Samurai skills and mystical arts(Natsume thread)

[Midnight Sun]

"Don't they realize how cold it is in here?" Natsume says to herself, just before she notices the ice forming the scarves, and moves to take a closer look. "This is getting ridiculous, I hope Kurumi hurries up so we can get out of this place."

[Anastasia]

The ice continues to spread fast, faster than it should by any means! Within ten seconds, the entire rack is covered, the ice shooting up and around everywhere! The store is being coated in ice faster than you can see!

And yet, for this, "NATSUME!" Kurumi cries out, pained. Turning, you see ice swiftly travelling up her body as she tries to walk out from the racks of clothes, inching up her...

[Midnight Sun]

"KURUMI!" Natsume screams as she sees her sister being consumed by the ice. She rushes to her side quickly, and sees the ice extending from the floor and slowly crawling its way up her legs. "Just stay calm Kurumi, I...I'll think of something!"

I could melt the ice easily...but I can't just use my powers in public! What do I do?!

[Anastasia]

"Nat...sume..." Kurumi gasps, shivering and shuddering as the ice makes it up her chest. All around you, the entire store - including other humans sans yourself - are being covered in a thick quilt of ice. Employees and shoppers alike are flashfrozen by this surge of frigidness, Kurumi the only one showing any resistance at all to it.

"I'm...it's..." she gasps, as the ice is starting to get close to her neck...

[Midnight Sun]

In the face of her sister's helplessness, Natsume decides that action takes precedence over discretion. She immediately throws her gloves off and places her hands on the ice. Her hands feel instantly numb, like a thousand needles driving themselves into their flesh, but she bears with the pain as she begins focusing all of her ki into the palms of her hands. She can already feel them warming up, and hopes the heat will grow so that she can melt the ice that is entrapping her sister.

[Anastasia]

OOC: Due to us having time issues with IRC on weekdays, I took the liberty of rolling for you. Simpler for all concerned, as I don't want to have to pause over something trifling liket his.

IC:

* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6-1 and gets 4."

As the world around you continues to freeze into a pefect winterscape, the power of your chi courses into the ice around Kurumi! It pauses just below her mouth and jaw, the girl shuddering...but stopping as the ice begins to thin.

"Natsume...chan?" Kurumi manages from blue tinged lips. "It's...warm...?" With a golden glow, the ice melts away from her, thinning out then fading altogether! Kurumi falls to he knees amid a sprinkling of watery ice, shivering terribly.

"Oh...oh...Natsume..." she shudders, her clothes notably wet from the melting.

[Midnight Sun]

Natsume collapses to her knees in exhaustion. That was an application she had never tried before, and forcing such thick ice to melt had taxed her to her limits.

"Kurumi...are you...alright?" Natsume asks between labored breaths.

[Anastasia]

Your sister shudders and shakes from her experience, but looks up at you weakly. "I'm...cold, Natsume," she half gasps, her outer coat sagging with lots of added moisture. Sighing, she begins to undue the buttons on it, quickly divesting herself of the ruined jacket. It lands on the floor with a wet plop, her inner clothes just as soaked.

"What's going on," she asks, shivering. "It's turning into an ice rink...?"

[Midnight Sun]

"I'm not sure," Natsume replies, having caught her breath. "I've never seen ice move so quickly, its like its alive."

She quickly surveys the store, and sees countless other customers entombed in coffins of ice, most of their faces frozen in a mask of terror. It would be impossible to unfreeze them all, judging by how much energy it took just to free Kurumi.

"For now, we'd better focus on getting out of here," Natsume says. "Theres no telling what will come next."

[Anastasia]

Indeed, the ice is merely growing thicker now, clear yet throughly smothering. The doors are icing over, a wall of frost forming with the doors merely jammed in the middle.

Your sister rises, pulling at her freezing wet blouse. "I need to get out of these clothes or I'll get hypothermia. Natsume...can you free one of the racks of clothes?" Kurumi asks, her face grimacing at the cold she feels.

[Midnight Sun]

Natsume focuses her ki again. The ice around the clothing is not as thick as what surrounds the people, so it melts reasonably quickly, and with noticeably less effort. She also takes a bit of extra time to ensure the clothes are dry after the ice is melted.

"Alright, hurry and get dressed, the sooner we leave the better," Natsume says as she turns her attention over the iced over doors.

I could just blast them open, but I've already used so much energy as it is. Better to conserve as much as possible...

So, she instead decides on a more direct approach, and attempts to ram them open...

[Anastasia]

As Kurumi does so, you give the door a good RAM! Running to get a good head of stream, you plow right into the door, shoulder first!

* Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."

Your crude body attack does cause a CRACK! to sound, a few pressure faults running through the ice from the small crater you impacted into the frozen water. Indeed, the doors are likely looser now as well, but it's still considerably iced over. A single ram doesn't seem to be up to the job, at least by itself.

Meanwhile, Kurumi takes care of her business, calling out from behind a frigid rack. "Natsume-chan, what the hell is going ON here? This is like a bad anime now!"

[Midnight Sun]

I really wish that's all it was.

"I really don't know," Natsume answers. "I don't know of anyone or anything that could just freeze an entire store full of people like this."

And here I thought it was only the air conditioner on the fritz....

Natsume takes a few steps back and tries for another ram, hoping this attempt would yield better results.

[Anastasia]

* Musk-bot --> "Natsume rolls 2d6 and gets 8."

Getting another running start, Natsume again shoulderbutts the door! The crack of ice is heard as even more lines run through the ice! A moan comes from it, the sound of ice cracking under pressure...yet it holds, damaged but up. It's looking considerably loosened, though. Maybe a few more shots...?

MEanwhile, as you survey your handiwork this time, it's getting even colder, well below freezing. "Natsume, is the door going at all," Kurumi asks in a tight voice. "I'm getting cold and...." It's also rather dim in here now. The lights are being frosted, many failing and at the least covered in a foot of thick ceiling frost.

[Midnight Sun]

Natsume curses to herself in frustration. She had obviously underestimated the strength of the ice surrounding the door.

So much for conserving energy. I guess I'll just worry about that after we get out of here....

"Kurumi, I want you to get behind something," she instructs as she takes a step or two back, then aims her index finger at the door. "This might get a little dangerous."

Hopefully its weakened enough that I'll only need one shot.