[Day: Sunday, February 16th. Time: 9:00 p.m.] [Weather: It's started to snow, and it's quite cold.] [Taki spent most of the day at hockey practice. Most meaning something like eight hours. So, despite having come home a few hours ago (in order to keep her dad from cooking supper), she's still exhausted. But unfortunately, she can't sleep yet; the phone rings, and it's for her.] [Session Start!] * Taki rolls off the couch and walks over to the phone and picks it up. "Hello?" * Katie speaks up from the other end of the line. "Hi, Taki?" * Taki looks down for a second and then answeres, "Yes it is...Is that you Katie?" Yeah. Um, is it okay if we talk a little? In person, I mean. If you're too busy, I understand, but... Tired and sore, yes. Busy no. What do you need to talk about? Well, some things happened with Taro, and some other stuff, and... I just need to sort things out. Can we meet up? * Taki nods a few times and then shakes her head to wake herself up a bit more. "Sure, you have anywhere in mind or should we just go to the ramen place?" We can go to the ramen place, but it's probably closed by now. His main business is kids after school, you know? Right, right, sorry. Do you have any better ideas? Um, well... if you want, we could meet at the Tower Reversed. I'm pretty sure Taro wouldn't just wander in, and it's a good place to talk about Arcana stuff in general. It's a long way away...but if it's that important, I'll get there as soon as I can. ( It's not that long c.c ) ( It's half an hour, like nearly everything else in this game :P ) (You can get anywhere in Tokyo in a half hour!) * Katie sighs with relief. "Thanks, Taki. I'll see you there in a half hour, fourty five minutes?" That sounds about right. See you there. Okay. Bye. * Katie hangs up. * Taki hangs up and goes to tell her dad that she has to go talk with one of her friends who's having a problem and she needs to go and that yes she will be back before 3 in the morning this time. (*giggles*) * Taki then puts on her jacket and heads for train. [Time: 9:40. Taki meets Katie outside of Tokyo Tower. It's open until midnight, so plenty of time to use the elevators.] * Katie waves. * Taki spots Katie, "There you are!" * Katie grins. "I said I'd be here. Come on, it's cold." She heads in. * Taki hurries after Katie and into the modern marvel of central heat. * Katie heads on over to the elevator and hits the down button, then pauses to brush snow out of her hair. * Taki dusts herself off and then leans on the wall as she waits for the elevator to arrive. [The elevator arrives with a *ding!*. Sho does not step out of it.] So, yeah. Trouble with Taro. I already told you about this, right? * Katie hesitates a moment, then steps into the elevator, standing fairly close to the doors. Some of it, and I showed up for the end of that fight. * Taki walks into the elevator. * Taki then pushes the door closing button, "Has anything happend since then?" * Katie bites her lip as the elevator starts to move. "N- no, not really. I mean, I thought about it a little." I think... maybe I should break up with him. [The door closes, and the elevator goes down. Or does it? For a minute you're not sure. Then it opens on the first floor of Tokyo Tower, with the ground overhead.] * Katie gets out of the elevator in a hurry. * Taki walks out of the elevator slowly and then replies, "Should I ask what you thought of?" What I should do. I'm afraid he's going to overreact and hurt me, and maybe anyone he thinks made me do it. You know? * Katie goes and has a seat on one of the chairs, putting her chin on her hand. * Taki sits down heavily on one of the chairs and then winces, "I don't think that him hurting you or most of us physicaly is going to me much of a problem, but his going to be realy upset." Yeah. Yeah, I know. He's... I know. * Katie opens her satchel (when doesn't she have it?) and extracts a block of wood and a carving knife. She starts making knicks, but seems a little off compared to her usual sure moments. * Katie looks up distractedly. "How're things going with you and Satoshi?" she asks suddenly. * Taki is startled out of her trian of thought, "Wha..? Oh, things a great, we had a lot of fun at hocky practice, and pretty much everything else we've done together." Yeah? That's good. * Katie makes another knick and frowns at the block. "But, I mean, do you like him?" * Taki thinks hard, "He's fun to be around, laughs at my jokes, and is willing to help me when I need it...There's more to it than that...It's like...I'm comfortable around him? * Katie nods, giving up on the carving for now. "Yeah, but do you *like* him? Not just comfortable with him. Anyone's comfortable with him, he's a nice guy and everything." ( Ask Jin :P ) (Ha!) Uh...It's a diffrent sort of comfortable, not just that he's nice to be in the same room with, for me...Well when we were dancing I didn't realy care what the band did later on, as long as we were there right then together. So I'd have to say yes. Yes, I like him. * Katie sighs. "I was afraid of that." * Taki blinks, "Why? ...You and Taro?" I mean... well. * Katie pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts. I mean, if I'm breaking up with Taro... * Katie blushes a little. "I like Satoshi. Always have." * Taki blushes lot, "Uhm well, I sort of go...no wait Meimi got there first, but she looked like me, so I sort of got there second and first and uhm I suppose it's up to him butIwanthimtostaywithme and..." * Taki pauses to catch her breath. * Katie nods. "I was afraid of that, too." I guess now would be a bad time to tell you he took me out to dinner today, huh? I think what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy with him, but it's up to Satoshi. If he suddenly decides that he likes you more I'm not going to start dropping you into the pool unex...Whaa? * Katie nods, smiling a bit. "Yeah, he took me to dinner. Offered to pay, too. It was sweet." I ...uhm...don't think there is a good time to tell somebody that, and that sounds just like him. I ah... * Katie nods. "Of course it does, because it's true. So this is about the part where I tell *you* to back off." * Taki blinks. "It is?" Yeah, so I'm telling you. Back off. * Taki stares at Katie and then takes a deep breath. * Taki then slowly lets it out, "Right..." * Katie smiles cheerily. "Right!" There is a part of me that wants nothing more than to teleport you out side of that window just to see which way you'd fall, but I'm going to listen to the parts that say to wish you all the luck and happyness in the world and hope that he comes back to me. * Katie shrugs. "You could try, but I don't think it'd work. Who knows what would happen when you try to use your power in the Tower Reversed?" I really don't want to find out ::sighs:: Then let's not. * Taki nods and then shakes her head. "You know... I didn't have a single clue about this... Wasn't that on my card? Head stuck in fantastic clouds and missing what's right under my nose? Or am I just rationalizing?" ::slumps:: Your card? The romantic idealist? Maybe. * Katie looks the block over critically again. "Regardless, you didn't have a clue." * Taki nods sadly. "I...I just...If you...If you can do something for him that I can't...If you are better off together....Then..." Then be happy and don't worry about me. But if you arn't...If it turns out that this is just something...something to take to place of Taro and it doesn't work out.... I... * Katie looks up and raises an eyebrow. I want you to let go of him. Find somebody else and don't drag him into something he won't be happy in... * Katie smiles, almost mockingly. "Of course." * Taki stares at Katie. "How can you..." How can I what? * Taki shakes her head, "Nevermind, it's not important to you." Come on, Taki. * Katie leans forward, looking into the other girl's eyes. "How can I what?" * Taki looks up into Katie's eyes, "In my memory, you were allways putting others before yourself, and I admired that. Right now...Right now you seem to be putting yourself first...but maybe it's just the first time I've seen you realy want something." Maybe it is. * Katie tilts her head. "Maybe I am putting myself first, or maybe I always put myself first. It's kind of hard to tell, isn't it?" I think we've allready gone over my not being able to tell. * Katie chuckles. "I think we have." * Taki sighs and leans back in her chair. "I suppose it's too much to ask that you suddenly turn out to be Meimi isn't it?" I'm as real as you are. Always have been. [A voice behind you two says: "Someone mention Meimi? Nyah!"] * Katie glances over her shoulder and sighs. "Hello." * Taki smiles back at Katie, "Problem with that is I haven't allway been rea... and I know she isn't." Nyah! Hiya! Hello. * Mimi sniffs at Taki, then at Katie. * Katie eyes Mimi. * Taki watches Mimi with interest. Nya! Guess what! I met this strange guy on my way down! You met somebody in the elevator? * Mimi nods. "Nya!" * Katie blinks. "You did? Who?" Sho? Who else is ever in elevators? Nya! He was a really nice guy! He should be here any minute now! * Mimi waves. "See ya! Nya!" * Mimi vanishes! Hey wait! What did he loo.... * Katie blinks. "Great." Looks like we'll find out in a bit. * Taki nods. * Katie looks over at Taki. "Oh, and whatever happens? We never had this conversation." Conversation? What ... conversation? * Katie grins. "Exactly. Don't bother bringing it up, because I didn't meet you at Tokyo Tower tonight." Who ever's in that elevator might disagree with you on that one. * Katie shrugs. [The door opens! Out steps a boy about your age. He's about average height and has brown, messey hair. The irises of his eyes are brown and small, giving the impression that he's not all there. He wears black jeans, a black T- shirt and a blue jacket. He enters the tower with a wide grin on his face.] Well, I'll be! Two people here. Hiya Katie! * Taki blinks, "Katie, introduce me to your friend?" * Katie blinks, then smiles hesitantly. "Hi. What are you up to?" She blinks again, looks over at Taki, and back at Ryo. "Oh, this is Taki." * Boy smiles at Taki and holds out his hand for a handshake. "Hi, I'm Ryo. Ryo Shinjo! Y'know, Sho's brother." * Taki starts to bow, but then stops and takes the offered hand, "Ahh, I've heard stories about you." * Ryo shakes. "All good, I hope?" That's the wonderfull thing about being alive, you're there to enjoy it. What brings you here? Mm... A little bird told me I'd find Arcana here. What do you know, I run into Katie and her friend. * Ryo grins ever so slightly wider at Katie. "So! Given any thought to joining me, yet? Your friend is welcome to join as well, of course." And hey, it beats working with my bro, eh? Besides, I'm very likeable, compared to him. * Katie chuckles at that. "Some. I'm still not sure if I want to." She glances at Taki, grinning just a bit. "Besides, I don't control them. They can go where they want." Oh yes, I agree. * Ryo leans in and whispers, as though he was afraid of someone hearing. "And between you and me, he's really a jerk." No, actualy, I'm sorry I haven't given much thought to your offer, I'd like to stick with my friends. So if you somehow convince the rest of them to go, Then I'll put some thought into it. * Ryo winks, then looks at Katie and pouts. "Aw, c'mon! I gave you plenty of time to think it over." But if you two join, they're bound to follow! And I make a nice leader, really! * Ryo smiles his best. "How can you not like a guy with a face like this?" Unlike Tenjirou, though, he doesn't seem to have any powers to back it up. Some how I don't think so, if you couldn't get them to join, what chance would we? After all you would be the leader. * Ryo maintains his smile, but frowns a bit more, ever so slightly. He sounds a bit less friendly. "Like I said, I was giving them time to think it over. I'm sure they see now that between my bro and me, I'm clearly the better choice." * Katie closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them. "So we only have two choices?" Mmm... Well, normally, I'd say yes. But, see, you're stuck here. Can't leave. So really, you only have one. * Ryo grins. But trust me, it's the better one. * Katie glances over at Taki. * Taki eyes Ryo, "And if we just wait here untill you fall asleep or something?" * Ryo laughs. "Sleep? Who has time for sleep? Life's too short to be wasted like that." * Ryo chuckles. "The others know, too. Heh." * Katie tightens her grip on her carving knife. "Others?" * Ryo waves his hand idly. "Y'know. The people before me. The other people like me. What, yours don't speak to you?" * Katie shakes her head. * Taki blinks, "Your past lives talk to you? Mine don't." Oh. Gee, that's a shame. All the more reason to join me, eh! So if we could listen to them they'd tell us not to? Or is just that yours give much better advice than ours could? Who knows? Both, probably. 'S nothing personal. I don't take it personally. So, how 'bout it? Gonna join? * Ryo grins. "Do you want to join? Y/N." Mmm... no. I think I was about to leave, actually. * Ryo giggles. "Sorry, you have to say yes! Do you want to join? Y/N." I'm with her, but if that's not an option, I'll rot down here untill I think of some other way. * Katie eyes Ryo. "No, thanks." * Ryo giggles more. "Sorry, you have to say yes! Do you want to join? Y/N." * Katie stands, block and knife in hand, satchel on shoulder, and just starts walking to the elevator. Have a nice life Ryo. * Ryo doesn't make any effort to stop her. He just says, "Aw, you already know that won't work." You can't leave until you say yes! * Katie presses the button. "It's worth a try, right?" * Taki walks past him, "But we have to try, it's one of thoes things." [Katie hits the button, but it doesn't light up like normally.] There? See? You tried, and it didn't work. I told you. * Katie sighs and closes her eyes. "Damn." * Taki shrugs, "It was worth a shot." So! See, if I was really mean, I'd threaten you. But I'm not! I'm such a great guy like that. You're coming awfully close, Ryo. Yes, lucky for us you're so nice. Uh-huh! Allthough, I have to ask, what is nice about not letting us go? 'Cause eventually, you might join Sho. That'd just suck. So, whatcha think, huh? * Taki nods, "Yes it would, and I seem to remember him telling us that he'd wind up killing us if we wern't joining...How do you plan to prevent that?" * Ryo waves his hand disdainly. "Oh, pish-posh. He's all talk." We all know I'm better. * Taki blinks, "If there's nothing to him...what wrong with us joining?" 'Cause! I don't want you to. He shouldn't have people following him. 'S not fair. He's a jerk, and I'm a great guy. That's how it works. Great guys win, like me. Then what do you need our help for? * Ryo spreads his arms. "I don't really. I just don't want you to join him. That's all." All right. Then we won't join him. I second that motion. Well, no. See, you have to pick one or the other. Why? 'Cause. That's not a very good reason. Sure it is! * Katie shakes her head. "No, it isn't. Mind letting us go now?" Will you join me? Actualy I'd planed to learn how to play base and join the band, but if that isn't an option...Hey Ryo, you know how to play anything? Nah, but I bet I'd be really good at it if I wanted to. Ahh drat, That'll make recruting them a bit more difficult woun't it. I dunno. I haven't been to them yet. I ought to, I suppose. But you guys first. Would you mind taking another rain check on it? Yeeah, they're fighting against your brother and all, they'd be perfect. ::shrugs:: Are they? * Ryo blinks. "I didn't know that. I'll have to talk to them." S'what I was told. * Katie nods. "That's what I've heard." Cool! We can all be one big happy family. Great, huh? Not realy, I can't play anything other than a little bit of hocky. No sweat. Maybe they're nice, like me. You can ask them to teach you! * Taki nods, "I could, but I'll wait untill summer or something when I've got lots of free time for it." Y'know, you really should just say yes and get this over with. Aww, but this is fun. * Ryo shrugs. "Suit yourself. I don't have anything better to do tonight. * Ryo hums to himself. * Katie inspects her carving knife. Calvary's not gonna come, you know. Can't get in anymore than you can get out. * Taki shugs. * Katie says, after a long moment, "Then I guess we'll just have to get out ourselves." It unfortunatly looks that way. Is that a yes? * Katie looks down at the floor, thinking it over. "Well, I..." She sighs and walks over to Ryo. "I guess..." Yay! We don't have much of a choice... Trust me, you won't be sorry! I'm a really great guy! * Taki also walks twords Ryo. * Dicesuke has joined #arcana * Katie flashes the knife with one hand, bringing it to Ryo's stomach. "I already am." (Full attack. Modifier, GM?) ( -4 ) 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Katie (2d6-4) and gets 4. (Gotcha. ^^) [Katie shoves the knife in Ryo's stomach. He gurks and clamps his hands on it.] * Ryo looks down at the knife in shock. "Ah... Ahhh...." * Ryo pulls it out and looks at the blood on his fingers, then he turns his head to face Katie. "Y... you..." * Taki stares at the Knife, "Wasn't that just the TEENSIEST bit overkill?" * Katie looks evenly at Ryo, reaching into her satchel. "I don't think so." * Ryo thrusts his arms at Katie, his face contorting in rage. "Grr.... Damn you!" As he shouts, a wave of crackling black energy seeps out of his hands. ( Ranged defense at +2 ) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Katie (2d6) and gets 6. (Nada.) (Oops, wrong roll. Add +2 to that. Really nada. ^_~) (I'm starting to hate Taki's selfless streak...am I close enough to try and get Katie out of the way?) [Katie gets hit, and the energy sends her sprawling, all the way to the elevator. Meanwhile, the blackness crackles up Ryo's arms, and seems to enter his eyes.] ( Not no more :P ) (I'll take that as no) * Katie crashes against the elevator, tumbling to the ground. She coughs and looks up at Ryo, smiling just a bit. "True colors, huh?" she asks almost conversationally as she pulls out another carving knife. * Ryo growls. "Why you... agh!" a really wide-bladed claymore suddenly flies from behind Taki, embedding itself in Ryo's left shoulder. The hell? ::turns to see where it came from:: * Katie blinks and jerks her head to their maybe-savior. [The claymore is, as I said, wide bladed. The polished center of the blade is a shamrock green, as is the entire hilt.] [Standing behind Taki (and near Katie) is Tuxedo Mask!... Well, not really. He's a boy about your age. He's wearing a shamrock green suit coat and pants, with a white dress shirt and the same color neck tie. His dress shoes are, thankfully, black. He wears a green tophat and a green mask around his eyes. You can see his hair is very short and red under the tophat. ] [In his left hand, he holds another claymore. In his right is a bow, colored the same green. And on his back is a wide green quiver, apparently full of even more green claymores. Very green, isn't he?] * Katie blinks at the guy, then the quiver. "Um, thanks?" * Taki stares at the green man, "Yeah...thanks..." * GreenMask points the claymore at Ryo, saying in a deep voice. "There will be no killing in this sacred place! Not by a foul demon like yourself!" * GreenMask turns to the ladies. "Leave here quickly, while his concentration is broken! I shall deal with him!" * Katie struggles to her feet. "Be my guest." You don't have to tell me twice. * Katie jams her hand on the button and glances back at Ryo. * Ryo coughs blood. "Oooh man, I'm gonna kill you! Aggh!" Quick as a flash, the green man puts the claymore to the bow and fires it, catching Ryo's other shoulder. (*cracks up*) (That's great! Hee!) [The elevator gets there quickly!] * Katie gets in the elevator. Yeek. Goodbye Ryo. ::gets in the elevator:: [The elevator doors close quickly, as though its eager to get out of there itself. The last thing you see is Ryo charging the man as he draws another claymore from his quiver.] [You get that queasy feeling again, and then you're back on Tokyo Tower, first floor.] * Katie sighs as she exits the elevator. * Taki staggers out, "Untill you tell me otherwise tomarrow morning, I'm going to belive that this was some huge prank pulled by Meimi." If you want. And I won't, because this didn't happen. * Katie puts the knife back in her satchel and she addresses at Taki. "But back off." Oh good. Have fun. I'm going to try and not have nightmares about spending the rest of my life stuck in a small room with Ryo. * Katie chuckles. "You do that." She walks somewhat steadily out the door. * Taki watches her go while muttering to herself, "That didn't just happen, it didn't...." * Katie looks back at Taki right before she leaves and grins. "Sure, but I'm not going to acknowledge it." * Taki waits untill Katie is on the other side of the door before muttering Satoshi's name and breaking down crying. [Mini end]