View source for 3434/How Do You Feel

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/09/24
|Location=Manor De Crima
|Synopsis=Nakusu Miki visits the Manor and Lacrima and her have a talk about Nakusu's feelings for Lamya, and Lacrima's feelings for Ariel and various other neat topics.
|Cast of Characters=160,231
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima had her Norie day today. She hid inside. She put on the energy expending 'Norie' form--- herself-- her true human self. If in looks only. It was all the better because Nakusu wanted to visit. It's not like she was going out as Norie, so Nakusu was invited over. There are donuts and lemonade in the sitting room she's dragged Nakusu into upon her arrival and politely shut and locked the door. She turned.<br /><br />"Sorry. You're visiting and there's some private things I wish to discuss with you." she says with a slightly apologetic tone. "And it's best if.. we don't have a spying fox.. or if Lamya-chan doesn't peek in by accident." she says.<br /><br />She smiles and settles into the comfy daybed by the window, there's a seat next to her, that's spaced far enough apart as to not be too close and awkward.<br /><br />"Nakusu-chan...I.. may I use -chan?" she asks. "You're Lamya's friend. So that makes you my friend. And I think Jia-chan's friend too. And Alexis-niisan's friends." she says quietly.<br /><br />She takes a deep breath. "I stink at dancing around issues. So I'll just. Explain about something I wanted to ask you."<br /><br />"Since. Even before we found you-- Lamya-chan would blush a lot about 'her princess'. Since we found you, I've noticed odd changes in her behavior-- not BAD changes mind you but like--- with the donut? She usually scoffs those down. And doesn't share them. But she shared with you. And ate like... normal..." she says.<br /><br />"She may not understand it. But I think she has feelings for you she's sorting out." she says gently.<br /><br />"I'm wondering how you feel." she says. "If there's anything you need help sorting out."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki did want to visit the manor again. She was happy to also speak with Norie. Her look as 'Norie' caught her off guard, but only for a moment before she let herself be escorted into the side room. She didn't think nothing of the locked door as she sat down on the daybed and grabbed a plain cake donut as she listend to Norie talk.<br /><br />"...Of course you can use -chan if you want, Norie-chan!" she smiles. "Besides, you helped save me from George. And I feel bad he's your brother. That..."<br /><br />"I find it silly you know? You're an.. actual 'monster'---" you can hear the polite air quotes almost. "--and he's just some jerk with a sword, and you're like one hundred times nicer." she says.<br /><br />She listens as she chews. 'her princess'. This causes her to blush a little. Just a little. "Well. It's nice to know she remembered me." she says.<br /><br />She shifts. "I think you're right on that. She's sorting things out." she admits. Then Norie asks how she feels about it. She coughs a bit at her donut.<br /><br />"Ah-ha-- um...!" she blushes. "Okay..." she takes a deep breath. "This is hard for me to explain..." she says.<br /><br />"It feels very natural talking to Lamya-chan. I just met her a few days ago. But it feels like I still knew her for a lot longer." she says quietly. "I'm sure that's the princesses' memories, coming to the front." she says.<br /><br />"I suppose that's my question here." she says. "I am not the princess- that I just share a reincarnated soul with her- and he looks-- But is it bad to.. to live off those memories? To accept them as part of you?..." she asks.<br /><br />"To want to be close to the friend you didn't even know would live through what you we're trying to do to save them nearly two thousand years ago in the past?" she asks a little meekly.<br /><br />"I mean it isn't even confusing for me. I know that's what I want, how I want to treat it. But is it... wrong...?" she asks. "I suppose would be the question for you here."

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Norie smiles a little weakly. "I wasn't always like this. But you know that. It's through... friends like. Kukai-- and Jiaying and Ariel and Mamoru Chiba and Kazuo Takeba and Takashi and a whole list of people, that have helped me. Did you know?... I almost died? Ariel... is a unicorn right? She stopped that with a unicorn tear. And now it's somewhere inside me, coating over the barrier that stops the dark from outright eating myself." she says.<br /><br />"That let me feel positive emotions again. It's strongest when Ariel is close to me--- but my emotions are still deadened when she's further away from me- but not nearly as bad-- as before. Before. I couldn't even smile." she says.<br /><br />She listens to Nakusu's reply and she purses her lips in thought. "I don't think that's wrong." she says quietly. "As long as it's not causing unhealthy behavior like say, my brother is doing- then it's your personal choice. I would discuss that with Lamya- though. She might be pleased to hear that." she smiles.<br /><br />"At least that part."<br /><br />"--- I myself... well I have the memories of the vampiric count that had this power before me. I sometimes think myself a young Spanish countess in turn. It feels natural. It doesn't harm anyone for me to dress fancy and treat myself like a noble lady." she says with just a little coy smile. Just a little.<br /><br />"Also I suddenly know a lot of European romance languages and older languages like Latin? Because the count knew them. It's odd because it feels more like 'Spanish' is my natural language instead of Japanese and it's odd."<br /><br />She shakes her head as she finishes her donut and nabs another. "But. I must still ask. What are your... feelings for Lamya? I mean..." she coughs a little. She doesn't want to say it. She's hoping Nakusu picks up on the social cue.

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu listens with a blink. "Yeah I saw that, a unicorn. Aha! That sounds... very romantic." she blushes. "Is that why you two are so close?" she asks. "I mean. I saw you two after that thing with George. It was kind of obvious you two are close to one another." she smiles.<br /><br />She blinks. "Huh! Okay so. So it's not bad? As long as it's not like hurting anyone or.. stuff? Okay. Okay that's good then to think that." she smiles. "It's just. I know I'm Nakusu. I would just like to be Sabra, too. You know...? Just. Yeah!" she says with a nod. "You're right. Lamya might like to hear that. It might make her more comfortable too."<br /><br />Then she listens to Norie's trailing question and the cough and she blushes so hard, she could be confused for a living, breathing beet, or a red fire truck in human form!<br /><br />"Ah! Oh! You mean!.. Ah...! Aha! Ooooooo." she takes a deep breath and shifts.<br /><br />"I guess. If I we're to explain it politely. I don't think George is exactly wrong when he was insituating a human was with a dragon. I mean."<br /><br />"I wouldn't use that term so strongly. I think that. Lamya was confused by her own feelings for Sabra she couldn't sort out, because she was a dragon. Not human." she says quietly. "But Sabra was... also having. The same problem. I think the two we're just star-crossed beings, ripped apart by a bigot." she admits.<br /><br />"I mean I only met Lamya. The other week. But I still, as I said, have Sabra's feelings on the matter." she adds at the end. "So I... I think we're still in the... same place we we're back then." she says looking away a little shyly.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima nods and takes a deep breath. "I thought as much. But I wanted to be sure. Lamya-chan is a good friend. I know she's been looking for you since I met her." she says. "-and this story is. Familiar to me. On some level. You should find... Mamoru Chiba-- though it might be better to ask his friend, Kazuo Takeba about it directly, about... people that think someone belongs to them through reincarnated lives..." she says.<br /><br />She takes another bite of her donut. "You're welcome here, whenever you wish, by the way. There's plenty of rooms to have private talks in. You don't need to knock. Just walk in. We're basically. Well..."<br /><br />She coughs. "Lesbian Monster Manor I ''guess'." she says. "I mean Jiaying is dating a Witch girl, I'm dating a unicorn girl and it's pretty obvious where Lamya lies I think." she smirks.<br /><br />"You might see a German boy in a leather coat. That's Alexis-niisan. My adopted brother. The nice one." she says quietly.<br /><br />"I know it's mean. To ... basically. Have a replacement. For my blood brother." she says. "But.. Alexis-niisan. He's the polar opposite of Ryo-san." she says quietly.<br /><br />There's an awkward silence.<br /><br />"Regardless." she says. "If you and Lamya-chan want to go out somewhere. Anytime. Anyplace, it's on me." she says. "Right. About the manor."<br /><br />"Four floors. The basement, you stay out of. There's a wine storage there, a few storage rooms, and my personal room. My coffin is down there. If you're REALLY curious about seeing it, I can take you down there but only for a short visit." she warns.<br /><br />"The first floor has a conservatory, a sitting room- the room we're in that used to be a smoking room, the Vestibule that acts like a living room. The kitchen and a study. The study is where I tend to keep all my theorycrafting work."<br /><br />"Um. Second floor is bedrooms and a parlor. That's the rotunda-like end you can see from the outside. It's quiet, barely anyone uses it."<br /><br />"The final floor is the attic. All the old furniture I couldn't use, but couldn't bear to throw away when I found the manor is up there. It's also a little spooky-- right. About. Haunting."<br /><br />"There's no spirits here. There is something of a 'residual' haunt. Creaking floorboards. Shadowplay at the corner of your eyes. Things like that. It's harmless-- the result of the dark energy contamination that was here when I discovered the place. It'll dissipate with time."<br /><br />"So please don't be afraid if you have those experiences. It's nothing."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki seems to take in all Lacrima says with a series of nods when it's appropiate. "...I don't think you've replaced your brother." she says. "You still obviously care for Ryo. I heard what you said to him. But he can't be your brother right now. If this person is willing to be in the meantime or even past that then... I mean that's good. Isn't it?" she asks ever so softly.<br /><br />She smiles at the offer to handle things if Lamya and her ever want to do things. "I wouldn't want to impose on you." she says. "But once maybe couldn't hurt, if you're offering." she says gently.<br /><br />She listens to the descriptions of the floors. "Woah this place is bigger than I thought. Okay. NO basement. I admit..."<br /><br />"I am really curious about that, so maybe in a small bit you could show me?" she asks. "Wait, Haunting?... besides the bunny plush vampire the foxgirl mentioned?..."<br /><br />She listens and 'ohs!' "Oh. So. Haunting like activity. But not anything like-- a ghost beyond the expected one." she says.<br /><br />She settles in the daybed a little more. "It must be nice to live here..." she says. "A big spacious manor, with friends..." she says.<br /><br />"But..."<br /><br />"It sounds like you miss home, too." she says. "What was it like. Your real home?" she asks quietly, as she looks out the window.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima nods. "I do care for Ryo." she says quietly. "He didn't used to be like this. Not all the time. Not like I remember. But I'm thinking maybe I've just been blind. Or not understanding the little things someone does that belie a true nature-- and things that happened I didn't know about." she says.<br /><br />She does smile just a little. "A townhouse in the better part of town. Two floors. Mom and dad's was on the lower, we had the top-- me and Ryo I mean. With a few extra rooms. My room was light purple painted. Hardwood floor. Big closet. Unicorn poster." she mutters with a blush at that one.<br /><br />"When I was still living at home as this thing I was a mess, and would often just hide myself in the closet. I realize now it was less about hiding and more vampires just kind of like small enclosed hidden spaces when resting." she says.<br /><br />"That's what the coffins are about." she says. "I was using the manor at the time as a hideaway. Now it's a residence." she says quietly.<br /><br />"...I miss home so much Nakusu-chan. My parents miss me. I don't even need to think probably on that." she says. She sighs and takes a deep breath. "Can we talk about something else...?" she asks.

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Of course." says Nakusu Miki. "We can talk about something else." she says. "How did you meet Ariel?" she asks. "The unicorn I mean. That's her name right?" she says. "I mean. A vampire meeting a unicorn seems. Unlikely." she says quietly.<br /><br />"I mean. No more unlikely than a dragon maybe possibly falling for a human or something!" she says suddenly as if to imply she wasn't trying to be insulting about it, by poking at her own situation.<br /><br />She reaches out and pats Lacrima's hand. "Never be afraid to ask me to change the subject. I'm just so curious and I have so many questions! If I'm ever overstepping that, just let me know." she smiles.<br /><br />"I never had a vampire friend before." she says. "Afterall. And I'd like if it could remain that way." she says as brightly as she can.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima gently twitches at the corners of her lips and smiles a little. "I think you're a little nicer than Lamya related to me." she says. "Of what she remembers of 'her princess' as it we're." she says. She sighs and sits back in the day bed and seems to gather her thoughts.<br /><br />"....Ariel-chan...." she says softly. "I met her. One day. After a feeding. There was this girl with a big dog, looking at me sadly. I told her that I was sorry. That I didn't want to do what I just did. That I just wanted to leave. I thought she was sad at the act I did. I know she was. But she was sad for me too." she says gently. "She said she could tell I didn't want to do that. It's true I..."<br /><br />"I don't WANT to feed, Nakusu. But I need to. I hate it. I hate being a 'predator' of humanity." she says. She takes a deep breath.<br /><br />"Regardless. It was one of the first times I didn't feel... judged. By someone. For what I had to do. Who accepted that I had to do it. That it wasn't a good thing, but was needed by me." she says quietly.<br /><br />"So she became sort of a friend I could talk to. Without feeling like they we're examining or analyzing or judging my every word." she says. "Then she started needing help. Fight---right."<br /><br />"Ariel is a 'Dream Defender'. She's capable of entering dreams and fighting monsters called 'Nightmares'. Not to be confused with the concept of a 'nightmare'. Capital 'N' Nightmare." she says gently.<br /><br />"Regardless. Ariel-chan is a pacifist. While she can ease nightmares, it was harder for her to fight big huge Nightmares and so me and some others started helping her." she says. "We learned eventually, that a man named 'The Prince of Nightmares' had stolen her mother from Ariel- and effectively mind controlled her to use her like an instrument in his plans. We saved her from him."<br /><br />"...At some point I started feeling closer to Ariel. But I didn't want to try to push it. Because Ariel is naturally affectionate-- I didn't want to read too deep into anything. Besides. Dark energy demands you keep feelings inside anyways." she says with a lopsided smirk.<br /><br />"Instead I just visited her a lot.. invited her to my dreamscape."<br /><br />She shifts. "So the Prince of Nightmares sends a powerful monster to hurt me. The thing destroys the barrier that was protecting my soul from... the dark energy I'm made up of."<br /><br />"....So I began to eat myself, effectively. Would had become just a mindless mass of dark that needed to be put down." she says quietly.<br /><br />"My friends destroyed it. But the damage was done. So Ariel... cried." a pause. "A unicorn tear is.. a small miracle. Of sorts." she says. "Like the myths and legends say." she adds. "It repaired and fit into the cracks and missing pieces of the barrier. When it was done... It left me able to feel positive emotions. For the first time since I've been this thing. Not just remembering. Not just pretending. Really feel them!" she says.<br /><br />"...so in my tired state. I.. I tried to tell Ariel what I felt about her finally. But.. um..."<br /><br />"I sort of kissed her. Like on the lips." she mutters bashfully. "Before I went unconscious..."<br /><br />She lets Nakusu absorb the story thus far!

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu is on the edge of the seat because this sounds like someone recounting a fairy tale that ''actually happened!''. She's in suspense, grabbing at the cushion of th day bed with eager eyes.<br /><br />"W..wow. So she means a lot to you then. It sounds like you two knew each other for a while then." she says with a smile. "So you kissed her, because...." she blushes a little. "Ahaha-- they do say. Actions speak louder than words~" she says just ever so teasingly.<br /><br />"So then what happened?" she finally asks with that eager expression!

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Norie takes a softer breath. "I had to have an awkward talk about my feelings for her and why I kissed her and all that and I apologized because ... oh god Nakusu you shouldn't just ''kiss'' someone without asking them." she says with wide eyes.<br /><br />She takes a deep breath. "She comforted me, and she started visiting me more.... and..."<br /><br />"...We often just found each other staring into one another's eyes. And then come out of it and realized hours had passed." she blushed a little fiercely. "It's...."<br /><br />"It's like just basking in each other's company. In each other. Like. If.. if you could take feelings, put them in a tub and soak in it." she says quietly.<br /><br />"But. I love her, Nakusu-chan." she smiles. "-and I know she loves me now- and that's what makes me happy. She.. she doesn't even balk at my truest form..." she says gently, as she digs her hands into the daybed's cushions a little.<br /><br />"My truest. Form. Yes. Um." she shifts to the purple haired, pale skinned vampire, dropping the Norie disguise for a moment. It seems to sort of blow off. Like sand, into nothing.<br /><br />"This is the most humanoid form I can take without expending energy to keep a form." she says. "But. I have a-- most basest form I can take without being nothing. I should show you it. Because I'd rather you know it's me. If I ever need to be as such." she says.<br /><br />"...Let me know when you're ready. I don't want to frighten you." she says.

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki already has her eyes closed and is smiling. "That sounds so romantic, Norie~" she sings out. "I know it must be hard. Being what you are, but It's nice you have people like that to help ease it for you." she says as she opens her eyes.<br /><br />"Huh?" she asks. "True... form?" she asks a little hesitantly suddenly. She realxes. "Alright. I trust you." she says. She does mean that, at least. For the moment, as she braces herself. "Go ahead." she says.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Norie nods, in her Lacrima visage- as it we're- stands up and away and just lets black envelope her. Becoming more like a wispy, black hovering wraith with some spindly claw-like hands-- solid purple eyes. Probably looking like one of the numerous, nameless things Nakusu had probably seen people fighting.<br /><br />"This is my basest form." she says. From where, unknown. This form doesn't have a mouth. The voice sounds a little warbly.<br /><br />"Sometimes I take this form. When I need to. It's easier for me to move, sometimes exist as this."<br /><br />She shakes her head. "I promise. It's only a physical change. I'm still me." she says quietly. She move to hover over and 'sit' back down where she was. "So please don't be frightened." a pause.<br /><br />"Like. If I was a Castlevania Final Boss? This would be the second phase form!" she says, in a very lame attempt to inject humor into this for Nakusu's sake.

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki eyes open wide as Lacrima becomes some sort of odd, shadowy monster. She does tense a bit. But she begins to calm when she starts talking... it's... just Norie. In a different form. No different than the pale humanoid vampire, or the Norie form she knew before.<br /><br />It doesn't take even a few seconds for her posture to return to normal and for tense unsuredness to become wide eagerness again.<br /><br />"....You look pretty like that. Actually." she says quietly. "Like... I mean. Uh--" she blushes. "I don't mean. Like that-that, but there's this eerie, beautiful quality to you right now." she reaches out a hand to place it on Lacrima's shoulder. So could. Like placing her hand against a cold, damp stone in the winter. She draws her hand back carefully.<br /><br />She does give Norie a sad smile. "Norie-chan? You don't need to try to inject humor to make something more palpable for me. Things are what they are. I'm glad you're who you are for right now." she says with a warm smile.<br /><br />"That being said, I could kind of see you boredly drinking wine from a glass before throwing it down and doing like fireballs? And then going 'rawr grant me power' yeah." she says with her own sheepish smile.

:'''{{#var:160|Lacrima| (160)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Lacrima would purse lips if she had a mouth right now. "What is a donut, but a miserably pile of pastry? But enough talk, have at you!" she huffs as she crosses her wispy arms against her chest. She'll let herself reform into Norie quickly, as she snort giggles just a little.<br /><br />".... The rose honey." she says. "Right. I never got to explain...."<br /><br />"That comes from Mamoru Chiba. You should meet him, his friends. His fiance and her friends. You have some things in common with them, in that you are reincarnations, of people that we're alive, and are reborn in soul." she says.<br /><br />"Privately. You should not bring this up to Mamoru directly. I find it's an uncomfortable topic for him. But he has experience with... someone being grabby at him that can't take no for an answer." she says with a nod.<br /><br />"Anyways. He's the reborn Prince of Earth from some time before time. His energy is very... comforting. Soothing. He's able to produce these magic roses?" she says.<br /><br />"For me. His energy is like I'm eating straight humanity. Don't ask me.. how I know that. It's a long story, but I did a dumb thing and almost drained him into a danger zone of it." she says quietly.<br /><br />"So while I can't drain him without... making him and people upset. At least. I mean. Without him offering. He has. Before. Only once." she says.<br /><br />"--- his magical roses, being infused in honey is the next best thing."<br /><br />"I don't get what I need from it to sustain myself, but I do get the feeling and soothing and grounding in humanity I don't really have as a terrible nightmare of a dark mass." she says meeker.<br /><br />"So I've been kind of using it like someone might a medication. It helps stop me from doing dark energy fueled things all the time." she says.<br /><br />She shifts again. "Mamoru is--- He's another reason I'm even here. You'll like him a lot. I think you two with have some things in common. He's a nice person. I think he'll understand a little of what you're going through." she gently sighs.<br /><br />"Thanks for indulging me in talking to you." she says. "Why don't you go try to find Lamya-chan now. I think she's somewhere in here." she says with a smile. "Or even if you just want to hang around. You're welcome to. Please. Come and go as you please. Any time. Any day."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki smiles. "Of course. I appreicate the open invitation. It'd be nice to visit Lamya without needing to ask you personally if it's okay to come into your home." she says. "Even if it's Lamya's home too." she says.<br /><br />"I'm gonna go do that, actually. After poking around the manor then!" she says as she stands up. And off she goes exploring!<br /><br />But not the basement. Nope.
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