The Manor's exterior has remained the same for a while. Not much has changed. There's snow outside! The path to the front door has been shoveled. The rusted open iron gate has been related with a newever, modern steel one that won't rust as easily. This one actually moves. It is currently open however.
The inside is much better. The manor is now done with remodeling on the inside. It smells less musty. It's clean. The basement has been cleaned and sanitized and it turns out some of the wine was still good- while others lost seal. Said Wine bottles are now in a more proper wine rack. The basement is no longer off limits like it was. Which is good.
Lacrima is sitting in the study reading a book that appears to be some occult text that contains the word 'Vampira', which is easy enough to figure out while the rest of the title is in spanish. It does however, look more like a retail book of some sort-- modern. Not old and ancient.
She nrgs and closes the book and sort of rubs hands across her face.
"Frustrating." she says.
Jiaying Maki hasn't visited the manor in a while, what with being busy with school, not being on fire and not having an evil girlfriend. This also means that she's finally not failing a class or two. Stepping past the gate, she starts to reach out magically, testing for new wards, traps, the usual. Stepping through the door into the entryway, she looks around curiously before calling out, "Hellloooo?" wondering if anyone's home. There's a moment where she realizes she shouldn't announce herself in a place like this considering who her friend works for.
Her illusion falls away immediately though once the door is closed and she begins to wander through the house to try and find Norie.
Nothing happens. Nothing new is felt. The place feels 'magically' the same as it had for the past few months. There's no new equipment or otherwise. The place is clean and well kept.
A voice rings out and Lacrima looks up and blinks. "Ah.. in the study." she says as she gets up and smooths out her dress's skirt. She peeks out the doorway as it opens.
"Jia-chan." she says softly. "Hello." she says. "How have you been?" she asks.
"I've been. Busy." she says softly.
Making sure no one tries to shank Riventon's piece of the pie while he's in South America among other things.
"I've been. Reading. Things. Not finding out anything new. As always." she says.
A pause. "Did you. Bring something to eat over?" she asks. "I mean. I can. Make something. Maybe." she says.
She's still as deadpan as ever and isn't acting particularly odder than usual.
Jiaying Maki is chewing on a piece of chicken from a stick. She holds up the gnawed on skewer and says around a mouthful of food, "I had this, sorry" as she finds a place to sit down in the study. Lounging back in the what she hopes is a comfy and now cleaned chair, the hoodie and coat clad foxgirl curls up on the chair and props her head up. "What have you been reading then?"
She drums her fingers against her jaw and asks surprisingly bluntly, "What's wrong Norie?" Her fingers stop drumming as soon as she's asked the question.
She keeps a close eye on the vampire, not sure which way this is going to go, but she assumes a hug is probably needed.
Lacrima thinks. "I found a few. Books. In Spanish about vampires. But not learning much new. They do sound like me- they 'drain with a touch' rather than bite and draw blood." she says.
"Wrong...?" she asks. "I'm.. concerned. About things. Both. Personal- and other peoples problems." she says.
"A friend of mine's girlfriend broke up with them- and he hasn't been taking it well, I suppose. I was asked to help him but. Well. I'm already confused about 'love' as it is. I can't feel it. But you know that already."
"Then... Eilam-kun. Asked things. Of me." she says quietly. "-and I am confused."
She sighs and sits back down in the study. "-and beyond that. Something is happening to Eilam-kun and he wants me to help him." she says.
"You know. Eilam's condition. Right?" she asks.
Jiaying Maki stretches out and kicks her feet over the arm of the chair, arms crossed behind her head. Getting nice and comfortable, she turns her head towards Norie and says, "Yeah? What books were they and when were they written? I did not find anything like that when I looked." Beat, "But then again, online translators are terrible. They mangle Chinese all the time."
Running her fingers through her hair, she says, "For that first one, just try to be a friend to your uh... friend?" She shakes her head and adds softly, "Sorry, I don't know them so I can't offer much advice there. I'm new to it too."
As for the comment about Eilam, she nods and says, "He's old and wants to meet my mother because he was sure she was something or other. He's... sad? But kinda creepy too. I think he means well though?" She pauses, "Anyway! What happened there?"
Lacrima nods. "That's what I'm doing. Trying to convience him that Beating every thug within a 20 mile radius of Tokyo isn't going to make everything better." she says softly. "But he's still trying. Apparently." she sighs glumly.
"I'm not. Sure. But. It felt much. Like a confession? Almost?" she says softly. "He. Gave me a ring. For Christmas. He said that it belonged to someone he loved- but he lost because- well he outlived them- and he hadn't really thought about-- stuff like that." she says.
"And he gave it to me. Because. He'd never met anyone like me before. Someone that won't die. And he asked me to-- be his partner-- wether that meant love or family." she says quietly.
"I did tell him. About Natsumi-chan. I won't. Hurt her. Like that. Never. I refuse. I may..not. Love her Because I am incapable. But I am fond of her." she insists.
"But it has me confused, and.. frustrated because. I am also fond of Eilam-kun." she says. "But-- nrg..."
"I don't understand. How anyone can love someone... who doesn't love them back." she mutters. "who /can't/ love them back." she says.
She sighs. "Eilam-kun is losing more energy than usual. He's actually... died. A few times from it already." she says. "He's staying in a guest bedroom here while I figure out a way to get a scanner or-- some magical researcher in, to look at him." she says. "I feel. Something external. Acting on him. I just don't know who where what or why." she says with a sigh.
Jiaying Maki looks around the room at the mention that Eilam's staying in the manor. She sits up, then flops back in place. One gets the feeling she's kind of unsure about something. Sitting up once more, she says, "He wanted to meet my mother for the same reason, he also was hitting on another friend fo mine-" She pauses, "I think? I don't know how he thinks." She then rests her head back and adds, "And you do love her, the part that the purple one is keeping buried does at least. Next time I figure out how to split you two I'm bringing a recorder just so there's proof though."
As for the beating up thugs part, she says flatly, "I can guess who that is and he's quicker to do something dumb than I am even post being lit on fire." Beat, "Or you know, getting chewed out by the head of the family for doing really dumb things with the spirits of others."
Lacrima head tilts. "It sounded like it was hard... to tell me what he did. And to give me what he did." she says quietly. "I told him that- I will talk to him about it when he feels better." she says.
"When we figure out what's wrong with him." she says.
"Yeah, it's Alexis-kun." she says flatly. "Naru... broke up with him because she found someone else who makes her happier. She said that- He seemed to take it well but then told me we both know that isn't the case. I knew exactly where he'd go after that. I tracked him."
"I got to scare some jerks who were ganging up on him. One got a lucky hit into my head with a knife. It was pretty uncomfortable. But you know. I didn't fall down or anything and that's when they realized something was wrong~"
Was that almost a teasing tone?
"Anyways." back to deadpan.
"As for the books..." she offers it to Jiaying. "It's not very old. It's a 1984 edition." she says. "Just. Legends and Folklore. Nothing quite matches me. There is much that comes close."
Jiaying Maki shakes her head and says, "I'm sure he means well, I don't think he's trying to be... anything beyond a lonely old guy. She shrugs and stretches her legs out, then sprawls out in the chair again, seeming quite content to just laze there. "Huh, didn't think she'd bounce from person to person honestly." Stretching her arms out next, she nestles in and closes her eyes. "He needs to learn how to pick better fights or learn to fight better, I'm not sure which. I think every time I've seen him he's been beat up."
She points to the book lazily and says, "I figure most myths aren't right. I mean why would Dracula be obsessive enough to count grains of rice right?" Beat, "Then again that is supposed to work on ours too." Beat, "Anyway. Write down all the stuff that seems close and it will go in my notes."
Lacrima sort of bites her teeth together a bit in thought. "I found something that... eases my.. discomfort a bit." she says. "I know it sounds. Silly." she says. "But. I bought a coffin and--- sleep in it." she says.
"Yeah. Even Eilam said that. It sounds sterotypical but."
"I realized that. I felt more comfortable. In an enclosed space on the bus one day. I was wishing I could just. put a box around me." she says.
"But. I wake up-- feeling a little more stable?" she asks.
"I dunno how to describe it. Less-- 'Okay how am I going to mess up mine and others peoples life today?' and more 'maybe I will go and buy a new dress' in the mornings." she says quietly.
Jiaying Maki twirls her finger and says, "I'm almost certain that part is all in your head, the sleeping in a coffin." Beat, "Because that is kind of weird, being honest. I Thought that required grave earth anyway?" What, she's been doing her homework! "As for Eilam... that's your call. He seems like a harmless old weirdo, no odder than anyone else around here. Kind of."
After some consideration she says, "If it makes you feel better being in a box at night though, not going to tease you too much about it. May write the bird of Hermes poem on your coffin though." Or other such jokes. She's a nerd!
Lacrima head tilts. "I don't think it's in my head. I mean. Of course it's psychological but I /do/ wake up with more stable thoughts." she says. "Maybe for all I know it's keeping stuff in I loose when I sleep or something. It's weird I even need sleep as it is. Sleep isn't even... recouping time for me. It's more like.. hitting the disk icon in a word processor." she says.
"Otherwise. Days run together for me. And I forget things." she mutters.
"I wonder how that even works."
"I don't even have a physical /brain/." she says.
She sighs a bit and just sulks in the chair a bit.
"Sora is getting better." she says quietly. "But she feels powerless now, knowing there's... things out there.. she can't do anything to protect her family from." she says quietly.
Jiaying Maki yawns with all of the sleep talk. "If it works it works, nevermind the details. As long as it isn't building up the other side's dark stuff." There's a few moments of thought before she adds, "Really though, I think days run together too- I'm also kind of spacey." She's saying it more like a joke than anything. Maybe to just chatter? "It's probably the other side of you trying to gather something. That's my guess."
The mention about Sora gets her to tense up and she replies, "She hasn't said that to me. I had a feeling." Her face darkens briefly, "Isn't that what started it all anyway? Maybe I need to.." She shakes her head and sighs. "Maybe this time she won't hide where it's coming from."
Lacrima shakes her head. "I don't think anything is getting into her this time. I think she genuinely wants to protect her family from ... things like that." she says. "Also. She tried to deck Kukai because he had the nerve to bring up his girlfriend." she says softly.
"I imagine if she was magical again Kukai would had been lit on fire." she insists.
"That is a theme I am running into a lot. Alexis feels powerless to help. Sora feels powerless to help. Seth feels powerless to help." she says. "And the way I can help isn't the kind of help I think they're asking for." she says lightly in a more serious tone to suggest that wasn't meant to be a joke at the end.
Jiaying Maki shakes her head and says, "She genuinely thought she was doing good before too. If she's thinking that way again, we need to talk." There's a confused look, then she asks, "Wait, she punched Kukai again? For mentioning his girlfriend... as in, "I have one" or something else?"
She puts her hand to her eyes either way and just keeps them covered for the immediate time being. "Alexis with any power would probably be another Shiniko. Seth is...I think I've met him right?" She eventually shrugs and says blandly, "I think the name sounds familiar." Looking over she continues, "You can't do everything. I can't do everything as I keep finding out."
Lacrima head tilts. "You should talk to Sora about the relationship between her and him." she says.
She looks around a bit. "I should. Find food." a pause. "I mean. Food..Food... not... Energy. Food." she says. "Ugh."
"Why do I even have to specify." she mutters as she stands up and begins to walk out to the corridor. "Do you want anything?" she asks Jiaying.
Jiaying Maki shrugs as she sits up and rolls out of the chair, landing lightly enough only to stumble a few steps. Brushing herself off like nothing happened, she says, "Would love eto. I'll try the next time I see her." She says that somewhat clipped.
She follows Norie out while asking, "What kind of food, normal food or the weird stuff you occasionally try to terrify everyone else with? Because I've heard stories and none of that seems edible even as a living mass of dark stuff."
Lacrima pause and turns she huffs! "Look. Purification...does. Weird things to me. You try loosing a piece of your being and not coming back a little odd until the pieces fit back together." she frowns.
"I eat normal food. Just. Lots of it."
"Okay a lot of it." she says. "But it's normal." she says.
She walks to the kitchen and opens the fridge as she pulls out a loaf of sliced wheat bread and cheese and ham. A pause.
"You..like ham. Right?" she asks.
Jiaying Maki finds a seat and says, "I cook with pork regularly Norie, you live there, right?" She rests her hand on her chin and adds, "I don't come back together, I have to heal. I also can't handle a lot of the stuff I use to do purification outside of my own magic-" she pauses to consider, "Which is mostly just positive energy. I've done negative too, anything else and it itches at the very least. I touched that peachwood wand I had for the exorcism a while back and my hands itched for a week. And it smells funny too."
She leans forward and rests her cheek against the table. "I don't see how eating sprinkles, gravy and pizza will fix those missing pieces either to be honest."
Lacrima shrugs. "When I came back the first time getting purifed I kinda... hit--or.. teased? On every boy in my homeroom. Then. I had to come back the next day when I was okay. That was awkward." she says. "Another I couldn't even speak Japanese and I had to keep my mouth shut for three days until I could again because people would ask questions about why I could only speak Spanish." she says.
"So that time I came back thinking weird food was the best." she says.
"I don't even like sprinkles." she insists. Like /that's/ what makes it weird.
"But basically. Those actions aren't meant to fix things. It's basically me being taken apart, shaken around in blender and dumped back into a mold and left to become something whole again." she says.
"Something does concern me." she says quietly.
"You. Keep saying that there's a 'dark me'." she says. "But if that was true. Well. You've already made clear you're trying to get rid of it to me. And it knows you have at least one means to do that." she says.
"Wouldn't you think. It'd make me act on something against that?" she asks curiously. "Or upset? I mean. I get irrational. Over the stupidest stuff so far sometimes." she says quietly.