242/Life is Unfair

Life is Unfair
Date of Scene:	15 August 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	La Crima hunts around Radiant Heart Academy again. She runs into Puella Amy! A chat ensues, rather than a fight.
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Amanda Faust

---

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana was back to hunt. She was. VERY LEARY of feeding at school again, considering what happened last time, but the school was easy pickings. Adults sometimes fought back. Sometimes, she couldn't stop an adult from hitting dirt before she could catch them. It was easier with kids her own age, and thusly, shifting one degree lower down the human scale, she turns into 'La Crima' and off she goes.

She kind of hops across rooftops easily enough, it's like a quick, blink and you'll miss it moment, leaving a small blur in her wake, leaving her atop a rooftop to peek over the edge to...

Find no one. Ugh. Where we're all the students today. All. Holed up in the dorms for a change? No one trying to break the rules? And hop out? She stopped short of trying the dorm windows as she looked at those buildings in the distance. Something about....attacking someone where they directly lived seemed...

Wrong, even with her sense of morality skewed by all the dark energy. She ended up on top of the club building, just sort of sitting off the edge and letting off a long, lorn, worn, sighhhhhh.

"Maybe..." she says silently to herself, trailing off on the thought as she drummed her fingers on the dirty rooftile.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Well, vampires do have to be invited in, don't they?

    The weather is nice enough to go on patrol in, although, Amy doesn't actually feel like going too far, and maybe this is more of an excuse to enjoy having this spry young body and jump from rooftop to rooftop than seriously looking for a fight.

    She wasn't expecting searching for dark energy to actually... find something?

    Still, a magical girl running across campus might be a bit weird even if people do tend to forget.

    So, at least *one* student is breaking curfew. (Wait, there's a curfew? If there is Amy wasn't paying attention.) A figure in an RHA baseball cap, an oversized field jacket, slacks, and sneakers makes her way across the campus, frequently consulting an ornate, red crystal pendant (currently bright, as she's had enough grief seeds available to fully top up). Like, to any mundane she's obviously someone playing some silly magic game trying to douse or something. Teenagers often get up to that sort of thing though, right?

    Whatever this one is doing, she's headed straight towards La Crima, though...

Norie Okana has posed:
Rooftops, La Crima found out, weren't the super romantic places they could be, she found out. Manga and Anime had lied to her! Rooftops we're usually so dirty unless they we're maintained and even then they we're so windy. And--and--oh there's someone coming. She melded into the shadows of the awning of the club roof and watched the girl coming by. No one she knows, at least, as this form.

She leaped down to the ground, probably causing whatever 'compass' Amy is using to jump suddenly from 'close' to 'omg, right behind you' as La Crima started to lurch out, trying to reach a hand out to touch Amy, just moments away from touching her...

Just a few inches more and she can go away. Back home.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy knows very well how manga lied, and a lot of surprising ways it didn't! But that's probably a discussion for another time.

    This *particular* situation wasn't really in any manga she'd read, though.

    Amy stops in front of the club building, wondering how to get inside. Wait, if something else got inside there's probably an open door or window somewhere. She holds her soul gem and concentrates...

                                RIGHT BEHIND YOU                                
    and whirls around in alarm, face to face with -- "Aah!" -- the gloomy goth magical girl reading her hand out...? Amy flinches back reflexively, but mostly looks confused. "You?? Wait, what was your... can we talk?? I only want to help people! And you didn't seem to want to hurt people or spread misery..."

Norie Okana has posed:
!!!

La Crima basically flails back, because she didn't expect the girl to suddenly turn around and face her, basically meaning her hand would end up in the girl's face before being drawn back. She was juusssst centimeters from touching the girl and had she made contact, well there probably would had been bad feelings and energy draining. Luckily, for Amy, that doesn't happen tonight.

Instead and steps a few feet back. "Get back." she says bluntly.

"...huh? Why do you want to talk with me?" she suddenly gave Amy a look between confusion and a glare.

"N..No I don't want to hurt people. But I need the energy. Or more people will get hurt than I want to. So....so just..."

She was assuming Amy was just another normal human. "So just..." she repeated, not finishing the thought.

She closed her eyes and started to try to reach out at Amy again. Also. None of this sounded like a question. Like Sailor V had warned her like last time.

Amanda Faust has posed:
> Get back.
    Amy cocks her head to one side. It's not a very convincing command when the sad magical girl is the one backing up from *her*.

    "You need help. That seems like reason enough to talk to you. And if I found you... you're probably getting attacked by less talky... magic-users, right? So who else is going to help you? All the more reason you need help..."

    Okay yeah this is obviously an incoming energy drain. "How does this... work? If I give you enough energy for now, will you be able to relax and talk?" The pendant is suddenly gone, and there's a ring on her hand with a red gem, and she holds out her fist to meet La Crima's hand. Surely her soul gem must contain far more energy than a normal human so she can probably afford to donate a bit to a needy... being, right?

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima peeks an eye open as she moves her hand closer annnd----the girl's still talking. And offering energy. "W..wait No. You're making this weird!" she says as the girl continues to talk and --- offering so willingly seems off putting to her.

"....Ugh." she frowns and retracts her arm and says bluntly. "N..Nevermind I can talk now. I guess..." she says softly. She frowns.

"I can't relax. I'm always. On? On. Whatever. the term is called. For.. for always. Being on guard? Like..." she trails off again.

"I can find someone else to drain later." she says. Not even finishing the prior thought.

"What do you even want to talk about. Do I know you?" she asks head tilting.

"Look. I need energy. If I starve myself. Bad things happen to everyone. That's all I know." she says bluntly.

"...n' I don't like feeding..."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    No choice but to feed. Scared of being hunted by magical girls. Amy starts to spread her arms and step forward for a hug, then hesitates. La Crima probably doesn't trust hugs. Which is also sad.

    "I told you. I'm someone who wants to help you... but I guess this'll help. Gods, it's weird seeing this Clark Kent Effect thing in action..." She steps back and passes her hand over her ring--

An ovoid of flame-colored light grows from ger gem to surround her, enveloping her, lifting into the air with her unclothed silhouette curled up inside, long hair floating as if she's under water, before the light cracks and shatters and Amy, now covered in flames as if from an explosion, snaps back, and the flames fade to leave her new outfit in place. The viewers, were this an anime, would see a long, extended sequence highlighting each step of the transformation, and the flames disappearing from each part of her body in turn to leave that part of her magical girl outfit, but for La Crima, it's all over in a few seconds, ending with the red Puella landing on her feet as the last of the flames dissipate from her outfit.

    --and smiles, holding out her hand, palm up. "Helping people is what I'm supposed to do, right? And you sound like you need help more than most. You've..." her smile fades and she gives a little sigh.

              "...'You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?'"              

    "I... especially, have to help people like you. I can't just leave you alone. Please, what happened to you? You can have some of my energy if you need, tonight. Please don't 'drain' someone... what exactly does that do, by the way?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima frowns and doesn't trust hugs for a variety of reasons, but mostly because it triggers a drain now unless she's concentrating hard and she isn't in that state to concentrate hard. Still, for the transformation to be over, with a red flame covered light makes her wince. She doesn't like the transformation, or how it feels.

Like a prickle, but it only lasts for a second. Still. Recognition finally lights on her face, but only for a moment before it falls into a resting face as she frowns.

"I don't wanna talk about it." she says. She isn't going to discuss her private life with someone like this girl. Also. She remembers one thing.

'Monster'.

This turns her resting face into a short scowl as she trails off. "Ugh. Fine. You're just going to keep pestering me anyways. Aren't you?" she says. Fine. "But..." she says quietly. "Not here. Up." she says, motioning upwards to the roof. She'll sit on the edge again. It's safer up here.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "I bought a necklace in a secondhand shop. It did this to me. Now I'm... whatever this thing is. Energy vampire."

"I don't like feeding."

"But If I don't feed I go feral." she says. "So I don't like feeding. But I also don't like hurting people if I can help it?"

"I also can't feel some things anymore?" she says. "S'why I speak stiltedly. Hard to elaborate. Um... run on. Sentences. Thoughts ending abruptly." she trails off on that thought.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy nods and leaps up to the roof. "I've definitely spent way more time on rooftops since becoming a magical girl..." She sits with her legs folded, facing La Crima. Her eyes widen at the story. "That can HAPPEN?! There's just, like, necklaces cursing people?! Lurking in shops?"

    The thought 'I wonder if there's one that turns you into a girl' floats through her mind, although it doesn't really seem to have much relevance now.

    Amy pouts slightly as she hears about the forced feeding. "That's messed up. ...I'm sorry if quoting Majora's Mask at you seemed to make light of it... I promise I'm less creepy than the Happy Mask Salesman, though! I really do want to help."

    She cocks her head to one side. "Your... emotions changed? Shit, that's gotta be weird." Yeah well wait till you experience your first mood swing Amy. "Are you... damn. I don't know where to start."

    Amy looks La Crima over. "This is messed up. I'm mad *at the world* for being full of such magical wonder and then using it to *curse* you. I'm not sure how to help yet, but... Is there anything you need? Someone to talk to? A friend? Someone to help you find a way to break the curse? As long as I keep running into Witches every couple of weeks and don't have to use too much magic, I should be able to spare some energy now and then, too..."

    Amy blinks. "What's that like? Feeding."

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima sort of blinks blankly..."Huh?" she says.

"Oh. Huh. I guess. You did." she trails off. "Reference an old game." she says, she frowns. "Can't go back. Damage done. Vampire. Remember? Inference in that. Undead." she trails off.

"I know more. Don't wanna talk about it. Please? No pushing." she says with a sigh and rolls her eyes. "I dream about things. Bad things. Don't wanna talk about it." she reiterates again. "Weird. Feels weird. Food doesn't sate hunger anymore. Hungry. Then you're not. No..people...don't. have flavors." she says quietly, as if anticipating a question. She frowns harder.

"Witches?" she thinks on this. Her thought balloon is filled with the stereotypical witch, like on a broom stick. She blinks.

"I shouldn't. Drain from you." she finally says. "Besides."

"We're just going to end up fighting one day." she shifts a bit uncomfortably. "That's how it is. Isn't it?" she asks.

"'Sparkle skirts'..." she says. "Fight things like... me?" she ask. "How am I different than that. Girl with the bear youma? Or... the Starfield Jellyfish?" she asks.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The red Puella Magi stands up. "It isn't if we don't want it to be! I wanna fight what *did* this to you! It's a... it's a *crime*!"

    She thought in a situation like this she'd feel pity and a desire to help, not this... *righteous anger*.

    Is she mad at the world?

    Is she mad at herself, for being obsessed with stories about people having stuff like this happen to them and dealing with it, and now feels like this made light of a real problem?

    The world is *magic*, and it's a crime that this nightmare scenario is inflicted on *anyone*.

    "I dunno what her goal is, but she didn't *have* to do that. You were forced into this. That..." Amy clenches a fist. "People are supposed to *help* you! Not just... use what was done to you as en excuse to *hurt* you! It isn't *fair*!"

    The anger fulls a bit as curiousity comes to the fore. "Is... anger, at the injustice of your situation, one of the things you can't feel anymore?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima blinks. "I've had my time to be angry at it. But it turns out being angry at a necklace and a dream voice only you can hear or interact with gets you nowhere fast." she says quietly. "What do you want to do? Be angry at the necklace?" she says quietly. "Angry. I can feel." she says quietly. "Annoyed. Sad. Hate. Displeasure. These are things I can feel." she says quietly.

"So?" she asks. "I saw a bunch of people kill a dark energy jellyfish. Because it was feeding, too." she says. "And they killed it, and didn't care. What's so different about me?" she says a little angrily.

"Do you know what. Life isn't fair." she says quietly. "That's what I keep being told anyways." she says silently. "Ugh fine just..."

"Just close your eyes. Look away. or something. Just...don't look at me..." she says as she moves her hand forward and carefully towards her shoulder blade and---unless Amy stops her, she'll feel a sudden shocking jolt as La Crima drains energy, it's a hard painful affair, having energy ripped from you--- but at least Amy's...magicalness.... stops her from also becoming unconscious from the whole affair.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Gods, that's gotta be fucked up. To see mahou shoujo taking down a monster and feeling that you, too, don't belong in this world.

    "You're a PERSON! That's what's different! You, you have hopes, and dreams, and, and a LIFE!" She clenches her fists. "So we MAKE it fair! That's... that's what we should use our power as humans for! A baby will die because nature said so... but we can save it with medicine! That's what technology is *for*! Because humans decided that the world should be better, and made it so!"

    At the words 'don't look at me' she immediately closes her eyes and turns away. "Nngh!" she grits her teeth, but it does... *hurt*.

    The gem darkens a little, as its energy is taken.

    Amy takes a breath. She keeps looking away. "Look, do you wanna... trade contact information or something? I don't know who might be able to help you, but it's not like I've looked. And... obviously, I move in circles now you might not be able to. Any magical girl who wants to hurt you for what you are isn't a just hero. We'll find something, alright?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima takes energy. That feels better. At least someone else won't need to be taken unconscious tonight that can't deal with it better. The closing of the eyes and looking away didn't make it any less weird feeling to her. She flexes her hand a little and grips her wrist. She frowns a little. "How am I different?" she asks. "When I'm just a monster like those things? That ... thing needed energy too, didn't it?" she says.

"No." she says. "I don't even have a phone number for you. Not one I wouldn't want to share." she says. "I'd like to think I still have something of a life." she says quietly. "One I don't want to share right now." she says softly.

"...I'm. I'm going now. I'm sure we'll run into each other again. Or. whatever. Probably." she says quietly. She'll just...fade off into a dusk port if no one stops her, leaving before Amy has a chance to say anything else.

Or make her change her mind again.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    What an awful situation. Amy opens her eyes and turns to look again. "Good lu--"

    But the other girl is gone.