11621/Just Phoning It In.

Just Phoning It In.
Date of Scene:	12 June 2020
Location:	Wade Shaw's Condo, Claridge's, Midtown Manhattan
Synopsis:	Two grumpy people on a phone call
Cast of Characters:	Phantasm (Drago), Bakeneko

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Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
It's been just a little over a day since Buffy, Willow, and Katsumi ran into him. While most of the conversation was reasonably light hearted, there was a topic that did linger in his mind longer. It was one of those topics that he knew up front was going to need more discussion but not there.

So, when Wade heads out to run errands, Nick pulls out his phone. Thumbing through the contacts, he pauses as he sees a different name than what he was searching for. "...Son of a bitch." Looks like a certain Technopath added his contact information.

Shrugging it off, the musician continues to tab through, going to the contact he was initially searching for.

A button is pressed, and he brings the phone up to his ear.

Bakeneko has posed:
On a park bench, unironically lazing under the sun, lies Katsumi Oshiro with zero effs given. A pair of oversized sunglasses rests over her eyes, one arm dangling off the bench while the other drapes unceremoniously over her torso. Thankfully, she's eschewed the skirt in favor of a pair of hiphugging denim shorts.

Suddenly, the techno-chirps of Nyancat begin playing.

Katsumi's head lifts, followed soon by her dangly hand finding purpose in tugging her cellphone from her pocket. She doesn't recognize the number. She hits the button on it.

"Nandeshou?," asks the grumpy Japanese girl on the other end.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
There is a pause on the other end as Katsumi answers. Nick is sure he got the right person based off of the response but he is trying to determine what she means. "...I'm guessing that's a 'Yeah?' or 'What?'" He guesses. Tone betraying uncertainty, "Katsumi?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro hears the voice. She's not familiar enough to recognize Nick by voice alone, but it's familiar /enough/ that she's paying more attention. "You're not a telemarketer," she observes, now in English. "Yeah, it's me."

At last, the punkette sits upright. "Who's this?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"You'd be correct there." Nick acknowledges giving a bit of a chuckle before providing more information. "It's Nick." Nick adds in, "I got your phone number yesterday at The Coffee Bean."

Bakeneko has posed:
"Oh!" Katsumi, now mildly embarrassed, recalls giving him her number. "Right! Ah- hey!"

The girl leans forward, propping her elbows over her knees and one hand pawing through her hair.

"What's up?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick moves over to the sofa area, "I wanted to talk to you about what you said about your apartment in Japan but I didn't think you'd want to talk about it in front of a group."

Bakeneko has posed:
"Oh. Uh.. yeah. Okay.. um.." Clearly uncomfortable, Katsumi switches from pawing at her hair to scratching her cheek. "I'm losing my stuff. I mean, if I haven't already. Cuz I'm stuck here. But I can't leave here. And if I left here, I might not make it back here."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick nods, although the unspoken motion is likely lost over a phone conversation. "And losing stuff sucks." He surmises, "...How behind are you?"

Bakeneko has posed:
"Um... this is week two. I probably have that eviction notice on my door. End of the month, my stuff'll be tossed, or ransacked, or..." Katsumi leans back on the bench. "It's more than just stuff, though.."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick sighs, shaking his head, "...How much would you need to get a month ahead on rent?"

Bakeneko has posed:
There's silence on the other end of the phone.

"N-no, nono. I can't do that. I don't want- no," Katsumi refuses in an uncharacteristically small voice. "I'm not gonna be you, or- or Buffy's, or Willow's problem. I'll figure something out."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Katsumi, a month and a half's worth of rent is not a problem if I know that's what it is going towards." Nick replies, running a hand through his hair, grasping the back of his head as he flops back into the sofa. "Just...It should help buy some time for you to get your stuff secured."

Bakeneko has posed:
There's a long, breezy sigh from the other end of the phone. Katsumi's face is resting in her free hand, hiding her eyes. "I don't want to be charity case. I.. ugh.. I need my car.. I need my instruments.. if I just had those, it'd be okay."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Instruments." Nick seizes on the word. "I saw you play keyboard before... how much experience do you have on them?"

Bakeneko has posed:
"A lifetime. Keyboard, drums, violin, guitar..," Katsumi lists. "Audio mixing and singing, too. Music was my language. My world, all sounds. And my p-, um, adoptive parents, they really pushed me at it. And it's what I really dove into when I went to university." Somehow she delivers all of this with a sullen tone.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick clenches his free hand into a fist before pumping it forward once. He gives a nod before leaning forward on the sofa, fist opening to cup the phone with the second hand. "If I could get you in for an audition or interview, would you do it?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro actually leans back from the cellphone to look at the screen, nonplussed. She then leans in again. "A interview?," she asks, poor grammar intact. "F-for what? I'm a wrestler..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Music." Nick replies, "My roommate owns a studio and people come and go. He also helps pair musicians with venues and music groups that are looking for musicians. Long term and short term. You basically described various things he'd be looking for. You could supplement your income with some part time gigs if you got on the list."

Bakeneko has posed:
"..Really? That- I could- really?" Katsumi seems flabbergasted. "W- uh, I mean, yes? I could live on ramen for a while. I did after I was d-, um, after I started as a wrestler. When would that be..?"

Beat.

"Ahn! I still need my car and stuff!"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"An interview? Well, when he gets back from running errands I'll see about getting you penciled in as soon as possible." He glances over to the door, "As for the apartment situation, how about we just get you a month ahead and if you get on the list, we call it a signing bonus and if you don't, we call it a gift? Either way by showing up to talk with him you're helping save him time with recruiting."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro struggles with the idea, but can't seem to come up with an adequate reason to refuse. So she relents. "Okay. I'll do the interview. And- and we'll see what happens. The thing is, if I'm renting an apartment in Japan, why am I here? If I'm here, why should I have an apartment in Japan? I need to... to figure this out. Consolidate it."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick nods, in agreement "It doesn't make sense to maintain both of them." His head turns back, glancing to the turned off TV, "But, the added time should give you some breathing room to make arrangements for your STUFF to go where it needs to go."

Bakeneko has posed:
"I guess. I don't even have anywhere /for/ it to go. I can rent a hotel for a couple more days, then that's it. I'm tapped out. I lose on Monopoly." Katsumi's legs swing a couple times on the bench. "Nick. Hey."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick's brow raises, eyes glancing aside to get a blur of the black plastic of the phone in his side view, "Hmm? Yes Katsumi?" Seems like she's asking a question.

Bakeneko has posed:
"Why are you being nice, huh?," Katsumi asks bluntly, her tone a little accusatory. "Buffy I get. I fought with her. She gets me. Maybe. I think she does. She keeps comparing me to someone else. But what's your reason? You're talking about just throwing money around like it's nothing! And- and I know being on top, you feel pretty comfortable in what you've got, but I'm living proof that it runs out really quick!"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Don't give me that crap." Nick replies, tone matching Katsumi's. He leans forward, eyes narrowing, "Yes. I might have money. I've scraped. I've budgeted out the wazoo and I work my ass off so I don't have to touch any of the money I've saved up. It may not seem like it but there was a time I had nothing. No friends. No family. Nothing but uncertainty. And it was a shitty feeling. So. IF I happen to have extra spending cash on hand that I budgeted to use as I wish, and I WISH that you have less of that shitty feeling, that should be sufficient."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro holds the phone back again to blink a couple times at it. She brings the phone close...

"Damn, dude, okay. I'm the one feelin' awkward over here."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Well, how awkward is it for me having to offer to help over and over again?" Nick seethes, smacking the sofa with his free hand. He pauses, glancing to the hand "Um. Give me a sec."

He lowers the phone, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. Eyes widening.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro frowns. "Uh.. sorry..? I-.. look, I /hate/ being helped, okay? I was a charity case growing up, and it just- people never get what they want out of me. And when they don't, and I don't live up to what they're wanting, or what they think they've invested in, I-.. it's-.." She settles back, ignoring his request for a second. "..it's hard to take. I'd say you wouldn't understand, but I don't want you flipping the f*** out on me again."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Phone lowered he doesn't her much of what Katsumi's saying. Instead he's taking deep breaths and counting backwards to himself. Forcing a smile onto his face, he brings the phone to his ear.

"Ok." Nick replies calmly, "So, in recap. I'll see if I can get Wade to arrange for an interview or audition for you. And we'll get you an extra month on the rent issue so you have time to make arrangements for your... stuff. Everything after that is all you. Good?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro only manages a small 'okay' into the phone. Her shoulders rest hunched, her posture defeated. "I'll-.. uh.. just send a text or something. I'll be there," she supplies, tilting her knees back and forth.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Okay." Nick replies, "I'll let you know what I find out. Take care Katsumi." One could almost HEAR the practiced smile on the other side of the phone.

Bakeneko has posed:
"Um."

"Yeah."

"You too."

Katsumi angles the phone away and hits the button, just as nonplussed as she'd been before. She should be happy about an interview, but that took such a weird turn.