[Day: Tuesday, March 11th. Time: 2:50 p.m.] [Weather: Light snowfall and cool.] [Yesterday Remi got kidnapped and Kaede got beat up. Today, you gather at the lockers!] [Session Start] * Satoshi walks up to his locker, exchanges books, then shuts the locker and stands there, staring at it. * Katie swaps books. "" She slams her locker shut. * Haruko walks up and walks over to Satoshi. "How are you doing? * Taki trudges slowly down the hall and only looks up after hearing Haruko's voice. * Satoshi looks over at Haruko startled. "I... uh... um... yeah." Kaede? Have you... seen him? * Haruko shakes her head. "Not since I healed him yesteday. I think it's still a few hours until I can finish the job." Think we should go look for him at his house? Don't panic. * Haruko shakes her head. "Give him a little time I'd think. He often likes to do something on his own first." Or we could just ask Katie. * Satoshi turns to her. "She'd know, after all. And since she said not to panic, I'm guessing we... well, shouldn't panic." * Taki nods slowly and looks at Katie. * Katie flips through a notebook, then looks up at the others. "He was in class today." * Kaede comes walking down the hallway, speak of the devil. He's holding his arm around his midsection and walking slow, but he looks more listless and restless than actually hurt. He uses the wall for support heading down. * Katie goes back to looking in the notebook. "And there he is now." * Haruko turns back to Satoshi. "What happened isn't your fault. It's Tenjirou's fault, and the rest of the band." If I'd gotten hurt like that I'd have sta...Where? ::turns to look for him:: * Kaede goes over to his locker without a word and opens it. * Satoshi looks at Haruko and just shakes his head, then turns back to watch Kaede. * Haruko folds her arms and keeps looking at Satoshi. "It's true." Haruko... every time I get into a fight, something bad happens. Maybe not right away, but it happens. It's more my fault than it is yours Satoshi, I'm the one who brought you there, and then got. Every time we do anything, something bad happens. No, Taki, it's not your fault. * Haruko nods. "That's because fighting is bad. But unfortunately, if we don't fight, the outcome can be far worse." It's Tenjirou's fault. He should have backed down. It was your first job to protect Taki and Remi. * Kaede closes the locker and heads towards the exit without a word, hefting his kaban slightly on his shoulder. * Taki nods, "Personaly I'm glad you you were willing to fight for me...If I had gone by myself... * Taki makes a face and then quickly shakes her head. * Katie sighs and shuts the notebook again, walking over to Kaede. She puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey." I tried *not* to fight him, but... anyhow. * Satoshi looks over at Katie and Kaede. * Haruko doesn't turn around. "Kaede. Please stay. I'm going to find out today if Yushiro was responsible for what happened to Maki and Nanami." * Kaede blinks slightly and looks over at Katie. Now that you look at it, he's got bags under his eyes. "Huh? Oh, it's you." * Katie looks him over with concern. "Yeah, it's me. You're just going to walk out without so much as a hi, how are you? Or letting me ask?" Wha? * Kaede looks over at the door oddly, blinking twice, then back at Katie. "I was?" Walking out, yes. Oh. Um. I'm sorry? * Haruko focuses on Satoshi. "We need to work on our technique. We're utterly unready for what we need to do. It's damned hard, but I don't think we could do it without you. You're our strength, in more ways then one." * Katie studies him for a moment. "Okay. Hi, how are you?" Hi. I feel like dropping dead. You? * Satoshi looks uncomfortable. "I know... I need to get things together, I know... I can't keep going on like I have been..." Less like dropping dead, more worried about you. Oh. * Taki looks up at Satoshi, "I try to help all I can, but there are times when we can't just run away." * Kaede looks slightly above Katie's shoulder. It seems like he's spacing a little. "...you shouldn't be." * Haruko nods. "If there's anything I can do for you. If you want to meet some martial artists who might help you learn more control I can introduce you. Anything I can do, just say it." I second that. I know we can't run... I'm... * Satoshi looks down for a second. "...well, thank you." * Katie snaps her fingers in front of Kaede's face. "Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't be worried about." She hesitates for a moment, then says, "You're the one who asked for a beating." So? * Katie looks him in the eyes. "So you almost died. And you tell me I shouldn't be worried?" Yes. Uh..is that a problem? * Katie grits her teeth for a moment, then grabs him by the shoulders. "*Yes*, it's a problem." * Haruko nods and quiets down a bit. "Unfortunately, we might not be able to avoid conflict today. Yushiro, or whoever is responsible, needs to be stopped." (::must resist urge to beat sense into Kaede...It doesn't work) But first, I think... well... * Satoshi indicates Katie and Kaede. * Haruko nods and turns over to face Katie and Kaede. * Kaede blinks and looks straight at Katie. His expression surprisingly doesn't show any shock or even irritation from being grabbed. "It is? Since when?" * Taki nods, "I'd love to take these one at a time, but I'm not sure he'll wait that long." Since always. Kaede... why? Why what? * Haruko thinks for a moment, rubs her forehead as she does. Why did you do it? Why did you need to just ask me those questions? You shouldn't. I shouldn't? Maybe I'm surprised you feel you need to ask them, Katie. * Taki leans on somebodies locker and listens to Katie and Kaede for a bit. * Haruko looks back at Taki and Satoshi and comments quietly. "Katie's approach a the moment is probably the best, we can jump in if we think of a way to help, but I don't think I can add anything right now." * Katie looks him in the eyes for a moment, then lets go. "So you think it's wrong for me to be worried?" * Kaede looks past Katie slightly, then at her, though more staring through her would be appropriate. "...you act as if I haven't taken punches before, Katie." * Satoshi nods briefly to Haruko. I act as though you haven't been beaten half to death before. And *asked* for it. * Haruko keeps a nice quite note. "Either fo you have a tape recorder? Aside from asking the fortune teller, my only idea is to insult the attacker in front of Yushiro, and see if that provokes him. If it does, we might be able to get evidence." I haven't? * Taki shakes her head, "Sorry." I don't. * Katie looks at Kaede. "Have you?" ...maybe. But it doesn't really matter. It's not important. * Haruko narrows her eyes and looks over at Kaede. It's a yes or no question. And yes, it is. ... No, Katie. It's not. * Taki looks between Satoshi and Kaede and then murmers mostly to herself, "Are you the only male arcana who isn't compleatly nuts?" (::passess popcorn to Satoshi and Haruko::) * Katie folds her arms. "Why not?" (::Haruko munches and passes it on to Satoshi::) Because you said you'd respect my choice. (* Satoshi munches and watches. Hey, it's more entertaining than most movies.) ( I'm working on a plot. I really am ;_; ) * Kaede walks past Katie back to his locker and opens it again. * Katie doesn't move, and doesn't look back at Kaede. "I did. I let him kick the crap out of you." * Satoshi murmurs. "Exactly..." So we're on the same page. Good. * Haruko looks over to Katie and blinks, she looks like she thinking. * Kaede takes something out of it and closes the locker again. ( It's a possum ) ( He calls the big one Bitey! ) * Taki mumbles, "And now if we can turn to the page where you learn that pain hurts and not to do it again..." (*snerks*) Yeah. Wonderful. But because I let him do it, I shouldn't be worried? Whether or not you've had this happen to you before isn't important? Where did you come up with this? No. You shouldn't. Because if it's my choice, then it's none of your business. Now is it? * Haruko suddenly adopts an extremly sympathetic look and speaks really quietly. "You could have gotten Remi to safety.. but the test.. stopping the war versus letting him get beaten... that's a horrible choice to have to make." * Kaede turns his back to the locker and adjusts his glasses, starring straight at Katie from across the way now. Half glarring. * Kaede loses the glare and tilts his head to the side. "Are you...angry with me, Katie?" * Katie still doesn't look at him, staring across the hall instead. "Tell me, Kaede. If I asked for that to happen to me... for whatever reason, would you be worried? Would you care? Or would you pass it off as none of your business, and go on your happy way?" She glances at him now. "Or hard-working and depressed, as you like it." Hard-working and depressed? Where do you get that idea? That's not an answer. * Taki rubs at her forehead again. So? * Haruko focuses her attention on Kaede, and keeps her mouth shut through a great deal of effort. But yes I would care. Because it wouldn't be necessary. This was. If it *was* necessary. If it was the only way to save us. Would you care? Yes. * Kaede doesn't have any change of expression still. * Satoshi folds his arms and watches, knowing that there just isn't anything he could, or should, say. * Haruko plays with her hair without looking at it, she still focuses her attention on Kaede. * Katie looks at him full on. "Then who are you to judge me?" Because you're doing more than just caring. I think...I know why you're so upset anyways. Do you really, now. It's not because I got beat up. Is it? * Haruko keeps focusing on Kaede, she's startting to look a bit angry. I think you getting beaten up is a good part of it. But you seem to be sure of this, so go on. * Taki shakes her head back and forth and back again. Oh, I'm not saying that that's not a reason. It may even be a big reason. But it's not why you're upset at ME. * Katie doesn't say anything to that. It's because...you had no say over it..isn't it? * Haruko looks a great deal angrier. She keeps quiet though. * Katie stares at him for a long moment, fists clenched at her sides. "Really." * Taki tries to bang her head into the locker behind her quitly, she doesn't do a good job of it. * Satoshi stares at Kaede. Tell me why I shouldn't have done it then. Because it wasn't necessary. How so? You decided it was necessary. But it wasn't, and it looks like nothing I can do will say otherwise. * Kaede tilts his head to the side slightly. "I thought better of you, Katie Andrews." * Katie glares at him, but doesn't move. * Satoshi blinks several times, but keeps on watching. You say it wasn't. I say it was. You give your reasons. I'll give you mine. Just saying it wasn't doesn't make that true. * Taki rubs at the back of her head now, lockers are hard and Kaede is making her head hurt. (Hee.) (*snerk*) * Haruko shifts from one foot to another. She then glances back at Taki, walks over to her and puts her hand on Taki's forehead for a little quick healing. (Eerie silence...I don't think we've ever had just two characters talking with each other for this long before. @_@) * Haruko whispers as she's at it. "I don't know how much more of this I can take." * Taki blinks up at Haruko as her headache starts to fade and then puts her hand on Haruko's wrist, "I think you should save this for him, I'm not sure he'll thankyou, but..." * Katie glares at him for a moment longer, then forces her hands to relax. "Fine. There were five of us and two of them. Kyon handled Senshirou on his own before. Remi was hostage, true, but if one of us got Natsuko away from her, Taki could have teleported her out. And us too, for that matter." Right. And get the REST of the Band revenge-crazed? * Haruko puts her hand back, gently. "Doesn't work that way. And I'll do it even if I have to hunt him down, have Satoshi hold him and then heal." We already had two of them after us. They're satiated now. They don't think you're Judgement. None of the Band is really a threat anymore. * Haruko keeps whispering. "And I gave up hope on thanks long ago." And most importantly, no one got hurt during it. *You* got hurt! And you could have been killed! How the hell could you trust them? If you were killed, then where's your perfect plan? * Taki stands up and pushes Haruko out of her way on that one, "You are not! Not! No one!" * Satoshi blurts out. "No one? Is that what you really think?" But I wasn't, Katie. That doesn't make it right. You seem to ignore that fact. You're not listening to me. That doesn't make it right. It never has. Katie...do you often look at the potential rather than the material? These cards have been affecting you more than I thought. * Haruko turns back to Kaede. "Have you considered treating us or at least treating Katie with half the respect you demanded back there?" What reason would they have to kill me? * Kaede looks blankly at Haruko. "How do you figure?" Do you have any idea how hard it was for us to let you do that? Really? It shouldn't have been. It was logical. No, it wasn't! And...Katie said it was my choice...but now it looks like she's having second thoughts. Oh yeah? Well why did it have to be you? Even if it was necessary, it wasn't necessary that it be you. Logical would have us splitting it up so a few of us got hurt a little, or escaping there with Remi, not letting you get nearly killed. Because I'm the one who threw the first punch at Tenjirou. I'm the reason the whole thing started. It could have been me. It *should* have been me, really... but, you know, I consider you a friend and I respect you, so I stood down. Even if it was killing *me*, too. Shut up. * Satoshi isn't entirely sure who that's addressed to, but he does. * Kaede GLARES at Taki. "Weren't you even LISTENING to me? The Band is SATIATED because they beat someone up. They would have been enraged if we took the hostage with nothing to show for it." * Haruko laughs derisively. "I would have beaten Tenjirou into a coma if it was necessary. Any of us would. That it was you who through the punch is irrelevent. It was logically necessary as you'd put it." So I accept the consequences of my actions. * Kaede rubs his forehead. "And now..I have a headache." Good. But...Tenjirou is my responsibility. Tenjirou is Tenjirou's responsibility. Remi had to be gotten to safety. * Kaede laughs slightly. "Good?" Haruko, shut up. * Katie looks at Kaede. "You don't really think it was about Tenjirou, do you?" * Satoshi shakes his head, looking extremely frustrated. * Taki shakes her head as the words she wants refuse to come. To Natsuko it was. * Haruko folds her arms and then walks over to Taki and Satoshi. She's not the one who beat you. She wasn't the one calling the shots. No. But she was there. * Haruko comments quietly. "Katie can do this better than I, but I can't just stand here silently. I'm going to check on Chikako, either of you want to come?" She never would have pulled it off by herself. If she were the only one there, would you have let her do it? * Satoshi looks briefly at Katie and Kaede. "Yeah. I'm not doing any good here at all, and now *I'm* getting tempted to punch something, which is extremely bad." If she couldn't be convinced otherwise? Yes. None of the rest of the Band were there. They weren't interested in revenge for Tenjirou. The only one you'd be getting mad is her. She's not important enough to nearly die over, is she. * Haruko looks up at Satoshi. "It's not just you, trust me." She then walks off in the general direction of the newspaper office. As she goes she says softly. "Katie, call me if you need us. I'm sorry I interfered." * Taki looks up at Satoshi and then over at Katie, "I hate not being able to anything, but if I go with you it'll be admiting that...but I can't get through to him either." * Kaede hesitates just a bit, seeming to be pondering something. * Satoshi looks back down at Taki. "You can't do everything, Taki, and you shouldn't feel like you have to. But... yeah. This is frustrating." ...maybe I wouldn't. No. You wouldn't. * Kaede slowly looks up at Katie. * Katie continues, coldly, "Going by your logic, it was your fault, because of Tenjirou. But it wasn't about Tenjirou. It was about me." Are you saying you're responsible for me? But...fighting them wouldn't have done any good either. * Kaede frowns at that but doesn't respond. Either way, I'm sure they would have decided I'm not who they thought I was. Kaede, there are things I want to tell you, but they arn't logical reasons. Maybe you'll listen to them later. ::she runs off after Satoshi.:: * Satoshi has followed Haruko. ^^; * Katie tilts her head. "Rather, Senshirou. Natsuko was completely fooled." So...what do you think we should have done instead? Fighting them would still be just as disasterous. We'd have the whole Band on our tail." * Kaede looks at Katie and a glimmer of recognition comes over his face. "...Senshirou...that's who that was..." Not necessarily. You saw how they get along. I heard. * Katie nods. Did we? Maybe some of them..but we don't know what this Senshirou could have said to make things worse..and Natsuko...probably could have convinced at least some of them. Senshirou wouldn't have pressed. If we'd attacked? It was a test, Kaede. That's all he was there for. I'm sure he expected us to. * Katie looks away. "You don't see him hunting down Kyon, do you?" We also don't know what Kyon did exactly. We don't know anything about Kyon when you think about it, Katie. And we know a lot about you? Or me? Or anybody else we work with? * Katie smiles humorlessly. "Oh, right. I want to run your life. How could I forget." ...apparently not. Or you'd know why I did it in the first place. * Kaede frowns hesitantly. "...don't put words in my mouth, Katie Andrews." You're the one who said them. I just put them back. No. I said you didn't have a say. Not being in control of the situation is different than wanting to run my life... Did...you really think that I believed you wanted to run my life? You're my situation, and I can't control you. Since when did I become your situation? * Kaede tilts his head to the side. "...or don't you trust me to decide things that I believe are right?" You became my situation when a teenage boy with messy brown hair and a black jacket walked into our class. * Kaede blinks slightly, then smirks a little, head still tilted. "Do you say that about most of your friends or am I just that interesting?" * Katie shrugs. "Friends, not friends, what does it matter? I deal with you. You're a situation, and one that I'm in." ...no. That doesn't make me your situation. It doesn't make me your responsibility. That's...not right, Katie Andrews. You didn't tell me that it's my responsibility. You just told me I want to control it. And that's why I'm upset at you. Isn't it? I..think so. * Kaede rubs his forehead. "Then why ARE you upset with me?" * Kaede falters against the wall and slides to the floor, head hanging. He looks exceptionally drained. What, now you don't believe yourself? I..don't know anymore. But..there wasn't any way out of that that wouldn't have made the situation worse. * Katie watches him, but doesn't take a step closer. "You don't know that." Maybe not. But I believe it. Can you deny that fighting them could have provoked them to bring more reinforcements next time? Can you deny that they might have killed you? I..never thought they would have killed me. I did. They were holding an innocent hostage. There isn't much further to go. You misunderstand me. I didn't say I thought they wouldn't try to kill me. I said I never thought they would have killed me. No? I don't know if I could have stopped them. I haven't been in enough fights to know the difference between unconscious and dead in that half a second of time. It doesn't really matter, Katie. It worked out. You can't deny that. Then why are you arguing it with me? * Kaede smiles slightly, but it seems sort of sad. "Because you don't believe it was right." What do you care? I didn't have any say, according to you. It wasn't my decision. I shouldn't even be worried about you. Never mind that I was there and, by your logic, I was the reason you let this happen to you. It's not that..it's just...I thought you trusted me to make the right decisions. * Kaede looks away at that, going silent. * Katie shakes her head. "I do. And I should be able to disagree with you. Trusting someone doesn't mean blindly accepting everything they do." ...I suppose not. But I'm not asking you to blindly accept it, am I? You're asking me to trust you. I do. I did, even, despite that I'd rather have you hate me than ever go through that again. So what's the problem? * Kaede blinks at that and gives Katie a weird look. What? * Kaede looks down slightly and sighs. "..nothing." * Katie blinks. "Don't lie to me." You...really don't know..do you. * Kaede sounds like he made a statement, not a question. I might not. I'm not a mind reader. ( You rang?) * Kaede sighs even deeper. ( Shut up. You don't even know you're a mind reader yet.) ( ...fine. ^^;) ( Yes, do keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep.) (He read your mind without knowing it that you were a mind reader, and answered subconsciously. =P) Maybe...I'm just too tired. * Katie looks mildly annoyed now. "What is it, Kaede." You...really don't accept what I've done. * Katie lets out a sigh. "I don't know what you mean. You did it. I can't change it. I accept that, for whatever reason, you thought it was the right thing and still do." You do? Yeah. It didn't take this talk for that. I guess...that's enough then. * Kaede lets out a long breath. I hope so. So...what do we do now? ( Sleep in the open! Sleep in the open! ) * Katie walks over to Kaede and has a seat next to him, leaning back against the locker and closing her eyes. "Do you want to get back to work or take the day off?" * Kaede grins at Katie. "Which work?" * Katie snerks. "The one I'm involved in." * Kaede smiles slightly. "Arcana don't get days off." ( You get Sunday off! ) * Katie waves dismissively, still not interested in opening her eyes. "Can always catch a movie." * Kaede blinks slightly and ponders it. "A movie...I think I'd like that." Well, if you want to do it today, I'd need to check with Chikako to see if it's okay. We were going to do something tonight. * Katie opens her eyes and looks at Kaede. "But if not, or if just for us, some other time, maybe? Would that work?" Yeah..I think that'd be fine. * Katie grins. "" * Kaede groans slightly at that and tries to pick himself up but doesn't seem to have the energy. So, if no life-threatening, horrible situations happen, we can go see a movie this week. When's good? * Katie gets to her feet and offers a hand down to the half-dead mechanic. * Kaede laughs at that and accepts the help gratefully. "I think I can make special arrangments for you." * Katie pulls him up and laughs herself. "I feel loved." You should. According to you, I got beaten up for you. * Kaede dusts himself off. "Shall we go find the others?" Sure. They're at the newspaper office. * Katie goes that way. * Kaede heads. TO THE OFFICE! (THE OFFICE!) (THE OFFICE!) (THE FU er...THE OFFICE!) [You head up the stairs. As you start up from the bottom, Saki comes down from the top.] * Katie waves. "Hi Saki." Saki pauses. "Hm? Oh, it's you." * Kaede blinks and looks at Saki for a moment. Then starts cracking up. * Katie starts, then looks at Kaede. Saki raises an eyebrow. * Kaede snickers and waves his hand. "It's...nothing really." * Katie smiles a little before looking back at Saki. "How are you?" Saki eyes Kaede a bit longer, then shrugs. "Well enough." * Katie nods. "Did you find anything more on those drugs? We got... a little sidetracked." Saki pauses a bit. "... Maybe. I've got some names." * Katie blinks. "Yeah? Do you want to share?" Saki shrugs. "I guess so. Probably won't be any use anyhow, but it'll cut down on the amount of time I waste going through them. * Kaede stops snickering and looks for a second at Saki before turning with his kaban and kneeling down, opening it up. "We've got something too..maybe we can share." * Katie steps a little away from Kaede, giving him room. * Saki moves closer to the railing. "You do?" * Kaede nods. "A place. Supposedly it's where Chariot did his work." Where? * Kaede pulls out his notebook and takes out the page where he wrote the addresses they got from the jail. "Here." He apparently just leaves the merchandise there. Never asks for money. Never asks for a return. * Kaede adjusts his glasses. "Not that that's surprising." * Katie nods. * Saki nods. * Kaede copies them down for himself and gives the page to Saki. * Saki takes the page and looks at it before stuffing it into a pocket. Now, you said you had names? * Saki nods. "Maybe false leads, but probably dealers." * Kaede hmms. "It could be. The dealers...don't seem to know much. I think they might drop the drugs in a field." That explains why they never know anything. * Kaede nods slightly. "But it's possible there might be some arcana who are dealers out there." Could be. There was at least one. And they'd be more apt to make deals with those in charge...but on the same token, harder to get information out of... * Kaede sighs and rubs his temple. In any case, names are probably useful. * Kaede lets out a curt nod. ( Agreed. Lemme find some :P ) (Joey Joe Joe Shabadoo?) (Zack, Zaqu, Zeek, Zorak) Got three leads for now: Fumio Ebisawa at Serizawa High, Ryan McNeil at Tokugawa High and Ayako Kunoichi at Seiryuu High. * Katie blinks. "Ayako Kunoichi? The modeling contestant?" * Kaede blinks slightly, then looks straight at Saki. "Ayako?" Model? Yeah. The one they..um...asked you to be in too? * Saki shrugs. "Doesn't much matter what your job is." Oh yeah. That. I just recognized the name, really. Not that they um...errr...nevermind. * Kaede scratches his head. (Hey, White Day is in about three game days, isn't it?) ( Is it? @_@ ) (Candy!) (Yup!) [The rest of the group appears at the top of the stairs.] (Wah! Must go shopping!) (Must get revenge on silly girls at other school who gave us chocolate on St Vals) (Somehow, I think giving Remi chocolate would be a Bad Idea.) (Why, she'll go on a sugar rush?) ( Only if you said it was a friendship only thing. :P ) (Oh, no, wait, she probably *won't* stab Satoshi with an icicle this time. My bad.) * Haruko walks down the steps and waves at the group, particularly Saki. "Hey guys. Satoshi, Taki, and I are going to see if we can go find Saori. Unless you need us." * Kaede shakes his head. "We're fine..thanks, Haruko. In fact..." He turns to Saki. "Was there anything else?" * Taki waves and nods to the three. * Saki shrugs. "Not really." * Katie nods at them. "It's not a problem." Okay. Take care, guys. * Haruko nods and then looks at Katie. "If we can't find her, could you call Kyon and ask him to do a reading? I can give you a call with the results or lack there of tonight." * Kaede looks at Katie and raises an eyebrow. "Don't want to go with them?" * Saki continues down the stairs without another word. See you tomarrow. * Katie shrugs. "I'm doing something with Chikako today." She glances their way, and continues in a much softer voice, "And hopefully they won't keep things from me again." (Don't worry, I'm sure Chikako will be more than willing to tell you.) * Haruko keeps watching Katie, hoping for an answer to her request. * Katie speaks up. "I'll do that. Let me know." * Kaede blinks at that and gives Katie a look. * Haruko nods and smiles. "Will do." She then walks off leading her rag-tag crew of, uh, researchers. [Session End]