2016/Trying Your Best.

Trying Your Best.
Date of Scene:	11 October 2016
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Natt's House Accessory Shop
Synopsis:	Amu Hinamori bumps into Lacrima at Natt's House Accessory Shop. It goes about aswell as it could go. At least giant dark dogs didn't eat anyone this time?
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Amu Hinamori

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Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima needed time to get her head back together. Having two sets of memories occupy the same spot in your brain is disconcerting and confusing- though not ultra horrible as some things that have happend to her. For one, it isn't making her question her existence /too badly/.

This means she's found herself in an accessory shop off near the park. 'Natt's House'.

She's looking at the cases, furrowing her brows. Her and jewerly still have an odd relationship due to the curse thing. But. She understands everything here is handmade. Surely there won't be 'ancient cursed braclets/necklaces/earrings/broaches', etc, here. Right?

Right!

She seems to be staring intently at what seems to be an earring set of some sort. They're a deep red of some color with a gold metal chain.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori had been walking by. Totally hadn't heard any stories about how if you bought the right jewelry that matched your soul, you'd find the romantic love of your life. Noooo. Nothing like that. Not at all. Yup. Totally not.

She walked inside, sporting a new look. A cast on her right arm. Unfortunately, it had just made her reputation sky rocket. People were asking how she got it, she'd said she got hit by a car. Biiiig mistake. Now people were saying she punched out a car and sent it flying after some muggers.

It was hard to say if her life was awesome or sucked sometime. She looked around. Then saw Lacrima. Her eyes widened and, of course... "Hey, Lacrima-chan!" She said, once she was RIGHT next to the girl and almost on her. GAHHH!

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima knew what actually happened. Not that she's been in school since 'Norie Okana' ran away from home. Nope. But if she did hear, she'd find it silly at best, bemusing at worst. She seems however, engrossed right now in that earring set.

Which is why she actually jumps up when she goes 'Hey Lacrima-chan!'.

She blinks rapidly. And then looks to her right and frowns a bit.

"Amu-san." she says. "...are you fine from last night?" she asks.

A pause. "I am a little...."

"What's the word... she used..."

"Discombobulated? Yes. That." she says.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori looked down. "What? Oh, this, it's fine. I mean, I was really lucky. The concussions weren't too bad. And I mean, considering my transformations don't really protect me that much, I was lucky it didn't kill me and i just got a few fractures," she said with a big smile. "So all in all, yesterday was pretty good."

"So, when it all happened, I was a bit... let's say focused on the task at hand. You were there though, right? So where did all of... that, come from? Anyway? You know, don't you?" She asked with that big, innocent, 'I trust you smile'. She then blinked. "Well, if you know. If you're still a bitt shaken up about yesterday, I understand. so no need to worry about it."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima head tilts. "I summoned it." she says frankly. "I'm attempting to-- try to. Hone my abilities. So I can control them and therefore, myself, better." she says. "It was not my intent to have it escape and go on a rampage through downtown." she insists with some snark.

"I did learn some things though. So there's that." she says matter of factly.

"Someone who I thought was a friend threatend to kill me. But that is par for course. I find I can't trust anyone, really." she says cynically.

"She was supposed to be my friend. I /trusted/ her." she spits out. "Now all I have is Jia-chan and Riventon-san." she frowns heavily.

And Natsumi-chan. But she really doesn't wanna talk about the 'girlfriend' right now because she's confused enough as it is.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded slowly and looked her over. She moved a little closer and then reached out, grabbing her hand. "No, you don't. You also have me. And Nades-chan. And Kukai-kun. And Nagi-kun. And Tadase-kun. I talked with Kukai-kun as well. He said he'll do his best to help you. Even if that means letting you feed off people. He even agreed to let you feed off me, but well... I'm a little worried that might hurt you."

She paused. "But never think you're alone. You have friends. Friends who care about you. So... next time you decide to summon somehting like that? Let me know. We can do it OUTSIDE of town and I can help. I mean, something like that, if it's controlled, could really be used to help people, right? And ummmm... if not in the middle of the city maybe next time I can avoid getting rolled over? Because, well..."

"I really could have died there. I'd rather not have a repeat of that..."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "I only know who two of those people are. You, and Kukai. And I trust Kukai as far as I can throw him." a pause. "No, that isn't very apt. I could throw him very far if I wanted." she says.

Her hand is grabbed, she blinks once at the physical contact- but her hand is ice cold, Lacrima- as always- isn't a warm body. She's undead. Some sort of construct.

"I'll think about it." she says about doing it again. "Jia-chan is making me ward the room." she frowns. "It'll make summoning harder anyways." she complains, practically.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nods, not letting the hand go. Though she wanted to. Hers was warm, soft. The true hand of friendship. she gave it the softest squeeze. "Come on, we're pals. and pals don't let their friends summon... giant dogs that might eat them, right?" She then paused. "How is Eilam doing? I imagine getting eaten like that... well... it couldn't have been very good for him. Emotionally, at least."

She glanced to the earrings. "And you should get them."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "As I said. I'll think about it. Which is better than the 'No' I want to give you." she says flatly. It's better than 'nothing' right? At least from her. She frowns. "I don't know how Eilam-kun is doing. I'm assuming he'll be okay. He always is." she mutters under her breath.

She looks back to the earrings. "I don't know." she says.

"Usually. I look just to distract myself." she says plainly. "'Dressing up' doesn't really obtain anything for me physically or emotionally. Not anymore. At least." she says softly.

"It just isn't fufilling." she says. "Do you understand?" she asks.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, giving her a smile. She hadn't torn her hand away, that was something. "I understand. It's a shame, you're just so pretty." Trying to flatter the girl, too. She gave her a gentle smile. "If you like them though, I do think they'd go good on you." She hummed and eyed Lacrima for a moment. "They go with your hair and eyes. Though maybe a light purple could work. Is that your natural hair color?" Says the girl with BRIGHT PINK HAIR.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "No." she says. "At least..I don't.. think..it is..." she says. "I mean. When I was. normal. It was black. But my hair is purple now. When I am. Like this." she says softly. "It's.. dangerous to. Use my. 'normal' guise. Right now." she says.

Mainly because she doesn't want cops chasing the missing Norie Okana right now.

"My hair and complexion and eyes became like this when I became the vampire." she says.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded and then gave her hand another soft squeeze. "Well, I think it's a really pretty look on you. You're an adorable vampire. Even... if it's something I wish I could heal you of," she said with a soft sigh. "I... I'm happy you seem to be doing better. You seem somewhat... happier. And I'm very happy you're taking the initiative to better, strengthen yourself." She gave the hand another soft squeeze.

"I know this isn't fun. and I know this isn't right. You don't deserve what happened to you. No one does. But you're really trying your hardest. You're trying to put it to good use. and... no matter what happens, I just want you to know I'm proud of you. Not... that I imagine that means much. But I am. You're a very strong woman, Lacrima. Probably a lot stronger than I'd have been in your situation." And hey, her chara's were keeping their mouths shut.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "It's easy to do things when you don't care anymore." is all she says. "Do you know what I was wondering?" she asks. "The day before I woke up like this?" she asks. "I was concerned I was going to wake up late for dance recital. And that was my only problem." she says.

"Then I woke up. and I was like this. And-- the hunger... I know it sounds like. 'You're hungry', that it feels like that. Nono, thirsting for energy is--- it's a horrible feeling. Wanting to just grab the nearest living person and just...."

"I'm trying to make my life easier." she says to Amu, intently. "There's still people I do... care about. But some of these people seem to be people that others do not care for. I do not care."

"Do you see this?" she asks, raising her arm, showing off the braclet on her left arm. It's glowing a little, at times. It seems to be decked in runes. "That's a sort of 'flow control' for my energy a friend made for me. It's helped me a lot, stop me from... bleeding energy everywhere- and from needing to feed everyday." she says.

"And it was made by a person everyone says I shouldn't trust. Who said won't help me." she says.

"But yet. It's so easy to say that. When I'm being attacked for taking energy from someone willingly." she seethes. "By the same people leving threats against my friend." she says.

She's grown more tense and she clutches her hands into fists before she nrgs and closes her eyes.

"I don't /like/ draining people." she says. "If I had it my way, I'd just be normal again and back home." she says. "But I can't just. Become normal. There's no 'fix' for me. I don't even have a 'real body' at this moment it's this....."

"Dark.. energy thing." she mutters.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, watching the woman. She glanced towards the earrings and... "I know. I'm sorry. I know. It... really is easy to just say 'do this' or 'don't do this' or 'this is wrong'. And everyone wants to tell you 'you have to do this' or 'you need to act this way'. But in the end, you need to follow your heart." She shook her head.

"If you think you can trust this person. If you know you can trust this person, then do it. Then believe in them. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the one who ends up helping them, if they're doing bad things. Making them... less bad." She shook her head. "I know I've ended up making friends with people they said were bad." She looked down to the bracelet. "And... I think it's good. You have people you can trust. If they really are helping you, then do it. Do what you feel you need to, to keep yourself in control."

She then let her hand go and turned to her, smiling. "I... None of us can know what you're feeling. None of us can know what it's like. There will be those who say you're bad for what you have to do, but they aren't you. They don't know or understand. So... well... they don't have the right, okay? As long as you're trying to do good things. To not hurt people. Even if you have to a little bit... I think that's enough. I think you're still a good person."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima frowns. "But you'll never trust my friend." she says frankly. "But that's okay. Not everyone has to get along." she says flatly.

She frowns. "I still don't know why you care about me." she says. "Considering all you've heard." she says. "And seen." she says with a soft frown.

"Just as long as your little... chara. things aren't following me around." she says.

"Right. This... dance. When is it?" she asks as she looks back to the earrings with some more pondering and thinking.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori glanced backto the earrings. "I care about you because you're a good kid. Because you're trying your hardest, even though you don't have to. I know how easy it could be to just say 'I'm done caring, I'm going to give up and do whatever I want, hurt whoever I want'. You're in the kind of situation no one could really blame you for it. But... you're still trying. You're doing everything you can to still be a good person. And..." She paused a moment.

"I know if people keep pushing you. If they keep insisting that no matter how hard you try, it'll never be enough. That what you're doing doesn't matter... one day you might start to believe it. and I can't imagine anything worse happening to that good, sweet little girl you once were. I imagine that's when she'd truly die and disappear."

She stared at the earrings before giving the date. Which the player doesn't know but she would.

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima removes the earrings from the case after a lot of thinking as she begins to take them to the counter. Where she places them. She frowns. "It'd be easier if you had no expectations like that." she says softly.

"I don't. Get. Things. Like you do." she says. "Not anymore." she says.

"I'll try to be there. I'll try to. Bring Natsumi-chan." she says flatly. "If she promises not to step on my feet while we dance again." she says flatly. Was that a joke or some lighthearted commentary? It's hard to tell.

Really- if Kunzite was here, he'd catch it.

She pays for the earrings with the same black credit card-like card she uses for everything- the one with the moon in eclipse on it- as she takes it back and carries the earrings in a bag off to her side.

"I should think about going now." a pause.

"Is that okay?" she asks.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori gave a nod, letting her go. "Of course. I actually need to look around a bit, anyway. I'm thinking I'll get something nice for the dance." She nodded before looking away. "And I understand. but... you're doing good. And I don't want you to ever feel like it's not enough. It's... not some grand thing that means you're a good person. It's usually the little decisions. The fact you keep on trying."

She gave her a comforting smile as she turned back. "If you want to, you're free to go whenever you like. I'll see you around Lacrima-chan, okay?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima head tilts a bit at this smile. "Righ then I'm going now." she says flatly. A pause. She stops and turns around, and reaches into her pocket. She produces a slip of paper and writes something down on it. She hands it over. "That's a place you can find me. Possibly. If you need to." she says.

It's Jia-chan's place! "Jiaying-chan lives there. She's letting me stay there until I figure out... if I can go home or not." she says softly.

And with that. She's off!