2475/Back At School. Rumors Already.

Back At School. Rumors Already.
Date of Scene:	15 February 2017
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Seiyou Public School
Synopsis:	OH MY GOD ARE THEY GONNA KISS!? Amu and Norie discuss recent events. Luckily. Most of them are good.
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Amu Hinamori

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Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana has been back at school since about a few days since she came back from being a 'runaway'. Right now she's walking through a pathway outside to the auditorium building, bookbag slung over a shoulder. She's keeping her head down.

There has been no incidents since she's returned. Which is a welcome attitude change compared to before she ran away when she was 'starting fights' and things like that.

People still notice her oddly deadpan behavior.

She stops and sighs a bit and has a seat on a bench. She has a few good half hour before she needs to be in her next class. She just needs a moment to absorb the last few days.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
And then there were whispers. Could it be? Yes, it was. The guardians! Wait, no, just Amu! She was here! There were whispers as they watched her walk towards the runaway. Oh, the joker on her own? Was Norie in trouble? Was she going to get publically scolded?

Amu sat by the girl, and gave her a small smile. "Hi, Norie-chan." She reached out and took her hand, very gently giving it a comforting squeeze. "How've you been? Everything going okay in school? Need me to talk with anyone?"

Now there were more whispers. Amu knew the girl! Were they in a gang together? They bet Norie had gotten in all kinds of fights. Maybe they were both on the run from the Yakuza. Honestly, though, all Amu had been doing was trying to give the girl space up to this point and, if needed, making sure to step in and help her if she had any issues with teachers(which mostly meant going to the head master and having him deal with it. Guardian privilige ho!) Now was the first time she'd have actively pursued the girl.

Norie Okana has posed:
Amu would notice some things about Norie if she bothered to look. For starters, the once old and gold antique chain her teardrop crimson jewel had hung from has been replaced with a more modern, silver twin braid frillege chain. When she took her hand, there was ring there. Banded. Old an antique, engraved beautifully by hand in a way that hasn't been done in hundreds of years.

She just blinked as her hand was taken. "Amu-chan...?" she blinks. "I'm. Fine." she says. "Really." she says.

"...Sachi-chan woke up. The girl I. Drained into a coma, but you know that already." she says.

"Natsumi-chan and I had a nice Valentine's Day." she says. "She gave me this chain." she says.

This doesn't explain the ring.

"Is.. everything alright? Usually I am the one looking for you?" she asks.

"My energy levels are fine. If that's what you're asking about." she says softly.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori glanced to the ring, but didn't say anything. Norie was her friend, if it was important, she'd tell her. Otherwise, she'd trust the girl and let her decide when and if she wanted to tell her. After all, it--

"So, what's the ring for?" Ran asked.

"Ran!" Amu hissed, glowered.

"What? You wanted to know too!" Ran said.

Amu just sighed. "Sorry about her. She's a brat, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. And... well... I know how tough it can be going to school. Especiall if you've been gone a while. I just wanted to come and offer my support. You know if you ever need anything, I'm here for you, right? Any time, any day. Not just because I'm a guardian, but because we're friends Norie-chan."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana Shakes her head. "School has been easier since. Last time. I'm not. Starving myself. So I'm not acting odd and irrational like before. I mean. I still am odd. Compared to how I was when I was...." she trails off.

"But I just appear very boring and deadpan monotone now. Some mundanes are like this. So it's not completely odd." she says quietly.

"Staff are thinking if I can keep this up I might be allowed to go back to Clubs next grade." she says quietly.

She looks down at the ring and covers it.

"...I.. that's from. Eilam-kun." she says softly. "It was a Christmas gift. And he asked me something then. and I only gave him an answer recently." she says gently.

"The ring belonged to someone dear to him a... while ago..." more like 200+ years ago. "...the first person he loved, who... shunned him." called him an abomination against nature. Called the church... when he told her the truth. "He gave it to me... he said he wanted me to have it and if that meant... love... or partners... or family. It'd be up to me." she says softly.

"I..."

"I... confessed. To him. The day before Valentines. As much as I can. Anyways. About such matters. And. the feelings were returned. But. He knows about Natsumi-chan. And he wants me to concentrate on her. Natsumi-chan knows. Too. I told her. Because. Keeping secrets. Only goes bad." she says softly.

"He says there will be time later."

"I am just. Wearing the ring now. As a promise to that." she says quietly.

"I also like it." she says.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori blinked. She couldn't believe it. EVEN NORIE WAS IN A POLYGAMOUS RELATIONSHIP! THIS WASN'T FAIR! GAHHHHHHH! WHYYYYYY?! But she kept herself calm and nodded. "I think that's really sweet." AND HE WAS SO CUTE ON TOP OF IT OH MY GOSH WHY WHY WHYYYYYY?!! SO NOT FAIR!

"Congratulations! Norie-chan, I'm really, really proud of you." She gave the hand another squeeze. "Remember when we first met?" Blink. "Err, when we first met after I got back? How... you were then? I know how scary this is for you." Squeeze. "I know this can't be easy. But you're one of the strongest people I know. I know how hard you're trying to do everything right. And I know this can't be easy for you. But you're doing amazing and I think you're an amazing person for being able to do it, okay? So... no matter what happens, just know I am always here and i am always, always rooting for you. Because i know if anyone can do this, you can."

Norie Okana has posed:
Less Polygamous and more 'Boy in Waiting'. But maybe it could be seen that way.

She head tilts. "Are you okay....?" she asks quietly. "Eilam-kun is a nice person. But we also. Share. Personal maladies. Of a sort." she says. "Are you aware of Eilam-kun's maladies?" She asks curiously. "It's not my place to talk about it. Nor should you ask him, if you don't know." she says softly.

She nods. "I am doing better. I can admit that to myself. Even my.. family. Is noticing I'm 'calmer', if not... the cheerful person I was before the necklace. I think that still makes them sad. But it's also nice to see them relived. And not checking on me so often." she says softly.

"If nothing new or bad happens to me... if I can keep this up. I can. Accept this existence. Easily. It isn't perfect. I still don't... feel positive emotions. But I am comfortable and the people around me aren't afraid of me anymore." she says.

"The only problem I have is.. Alexis. Kunzite thinks there may be a way to figure out how to reverse what he is. He's still... human. At his core. Not like me, that's just 'dark energy'. So conceptually, we should still be able to take the 'Dark Energy' away from him. Somehow. Maybe. Just. Purification in and of itself won't work.

"I wish I knew the containment ritual of my necklace, because I could use that to suck it out of him. But I don't know that. The Itallian Vampire Hunters who made the necklace do." she sighs.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded, her eyes going wide. "Wait... we... could?" she asked softly. Then grinned wide. "Norie-chan, do you know what that would mean?" She reached out and touched her shoulder. "It'd mean you wouldn't have to worry about going too far any more. Because the mistakes could be fixed. Do you know how we can find these vampire hunters?"

She also shook her head. "And... no. Not really. Isn't he dying?" she asked softly. "He's uhhhhh... I know he's very... pretty..." Bright red. Bright, bright, briggggggght red.

"and I'm so happy you're doing better. You know, if you ever need some time to like... kind of club, after school, you can come hang out with me and the guardians. Or we can go x-egg hunting together. On patrols. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Almost a twitch at the lips. Almost. "Yes. He is very pretty. Isn't he?" she asks. "I can see that much." she says quietly.

"We could what? Fix Alexis-kun? Maybe." she says quietly. She frowns. "Amu, you're asking me if I know where to find Vampire Hunters that existed some 200 some odd years ago, I vaugely seen in a dream once about the 'death' of the past weilder of this power." she says softly.

"I do not. And quite frankly, I'm not interested in seeking people who will try to kill me on principal. Vampire HUNTER, not 'Vampire Snuggler'." she insists.

"MMmmm. No. Amu. I shouldn't go that far. Besides. My kind of power tends to attract and /make/ X-eggs in different hands." she says quietly.

She head tilts. "You aren't...jealous. About Eilam-kun. Are you?..." she asks quietly.

"I'd like to know. If. It's going to be a problem." she says. "Don't you... have Tadase? Was it? Anyways?" she asks.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori blinked a few times, then hugged her. Tight. "No. Norie-chan, I am not. You're one of my best friends and I am so, so happy you're finding people you like. People you can be with, who care about you and will take care of you even when I'm not there. You're taking so many, many positive steps in your life and I'm so, so proud of you." She pulled back a moment later and cupped her cheeks. There were gasps from onlookers.

"Oh my gosh are they going to kiss?" someone called out.

Amu was about to say something. Then her cheeks turned bright red and she yanked back. "Err, ahem. I am so, so proud of you. every day you prove me right, that there really is a good heart beating in your chest. Even if it's not, err, physically there. And fine, we won't find them. And if they ever show their faces around here, I'll take care of them myself, okay? We'll find another way to save Alexis-kun. A-and yeah, I have Tadase-kun. He, err, i-is the only one for me."

"Amu just likes to look at all the pretty boys!" Ran said.

"And fantasize about them," Miki added.

"She has a wild, untameable heart," Su offered.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana blinks. "Oh, okay." she says, a little deadpan.

'My gosh are they going to kiss?' someone calls out. She blinks and turns to face the person and give a deadpan blink before looking back to Amu.

She shakes her head. She doesn't seem flustered by the contact.

"Yeah..." she says softly. "Mamoru said that... selfish desires about someone is still..love in a way. When I asked him about helping a friend. I told him that I'd be scared I'd hurt if he was hurt in a bad way." she says.

"...and Mamoru and Kunzite said that was a valid way of thinking. That. I shouldn't feel bad about thinking like that. Because it's still a form of 'caring'." she says silently.

"It still doesn't feel right to me, but I'm trying to worry less about it." she says.

"I'm trying to. Be honest. With what I /do/ feel." she says. "Even if those are bad feelings." she says. "At the core. Some of them are not bad. If the person they're aimed at are accepting of them." she says.

She looks to the charas and head tilts and then back at Amu.

"There's no harm in looking in windows at... other dresses. Sometimes, even if you're wearing one you like a lot..."

"Is there...?" she asks.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori blinked and then lowered her eyes. ".... I think there is if the dress you have gets really jealous about it. Then you're just being selfish and not happy with the amazing things you already have," she muttered, nudging at a dirt clod with her toe. She then sighed. "S-sorry. I ummm..."

"I think they're right. And it's good. You should be honest about your emotions. I mean, everyone has bad ones every so often. I have awful ones all the time. Like... all the time," she said with a light chuckle. "It's not what you think, it's what you do that matters. And what you're doing, Norie-chan, is being a good person."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana head tilts. "Ah. He gets jealous." she says softly. "Well. Not much to do there. Natsumi-chan doesn't get outwardly jealous. Eilam-kun just wants me to do what makes me happy." she says softly.

"I wish I knew what it was like to... be in love. Before I became this." she says softly.

"And now I never will." she says.

"So I can't really. Related. To how that might feel. To have someone be jealous at you. And...."

She just shakes her head.

"I'm behaving, is what I'm doing. I'm still doing bad things. I still need to. Hunt. To kept fed. I don't like doing it. But I have to." she says.

"But it's what it takes to keep me. Like this." she says.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nods and gives her another smile. "I know. You're trying your hardest and... I know it's not easy. But you're working your hardest to do what's right. To keep as... much yourself as you can. No one can ever blame you for not trying, Norie-chan. And that's the most important thing. You're trying as hard as you can to always do the right thing." She gave her that encouraging smile. "And i, for one, think you're incredible. You're brave, strong, kind, doing everything you can to keep yourself you. And..."

She gave her hand another squeeze. "I know you can't feel hope. But I'll feel it for you. Because I still believe, one day, we can save you. Just like we can Alexis-kun."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana head tilts. "Alexis-kun has been patrolling with this Puella Magi recently. I met her. She was really angry at what I did. But. She blushed a moment, when talking about Alexis-kun." she says. "I think she might like him." she says. "But it's not really any of my business." she says.

"But... I hope he doesn't go back to feeling useless if we can 'fix' him." she says softly.

"He has power to help people now, but." she says.

"What happens when that goes away?" she asks quietly.

She just shakes her head.

"But it's not fair that he's messed up because of me. He needs his emotions back. To be normal again." she says.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori nodded. "He does. And... I'm sure we can find another way to give him power. One way or another. I think. Maybe. Besides, if we can't... well, there's no need for him to be involved in this, right? And even if he is just a normal guy... normal guys can do things too. I mean, my powers aren't exactly the strongest either, but i still manage to do things. He could just take on a more... support role."

Her cheeks turned red as she imagined Alexis in an apron. Cooking and stuff. Very red. "Err, w-which Puella Magi?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana head tilts. "Blue hair? Sayaka. I think her name was." she says softly. "She had a sword. Was ready to try to stab me for what I did to him. She didn't like the story that I did what I had to to save him. She called it... selfish. That...."

"I only did what I did because I was gonna hurt if he died." she says quietly.

"I dunno..."

She says as she grows quiet suddenly.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori sighs and then gives her hand a squeeze. "Who cares?" she asked, glaring. "This girl? She was wrong. It might have been for selfish reasons, but being selfish doesn't mean it's bad. You did something like that to help someone. To save someone. Not because you wanted to hurt him. But because you wanted to save him."

She smiled to her. "You know, i'm pretty selfish too. The reason I want to help you so much? Because I'm really sad when you're sad. And that's selfish too. But that doesn't mean I'm bad and it definitely doesn't mean you're bad, either. It's what you do that matters. And what you did, was right."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nods. "Yeah...." she trails off a bit. "I just. Hope it can be undone. and I also hope it doesn't get worse." she says quietly. "Alexis hasn't shown signs of it progressing. No voices. No burning sensations." she says softly.

"I made sure when I gave him obligation chocolate." she says softly.

She head tilts. "I should. Be going to my next class now, Amu." she says as she begins to go up.

"...Right. Um..." she gently reaches into her pocket and pulls out a notepad, black with a little white star on the front. She writes down an address and then rips the page out and passes it to Amu.

"This is.. my address. I mean. my home-HOME address. Where my family lives." she says softly.

"It occured to me you only know where the manor is where I was when I ran away. That's still a... safehouse for me. You can still find me there. But now you know where to go to find me more easily." she says softly.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu Hinamori stared at it, then clutched it and nodded. "Okay. I'll..." She paused. "I'll swing by for a moment after school, okay? And it's not that far from my place. Maybe we can walk to school together some time." Totally not trying to set herself up to be there in case anything ever happens. Nope. Not at all.

She didn't say anything about the chocolates. But oh my gosh she wanted to. A GIRL AND TWO GUYS! OH MY GOSH! MIKI WAS ALREADY DRAWING FAN ART!