1266/Life isn't Fair

Life isn't Fair
Date of Scene:	25 March 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Juuban Avenue - North
Synopsis:	Lacrima and Sachiko are both cursed, for reasons that aren't their fault. The whole thing is very emotionally draining.
Cast of Characters:	Sachiko Hayakawa, Norie Okana

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Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko's life has just not gotten better. In the two months since her sister's death, the poor little girl has had a birthday while sleeping on a cot at the police station, been placed with a temporary foster family twice, transfered to a new school, made a best friend, started dancing, got eaten by a vampire, introduced to a wish-granting magical rodent, and finally informed of her sister's death in a straightforward and honest manner.

Denial is Sachiko's strongest talent, it's true, but even she is busy trying to figure out how to deny Kukai's words. They match up so well with what everyone else has told her.

Being grounded is no real limitation for Sachiko Hayakawa, though. Sure, it sucks; no Heelys and worse no dance class are both really upsetting to the girl. But she's already upset, so what's another drop in the bucket?

So come a little past midnight, the day after it all went down, Sachiko is up to the same old antics once again. Her foster family has taken away her favourite dresses, which leaves her in just a long loose cotton shift, loose sneakers, and tall stockings. Well, stocking. Somewhere along the way, she lost a sneaker and a stocking. Now, the girl is sitting on a bench near the water, wiggling the bare toes of her right foot. There's sand falling off periodically, and her remaining shoe, stocking, and the hem of her shift are wet. Maybe she went down by the waters? That's probably where she lost half of her footwear.

Norie Okana has posed:
Reality is a pretty terrible thing isn't it? The past few months she's also been vehmenetly denying that she's some sort of terrible monster. Then things got to a peak the last few weeks. It's getting harder to continue to be Noire. She feels like she's losing grasp on herself. Things are not easy to control. A man with similar powers parroted what that odd sotto voce she hears in her head said-- casting just the tiniest bit of doubt into her head and sending her spiraling into harder denial.

The man said.. you don't need to choose one over the other. But this doesn't feel like much of a choice to Norie. Something is pushing her one way and she hates it.

The girl has escaped off into the night-- odd for her-- she usually does indeed, usually stay home this late, or tries to be home this late. Not tonight. She needs fresh air. The night seems more homely than a room in a house.

--then there's that familiar energy in the air as she peeks off towards the beach, near water. She can hear her own internal voice 'ignore it.. ignore it!' but the other one- the darker voice, keeps going 'take it, take it!'.

By the time she's quieted down both voices her feet have carried her perilously closer to Sachiko as she steadies herself. Too close now... too close than she wants to be--- she twitches a bit-- purple eyes look around-- no one else. No other energy--

"Sachi-chan." she says.

Whelp. There goes any attempt to walk away out the window.

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko should be cold and shivering. She is cold, and her body is trying to shiver. But she's too emotionally detached to even notice her own chill. The sound of Norie's approach goes entirely unnoticed, until her name is called.

For a moment it looks like the little girl isn't even going to notice. Her cinnamon-coloured hair--presently flat and lifeless around her chin--gives the first indication that she has heard Norie, as it betrays a little shift. There's stillness another moment, and then the girl raises her chin entirely and t urns to regard the purple-eyed vampire.

"Norie-chan," she mumbles quietly, then curls her legs up beneath her, leaving a little smear of wet on the concrete as her foot passes.

The girl doesn't look afraid of Norie. She doesn't look at her with anger or resignation. There's no emotion there at all. "Hi."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana regards Sachiko for a moment. She thought she was going to need to ... teleport hop or-- run after her-- or-- she expected some sort of indignant 'magical girl' yelling that so far almost every one of them was employed , even the fake one.

But nope. Nothing. She just sits there. Norie stays right where she is and presses her teeth together. Distance is good. Distance is good because she doesn't want to leap into an attack. Not yet. It's taking a lot to not do that. It upsets her inside.

"No yelling at me to stop. Or calling me a bad person." she says matter of factly.

"Something is wrong."

"Did that little wish creature die?" she tilts her head.

"Ahahaha--I ran..."

"...because I was tempted." she says. She shakes her head. That laugh just a little almost unhinged sounding.

"It's so hard you know... I should had never fed from you!" she insists.

"So tell me what's wrong!?" she asks.

"Are you getting bored pretending now already?" she asks. "Or is this a trap?"

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko sits through the Vampire's monologue, unmoved and unemotive. The glassy-eyed stare she gives Norie reveals nothing of her intentions. But it's clear she's not going to run away.

Even when Norie asks if she's getting bored, Sachiko says nothing. It's not until silence rests between them for a few moments that the girl finally shifts, leaning forward just a little, then holds out a hand towards Norie, palm up. An invitation? A trap! Surely that must be it.

Yet if it is a trap, the genuine innocence on Sachiko's face is sure selling it well. She doesn't seem afraid, doesn't even seem tense. She's not about to run or pounce. She doesn't have her wrist-pouch where she usually keeps her weapons and things.

Such a lonely looking girl.

"Sky Jack says the Kyubey can't give me An-chi," the first words she's spoken since she said 'hi'.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nrrrrg not yet, it sucks arguing with yourself in your head. She moves a few steps closer. She's not quite in ranged to touch that offered hand. 'leave!' 'no!' 'Then listen to her at least.' 'maybe' and she twitches again. All this arguing affects her outwardly, in her tone and mannerisms. She sounds sort of crazy like this.

Maybe it's best she left all her friends. They'd notice something was horribly wrong.

"An-chi? Ha.. your sister. Right? The magical girl!? Why not?" she asks.

She's kind of keeping her right arm down by force. It wants to reach out, move the one more foot she needs to move in range and just... drain the girl.

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko's hand remains outstretched towards Norie, but the girl makes no further moves towards the vampire. She just stares at her in peace, unblinking still as she allows the Vampire time to come to her own decisions.

"An-chi," reiterates Sachiko quietly. "My sister. She protected me," she explains, "and made my lunches. She always made sure I was happy. I miss her," there's the emotion, just a little shudder as tears threaten the girl. But she doesn't fall to sobs right away. "Sky Jack says she ... she died to the Walpurgy-not," she explains. "I don't know what that means, but he said it was a big storm and there was a monster and ... and he says the Kyubey can't bring her back from that. Not even with a wish."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana listens a bit. Now that war gets a little stronger in her head as she listens to the story. So Sachiko's sister died? And she didn't know? and these people? Have been lying to her? These others? Riventon had said that-- that these others-- these heroes aren't to be trusted! Doesn't this prove that!? Everything.. has been so correct recently.

But then there's Norie's own voice. Trying desperatly to make her care about what was actually said.

This just ends in her not really caring about it at all and this upsets her in it's own way. She /used/ to feel things! and care! It's terrible because she can remember how she should feel, but she isn't actually feeling it.

"I'm..... sorry?" she says finally in a way that sounds more like a question than an actual declaration.

"Oh.. was that what the storm was about?"

"I did feel a terrible pressure. I had a very bad headache."

"But it was easy to feed when everyone was running around."

She very gently finally reaches that hand out toward's Sachiko's own and she juuuust touches those fingers.

"Sky Jack. Is that the boy's name? I don't like him. He doesn't understand me. He thinks this is so easy." she says.

"Why can't he bring her back? I'm confused. It feels to me like a wish should grant you anything you want."

"I'm so jealous."

"If I could wish, I'd wish myself back to normal!" she pouts a little, lips pursing. "But you heard him, what he said. I can't. Oh well."

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko grips Norie's fingers and very gently pulls, as if seeking nearness and comfort without really understanding her own actions.

"Sky Jack is Greta-chan's friend," Sachiko explains to Norie. "And Greta-chan was An-chi's best friend. She told me once that if anything happened to her, Greta-chan would take care of me. But ... I only see Greta-chan when she comes to visit. Sometimes."

The little girl sighs and shakes her head, "I don't know," she mumbles. "It doesn't make any sense. The Kyubey said he could grant me any wish and I'd become a magical girl. But Sky Jack says it doesn't work like that. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. It doesn't make any sense."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana says something that both sides in her seem to agree on begrudingly in her head. It's why there's no awkward pauses before she says anything this time. "Someone told me recently I shouldn't care what others think. I think they're correct." she says flatly.

"Greta-chan. The other one that came that night." she says again.

She commits these names into memory. Sky Jack. Greta-chan.

There's a small tingle in her palm-- an energy drain? Yes. It's not full on, but it's happening. It's like she can't control it-- but maybe letting the monster inside her feed is letting her keep more lucid too. If she thinks this is a problem, she isn't saying anything about it.

"Isn't it your choice?" she asks. "The creature said you had to word it carefully." she says.

"What if you wish for-- 'I wish I could prove Sky Jack wrong so actually bring my sister back'.. or something like that. That probably isn't a good wording. Try something else." she says.

Ugh why is she sitting here talking about wishes. Oh right. Energy draining. She can juuuuust taste it.

She geels guilty as sin. Too bad she isn't stopping.

"Besides. Then you'd be a real magical girl. Right?" she asks.

"Don't you want to be that? You seem to desperatly want to be one." she muses.

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Despite her intense depression, Sachiko is still a well of abundant energy. Norie can feel that the moment she lets the drain begin; there's so much available to her, and it's so much stronger than the average Joe on the street. Certainly more than any adult she's ever drained could possibly hope to give.

Sachiko's little body leans forward a little further as she tightens her grip on Norie's fingers, pulling herself if Norie will not pull to her. But she doesn't go so far as to get up off ehr bench, and she can't quite pull Norie to sit on it with her.

"I don't know," Sachiko says quietly, "I've never made a wish like that. I don't want to be a magical girl, though. I mean, not unless it will save An-chi. I just want An-chi back. If that means I gotta be a magical girl then I'll do that. But Sky Jack doesn't seem to want me to be one, and Greta-chan doesn't want me to be one, and you don't want me to be one, and Momo-chan just thinks it's playing pretend, but it's not playing pretend. There are real monsters and magical girls and I've gotta be one of them, don't I?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana is actually tugged, she indeed, lets herself sit next to Sachiko. When she gets the idea. She doesn't release the hand though. She holds onto it. She continues drainig. Eventually, she'll loose control completely and it'll turn into something full fledged for now. Tingling and small draining. Like taking tiny pieces off the roll before you shove the whole thing in your mouth.

"It sounds like this wish could solve your problem- in some manner. It seems foolish to pass it up."

"I'm not sure." she says flatly. "I only fed from you.. to-- to begin with because you said you were a magical girl! Ha--~" she says. "That would be odd, wouldn't for me to not want you to actually be one!?" she says.

"Maybe..."

"I'm not really sure anymore about a lot of things."

"I don't want to be what I am, but I need to be anyways!" she says.

"And it's like.. Sky Jack didn't understand that you know!?" she says, starting to sound half crazed again. The drain does, increase a little bit. Maybe a bit more noticeable, even.

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko doesn't let go, either; doesn't even try. If anything, when Norie comes closer, the little girl's fingers intertwine with the vampire's. She falls limply onto Norie's shoulder, putting her little head down. Now, so close they're practically cuddling, Norie can feel the little shakes in Sachiko's body. She's barely holding back all that raw emotion: the loss, the pain, the tear,s, the fears, and the hope she dares not believe in. It's no wonder she looks emotionaless: it's all been caged so tightly that if she let even the slightest emotion slip, she'd explode with it.

And it's no wonder she tastes so sweet: how much energy does she have to hold that much emotion in check!?

As the drain increases, Sachiko lets out a little gasp, but by now she's fully trapped. And she doesn't try to get away. "It's not fair," she whimpers quietly. "An-chi gave up everything for me. She tried to make it so I didn't notice, but ... I'm not stupid. I know she didn't eat lunch a lot so I could have nice lunches. And I know she worked extra hard to make sure we had dinner. I know mama was buying that really expensive water and it made An-chi so mad. But she always made it work anyways. Why is she dead?" she asks Norie. The dam is starting to break. The energy she's been using to hold those emotions back is faltering. Norie is taking it.

But then she finds the energy to look outwards, just a moment, to ask, "Why are you this way? Why do you have to drain me and other people? Were you born like this? Did the Clockwork Lord make you this way? Did something hap--happen?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana isn't quite a warm body. She used to be. Now she's cold. A little pale, even when she's Norie. People have noticed. People claim it's because she's a shut in now. That's only half right. She listens and frowns.

It's very hard and she has to reach deep into herself- but she finds something like sympathy enough to actually frown about the situation that the girl has found herself in. She used to live a normal life before all this. Was it perfect? No, but it was good--- and she knows what it feels like to have at least that taken away from her. "I'm finding lots of things aren't fair nowadays, Sachi-chan." she says softly. "I wish I had something to tell you besides I'm sorry." she says. "I know what it's like to have a life and loose a lot, too. With all that's happened to me."

She pauses.

"I don't know. Well."

"I do know. But I don't. I bought a pretty necklace in an antique shop. It was cursed- or something like it. It made me very sick for a week. Then I got better suddenly out of the blue. Then I wake up one day and-- and I feel so odd-- and cold and-- I look in the mirror and I'm pale and I have purple eyes and hair and it's so long-- and I feel... hungry. Something ravenous--- then my brother comes in to check on me and I attack him and I drain him and I'm able to get back to normal and things get worse..."

"If I don't.. 'feed' I became ravenous and I hurt people.. and.. and I've almost killed two of my close friends trying to.. to starve myself. It's better if I feed while I'm in control. Well.. for--for a definition of 'control'..." she mutters.

"Hahaha-~ It's okay to think of me as a monster though~" tone of voice changing. "What else do you call a vampire? I..I'm barely even alive!" she says.

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Of course, even with as much energy as she has, Sachiko has her limits. The longer the contact--the longer the draining--continues, the less energy she has for herself. Oddly, this seems to help Sachiko settle. She's crying, of course; tears streaming down her cheeks, little sniffles of sorrow. But she doesn't have the energy left to really bawl. She doesn't have the energy to scream and yell and run away.

"That's so sad," she tells Norie sadly. "You didn't do anything wrong. Just a pretty necklace, and now you're a monster!?" she asks, sniffling even more. "It's so unfair," she cries against the world. "You shouldn't have to be a monster. An-chi shouldn't be dead. I shouldn't be alone. I hate this world. It's stupid and I hate it. I wish ..." she starts to say.

And somewhere nearby a pair of red eyes glint with expectation.

But Sachiko doesn't quite finish it. Instead she just devolves into tears, leaning heavily on Norie as she cries.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana feels really, really sad all of a sudden. She's leanded against, she's being cried against, the dark in her finds this intensely uncomfortable. Well. Truthfully, Norie finds it intensely uncomfortable- but Norie would still try to make things better. She doesn't know what to do or say to that. She frowns.

"Ha~ It's okay..." she says. "That same person who told me to not listen to what others think, also said I'm lucky it happened. That I'm powerful But-- I don't know..." she says. Ugh. She hates this tone she's using but she can't help it. It's how she sounds when the two sides fight inside. Part of her just wants to give in. The other one wants to fight. How can she 'be both' like Riventon said when this is the norm?

Regardless. Both sides want this over and both sides come to a momentary agreement and it's terrible. That energy drain picks up to a more proper full force.

"For now, why don't you sleep? It's very late..." she says softly. Yes she's trying to drain the girl into unconciousness by draining that delicious, delicious energy. It's almost a phyric victory for both sides. She gets the energy. The girl gets put to sleep so she doesn't have to deal with anything except sleep.

It's helping...

Right?

Sachiko Hayakawa has posed:
Sachiko's little gasp of surprise at the intensity of that drain is certainly not pleasurable. Ther eis a little whimper, as the energy in her little body is sucked dry almost in an instant. But sleep? Sleep certainly comes. She slumps heavily against Norie, quickly drained away to unconsciousness by the vampire. At least she won't remember this night, any more.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana watches Sachiko fall asleep-- and she's partly happy about this.

Now what to do with her?

They're by the water. No one will find her there. What if she rolls over and down the beach into the water!? She reaches down and picks up Sachiko carefully enough. Norie nor Lacrima is terribly strong by magical standards but she can lift a small light girl.

She drags her to the main road and lays her down at a bus stop. Someone will find her there-- either passing by, or when the first buses start early in the morning.

It's all she can really do at the moment- she doesn't know where Sachiko lives afterall. Lucky for her.