2018/Shadows and Stars

Shadows and Stars
Date of Scene:	11 October 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Seishou Public School
Synopsis:	There's something Jiaying desperately wants to know from Ayana. Namely, what she did to Lacrima that turned her eyes blue. And whether it might be able to help Sora. Ayana ... didn't have the faintest idea that Sora was Shiniko.
Cast of Characters:	Ayana, Jiaying Maki

---

Ayana has posed:
It's lunchtime, and as usual many of the students have opted to eat in the classroom, or out in the sporting area. There's not a lot of room for loners, but somehow they always find a little bit of space.

One of those loners has undergone a number of dramatic changes this year. Held back from the class she'd been in previously, Ayana Tasogare was already considered one of the weird girls by her peers. On the laundry list of things she was frequently harassed for were her strange change of surname (from Moriko to Tasogare), her strange change of hair from black to orange (and now back to black again!?), the fact that she was held back in the first place, how sometimes her tests were flawless and others she flunked (surely she must be cheating), and how she rarely eats anything but meat and tofu, and always eats four times as much as a girl her size should.

For all of this harassment, Ayana's usual response is to just hole up alone and try to ignore it. Sometimes, when she's very lucky, her younger girlfriend comes to 'rescue' her. This isn't terribly effective, given the division of age groups involved. Ikiko isn't even into her middle-school uniform, yet!

Today, it seems, Ikiko is either busy or hasn't managed to get to her girlfriend, yet. Ayana sits alone with her back to the school wall, well out of sight of the main body of students, knees to chest and heels to bum. Her bento box is already empty, but she's still tearing into a bunch of snacks while she draws in the dirt beside her with her finger.

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki is at school, is even looking less stressed. She's also reading through a book with strange pictures and archaic Chinese. She's eating pieces of chicken with her left hand, having given up using her right hand with the bandages. Occasionally, she makes gestures with her hands as though she's testing something, then turns the page and continues reading. Slowly.

Snapping the book shut, she's working her hand as she gathers her things and stands up. Hefting it all into her satchel, she begins to make her way home. She's been avoiding the house more and more. Not to avoid Norie, but to avoid reminders of all of the weird things happening in her life. There was the stuff with Sora, the stuff with Norie, a new letter from an unknown party that her dad snatched before she finished reading. She almost misses Ayana, luckily for her she missed her tail too. It's only once she's made it a few steps past that she stops and looks back while asking, "I'm sure you've heard by now."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana looks up, startled, at the sound of a voice. She should have smelled Jiaying coming, but she didn't. Should have noticed her walking by, but she didn't. Now she just looks confused for a moment before, with a tilt of her head, she puts everything together.

Then it's only a matter of time before the cynnicism trickles into place. Unfortunately, it coalesces before she musters her reply, or she might have said something kindlier. Instead, her words are anything but: "How could I miss it? I am apparently a murderer, now, you know."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki adjusts her school bag across her shoulders. There's a hint of laughter before she replies, "I really doubt you managed to kill Shiniko." Which is the sort of thing that happens when you think someone knows what you're talking about and so does the other person. "I'm pretty sure after talking to Hisakata that you didn't even cause it." There's an implied 'this time' but it's not said at least.

Arms crossed, she says, "I need to know what you did to Norie to make her eyes blue. If Shiniko's as far gone as Norie is afraid of, it may be necessary to save them both." She doesn't turn to look at Ayana as she talks. About the only movement right now is the clenching and unclenching of a bandaged hand.

Ayana has posed:
"Shiniko?" Ayana asks, confused enough to lose the illusion covering her ears. They both perk up alertly, shfited towards Jiaying. "What does Sora's disappearance have to do with Shiniko?" shea sks, then shakes her head. "Anyways, I don't know about Norie's eyes. When was this? And how do you know I did it?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki pinches the bridge of her nose and says, "Oops, you didn't." There's a beat before she continues, "Hisakata would have told you sooner or later anyway I'm sure." Her hand clenches and she turns to face Ayana, looking annoyed. "Are you telling me that you didn't see me there? Or my ghosts-" she stops, holds up two fingers, a third one and asks, "You've met Meifeng, you've seen the Librarian. You don't know the third though- she's nice. A geek." Then she scowls, she had actually enjoyed herself almost for a moment! None of that right now!

"Norie remembers both sides of what happened and it confused her. If I hadn't talked to the... Norie that comes out around Natsumi, I wouldn't have known you had done something, but the other set of memories mentioned you attacked her."

Ayana has posed:
"Wh..." Ayana looks even more confused, furrowing her brow tightly in confusion. Eventually, though, she works it out, and then her whole face changes to one of surprise. "No, I didn't," she says cautiously. "I didn't see anything going on. I was busy dealing with Lacrima. Did ... was Norie normal while I did that?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki turns to face Ayana, kneeling down with her back over her lap. "She was as close to normal as I've seen. She told me her birthday because the other side didn't want me to know. I tried to create a seal to keep them from combining again, but it burned her hands, then burned away." There's a pause, "She says they'd die if they weren't connected, but- if it comes down to it, I want to try and split her again, keep them separate. I'd rather be a ghost and myself than sealed away after all."

Arms crossed across her bag, she chews on her lip and says, "And if it works, we may need to do the same to Shiniko. Because I'm not going to let anything other than helping her happen." She begins to dig through her bag after spinning it, conveniently hiding her face before continuing, "She was already lonely enough. I'm not going to run."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's confusion is not helped by Jiaying couching down nearby. She flinches away just a little, as if worried the other girl will hit her. Instead, it almost seems like she's ... pleased with Ayana for what she did? Well that's weird.

The kitsune blinks once, twice, before settling her sapphire eyes on Jiaying again. "You ... want me to do what to them?" she asks. "All I did was draw Lacrima's conscious mind into my star ball with me. It renders myself and my victim comatose, while I do it. Like the time I delved into the mind of that murderer? Norie shouldn't have been able to move or do anything at all while I had her mind in the star ball. What does Shiniko have to do with this, though?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki just lets out a long sigh at the flinch. That gets her mind back from moping around, which on one hand she's appreciative of at least. "If I were going to mess with you, I'd have my ghosts carrying you around upside down or something else. Stop doing that please."

The explanation of what it was just gets a flat, "What?" from the girl. "You didn't try to divide Norie from her voice?" There's a chin rub. Were her eyes a touch puffy? "Shiniko acts differently when she's Shiniko. Have you not noticed the difference between the two of them?" Beat, "Your girlfriend really didn't tell you, did she."

Ayana has posed:
"Didn't tell me what?!" Ayana asks, her frustration growing. "I don't know what you're talking about. No, I didn't try to divide Norie from 'her voice'; I don't even know what that means. She was Lacrima, so I drew her consciousness into my star ball. That's all that happened, and you're confusing me."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki looks at Ayana and starts to say something and catches herself. If you want someone to do something for you, you don't insult them. "You did on accident. I know there's two Norie...ays? Now. Which means we can save her- I will do anything I can to save her." There's another implication there with how she says that. Then she scowls and says, "Hisakata asked me if I knew what happened to Sora. I Don't know what happened to her exactly, but I know what may be happening." And she's still dancing around it like she's afraid to say it aloud to Ayana.

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's ears fold back against her head in frustration, but she doesn't express it verbally. Still, Jiaying can certainly read fox body language as well as anyone. It won't be lost on her. "I'm not sure she can be saved, anymore," Ayana mumbles instead. "I've tried. I've taken her to the best dark energy experts I know. I've let her feed on me countless times. I have tried. But she keeps doing evil things. She summoned a youma, Maki-san! That's not okay! She's getting worse, and she's not really even trying to be good. She just takes advantage of nice people like me and maybe you, and then does whatever she wants behind our back.

"And as for Sora," Ayana says, "I guess it's nice to know someone isn't blaming me for her disappearance. But I think Ikiko-chan is biased, anyways. I didn't do anything to her, if that's what you think may be happening."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki just slowly shakes her head. "She can be saved. Anyone can be saved. You were after all." That came out harsher than she'd have liked, but she likes her monster friend and she's not going to let someone do bad things to her unless there's no other choice. "I know what she did. She's not getting worse, she's experimenting. If she was getting worse, I'd be the first to know." She thinks at least.

There's another slow shake of her head after, "I figured she finally felt isolated enough to run off to the dark place she's hiding now. If there's more to it, I don't know. I do know that I have an idea of where to start looking."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana winces again, at Jiaying's accusation, and turns her head away. Her ears fold down sadly, and she shakes her head. "Well, I probably can't help," Ayana mumbles unhappily. "After all, I'm just a stupid fox who doesn't understand anything."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki groans before saying, "Which is why I'm saying you did something that may help. Stop moping, stop whatever it is you're thinking of right now because it's not helping anyone and I want to help both Sora and Norie, which means you need to help too." She sounds like she's pleading, but it also sounds a touch like an ultimatum.

Palm to face, she slowly shakes her head again, "Can you do any kind of research? I don't think anything in Chinese sorcery that I can do will help and I'm afraid to do anything with Peachwood to try and drive evil out. I'm as allergic to it as any other monster-y thing I think." Or it's all in her head and she creates the symptoms, she's never sure.

Ayana has posed:
Ayana turns to glare at Jiaying, ears folding back again as she allows her upset to rise. "I tried to help Norie! I spent months trying to help! I gave her advice and she ignored it. I let her drain me, and she took advantage of it. I tried to introduce her to a friend of mine who understands dark energy better maybe than my master ... and she tried to hurt him. I know better than anyone what it's like to be in Norie's shoes. I lived that live! She doesn't want to be saved. And until she wants it, it won't happen.

"So don't tell me what I need to do with her," Ayana snaps with sharp teeth. "I don't need to do anything with her. Not anymore. I tried to help. I got in trouble for her; I've snuck out of the house for her. I don't owe her anything, but I've given her everything alreadyu. I can't fix her!"

With a huff, she continues, "And besides, you've already made it all-too-clear what you think of me. 'Even' I could be saved," Ayana sneers out. "Yeah, that's really making me super eager to go help the bully who hates me, and the vampire who lies to me. Just leave me alone. I can't fix them."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki gets a hard look on her face at the idea that Norie doesn't want help. "She DOES want help, finding out there's two of her in there means that you have to keep that in mind too." She points at Ayana and says, "I'm not giving up on them even if you won't help me." The harsh rebuttle gets her to smack her bandaged hand against the wall, "I've been severely hurt by Sora more than once. I've seen what Norie does, I've BEEN to places that still bother me if I think on them too long. I haven't given up. YOU have snapped at me from the get go because I'd dare try to be nice to an obviously lonely girl and for the crime of not being a kitsune."

Brushing herself off, she smoothes her skirt out, tugs her uniform back into place and says in a flat tone, "You haven't given me a reason to think otherwise Ayana, even when I tried to be nice, when I tried to look past that first meeting. You've continued to show your true colors. Despite that, I still think you've got it in you to actually do something good for two people stuck in a bad place." She looks behind her and with a wave of her hand, coating it in energy, she summons up two of her ghosts. The hooded ghost watches Ayana while Jia converses in Chinese with the other.

"Do you know any other kitsune in the area or should I see if I can get help from Taiwan?"

Ayana has posed:
Ayana grits her teeth and hunches her head down. "I've never snapped at you, except when you accuse me of things that aren't true," she grumbles. "Everyone always accuses me of things that aren't true, and then yells at me when I defend myself. I've never tried to be anything but nice to Sora, but she hates me anyways. I've never tried to be anything but helpful to Norie, but she stabs me in the back anyways. I've never done anything mean to you, but you say my 'true colors' are to be a bad person anyways. None of this is my fault, but everyone keeps saying it is. Well if my true colors are being mean, maybe I should be what everyone always tells me I am." Not a single question answered.

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki points at Ayana and says, "You've never done anything mean to me? You asked if I was a bad person because of my heritage. You said we couldn't be friends because I was friends with Sora or the time you yelled at me because you misunderstood my wanting to meet Nuwa with your Inari. You accused me of always siding with Sora when the one time I didn't try to stop both of you, you had snuck out to avoid doing any work."

She stomps her foot down before continuing, "This was after I tried to say hello, after I tried to patch things up and after I tried multiple times to get her to stop picking on you. I don't give up on my friends and I will do what I have to, to save them. Even if it means begging my family and ancestors for help."

Arms crossed, she says, "And yet, I still came over today and thought you'd actually try to help. You want people to stop accusing you of things? Tell me what they're accusing you of, I don't listen to them."

Ayana has posed:
"I asked," Ayana replies, looking up again with hurt in her eyes, "because all the rumours say that the foxes of China and Taiwan are evil. I didn't accuse you, I just asked. I accepted your answer. You say you're not bad, so I accept this. I also didn't say we can't be friends; I just said I don't trust you, because I felt like you were just trying to play a trick on me. I yelled at you because you seemed to be disrespectful to Inari! And you do always side with her. Or at least it looks that way to someone who she bullies all the time. I've never seen you try to get her to stop picking on me. All I see is you rolling your eyes and yelling at both of us, equally, even when I don't do anything wrong. Everyone here says I hurt Sora. That that's why she's not here. They say I cheat on my grades. They say that I am a bad person, or that I'm weird. Well it's true, I am weird. I'm not a girl. I'm just a stupid fox trying very hard to pretend to be a girl. Maybe I should go back to being a fox. At least no one will expect me to understand them, as a fox."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki looks at Ayana and says, "How did you feel when I asked if you were originally a normal fox or not? I bet it was about the same thing. That is an accusation though, whether you meant it that way or not." She turns her head and says something to the Chinese ghost, she pulls a face at Jia, then sinks into the ground and disappears. "You jumped to conclusions, just like everyone else did, myself included." There's a bitter laugh, "You know Sora. If I flat yelled at just her, she'd dig her heels in." She holds her hand up and looks at the bandage, "I even yelled at her for this and the other times she's burned me. And the giant cat." Not that she was there for that. She also missed Jia actually furious to be fair too though.

"The only assumption I've made is that she's not popular. The thing I immediately thought, was that she was lonely and I'm not the only one that thought that. I don't know why she picks on you, other than your past, but when she's back and herself again? I'll stop it if I can. Only if you help."

There's a scowl then she says, "I get caught talking to myself regularly and I don't hear half as much as you do. Study so your grades are consistent and embrace being weird. Or show some confidence. Either way."

Ayana has posed:
"She's smart," Ayana protests gently. "All the teachers like her, and she has students who she tutors that like her, and she has the volleyball team. I don't see why she should be lonely. But the very first time I met her--before I said even a word to her--she was yelling at me that I didn't belong. That I was a horrible monster who didn't belong in that house and that I was corrupting Ikiko.

"I don't know if I know how to be her friend," Ayana says. "I just want her to stop being mean to me. I don't care if she's nice; I'd rather she just not talk about me to others, and maybe not try to talk to me."

The kitsune sighs, then asks, "But I still don't see how I can help. You say I helped with Norie-chan, but I don't know what I did. And then you brought up Shiniko, and I don't know what she has to do with all of this.

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki glares at Ayana, "How many friends did she have Ayana. Did you never notice that she isolated herself?" She shakes her head and catches herself before saying anything. Arms crossed, she says, "You did used to be evil, you admitted that Did she know that before hand?" She sighs, then shakes her head. "Look, I'll see what I can do after. But until we save Sora, it's going to get worse before it gets better, alright?" She shifts her pack before continuing, "You did help Norie briefly. You can probably help Sora."

Ayana has posed:
"How should I know how many friends she had?!" Ayana asks frustratedly. "I'm a fox, Maki-san. More than you are! I was born a fox. My mom and dad are foxes. My brothers and sisters are foxes." Ayana reaches up and grabs her head, folding her ears over beneath her wrists. "None of them are people. None of them will probably ever be people. I was a fox. Then I was a familiar." The growing frustration is clear. It's almost a desperation in her eyes and voice as she tries to explain herself. "Then Ikiko stole me from my master and I was a fox again. Then I was a girl. Then Sora-chan hated me. I don't know how many friends she had because she never gave me the chance; she just hated me! I don't understand humans. I isolate myself. You see me here alone. I did not want people to come talk to me at lunch. All they ever say are hurtful, mean things!"

Ayana slides her arms down to hug her knees as she continues, "So if Sora does that, how am I supposed to know what it means? And I don't even see Sora doing that. She had people who followed her around. Who said hurtful mean things with her. So yes, I made an assumption: I thought you were just like every other human I have ever seen with Sora. And I don't think I'm a bad person for making that assumption! I just think I'm a bad person because I'm not a person.

"And I still don't know how I helped Norie," Ayana whines. "I don't know what you mean by that. And I don't know how it has anything to do with Sora. Norie's a girl who got cursed with a locket into being an energy vampire named Lacrima. Sora's just a really smart mean Hisakata girl. She doesn't have an energy vampire. She's not like Norie-chan, or me, or you. What do you want me to do for a person that hates me because I'm not a person?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki shakes her head and says, "Always looking in, never looking out." She points at Ayana after to correct her, "I was born who I am, you're not that far removed from what I am at this point." She glances back over her shoulders and begins to pace around as they talk. Keeping herself distracted. "So you two aren't that different. Just, gone the opposite ways."

Crouching down after that little rant, she shrugs. "You notice it in how she acts. Always stand offish, biting. She kind of did some of it to me, but she stopped. Then she and I kept talking. Then we went out on a date." Well, that last one can't really happen again, not with Ayana. Jia would shake them both around with ghosts then! Maybe.

"There's Norie and Lacrima Ayana. One is evil, one is a trapped girl. You were clearly talking to the other one, because I was talking to Norie. She is like Norie though." There's a beat, then she says, "I doubt she hates you because you're not a person Ayana. Otherwise you and I would have more in common."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana clutches her head again and squeezes, just a little, as she tries to process everything Jiaying is saying. In the end, she just winds up huffing, "Can we just talk about whatever it is you want me to do. I feel like we're talking about everything at once and I'm starting to get confused. Are you saying Norie was able to talk to you while I dragged Lacrima into my star ball?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki nods and says, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying Ayana. There are two Nories in there. It split her memories and confused her the next day and combined, they're convinced they'll die if they're split."

She hesitates before adding, "Sora's in the same boat, though not as far as Norie is."

Ayana has posed:
There's a moment where Ayana starts to reply, but the hesitation draws her ears forward and up. She furrows her brow until Jiaying explains that Sora is in the same boat.

That's when she gets really confused. For a few moments, Ayana just stares at her, blinking. Her mouth opens to say something, then snaps shut with an audible click.

Then she shakes her head a moment--perhaps to clear it?

Then her eyes widen very suddenly, "Sora is Shiniko!?"

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki resists the urge to clap for Ayana. "Yes, she is. I don't know how much of her has been tainted by whatever Shiniko is." She crosses her arms and straightens, "But I do know that when she's Shiniko, she's a different person. So I think she may be the same as Norie. When she's alone and herself, she's... not like that."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana just stares, agog, at Jiaying Maki. Sora is Shiniko!? How can that possibly be? She's sure she's seen Sora at home when Shiniko was out. But then ... maybe she hasn't. There's a frown from the kitsune as she dwells on that matter, then she blinks back to Jiaying. "There's one problem," she says after a moment. "If I bring Sora into my Star Ball ... she knows what it is. She can probably hurt me really badly in there."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki scowls at that and says softly, "Then we'll need to find another way." She digs her heel into the ground after. "You were going to find out either way. I don't think you would... don't hurt her unless it's necessary. She's still in there and I intend to save her. Everyone deserves the chance."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana scowls just a little, then says, "I don't hurt people." At least, not as Cute Fox Inariko. On the other hand ... now that she's gotten access to her gloom powers, those could hurt someone. But she's not going to dwell on that. "Look, I'm not going to stop you from saving her, if you can. Same for Norie-chan. But I don't ..." she trails off, then sighs and looks away. "I still don't think Norie wants it. Not anymore. Maybe I'm wrong. I just don't want to spend effort on it. But if you need me to put her in my star ball again, I can try. Eventually she'll figure out how it works, though."

Jiaying Maki has posed:
Jiaying Maki shrugs as she turns, pointing the opposite way. "I'm going to go. I won't ask you to do it too many times if she can learn a way around it. I need to find out how to split them and keep them split unless I have to.... maybe create a ghost for the time being." She scowls, "I'd have to write home about that. I don't want them angry at me for stepping over lines."

Ayana has posed:
Ayana swallows a little, then nods her head. "Okay," she says. "Well ... I'll try to help. But if they're doing bad things, I'm going to kick their butt." Probably. Maybe. "I'm a magical girl," she points out. "I'm supposed to help people. Not ... let them get hurt by bullies."