Once Natsume and Ami are delivered home, Eudial pauses as the Mau bearing Senshi walks away. "Did you two want to go to the same place, or..." she asks bluntly, letting the question hang wetly in the air with the snowshowers.
Viluy does seem to pause a moment at that, thinking. "I'd like to go home..." she decides after a few moments. "Did you want to spend the night, Haruka? The guest bedroom is open." Beneath that, though...?
We do have a lot to talk about...Haruka.
Closing her eyes, Viluy takes a tired breath.
Besides...if nothing else, hot chocolate or cider with a blanket is better with two.
Haruka blinks at the suggestion, initially fumbling for a reply. "Sure," she manages to spit out, after her brain kickstarts.
I wonder what's on her mind, Haruka finds herself asking. The time they had been spending together, had given her a fairly good feel for when Viluy wants to play or to talk.
Studying the girl's somewhat unreadable features, definitely talk time, Haruka decided.
"Viluy's house it is," Eudial nods, turning her engine back to life and diving back to the streets below.
On the ride, Viluy lets her thoughts go.
I love Haruka.
After that, though...that can't mean anything with Ami, but....
I'll be sure. No more of this, either way.
Stifling a yawn, unaware of what was currently going through Viluy's mind, Haruka is content to listen to the steady hum of the engine, the screech of tires, and the feel of tires losing traction from time to time.
This is until she turns her attention to the bespectacled driver, "Hey, Eudial," Haruka asks, continuing once their eyes meet via the rearview mirror, "do you mind if I give you a call after this storm dies down?"
Turning the tiniest bit of her gaze from the road, you can just see the corner of her eye. "Sure, you have the number," she replies. "We never did get around to racing...up to it?" Her mood brightens even more at the prospect, gunning the engine a bit extra for it.
Grinning amusedly at the girl's antics Haruka replies, "Sure, but before that, I'll need a lift to the mall so I can nab my car," she tells her with a nod. "And, if you're still up for it, I suppose I can take some of my precious time and thrash you-- Sorry, I mean, 'teach you' the finer points of racing," she teases, a careful mix of challenge and jest in her tone.
It's nice having her around to talk about this stuff, Haruka muses.
"Still living in that other Tokyo, Haruka," Eudial retorts, grinning herself. "In this world, the REAL world, I'm going to leave you eating my gas fumes and liking it." Putting a strong challenge into her words to counter Haruka's, "I have the best of the Italian motor sports and the Japanese car frame behind me. I'm not going to lose to that sunburn red heap of yours."
To fully illuminate her point, she causes the engine to roar, a sound of gas and combustion.
"The humiliation I subjected the other you in that other Tokyo is nothing compared to what I have on the menu for you, my dear," Haruka shoots back, matching Eudial's expression.
Haruka lets loose a nerve grating scoff, waving off the girl's claims. "And I'm sure I'll be getting a taste of your fumes, but it'll only be after this ratmobile blows its engine trying to keep up with my 'sunburn red heap'."
Internally though, Haruka was feeling a small knot of doubt form in her gut at the prospect of this race eventually coming to pass. My car is nice, and it IS fast, but it's not quite modded out like her car... she notes a smidge worriedly.
"As if you were telling the truth," she fires back, now putting more heat and attention into it, slowing the car. "This car can go on for mile after mile. I'd be amazed if your car didn't fall into scrap waste after going around the block."
"Besides," she fires off, patting her steering wheel fondly, trying not to lose her cool, "There is no WAY I could lose to someone who can't even reconize the genious that went into this car and call it a ratmobile."
To this, Viluy follows along, nodding a bit to Haruka. She's on the distracted side, though, clearly.
Haruka openly laughs as she addresses Eudial again. "I do so love you, Eudial," she manages to say between chuckles, "my poor dellusional and confused motorhead..." Haruka finishes, snorting as a new bout of laughter threatens to burst free at the face she gets from the redhead in reply.
"I was feeling so out of it, but now?" she says, wiping some tears of mirth from her eyes, "oh, that hit the spot."
"Whatever," Eudial grins, making the car go on two wheels again...or perhaps one, from the way it wobbled. Damn. "Won't save you from getting the motor asskicking of your life."
At that, Viluy nods along, though she does perk up at the love thing a moment before registering how exactly it was said and to who.
"If anything...we're here!" Eudial breaks it off, a logic defying soaring of the car taking you to the snowy street near Viluy's house.
"Sure, sure," Haruka comments, yawning at the proclamation for added insult before stepping out of the car with Viluy. "Thanks for the ride, Eudial," she tells the girl before smirking. "I'd tell you to drive safely, but we both know that's not happening, so have a good night."
Viluy exits as well. It's getting nastier out here, with a stronger wind and a vicious snowfall. Yuck. "Thank you, Eudial," Viluy bows slightly, before shivering in the wind.
"Heh, getting a chance to speed your girlfriend's car out is more than enough," she nods. "And I have someone waiting, so..." With that, she proves that she is going to live up to Haruka's words and violate various laws of safety. Again.
Ahea dis Viluy's house. A two story affair, nice enough on the outside with a garden and lawn. The latter tow things are cloaked in snow, the walkway invisible so you'll have to slog to the front door. The rest of it is nice inside...open and nice downstairs, rooms upstairs. It's a nice house, especially considering property values in Tokyo.
"Reckless, and coming from me, that's bad," Haruka comments with an amused shake of her head as Eudial's car zigs, zags and seemingly cartwheels down the street.
Capturing Viluy's hands within her own, Haruka blows some warmth into them before smiling. "Let's get you inside and warm you up, my shivering princess."
"Definitly," Viluy nods, the both of you making a beeline right to the front door. It's unlocked and you soon reach the ambrosial warmth of the house. Feels so good as you stand on the inside...right into the sitting room, it's couch with a nice window garden view and a quilt draped over it close. That alone is tempting.
"Something to drink first," Viluy says, tearing her gaze away from that, heading off to the kitchen before she gives in. It's a simple house, with large rooms connected by white plaster arches. The kitchen is nearby, and you can see Viluy in there easily enough from where you stand.
Flopping down bonelessly onto the couch, Haruka splits her attention between the scenery outside and Viluy in the kitchen. Laying back, allowing the soft cushions to absorb her into its depth, she closes her eyes and allows a sigh to escape her.
Haruka stops herself short of falling fully asleep as she sits up to stare out the window once more. Waaaay too comfortable, she comments to herself, eyeing the couch warily.
You watch Viluy microwaving water - cheater - and getting some packets of cocoa. Well....after today, you suppose real hot chocolate would be a bit much. You observe as she stirs...zzz...stirs....zzz...walking back...
"Haruka," Viluy asks, her voice loudly painful compared to the seductive slumber you felt.
Haruka drags herself back to wakey wakey land as she rubs her eyes slightly. "Thanks," she replies as she stretches her arms overhead before taking an offered mug from Viluy.
The sip she takes is tentative, but it still manages to scorch her throat some as it goes down. Deciding that stubborness would only lead to a burning trail running down her gullet, she allows the brew to sit, choosing to watch the steam waft into the cold air.
Turning her attention to Viluy as she takes the seat next to her on the couch, Haruka prompts, "So, is there something you wanted to talk about? You seemed so pre-occupied with your thoughts since we got back, want to share?"
Viluy nods, putting her hands in her lap after a single sip of her own drink. She places it by yours, twins trails of steam twirling in the air amid a backdrop of snow. "There is," she says quietly. "It's probably nothing, but...
I'd like to be sure. One way or another. It kinda caught me off guard there, but...something about it."
Haruka cocks her head curiously, but patiently waits for Viluy to begin speaking her mind.
"I saw you and Ami," she begins, letting her eyes follow that trail of steam. "And...I don't know, but...it just seemed close somehow. Intiamate. Like...
Are you interested in Ami at all, Haruka," Viluy goes right out and asks, not really satisfied with dancing around it. "I mean, if you are..." she says weakly, bowing her head. "It's that when...I don't know, when you gave her your Space Sword, and when you helped her...
It just kept swirling in my mind...and it made me jealous. Really jealous..and concerned."
Haruka carefully takes in Viluy's concern and allows her to finish before responding. "I understand you're worried, but you trust me, don't you?" she asks, lifting the girl's chin so that they can see eye to eye.
Viluy nods, after a moment of pause. "I do. It's...I trust you, but Ami..."
Shruggin helplessly, "I don't know, Haruka. I just felt something. Maybe I'm being paranoid. Maybe I'm reading into Ami's shyness."
Haruka finds herself blinking, the bafflement evident on her face as she digests Viluy's stated... suspicion? mistrust? of Ami. She found herself thinking that it was a strangely contrary sentiment to associate with the blue-haired genius. Almost funny.
On seeing the distress in Viluy's eyes, she decides to field this concern with kid gloves.
"Why do you think I'd leave you for Ami anyway?" Haruka felt she was being a tad repetitive with the question, but she honestly did not see what it was that Viluy saw between Ami and herself. And if it really was a matter of trust between them, well.... Ouch.
Could I be more dense and oblivious than I think? she wonders.
"I don't know!" she says again, a more than token bit of force. Eyes in a storm, Viluy breaks her gaze away, back down to her knees. "I don't want you to run off...and the way you and Ami were there..."
Your love just shrugs helplessly, again. "It just feels like it the more I think about it. The way Ami was..."
Haruka notes the subtle bite in Viluy's tone, but keeps herself calm to avoid setting off any sparks that might ignite any conflicts. "The way Ami was, what?" she asks the distraught, and now morose, girl before her.
"Yeah...at first, I thought it was nothing. But then, I kept thinking about it...
The way Ami blushed when you smiled at her, the way you grinned when she did just that...." Viluy takes a moment, running a hand across her face to compose herself. On that, she rises up again to meet your eyes. "As I said...maybe I'm just making something out of nothing because it was such a strange day."
Leaning into Haruka, "Just tell me either way. If I'm being crazy, or if you..."
"I don't think you should look too deeply into it," Haruka says after mulling over Viluy's thoughts. "I grin, smirk, and smile a lot," she tells her plainly, smiling at her as a point, "and Ami, she blushes a lot."
After a bit of a pause she adds, "I think it must be as reflexive for her as smiling is for me," Haruka says with a shrug, really only guessing on Ami's part.
Haruka looks across at Viluy before deciding to tug the girl towards her and capturing her in a hug. With a sigh, she runs her hand across her back to soothe away further worries. "So, this is what had you so worried, huh?"
There is a tense moment, as if frozen in place and time. It's strange, Viluy's body no more than a cardboard cutout for that instant.
I...I believe you, Haruka. I...
Hugging you back after that, "You're right...I'm just being silly," she murmurs into your ear, half falling agaisnt you. "Between earlier today and everything at the mall...." To this, Viluy sighs and snuggles up. "Just forget it for now. I'm tired..." Still murmuring into your ear, "Let's get some rest..."
You have to admit, having Viluy leaning into you is better than a blanket, for what that's worth.
"You know..." Haruka begins to tell Viluy in soft tones, not relinquishing her hold, "you aren't the only one who gets worried, you know? The times you flinch or pull away or freeze up like you just did..., scares me too," she admits.
Pausing a moment to keep in check the tremor that threatened to squelch her voice, "But I know deep down, that the two of us will be together forever, no matter what. And that's why I can keep smiling despite my fears." Taking Viluy's hand now, she rests it upon her chest. "Because the heart that beats here, beats for you and you alone."
"Haruka..." Viluy murmurs, taken in by that action. "I...I..." she chokes, fumbling...
"Silly girl. Whatever am I going to do with you sometimes?" Haruka tells her with a sigh, drawing her close once more as she runs her hand across her formerly silver mane. "Have more confidence in yourself and me. I'm not going anywhere and I'm certainly not leaving you behind," she tells Viluy, kissing the top of her head.
Drawing back slightly to look at the girl in her arms amusedly. "Just because I smile or give attention to another girl doesn't mean I'm going to run off with them, you know? It just means I'm a flirt, and you know that better than anyone," she teases, poking her lightly on the nose and chuckling.
"We can pinky swear on it if it'll make you feel better," Haruka offers with a wide grin.
Viluy slowly smiles as Haruka goes on, taking a moment to close her eyes, as if cleansing herself of something. "Yeah...you're right, Haruka," she nods once, letting herself smile. "I should have known better than to...." she shakes her head, chuckling now.
"And...why not," she says, extending one of her delicate fingers. "To Haruka Ten'oh staying where she is."
"To Viluy Bidou staying wherever I am," Haruka says in mirror, entwining their two fingers together, "I promise to always stay by your side no matter what."
A short shake comes from this. "Forever," she smiles, softly...then falling onto your arms. "Even if it means you can't get up for the night because I'm using you for a pillow," she teases, resting her head on your shoulder.
Now with her arms around the smaller girl, "Oh? I recall a certain someone complaining that I made for a bad pillow," Haruka retorts in jesting tones, making a face at Viluy.
"Well...maybe you do, but perhaps this old pillow has a certain charm to it," Viluy purrs, comfortably rubbing herself into position on you lightly. "Mmmm... smells nice, too. Even if it's not so full of stuffing, it's still my favorite."
Haruka grumbles slightly at Viluy's loving commentary of her ability as a pillow, but the feel of her body against her's made arguing the point so... trivial. Her mind decided it had more 'interesting' things on hand.
"I better be your favorite," she blusters, though the contentment in her voice is obvious as she captures a lock of the girl's hair and plays with it. "Sometimes I miss seeing your original color," Haruka idly mentions before switching to run her hand across Viluy's back.
Snuggling in close, Viluy sighs softly, happily as you handle her hair. "So do I," she admits, idly rolling her eyes up to see a bit of her own locks. "The blue green is nice, but...
Silver was so distinctive and shiny," she muses. "Though...you'd even look good with hair like that...maybe in a tuxedo..." Viluy grins at that. "You'd look like a dapper old charmer about to hit the ball."
"Me with hair like that? You mean silver?" Haruka asks curiously, glancing at Viluy, "And a tuxedo as well?"
Screwing up her face in concentration she chuckles slightly at the image. "Yeah, I suppose that's do-able.... I'm a little less confident about the hair color, but you think I can pull off silver, eh?" Haruka queries, slightly amused at the thought.
"Haruka at sixty," Viluy considers, placing a finger on her cheek. "Yes, I could see it. You'd be so dashing and handsome...The girls would just want to eat you alive," Viluy giggles at the image, loosening up. "You'd be irresistable..."
Glancing up at her hair, "It's funny...before I lsot it, I worried that my hair made me look old. Now I realise how pretty it really was."
"It's nice that you still see girls flocking to me and would find me irresistible at... sixty," Haruka replies rather uncomfortably.
Her mind refused to travel down the mental road to see an image of herself in all her senior citizen glory. No! Nonononononono! Stop thinking about that, right now! she scolded herself.
Shaking herself free from the horrific reverie, she moved on to more pleasant topics, "I always thought your hair was pretty," Haruka tells her with a guilty grin. "The first time we were introduced, I wondered what this would feel like," she says, running her fingers gently through her silky locks once again.
"Now you know...." Viluy murmurs to you, resting her head and closing her eyes. "Could you keep that up awhile, Haruka......" she says, yawning slightyl. "It feels...nice...and warm...."
Haruka smiles and does as asked, continuing with her ministrations. "The skilled hands and service of this pianist does not come cheaply," she teases, though she herself was deriving pleasure as she strums and plucks her fingers across the sea of green.
"Mmmm...yeah, go listen to your piano tomorrow...." Viluy says, on the verge of sleep. "Tomorrow...." With that, Viluy finds herself rapidly joining the land of the sleeping. She's warm on you, and the feeling of her warmth and the relaxation of her hair in your hands is reminding you of how tired you are...
Before fully drifting off to the land of slumber, Haruka extracts her payment by stealing a quick kiss from the sleepy Viluy before shifting slightly beneath her and nodding off as well.
----
Snow, snow, snow.
Snowflakes, snowfall, snowstorms, snowwinds, snowshoes. It's fucking snowing, as you noticed quite aptly yesterday. Yet, as if yesterday's performance was merely a warm up, today's hyper blizzard is a parade of the white stuff. When you stumbled back to the guest room around midnight, you vaguely recall seeing it coming down, the street lights showing a near blanket of frosty coverings.
When you stir in the guest room - nice enough, futon, a dresser, and a small window that is rather iced and snowed over - , Haruka stretched out. It feels good to have rested as so. You feel so much better, though still not near your normal level of get up and go get 'em-ness. You don't know what time it is, and if it's daytime, so little sunlight is making it through the stormclouds that it's moot.
That, and you're hungry, bathroom bound, and just generally ready to put the last embers of yesterday's ordeal behind you.
Haruka's eyes flutter open then she turns her head this way and that, confused at first before she remembers where she is. Sitting up now, she works some of the kinks out of her body as she studies the gloomy view beyond the window.
What a depressing sight to wake up to... she notes with a shake of her head.
A drawn out yawn, groan and stumbles sees Haruka off to the restroom to answer the needs of her body. Staring at her reflection earns a disgusted grimace as a night of rest STILL hasn't brought her back fully.
I'm going to have to remember this, Haruka told herself. Might have to limit myself better next time.
A handful of water applied to her face snaps the last vestiges of sleep from her system. She runs her still water soaked hands through her scalp that smoothes over the majority of the hairs raised in rebellion, save the most stubborn - who earn a grumble or three from her in annoyance.
Okay. Let's get it together or we're just going to worry Viluy, Ten'oh, she told herself, masking over her weariness with her usual blend of cheer. Better.
Exiting the room, she heads for the dining area to forage for some food stuff to sate the hunger that gnawed away at her stomach.
It's a nice little kitchen that opens into a low tabled dining room. Very Japanese style, save for the extra space in the kitchen to avoid crampiness. Viluy is at the oven burner, cooking something in the pan. Smells like stirfry...in the morning?
Ew.
The sight of Viluy cooking is an interesting sight combined with what the aroma she catches in the air is too much for her curiosity as she walks behind the girl. "Yui Bidou, homemaker," Haruka quips, "so what's on the menu, missus?" she asks, taking advantage of her height to peek over the smaller girl's shoulder.
Smiling as you approach, Viluy shakes and stirs the load of vegetables with one hand - looks good, too - and reaches out to you with the other. "A vegetable stirfry for lunch," she nods, "Something nice and warm for the weather out there."
It felt a bit early to be endulging in vegetable stirfry, what with just waking up and all, but then it could've been a serving of the dreaded fermented soy beans so it wasn't all THAT bad.
"Something nice and warm?" Haruka echoes questioningly before an amused look crosses her feature. She captures Viluy's extended hand in her own before the other snakes around her culinary victim. "I guess I'm just going to have to deal with a double helping then," Haruka whispers in her ear, delighting in the reaction the girl gives her.
"Ah," Viluy blushes, trying to hold the pan steady in the heat. "Could this wait a few...I'd really not like to risk a fire," she replies, not unkindly. Taking a moment to steady the pan and toss the vegetables again, "Want me to make you some of this for lunch?"
Haruka grins and does as asked, freeing Viluy to her duties. "But it looks like you've got your own little fire going already," she comments, trailing a finger across her enflamed cheeks at that.
Chuckling at the now flustered state she'd put her in, Haruka takes a seat at the table. "Sure. I don't mind trying a sample of Vivi-chan's masterful cooking skills."
Viluy takes a moment to let her breathing return to normal, then smirks, unseen to Haruka. "You really shouldn't mess with the cook when she's doing her job," she remarks to the other girl, tossing the stirfry one last time.
"Unless you want an surprise in your lunch."
"It might be worth braving the Mystery Meat if I can get you to blush like that for me again," Haruka replies mirthfully, running a hungry gaze over the dish before her - and to the food as well.
This was doing more wonders than a night of rest, she thought.
Getting a plate and setting it in front of Haruka, the blonde soon finds herself with a lunch right in front of her. "Go ahead and eat," she smiles at Haruka's antics. "I need to make a phone call, anyway."
With a nod to the chef as she aways to make her call, she gives the plate a once over before trying some.
It's a basic vegetable stirfry. Carrots, snap peats, peppers, onions, some seasonings, and so forth. Looks and smells edible.
Tastewise? Not bad at all, actually. Not restaurant quality, but you won't die from consuming it. Looks like Usagi is still the only Senshi with cooking as an offensive weapon...
Haruka continues nibbling on the food, while idly wondering who Viluy could be calling.
Shortly after you munch away, Viluy returns. She looks happy enough, sitting down. "Miss Nakahime is doing alright," she says without preamble, relief in her voice. "She's in no critical danger now, as I understand it."
"That's great to hear," Haruka says, and she meant it too. The situation Miss Nakahime found herself in was almost too cruel. "I hope she recovers quickly and is able to live a long and happy life," she comments with hope coloring her voice.
I hope this doesn't mean she'll go back to reproducing that Oxyite statue... Haruka mentally mutters, shuddering inside at the thought.
"So do I. Having cancer and then...Terrible, dreadful." So nodding and idly placing her hands together. "Something like that...
It kind of strikes close to home. Who wouldn't make a deal like that to save themselves, or someone they cared about?"
"I wouldn't do it to save myself, but for someone important to me?" Haruka glances at Viluy, "Yeah, I could do it for that," she says simply without hesitation.
"How does this strike close to home for you though?" she asks, studying the girl seated to her right. Haruka felt a tingle of misgiving, that maybe she should have let the matter sit, but....
Viluy looks away, sighing. "I...do you remember that day at the cafe, when I told you that I was fonder of my father than my mother? About how he fostered my skill with computers...and was the only one who could drag me away from them?" Smiling at the memory, Viluy pauses for Haruka.
Haruka somewhat recalled the conversation having taken place, but now found herself wondering where this was going. "Yeah, I remember," she tells Viluy, allowing her to continue.
"One day, he started to throw up...and it wasn't really stopping. He lost weight, paled, and couldn't even hold down water," Viluy replies quietly, staring down.
"The doctors said something was wrong in his stomach and that he needed to have an operation....and, they said he may very well not make it...." Repressing her emotions, Viluy goes on. "There was a week before the operation...I spent it worrying and hoping about him so badly...."
Haruka holds Viluy's hands to give her a sense of security, wanting just to be a presence for her as she tells her tale. She doesn't say anything, but prompts her to continue with her eyes.
"I'd have given anything just to go play with Daddy again..." she says, voice breaking. "I'd....I'd have taken that offer from Celcia without thinking twice if it had happened back then."
"Viluy..." Haruka says softly, the girl's words - thick with emotion - conveying the pain all too clearly. Standing at her side now, she gives her the support she needs and a shoulder to cry on as she embraces her. "You can let it out, you don't need to hold back," Haruka consoles.
Viluy does that, words fading as rawer emotion works it's way out and down your shirt collar. It doesn't last long, though, Viluy pulling herself back together and away a bit, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry...it's just a bad time I don't like to remember often," she explains, looking right at you. "I...I imagine you can relate, if you remember what happened with...Michiru at all."
"Memories shouldn't be forgotten, even painful ones..." Haruka laments, the comment about Michiru being a poignant reminder and example. "Good or bad, they're all precious in their own way," she says sadly.
"I guess..." Viluy murmurs, mostly to herself. Looking up at you, "If...oh, damn. If...that ever happened to one of us...
It's almost the par for the course if you look at it that way..."
"That's part of something beyond our control. At any minute of any day, we could find ourselves caught in fate's cruel twist," Haruka states humorlessly.
Seeing the effect the statement has on Viluy, she sighs, softening her stance and tone. "Look, how you live is more important than trying to rationalize the if's and how's of death," Haruka says with a shrug. "Try to live a full and happy life - enjoy all that it has to offer, and when it's time, then it's time."
"Besides," she begins to say with a crooked smirk, "it's not as if dying managed to keep us apart forever, right?" Haruka draws close to the seated girl now, "And if we do get seperated, I'll come find you again if you wait for me, okay?" she asks with a wink.
Viluy bows her head at all these words from Haruka, chewing them over mentally. "That's another promise, Haruka," she says, rising to smile, eyes watery. "You'd better not break this one, either."
"I suppose if I make more, I can write them all down on a tablet so I don't forget them..." Haruka says aloud in musing, but on seeing Viluy still waiting desperately for an answer, "Cross my heart and hope to die, I'll always be here by your side," she says, an arm held in show of a solemn vow.
"You do that," she nods and smiles more, sighing in relief. "Damn, and I'm getting all teary and worked up already," she murmurs, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
And thus, things move along as the snow continues to fall...
The day passes well enough. It's mostly just spending time with Viluy and the TV/internet, as going out just isn't an option. Still, you'll have a few good memories from the day at the very least...
You rise at a reasonable hour the next morning, enjoying a light breakfast while Viluy goes over a plan for the day. With the blizzard finally letting up and three feet of snow on the ground, though...
"....Tomoe thinks that Miss Nakahime will wake up today," Viluy notes, over her cup of morning tea. "We should go see her....I'd also like to ask her a few questions."
"Sounds like a plan," Haruka says upon finishing her own cup of tea. "We'll just have to dial for the Eudial taxi service," she notes, souring somewhat on her sad carless state.
Turning curious eyes over to Viluy. "What did you want to ask her anyway," she pauses to take a nibble of her toast, "or is this something private between the two of you?"
"The Twins are feeling better, and Eudial isn't there today," Viluy comments as she finishes her own drink. "Regardless...it's nothing special, I just want to talk to her about what happened."
Smiling slightly to you, "I'm sure you're curious as well?"
Haruka grins at being afforded the luxury of not having to butt heads with the fiery redhead though not being able to retrieve her car from the confines of the mall was... nothing to do about that she supposed.
"I can say I only have mild interest," Haruka tells Viluy matter-of-factly.
"See," she begins, softening her tone, "I do, but then I don't want to know the details." Recieving a puzzled look from her partner she tries to clarify. "The more curious part of me wants to know just because it wants to feed its inquisitiveness, yet another part of me wants to leave well enough alone. Does that make sense any?"
"Not really," Viluy says honestly, smiling as her love tries to elaborate her confused feelings. "You're torn about it, is what you mean?"
"Torn..." Haruka repeats, testing the word. "Sounds about right, I guess. I want to know, but yet I don't." She shrugs, unsure of how to make it more clear than that.
"Mmmm," Viluy simply replies back, occupying herself with a bite of bread. "Do you want to come or stay here?" So asking, Viluy gets right to the heart of things.
"If you don't want to go..."
"I'll tag along. As much as I like staying at your place, without you around, it'd feel too empty," Haruka tells her with a chuckle.
And I'd die of boredom, she comments to herself.
"Besides, if I'm at the school, I can at least go and see the music room and stuff," she says with a shrug.
"That's something," Viluy agrees, drawing back. "If you wish, we can go whenever you are ready, I merely need to call the Twins." Though, she does look less...bouyant now, more reserved.
Brushing back her white sweater, Viluy rises.
"We can go now then, I guess," Haruka tells Viluy with a shrug.
With that, Viluy makes a short phone call. So summoned, the Twins arrive. They look better, at least, which is certainly a step up from how they were.
"Going to the Witches room," Cyprine asks, surveying the two passengers. "Or somewhere else?" Ptilol adds.
Haruka waves to the pair, glad to see that both are in good health.
As far as destination goes... "That's not where Miss Nakahime is right now, is it?" she asks curiously. "We were hoping to pay her a visit since the Prof mentioned she was up and stuff."
"She's set up in the Professor's lab," Cyprine notes, "It's just simplest to go the Witches office unless you want somewhere else," Ptilol elaborates.
"The office is fine, it's a short walk," Viluy comments, unconcerned about the matter and dismissing with absently. Glancing back to Haruka, "Coming now, Haruka?"
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Haruka replies.
She wasn't sure if she was imagining things or not, but Viluy seemed to be... annoyed with her. Perhaps upset might've been a better term.
I wonder what I did now... she asks herself with a slight sigh.
One super magical teleport, coming up!
If you're life was any stranger, you're sure you'd have some cute animal popping up to say that right now. As it stands, Ptilol and Cyprine simply nod agreement. Moments later, Viluy's comfortable house is replaced with the underground abode of the Witches.
Viluy takes a moment to stretch and nod, as the Twins simply revanish, off to whatever it is they do.
The slight disorientation that follows the teleport fades, leaving a weighty silence. Growing rather uncomfortable, Haruka searched for the voice to break the stalemate when Viluy suddenly asks, "Shall we get going then?"
A slight blink and a nod later on her part saw them off on their little journey, but the internal musings about what might be bugging the girl was quickly festering into worry.
Haruka studies her walking partner's manner and appearance from the corner of her eye, trying to discern something, anything, about what might be bothering her so.
Mentally throwing her hands up in defeat at being discreet, she pushes aside her hesitancy and asks, "Is something bothering you, Viluy?"
Viluy takes a few steps before replying, face hidden from Haruka via being ahead.
Isn't it obvious? Damn, Haruka..
"Nothing," is her sally back to you. "Maybe I'm still tired from our adventure a few days ago. Let's just go see how she's doing."
Oh for the love of... Haruka begins to growl mentally before cutting herself off. She schools her feature and opts to simply follow Viluy wordlessly, letting the girl lead the way.
We were doing so well this morning, and now? Haruka casts her gaze towards the green-haired girl as a myriad of emotions washes across her face. Why can't things just be simple between us?
It's not much farther, at least, the walk in silence. On entering, you find Miss Nakahime in a carried down cot, hooked up to an IV machine and a few other, more exotic devices. Sitting at a chair near a control consol is Professor Tomoe, suppresing a yawn as you arrive.
"Girls," he comments, rising. "She's doing better and should wake soon enough, with any fortune."
To this, Viluy smiles, heading over. "That's excellent news,"s he comments, kneeling next to the cot.
Haruka nods to the Professor in greeting, before making her way to where Miss Nakahime is still resting. She was still kicking around the feeling of annoyance, but for the time being, she let the issue sleep.
Viluy checks the woman's forehead and breath, noting her still pale color. "She looks a bit better," Viluy agrees, speaking to Professor Tomoe from her position.
He nods, "She is. As I said...she'll walk soon enough, I'm certain. Though, if you're here...." Rising, "Excuse me. While I have the chance, I need to go get something from my office."
The time passes, silence falling over the pair as Viluy studies the victim of Celcia's attack and Haruka simply watches.
Tenseness slowly sets in at this lull, unspoken words and thoughts simmering..or is that all in the mind? An interesting question, perhaps, but one that shall have to wait for another time.
Entering in, Professor Tomoe comes back with another visitor: The Sailor of Ice and Water, Ami-chan.
Ami enters on the professor's heels...and into a strangely quiet room. Something hasn't gone wrong, has it? She wonders anxiously, looking to the pair of her friends watching over the Celcia's victim.
Haruka holds one arm across her chest, while the other rests atop it as she cups her cheek. This pose was just one of many that she'd been switching to amid the rather uncomfortable... silence that had settled.
Glancing lazily across, she catches sight of Ami and the Professor entering the room. "Yo," she greets, using the hand that was on her cheek to wave now instead at the pair.
I hope the mood lightens up in here now... Haruka prayed, letting show a grateful smile at their timely entrance.
Ami peeks out from behind the professor and steps out, smiling a little shyly and waving. "Umu...Hello. How are you feeling, Haruka?" she asks concernedly.
Professor Tomoe heads over to Miss Nakahime as Ami chats, checking on the woman's condition.
"Hello, Ami," Viluy greets the Senshi of Ice normally enough. "Are you feeling better today?"
"You don't need to worry. I might still be a smidge tired, but it's nothing a little sleep and food can't fix," Haruka replies to Ami's question, waving off her concerns casually.
On hearing Viluy address Ami now, she finds that she can't help but cast a curious glance in their direction. She had a gnawing worry about how the exchange was going to shake out.
Geez. I hope she's not going to fall into judicator mode and give Ami the third degree, Haruka thinks to herself, splitting her gaze between the pair of girls.
Ami nods flashing a quick, small smile and nod to Haruka before turning to Viluy and nodding again. "Mm." She confirms. "Thanks to everyone else." she adds sheepishly.
Viluy smiles slightly to that, like a cool breeze. "I'm pleased to hear that," she goes on to Ami. "We were worried about you, after all."
"Professor," she turns to the man in question, as he checks her vitals and so forth, "How is she?"
Ami tilts her head slightly, but smiles back a little shyly, vaguely relieved when Viluy's attention turns to the professor, and feeling slightly guilty because of it.
She stays quiet though, simply nodding as if to second Viluy's question.
He doesn't reply for a moment, quietly consulting a machine screen nearby. "She's looking to be recouperating well enough," he allows. "Her body is doing a excellent job on recovery, all things considered. But to the main question at hand," he pauses just a moment, turning just a bit from the machine to catch all of you in his side vision, "She should wake up any time now. It's just a matter of waiting for it."
Ami nods and moves over to eyeball the sleeping woman curiously. "What will we tell her when she does wake up?" she wonders aloud.
"We'll tell her what she wants to know, I think," Professor Tomoe says after a moment of thought. "I don't know if we'll mention the Senshi by name unless she remembers that and can piece it together...
But I fail to see any use in hiding much from her as it stands. We're going to have to help her quite a bit in the coming times." Turning his attention fully to Ami, "You may wish to...ah...keep a slight distance between her and your Talisman, just in case."
Ami blinks at the assertion and pales slightly, nodding and stepping back. Reluctantly, she slips the talisman off of her wrist, and slides it into her subspace pocket...
Haruka watches the proceedings quietly only moving to rub the bridge of her nose when she catches the 'warmth' in Viluy's tone.
The day really was starting off so well....
She shakes her head and waits for the slumbering guest to wake along with everyone else.
Ami - when you take it off, you realise it's perhaps a bit chilly in here.
The rest of the girls settle in, but not for long. Within a minute, therei s a slightl movement of the eyes of Miss Nakahime, caught by both Viluy and the Professor. "This may be it," he notes, standing at the woman's bedside. Another slight movement, as her eyelids begin to ever so slowly try to rise upward...
At the professor's words, Haruka draws closer to a better vantage point. Even if she didn't want to pry into Miss Nakahime's past did not mean that she wasn't concerned about her well-being, after all.
Ami represses a slight shiver, sighing. I'm really getting dependant on the warming properties of my talisman...is that a bad thing? as she sees the stirring of the woman they saved, she leans forward interestedly..
"Nnmmmnnnmm...." A moan escapes the comatose woman's lips, as her eyes again struggle to uncloak themselves. A bit of blue can be seen as for a moment, her eyelids obey her will.
"....what......." Softly as if not to wake a newborn baby, her voice passes her lips like a ghost. Eyes again flutter, this time raising past half mast, eyelids submitting. "...what...." she says again, as she stares ahead....
"Hello there," Professor Tomoe smiles to her. "How are you feeling, Miss Nakahime?"
Ami smiles slightly. While not the ideal response, it was rather nice to hear the woman speaking normally, as opposed to begging for help. Patiently, she waits for the professor to handle the initial dealings...
"Mmm...." Miss Nakahime comments profoundly, her tongue going out to lick her dry lips. Her ribbon of red having done it's worth, "Are you a doctor," she asys, peering ahead at Professor Tomoe. "I'm....I'm in a hospital?"
Professor Tomoe just nods understandingly. "Ah, that's close enough for the moment. Are you thirsty? How do you feel?" he asks, going on.
Miss Nakahime licks her lips again, managing a tiny nod. "Water," she comments, "My throat is dry..." Indeed, her voice for this is hoarse and raspy. "And...I'm sore...confused...."
"Ah...There is a sink in the back," Professor Tomoe gestures to the other side fo the room. "There should be a few old cups there. Would you get her a drink of water, Viluy,"
She does as asked, giving Miss Nakahime nod and smile before going to retreive just that. As she does, Miss Nakahime raises her head to watch her backside, her aqua hair trailing down her back...
"She..." she blinks, groggy. "That hair...the cafe...the mall...." Each word comes out slowly, dawning memory and horror in each one, a visible shudder passing through her at the end. "Kami...what happened?"
Celcia....?"
"She's been...contained." Ami offers quietly, and out of curiousity, she adds, "The Sailor Senshi dealt with her." Do you remember us?
Turning to you as best she can in her state, and it's not a very good turn, "She's...she's gone," she asks hopefully to you, a hint of desire and hope tinging her voice.
Ami hedges slightly, looking to the professor for help, unwilling to outright lie...but in a sense, she -was- gone, wasn't she? "She won't trouble you any more." Ami stalls, smiling a little uncomfortably.
"She's correct, MIss Nakahime," Professor Tomoe agrees with Ami, turning to get a mug of water as Viluy returns. Gently kneeling, he puts it to her lips, the parched woman drinking...but only in sips. "Not too much..." he murmurs to her.
Viluy goes next to Haruka silently, watching on..."She looks to be doing alright," she whispers hopefully to her signifigant other.
Ami falls quiet, inwardly chastising herself. Best to stay quiet, and chip in where needed... she decides, watching the prone woman drink with a small sense of relief at how she seems tob e recovering.
Haruka glances at Viluy, surprised that the girl wasn't blasting her with arctic chill, before nodding. "I hope this means that everything is fine and dandy," she tells her, although...
I wonder if everything IS okay.
...was the worrying thought that gnaws away at her.
"So do I..." is her murmur back, as she watches on. "So worried...." Her voice is filled with just that - worry, though it's not dead set as it was before in front of his evidence.
Raising the cup away, she turns her eyes to the Professor. "Thank...thank the kami..." she says softly, a single tear trickling from her eye, and down her cheek. "I...what did I do? That mall....it was so cold there...."
"Celcia decided to take over and do some... redecorating," Haruka says in reply, then glances at Viluy wondering if she might help some in the explanation.
"It's been reversed, though," Viluy goes on, following Haruka's statement naturally. "You need not worry about it...it's over."
"....I did all that.....but it's gone," she asks again, sighing. "Good. Celcia...she was so....cold. All the way to her heart...she would have froze anything she got her grasp on..."
Ami nods slowly, shivering. She could definitely attest to that...
"She's gone now," Professor Tomoe reassures her, patting her arm.
"So cold...." she murmurs again, bunching up into herself as if to horde the warmth she does have. "I...I nearly let that loose onto Tokyo..." Softly, she closes her eyes, but it doesn't stop a flow of tears.
Ami hesitantly moves forward, resting her hand on the woman gently. "No one blames you for that, Nakahime-san." she offers softly. "You had no way of knowing what would happen."
Professor Tomoe shakes his head sadly, as Viluy purses her lips...
"But..." MIss Nakahime says quietly, tears gushing freely from her tightly clenched eyelids.
Ami shakes her head gently, bedside manner putting her on more certain ground. "Celcia took advantage of you. I might have done the same thing in your shoes." she assures the woman gently. "And she's contained now. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Tokyo is safe." Or what passes for safe until the next threat arises. A little voice in her head added dourly.
"You made a mistake, but you escaped with your life. That's something to be thankful for, isn't it?"
"I suppose," she manages after several seconds, but looks miserable. If anything, she just sinks into her bed. "I...
I'm sorry. You...Viluy," she turns her head, then eyes Haruka. "Both of you...you made it out okay? Thank the kami again....weren't you...with me...when..." frowns cross her face as she tries to remember...
"When you were taken by Celcia?" Haruka supplies for the woman. "We were there and we're both okay," she says with a nod of her head.
"Good. I'm...I'm so sorry, Haruka. Because of me, you and so many other peopel were put into danger.
Just because...I was too afraid...."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. A lot of people would have done the same as you under the circumstances," Haruka tells her honestly, sympathizing with the situation Miss Nakahime had been trapped in. "To be able to breathe if even a single second longer, most would pay a high price - almost any price for it."
Sighing, the bedbound woman simply nods to your words. "But...that doesn't make it right," she comments tiredly. "I..."
A long breath passes through her, as she seems to try and draw on her inner reserves to compose herself. "Thank you for your words, Haruka. Even if...even if...
Even if I can't take them to heart." Turning to Professor Tomoe again, then to Ami, "Where am I now?"
Ami seeing an opportunity to contribute, speaks up. "You're in the...infirmary in Mugen Gakuen." She tells the woman gently.
"Mugen Gakuen..." she murmurs, trying to place the words. "ISn't this...a school?"
Professor Tomoe nods crisply. "That's correct. For now, you need not worry about that, either. You're not being held in any sort of captivity beyond what your damaged health requires, and we're only interested in making sure you recover."
Giving Ami a look that draws Miss Nakahime's sight to you as well, "Ami, if you would, there is a wheelchair in the next room down. Would you go fetch that? I'd like to attempt something, and I fear our guest may not be up to walking."
Ami nods, stepping back from the bedside. "Hai." Turning, she moves to the door, and slips out into the hall, moving over to the next room and opening the door.
It's a small storage closet, the wheelchair placed right inside the door. It's a simple enough matter to get it, you find.
On bringing it back, Professor Tomoe meets you halfway in, taking it. It's another simple matter to get your guest into the chair, her comments minimal except for the, "Where are we going?"
"Upstairs," Professor Tomoe explains simply. "Ami, would you come with me? Also...," he turns his attention to Haruka and Viluy, a questioning glance sent to them asking if they wish to come as well.
Ami nods briskly, standing attentively beside the wheelchair, waiting for them to begin the trek to the higher levels.
Haruka simply nods in reply.
Viluy nods as well, and the group of five head out. Miss Nakahime stares around, despite Professor Tomoe's obvious attempt to make it to the elevator before it reached that point.
"The architexture is unorthodox," he admits before the questions can start. "It was designed by someone with, ah, a taste for the oddities of western modern construction."
Ami smiles slightly at that. "Or a severe case of Attention Deficit Disorder." she murmurs under her breath as she follows.
And thus, the parade makes it to the elevator, Miss Nakahime just nodding to Professor Tomoe's expliantion, and perhaps to Ami's as well.
You go one floor, to the ground level. Through the darkened, unused as of now hallways, heading to the school proper. "We're just going to go outside for a few moments," Professor Tomoe explains as you head into the well lit, normal schooling area of Mugen proper.
Reaching the nearest exit door, a little side thing half covered with snow, Professor Tomoe nods. "This won't be long, if you don't wish to expose yourself to the cold."
Miss Nakahime just looks on at it, face conflicted at the Tokyo winter wonder land spread around her.
Ami hangs back a bit, absently fingering her wrist where she'd worn the talisman almost non-stop for the past few days. Having a fair idea of what the professor is going to show Miss Nakahime, she decides not to brave the elements while her bracelet is stowed.
Catching the expression on Miss Nakahime's face, Haruka places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you feel like you're not up for it, just say so. We aren't here to force you to do anything you don't want to," she says assuringly.
To herself, what IS the point of going outside, I wonder.
Looking up at you, she nods. "Thank you, but...I'll go along with it. Even if you're just going to dump me in the snow to freeze...." Looking away, she sighs. "No, of course not, but...
I'm ready," Miss Nakahime says.
"Then..." Professor Tomoe nods, opening the door briefly as he and his subject exit outside. It's a see through door, giving you an excellent view once it closes. The Professor is shivering and rubbing his arms almost from the get go, while Miss Nakahime looks around a bit, and says something to the Professor - it's muffled by the door, however. He nods back, amid her glancing around and lack of shivering, then goes on a little more.
Once that's done, as if a frozen dinner out of freezerhell, he takes the both of them back inside. Miss Nakahime is rather somber now, and a touch confused, as the Professor makes a fair show of warming himself back up. "W-would one of you please take the wheelchair," he asks. "We'll head up to my office now. I wanted to elaborate the point with concrete evidence beforehand, as it was."
Having fairly guessed what the professor was up to, Ami slips over and takes up a position behind the wheelchair, nodding and smiling sympathetically at the pair.
As the other three head off, Viluy stops slightly. "Haruka," she says softly, giving you a good look. "Ah....you don't look like you' are having fun,"s he says diplomatically. "If you want...we've seen her now, if you really wish to go."
Haruka pauses at Viluy's prompt. "I didn't know you were supposed to have 'fun' in this type of situation," she replies, chuckling a smidge nervously, wondering if another tiff was on the horizon. "Don't get me wrong though, it's not as if I didn't want to see her. It was nice to see her doing better, but... yeah."
"Did you want to spend more time with them Viluy or did you want to take your leave as well?" she asks.
"We can go."
With those three words, Viluy smiles slightly. "I'm just glad she's alright...I was really worried about her, Haruka. If she wasn't, it would have made that fight so much more meaningless."
"I know what you mean," Haruka says, then sighs. "Physically she might be relatively okay now, but next she has to overcome the guilt that's gnawing away at her."
"I mean did you hear her comment just before the Professor wheeled her outside?" she asks Viluy incredulously. "She said we were going to dump her in the snow to freeze." Haruka shakes away the thought.
"The Professor and Ami are with her now so it's okay, but we'll have to make sure to give her company and someone to talk to. I don't want her to do anything... silly after everything we've all been through together."
Yet another sighs leaves Haruka's lips. "Anyway... let's just walk around for a bit. I need to clear my head and we don't know where the Twins are anyway." Then with a shrug, "Maybe we'll even stop in the music room and get to starting you on your lessons," she teases.
"Yes...she has many negative feelings to resolve," Viluy agrees, turning to stare at the retreating trio. Smiling ever so slightly again, almost a twitch of her lips instead of a real expression of joy, "I think that...if she's supported, that she'll be safe."
Stopping to face you now, "And...I'd like that, Haruka," Viluy smiles more, her mood loosening. "We've been putting those off, haven't we?"
OOC - A post or two more, then a thread split for the AMAZING DUO?
---
Miss Nakahime is quiet as you begin to head back, head bowed. Her mood seems introspective as she studies her hands. "Why wasn't I cold," she asks quietly, breaking the reverie that had settled in. "I...I thought Celcia was gone...
Or," she frowns, "I suppose that nothing like that would be cold after her..."
Ami glances at the professor, then coughs lightly. "Celcia -is- gone." She assures the woman quickly, and gently. "But there were some...lingering effects from the time you hosted her."
"Yes...we'll discuss that momentarily," Professor Tomoe agrees with Ami, as you get in a near elevator and help up. "I do not believe there is anything from this that will outright hurt you based on the evidence so far."
"I see..." she murmurs, shivering now, and likely not from the cold.
Ami rests her hand on Miss Nakahime's shoulder gently. "You don't have anything to worry about." she smiles, trying to appear reassuring, despite her uneasiness with the role. "Like the Professor said, we haven't found anything directly harmful to you, and we're here to help, whatever happens."
"Mmmm..." she nods, as you get out of the elevator after your short trip. Professor Tomoe pats her on the shoulder as well, and you head into his office. Once everyone is seated, he begins. "As you noticed....it's well below freezing outside, yet you weren't cold at all.
Miss Nakahime...Nagoya, isn't it? As it stands, I believe that Celcia's presence and actions have left permanent alterations on your body. That's the gist of it, though it entails far more."
Ami nods absently in agreement, but essentially turns the floor over to the professor. After all, his was the most in depth examination...and coming from a fully grown man, reassurances and explanations would likely carry more weight.
The woman nods simply, recalling the cold that she didn't feel.
"Now...as you are at least aware on some level...bluntly, magic exists. Celcia is-was, was a spirit of ice and cold. There are also the Sailor Senshi who rescued you, and myriad other things such as that. By your misfortune, you've seen a side of the world many people don't know about, or refuse to admit lives side by side with the more 'normal' world." Taking a breath after that minature speech, he pauses for remarks.
"I can't deny that," she agrees simply, looking up to the Professor. "I certainly can't..."
Nodding understandingly, "That will make things easier. Celcia...in preparation to take over your body, or so we estimate, she initiated changes to your DNA through her sorcery. We aren't entirely sure to the extent of the manipulation, but your resistance to the chill is one of them."
"...I see..." she says again,s haking her head. "What of the others? I..."
Ami folds hands in her lap, nodding along with the explanation. Seeing her taking in the information so well, Ami smiles slightly, and simply listens, wishing every responsibility was this simple to deal with.
"Well, we HAVE been busy after all," Haruka replies with a chuckle, thiking now of how active the life of a senshi had been of late. "It's just as well though," she begins with a shrug, "making you wait before I show you my talent and skills make for good build up."
"It's possible that you will show signs of aptitude with controlling ice and cold, and perhaps other abilities along those lines. Unfortunately, we won't be certain. The matter at hand can only be fully accessed with more direct testing."
Miss Nakahime nods again. "I understand," she says quietly. "I...I'll be like that terrible woman was with ice?"
---
OOC - I'm goiing to make your new thread next, plushie. No need to make this any messier.
Ami nods slowly. "And like myself." She offers, giving the woman a less odious object for comparision and a shy smile.
"Ami is also talented with controlling ice," Professor Tomoe interjects. "And she's hardly a vengeful ice spirit." The line is said with a tiny chuckle, as he shakes his head back and forth a moment. "Ami, would you give our guest a small demonstration of your power? All things considered, it would be good to see that not only monsters could do this, wouldn't it," he says, turning to Miss Nakahime.
"If you wish," she replies demurly, watching on.
Ami nods, biting her lip for a moment, pondering the least disturbing display she could offer, then finally nods, holding out her hand and reaching for her elemental power, touching the moisture in the air and calling it together, imagining a tiny crystalline figurine of a dolphin, curled in a leap...
It's not a terribly hard task, you find, the image desired forming and freezing perfectly from the ambient moisture in the air.
"That's a wonderful piece," Miss Nakahime perks up almost instantly, interested in the carving. "It's tiny, but that's good worksmanship. You can create things like that simply by concentrating?"
Ami smiles and nods, offering the little piece to her to examine before it melts. "Mm. It takes practice, and for something like this, a vivid imagination, but it's not hard, once you understand how to...communicate...with the element." she explains.
Accepting the offered ice object d' art and turning it over in her hands as she examines it, Miss Nakahime nods.
As she does, you feel a slight flux of the cold element around her. The statue seems to..stop somehow, staying solid.
"To be able to do this...would be a miraculos gift," she says in wonder, holding the carving in near reverence.
Ami blinks at the statue, then glances quickly at the professor in suprise before mentally shaking herself. Without missing a beat, she smiles. "I think you can." she offers. "It's not difficult to learn, only to perfect."
Professor Tomoe raises an eyebrow slightly, but stores the glance away for later questioning. "Yes, it's possible," he agrees. "It's likely that what Celcia did will enable you to preform those feats toa lesser or greater degree."
MIss Nakahime stares a moment or two more at the statue, awestruck. "Oh...my..." she whispers. "And all the images of ice I saw and remember...."
Ami blinks, her memory flashing back briefly to the terrified moment she'd had when the ice Oxyite had attacked Artemis...and the ensuing battle side by side with Natsume.
Supressing the thought quickly, lest she sidetrack herself, Ami leans forward. "You mean the works at your exhibit?" she asks carefully.
A pause, a ghostly, momentary tension settling in like steel bonds. "Yes...among others," she says, more restrained at that reminder. "...Those have some meaning to you? Haruka and Viluy knew one of them...they called it Oxyite."
Ami nods slowly, a pensive expression on her face. "We've..." She cuts herself off, frowning a little. "...met the original." she says finally, choosing the most ambiguous wording possible.
"I gathered as much," she notes. "It seems to have caused quite a reaction with Haruka."
"The original was..." Ami pauses, her voice grim. "They both suffered at his hand, and Haruka lost someone...important to her." she replies softly.
Another nod, then, "I'm sorry for that."
Professor Tomoe nods as well, to Ami. "I think..." he muses, rising and stretching, "That this is enough for now. You must be tired."
Getting a nod back to that, "I'll take you downstairs, I've set up a room there. We'll get into brass tacks tomorrow." Coming around to her wheelchair to guide her, "Would you wait up here, Ami. I shouldn't be long, and there's something I've been meaning to ask you about.":
Ami nods and smiles to the professor, then stands up, politely bowing to Miss Nakahime. "It was nice to meet you...while awake, this time." she tells the older woman warmly.
With a nod of her head back, she gives you a wan smile. "Thank you," is the reply, as you are left alone here for now...
Ami sits down again as she's left alone, reflecting on the past few days with a sigh. Though, try as she might, she seems to be focusing on a dark haired, ponytailed girl with a serious manner, yet a surprisingly charming innocent side (She didn't dare dwell on the all too brief glimpse at Natsume's body, for fear of an oncoming nosebleed), and a dependable white cat, with a very...firm... human form, and a very nice smile...
Ami blushes, shaking her head and trying to clear the images out RIGHT NOW.
I need to lock myself in a room with a project until I can calm myself down...my hormones are getting progessively more ridiculous...
Sighing, Ami reaches into her subspace pocket and withdraws her talisman yet again. And now there's this little complication, too... she sighs, slipping the bracelet back onto her wrist.
The Talisman feels good on your wrist. It feels....right, somehow. The room feels better, the air crisper.
Leaning back in your chair, a faint light makes you blink, then, "Hey, Ami-chan," Usagi calls, patting your shoulder. "What are you doing here?" Your friend is smiling as always, her mood sunshine and flowers.
"Usagi-chan?" Ami blinks, blushing a little, and putting her thoughts into what she called 'guarded' mode. Not that she didn't trust her friend, but some things weren't meant to be shared, even with close friends.
"I'm waiting for the professor to come back. Did you come to see him?" she asks, smiling a little.
"Nope, Ami-chan," she grins, grasping the edge of the chair as she swings her body around, straddling you and pinning you with her body. Facing you, she idly takes a hold of your arms, pushing them behind your head.
You could have sworn for just a moment your talisman seemed...shiny, but must've been a trick of the light.
"I came to see you, silly," she purrs gently. "My Ami-chan's been working herself really hard..." she comments, running a single finger down the center of your chest, between your breasts. "Maybe...she needs a nice break to forget about everything?"
W-w-w-what??? Ami's eyes nearly triple in size as Usagi pins her to her chair, Usagi's gentle weight stunning her for a moment. She struggles to marshal her thoughts, a task made all but impossible by the slender finger tracing her chest...and to her mild dismay, she can feel her body beginning to respond, a curious tightness in her chest, coupled with a vague tingling...
N-Not good....why is...? "Usagi...no..." she protests weakly, shuddering. "Don't do this....to Rei-chan..."
You feel another tingling on your wrist, a strange thing. Almost a touch chilly.
"Oh, don't worry about Rei-chan," she whispers into your ear, pressing her body up and down yours once. OOoooooooh... "Rei-chan doesn't matter as long as I have my Ami-chan here...." Slowly, and sparing any mor ewords, she lightly kisses your neck, raining heat down on it. "Mmmm...don't you want to spend time with your Usagi-chan?"
Ami's body rebels against her intellect, and a deep, liquid warmth seems to fill her, rushing from her head to her toes, and tiny sparks of pleasure light up her nerves wherever Usagi touches her. She moans involuntarily, and arches into Usagi, her long slumbering libido refusing to be denied...
"That's it, Ami-chan," Usagi half groans, her body against yours, a hand working down. "That's it, just let go..."
A spark of pleasure fills your mind, as everything seems to go white a moment later...
"Oh, Ami-chan," Usagi's voice echos in your mind later, though your blissfully closed eyes. "I'll be back later, okay? We'll have even more fun next time. This is just the warm up."
Slowly opening your eyes, you notice a few things. Firstly, you feel...good. Released, relaxed. Secondly, you are becoming aware of the fact that you probably need a change of underwear. Thirdly, you are slumped over in your chair, as if you dozed off. Fourthly, "Ami," Professor Tomoe asks curiously, entering the room."Ah, did I doze off and I woke you," he asks, blinking at the position you're in.
Ami looks up at the professor, her eyes slightly glazed at first, but swiftly regaining their clairity...along with an uncomfortably moist feeling in her nether regions, contrasting sharply with the pleasant glow suffusing her nerves.
"W-What?" She asks, shaking her head as if to clear it. "Professor?"
He smiles easily enough, "Sorry, I wasn't aware you'd dozed off," he nods, going back to his desk. "This can wait a little while if you need to rest first, since you've been pushing yourself the last few days. It's really a minor matter - I just wanted to ask about that robot you were working on."
Ami shakes her head, smiling a little as a distinct knot of unease forms in her stomach. Something...was that a dream? biting her lip as an embarrassed, slightly distressed flush spreads across her cheeks, Ami forces herself to put it aside for the moment. Who can I talk to about that without seeming like...like...?
"She's almost finished." Ami replies, subdued but warm. "In fact, she's more or less complete as she stands now...But I'll probably need help to bring her to life, as it were."
Professor Tomoe nods, "We'll need to plan for that once things settle down. I'm quite interested to see how she turn...." he pauses, sniffing. "Oh dear...did I leave that sandwhich from yesterday in here," he frowns deeply, opening one of his desk drawers. "My apologies, Ami...I must have completely forgotten about it."
Notably, you don't smell anything off, but you do feel rather moist and sweaty.
Ami stiffens and bites her lip. "It's...no problem." she stammers softly. "And...I'd appreciate the help." she adds, beginning to ramble a little as she realizes what she has to do.
"Uhm, is there anything else you need me for? I just remembered, I have to...um, get something to bring home today." She adds, standing and quickly backing off a step, bowing nervously as her face turns slightly redder...
"Go ahead," he says, as he roots through his desk drawers. "We'll talk tomorrow, Ami." So saying, he ducks down entirely, grumbling to himself about organizing better, and giving you a clear exit path.
Ami fairly bolts from the room, her thoughts spinning out of control. What WAS that? A dream? No, too vivid...or was it? I thought I was over Usagi... she moans to herself, trying not to make her attire too uncomfortable as she rushes to the gym...
By a small miracle, you find no one in the gym or on the way. Getting replacement clothes and undergarments is done easily enough, even as your body finally begins to slow and settle down.
Rising your hair from your shower, you do feel more normal now. More in control, in your own special way.
Ami rubs at her hair, with the towel, feeling the blue stands absently, and trying to quell her inner disquiet.
"What was that?" She wonders, listening to her voice echoing off the tiles. "I've never..."
Not even when you were...enamoured of her? a little voice teases.
No! Not even then! It was a simple crush, that's all.
Surrrrre. Not even when she was naked, pressing those oh-so-perky assets into your back?
I'm not denying my attraction to Usagi! Ami insists to herself. I was...am lonely. But never for purely physical gratification... Again, her face heats up in response, recalling the undeniable pleasure of the event.
It may have been a dream, but...there was something wrong...
Shivering at what that thought inplied, she slipped from the locker room, and began thinking about how to get home...without embarrassing herself in fron of the professor further...
Sadly, you can't teleport as some of your friends can, nor can you drive underground by yourself. As you head through the hall of school, thinking, no easy answers present themselves. Though...you are passing close the greenhouse. Glancing through one of the windows to it, you notice it's still bright and lively, even when the weather is like this.
Ami blinks, smiling a little at the greenery. Perhaps she can't get home just yet, but...Tellu had offered her a space in the garden, if she needed to rest...and with her nerves jangled as badly as they were, that didn't sound bad.
Reverently, she steps into the gardens, feeling her mood lighten at the surroundings as she makes her way to the spot Tellu showed her.
Once you enter, you smile even more. It's warm in here, more like late spring than the bitter cold outside. Though, it is making you sweaty right off the bat, your breath coming quicker in the heat.
Perhaps she has the temperature up because of the blizzard outside?
As if cued, the plants move out of your way after a moment to the little clearing...
Where, on a momentary inspection, you find the Mistress of this house. Laying on her stomach as she gently feets water to a little purple flower at the edge of the clearing, Tellu glances up. "Ami," she smiles, her white lab coat and pants shifting as she does.
"What got you up here today," she asks, motioning for you to sit.
Ami smiles in return, dabbing at her forehead with her sleeve lightly, and wondering at the temperature for a moment. "Hello, Tellu..." she replies warmly. "I was just looking for a place to relax..." her expression wavers a moment before she reassembles her composure. "It's...been a long few days." she finishes lamely.
Nodding understandingly, "You're welcome here, Ami. I heard from Eudial that you were involved in something a few days ago." So commenting, she moves so that you have plenty of space to sit and stretch out.
"There was an ice spirit but you stopped it," On so asking, you note hints of both interest...and perhaps jealousy.
Ami nods and wearily lowers herself to the ground...and is completely unable to supress the shiver of comfort that comes over her at the sensation...though... it really is warm here, isn't it?
Ami nods and sighs. "I...got in over my head." she confides. "Rei-chan has been helping me expand the limits of my power, but even with what she taught me...I nearly died...Poor Hotaru-chan looked exausted before I was healed enough to be bandaged..."
Ami pauses and smiles softly. "It really wasn't me, though. We all did it. All my contribution was was putting her into my talisman."
Tellu listens to every word you manage, watching before commenting back. "Still, you got to do something," she smiles, wistful. "That's a step up...."
Suppressing a fine sigh, the green haired girl puts on a brave smile. "Beats sitting around....anyway, are you feeling better?"
Ami shakes her head and smiles shakily at Tellu, feeling very tired, all of a sudden. "I-I...don't know..." she stammers, feeling strangely emotional over everything that's happened in the last little while. She curls up slightly, not quite into the fetal position as her eyes mist slightly and trembles a little, distantly wondering what'd happened...
The 'dream' seemed to be the final straw in an emotional rollercoaster, and her control was finally wearing off...
"Ami," Tellu asks, quietly coming over to you as you show signs of distress. Kneeling next to you, "Are you alright?" Worry impinges her voice at your status, as you feel your emotions boil and simmer.
"I'm s-sorry, Tellu..." Ami shudders, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve and the fabric coming away wet as her eyes begin to water. She lets out a long breath, trying to regulate her breathing and get herself back under control. "I don't even know w-why..." she giggles weakly, shaking her head and rubbing at her eyes again, still trembling. "I-I'll be alright.."
"Oh, Ami..." Tellu sighs, visibly saddened at your emotional, physical and mental state. Deciding on her course quickly, she lays a hand on your shoulder. "There, there..." she murmurs softly, trying to console you.
"You're crying...oh, Ami..."
Ami shivers, turning slightly toward Tellu, and takes comfort in what the the green haired woman offers, while trying to get herself under control.
Finally, the emotions are wrested back below the surface, and Ami relaxed a little, drained, but more comfortable...through quite embarrassed that she has an audience.
"I'm...sorry I made you see that..." Ami ventures timidly, wiping her eyes, hopefully for the last time.
Tellu smiles back timidly, her own emotions quietly showing. "It's fine. You look like you could use someone to talk to," she goes on, moving to outright sit next to you.
"If nothing else, I'm ag ood listener," she offers, smiling as much as she can.
Ami smiles gratefully at Tellu, her lower lip beginning to tremble again before she forcibly steadies herself, biting her lip.
"I've...when we were fighting the Ice spirit...Celcia..." Ami begins, shakily, "She was doing so many things at once...Attacking with golems of ice, slowly freezing the mall and the people in it. And at the same time, she was trying to make a woman she'd possessed into a suitable vessel for her..."
Ami pauses, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I couldn't help with the fighting...I was drained as it was...but what she was doing to Nakahime-san...I thought, because of my elemental control, I could..." shaking her head, she sighs. "I was reckless...I found I could affect the ice energy...so I pulled it into myself, to get it away from her."
Ami pulls her knees up to her chest hugging them tightly. "I made a mistake. I thought...it was my own mind...I could handle her there...but I was helpless. I couldn't even move." Her eyes begin to mist up again.
"She talked to me." Ami goes on, in a near whisper. " She said 'I see....Ami Mizuno, Sailor Mercury...all alone, without the friends she clinged to no matter how much they rejected her. They hate anyone as cold as us, don't they?'. I tried...on an intellectual level, I knew...what-what she was saying was wrong, but on some level, I think...I might have believed it...she confronted me with things...with things I've never shared with anyone." Ami shivers in remembrance, wiping her eyes again.
"She hit me, and...she wounded me...badly. If it weren't for the others, I would have died. Haruka...she almost drained herself dry keeping me alive."
Ami shudders, hugging her knees to her chest, and hiding her face in them.
AS you find yourself crying into your knees...
"Oh my..." Tellu sniffles, slowly breaking down herself as you sob out your story. Tears trickle down her face as she wrings her hands together, at the climax of your tale.
"Ami..." she says, slowly hugging you, "At...at least you came back. I....if you hadn't...." Taking a deep, ragged breath, "So no matter what she said...even if it's true..." she adds quietly, pain most notably heard in those words. "Even if it's true, you're still here.
Even if no one else would have, I would have missed you," is her comment, as she shakes with her own tears.
Ami shivers a little as Tellu hugs her, and shudder noticably at Tellu's words, the dam breaking again as her eyes begin to water again, glomping Tellu.
"T-Thank you..." she manages shakily, an honest smile breaking through the tears. "I really needed to hear that..."
Hugging on to you with a tightness of her own, "You're welcome...and I'm happy I'm able to help you, Ami..." Fishing a tissue from her pocket she dabs her eyes, then passes it to you. "Just glad no one's around to see us like this...we're a pair of wrecks."
Ami laughs softly, brokenly, while accepting the tissue and dabbing at her eyes with it as well, nodding to the older girl.
"Yes..." she agrees, smiling a bit. "But...I'm glad you're here." she admits softly
"It...thank you for coming here when you were like this, Ami," Tellu says, a few more tears working out as she smiles shyly. "I...it means a lot to me, as well. Heh...at least I'm here for someone."
Ami smiles softly, gently touching Tellu's arm, her eyes still wet, but not crying anymore. "I want to say thank you, but it seems so inadequate..." Ami flushes.
"But, I can't think of any better way of putting it. It's been hard, and...I couldn't let anyone else see what she'd done to me...being able to talk to someone..." Ami smiled again and let out a soft breath. "Thank you. I needed someone to lean on...more than even I knew..."
Blushing at the praise, Tellu smiles despite her embarrassment. "Thanks, Ami. I...I'll be here if you need to lean on me, talk to me, or even just take a nap here and don'tw ant to be alone." Taking the tissue back to once again dab her eyes and cheeks, "Or at least a nap," she says, sniffling. "I always like to sleep after crying. My Mom said it helps clean out the bad feelings that the tears missed."
Ami feels her eyes begin to well up with tears again, though not in a bad way, and she nods wordlessly, taking Tellu's hand and squeezing it gently, before smiling softly and nodding, wiping her eyes again. "Thank you..." she murmurs gratefully.
After a few moments, she notes that Tellu is indeed correct. "That does sound good..." she agrees finally, yawning as though to punctuate her statement. "You...and the plants don't mind?" She wonders, a bit sheepishly. "I wouldn't want to interrupt anything they needed..."
"No..." she says quietly, lying down next to you. "Here..." Rising right back up, she sheds her lab coat. "It's not much, but it's long enough to be a blanket for two." At that, she blushes, "I mean, it's always nicer to sleep next to your sister or mother after crying, too. Or a friend, so you aren't alone." A bit of embarrassed, light haste is in her voice, as if clarifying.
Ami nods, smiling a little more as she has to resist the urge to hug Tellu. "Thank you...I'd like that a lot." Ami replies shyly. "I seem to be saying that a lot...
"It's the same here," she says, laying the spread out lab coat over the both of you. While's it's not total coverage, it does cover a good part of your midsections.
Taking a moment to unbind her hair in a flood of plant green, she fulfills your aborted hug, snuggling in. "Mmmm...." she says, her head close to your chin. "Let's...just sleep and heal, Ami, okay?"
Ami blushes a little, admiring the older girl briefly. She's...but no, I remember from Rei's birthday party. I hope she finds out what makes her happy. I'll do whatever I can to help...
Ami smiles shyly and snuggles in as well, feeling...better than she has in a quite some time, actually. " 'kay..." Ami replies softly, feeling a soft, comfortable drowsiness setting in, the platonic comfort of another wam body feeling...wonderfully soothing...
"....night, Ami," Tellu murmurs, as the both of you pass on into a much needed sleep of emotional exhaustion.
OOC - New thread time!