Warm Front - Aftermath (Now mainly Natsume)

[Anastasia]

OOC - I'm going to split Ami and Miss Nakahime into their own thread, and use this one for Natsume's homecoming of sorts. Probably deal with Haruka's aftermath in her own thread as well. In effect, it's time to break up the groups for now so we can also get the needed IRC work in. See the OOC board in a little while for details.

IC:

Pausing just before exiting, Professor Tomoe frowns. "Ah, yes..." he stops, turning back to the room. "Viluy, would you keep an eye on Miss Nakahime, just in case?" Viluy simply nods quietly, which pleaes the Professor.

And thus, Ami and the Professor leave. Once gone, a momentary silence settles, before Viluy gently detangles from Haruka and rises. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," she says to Natsume. On one wall is indeed a small door to a side room, hopefully containing the promised refrigerator.

[Liddo-kun]

Haruka sleepily grumbles at having to lose her warm pillow, but resettles herself as Viluy gets up to leave.  "Bring back something to drink," she asks with a yawn, "juice, maybe?"

Getting the placating smile and nod from Viluy sees Haruka rolling over in her bed as the graceful one goes off on her task with Natsume.

[Midnight Sun]

"You go ahead, I'm not feeling very hungry at the moment," Natsume says with a bit of a smile.

In fact, she was not feeling very much of anything at the moment. She was replaying everything that had transpired in her mind, right from the moment she and her younger sister had entered the mall. Seeing the ice creeping up Kurumi's body was one of the most terrifying thing she had ever witnessed, but at least she managed to get her out safely.

Though I wish she had never been in that situation in the first place, she thinks to herself. Though she could not have known an insane ice spirit with a lust for payback would turn the mall into her personal fortress.

Then the battle with the legions of ice monsters. She had managed to hold her own well enough but...

To be quite honest, I would've been mincemeat if the senshi hadn't been there, she admits to herself. I was more outclassed than I ever realized, and in the end all I could do was sit back and watch as one of them put their sanity on the line to save Tokyo, and quite possibly the rest of the world...

Sailor Mercury...Ami was her name...an odd name at that, she did not think she knew anyone else with such a name, and that blue hair of hers...such an exotic color...

She was awfully light when I picked her up too.... she mused...before snapping back to her higher level senses. Gah! Where the hell did that line of thought come from?!

She gave a long sigh, obviously this entire ordeal had frazzled her more than she realized, should could not even have a decent conversation with herself without flying 100 miles off track...

I'd better call Kurumi, she's probably worried sick, Natsume says. She got the impression that the senshi had been to this place before, and since Viluy was the only one still around... Maybe she knows where I can find a phone.

"H...hold on Viluy!" she says, stopping the other girl just as she's about to leave the room. "I think I'll come with you after all."

[Anastasia]

Smiling tiredly, Viluy waits for Natsume to catch up. "Changed your mind," she asks simply, proceeding into the side room. It's not much, just a few extra cots, a desk and sign in/out sheet, a refrigerator.

Viluy heads to it, opening and taking some things from inside - juice, some crackers, milk, some fermented soybean.

[Liddo-kun]

The bundle in the cot that was Haruka Ten'oh turned over and over a few times before stilling.  Sitting upright now, she runs a hand along her hair then face as a groan leaves her lips.

"I'm up so I might as well get up..." Haruka mutters.

She never could quite master the skill of falling back asleep after waking up.  It was a shortcoming she'd have to overcome one day.

Sadly, today was not that day.

Swinging her legs over the side of the cot, she hisses as her foot makes contact with the cold floor.  Her eyes scan along the frigid ground before finally settling on her neatly tucked shoes.

Slipping them on, she stand a bit shakily at first, but is nonetheless able to make her way to check on the Twins and Miss Nakahime.  She promises herself that much needed sleep would come as soon as Eudial showed up to take them home.

I wonder what that motorhead's been up to lately, she wonders.

[Anastasia]

The Twins are half laying against each other, snoozling away. It's kind of cute, Cyprine's arm half over Ptilol as they both dream of whatever they fancy. Ptilol's half curled into a fetal position against Cyprine's warmth, resting from her exertions of the day. Neither look to be rousing soon.

Half hobbling over to the victim, Miss Nakahime, you find the woman is breathing slowly, deeply asleep herself. While there is a sense of cold from her and her slightly paled skin, she doesn't seem to be the frigid beast form that nearly overtook her.  Hair half out of it's broken bun and cheeks showing only the smallest hint of red, Miss Nakahime is hopefully resting to put this behind her.

And perhaps whatever Celcia did to her, and told her.

---

Pausing as she is about to go, Viluy frowns. "I'd nearly forgotten..." she murmurs to herself in slight, amused annoyance, putting the soybeans back at the last moment.

[Midnight Sun]

"Well, I figured I could at least help you carry everything out," she says as helps Viluy gather the snacks. "Also, I was wondering if you knew where I could find a phone. I told my little sister to wait for me at home before went back to fight those ice monsters....and I'm sure she and my grandfather are worried sick."

[Anastasia]

"There's one a bit outside. We're near the main office, and we can use the ones there," Viluy says, as she carries the juice and you get to carry the crackers and milk. "So..." she pauses a moment, before putting on a friendly smile. "You really said you wanted to become a Senshi?" she asks, as you head back to where you see Haruka checking on Miss Nakahime.

[Midnight Sun]

"Eheh, yeah, everyone I tell that to is always so surprised to hear it," Natsume says with a rather sheepish laugh. "I probably sounds like a really childish dream, it might not even be really possible but....,especially recently, its been my reason for fighting."

She stays quiet for a moment, her slightly embarrassed smile vanishing from her face.

"I want to be able to protect people like you do all the time," she says. "I think what you do is the most noble thing in the world. Its something I've always wanted to aspire to."

[Liddo-kun]

"Gave up your body for another year of life..." Haruka whispers, echoing the words from her memory.  "Cancer," she says finally, giving the woman a sympathetic look and a sad smile at that.

"Would I have done the same in your situation, I wonder," Haruka muses before she shakes her head.  Placing a hand on the sculptist's forehead, feeling the cool flesh beneath her fingers, she brushes aside an errant lock.  "Rest well, Miss Nakahime," she whispers to the sleeping woman.

[Anastasia]

Smiling to that, as if a memory is bubbling to her mind, Viluy speaks. "It's a noble goal, Natsume," she nods. "Perhaps you'll even achievie it someday." Speaking with a familiarity that seeps through strangely into her words, Viluy stops when she sees Haruka murmuring to Miss Nakahime.

"Here," she calls simply, heading over to the cots where Haruka is standing. "Apple or grape juice," she asks, holding up the selection of small cans she harvested. "How is she?"

[Liddo-kun]

"Thankfully, resting soundly," Haruka replies, pausing to look between the choices.  She settles on taking the can of grape juice from Viluy, nodding her head in thanks.

Turning her gaze to regard the woman on the cot she remarks, "It must be a relief to have her body to herself now."  Haruka sighs, "I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like...."

Well, maybe I can... she thinks to herself, recalling a certain incident with an evil ring.

[Anastasia]

That causes Viluy to decheer somewhat, sitting down next to Haruka and motioning her to do the same on the nearby clinic bed. "It's like being a living finger puppet," she comments, a touch of distaste in her voice.  "And she knew she was being controlled at the end, at least." Putting down a few extra cans and choosing grape juice herself, she takes a few sips before reaching for crackers.

"She'll be fine, though. We didn't go though all of that to have her die or lose her mind."

[Liddo-kun]

Haruka winces slightly at having touched a sensitive topic for Viluy as she sits down next to her.  "Sorry.  I probably shouldn't have brought the subject up," she says, hugging the former Deathbuster tightly at that.

Disengaging, she pops open her own can of grape juice and takes a sip.  Haruka was at a loss as to what to say next as she sat rather quietly next to Viluy.

Well, this is kinda awkward....

[Midnight Sun]

Deciding to leave the two by themselves, Natsume finds a nearby phone as per Viluy's directions. She picks up the reciever...but hesitates in dialing her number...

"I bet Kurumi is awfully mad at me," Natsume says to herself in slight amusement. "I don't even want to imagine how grandfather is feeling right now...."

She sighs deeply before resolving to just take it in stride. She slowly dials her  number...and waits with a nagging sense of nervousness for someone to pi ck up...