[Sure enough, Riko is swimming in the pool.] * Haruko doesn't try to fake cheeriness, she just sits at the end of one of Riko's laplane and runs her hand through the water. * Riko finishes her lap then looks up at Haruko from the water. "Haruko, hey! What's going on?" * Haruko frowns a bit and keeps running her hand through the water, she does make eye contact though. "Bad news, I've got Kaede searching for information." But... But? I took precautions but they weren't enough, someone overheard me and passed the information on to Kyon. I'm sorry, I failed you. ... Kyon? Who? Who overheard you? * Haruko nods. "Chikako's now doing her own research. I'll try to get Kaede to keep his to himself and I'll be more careful with my other sources." * Taki has joined #pool * Haruko looks down. "Friend of his, doesn't really matter, it's my fault for not being careful enough." * Haruko looks up a bit. "Wasn't Chikako, and actually I am her friend, so whatever she gives Kyon I can probably get for you too." You still haven't told me who overheard you. * Haruko makes eye contact again. "If you're going to beat someone up over this, it's my fault and I wouldn't blame you." * Riko sighs. "Actually, it's my fault for not keeping my big mouth shut." But no, the only one I'm planning to beat up is Kyon. * Haruko sighs and then grins faintly. "I should be able to find a means for you to contact him within a few days, near as I can tell the situation is, confused... That's what you wanted, right?" * Riko nods. "I just need to talk to him." * Haruko stands up. "For what it's worth, I think Kyon would have found out anyways." * Haruko frowns again. "Oh, and one of thing." What? When I asked Kaede to do the research for me he said that you'd told him about your cousin. He kept your secret until he was sure you'd told me too. * Riko nods. "Yeah. I forgot about that." That was before I found out Kaede was a jerk. But, he also mentioned who told you the rumor about your cousin talking to Saki. Do you know the phrase 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? Yeah. So...? * Haruko frowns a bit. "The phrase is wrong. I've met the guy before, he's actually supposed to be an ally of Kyon. Just be careful around him, Kyon's a bastard, but that doesn't mean everyone who works against him is necessarily a good guy." Yeah, but he was trying to help. I'd sooner trust him than Kyon. * Haruko nods. "I don't blame you, just don't trust him completely." * Riko shrugs. * Haruko grins a bit. "But you're probably bright enough not to trust people completely anyways." * Haruko then waves and walks off. "I think I'll have better news next time we talk." I hope so. Couldn't really be worse. * Riko goes back to swimming. * Haruko walks out to the hallway. * Taki is waiting on the other side of the doors. * Haruko nods at Taki and softly comments. "That went about as well as I could hope. Let me grab the stuff for the experiment from the mechanics club then we'll get to the tower." * Taki nods at Haruko, "By the way, Jin remembered something. " * Haruko walks as she talks to Taki, she looks shocked, not Kaede sharing a secret shocked, but still shocked. "Oh? Not about chicken I hope." Well, some of it was about chickens...or at least the flying eggs, but he also remembered somthing from the message that he was supposed to give us. * Taki hurries to catch up with Haruko. * Haruko giggles. "What was the message?" Lets see, there are people after us that don't have anything to do with the drugs...There are five people who are alive from the last generation, and whoever it was who sent Jin wants us to stop by at some point. But Jin can't remember who that was. * Haruko nods. "Huh. Well Saki's one or two. Maybe Zein... Maybe I'll ask Ryuji." * Taki nods, "I'm sure we'll figure it out about half an hour after it would have been usefull to know." * Haruko snickers for a moment. "You're absolutely right." So, what are we bringing? * Haruko leads Taki outside to the connected garage where the mechanics club is located. It's a seperate building to mitigate fire risks and smell of oil and such. * Haruko hands the papers over to Taki. "I'm testing to see what devices work in fields and waht Kaede can make work." Ahh. * Taki takes a look at the first one. * Haruko pushes the door open with her foot slightly, and then carefully scopes the room from the outside. Once she's satisfied she walks in and waves at anyone present. ...This is thourgh... * Haruko giggles. "You should have seen the first version." * Taki boggles quitly as she reads the list of things Haruko wants to try. * Haruko comments to herself. "No pies this time, good. She then walks over to one of the neater workspaces in the garage and starts grabbing items from drawers and the table top. ( You people! Gimme awareness checks! ) [You notice nothing. Nothing!] (So we're sgt. Kurtz now? ^_- (It is kurtz right?)) * Haruko grabs a remote control car and other items from the desk, but finishes up pretty quickly. [Side note, the garage looks pretty new, like it was totally renovated within a year] Can I carry any of that for you? * Haruko smiles and nods and hands over a teapot and the remote control car, she keeps the rest. * Taki puts her backpack on one of the cleaner workbenches, probibly Harukos, and attempts to put the car in it. * Haruko runs the hand not holding stuff down her ponytail. "Guess we should get going. Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is where I got these." Haruko then gestures to the grease burn marks on the side of her face. Ahh, I had wondered, thankyou for telling me. * Taki closes the pack over the car and carres the pot in her hands. "If this is everything." * Haruko nods and smiles slightly. "I'll tell you the whole long story sometime if you want to know, probably will help me face my fears." She then nods at Taki's statement. "So, subway or the quick way?" [Taki! Gimme an awareness check!] [Taki stumbles over something! She manages not to fall, though, and doesn't smash everything.] * Haruko rushes over to Taki. "Are you alright?" Ow! ...I think so...what'd I hit? * Haruko looks down out of curiousity. * Taki rubs the foot she stubbed along her other leg. [Haruko sees a girl lying face down. Funny how they missed that.] (..!) * Haruko jumps and then quickly drops to her knees to check if she knows the girl and if she's alright. Wha..? Haruko! ( Gimme a medical roll, Haruko. ) * Taki drops the pot as she moves out of Haruko's way. (Emergency care or diagnostic?) ( Diagnostic ) (mental boost) [Haruko finds that, yes she knows the girl: Maki Tomika. Upon turning her onto her back, she sees that the front of her shirt is slightly torn, and Haruko can see a number of bruises on her stomach. Also, one on her head, explaining why she's unconscious.] What happened? * Haruko eyes widen. "Maki... oh shit.. It looks like she's been beaten in the stomach and then got hit on the head." * Haruko starts healing the Maki. Should I call for help, or do you think you? * Haruko looks up at Taki. "I.. I'll look after her, yeah, go get help." * Haruko thinks. "Actually, just get some ice, if you see someone on the way, tell them, but I think she'll be alright." * Taki nods once and runs out the door, mumbling to herself, "Ice..ice." * Haruko tries to think of what conventional medical care Maki may need as she provides what healing she can. (We got a nearby minimart sort of thing Brett?) [Somehow, Taki finds ice somewhere.] (Like magic! You Cups you.) ( *Taki gains 1 ice!) * Taki runs back! (Make by 2 for Haruko knowing conventional medical care for Maki) * Haruko looks down at Maki rather tenderly and speaks mostly to herself. "Poor girl, who did this to you Maki?" [Maki starts to wake up after a little bit.] * Taki arrives with the ice, and out of breath, "Hear you (pant) go!" * Riko is now known as Maki * Maki groans and opens her eyes. "Ha...ruko?" She sits up, then immediately winces. "Ow. What happened?" * Haruko looks up at Taki. "Good work, there should be a first aid kit over there." Haruko points. "Should be able to find bags for ice there, split it up so I can have one for the forehead, one for the stomach." * Taki nods and goes to find the first aid kit. * Haruko looks down at Maki. "Yeah, it's me.. Don't stand up just yet, you've been hit a few times in the stomach and I think you had a concussion." Do you remember anything? * Taki finds the kit and divies up the ice into the bags and brings them back. * Haruko holds one bag over the wound on Maki's head and puts the other on her stomach. "Here, hold that, it'll help keep the swelling down." * Maki makes a face. "Concussion?" I don't... Know. Someone came in here and said something. I don't remember what. Next think I know, I'm lying on the ground and you're here." * Haruko nods. "But you're gonna be alright." * Haruko tilts her head and gives a significant glancec to Taki for a moment before looking back at Maki. * Taki nods eventhough Maki probibly can't see her. * Haruko keeps holding the bag on Maki's forehead. "You might remember it later, but don't worry about that just now. Would you like me to call someone for you?" * Taki looks around for something obvious like a sign reading "I told you I'd get you, love Yushiro." (because with the way I'm rolling I won't see anything less >.>) * Maki shakes her head, "No, I'm fine." She gets to her feet and winces a little, then looks down at her torn shirt. "Ugh. Gotta get a new uniform now." [Taki sees no sign of a sign.] * Taki shakes her head. * Haruko gives Maki the other bit of ice, her tone is level but there's a strong undercurrent of anger. "Alright... let me know if you remember anything, random stuff, like if the guy had hair covering his eyes, whatever. I can't have people hurting my friends." I can't have people hurting me either. But I don't remember. Ugh. Need a hand getting anywhere, or...Hey Haruko, You wouldn't know where we could find another shirt? * Haruko nods and stands over next to Maki. "Remember to keep that ice on your forehead til the swell goes down. Huh... Good question Taki." * Haruko shakes her head. "Can't think of anything, I kept a spare around, but I used it after the pie fight, haven't replaced it yet." Pie fight? * Haruko blushes a bit. "Uh, that's why I wasn't at the lockers yesterday.. Some of the others lured me here with this cool new remote control car and, there was an ambush." * Haruko scratches her head. "It was bizarre." * Maki smirks. "It was fun." * Taki boggles, and then shakes her head. * Haruko grins. "That too, but I needed a new shirt afterwards." Well, I'm glad you had fun at least. So, you're sure that you're alright Maki? Well, given the circumstances... I'm fine. Not happy, but fine. * Haruko nods and then collects the pot and anything else Taki drops and hands it back to her. She then grins at Maki "So, once we figure out who did it, should we go after him with wrenches or run him over?" * Taki looks around for a towl, or a small dropcloth or any other large cloth objects before accepting the pot. Wrenches. I don't have a motorcycle yet. * Haruko nods. She then drops the grin and gives Maki a hug, whether she's ready for one or not. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." Me too. But thanks, Haruko. * Haruko nods and lets go, she's doing her best to supress an extremely determined look. "Any luck finding something Taki?" * Taki shakes her head, "I think you guys took everything home to wash the pie out." * Haruko frowns and starts towards the door, she pauses for a second on the way there. "Do you have anything you need to be properly dressed for today Maki? I'm not doing anything special, we could swap if you needed a good one." * Maki shakes her head. "Nah. I just need to buy a new one by tomorrow." * Maki looks at the clock. "Speaking of which, I'd better get home to do it." * Haruko nods. "Alright, see you, if there's anything I can do..." Don't hesatate to ask. * Maki nods. "I won't. Thanks." * Haruko nods and then hands the teapot back to Taki, she then walks over to her workspace for a moment and runs her hand along the larest wrench there. * Maki makes her way out. * Taki takes the teapot again. "Goodby Maki, we're going to find the guy." * Maki nods. "Pop him in the eye for me." * Haruko turns back to Maki. "Will do." * Haruko mutters under her breath. "Even if I have to walk through flames to do it." * Taki sighs, "When I get my hand on whoever...Anyway..." ::holds up the pot:: "We ready to go?" * Haruko turns back and nods. "Yeah, and we need to warn the others, if it's who I think it is we're going to continue to be paid back with interest." ...If he even thinks about putting a finger on my dad... * Haruko gathers her bags and walks, seething. "He's the worst sort of coward. He talks big but preys on the week rather than face the strong directly." [Off they go to the subway, and it's no longer so sunny, but raining lightly.] * Taki nods and follows Haruko, "...That must make it hard for him to 'protect' his sister..." * Taki gets damp as she thought it was going to be a nice day and didn't pack her umbrella. * Haruko trudges along towards the subway, the rain doesn't seem to really bother her. "We should try to protect everyone, but there's a good chance it won't be your dad. Maki's one of my only female friends aside from you. I'm betting he has a thing against women." * Taki follows, "But the only female non-arcana I know are Eriko and...Chikako!" [They get to the subway.] * Haruko blinks. "Do you have her number? I haven't gotten it from her yet." /me shakes her head, "Katie should have it..." ( It could be Makoto ;_; ) * Taki shakes her head, "Katie should have it..." * Haruko nods and heads down into the subway. "Yeah, we should swap numbers all around after Katie gives her a warning call." Hmm, is one of your experiments seening if you can use the phone Kaede worked on to call him in the Tower?" * Haruko ponders. "Actually, we already tried that, that time recently when Sho showed up. He couldn't get any reception." Ahh, I guess it'll just have to wait untill we get there. * Haruko nods. [Time: 4:30 p.m. By the time you get to Tokyo Tower, it's stopped raining.] * Haruko walks into the lobby, the look of anger has faded a bit, but she still seems very determined. "Would you care to handle the briefing Taki? I seem to grate on Katie lately, so perhaps I should concentrate on setting up the experiments." * Taki sweatdrops, "I...don't think I'm her favorite person in the world right now either, but I'll give it a shot." * Haruko actually looks vaguely relieved. "So it's not just me? I mean Kaede's a special case so I don't count him but.." Haruko goes to press the button. She's under a lot of stress. * Haruko nods. [The elevator comes.] * Haruko gets on, waits for Taki to board, and then presses the down button. * Taki hustles into it before anybody can get in for a ride to the wrong part of the tower.