782/Threats and Blades

Threats and Blades
Date of Scene:	18 November 2023
Location:	Mitakihara General Hospital
Synopsis:	Norie arrives to try to get Hannah's story. She leaves unconvinced of the Steiner's sincerity.
Cast of Characters:	Hannah Steiner, Norie Okana

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Hannah Steiner has posed:
Another dull day in the hospital. Hannah /hates/ it! With her beloved taking a break from guarding her, and none of her freunds visiting, the rather annoyed Steiner finds herself awake at the stroke of midnight!

Lyra even is going on a walk, and so, aside from her Device? It's just a late night sleepless wounded mahou. She rubs at her neck. Though it's healing well - frankly, she'd be dead if not for both the quick attentions of her friends and mahou healing factor - the scarr still /stings/ and her voice has noticably dropped an octave or two. As it turns out?

Getting stabbed in the neck is not good for you. And here? She doesn't have Belkan Super Magic Science to help out.

She flips through various channels, and like a finance nerd, she ends up on the local stock market news.

Even that doesn't offer much interest, it's a rather dull day even in the world of money.

"Sankt save me from this damnable purgatory!" She whines out loud!

Norie Okana has posed:
Searching, sweeping, looking for Hannah Steiner. She didn't dare ask anyone for fear of finding out her 'plan', but soon La Crima was in the vents of Mitakihara General. Just in her shadowy dusk form, Peeking through vents and tendrils leaning down to peek when she finds who she's looking for. Ah.

Dropping down from the vent and solidifying in place as La Crima, she holds out her hands and the room just suddenly goes dark as a thick, black ichor expounds out from her shadow, covering the walls, the floor.... the ceiling and she closes her eyes and sighs a little.

"So I want some good reasons." she says bluntly.

"Why I shouldn't just try to kill you right now." she says, the girl staying in her place under the vent as she narrows her eyes at the other girl.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
That voice...it actually takes her a moment to dredge up where she's heard it before. She knows, inwardly, she should be terrified. The words of Chrono on caring about herself and her life echo like nails on a chalkboard in her mind.

Part of herself knows it's /not/ a good sign that she isn't scared right now as her almost-murderer asks why she shouldn't just merk her right on the spot. No, she peers inwards and tries to assess her feelings for a moment.

She feels tired and numb, but the utter absence of fear strikes just as much worry in her heart as if she actually felt that same emotion.

And like a good noble, she laughs humorlessly. At least the chill of her own worth gives her an advantage in the moment. She's just pragmatic enough to use it.

"Oh I do not doubt your ability! Nein, nein...acht, I never did catch your name. I should at least know it!" She smiles, and opens her arms as if to embrace her assassin.

"But I shall play this game. Only the Sankt shall dictate mein end, not you, even if you are to be Her destined Blade. First, such would be akin to strangling a babe in her crib. I know naught whether you've any sense of honor, even as an assassin happy to trade her skills to such a blackguard as mein Uncle. But if you have it? Come, embrace a challenge at least! Fight me properly und then if you've the skill, kill me! Even a knave such as /he/ would appreciate the show of your talents." It's....entirely Belkan logic, even if Hannah barely considers the Count such.

"Und the second, is that I have people who care for me, whether you judge me worthy of their affections or nein. Kill me und I know several souls that would hunt you no matter what lightless cavern you would throw yourself into. Perhaps you would win a few times. But, the universe bends towards righteousness. Und your misdeeds would be accounted for in time. Consider your life, if not your honor." Comes Hannah a little more pragmatically.

And then she tilts her head. "Tell me. What did he promise you in order to gain your service? Because mein third reason is that the man is a serpent that shall betray you for his own gain in time. You are being /used/. He uses everyone. The only person he knows is himself. No kindness means anything, no deed ill or good mattering, he is someone wholly given over to the pursuit of power without any mores behind it. All are mere obstacles or tools for his own self ambitions und to be used to climb ever upwards towards the Throne." She offers, almost sympathetically.

"If nothing else you are skilled with a blade. I respect that. Even you are worth more than serving such a master. Do not lower yourself any longer to it, I beg you." Ends the young woman with that simple entreaty.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima listens. Hands are held out as if to embrace. La Crima doesn't embrace. It's a bad idea for a berth of reasons and one is that she drains on touch anyways even if she doesn't want to. La Crima doesn't currently have a weapon manifested. She does merely stand and listen as she keeps her eyes narrowed.

"My name is Lacrima." she says softly as she frowns.

"I can assure you time. Is the one thing I do have in spades." she says softly. "Whether I want it or not. Unless others want it or not." she says bluntly. "If the universe bended towards righteousness then....w..w-- nevermind. It isn't important right now." she says in absolute disgust. Another one of those karmic things. If Karma existed. Then why is she like this?

Still, she listens. "Count Otto-sama." reverence. "Promised me a lot of something. Too good to be true things. No one's getting off this planet. You know. But I like the man. I can't tell you why. Maybe it's because I feel a kinship with nobility." she says darkly. "But you."

"Tell me why you'd steal a throne." she says. "And not expect a reprisal of any sort?" she asks.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
A simple shrug comes from the young woman. She nods to the name.

"May the Sankt Kaiser guide you, even misguided as you are, frau La Crima." It's almost an olive branch, even if she's gripping her Device despite knowing she's in no condition to henshin, much less fight. Really, it's like she's using her body as a shield between the energy vampire and her Legacy.

A brow rises. "Far less time if you keep to this path of cold blooded murder, of that I assure you, successful or naught." She quips. Despite the clear physical disadvantage right about now, Hannah is nothing of not a bastion of confidence. And arrogance, really, Otto and herself share many a trait. Mirrors of each other in many ways.

She knows she's being offered lies, and yet, she still likes the man. She...Sankt help her, she /smiles/! A deep sigh.

"Oh yes, that sounds like him. Though I must admit, I am of one mind on that single matter. Magic can produce many miracles. Und with enough power und a miracle, the Curse set upon this part of the galaxy can be undone! One of us shall return to Tharkad, or we will die trying." It turns her stomach to feel empathy for her kinslaying kin, but she's not going to lie when in front of someone very able to to kill her.

She knows she has to live, even if it's not exactly for herself right now.

She snorts. "STEAL the throne!? What did he tell you!? The bastard is a kinslayer, he slew mein parents upon mein very ascention day! I would never have even /come/ to this backwater little rock if not for his treachery! I am here to bring him to justice for the crime of slaying royals und family, La Crima! It is HE that deserves reprisal! By the Sankt, the man has always hated me und never made a single attempt to hide it! Even when I was younger und tried to reach out to him, unpleasant though he may be! I am ambitious und covet power, yes. That I shan't deny. I am a Steiner, und neither do I blame him for wanting more. But killing your own blood without just cause!? We are far beyond the Era of War. I shan't see its' horrors raised again."

Teeth grit. "...If you truly care for him, then take him somewhere he can never be found. Cease this game of killing. I will not forgive him nor you, for I shall ever hear their dying screams in the night. But if you are a true freund to mein Uncle, you shall stop this, for it only ends in blood."

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima listens some more as she frowns. "No. I have all the time I'll ever need." she says. "'Righteousness' is just a cop out for folks who win all the time. Have good things happen to them. All the time. When it doesn't happen it's 'terrible', but maybe not just righteousness not working in their favor." she says angrily.

She continues to listen as she scowls. "Where was your 'righteousness' when I became this thing? When my better emotions we're stolen from me? And every potential fix hurts someone else. Kills someone else?" she says as she leaves a dent in the wall as she throws a hand into it. "I didn't ask for any of this! I was normal. What could I have possibly done to deserve this?" she asks.

That's gonna be fun to explain to the hospital, that dent.

"At least your uncle finds worth in me. Maybe that's better than anything else." she says quietly. She then frowns.

"Why do you think. This ends only in your uncle's blood?" she then asks coldly. "Is it because you think you have more friends? Allies? Like the nurse in school?" she says bluntly.

Hannah Steiner has posed:
La Crima punches the wall, Hannah finds herself flinching, and then she just...listens. The anger, the /hurt/ in La Crima's voice! Suddenly it all clicks.

La Crima was wronged, and a snake like Otto so easily has taken her in with his own life's woes. It's a simple enough connection. And while she can't find it in her heart to care for her Uncle? Her assassin is a bit easier now that she at least has a piece of the puzzle.

"I wish I could give you an answer." Comes Hannah directly, then shakes her head.

"I hardly know your tale, nevermind why you may be so cursed, deserved or naught." A pause.

"But as it happens you have a captive audience. I would be happy to hear it, if it pleases you, even if you stand before me as an enemy." Again, an olive branch, the young woman remembering her lessons in diplomacy. She silently thanks her father for them.

"Nein! I say that one or both of us shall die. We are /nobility/. Sadly the arc of our blood so often leads to knives in backs by kin. I am simply telling you that some of that blood may well be your own, und that being chased like a hund for the rest of your days may well be a consequence even should you und he succeed." A frown.

"By the Sankt, I never meant to drag /anyone/ into this! Me und him. But already so many willingly throw themselves for mein own sake und now for his!? Do not be a part of the madness, La Crima. Stop while you can. Please." She entreats hopefully.

"If your life has been naught but injustice, walk away from him. Und I promise I shall do what I am able to help you from this Curse upon you. The universe bends towards Justice. I promise, in Her Name!"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima has heard this so many times before. 'Let me help you'. But so far, only one person ever has come out with a plan of action. Only one person lets her do the things she needs to, to try to fix herself. And then there's everyone that just 'want to help' with no plan of action.

She puts no stock in people like this. It's nice sentiments. But these people have no means of helping her.

"You seem to be under some confusion here. I can't be killed. That's part of this ridiculous curse. I am. La Vampira... Vampire." she says bluntly.

"You want to help me?..." she says dryly. "Good."

"So die, next time we meet." she says angrily as she continues. "I have some honor. But I was told to speak to you first. I did that. I'm unchanged in my overall opinion." she says quietly. "Goodbye." she says as she calls back her dark ichor all around the room and then turns back into her shade form, before floating back away into the airvent.