1403/Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey
Date of Scene:	21 April 2016
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown Neon District
Synopsis:	Utau meets Lacrima again, and they discuss their difficult situations that force them to act out in shades of grey, caught halfway between acts of good and evil, treading a dangerous line between both.
Cast of Characters:	Utau Hoshina, Norie Okana

---

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    The Neon District is particularly busy tonight, with flashy lights, loud music blasting, and late night sales everywhere. Seems everyone is gearing up for spring break and enjoying the nice warm weather.

    Utau's here too, doing a little window shopping, although trying to avoid the bright displays that show her latest music video and promoting another upcoming concert that she's really not up to doing.

    But of course, it's hard blending in when you're famous, so tonight she's somewhat undercover, dressed in a red beanie hat and sunglasses and matching red jacket and casual jeans.

Norie Okana has posed:
Out in lights, with people in weird dress and costumes in the night in the Neon District--- Lacrima has found no one gives her a second glance at her odd dress, her purple hair her strange eyes.

She seemed content as she purses her lips in bemusedness, as that's the closest she's going to get to 'happy and smiling' right now-- as she glanced into windows. Fancy dresses. She'd love these, eight months back. But now... now they just seem intresting and intriguing.

She continues to move on when she brushes past Utau---- just cold to the touch as she blinks. "Oh-- excuse me." says Lacrima softly....

Then a pause.

"Wait..."

She blinks again. "Is that you...?" asks Lacrima softly a bit of confusion in her tone.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Cold to the touch..She shivers a bit as the girl brushes past her. She knows that touch somehow, even though she only met her once or twice. Amethyst eyes narrow, pausing in stride, glancing over her shoulder at the other girl. "Lacrima.." She nods, "We meet again.."

    Her expression is hard to read; Cold as is usual for Utau, a little sad and reserved. Whatever happened since their last encounter had left her deeply troubled. But she had wanted to speak to the vampire girl as well and so she remains where she is, turning around to face her.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima looks around and huffs----- she walks over and grabs Utau's hand and tugs her into an alley. She isn't hurried, but it seems she wants privacy, not out in the crowd to talk. The allyway is empty. No one's going to come in here right now--or, if there are people in here, they're deeper in.

She softly looks around and talks.

"Utau, why were you with that liar!? Sky Jack!" she says. She frowns and continues--.

"Why were you helping him?" he asks softly with a frown. Her tone isn't accusatory, it's confused and seeking answers.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau arches a brow as she leads her into a quiet alleyway, but she has no reason to fear this girl, even if she IS a vampire. Besides, this isn't a conversation she'd like to have out in the open either.

    She simply nods, following after her, arching a brow when she asks about him. Ugh, Kukai again. Drives her crazy, thinking about him, in every possible way- both good and bad.

    "Liar, you say? You mentionned he broke a promise he made to you..What exactly happened?" She sighs, "You know, I was concerned for your well-being, and I didnt want to fight you, but..Sky Jack, he promised he'd help me to save my brother, and I felt I owed him a debt for that, so I promised to help him out the next chance I got."

    Utau grits her teeth and clenches her hands as she speaks, glaring down at the ground. "But now, I've lost everything..Ikuto, I may never see him again, and Riventon is sure to put my brother, my career, heck my life in jeopardy."

    As for Kukai, well, Utau's hardly going to be going out of her way to track him down after running away like a coward.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima scowls. "H--he promised me he'd help find a way to cure me!-- and he did was lie to me so I'd do as he said. There's no way to cure me! Like it's so easy to be what I am! I can't even be myself anymore! Did you know that!? It costs energy! I was an /idiot/ to think I could be who I want to be all I wanted." she says through her teeth.

She frowns. "I didn't want to fight you either! I'm glad you chose to run!" she says.

"Well maybe he won't bother because you ran." she says with a frown.

"Instead of continue to press in any direction." she says.

"Riventon is only one of two people who haven't lied to me." she says. "He doesn't make me false promises--- and is helping me to control my power better." she says.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau's eyes narrow. Dammit. This girl's situation is desperate like hers, but in so many ways it's even worse, because she's fighting for her life. "He made such a promise to you?" her frown deepens, "That's a hard promise to keep. But how did he lie to you? He's always been pretty honest, always wanting to help everyone. Maybe this was just too big a problem for someone like him to solve.."

    She sighs, "Even so, you may be right. Maybe there IS no way to cure you. I forget the details, but were you cursed or something? In any case, you have no choice. If you want to survive, you have to steal energy, and inevitably, someone gets hurt. The only thing you can do, is to not drain too much energy to kill or permanenty cause harm."

    "I too, am facing a dilemma right now, although it's probably pale in comparison to yours. Easter is forcing me to steal heart's eggs in exchange for not harming my brother, Ikuto. I'm destroying peoples' dreams and happiness and Kukai promised he'd help me free my brother so I didnt have to keep doing it...Even so, sometimes I'm not sure if I can trust him. Sometimes it feels like he's just toying with my heart.."

    And there's that name Riventon again, a name Utau's familiar with, although she's never met him in person. "Riventon. So he's helping you control your power..?" she nods, "It's a start. But what was that giant crystal about? Was he using that to drain energy from the earth on a massive scale? He went too far. You cant stop yourself from draining others, but you can at least minimize the damage you cause."

    As for her running away? She shakes her head slowly, "No. It was a cowardly thing to do. I've never before lacked conviction. Now suddenly, I find myself caught in the middle. If I want to save my brother, I have to pick a side. I just dont know what side to pick.."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "I don't know what Riventon was doing. I was drawn to that like those creatures, only I'm not as weak as to be entranced. I found him there. He offered me some energy if I'd stand there and help him. He's been nothing but nice to me. He understands what I am.. and-and what I need to do! He doesn't lie to me to sugarcoat things like Sky Jack!" she snaps.

"He knew from the get go there was no way to free me from this. He just wanted me to 'use my powers for good'. feh." she says.

"I /hurt/ people. I can't control who I need to drain-- when I need to drain- I need to drain. Not everyone is being held up by some thug- the best I can usually do is-- some deliquient teenager spray painting and even that isn't enough for him."

She frowns and listens to Utau.

"So? Save him." she says softly. "Force him away. You're either going to do it or you're not going to." she says. "I've had to learn the hard way that putting things off-- or lying to yourself about what needs to be done just ends in misery!" she says.

"I hate being this-- this thing.." she says motioning her arms out. "But since I've been dropping my human....." she says in a manner that seems to make her twinge... "Disguise..." she says. "When I don't need it..." she says. "I've cut down my energy usage from three or four people every other day down to two a week." she says.

"IF I don't need to expend extra energy." she surmises.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    "Oh, I see.." She nods thoughtfully. "Yes, I dont like people who are dishonest, just to spare your feelings. Then, I'm glad that Riventon is able to help you. Even so, some of his methods can be a bit extreme, but I'd understand why you would support him, regardless."

    She nods again, "And yet, Sky Jack, like most heroic types, can be judgemental, he cannot understand that there are grey areas between the black and white. And it's not always easy, or possible to do the right thing, even if you want to."

    When she explains how she chooses her victims, Utau cant help but smirk, "But of course! It's what I tried to do when I could, picking off the victims that did more harm than good, and why not?" She sighs though, shaking her head when Lacrima speaks of saving her brother, as if it were so easy.

    "Saving him isn't so easy. He's being held captive by Easter, guarded by a very powerful Mahou - Death Rebel, whom I cant defeat. They're using some kind of mechanism to control his every movement, and unless I can find that contraption and break it, Ikuto will always be a zombie, unable to think or feel or control his actions.."

    "I simply needed the firepower to break him free of Easter, and that is something that Sky Jack promised me. If I were to try and break him out myself, I'd just end up getting killed. However, I wonder if Riventon can help me with my problem.."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "I'm sorry, I can't help with this. It conflicts with my current promises." she says softly. "But a zombie? Sort of like when I control someone?" she asks softly with a blink as she frowns... "My ability is temporary, I dunno how I'd feel if I could control someone like that for an extended period. It feels... not what I'd like to do." she says with a frown.

"So you needed power and found it in Sky Jack. Okay..." she says softly. "Power.." she presses her teeth together. That word means something to her, but she doesn't want to elaborate.

"I don't want power, I'd just like to control what I have." she says.

"What, you want Riventon to help you?" she asks confusedly. "How would that work? Are you wanting me to ask him?" she wonders.

"Or is there something more underhanded you have in mind. Don't share. If you do." she insists.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    "Hmm.." she smiles coldly as she tries to figure this out. "I have no desire to fight you, and I'd rather not fight Easter either. Afterall, they DID help me to get to where I am today..Without their help, I would never have become famous, at least not so quickly."

    Utau sighs, "I suppose, I should not be so hateful towards the company that gave me so much, although I did get treated as a slave as a result..But perhaps I was going about it all wrong!"

    She looks back to Lacrima thoughtfully, "I dont want you to go against Riventon, but if you could let him know that I am not trying to betray Eclipse, or Easter. I must speak with him before more damage is done. As it is, he may believe that I am trying to betray both Easter and Eclipse, and because of that, my brother's life may be put in further danger..But, in my current position, I could glean a lot more information from Virtue..As a spy."

    Her eyes gleam wickedly, nodding, "Then, perhaps I can use the Guardians to our advantage.." She sighs, "What an idiot I was, blinded by my feelings for him. When he's only doing this because he wants to be the good guy.." Her thoughts are wild and crazy right now, and Iru grins wickedly from her egg, cracking it open to peek at her with a smile, "Utau-chan! That's the spirit! None of this wishy washy stuff! Don't let a few broken dreams trouble you..Ikuto is worth more than that!"

    Eru meanwhile sighs, popping on her other shoulder. "You musn't! You know deep down that you are hurting, you want to touch peoples' hearts, not destroy their dreams!"

    But Utau simply turns away, ignoring Eru's pleas. She'll play this game her way from now on, and not someone else's way!

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns at Utau. "Virtue?" she asks. "What's that? Is that another organization like Eclipse?" she asks.

She sits back and nods. "I'll... let him know. What he does is his own bussiness after that." she says softly.

She watches Utau, she's suddenly seems to be acting really weirdly. Then there's Iru and Eru. She blinks once.

She's pretty sure she's seen this bit before, just never in real life.

Does Utau actually have a shoulder devil and shoulder angel.

Though sometimes. She feels like that too... Norie's voice on one side. Lacrima.. or that deep Sotto Voce on the other.

She wonders how it's like to actually have that for real though.

She shakes off the feeling of weirdness. "That's strange." she finally says. "Who are these things?" she asks.

She looks at Iru. "Wishy Washy stuff..." she looks over to Eru. "Touch people's Hearts."

She purses her lips. "This sounds like when I have arguments in my head." she says softly.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau smiles, "You can see them. But of course. You're magical too. Normal people cant.." she nods once towards Iru and Eru, "These are my Guardian Characters. They're kinda like..Guardian Angels, or fairies, I guess." Iru and Eru both sit up straight on her shoulders, Iru grinning wickedly and nodding, Eru smiling sweetly and waving. "Hello, Nori-san!"

    "They're aspects of my true self, that guide me through life. Like my hopes and dreams that took a physical shape and form. But they're also magical, so when I merge with them, I can transform into a magical girl..."

    She sighs, "But these are exactly what I've been charged with stealing from others. Their heart's Eggs. Their unborn hopes and dreams. When those eggs are stolen and corrupted, their dreams and potential are destroyed and they turn to hopeless lives, never realizing their true selves or potentials."

    "It didn't bother me at first, but after a while, watching hundreds of adoring fans coming out to be inspired by your songs, only to let them down by destroying their dreams..That hurts. A lot."

    She nods, "Thanks, Nori-chan. I will need to talk to him too, because there may be other instances where I may have to fight with the heroes, just to put on a front. But I dont need Ikuto getting hurt because of this either. And in the meantime, I hope that Riventon can continue to help you. I'm quite disappointed that Sky Jack broke his promises to you, makes me wonder if he'll break his promises to me as well.."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima watches softly. She nods to both of the tiny beings and looks back. "I sometimes wrestle with my own voices in my head. Norie.." she says softly. "Who I used to be and what I used to think and feel like.. arguing with Lacrima, who I am now. It hasn't happened a lot however, since after- some girl hit me with something that burned like fire."

"I dunno if stripped away portions of me...I had to heal in the Dusk Zone." she says softly.

She frowns. "It sucks.. doesn't it? I--I always try to make sure I leave people where they can be found when I drain them." she says softly. "I hate feeling like that. Hurting people I don't know."

"But.. Riventon, and my voice tell me that it's no different than using cattle for a steak, or eating a cinnamon bun." she says.

"I guess that makes me feel better. It's not like I'm killing these people. I just need to let them sleep for a bit." she says.

She head tilts. "I'm sorry you need to go through that, Utau-san." she says softly. "I wish I could help you..." she says silently.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    "Yes.." she nods, "Of course, neither of us wants to do the things that we do. But regardless, we do them, because we must. But not everyone out there understands. The heroes think there's always a choice, always another way. And the villains usually want to use us to hurt more people. But we dont have to follow anyone's path but our own, and ours alone.."

    Utau steps forward, resting a hand on the other girl's shoulder, "That's why I wont stand in your way no matter what. Because I trust you, and I hope you can trust me."

    she smiles, "Of course, you're just letting them sleep a bit. But thanks for listenning, it's nice to not feel like i'm being judged by someone, one way or the other, I'm so tired of people telling me what's right for me, you know?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima softly nods. "Even when... I was 'always' Norie... I didn't judge people. I didn't judge anyone. I just wanted to dance and be with my friends and go camping with my brother..." she says a bit sulky.

"My brother. He was my first 'victim'... he came to wake me up... the first day. I was overcome and confused. It just felt natural to grab and drain him. He remembers... but he doesn't. He avoids me now. Takes a longer route through the house to avoid my room." she says.

"I'm glad you care enough about your brother like that." she says softly. "I don't think the relationship with mine will ever be the same.

She bites her lip. "Um. I should. Get going. I'm actually... cruising for um..." she says. "Dinner." she admits.

"It's easy here... a trick I picked up from another friend. Act like your intrested to some akward boy..." she says disdainfully. "Drag them into an alleway then that's when I drain them."

"There's always weirdly dressed people here..." she says softly.

"It's easier for me to blend in without needing to expend energy to keep my disguise up!"

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau sighs, "I'm sorry. That's gotta hurt. In a world where everyone hates and fears you, it's hard to trust people, to feel wanted." she frowns, "I'm starting to realize that now too."

    " Ikuto's the only thing in the world that matters to me now, but even he is cold towards me..I feel like I've been alone for so long, and even the people who claim to want to help me, are just judging me, demanding that I prove myself over and over again."

    Utau glances around at the many people wandering by, excited kids, tired parents. Hard working students. She should probably get to work herself, it's been a while since she's stolen heart's eggs. And it seems that Easter wont let her see her brother anymore until she does.

    "Then good luck, Norie-chan. Good luck to the both of us." And with a small smile and nod, she walks past her, down the alley, to stalk her own style of prey..