643/The Best Donut

The Best Donut
Date of Scene:	25 October 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	La Crima and Usagi meet. Accidently. They have a talk. Then Usagi offers energy. That becomes a problem. Oops!
Cast of Characters:	Norie Okana, Usagi Tsukino

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Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima needed energy. She wasn't running low, persay, but she felt she was getting out of her safe zone, so she went hunting right outside on campus this late afternoon. Classes got out a while ago, but those who lived on Campus we're still stuck here, forced to get meals here and well. live here.

Like she was now. Well Norie did. Which meant La Crima did too.

She didn't like hunting where she lived. But. It was too easy. She'd have to stop eventually. Move back to the city for her hunting. For now she was tracking a brown haired student who had left the cafeteria and mostly tiptoeing across rooftops. Sliding down into the spaces between buildings and staying behind foilage as La Crima tracked her prey.

The student was on her way to the distant and usually quieter-at-this-time-of-day Club Building. Which was good for La Crima. There was a nice blind spot she'd already been using between buildings the student was taking.

When the student entered this 'blind spot' La Crima would leap down from her perch from behind to grab and touch her target!

...This may not go as planned...if someone was already in the blind spot.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi Tsukino is one of those increasingly rare souls who still occasionally plays Pokemon Go; this is one reason she has a tendency to hover in random spots around campus - the better to catch that Pokemon! Today's is a shiny Vulpix, and she wants it, she wants it, she wants it. So she doesn't mind that she's been slowly going through all of her ultra balls and excellent berries, because she is confident that she'll get what she wants.

She doesn't notice the student walking past, not at first, anyway. Just a blur of brown hair and motion. But then, something moves, coming from above, and new instincts just kick in and she's moving, yoinking the other student out of the way.

Which of course means whatever was falling down upon them is... probably going to hit the ground instead of their prey.

"Hey, hey, what the -" the student yelps, and Usagi gives them a little push away - "I think it was a bat or something! Better run, there might be rabies!"

Norie Okana has posed:
It's not a bat, La Crima hasn't unlocked that power yet! But still, from the air comes La Crima who smacks fact first into the ground, swishing through the air as she lands and... doesn't embrace her target. Who is pushed out of the way. The girl lets loose an 'eek!' and is running away from a bat that doesn't actually exist, running to the safety of the club building.

La Crima looks completely undignified face first on the ground and she crawls herself upwards in a strange manner like a ragdoll, and just attempts to reach a hand out towards Usagi to grab her, as if sensing the energy nearby.

Maybe she thinks she caught the other girl instead.

Because she finally looks up, and with a wide realization in her eyes go. "Wait. YOU again!?" she sputters, remembering the girl from her last gun attack, suddenly flailing to get her hands off her--if she even managed to touch the girl.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
There definitely wasn't a bat, but a bat was a great excuse to get rid of someone, especially if things were about to get weird - which they were.

Because that was La Crima.

And here she was, not in henshin, not wanting to reveal herself, not -

"Me," she says shortly, "You're the one who - who did something to Naru, aren't you? I remember you being there!"

She's a civilian, so she probably shouldn't remember exactly what happened, but she thinks it's fair game to remember this much!

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima watches her target take off. Into the open. She sulks heavily and ughs and mutters. "I'm gonna have to find someone else later. Thanks." she says, miserably.

She doesn't have a gun with her. That much is clear. She looks away from Usagi though. "Huh?"

"I..I didn't... mean to do that to Naru-chan!" she splutters. "I was trying to .. to aim for that other girl! And she got away anyways!" she mutters. "-and I stopped be..because I hit Naru-chan."

She doesn't run away. Why should she? What would this other girl do to her? Hit her?

Maybe she deserved that, she thinks, if she did. Maybe she deserves to get slugged in the face or something. She isn't making eye contact thou.

"I..I am...La Crima. You are. One of Naru-chan's friends... right?"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The other student gets away. Good. Usagi stays there, frowning at La Crima, arms crossed. "I'm Naru-chan's roommate. And she said you probably didn't mean to hit her, but you know, it's not good that you wanted to hit someone else. What'd she do to you, anyway?"

She has no idea why La Crima isn't trying to hit her, or why she looks so sad and miserable. But if she's going to just sit there, Usagi's going to try and get some answers out of her, even if it's not the smartest thing to do. Maybe she shouldn't have planned to tease Rei-chan for going up against possessed Princess D without transforming first. What she definitely doesn't do is make a move to hit La Crima. She just stands there, one hand on her hip.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima always looks sad and miserable. Heck. Norie Okana always looks sad and miserable. But Usagi has no frame of reference for that like Naru does. She just continues to look miserable. She isn't punched. So she answers Usagi's question.

"I.."

"You mean. The other girl? Nothing. She didn't do anything to me. I just. Needed someone with a pure heart. I figured... she'd.... have a strong one..." she says.

She grips the side of her opposite arm. "You're... her dormmate?" she asks. She doesn't go anywhere with that question. "...You must had been worried when... Sunbreaker kidnapped her. That's how I met her. I think I heard she thought she hallucinated me."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Yes, the other girl! If you didn't mean to hit Naru, then -" and then she stops and stares because the bitten off explanation is baffling to her, something she doesn't understand. "You... wanted her heart? You were going to take someone's heart? Even though she didn't do anything to you?"

A civilian wouldn't know what a pure heart was - and, luckily, Usagi isn't even lying, because she also doesn't know what a pure heart is - besides, apparently, being as vital as a real heart.

"You... met Naru back then. You're the - vampire? She said something about a vampire... were you going to eat that girl?! The one I just pushed out of the way?!"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima looks like the girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "Nrg.."

"It's.. hard to explain. Or just sounds dumb when I explain it." she says quietly. "I don't...have a pure heart... I wanted to fix myself. But. I think. That boy with the swords I met once was right. That I'd just feel bad if I got all my feelings back. Like that." she says.

"I don't know what to do now. To fix myself. I'm just back at square one." she says.

But then she blinks and frowns. "It..is isn't like that...!"

"I..I just. Drain energy.. I don't...bite..or eat people!. I don't want to do that either but I really don't have a choice! It's..it's not even that I die if I starve myself...I just...turn into a dumb monster and hurt people. If it was just hurting myself... I wouldn't care so much." she says quietly.

"But yes. I came down here to drain her energy." she says quietly, looking away again.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi holds up a hand, in that universal 'just stop for a minute' sign. She thinks about what she's heard, fighting down her instinctive reaction that it was pretty messed up to try and kill someone just to fix yourself and her agreement with sword guy that anyone reasonable would feel bad about doing that later.

"You don't have all your feelings?" This is question one. Question two is the following: "How much energy do you need to drain from people so you don't starve?"

Norie Okana has posed:
This girl...doesn't know about that? So. Naru-chan hasn't been the one telling everyone all about her probably. Someone has. But... if Naru's dormmate doesn't know...

"Look. Someone I know is going around spouting my story around anyways so I'll...tell you." she says quietly.

"I bought a necklace. It looked pretty." she says quietly. "It did this to me. I don't like it. I don't feel....g..good things anymore. Okay?" she sulks a little.

"It sucks a lot." she says quietly. "When you can't smile and laugh and your family gets upset that you won't... can't."

She sighs a little, as she's asked the second question. "Look. It isn't an exact science. I don't know. It's not like...this thing .. stuff came with a fuel gauge... I..I have it. Every other day right now. If I don't have a reason to expend anymore energy than I usually use keeping up my human illusion..." she says quietly. "But this is that 'other' day." she says.

"...sorry."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"...if you need energy, you shouldn't just take it from someone," she says, her tone scolding. "You should ask. And then they can help you."

And - if someone didn't want to help? If they wouldn't?

"...like me. You can ask me, if you'll stop stealing from random people."

Because that - is bad. It does sound like it sucks, to not be able to have - good feelings, to not be able to smile or laugh, only sulk and cry and rage and all those things that made life sad and bad and tiring. And because Usagi, despite everything - has plenty of energy to give.

"You don't need to say sorry to me. If you say sorry to Naru, and to the people you drained, I think that's okay, I guess. I can't forgive you for them, but juice and a cookie would go a long way to feeling better!"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima nrgs. "...Before I do that..."

"You're not..."

"A Puella Magi. Are you?" she asks incredulously a little. "I'm not. Taking energy from them anymore. Even if they say the same thing." she says quietly. "It's... their power is limited. It's like. Most people are self-recharging batteries? Well. They're not." she says, rubbing the back of her head. "They need to recharge themselves and put themselves in danger to do that..."

"I already. Apologized to Naru-chan." she says quietly. "But I can't apologize to everyone I've drained ever." she says quietly. "That's a lot of people I don't know..." she trails off, rubbing her arm again.

"Look.. I can't... just ask. People for energy. It's. Hard." she says quietly. "I Promised to try but. The people making me promise that we're the aforementioned Puella Magi." she says quietly. "It...can't...won't do that."

"...what if you fail tomorrow's test because you overslept. Because you fed me?..." she says quietly. "I'd just be making myself your problem."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"...what's a Puella Magi?" It's an honest question, which makes it the best kind of cover. Usagi's never heard of Puella, at least, not by name. She genuinely has no idea what La Crima is talking about. "I'm just a girl. But I'm here and if you need energy, I was just going to go to bed after I caught my vulpix, so."

She'd actually planned to go on a bit of a patrol, but if she's going to get drained, she probably should just go to bed, after. Maybe do a little of her science homework.

Eh.

"I'd probably fail tomorrow's test anyway," she says carelessly, "If there's a test. I hope there's not a test. I didn't study for a test! But - you can't apologize to all the others, but you can apologize to everyone from today. Even if you're not sorry. Even if you'd do it again. It can be practice. But you don't have to apologize to me, because I'm offering."

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima mutters. "...magical girls who...fight these things called 'Witches' in 'Labyrinths'. In turn for a wish. They need to fight them. For these things called 'Grief Seeds' so.. they don't die." she says quietly.

"I was told the wish is a trick... a trap but. I dunno how true that is. There seems to be arguments about it between them. Whether that's true or not."

"I dunno. I never got a dumb choice so I dunno how that'd feel." she says quietly.

"Fine... if you're offering. This... look I wish I could say this feels wonderful. But it doesn't. It hurts." she says. "Like. Static. I've been told." she says quietly. "I gotta. Touch contact..." she says. "So just. Give me your hand or something."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
So the people who made contracts with Kyubey, they were called Puella. And they'd die, without the grief seeds? Sounded like a raw deal, to her, but - maybe she'd just never had anything she wanted enough, to have to fight those awful things for the rest of her life.

"I'm sorry you didn't have a choice. But - I'm giving you one now."

She doesn't like the idea of feeling static, of feeling it hurt, but she's been draiend before - at least this time, it's helping someone, and making sure someone else didn't get the awful kick of it. She holds out her hand.

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima has done this a lot. So she's prepared. She sighs a little, miserably still. Another person, who wants to feed the shark in the fish tank. So she doesn't eat the other fishes. She looks down. "I still. Feel really bad. About this. I'm sorry. I know. You said. I didn't have to apologize."

"But I'm still sorry." she says quietly.

She carefully touches Usagi's hand and closes her eyes tightly. There's the spark, the crackle of dark energy and there's the energy drain, indeed feeling like tight, painful static.

She lets go after a few moments, trying to not drain the girl into unconsciousness. She's gotten mostly good at that.

She gets ready to try to catch Usagi just in case.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi would tell her not to apologize - but she's been touched, hand to hand, and there's no space for words. It is like static, like the feeling when blood rushes and flesh prickles all through a limb after circulation was cut off. Her head tips back, her eyes clench shut.

The energy that flows into La Crima is pure and strong, sweet, almost. Even with her trying not to take too much, the power leaps, almost eager. It's definitely more than La Crima would probably take from a normal person -

But Usagi wavers, and doesn't fall. Doesn't stumble, just rolls her head on her shoulders and yawns, exhaustion dragging at her.

"That... wasn't too bad," she mumbles, "Definitely not fun though."

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima takes the energy and has released Usagi. But that's when the taste hits her. Before Usagi can finish her sentence La Crima is reaching back out... What is she doing? She wants more. That's what. But she quickly throws her other hand up around her wrist. She swallows a little. "Ah-- I..."

"...that taste..." she mutters as she swallows, again. "...What... why!?" she bluthers as she closes her eyes....

"Think of donuts..."

"Think of donuts..."

"Think of only donuts..." she mutters.

She can't find her center easily like this. Panicked. Wondering why she suddenly has this intense feeling to...to...

Attack this girl. She closes her eyes. "Look..."

"Please..."

"...This was a bad idea." she says. "I dunno. Why but you taste. Really Good like... the best donut..." she says quietly. "I.."

"We can't..do that again." she says quietly. "I'm sorry. I just..."

"...Wanna leap at you right now and not stop. And I really. REALLtY... don't need people coming after me for that." she says quietly, still holding onto her wrist.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi wavers on her feet, lost in her own exhaustion, thoughts scrambled. She doesn't even notice La Crima's aborted gesture, a hand coming up to her head. She doesn't feel too good. She doesn't feel too bad either. It's like the last time she was drained - but this time, she's that little bit more used to it. She can manage better now.

Donuts? Why is La Crima talking about donuts? She cocks her head, baffled, but -

"I taste good?" She wonders - is it because she's got magic too? But Puella had magic, and La Crima had admitted that easily enough, so maybe it wasn't just the magic. Maybe it was because she was a Senshi? But finally, she notices the way La Crima is gripping her own hand. The way she's literally fighting herself, to not press forward. Usagi swallows.

"...alright," she says, forcing herself to sound very calm. "We won't - try that again, then. But you feel better? Not going to snack on anyone else tonight?"

Norie Okana has posed:
Oh this is bad. La Crima is actively fighting herself and she backs up. She opens her eyes and closes her eyes. "Oh. I'm...I'm gonna be good for a little bit now I think but.. uhm..." she's afraid to let go of her own wrist right now. She's fighting to keep her hands to herself.

Nevermind the internal dialouge between the darkness and herself in her head right now.

One voice, it's usual masculine telling her to take it. Her own voice. Norie's. Telling it no.

"I'm sorry. I should. Go. Is there... I don't even know your name." she looks down. "Id..there...are.. there...questions?...you had?" she asks quietly.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. But she's drained, not thinking too clearly, and La Crima already knows Naru - "Usagi. I'm - Usagi. It... was good to meet you, La Crima."

The situation is bad. She's tired, La Crima does and doesn't want to eat her - and she hesitates, a moment, anyway.

Then -

"I'll go. You go your way, and me mine, and I don't get snacked on again, okay?"

Norie Okana has posed:
La Crima bites her lip. Two tiny fangs short of peeking beyond her lip. "I'm sorry." she says. "Usagi." she says. "Let...Naru know... if you want to. Talk. Again. I.. um..."

"Going now.." she says as she forces herself into a duskport. Usagi's probably seen that before.
5RBut this one seems forced.

In the Dusk Zone. La Crima just lets herself collapse into a shambled heap and starts cursing herself out. She's a damn idiot. At...at least she didn't drain the girl to death. So there's that.