[Day: Wednesday, March 19th. Time: 5:00 p.m.] [Weather: Warm, sunny and clear.] [And so you split up and scoured (the school to find Arisu Senada for some reason. She's rather elusive, however; Katie, Satoshi and Taki all run into each other in the student cafeteria after more than an hour's worth of searching.] [Session Start!] * Satoshi waves to Katie and Taki. "Hey! Either of you guys find Arisu?" * Katie looks around distractedly. She notices Satoshi, smiles a little, and shakes her head. "Nope." * Taki sits at a table with a rather crudly drawn map of where Arisu isn't...which is a good part of the school and looks up as Satoshi calls, "Not a trace of her." * Satoshi sighs and sits down at the table across from Taki. "Guess we'll have to try again tomorrow, then." * Taki nods, "Maybe she went off campus to research something for a story...or just home." * Katie walks over, too, having a seat next to Satoshi. She looks at the map. "People do go home, yeah." * Taki draws another big X through the box labled Cafeteria. * Taki sighs, "Either of you find anything interesting that wasn't Arisu?" Not really. * Katie shakes her head. "Not yet." * Satoshi looks around. "So... I'm ready to go home. How 'bout you?" * Katie turns to look at Satoshi. "I was thinking we could do something, maybe." * Taki sprawls on the bench and holds one of her hands above her face as she counts off things she can remember she's supposed to do today, "Dinner, homework, not get eatin by insane Arcana...Nothing important to do here." * Taki lets her arm drop over her face. * Satoshi glances briefly at Taki, then looks back at Katie, then shakes his head. "Sorry. Kinda gotta catch up on homework, maybe get in some practice, too. And sleep would be nice. Haven't had as much of that as I want lately." Ah Hocky practice, I knew I was forgetting something. * Taki sits up, "Wait...isn't that in the morning?" * Katie frowns a little. "Yeah. Isn't it?" Official practice is. But I wanted to put in some extra time. And I was going to ask you to dinner, too. Guess I'll eat by myself. Ahh. * Taki doesn't shoot a look at Katie. Nope, not a one. Never...Well...just a little angry one...but who's counting? Ah, sorry. Maybe... maybe another day? * Satoshi looks a little confused, but that's nothing abnormal. * Katie rolls her eyes. "Yeah, another day. When? There's no knowing when there'll be someone trying to kill us again." Well, if random Arcana don't kill us, my teachers will. I really *have* to get this work done. Fine, I'll help you. * Satoshi shakes his head. "You don't need to, really. I can do it, I just need time." I'd offer, but you've both seen my grades. * Katie grins at Taki. "Yeah, we have." And really, I'd like to. I guess we could all work on it together... * Taki looks at Katie. * Katie falls silent for a moment, then says, "I'd rather not." I wouldn't be much help to either of you anyway, you're both ahead of me...You need to dig out everybody else, they've been over this stuff allready...well..Two of them have and one probibly needs the assignments given to him. There, you see? She wouldn't help anyway. * Satoshi stands up abruptly. "I'm going home." I'll see you both tomorrow, okay? * Taki winces. * Katie frowns, turning to Satoshi. "Wait. What did I do?" You don't have to snipe at her. What are you talking about? I was just stating a fact. She agreed with me! But the way you put it sounded so harsh. So? At least I'm not avoiding saying anything. * Taki looks down at her feet, and then up at the other two, "Sometimes the truth is harsh, I probibly need to go study more than either of you, so..." * Katie stands, too, reaching for her satchel. "Yeah, sure. It's not like I'm welcome here, anyway." * Satoshi sighs. "I'll... fine, whatever." That's not what I... No, no. You wanted to talk to her. I'll leave. * Taki looks nearly as confused as Satoshi right now, and a little pink, "I..." I didn't mean to... I mean, I didn't... * Satoshi trails off and stares at the surface of the table. Look, I'm sorry, okay? Yeah. * Katie looks over at Taki, then back to Satoshi. "But I know you want to talk to her, so go ahead. I'll be outside." * Katie shoulders her satchel and walks out. "Have fun." * Satoshi sits back down at the table and buries his face in his hands for a few seconds. "Well. That couldn't have gone worse." * Taki blinks twice and then bangs her head into the map. "Are are..." [France gets crushed.] (France is part of the school? I knew the map was off, but I didn't know it was that off. :/) * Satoshi looks back up at Taki. "Okay. So, can we talk?" [The French teacher's office gets crushed.] * Taki sighs, "Give me a moment to decide what kind of liar I am..." I'd rather you be honest. * Taki gives Satoshi a weak grin, "I would too, but I can't get out of this one with having lied to you, Katie, myself or any combination of the above." All of the above? Give me a minute, I can figure out a way...it wouldn't be too hard right now. * Satoshi reaches out and puts a hand on her arm. "Please don't? Because I want to be honest with you." * Taki looks up into Satoshi's eyes..."Right...well the way that has the most of the truth...and the least of anything else would be..." * Taki points at the side of her head. "Have a look for yourself." You really want me to do that? ...Not really, no...but this about the only way I can think of to do it and be completely honest about it... * Taki mutters an apology in the direction of the door Katie is probably listening behind. Yeah, but... it feels like a horrible invasion of your privacy. * Taki sighs, "It's a pit I dug myself into..." * Satoshi takes a deep breath. "Okay." He stares straight into her eyes. * Taki looks up into Satoshi's. [It's very quiet.] * Taki nods to herself. [You could hear a pin drop.] (*drops pin*) ( *ting!* ) (*Katie critfails another hearing roll and goes deaf again) ( "This cereal makes noises when you pour milk on it." *AAOOOOGA!* ) * Taki blushes pink. (... I want that cereal.) * Satoshi blinks and looks very, very startled. * Taki starts turning a deeper shade of red. * Taki sighs and closes her eyes for a moment and looks down. * Taki opens them again and lookes back into Satoshi's face. * Taki is now beat red. * Satoshi shakes his head. * Satoshi blinkblinks. * Satoshi looks very startled. Again. * Satoshi blinks and looks confused. * Taki 's blush has been fading for a while now, and is nearly gone. * Taki changes course and starts back twords pink. * Satoshi frowns. * Taki nods. * Taki nods again. * Taki tenses to stand up, but then relaxes again. * Satoshi sighs. * Taki sighs. * Satoshi shakes his head. * Taki counts off three of her fingers to Satoshi. * Taki holds up a lock of blue hair and one of red hair to Satoshi. * Taki gives a halfhearted chuckle. * Taki rubs at the bridge of her nose. * Satoshi smiles just a little. * Taki sighs again. * Satoshi sighs, too. * Taki nods. * Satoshi smiles a bit once more. * Satoshi 's smile widens. * Taki grins, says "Deal," gives Satoshi a quick hug and vanishes. * Satoshi is hugged. * Satoshi exits the cafeteria. * Katie isn't there! Imagine that. * Satoshi starts walking towards the exit to the school. * Katie isn't there, either. She is, however, right outside the building itself, with her hands in her pockets. She turns to look at Satoshi as he walks out. Hi. Hi. Looks like you're done. * Katie blinks. "Where's Taki? Did she vanish off?" Yep, I'd say I'm done. And she left. Oh. Why, did you want to say something to her? * Katie runs a hand through her hair. "So, what's wrong? I know things didn't go that well earlier today, and talks alone usually don't, but... huh?" I was just wondering. Things went fine. * Katie pokes Satoshi, the one hand still in her pocket. "It doesn't *look* like things went fine." Things with me and Taki are fine. Then what is it? You ever wonder why you thought you knew someone, when, really, you weren't even close? * Katie blinks. I... never really thought about it that way. But I'm not even sure if I ever had that problem. Yeah, well. I've got some things to think about. Well, who is it? Maybe if I know the person, I can help. No, I don't think you can really help me with this. At least not right at this moment. * Katie frowns. "Are you sure? What did she say?" Taki? Yeah. It's something she said, isn't it? * Satoshi nods. * Katie sighs. "Okay, I *know* we're after the same guy, but she doesn't have to badmouth me behind my back... oh, sorry, Satoshi. I'll go mope somewhere else and leave your moping space to yourself, if you want." Is that what you think she did? Hmm, I don't know. You go to talk to her alone, and now you're acting like you hate me or something. But things are fine between you two. * Satoshi sighs. "I don't hate you, but I am angry with you at the moment." What? Why? I don't like being pushed around, and I don't like having things go on behind my back. * Katie blinks. What are you *talking* about? It looks like Taki's the one going behind my back! I don't think she started it. * Katie stares at Satoshi for a moment, then looks away. "That doesn't answer my question." * Satoshi sighs. "I don't like seeing two people who I really care about fighting. Normally I'd either stay out of it altogether, or try and help resolve their differences. There isn't going to be a resolution to this that doesn't end in someone getting hurt, is there?" No. But it looks like our lives turned into one big world of pain anyway, so what's the difference? Yeah. After all, like you said, we could all be killed by some maniac tomorrow. And then it'd be over. The world isn't that good to us. * Katie sighs. "Now I'm sounding like Kaede. Forget it. I'll sort it out with Taki. You can... do whatever it is you were gonna do." Go home, do homework, sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. * Katie turns to go, then hesitates. "Actually... no, that's not such a good idea." Why not? Because now I can't trust her to tell the truth. And why's that? Because it doesn't look like you trust me. And I don't know what she said, but if it's something that did that... then... I *want* to trust you. I really do. But you don't! I'm just... I need some time to think. * Katie turns to glare at him. "You don't, after everything we've gone through! All I've done is *lose* trust, and I don't know what's going on!" You don't know? What makes you think I do? Looks like you have more of an idea than I do. I just want to know what you and Taki have said about me. * Katie blinks, losing the glare in an instant. "Said about you?" Yeah. You guys have talked about me... haven't you? In what way? I think we have when we were worried about you, wondered where you were. But nothing major, really. Really? Yeah, really. Why? You thought we were talking about you? Maybe? About this whole thing. With you and me and her. * Katie smiles a little. "Why don't you go with 'yes'? It's easier that way." I've never talked to her about it. I mean, that I've liked you. It'd be... awkward, I guess. I probably should have. It would've saved a lot of awkwardness. * Katie sighs. "I guess. So that's it? You don't trust me because you thought I was talking about you, but I wasn't, so now that you know I haven't, it would have been less awkward for you not to trust me if I did." Well... you weren't exactly nice to Taki before. * Katie frowns. "When? Okay, yeah, I'm not always really nice, but..." You didn't have to tell her she wouldn't help. But she wouldn't. Not with schoolwork, anyway. I help *her* with school, not the other way around. She's first year. But I could have helped her... never mind. This isn't worth arguing over. Is it really over schoolwork, anyway? If you want me to be nicer to her, I can try. I think I've been pretty nice to everybody, I guess. It's just everything's so frustrating, and... * Katie sighs. "You probably wouldn't get it. You're always nice to everyone." * Satoshi looks confused. "I try, yeah. I suppose I wouldn't get it, whatever it is." Then I guess I'll just say that I'm not always nice. Sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I don't have the energy to be nice all the time. * Katie looks away, wrapping her arms around herself. "And sometimes I'm human, and people screw up." * Satoshi blinks. "Yeah... true." But I don't think I ever meant to be mean to her, if that's what you're talking about. Why would I do that? I don't know. That's why I was surprised earlier. And upset. * Katie looks confused. "So she told you I was talking about you?" No, I meant with the homework thing. But I think I'm making more of an issue out of that than there really is. Maybe. Are you sure there isn't more to this than just homework? Well... If I decided that I wanted to be friends with you, and nothing more than that, and that I really wanted to go out with Taki, what would you do? * Katie blinks. "I... guess I'd be a little upset. But I hope we could still be friends. You're not going to do that, are you?" I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. But I don't want to be pressured into anything I don't want to do. * Katie nods and falls silent for a moment, then says, "Yeah. I understand." I don't want to hurt you. Really, I don't. You've helped me out a *lot*. But I don't want to hurt Taki, either, because she's been through so much. And I don't want you two to hurt each other. Okay, that's fine, no hurt. I'll try not to hurt anyone. Why'd I want to hurt Taki, anyway? She's been with me since the beginning. * Satoshi says, half to himself, "That's what I thought..." And I guess me liking you hurts her, but I can't change that. I don't see anything else I did, though. No, you can't. Just... in the end, this is my decision. * Katie sighs. "Yeah. I know." * Satoshi stretches. "So." So... you're not mad at me? Not anymore, anyway. * Satoshi shakes his head. "Nah. I figured it'd fade away. I can't really stay mad at people for long." * Katie looks slightly relieved. "Good. I guess the study idea is out, then." Yeah, I've really got a lot to do. Okay. * Katie darts in and hugs Satoshi. "I'll see you around." She hesitates a bit, then lets go. It's your choice, but you shouldn't wait forever to make it. * Satoshi is hugged. * Satoshi nods. "I won't." * Katie smiles sadly. "Yeah." She straightens her satchel and starts walking home. * Satoshi watches her go and sighs before heading homeward himself. [Session End!]