Departing the mall with victims in arm as the snow fall begins to really pick up, you notice the last of the supernatural ice fading. Various police and emergency vehicles are beginning to swarm the mall now, as if summoned by the end of the disaster.
Yet even as the snow picks up and begins to howl in the wind, fortune smiles on the Senshi. Before any of them note you, another car does - a new model domestic car, a familiar one. Seeing Hotaru poke out the window of the four door as her father drives is rather reassuring, as is his comment about being worried.
Thus, the girls are piled in and driven, most drifting off as the car quietly and swiftly makes it's way back to Mugen and it's clinic amid a growing blizzard, a full blown one now.
Parking in the lot, it's a easy trip to the clinic, as a few assisstants help you without question. The clinic in question is empty save for Hotaru, Professor Tomoe and the rest of you. Hotaru makes herself useful, using her own talents to patch up all of the girls as best she can.
OOC - 10 HPs restored.
Yet most are resting, save for Natsume, the Twins, Artemis and Ami. A quiet silence as settled over them as everyone rests up, Professor Tomoe applying a bandage to Ami with Hotaru's help.
"It's excellent to see all of you safe, though...by the way you all look, it was a close thing," he notes. "As well as having a guest." Turning his attention to Natsume, who rests sitting up on a cot, "I haven't had the pleasure. You are....?"
As this goes, "It's quite a story, Professor," Cyprine notes, sitting on another of the bunched up cots in the center of the school clinic room. After what you went t hrough, lying amid charts about growth rates, weight scales and warnings about teen pregnancy is almost surreal.
Ami nods in silent agreement with Cypriene, her arms lifted slightly still to let the professor work, a somber expression on her face.
Professor Tomoe nods, finishing by tying the white bandage tightly to Ami's side. "Hotaru, bring some more blankets for our other guest. I'm still worried." Rising and walking over to Miss Nakahime's cot, he checks her forehead.
"I don't think she's in any danger, but...she's still cold." Turning to Natsume again, Professor Tomoe sits in a nearby chair.
This should be quite fascinating...a random girl being with both the Sailor Senshi and the Witches...
"Miss..." he trails off, letting Natsume fill in the blank while Artemis fills in another by heading over to Ami. "Feeling better," he asks quietly, as not to disturb the other conversation.
Ami forces a smile, nodding. "Mmhmm." she assures Artemis quietly. "It still hurts, but I'm in one piece."
Artemis smiles to that, "It's a relief...
I thought for a moment, when you started to bleed...."
Speaking softly, Artemis looks down. "Yeah...glad you're okay." Coughins suddenly and clearing his throat, he looks down at your bracelet. "Got a souvenir, too."
Ami blushes a little, but smiles, more genuinely. "Thank you." she replies shakily, Celica's dig about Artemis wishing she'd go away surfacing briefly. "That means a lot to me."
She sighs as Artemis notes her bracelet, holding it up and examining it herself, a little suprised at the new design. "I don't know if I did the right thing, Artemis..." she confesses.
"Kusanagi....Kusanagi Natsume," she answers the Professor with a small smile. "I kind of forced myself into this, I hope nobody minds."
"It's likely too late to mind," Professor Tomoe notes, as Hotaru goes off to tend to Miss Nakahime again. "I assume you've seen a fair deal of this, yes? Then...how did you get involved in this affair?" Idly pushing his glassed up, "How did you get yourself tangled into this - and come out of it in one piece?"
Artemis just nods. "I think you did..." he murmurs. "You came back safe, after all." To that, he turns a bit, towards the conversation at hand.
"So...Miss Kusanagi...I'll be frank. How much of this have you seen?" Keeping both his dark eyes on you, Professor Tomoe gives you the feeling you're being studied just now.
Ami blinks, a smile smile making it past her unease. So there, Celcia. She turns to the conversation at hand too, curious about what went on...
"I guess it all started when I met a classmate of mine, I think you might know her," Natsume starts. "Her name is Ann. After a few...meetings with her, I met Usagi. She is one who taught to be aware of my energy, and how to control it. Its because of her I can do what I can now, and because of that I'll always be in her debt."
'You know Usagi," he asks, slightly interested in that. Humming softly, "I see. She had mentioned someone she knew with talent...but I didn't imagine it would be you."
"Though," he goes on, thinking and lessening the intensity of his gaze, "If you know Usagi and she trusts you...that's good enough for now." Nodding, "Please, rest up. If you have a phone number, I'll be glad to give your parents a call...it's getting worse out there, and I'd rather not rely on normal transportation to get you home."
Ami blinks, eyeing Natsume curiously. Well, that explains that...
Sound was the first thing that came back to her - the gentle chatter in the room from familiar voices a comfort.
Sight was next as she gingerly cracked open her eyes - blurry at first, but it cleared to reveal the familiar ceiling of the school clinic.
So I guess I'm not dead yet.
Touch came to her now - the warmth from the body next to her and from the hand that cradled her own.
Turning her head gave Haruka the view of a graceful face framed by locks of green, which brought a smile to her face. She tried to shift onto her side to get a better view, but the movement only caused Viluy to clutch more tightly around her arm.
Chuckling at the predicament, Haruka moves her unoccupied arm across to gently brush the still slumbering girl's hair, which coaxes soft murmurs from her lips.
"Wakey wakey," she half-whispers to Viluy, cupping her cheeks with now thoroughly warmed hands. On seeing said girl's eyes slowly open then flutter before focusing, "Enjoy your sleep, princess," she asks her now yawning partner.
"Yes, thank you," Natsume says to the Professor, before taking a brief moment to give him her number. "It had always been my dream to one day be a senshi, as silly as that sounds. I'm just glad I was able to help in any way I could."
"Mmmm...." Viluy whispers, stretching out a wee bit as she rouses. Her pretty eyes slowly open and focus, on the face in front of her. "Princess...?" she chuckles dazedly, before smiling. "Haruka...you're awake...
Thank goodness....I was worried when you passed out like that!" Whispering back to you, her hand worms its way out, reaching yours that is resting on Viluy's cheek. "How are you feeling?"
Taking the number down and having Natsume repeat it, Professor Tomoe smiles. "You've accomplished that, as it sounds," he agrees, turning to Ami."Are you up to recounting what happened," he asks, getting to the meat of the matter. "Artemis thought you'd know the best."
Must scan that Talisman...Cyprine said the feeling she got from it....
"I was worried when I passed out like that too," she tells her with a quirky smile.
"And how I'm feeling? Hmm.... Drained," the first word that comes to Haruka, "I feel rather hollow at the moment, actually. Maybe burnt out would be an even better term," she tells Viluy, letting out a tired sigh.
At this, a gleam enters Haruka's eyes as she swoops in to steal an unexpected and lingering kiss from her victim. "But now I feel recharged," she announces, smirking at the the blushing shock that paints Viluy's face.
In all seriousness though, the exhaustion was tugging at her still. "Pouring all that energy through the connection was--" Haruka's eyes widen slightly, "Gah! Ami! Is she okay?" she asks Viluy worriedly.
Ami nods, a bit reluctantly. "All right..." she agrees softly, contemplating the floor for a moment. Slowly, she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes, and begins to speak, almost timidly. "As you know, Artemis and I went to the mall to follow up on a peculiar set of clues he and Luna found there." She smiles, a bit ruefully, remembering being doubtful about her friend's deductions. Shows what I know.
"When we arrived, we began hunting down an ice carving exhibit on display there, since it was the newest display to arrive in the mall, and we judged it a good place to begin searching." Ami pauses, fiddling with the hem of her rather abused uniform's skirt as she speaks. "As we headed there, the temperature began to drop, in a rather dramatic fashion. It would have been easy to dismiss....but about that time we noted ice beginning to form on certain surfaces."
"We really had no time to waste, so I used my computer to Zero in on the anamoly. I located it on the third floor, and we headed up. The ice was beginning to take on alarming characteristics...such as freezing customers solid." Ami elaborates dryly. "As a precaution, I transformed, and continued up to where the reading was coming from...just in time to miss it. But that's where we met Haruka and Viluy."
"We exchanged notes, and confirmed Artemis' supposition...the culprit was Celcia...someone we faced some time ago." Ami's expression grew uneasy. "Which was good, in a sense, as I knew what we were dealing with, but Celcia...Well...Her body had been destroyed by fire, and then again by Rei-chan's ofuda and the Halation attack from Usagi...and on top of that, Jadeite...another old enemy, drained her energy. She was destroyed as thouroughly as possible, and yet....she was back."
Viluy blushes a bit when Haruka claims her prize, but smiles despite it afterward. "Yes, I thought you'd overdone it. I'm glad you're ok-" Cut off by Haruka, Viluy nods, slowly sitting up and away. "She's fine, right over there."
In fact, as you do, you note that you can just hear Ami having a quiet conversation at the edge of your hearing range. "... destroyed as thouroughly as possible, and yet....she was back." Ami says. To this, you hear Professor Tomoe.
"That's an amazing degree of restorative property," he muses to that, thoughtful. "Well done, though, regardless."
Artemis smiles to that, "Ami did a great job today. So did Haruka, Viluy, the Twins, and...Natsume, isn't it?" Glancing at the samurai girl, he nods. Turning his gaze over to the Twins - now napping, leaning against each other and snoozing softly - "They did a fine job."
Thanks, Haruka. I'd...nearly forgotten how much I care about you for a little while. When we were in that pool...
"We all did," Viluy comments, loud enough to carry across the rather large room. "How are you feeling, Ami?"
Ami blushes a little at Artemis' praise, and looks over her shoulder and smiles warmly at Viluy. "A little worse for wear, but otherwise whole...thanks to you all."
Following where Viluy indicates then hearing Ami's reply, Haruka releases the breath she'd been holding. "What a relief..." she mutters before resting her head against Viluy.
"We'll have to make sure to scold that girl for being so reckless," Haruka says, refering to Ami, while stifling a yawn. "And we'll need to check on Miss Nakahime and... Oh, I'll leave it to you for now..." she trails off, as she settles back onto the cot, using Viluy as a makeshift pillow.
"I just hope that whatever Ami did to her, its permenant," Natsume says. "Speaking of which....errr...what exactly DID you do to her?"
Viluy smiles back as Haruka approriates her for a pillow, Artemis getting Ami's attention right after. "And they're in good shape thanks your own actions, Ami-chan," he points out, warmly.
Once Haruka settles on her, Viluy frowns ever so slightly, pursing her lips as a memory plays in her mind, then another...
I must be imaging things, right? But....
"We will, Haruka," Viluy murmurs. "We will...." Turning to look up at the ceiling, Viluy quietly begins to ponder.
Ami blushes a little darker at Artemis' words, ducking her head a little. She looks up and smiles nervously at Natsume. "It's...Uhm. I..."
She sighs and bows her head guiltily. "I sealed her inside my talisman." she admits quietly.
Tomoe simply looks down at your still worn Talisman, the icy blue, engraved bracelet notably cool against your skin now. "Cyprine mentioned she felt unsuual energy from the Talisman now; that would certainly explain it.
Ami," he says more seriously, regarding you fully on now. "We should analyse any changes to your Talisman as soon as possible. If you did trap Celcia in there, it's not out of the question that the danger hasn't passed."
"I see," Natsume nods slowly in understanding. "So...when you were unconscious...it looked like you were fighting someone. You were mumbling and your body was moving like it was being struck. All that time you were trying to force Celcia into your...talisman was it?"
Ami nods unable to shake the guilty expression from her face. "It's possible." she agrees, flashing back to the horrific scream when the ice coffin had closed around her opponent.
She blinks at Natsume, then glances at the others. "I was talking?" She asks, blushing.
"It was nothing coherent, just random words," Natsume recalls. "Something about...someone not being like something...and believing in your friends?"
Coming over from her seat, Hotaru quietly sits next to her father. "But you're not hurt any more, Ami...I can try to heal you more if you want," she offers. Though...she does look a bit wain and pale as she leans against her dad's side, yawning.
Ami smiles at Hotaru, a little weakly, though. "Thank you, Hotaru-chan, but I'll be fine now, thanks to your help." she assures the little girl softly. "It's just been a long day."
She pauses and looks to Natsume. "To answer your question...I wasn't able to move, at first. Celcia...was trying to hurt me mentally, as well as physically. She touched my mind, and pulled out some of the darker corners to taunt me with..." Ami seems to draw in on herself at that. Her enemy had been wrong, but the experience was...frightening.
"Well, since you're standing before us now, you must be far stronger than whatever darkness she managed to throw at you," Natsume says. "Its not easy to overcome your own demons."
Wrapping his arm around Hotaru, Professor Tomoe nods. "If you overcame that, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Jostling a bit to accomdate his daughter, he goes on. "But as you were saying, you found out about Celcia at the mall?"
Ami smiles faintly, nodding. "Well...After a few...incidents, we made our way to the first floor, where we found a castle occupying the majority of the open area. After I'd suggested an alternate entrance, and Haruka made one, We were preparing to enter when we spotted Natsume-san."
Ami smiles a little shyly at the bigger girl, then resumes. "She was dealing with a horde of animate Ice statues, and was rather outnumbered, so we dropped down to help her. After those were dealt with, we resumed our entry into the palace." Ami hesitates, glossing over Artemis' encounter with Oxyite.
"We had little trouble making our way to the room where the anamoly was located...but when we did...Nakahime-san was waiting." Ami takes a deep breath, and goes on. "She was surrounded by a corona of deep blue energy, and flanked by Ice statues of Cynthia and Orestes, another enemy we'd fought before."
Letting Ami come to a pause point before speaking up, "I understand that she converted the entire mall...and she was using this woman, Miss Nakahime, in some fashion as well? As a conduit or as a possessed victim?" For that last part, he idly sends another glance at her, perhaps slightly searching.
"Possession, I think. Her method of dealing with me indicated she wanted a host...." Ami replies somberly. "I can show you what the Mercury computer recorded later....but the readings I had at the time indicated she was undergoing cellular modification due to Celcia's influence."
Turning his full attention to her, "Celluar? If that had lasting effects...I suppose we'll need to scan her as well," Professor Tomoe concludes, frowning a bit as he ponders more and more complications from this incident.
"How about yourself, Ami? You had the same contact with her?"
Ami blinks at that. "I'm...not sure." She admits. "My wounds were initially created to...'bleed the warm blood out' of me and freeze my heart." Ami smiles uneasily. "Or something along those lines. I was a little distracted. At any rate, Some of the same may have happened to me..."
Professor Tomoe nods thoughtfully, idly taking off his glasses and cleaning them with the hem of his lab coat. "We shall see," he nods simply, motioning for Ami to go on.
Artemis says quiet, close to you. He's a nice presence, at least.
Ami falls silent for a moment, stifling the sudden urge to pull Artemis closer.
"We moved into the room where she was, and prepared to face off, Haruka and Viluy taking point while I tried to scan the energy surrounding Nakahime-san...Celcia said something, but...I don't remember what it was."
Ami blushes and ducks her head. "I'm sorry. I've heard so many variations on 'I hate you, prepare to die', I've begun tuning them out..."
She shakes her head and goes on, "My intial scans showed me what she was doing to her, but not a great deal beyond that. I asked Haruka and Viluy to buy me some more time, and they moved to engage the golems while I continued.
Unfortunately, my scanning was taking too long...and Nakahime-san would wrest control long enough to beg for help at frequent intervals.." Ami shuddered, dropping her gaze somberly. "I couldn't wait for my scan to complete to allow me more options, so made a deduction...more like a wild guess, really. If the energy flowing into Nakahime-san was from Celcia, and causing the changes, her nature would suggest ice energy in it's most basic form...theoretically, I could affect it with my elemental affinity. So, I put my theory into practice, and reached out with my power, and...Pulled the energy out of her. My first attempt at storage in my talisman lead to a slight backlash...so I simply pulled the energy directly into myself."
"Since you pulled Celcia into yourself...do you still...feel her?" Natsume asks carefully. "I mean, is she still resisting, or has she been completely subdued?"
Ami smiles slightly at Natsume, shaking her head. "She's not inside me any more to feel..." she explained. "As soon as she entered me....that's when I fell unconscious....and I woke up inside my own mind."
Ami gets a slightly pained expression on her face. "She was waiting for me. We...talked. Or, rather, she confronted me with what she'd found by touching my mind...and began torturing me, to soften me into willingly accepting her control...and I couldn't move, or fight back..." Ami trailed off into a whisper, then looked up, smiling shakily. "It was then I realized why I'm fond of thinking out my courses of action a little more thouroughly."
"But, as she started in earnest...something happened." Ami smiles at the rembembrance, looking around at the twins, Artemis, Natsume, and back at Viluy and Haruka, as well. "I felt....better, and my senshi transformation activated on it's own...and I could see you all, surrounding me as it happened." She relates warmly, then her exression grows uneasy again. "I suddenly had the freedom to move...and just in time, too. She began attacking in earnest then...I took serious wounds in my stomach and chest before I was able to restrain her...and when she finally was drawn into my talisman, an coffin of ice formed around her, and she dispersed...and then....I woke up."
Professor Tomoe nods at points, letting you tell your tale as you will. He stays clearly thoughtful and interested, however. "That's quite a day," he comments, perhaps going for gross understatement.
"As for the rest of it...we can deal with the finer, techincal details tomorrow," he offers, carefully thinking it over and nodding.. "I've asked Eudial to come and drive you home via the underground passages, so you can avoid the growing mess outside. If you feel safe about it, we can put off any in depth scanning. I'll be busy with Celcia's other victim tonight, regardless.
A basic scan, however, I would insist on tonight."
Ami nods in response, offering the professor a self-conscious smile. "By all means. I'd like to know exactly what I...did to her." she replies quietly.
Professor Tomoe merely nods, rising. "If you'd come with me, then, Ami," he offers, nodding to Natsume and the others. "Eudial should be here shortly, and she'll get you and the others home. It's not much, but there should be some snacks and juice in the clinic refrigerator they keep in the side room, as I'm sure you're hungry."
Ami nods and rises, slipping off the examination table, her serious expression marred by a slight wince as the bump her feet make on the floor jars her still healing wounds slightly, and she prepares to follow the professor out...
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
"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."
"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.
"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."
"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.
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?"
"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.
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."
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....
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...
Haruka and Viluy settle into silence, both tired, hungry and lost in their own thoughts as Natsume makes her call.
"We are sorry, but phone service in the dialed area is down. Thank you and please use Tokyo Bell again." The automated voice in the machine repeats to you for the second time.
It figures. The moment an inch of snow falls, half the city goes to hell. Even without an ice queen's help.
"Of course," Natsume sighs. "Looks like I'll have to wait until I get home..."
As she returns to Dr. Tomoe's clinic, she briefly notices the continued silence between the two, now civilian, senshi. Her eyes then turn to Miss Nakahime, still blissfully unconscious....
"If I understand it right...she allowed that ice spirit Celcia to take her over right?" Natsume asks.
"If what she said out loud is correct, yes," Haruka replies with a nod. "There was mention of cancer and extending her life," she adds.
"Exploiting weakness and desperation..." Haruka mumbles, rather disgusted with the thought.
"Hmmm...I hear that in alot of western religions, there's a spirit that feeds off fear and uncertainty. It whispers in your ear, telling you what you want to hear...giving you what you want to have, all so it can get a taste of your soul," Natsume says quietly. "I think they call it...Satan? The more I hear of this Celcia, the more she reminds me of it."
Viluy nods as well, her unpleasant facial expression only mirroring Haruka's opinion on the matter.
"It's vile wish mongering...taking advatage of someone dying of cancer..." she says, giving the sleeping woman a sad look. "Celcia and Germatou would probably feel right at home with each other. And I hope they do in hell..." she murmurs a second later as a vicious followup, one that just barely reaches the ears of Haruka.
As this happens, "Hey, missed the action," Eudial calls, entering. Clad in a red jacket and looking somehow...out of sorts, you suppose, she quickly surveys each of you. "Get going...I got interrupted in the middle of something," she says sourly. "Let's get each of you home before it gets any nastier out there."
"Thank you for going out of your way like this," Natsume says while bowing. The sooner she got home the better.
"It's not an uncommon thing," Viluy comments to Natsume, recalling the story of the Senshi's past...and of one valiant girl....and her own memories. "It seems that many monsters use words and feelings as much as claws and magic to get their way."
Eudial nods to Natsume, giving her a quick once over. "Eudial Kawashima," she introduces herself half automatically. "New girl?"
"Natsume Kusanagi, its a pleasure," she says, bowing again.
"Right," she says, turning to the two Senshi. "Ready?"
Getting Viluy's weary nod, Eudial gets going. Lead along by the other three, Natsume sees the hallways of this school - Mugen, the Infinity Academy. Known for it's super elite status as a private brain school, it has a very good reputation...
Yet instead of outside, you head through a door that requires a keycard Eudial has, into what looks like an ill lit and unused part of the first floor. Continuing on here with purpose, you come to an elevator. You go down a bit, down into a part of the school that defies your senses and confuses you. It's built like a maze of underground passages and only lit middling well. Pipes run along the walls and ceilings as you go through illogical hallways, twisting curves, and see paths that seem to go do dead ends. This goes for five minutes, before, "Oh yeah. Professor Tomoe told me about Ami just before I caugh tup with you," she says, making a small detour to a metal door. Inside is a well light a huge laboratory, all sorts of strange machines about. Near the center of the room is Ami and Artemis - the former sleeping on some sort of exam table, the latter waiting for you.
"Ready," he asks, starting to pick up the extremely comatose and slumber Senshi of Mercury.
"Where is...What are...," Natsume stutters after walking through such a complex labyrinth, and then winding up in this place. "What is this place?"
"We're in Mugen's underground areas," Viluy explains quietly, as the Senshi hauling Mau approaches. "There's a lot of underground construction here, it's a long story."
Artemis nods to all, "Let's go...don't think you need to worry about waking, Ami, though. She's out pretty deep."
'Underground areas? What use would a school have for that?' Natsume wondered, but given Viluy's response, she thought it best not to ask outloud. She then catches wind of Artemis' comment about Ami. "Is she alright? Is she going to be alright?"
"She will be," Artemis smiles a bit at his load. "Ami's just worn out. She's had a terribly long and hard day."
With this, you are lead a bit deeper in, to where, amid linking, dark driving tunnels, is a single converted station wagon. It's a strange thing, with a fresh coat of red and white paint. Should have plenty of space, but...something about it...nah, it's nothing. Everyone piles in, Artemis becoming a cat again due to space concerns after putting Ami gently in the shotgun seat, hopping into her lap after.
And thus, the drive begins, an eager smile on Eudial's face...
OOC - And off to new threads. Natsume's is first.