[Day: Thursday, April 7. Time: 7:15 p.m.] [Weather: Cooler and still drizzly.] [Katie is presumably at her home and gets a call from Haruko.] [Session Start!] * Katie is at home! She's in the middle of eating, in fact, and her phone vibrates. She chews on her asparagus as she checks the caller ID. * Katie swallows, then punches the button, putting her phone to her ear. "" * Haruko blinks for a second. "Hi Katie, this a good time?" I'm eating right now. Is something wrong? * Katie shifts the phone to her offhand/ear and picks up her chopsticks again. She gets some rice and pops that into her mouth, chewing. It isn't urgent. Want me to call back in a half hour? * Katie swallows. "If you want. Or we could meet somewhere. It's up to you." Too bad it's still raining outside. * Haruko thinks for a second. "Meeting might be better. You have a prefered place? I could hold off the rain for a bit, but it gets tiring." * Katie smiles a little. "Well, I don't want you falling asleep or something. Um, your place, I guess. Dad's working late again, but I don't know if I can keep Mom away." * Katie plucks a piece of pork and eats it. Sure. Doesn't bother me. ::she grins slightly:: If you're willing to run the risk of fields I'd be happy to give you a ride over or back. * Katie laughs a little. "Yeah, maybe. Kyon's bike, right?" Yeah. I even have an extra helmet. Okay. I'll see you in, um... a half hour, then? Sure, want me to just wait outside? Yeah. I'll see you then. [A half hour later Katie hears a bike that sounds very similar to Kyon's pull up outside.] * Katie peeks out one of the windows, then opens the door. She steps out. She's in the same outfit she wore earlier that day: coat, jeans, purple shirt, and sneakers. * Haruko glances over. She's wearing light jacket, the jeans and blouse combination from early that day, and her helmet. Even so, she does take a moment to give Katie a clear view of her face. She detaches a smaller helmet from the back of the bike and holds it out. * Katie checks Haruko's eyes as she walks over, then takes the helmet and puts it on. * Haruko drives back to her house. Not all that thrilling as the roads are still wet and Haruko exhibits some caution, although she does speed up when the road conditions allow. * Katie hangs on and doesn't seem to mind horribly. Hard to say, really. * Haruko pulls up to her house and the garage door opens automatically. Inside is a little cramped, there's the economical family car, a workshop in back, and room to park the bike. She stops the bike and gets off as the garage door closes behind you. * Katie gets off. She looks back as the door closes, but she removes her helmet and puts it down. * Katie glances around the garage. She takes a breath. * Haruko takes off her own helmet and then blinks and moves quickly to open the door to the living room. * Katie smiles, almost nervously, and scampers past Haruko and into the house. "Thanks." * Haruko secures both Katie's helmet to the bike and leaves her own (Light blue with a small water drop with a lightning bolt going through it on the back) on top of the motorcycle. She then joins Katie. * Haruko's house is fairly small but two level. There's a garage to the side, though not that big of one. The architecture and decoration is of a fairly traditional Japanese style. Not really old looking, but definite traditional aesthetics. [The interior has a living/sitting/dining room with a small shrine. Notably including Katie's picture of Isao. There's a kitchen off to the right.] [Katie and Haruko came in from the door on the far side of the sitting room is the door to the garage. There's a set of stairs up with a door underneath it in the middle of the house.] [The interior is highly traditional, screens, low tables, the whole deal.] [The style as a whole is nice and well cared for, but not ornate or flashy. There's actually a computer in the living room, but it's an older one. Not obsolete, but not remotely cutting edge. The same is true of the television.] * Katie glances around. She doesn't exactly look at the shrine, but she must notice the picture, because she says, "I can make you a better one, if you want." * Haruko takes off her shoes as she gets in. She looks thoughtful about that and doesn't respond for a moment. * Katie idly removes her shoes and sets them aside. * Haruko shakes her head. "Thank you, but it's just right." She then smiles. "Perhaps just remember him every now and then. We'd both be grateful." * Katie shakes her head. "I couldn't forget him if I tried. You're lucky to have someone like him as the last Queen of Cups, you know. We all are." * Haruko looks more than a little touched by that comment. "Thank you. I know." But that was in ten minutes. I don't know if it really does him, um, right. Just saying. * Haruko chuckles. "I think it does." * Katie shrugs. "You'd know better than me." So, want to talk down here or see my room? Think my parents will still be an hour. * Katie shrugs. It doesn't really matter. * Haruko thinks for a moment and partially gestures towards a chair before she suddenly gets an idea. She smiles slightly. "Room it is then." And she then heads upstairs. * Katie blinks, then follows Haruko up. [Upstairs there's a closed door, Haruko's room, and her parents room. Haruko leads you straight to her room.] * Katie glances at the door, but she continues to Haruko's room. [Haruko's room has a desk, a dresser, her bedmat, and an extra table under shelves on the wall. There's a window by her bedmat that overlooks the top of the garage.] [There's a few pillows and such for sitting on.] [On the wall hang several posters. There's Cloud with his motorcycle from FF7. Original Q from Bond with one of those eyewitness book style listing of gadgets behind him...] [The shelves are adorned with a range of model and RC car, many of which look like they could be functional and have been modded.] [More posters: She's got one of the Utena movie, emphasis on the finale car scene.] [And one of Bullitt the movie with a smiling Steve McQueen and a backdrop of a nice Ford and San Francisco] [The desk and workspace are actually nicely organized, although they have signs of heavy use.] [Hanging over Haruko's desk is a wall calendar featuring April's Subaru WRX with a fairly bishi looking Japanese guy lounging over it in a lightly suggestive manner.] * Katie looks around, then she says dryly, "I'm seeing a pattern." * Haruko doesn't notice the glance. She walks in and sits on her bed, gesturing broadly to the pillows. * Katie wanders over to the pillows and has a seat on one, stetching her legs out and then curling them in Indian-style. * Haruko adjusts her position slightly before looking over to Katie. "I'd like you to have an argument with me." * Katie blinks. That's weird. What for? * Haruko doesn't elaborate just yet. She watches Katie. * Katie idly removes her jacket, folding it and setting it to one side. * Haruko 's tone is quite straightforward and earnest. "Because we work together best when we do fight. You definately think I'm doing something important wrong or you wouldn't have been playing with my head back in the hallway." * Katie blinks again. * Haruko notices Katie's gesture and takes off her own jacket. She puts it up on her desk. Okay, Haruko. Did someone put something in your drink today? * Haruko first seems puzzled by the suggestion, but then seems slightly concerned. "Not that I noticed, why?" Just wondering. * Haruko nods and waits for the moment. * Katie folds her hands, then she gives up and opens her jacket again, reaching in and pulling out a small notepad and pencil. She refolds the jacket, then flips the pad open and taps the pencil on the end. * Haruko continues to wait for now. So, what? You must want me to argue about something in specific. Right? * Haruko nods. "Whatever most concerns you about me. I'd guess game playing." It's kind of like playing a game. * Katie looks down at her pad and she starts doodling. "It's like... looking at this like a game. It's almost like you see it as a game." Maybe you don't think it is one, but you act that way. * Haruko tilts her head and listens. * Katie pauses at her sketch for a moment, but she still doesn't look up. "We both know I'm not stupid. I know what you've been trying to do." She bites her lip for a moment, going back to her doodle. And that is making a play. You'd rather lead than follow. That's right, isn't it? * Haruko seems like she has a guess and then nods at the rest of what Katie says. "It's more than that." She frowns and looks down. "But that, well wanting lead, is part of it." Yeah, I noticed. You're used to people listening to you just because you're you. You think you deserve that. Maybe... I don't know how your club works, but people seem to listen to you there. But this isn't that, and it's pretty clear by now. * Haruko shakes her head. "You're wrong. I don't think I deserve it anymore." * Katie glances up. "Are you sure?" * Haruko nods. "I want it, but I have to earn it. Even when I push the group into action I still screw up a lot." She sighs. "Before you were kidnapped, after Kyon left, leading was how I found my place in the group. And there's more, but one issue at a time." Yeah, I remember. But I'm not going to get better if I don't work at it. * Katie quirks a small smile. "I was there. But Taki and Satoshi would have followed anybody, and Kaede wasn't in any position to do much of anything, and I-" She pauses a moment, then taps her pencil. "I let you." The problem is you don't get a trial period. There's no testing time. It's not like we can say, "Okay, Haruko, lead us into what might be a trap, and if we don't all come out alive, we'll just have to try again." * Haruko takes in a breath and then slowly lets it out. "I tried to be less demanding and we got our testing time. We failed, by all rights one of us should have been dead that night." * Katie nods. "That's kind of normal, I guess. It's not like we chose this." She goes back to sketching. But we can't count on that. That sword thrower saved us twice! And even then I choked and at best one of us would have been dead or a prisoner if Chariot hadn't just walked away. The Chariot walked away for a reason. Remember that. We'll find it and use it. * Haruko nods. "I do, I don't think I know enough know to figure out why. But he didn't walk away because of us. We all made a terrible botch of that night." She sighs. "My leadership wouldn't have made the difference, but if we actually thought or acted like a gang..." Not going to happen. * Katie chuckles. "At least, it's not going to happen if people know." * Haruko nods and smiles with relief at Katie's comment. Which is the thing, Haruko. You can't sit around and give them orders. It won't work. They won't follow you. I don't care if Kyon made you second. They don't, either. The only one it might is Taki. Maybe Satoshi, but he's learning to think for himself. * Haruko smiles slightly. "He is, but I think I can earn his. But you're right." She loses the smile. "If it's a game, I lost." You lost before you even started. You just didn't see it. Think of it as a lesson, or something. * Katie makes a few more lines. * Haruko grins at that. "Been studying up on the local philisophy I take it?" The last time I really looked into philosophy is when we had to deal with Katsuchiyo. * Haruko nods. "Well, you do good work. Well, you have the lead, and we need one even, especially, if you don't show it. But..." * Katie doesn't respond. She twirls her pencil, looking at the sketch. Well, three things really. * Haruko pauses to consider her wording. * Katie starts shading. I follow Kyon and we will see what needs to be done differently than you at times. ::she then laughs for a moment:: But somehow, I don't think you'd want me as a dedicated follower. * Katie shrugs. She glances up at Haruko. I'd rather have a thinker than a follower. And Kyon... * Katie frowns and goes back to her sketch. * Haruko nods and waits to see if she's going to add something. Kyon's not perfect, you know. * Haruko shakes her head. "No, but he's effective." She then closes her eyes for a few moments before re-opening them. "And he's whole." * Katie looks up again, setting the pad on her lap. She raises an eyebrow. "Whole?" * Haruko nods. "You're both now erring to violence in ways I don't like. That's the second thing. But..." She pauses again, considering her words. * Katie waits, eyes still on Haruko. If you brake a bone in your leg you can splint it and still use it. But it's easy to push it to hard and cause damage that could last a whole lifetime. ::She waits a moments before continuing:: * Katie drums her fingers on her knee as she waits for Haruko to finish. Still. Sometimes you need to push your leg, to stay alive, and because other people are counting on you. Sometimes you do, yeah. * Haruko nods. "Kyon is through that period. He's an ass sometimes, but he's whole." No, he isn't. * Haruko seems only slightly surprised by this comment. "Make your case." Sou-kun. * Katie picks up her pad again and goes back to shading. * Haruko looks both contemplative and argumentative for a moment, but she nods. "I suppose we're all broken, we all have our vulnerabilities." She then looks at Katie's eyes. "But you are in a far more vulnerable period than he is. And from more sources." * Katie meets Haruko's gaze for a brief moment before looking back to her shading. Her eyes are gray. "So, you'll listen to him because I can be hurt? That doesn't make any sense." No, I'm sorry. Not listen. Follow. * Haruko nods. "The distinction matters. You've let your hard side dominate because it has to. But until the soft side heals too you need to be checked. I will listen, and I will usually follow, but I will not be your follower." * Katie shrugs. She doesn't seem hurt. "Fine. Do what you think is best." * Haruko frowns for half a second at that response. "I will. And I will put my trust in you to fight back and challenge me if you think I'm wrong." You know I will. You waited too long this time. * Haruko actually sounds slightly hurt as she says that. * Katie rolls her eyes. "It's not like I can prove anything until you're ready to believe it." You're probably right. But I'm not your student, I'm your friend. Yeah. I didn't plan on being kidnapped, in any case. * Haruko nods. "It's not that. Just... if I'm going wrong, tell me. If I don't listen you can rub my nose in it later." I rub it in your nose anyway. * Haruko snorts. "True. But please. I mean it." * Katie finishes and flips the page. She taps at the pad. "But it's not like I really want to be leader, Haruko. If you can even call it that." * Haruko nods. "That's the third thing. You can be very pro-active and very astute in dealing with people, but it's obvious you don't want to do it." * Katie shrugs. "I do it because I have to." (I do it because I'm the Page of Swords, darn you!) I know. ::she sighs:: I failed, but the group did actually act these past few days. ::she sighs again:: I was unfair to Kaede, but he will have to make the choice he's facing sooner or later. Yeah? What's that? * Katie starts with another doodle. If he wants. No, if he needs to be in the group. And if he's willing to be in it with me. I think you'll need to talk that out with him. He doesn't want me meddling. I've left an apology for him. I'm ready to talk when he is. * Katie nods. "I think things will work out." * Haruko nods and then rolls her eyes. "I still can't believe Satoshi thought a wrench would be a better gift than flowers." * Katie snickers. I don't think Satoshi buys people things to say he's sorry very much. * Haruko smiles. "I think you're right. So, that leaves the question of how do you want to use me? I want to learn to lead better, and I will sometimes oppose you, but most of all we need to be effective." * Katie sighs. That's a hard question to answer. * Haruko nods. "You don't have to answer it now. But we can't let the group slip into being reactive again." I don't think that's going to happen. * Katie looks up and points her pencil at Haruko. "My advice to you, though, is not to order them around like that anymore. It doesn't work." Oh. And get rid of that paper on the clipboard. Maybe burn it. * Haruko looks horrified. "I can't keep track of things otherwise!" Sure you can. Write it down and memorize it, then burn it, maybe. You've got to have a way to keep track of all that car stuff. * Haruko looks slightly put off. "But that's totally different! I always think about cars. I mean I could memorize the list, but I need it in front of me to keep track of what I need to act on." I'd think that just looking at any one of us would remind you. * Haruko shakes her head. "Oh, there's Katie, I need to get those concert tickets for Sumire and check in with her after a few days? Doesn't work." * Katie rolls her eyes. Why are you getting her those tickets? I like her ::she frowns:: And we could use an alliance with her. Takeo's not bright, but he'll figure out who killed Shingo eventually. * Katie nods. "Why'd you need an alliance?" We need all the help we can get. ::she thinks about that for a second:: Well, there are limits, but she's sane and pretty tough. It's not a common combination. * Katie snickers. Okay. It's because of the Arcana. There's your link. * Haruko nods. "Yeah, but I don't follow." * Katie closes her pad. "How about this. If things are found out about us - our powers, what we do, anything - it can be over for us." You know what told us about Shingo and his obsession with Ryuji? A list of things to do and notes that he wrote. Do you want to make the same mistake? * Haruko nods and sighs. "I'll burn it." * Katie smiles. "Thanks. You might want to go through other stuff you've written and check to see if you should take care of that, too." * Haruko nods. She then frowns. What? * Haruko looks down for a moment. "Knowing how you want to use me. It's not just so we can be more effective. Or if you sometimes need me as the foil to lead the group." She looks up. "I need to know my place in it." Well, that part's kind of hard. Because I don't decide your place. * Haruko nods and waits. * Katie tilts her head. "You do, don't you? You and the rest of us. Do what you do best and learn to improve what you don't do so well." * Haruko shakes her head. "That's true. But that doesn't mean I'm a contributing member." * Katie snickers. If you put it that way, who is? * Haruko sighs. "You are. Well, we are all through our powers, but that's not enough." If it's not enough, then you have to learn to be more. But I don't think you really want to do that, Haruko. * Haruko 's eyes lock on Katie and her tone gets slightly angry. "Try me." * Katie looks evenly into Haruko's eyes as she reaches into her jacket pocket. From it she pulls one of her carving knives. She unsheaths it without looking and holds the edge between her and Haruko, angling it so it gleams in the bedroom light. "Here's why." * Haruko doesn't flinch and barely manages to avoid gasping but she does slowly take in and let out her breath and is obviously very focused. "You were a contributing member before you became what you are now." Yes, but I learned to be more. We all need to learn more. * Katie brings the knife down. She doesn't put it away. "If you think so, then maybe you'll do it. But you might be too stubborn for that happen." She pauses. "Not that it's a bad thing, really. I guess it depends on how you look at it." I don't know if I'll flinch when the time comes to face Tenjirou. ::she sighs but her voice doesn't lose its confidence:: But right now Satoshi and I ones holding us back, and Satoshi lets go when he gets angry. If providing balance is all I can contribute, then so be it. * Katie sheathes the knife. "Well, you *could* do to be a little less self- centered." * Haruko let's her shoulders drop slightly out of the defiant position she's been maintaining. "Perhaps. Where should I start?" (lets) * Katie tilts her head. "So you know," she says, "the talk with Sumire went fine. She was looking for you, but she had no problems with talking to us." * Haruko smiles. "Good. I never doubted that, it was just rude of me to make the appointment then not show." Yeah. Here's the thing, Haruko. You wanted to be leader, right? How much of that is about you, and how much of it is about the survival of this group? * Haruko flinches at that. "Based on something Taki said a few hours ago I decided that I wasn't cutting it even before we talked. But I did want it in part for me." ( "60%" ) * Katie nods. "You didn't really decide to try because you thought you'd do the best job at it, did you?" * Haruko shakes her head. "I was content to follow Kyon." * Katie shakes her head at those words. "You have a habit of thinking everything's about you, Haruko. It affects you. That's true. And I'm not going to say that things might not be about you." But like with Kaede, when you thought that he was out to hurt you, and he wasn't really? You do that a lot. * Haruko nods at that. She seemed more prone to object to Katie's initial statement but that softened at the Kaede mention. So, think about that, okay? * Haruko nods. "Okay." * Katie shifts, stretching out her legs. "Anything else?" * Haruko grins slightly. "What do you think of my room?" It's very nice. There's some general clutter, but that's to be expected. I really like the pillows. Less fond of the posters, but I guess I can't talk. Thanks. It's big because my parents were once thinking of having two kids. ::she grins slightly:: And the posters are really for me. * Katie snickers. "I figured, since this is the first time I've seen them." * Haruko then lets out a breath and continues in a slightly amused tone. "Although, I was kind of hoping for snark. I've been missing that." That's because you're expecting it. * Haruko nods and looks at Katie as if this is not one of her more enlightening statements. * Katie beams. * Katie drops the smile and slips the knife back into her coat. * Haruko laughs at that and then looks more serious as Katie puts the knife away. "I'll start following that pair up rule of yours. I don't think it'll make a difference since I'm alone a lot of the day, but I'll do it since you want me to." You should do it because it's a good idea. I know we can't always be together and safe. I know that even together we're not safe. But we're more safe when there's more of us. It's easy enough. But it can get in the.. alright. * Katie looks up. "It can get in the what?" When I was going to talk to Ryuji, no one else had anything to say to him or Eriko. Since they didn't, they could be more helpful if they foused on hunting for Tenjirou. Maybe. * Haruko smiles slightly. "But you won and the rule has some merit. So I'll follow it by default." Okay. * Haruko grabs her jacket. "Anything else, or do you want me to take you home?" * Katie laughs. Last I checked, you were the one who asked me here. * Haruko grins. "Yeah, but it's not all about me." * Katie sticks her tongue out at Haruko. She gets to her feet, picking up her jacket and shrugging it on. * Haruko keeps grinning and puts on her jacket. She then just smiles, "Thanks for arguing. It means a lot to me." Hey, what are friends for? * Haruko nods and smiles. "That." * Katie snickers. She puts her notebook and pencil away. "Okay." So, what were you drawing? Isao. * Katie opens Haruko's door and steps out. * Haruko smiles at that and walks after. [End!]