2354/Yeah- About Your Ex...

Yeah- About Your Ex...
Date of Scene:	16 January 2017
Location:	Plot Room #1
Synopsis:	Lacrima has a talk with Naru about the actual events of the night Alexis became a vampire.
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Naru Osaka

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Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima texted Naru in the morning. Last night was terrible. It was horrible. She learned something.

She learned what happened. She didn't like it. Amu Hinamori didn't like it. But she knew the truth now.

Lacrima wanted to meet. She would say why in the text.

'I know what happened to Alexis.'

It was enough.

Naru Osaka has never been to Lacrima's Manor. It is a spacious manor-- not a mansion, it did however, look like a mansion owners summer home.

Lacrima ushers Naru inside to the vestibule, where a sofa and a coffee table sit around two arcing staircases to the upper levels.

"This is..my home." she says quietly. "It belonged to a girl who called herself Melanite. I belive you might had known this person. This person is gone. You also know this, I belive." she says quietly.

A pause.

"Do you want...tea? Snacks? Before.... before I start talking? I.."

"I'm not. Happy. With what I learned. But. I know now. I didn't have a choice." she says quietly. "Or rather. The choices I had... none were pleasent." she says.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru has never been, and indeed, had never been /here/ with Melanite either. She looks around as she steps in, divesting herself of coat and shoes, because that is how arriving at someone's house works.

"I'm fine, thank you." Naru shakes her head at the offer of food or drink. "I did know Melanite, and yes.. I knew that she was gone. She and I had an.. interesting relationship." Which is a very polite way of describing something that included kidnapping and mind control.

"Often times, there's not a good choice, there's trying to find the least bad choice." Naru nods in understanding. "I am curious as to what you have found out."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima softly nods and sits down then. "As you wish." she says quietly.

She places her hands to her lap. "I will tell you. What I know. Amu Hinamori. Dragged me out- under the pretense of purifying me.. if we didn't get to the bottom of it. Her charas were able to cover the whole forest quickly... they found..."

She takes a deep breath. "They found a pool of blood. Where me and Alexis woke up." she says quietly. "There were. Telltale marks. Of a fight." she says. "There. The blood was old enough to be consistent with the timeframe. It was brackish." she says.

"I started. Remembering. When Amu started pushing me." she says.

"I was sitting in the park. Looking at a sign about the thin ice. Alexis comes up behind me. He comments. I comment on it. I turn to him and...."

"That's where. I black out." she says.

"But I remember now." she says quietly. "Something started forming. A creature." she says. "In a wisp of some. Made of ice... something spindly. With four legs. Like a giant ice spider." she says quietly.

"I went to fight it, as it was draining people around it- of thier heat and warmth. I told Alexis to stay back."

"He... did not."

"He lit a spray can of some sort... and threw it like a greande. He made it angry. It started running at him."

"I chased them into the woods..."

She says quietly, to let Naru absorb this as she closes her eyes a bit to sigh.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru settles in another seat, watching Lacrima and nodding her encouragement to start with what she remembers. She is still good at listening, keeping quietly attentive rather than inturrupting.

The mention of a pool of blood where they woke up, of a fight.. of a monster of some sort that drains heat and warmth, she nods slowly. There is just a hint of a rueful smile at the mention of Alex not staying back, no matter what he was told. Yep, that sounds about right.

"A youma of some flavour, or something more specific?" Naru asks, that bit of the story holding interest just as much as the rest of it. "It sounds powerful, whatever it was."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima sighs. "It's a creature I'm familar with. Something I discovered in the Dusk Zone and named and observed. It's name is 'Death Icicle' in Spanish because I belive I am celver." she says grimly.

"But I didn't summon it. It came out to feed. It didn't bother with me. I'm not a warm body. It's a heat thief." she says.

"But yes. Basically 'a youma'." she says quietly.

"I chased them. It eventually. Overtook him. It went to hurt him. So... I blasted it."

"Or tried to. It displayed an ability I wasn't aware of despite my studies. It.. reflected my attack. I disrupted my form and stablization and I had to reform." she says.

"No one was there to save Alexis. It drove it's front legs into his chest and gut." she says softly.

"Legs that can dig straight through trees."

"I reformed and I... lost it. I just..."

"I mean. This isn't... my real form? It's just the form. I take. That is comfortable and doesn't consume energy, though I still don't look quite human." she says.

"I became.. what is my true form and-- I..."

"...I just flew into the thing. And I canablized it in the way other creatures of the Dusk Zone eat each other. I deconstructed it's essence. I ate it and when I was done nothing was left. I didn't want nothing left. I was /angry/." she spits.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Mmm." Naru mumurs, thoughtfully as she files that bit away into her never full enough banks of information. Never full enough. There's just a bare breath of a smile and a nod at the mention of she didn't summon it. "I don't assume that everything from the Dusk Zone is because of you, or even Taka." She notes.

The nitty gritty of the fight prompts Naru into quiet again, her expression thoughtfully serious. "So it killed Alexis, and then you took it to pieces. Not a surprising reaction." Naru comments quietly, with a little nod. "What happened then?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima nods. "Basically it killed him." she says quietly. "He was still alive when... when I reformed and... I could. Sense it."

"Just his life. Going away. I mean. I sense. Things? Like that. Because I hunt and feed." she says. "And I could feel it getting weaker. And smaller. and..."

"I panic'ed. I reached for my phone and I tried to type..."

"'Alexis is hurt, help.'" she says.

"But I was shaking. So. Everyone got. That mass of garbage. I couldn't type. So I gave up." she says.

"So I threw my phone and I..."

"I'm not a healer. Naru. I can't.. purify. I can't.. do anything. Good. Or nice. I just. Take. And consume. Because. That's what I am." she says.

"But I remembered I could do something. I didn't. Want to do it."

"I promised people." she says quietly. "And Alexis deserves better." she says silently.

"But I did it. Because."

"I couldn't stand. To see him gone. He's my friend. He never...judged me. For what I had to do. Even though he doesn't like people that hurt others. He doesn't Judge me. Because I /have/ to hurt others." she says.

"Everyone judges me Naru. Like that. They won't admit it to my face. But I hear through other people." she says quietly. "and Charas are mouthy." she says.

"So...I turned him and.. when.. when I was able to do that. When he was... aligned. I was able to use what I'd canblized to fix what he'd lost. It isn't pleasent. That." she says. "But darkness can patch itself with darkness."

"It's why I'm always going to reform unless someone purifies me." she says. "Because I just reform myself from darkness." she says.

"He's alive but.. he's all...wrong now. He's all wrong and it's all my stupid fault." she says as she rests her head into her palms a bit, rubbing them up her face.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Not everyone." Naru corrects gently on the assertion that 'everyone judges'. She is quiet then, thoughtful as she sifts through that confirmation and realization and the challenges.

"Alexis suspects that he died." Naru comments after a few moments of quiet. "He's not sure what to think of that notion, at least that's how it read to me in our conversation." She takes a slow breath, held a moment and then let out in a slow sigh. "He's alive, and he's different now, but there's a lot of him that is still solidly Alexis. I understand why you'd want to save your friend from dying."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima gently curls up on the couch. She brings her feet to her head and sort of gets into the defensive place she was last night. "I'm just so upset at myself." she says quietly.

"I just wanted him to be okay. And I wanted to help and..."

"Not everyone judges but many do." she says quietly.

"I haven't told Alexis yet. I need to sit him down." she says quietly.

"I want him to understand why he's like this and he deserves to know." she says quietly.

"Please don't talk to him about this until I do..." she says quietly, trailing off.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Your instinct was to save someone from dying, the only way you had available to you." Naru comments quietly and then she lets silence settle again.

There's a nod at the mention of not telling Alexis before Lacrima does. "For understandable reasons, he doesn't exactly seek me out, but I promise not to tell him before you do. It's your story to tell to him, not mine. I appreciate you sharing it with me though."

"If you're having trouble finding Alexis, check in with Sayaka. I know they were talking about doing some patrolling together." Naru explains with a nod. "She might be easier to contact, I'm not sure."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima nods. "Is that who he was out with? He mentioned that to me. I was for it. It's..."

"He wanted. to help people. Before this. And even though it's horrible why... he can now. If he desires it." she says softly.

"-and if he can get a little satisfaction off.. this awful thing I did to him. By that. I'd rather he do it." she says softly.

"and at least he still has a physical body." she says. "He isn't some sort of..disembodied shapeless horror like I am." she says.

"I wanted you to know because you were the first person I told before just in case he...."

"I wasn't sure how he'd react. I didn't want the first thing he did to come after you and not give you some warning..." she says quietly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"That's who he's out with." Naru nods in confirmation. "Which I think will be good for both of them, honestly. I agree, for the record, that I hope he can take it and do something of what he wanted to before. It.. no. Not ideal in how it came about." She can't argue there.

There's a quiet pause and then Naru comments with a little shake of her head. "I have never feared that Alexis would come after me. Not when you first told me, and not now either. Even now, that isn't the kind of guy he is. I appreciate the consideration, though. I still care about him."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima shakes her head. "You don't know what this power does to you... at certain points. When I starve myself. Just. the things I think about. The things I almost did." she says quietly.

"I don't starve myself anymore. So they don't happen anymore but...."

"Things like... hurt my family. Just... that urge to just....lash out and...." she sighs.

"I made it clear that Alexis shouldn't starve himself ever. I told him I know it sucks. To do that." she says.

"But it's better than loosing control. Better than waking up in a haze in the middle of a bus full of people all...unconcious. Because you lost yourself."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I remember when you were just starting to learn that.. and you managed not to leave me unconsious." Naru comments easily enough. "I tried to remind him not to starve himself either, but the likelyhood of him listening to me is basically nil, but I think somewhere along the line it sunk in. It's not good for /anyone/ to starve themselves, no matter what sort of energy it is. Food or life or anything. It ends poorly."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima nods. "He's still..human at his core. Like I mentioned. It won't as bad for him like it is for me, I don't think. But it still won't be pleasent." she says.

"I tell him to still do everything that he can do normally. That's what keeps me grounded. I can't.. feel. And my body is always cold and people realize I'm not quite right if I linger too long." she says.

"But I can still eat. and food still tastes good. So I eat and eat and eat and it's why I eat so much." she says softly.

"It makes me feel comfortable. Like I'm 'normal'. Like. I am just doing something normal that everyone else can do exactly the same." she says softly.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I don't think Alexis is eating currently, which if he's still somewhat human could be a problem eventually." Naru muses thoughtfully. She flickers a smile about eating. "Eating /is/ pleasurable. And often social. It connects us as people, as humans, over coffee, over dinner, conversation happens around food. It's a good choice on how to keep connection with your humanity."

Naru considers thoughtfully. "What else did you enjoy doing? I know you were a dancer."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima nods. "Yeah..." she says quietly.

She sighs a bit and settles, unfurling herself. "It's how I used to talk to people... used to be outside." she says softly.

She head tilts. "Dancing." she says. "I don't...dance much. Anymore. I had a dance partner. But.. I..."

"Drained. Her. Into a coma." she says quietly.

She frowns.

"That reminds me that... Mamoru and Kunzite came by to.... help a friend." she says. "A couple days back."

"Something called a 'Clow Card'?. It. Showed. Me things. From my friends past to everyone. Then mine. And then Mamoru's and then Kunzite's..." she says quietly.

"It looked. Very personal. Those things. And my things were...very personal. I'm glad that... someone. Got to see me. Before I became this thing thou. I forgot." she says. "I forgot how goofy I used to be and that I had friends. and that my brother used to call me 'cupcake'..."

"He stopped calling me that when I attacked him that first night. They saw that too." she says quietly. "The first day I woke up like this." she says.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I'd dance with you." Naru points out. "Although I'm not terribly good, I'm not terrible. I'm also pretty confident that you can't drain me into a coma." She might add the 'anymore', but she doesn't.

At the mention of cards, Naru frowns. "How many cards does that girl /have/?" She asks, entirely rhetorically. "It's showing people's past to others? That sounds like it could be really traumatic to some people. I.. I'm glad you came away with a good experience from it."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima shakes her head. "It also showed the first time I got purified-- and what I sad in the Dusk Zone. I just kept...repeating. 'Not Human.' again. and again. and again. Because. It was the first time I realized it. And it showed the last time I saw one of my closest friends, when she stopped talking to me because... because I drove her away. But it also showed... the first time Natsumi-chan kissed me." she says quietly.

"I won't talk about what it showed me of the others. It was private. And very hard. To watch some of that." she says.

She head tilts. "Do you have anything you don't want people learning about like that?" she asks softly.

"I mean. That's a yes or no question."

"No reason to be specific."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Doesn't everyone?" Naru returns that question. "Choices that they regret, or that they are embarassed about? Things they'd rather not think about, or have to explain to their friends. My more distant past is benign, by and large, no one cares that I still hold the memory of being mean to a little boy in kindergarden class over a tricycle." Naru gives a little shrug. "So yes, of course, but I don't think anyone would call watching my past 'very hard'. It would be embarassing for me, but little more."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima head tilts. "Oh no...." she says deadpan and with just a hint of teasing sass. "We now know Naru-chan was too big for her swimsuit one year. This most certainly is the worst." she says with just a little tease at the end.

"Of course." she says. "I imagine you don't have many 'bad things' you want to see again At least not on. The same level as some of us." she says quietly.

"I hope you never have to relive them though." she does admit quietly at the end.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I know, right?" Naru flickers a smile at that teasing. "Bikini crisis!" She chuckles softly before settling more serious again.

"It's a weird place to be in." Naru gives a little shrug. "It is hard to sit and feel sorry for things that have happened, knowing the depths of most everyone else's challenges. I sorry that you had to relive some of the hard things again."

Norie Okana has posed:
Lacrima tsks. "Imagine the countless worlds that fall before me with such information." she says dramatically and deadpan. "I would love to see the magical girls that rise from that specific mess." she says.

"Regardless." she says quietly. "I will live. I'm more worried. For my friend." she says.

"Speaking of which. I have to attend to him. The Clow Card is still attached to him and will be for a small while until we can find a way to remove it." she says.

"-and he is VERY private and he did not take us seeing things very well." she says.

"...Um. Do you need help. Leaving?" she asks. She looks toward's the exit door. This is the vestibule. It's /right there/.

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I hope your friend .. oh /dear/." Naru winces at the mention of the card still being attached to him. "If I can help.. with that or anything else. Please, I am glad to." Naru gets to her feet and there's the addition of a quiet smile. "Or if you'd like a dance some time, please let me know. Take care, Lacrima. You are a good friend."

Naru collects her coat and shoes again, and heads off to let Lacrima attend to things wihtout an extra hangeron.