* Karasu heads out of the room and towards the stairs.
* Isaac puts on his clown-shoes and follows Karasu. ~What's the deal, chief?~
* Ao-Lang walks after, glancing back into the room.
* The stairs are right where Karasu left them.
* Karasu heads down them, towards the library. "We're going to meet with
someone. Perhaps get Kai's soul back; perhaps not."
<Isaac> ~...  Where would you put it?  Ya can't keep a soul in a bottle...
someone tried it on me before.~
* The walk down to the library is quick, since you can just take this stairwell
straight down, past the first floor, to the first basement, where the library
is.
* Ao-Lang raises an eyebrow. "The guy with the green eye?"
* The libary doors are closed, as is their custom.
* Karasu nods and pulls what looks like a shiny lump of coal from his pocket.
"Presumeably, it'll turn out to look something like this."
<Karasu> Or perhaps something else will happen. I'm hardly an expert on the
subject.
* Isaac blinks. ~I've never had *that* happen to me.~
<Isaac> ~I thought you'd know more than I do, considering you're getting a soul
back and you're tall dark and angsty.~
* Karasu shrugs. "It's my first time. Hopefully last, as well."
<Isaac> ~So where's the green-eyed man?~
* Karasu opens the doors to the library. "He told me he'd be here. Through
telepathy, funnily enough. Makes me wonder if he's able to siphon your powers,
too."
* Isaac peeks into the library. ~I really don't know where they came from,
actually. I could never do them before... but it's very likely he's psychic. I
can't read a thing from him.~
* The library is nearly silent, just as all good libraries are.  There's one
librarian at the checkout desk.  Behind the first stack, you can just make out a
green glow.
* Karasu heads on in. "I'm not surprised."
* Isaac frowns. ~I hope I'm not like him.~
* Ao-Lang steps in, looking around. She keeps walking after Karasu. "I dunno,
Isaac. Your eye doesn't glow green. And you're shorter."
* Isaac follows Karasu into the library. ~Yeah, but I can still attack the
soul...~
<Isaac> ~Ah, what does it matter.  I'm alive, and it feels good.~
* Isaac winces. ~Painful, but good.~
* Ao-Lang snickers.
* Karasu goes to find Tulpa.
* Ao-Lang keeps a-followin'.
* Isaac glances around. ~Niiiice. I'm gonna have to spend some time down here.~
* Isaac walks along.
<Ao-Lang> Mmm.  Figures you'd be a bookworm.
* Isaac grins. ~What gives you that idea?~
* Tulpa is waiting behind he first stack, glowing green eye and all.
<Tulpa> You Have It.
* Karasu nods. "However, Kai's body is currently inhabited by someone else."
<Isaac> <You really shouldn't talk like that.  I heard it does horrible things
to your voice-box.>
<Tulpa> Do You Want To Give Me Both Of Them?
* Isaac glares at Tulpa. <I'm not in the mood to be traded off like some pawn.>
* Ao-Lang looks to Karasu. "Trading?"
<Tulpa> If Not, It Will Be Up To The Two Spirits To Work Something Out.
* Isaac frowns. ~I don't like the sound of that.~
* Karasu nods to Ao-Lang. "Max for Kai."
* Tulpa holds out his hand.
* Ao-Lang doesn't look particularly surprised. "Even up? Fair enough deal.
Where's Kai gonna go?"
<Isaac> ~Work something out...  I hope I don't have to share a body with him.~
<Ao-Lang> Five'll getcha ten you will.
* Isaac looks over at Ao. ~I don't wanna bet on that. And if you were in my
shoes, I doubt you would either.~ His face is suddenly serious.
<Ao-Lang> Ah, you're no fun.
* Ao-Lang glances at Isaac. "You'll be fine. If anythin', you can always pester
me. I won't hate you too much."
* Karasu is nice enough to wait for Tulpa to answer first.
* Isaac closes his eyes and shuders. ~You don't know how it feels though...~
<Tulpa> I will give you his soul, in its material manifestation.  What you do
with it is your business.  If you wish to restore it to his body, place it in
his mouth and wait.
* Isaac gulps.
* Karasu shrugs. "I suppose that's our business, then." He holds out the lump o'
coal that is Max's soul.
* Tulpa takes it and closes his fist around it.  His features quite suddenly
change from a strange twisted mirror of Kairi's to a strange twisted mirror of
Max's, though the scar and glowing eye remain the same.
* Tulpa opens his hand again, and where the shiny lump of coal was is a small
bottle of nothing.
* Ao-Lang watches.
* Isaac watches... ~Man, and I thought I was twisted.~
<Tulpa> This Is The Physical Representation Of Kairi's Soul.  Take It.
* Karasu takes it.
* Isaac smirks silently.,
<Tulpa> A Pleasure Doing Business With You.
* Tulpa turns around and walks away, chuckling evilly to himself.
* Isaac glares at Tulpa. ~You do know you probably just finished a deal with the
devil, right?~
* Karasu puts the bottle in his pocket and turns to the others. "That was the
easy part."
<Karasu> It's only temporary.
* Ao-Lang nods. "Now. The hard part?"
* Isaac looks at his body, or more appropriately, Kai's. ~Yeah...~
* Ao-Lang ignores Isaac's glare, too. He's with the nice people, oh yes.
<Karasu> I have no intention of condemning even someone like Max to a fate like
that.  I'll restore him eventually.  But in the meantime, it's better that he be
in that situation than Kai.  If someone has a problem with it, they can talk to
the principal.
* Karasu nods. "The hard part. We've got Kai's soul; what do we do with it?"
<Isaac> ~I...  I don't know.  I suppose I can try to talk to him, or something.~
* Ao-Lang leans against one of the shelves. "Well, there's a few options. The
question is, what do we want to gamble?"
<Ao-Lang> Talking would help.  Think you can do that, Isaac?  If... y'know, his
mind's working or something, you probably can.
* Karasu nods. "Try it."
*** Atom is on IRC
* Karasu takes the bottle out of his pocket and holds it out towards Isaac.
* Isaac places his hand on the bottle and closes his eyes.
* Isaac frowns. ~Kai? Are you there?~
<Isaac> ~There's something there... but it's lacking a mind.  His will is there,
but I don't think he can reason, let alone communicate.~
* Ao-Lang winces.
<Ao-Lang> Then we've gotta make a choice for him.  Or at least start it.
* Karasu nods. "It would appear so."
<Isaac> ~Maybe... maybe we should talk to Mariah and Hope first.~
<Ao-Lang> Maybe.  I don't think they'd know any more than we would.
<Ao-Lang> Wonder if two souls can share one body without melding.
* Isaac looks shaken. ~They knew who Kai was, and are willing to talk about it
freely.~
<Karasu> It's possible.
* Ao-Lang considers, then looks to Isaac. "What do you want to do?"
<Isaac> ~I don't know...  Being alive is nice, but this really is a second
chance.  He never got to finish his first.
<Isaac> ~
<Karasu> Well, if we get really desperate, I know where we can get another body.
* Isaac snaps up. ~Where?~
* Karasu looks at Isaac and doesn't say anything. He should be able to figure it
out.
* Ao-Lang nods, then turns to Karasu. She stares for a moment before
understanding dawns in her eyes. "The guy you fought."
<Isaac> ~  Oh.~
* Karasu nods. "Not a pretty option, but it IS an option."
* Ao-Lang nods.
* Isaac picks up the bottle out of Karasu's hand. ~I guess... There is only one
option. If I don't see you guys again, it was nice knowing you.~
* Karasu eyes Isaac. "You're sure about this? We needn't hurry."
* Isaac shakes his head. ~What am I saying. I'll always be around you guys. And
there's no reason for me to wait... I bet Kai really wants to get back.~
* Ao-Lang winces, then darts forward and hugs Isaac, whispering something in his
ear before kissing him on the cheek.
* Isaac 's eyes go wide, then he smiles a little. His eyes flash red briefly.
* Ao-Lang shrugs, stepping back. She looks almost embarrassed.
* Karasu shoves his hands in his pockets and waits. "Very well; it's up to you."
* Isaac forces a smile. ~I'll be back. Don't worry.~ Your minds tell you he's
not very confident.
* Isaac places the bottle in his mouth.
* For a moment, nothing happens.  Then Isaac/Kai's tongue begins to tingle.
* Ao-Lang watches, worry on her face, though she's trying to hide it.
* Karasu watches expressionlessly.
* Isaac closes his eyes. ~God can have a sick sense of humor some times...~
* Ao-Lang chuckles, though it sounds forced. "He's laughing."
* The tingle increases, spreading quickly throughout Isaac/Kai's body.  There's
a brief struggle, and then all at once the changes in Kai's body disapear. 
Isaac is flung to the side and hovers half in, half out of the first shelf of
books.  Strangely, you can all still see him.
<Ao-Lang> Isaac!
* Isaac just floats there. ~What?~
* Ao-Lang runs to the floating disembodied... body and stops just short of
grabbing it and trying to yank it out of the shelf. "You're... flying. Kind of.
It's freaky."
* Kairi blinks a few times, almost groggily, then scratches at the side of his
head. "Nnnn... geh, what a nightmare..."
<Karasu> I guess we have our answer.
* Isaac floats forward and looks at himself. ~Well... I guess it's better than
being disembodied.~
* Isaac's arm passes through the books as he floats forward.
* Ao-Lang eyes Isaac. "I dunno, you look pretty disembodied to me."
* Karasu nods.
* Kairi then suddenly seems to realize that he's not in bed, nor in his room...
nor in clothes that fit well... and then something else. "... GAH!" He whips out
his bo from... somewhere and holds it ready. "Back off!"
<Isaac> ~I mean at least I have a body body... even if it isn't real.~
* Ao-Lang turns to eye Kairi. "So you're Fearless Leader."
* Isaac 's eyes briefly glow red. ~You can try to hurt me if you want. Won't
really work, though.~
* Kairi narrows his eyes faintly at Ao. "... Karasu, I want some answers...
please. Who're... they?" He points a bo-tip first at Ao, then Isaac's ghost.
"And *why*?"
* Karasu looks at Kairi. "It's safe to assume you don't remember anything,
then." It doesn't sound like a question.
* Ao-Lang snorts.
<Kairi> I remember enough... but I don't want to believe it. Just tell me if
this is true or not.
* Karasu nods. "It certainly is."
* Isaac 'stands' on the floor. He's about 4'8," and looks about the age of a 12
year old. He's wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans, assuming he's wearing the
same stuff he did when he died the first time.
* Kairi de-tenses juuuust a hair. "After you told us about yourself, I remember
waking up with you all trying to do *something* to me, and then I was here. What
happened?"
<Kairi> I... I'm just worried. If there's a sensible explaination, I can at
least not feel like I'm going to have to beat it out of someone... -_-
<Isaac> ~Do you want to know what I remember?~
* Kairi winces slightly, and locks onto Isaac, before he realizes that said
ghost just spoke to his brain. "... uh?"
* Isaac rolls his eyes and signs. <Does this make it any easier?>
* Karasu nods to Isaac. "That may be a good idea."
* Ao-Lang looks to Isaac. "You can do that?"
<Isaac> ~I think so...  It would be faster than trying to talk about it.~
* Kairi continues to look confused and more than a bit afraid, but at least he's
got the bo pointed down. "... where are the others?"
<Ao-Lang> Fightin'.
* Karasu nods.
* Kairi sighs heavily, then nods. "... I... it was a nightmare. It had to be.
I'll calm down before I hear it all." He puts his weapon away and just sorta
settles with looking lost.
* Isaac floats over to Kai. ~It's okay... I've been there.~
<Karasu> Well, I'll explain our side of it after I hear what you two have to
say.
* Kairi almost starts at Isaac's approach, but takes a deep breath.
"Th-thanks... er. I'm Kairi... nice t'meetcha. I'd offer you my hand, but...
well, y'know." ^^;
* Isaac forces a smile. ~Isaac. It's nice to meet you too. I wonder what I'm
going to do now though...~
<Ao-Lang> He won't hurt you.  He's too nice.  Gave you your body back and all.
<Kairi> ---er. All I remember before waking up here was... uh, waking to see you
guys trying to kinda-sorta kill me after yours and Atsuko's grudge maaaaaaie?!
He was in my body? o_o
<Isaac> ~I don't know how it happened either.  I was floating around here, then
*vaccuum sound*.~
<Ao-Lang> Well, you weren't using it.
<Kairi> ... I wasn't?
* Karasu nods.
* Ao-Lang waves vaguely. "Some guy named Tulpa took your soul. Was usin' it for
something... probably to fight."
<Karasu> You spent several days in the infirmary as a vegetable before Isaac
took over.
<Ao-Lang> Oh, and that Atsuko person isn't around anymore.  My name's Ao-Lang,
I'm kinda sorta her replacement.
<Isaac> ~I wake up after a really long time and I'm in someone else's body...
kinda like the X-Files.~
* Karasu frowns. "Kind of like reality."
<Kairi> ... I think I might wanna have a very pointed and strike-laden
discussion with this Tulpa.
* Karasu casts Isaac a glance. "You'll have to tell me more about your
background later, but for now..." He turns back to Kairi.
* Isaac produces an etheral version of his sword. ~Maybe *I* should have a
discussion with him.~
<Karasu> I don't know where you get the idea that we tried to kill you.
<Karasu> And what's this about Atsuko's grudge?
<Kairi> Well, I don't know, either, but that's what I remember... and y'know!
The one where whats-her-face broke her ankle last night... although it's
probably not really last night. How many days have passed? -_-
<Karasu> Approximately one week.
<Kairi> ...
<Isaac> ~Kai.  Do you trust me?~
* Kairi finds the closest bookshelf and bangs his head against it once. "Isaac,
guy, aside from putting me in these clothes, I don't feel that hurt, so you're
probably not a bad guy... although a *week*. How could I let you all down like
that?"
* Karasu shrugs. "Seems like you didn't have much of a choice."
* Isaac puts his hand on Kairi's head. ~Relax... Let me let you know what's
happened first.~
<Kairi> I don't *care*... you all made me the captain, an' I...
* Isaac 's eyes flash bright red for a few seconds.
* Kairi sighs faintly, then walks over to Ao and tries to smile. "... anyway...
glad to have you aboard." ^^;
* Ao-Lang smiles a smile bordering on her usual smirk. "We'll see."
<Isaac> ~I guess we have a six person team now.~
* Kairi then just stands there, eyes widening. "... I missed all that?"
* Karasu nods. "Seems to be that way."
<Isaac> ~Yeah.~
<Kairi> ... oh *man*, I'm so behiiiiind... guys, I'm really sorry.
<Isaac> ~Don't worry about your schoolwork.  I can take care of that stuff in no
time flat.  You just have to write it down.~
<Kairi> R-really?
* Kairi would probably have a huge grin on right now, but he's too worn out to
really slap it onto place.
<Isaac> ~Well, you do remember what I got on that first test, right?~
* Kairi just nods a few times, hair all over the place.
* Ao-Lang rolls her eyes. "Regular freakin' genius. I'd be jealous if I didn't
score close."
<Kairi> Yeah... never was quite that good myself. Was too busy either fighting
or healing up. ^^;
* Kairi finally just shrugs and gives Ao another look. "... hey."
* Isaac shudders a little. ~Let me tell you, don't waste your life.~
* Ao-Lang looks at Kairi.
<Ao-Lang> What?
<Isaac> ~I *can* tutor you people if you want me to.~
* Karasu shrugs.
<Kairi> Er, would you mind a small spar? Er, after I don't feel like my brains
are leaking out of my ears, that is...
<Isaac> ~Spar spar spar.  Is that ALL you people do around here?~
<Karasu> Just Hope and Kai.
* Ao-Lang smirks. "Sure." She folds her hands behind her head. "What's the
wager?"
<Ao-Lang> Oh, that must be why they're captain and backup captain.
<Isaac> ~Well, next time I want to spar you then.~
<Kairi> ... w-well, I'm a fighter. It comes with the lifestyle... and...
wager...
<Kairi> You decide.
* Isaac smirks.
* Ao-Lang grins. "Weeeell... let's see. We could do cash, but that's hardly fun.
Sadly, I don't know you well enough to get you where it hurts yet."
<Kairi> Well, this is assuming you can beat me. ^_^
<Isaac> ~I could read his thoughts and get something really juicy.~
<Kairi> ... hey, no fair. =/
<Ao-Lang> Unless... Karasu, how do you feel about a guy kissing you?  Or Isaac
could do that!  He's so sweet.
* Karasu eyes Ao-Lang.
<Isaac> ~Don't worry about it.  I can't do that if you don't let me anyways.~
* Ao-Lang smiles innocently at Karasu. Like anyone would ever believe it.
<Isaac> ~I still can't believe it's over...  Oh, can you guys make sure that Max
guy stays as far away from me as possible?~
<Karasu> Tulpa?
<Isaac> ~Both of them.  I don't want to get sucked into another body... 
Espically one on that team.  And I really don't want Tulpa taking my soul... I'm
kinda using it.~
<Kairi> Well, the wager doesn't matter, because I'd be glad to take you on...
and I fight to win. But... what do *I* get if I win?
<Karasu> ... I ought to feel insulted.
<Ao-Lang> Yes, but do you?
* Ao-Lang turns to Kairi, a wicked gleam in her mismatched eyes. "What do you
want?"
* Isaac floats thru Karasu and puts his face right in front of his. He moves his
mouth in time with his thoughts. ~Nope, I don't.~
<Kairi> I want... *dinner*. A real dinner, not the Fighter Chow they have here.
I win, you make it happen.
* Ao-Lang snickers. "Well, they don't really have cooking facilities here, but
if you win, sure. I'll treat ya to dinner in town."
<Kairi> ... I like you already.
<Kairi> But... I really need to lie down and sort things out now. Mind if I go
to the dorm?
<Karasu> Hope and Mariah ought to be finished with the fight now.
<Ao-Lang> Yeah.  We should all be headin' back.
<Isaac> ~Guys?  Where do you think I should go...  It's not like I really belong
here anymore.~
<Ao-Lang> Screw that.  Float with me, Isaac.  We can use your power for good...
or for evil, which is a heckuva lot more fun.
* Ao-Lang starts walking on out.
<Kairi> ... evil isn't fun. =/
* Kairi tags along, boggled by Ao's strange ways.
* Karasu follows. "No, it's not."
<Karasu> As it stands, though, I'm sure the principal would agree that what to
do with Isaac is our decision.
* Isaac floats along, going thru anything in his way. ~Not like he could do
anything about me anyways.~
* Ao-Lang calls over her shoulder, "Oh, and Kai, I'd like my clothes back when
you get the chance."
<Kairi> ...
* Ao-Lang grins madly.
* Kairi blushes a number of interesting shades of red.
<Isaac> ~Hey, when I was in your body, I WAS that size.~
<Kairi> ... please tell me I'm wearing normal underwear.
<Isaac> ~You think I'd change *that*?~
* Kairi breathes a sigh of relief.
<Isaac> ~And Kai?  If you die before your time is up, you will NEVER hear the
end of it from me.~
[Fight... Draw]