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[hider=Instant Regret]Admittedly, Leah hadn't exactly felt too bad about the whole 'running' deal. Look, it wasn't that she was awful or whatever (completely, at least), but her family had made it out okay and that was a whole lot better than what could have happened to them. She'd spent the uneasy peace-time laying low, forgetting, and letting Envy take the wheel. It had worked pretty well, too - they felt so much stronger already. It had been easy pickings, even if they were getting somewhat careless, taking a little too much too quickly. With everything going on, such incidents would get written off, and her weird-ass new boss didn't seem to [i]mind[/i] her being out of it.

Something still felt off about her, but Leah didn't know what, and coffee shops attracted weirdos sometimes anyhow. Like most places. As long as she was a fair boss, which it seemed like, she didn't get too preoccupied with figuring out people's heads. Especially when it might annoy someone that was currently giving her cash.

Also, the fact that there were other mediums - several, apparently - around was [i]worrying[/i] to say the least, so socialising was like an anti-priority. She wasn't exactly too strong as one, at least on her own power. There was a reason she and Envy always had to take what they needed, what they deserved. Her sister had seemed brighter lately, now that she was operating more often. The other day, she'd stayed up to watch a movie together and laughed and it was almost, almost, normal. She could keep that, if she kept taking, and if people were going to stick around here without a good reason like they had, then they'd probably have ended up dead anyway. So what if it was her or some weird centipede-thing? Same difference. She was stronger now, faster, smarter. Better. That was what Envy kept saying, and she didn't want to argue with it because arguing meant maybe being right and being right would make her... terrible.

Though going back to school had somehow made none of that matter, and Envy's quiet disdain was mirrored by Leah, even as she fell back in to usual patterns. Quietly studying a row from the back of the class, not drawing attention, acting normally and pretending everything was fine. Typical, meek, Leah. Go to school, do your work, pretend the seat next to you was empty because of the flu and not a massacre.

[color=fff200]We're safer now, you know. You're strong. Fast. Keep taking, and soon you won't be afraid either.[/color]

She couldn't help but nod along to the sound of Envy in the back of her mind. They were right, as always. She needed to be able to get back home, that was why she'd run. Why she'd left. Why she'd had someone die in her place. Because her family needed her, and that was what mattered, and you had to take from someone else if you ever wanted anything. That was why they'd always lost out, why it was okay for her to take, because they'd been taken from first. She'd been taken from. Secondary.

[color=fff200]It's not wrong, the way that they say it is. They want it to be, of course; to pretend they got it all fairly. But you know, don't you? Whose it should be.[/color]

It was as though she could feel Envy smile. Didn't need to say very much lately for them to be happy, and that meant she was doing things right. She'd started taking an old ski mask to school after the first fight, though. Bad enough that some random rude girl knew she was a medium, but at least they'd been in the same boat. If anything happened again, it'd be good to hide her identity. And fight. Envy had started wanting to, lately. The power they'd taken from that monster, it had been intoxicating in the best way. If they could get a larger one, then... there'd be so much. So much to [i]use[/i].

She tried not to wonder which of them that hunger belonged to as she sat in the old janitor's closet, stomach rumbling. Their house had been damaged a little, and there just hadn't been anything in today, which felt like crap and definitely made all the things Envy said ring just a little more true. There was an out-of-order sign on the door, indicating absolutely nothing except that they weren't using it for anything relevant, which made it perfect. Sure, she got some weird looks if she left there, but people always figured it was just a quiet reading spot or something, and that was less noticeable than coming to school without lunch for the fourth day in a row.

Always about dancing that fine, fine line between 'kind of a loser' and 'charity case'. She kept on dodging the latter.

But as screams rang out once more, she found herself pulling out that old, ratty, mask. Envy's ribbon was in place, as always, as vines seemed to sprout from her clothes, teeth sharpening into points, eyes decidedly not human, and a small, broken, compact quickly pocketed. Okay. Alright. So it wasn't a one-time thing, the spirit attack, the weird number of mediums, all of it.

[color=c4df9b][i]Well, Envy. I guess this means you get what you want.[/i][/color]

She dumped her backpack, kicking it down the hallway as she moved through the crowd, towards the cafeteria, just in time to see a spirit lop a tendril off of some kind of... thing. Bigger spirit, she assumed. She spared a glance as she passed by who she assumed was the medium, given that the spirit was pushing her. Well, well. The weirdo that kept questioning students - supposed there were obvious reasons she'd have reached out for a spirit.

Not that Leah was about to spend much time wondering on these things, moving with unnatural speed and leaping to cling onto the tendril as it withdrew. How many peoples' worth, so far? Eight or so, perhaps, and the centipede-thing. She felt the difference in that. The difference that had come with letting Envy take the wheel, siphoning just that little bit more. Maybe she still wasn't too durable, but that was fine.

Climbing was easy when you were far stronger than you should have been, and so Leah clung on and started to siphon. It was pretty big, and she figured she wasn't [i]that[/i] noticeable, or at least that Envy would warn her if death was on its way. So physical strength would do, for now, as she began to climb up, wanting to get further from the places easiest to hit, and slowly draining its physicality as she did so. Spiritual was too much of a risk for now - this thing would definitely overload her, and it'd [i]really[/i] definitely notice her if she took in that much power.

But hey, if she weakened it a little, it'd be easier for whatever other mediums were here--

[b][color=f7941d]"YAHAHAHA!"[/color][/b]

[color=c4df9b][i]You have got to be kidding me.[/i][/color]

[color=fff200][i]I truly do hate these ones.[/i][/color]

And so they stopped talking, and got to hanging on for dear life.[/hider]