[Camera 2 follows Kaede and Haruko. Kaede just ran out after his sister, who hit him with her purse. She escaped! If it wasn't for that kid, Kaede would have gotten away with it, too... Or something.] [Start!] * Haruko stands in the middle of the store, trying to look like she knows what she's doing. * Kaede stumbles slowly back into the shop slowly and holds onto the doorframe. Even though he only ran a tiny bit, he looks rather drained. * Haruko looks concerned as she walks over to him. "What happened? Are you okay?" * Kaede just stumbles in towards the counter with a glazed look on his face and thumps into the chair. [Kaede, call on line 1!] * Haruko frowns for a second and then walks over to the chair. "This one of the times where I should ask questions until you're ready to talk or just leave you alone?" * Kaede doesn't make a move to answer the phone. He just sort of sits there, staring at nothing. * Kaede whispers, almost inaudibly, but very weak. "...that's it then. My life is over." * Haruko looks around for the ringing. [This his cell or the business phone?] ( His cell phone ) * Haruko doesn't try to grab the phone. "Nanami's angry at you?" * Kaede doesn't say anything, just staring blankly into space. ( Ya think? :P ) * Kaede then replies, slowly, very delayed. "...she thinks I want to kill her..." * Haruko tilts her head. "Why would she think that?" * Kaede doesn't respond. It's hard to tell if he even recognizes that Haruko's there. * Haruko bites her lip. * Haruko puts her hand on Kaede's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you? Wanna talk? Want me to shut up?" ...that's the last of them then. They all left me... * Haruko frowns and says very quietly, "You're talking about your family... that's horrible." She then speaks up. "She'll be back, she loves you." * Kaede gets up without noticing the hand on his shoulder, not seeming to look much where he's going. * Haruko lets her hand hang limp and keeps an eye on where he's going. * Kaede stumbles along side the wall then falters a bit, his palm slapping against the lightswitch a little deliberately. He grits his teeth slightly as he does. * Haruko hurries to the front and locks the door and switches the sign to closed. She regularly glances back at Kaede while she's at it. ( Just a sec folks. Arcana is now loading. ) () [The lights flicker and go out.] * Kaede keeps his hand there for a moment and loses the grit. He just hangs on the wall for support. * Haruko doesn't really seem surprised by the lights and rushes over to him. ( Haruko, perception check! -1 bonus ) (make!) [Haruko gets there. :P] (Whoo!) (Without stumbling over stuff. Yay!) * Kaede keep facing the same way and talking idly. "You don't understand, do you? Love me? That's exactly what she told me about HER and look where that got me. Family? Ha! Nanami's the only family I have left...and now..." * Haruko puts an arm around Kaede and tries to support him some. "C'mon, you need to sit down." And all because of...pointless nonsense about me being tied to some occidental card. It's ludicrous. My sister comes home in a bloody pulp and now...now... * Kaede whirrs on Haruko and knocks her hand away, gritting his teeth. "Don't you DARE tell me what I need, Haruko-san! Don't you DARE!" * Kaede breathes heavily as he glares at the darkness, his eyes flashing briefly before subsiding. [The darkness does not yet attack. Maybe you should cast magic missile at it.] * Haruko pulls her hand back but doesn't flinch otherwise. "Go ahead and fall here if you like. But Nanami will be back, it'll take more than these gaijin card to drive her off." ( It'll take Miho, coming to work for you :P ) ( Yup. And really, could you blame her? :P ) Yeah? And tell me, Haruko-san. If she doesn't? What do I have left? ( A giant stuffed panda. ) * Kaede pulls his hand away from the lightswitch and takes a step forward. [The lights come back on.] * Haruko sighs. "Almost nothing you hold dear. I hope that'll change some day, after Nanami returns." Yes..well...Kaori-san didn't. * Haruko looks Kaede in the eyes. "I think you should have more faith in your sister." * Kaede looks warily and almost sadly at Haruko. "Why? She didn't have faith in me...." * Kaede walks back over to the counter and plops in the seat again. Because you're the older brother. You've known her all her life. And unfortunately being the wise one is one more responsibility that's fallen on your shoulders. ...I thought I knew her. I thought...I thought she'd actually believe me. Put trust in me. I've proven myself enough. After all, I've tried to rescue her more times than I can count... Now she suddenly thinks I want to attack her? And you want me to have FAITH in her? The only person I have that's important in my life is AFRAID of me. And I can't even attempt to tell her the truth because of that fucking bitch. People get scared when their world is shattered... she'll be back once she can think things through, she knows you, she just has to remember that. ...I thought I knew her too. I guess...we were both wrong. * Kaede stands up and wanders towards the doorway to head out. Where are you going Kaede? Does it matter now? * Kaede goes out! * Haruko uses the time he takes unlocking the door to catch up. "You still have people that care about you, even if we don't give meaning to your life. I'm one of them.. I'm not leaving you alone." * Kaede doesn't seem like he cares one way or the other. * Haruko sighs. "Kaede, please lock the door behind you. Otherwise I'll have to search you for your keys, and neither of us wants that." ( I bet :P ) * Haruko takes this time to get out a scrap of paper and jot down a quick note. * Kaede stops and throws the door open, not bothering to lock it. * Haruko keeps standing outside and writing the note. "I promised to help at the store today, I won't let it be robbed. Please do this the easy way..." Her tone is a bit pleading near the end. * Kaede keeps walking, not looking back. He does reply though with "You can just lock the inside lock and close the door behind you, you know." * Haruko finishes the note and sticks it just inside. She says through gritted teeth. "I'm not leaving you alone." I never said you had to. I don't really care. I do! ::Haruko the flinches a bit and it starts drizzling. She then tries to get Kaede's keys:: That's nice. Oh fine, here. * Haruko whispers. "Thank the Kami." She then takes the keys, locks up, and tails Kaede. [God would give Haruko a thumbs up, but this isn't MC.] * Kaede walks down the road, thrusting his hands in his pockets. He's not going anywhere specific, just wandering around the neighborhood. * Haruko then keeps a few meters behind Kaede him, looking pensive. It's still drizzling. * Haruko dials Taki number on her cell and frowns as she gets no answer. She then calls up Satoshi. * Kaede gets drizzled on. He doesn't seem to care about that either. Just hands thrusted in pockets and walking aimlessly. Well, straight but aimlessly. Through the scenery we go! * Haruko holds the phone to here ear, waiting to see if Satoshi will pick up. She keeps the same distancec behind Kaede. * Kaede splashes a puddle as he walks down the road. His eyes focus straight ahead. * Haruko mutters as she walks. "C'mon.. pickup." * Haruko comments in a quiet serious tone. "Couldn't get through to Taki, I was a little worried.. This a good time? Not inteerrupting an interogation am I?" * Haruko is quiet for a second and then resumes speaking quietly. "Umm.. it's a little complicated. Give me Katie or tell her to listen in. I think she may know best." * Kaede walks a little faster now, blowing out another breath. * Haruko falls back another half a meter, takes bigger steps, and quiets a bit more. "Kaede got in a fight with Nanami while I was in the back of the store. She ran off, apparently thinking he wants to kill her." I don't know. He apparently tried to explain Arcana again and it went badly. I was trying not to eavesdrop. * Haruko keeps quiet and adds an edge of worry to her tone. "He's wandering the streets, I had to bully him to get him to even lock up the story. ::drops to whisper:: He thinks Nanami has abandoned him just like his mother did, I think he's wrong, but without Nanami... I don't know what he'd do.. but you know what he's let someone else do to him. I'm not leaving him alone. * Kaede turns the corner at random. To the right. * Haruko scurries to get around the corner, then lets herself fall back a again once he's safely within sight. * Haruko sighs. "Neither do I. I don't know what to do aside from stay with him until Nanami calls. I left a note at the store with my nunmber in case he doesn't pick up. Was that you guys who called him before?" Oh.. that's good. How about Arisu? Maybe you could.. wait, no, I'm forgetting about Kaede. "Do you have any ideas? I tried giving something vaguely like a hug and he pushed me away.... * Haruko keeps speaking, fairly rapid fire. "And I'm pretty certain he doesn't wake up and think, ooh, another day of being annoyed by Haruko-san, well, that's certainly a reason to live." * Haruko nods, stops talking, and looks pensive as she continues to shadow Kaede. * Kaede keeps walking with his normal slightly-frowning expression on his face. He definitely doesn't look like he thinks of another day of being annoyed by Haruko-san as a reason to live, but doesn't say a word. * Haruko shrugs and comments sadly "I tend to think life itself is enough.. but I don't have to deal with what he does. Guess I'll try yelling and then just leave him alone." Want me to hang up? For your ears' sake? * Haruko nods. "Same here. I'll call you if the situation changes." * Haruko then hangs up the phone and gets a look of grim determination. It stops drizzling. * Haruko then jogs up in front of Kaede, makes sure no immediate obstacles are coming up, and tries walking backwards, facing him. * Kaede stops for just a second, then tries to walk around her. * Haruko keeps a pace to stay in front of him takes a deep breath, and then yells, not top of her lungs, but with a hell of a lot of feeling. Damn it Kaede! There are things in this world you can't control. Arcana, that memory bitch, me, and your sister.... So? * Kaede steps towards the other side to get around her again. * Haruko quickens the pace and keeps it loud. "So you can decide when Nanami realizes she's wrong, whether you'll be at be there waiting for her. That's alll you." You assume there will be a "when," Haruko. When did my mother decide that she was wrong? She hasn't yet in at least 3 years. 4 if you count what she did to Dad. When did the hospitals decide it was "wrong" to treat my grandfather like a living corpse? * Haruko sounds a bit more angry with the yelling. "Nanami's earned an evening of waiting. Nanami's not your mother, Nanami's not the hospital. And if you're gone when she gets back, you'll regret it, a lot. And you have enough weight on your shoulders already." If she thinks I'm going to go after her, fine. Whatever. Temperance ruins my life and I have to suffer the consequences. Do you think I asked for ANY of this, Haruko-san?? * Kaede stops enough to glare straight at Haruko. ( Sure. You're in the game, aren't ya? :P ) * Haruko keeps the volume. "Of course I don't, but what you really care about is her, one blow up hasn't changed that, she's family! That should mean something to you, even if it didn't mean anything to your mother." * Kaede snorts and turns his head away. "She has, so what? If she's going to run from me every time she sees me, then maybe it's just better off if I'm not around. I haven't done anything but get in the way since I've been born." She loves you damn it, and you love her. That matters, this doesn't. A lot of good that did. Love is just a waste of time anyhow. I don't know why I even bother. ( Haruko gets eaten by a big purple dinosaur ) (/me rips his bloody heart out and keeps up her conversation) Listen to that line of thought and your life isn't worth living either way, if you go back, if you try to trust her... Maybe, someday, when all this is over, you could be happy.. It's worth fighting for. * Kaede looks calmly at Haruko out of the corner of his eyes, pulling his jacket up slightly. "Is my life really worth living? What have I been doing, really, for the past how many years?" Do whatever you want, Haruko-san. I'm out of here. * Kaede goes to walk past her again. * Haruko looks down and then follows him. "For a smart guy, you are a complete and utter fool." [End!]