait? [It stops raining and starts snowing again.] Both I suppose... * Kaede closes up his jacket. * Taki gives Haruko another grin, "Just don't leave your loyal knight out of it." Yes and yes. Doesn't sound like a problem anymore, though. Unless you don't want snow in your hair. * Kaede smirks. "I'll be fine. It'll just match the interior." * Haruko smiles. "Certainly not." * Katie grins. "And, see, we can't have you not matching." * Kaede picks up his kaban and makes his way out the doors. * Katie opens her eyes and looks at Kaede as he walks out. "Bye." See you tomarrow Kaede. * Haruko give Kaede a tenative wave. * Katie looks at Haruko and Taki. "Are you staying, too?" * Haruko tilts her head. "What are you doing next?" I don't have anything to do today but look for Jin, chase my dad out of the kitchen, and some homework. Staying here. Taking a nap. * Katie shrugs. "Maybe fake Kyon will come along. It's worth a try." * Haruko nods. "You shouldn't have to face him alone." * Taki shrugs, "I could do my homework before I go home." If you want to stay, that's fine. But I don't think I'm going to be much company. That's allright by me, the two of you can catch up on lost sleep and I can catch up on late homework. * Katie chuckles. "Okay." She closes her eyes again. * Haruko smiles a bit and holds up her magazine. "That or see if anything's changed since the last thousand times I've read this." That too. * Taki looks at Katie for a bit and then stuggles out of her jacket and lays it over Katie. "Sleep well." * Haruko walks over to Taki and comments quietly. "Thank you again, for everything." * Katie doesn't respond this time. * Taki quietly responds, "I try to help." * Haruko stays quiet and smiles slightly but warmly. "You suceeded." * Haruko then finds her own spot to try to nap, using her wool coat as a blanket and her bag as a pillow. She hopes that turn about will be fair play in her dreams this time. * Taki turns to Katie and whispers, "You know, your head would probably hurt less if you took those things out of your ears at some point." * Taki then opens her backpack and starts on her English work. * Katie opens one eye. "They're not in my ears." * Katie goes back to trying to sleep. * Taki shrugs and begins to write. [Session End]