The bus ride home goes without incident. Only your thoughts swarm and swirl in your maelstrom of a mind; hormones, feelings and rational reason all having a brouhaha over tonight.
So by the time that you get home, it may be a relief that Artemis only nods and smiles as you come in, Mom nowhere in sight. In fact, he doesn't press conversation, seemingly content in half dozing atop the kitchen table, his cat form lethargic today.
This leaves you with the peace you need after that long day....
Ami nods to herself, and heads to the bedroom to begin getting ready for bed, taking a moment to withdraw the talisman from subspace, and put it on her desk as she strips down to her panties, smiling softly to herself over a day gone right, at least for the most part.
She frowns a little as she thinks of Artemis, wishing that he was more alert. She missed talking to him today. I might never get to know him like....I might want to, but...maybe it's for the best? she tells herself doubtfully. I...may as well admit it. I do have a slight crush on him. Logically, Artemis is...an older brother figure, and my best friend. But he has Luna. Barring something awful, he probably always will. But....Maybe I have Natsume-chan, now?
Ami dresses in a thick blue cotton nightie, and shrugs a little, sitting down on her bed, playing with the Talisman. Though, I'm glad these feelings are starting to come under control. My crush on Usagi made things very hard for awhile, especially so soon after Mako-chan...Maybe I'm growing up enough to handle my feelings, rather than letting them handle me? I hope so. Still, these dreams I've been having lately...Apparently I have a level of...something, that needs to be dealt with. she thought, blushing darkly.
The Talisman is strangely cool to your touch, like a metal swingset on a fall day on the prepice of winter. Doing so, you feel yourself drift off again slowly, sleepiness settling in. Perhaps today's efforts from beginning to end have left you...tired?
....zzz....
GAH!
Sitting upright at the knocking at your door and automatically rubbing your bleary, dazed eyes, "Ami," Artemis's voice calls to the raps onto your bedroom portal, "Someone's here to see you...she says it's important," he calls. Maybe it was just waking up, but you swear there was a funny flash of light there. Must've been your resting eyes stunned by the luminence of your bedroom lamp, right? Your logical mind wants to say as such, anyway.
"Mmm?" Ami mutters tiredly, standing and moving to the doorway of her room. "Wonder who wants me at this hour?" she asks the empty room, yawning.
Opening the door, Ami pads out into the hall, grabbing her robe on the way and slipping into it as she goes to see who it is. I've been seeing these flashes lately...perhaps my glasses are getting weak?
As you head out and struggle to put on your robe, you note your Talisman is firmly on your wrist. Strange...maybe you forgot, but you don't recall putting it on before sleep overcame you.
Yet, there it sits, comforting and pleasant on your arm, even if it's warm in this house. Mom needs to turn down the heating.
Did I...? Ami wonders absently as she struggles to attach the robe. Shaking her head, Ami chalks it up to the grogginess, and ties the robe before heading out...
The apartment is quiet as you stumble into the main room. Sitting there is Natsume, her hair down and dressed in a very nice set of casual clothes; a forest green sweater and a long skirt.
"Ami," she smiles, even as you note it's warm in here. Damn.
"N-Natsume-chan?" Ami starts, her eyes widening and suddenly feeling immensely self-conscious, pulling her robe tighter, and wishing she hadn't undressed so quickly. "Wha-I mean, why...Is something wrong?" Ami stutters, blushing.
Her smile and soft laugh following are enchanting, as she rubs the back of her head. "Well...," she begins, her icy blue eyes sparkling. "I...guess I wanted to see you sooner than I thought," she admits.
Ami blushes and nods, her hands nervously fluttering to her hair and clothes as she hasn't quite got a clue what to do. "Uhm....I'm glad to see you again..." Ami murmurs, smiling shyly.
She nods, patting the couch right by her. "Do you want to sit next to me, Ami-chan," she blushes lightly, even as you begin to sweat from the heat. Hot, hot, hot.
Ami nods shyly. "Ano....Yes, but you probably don't want to sit next to me." she stammers quickly, and slips off her robe. "It's...warmer out here than I expected, and..." she trails off, ducking her head and blushing.
"It's fine," she smiles. "I..." blushing, she goes on. "Why don't you just sit next to me, Ami-chan?"
Ami nods meekly, fiddling with her robe's cloth as she settles herself down beside Natsume. So much for control over my feelings... she thinks wryly, but, oddly, feels unconcerned about her runaway hormones, this time.
Ooooh, it's not quite as hot here. Perhaps the cold of outside still clings to Natsume?
Nodding strongly, Natsume stares at her lap. "Well...I had a wonderful time last night," she begins. "I...really did. Heh heh..." Blushing more, Natsume goes on. "And well...I just want to see you again and..."
Ami nods, raising her gaze to the other girl, and smiling warmly. "I don't mind." she tells Natsume quietly. "It's a bit unusual, but I wanted to see you again, too..."
Nodding to your comment, Natsume pauses and balls up her fists, as if gathering in courage. "And...er...I thought about it...andIloveyouAmi," she blurts, blushing fiercly. "I mean," she babbles on. "ThatIwanttospendtimewithyou..."
Closing her eyes tightly, she reaches forward for your hands. Strangely cool to your touch, a wonderful counterpoint to the unpleasant heat your home has accured tonight.
Ami blinks, blushing deeply, her face pink as she takes that in. Love...me...? Can this be real? Am I dreaming again? With wide eyes, Ami squeezes Natsume's hand lightly. "I...want to s-spend time with you, too." she replies softly, almost whispering. "I...I like you a lot..." [/i]
Smiling awkwardly, Natsume bolts up, looking at you. You shiver from the stirring of the air this causes, as if she is radiating merciful and refreshing cold.
"That's great," she smiles, "And I....er..." she blushes. "I want to..." Closing her eyes, she leans in to your face slowly. Even her face is cooler than the room out here, you can feel that without being in direct contact.
Ami shivers, the lower temperature...far more comfortable than the heat, and the girl who...captured her interest, leaning in as if to kiss her makes Ami tremble with nervous anticipation, and she leans in a bit as well, tentative, incase she's misread the situation...
After a momentary pause, Natsume closes the hesitation, her lips on yours. Cold and bliss flood your body as the meeting of lips and after a moment, tongues. You feel perfectly frozen, frigidness and pleasure twining together flawlessly.
Head swinning in a sea of icey enjoyment, you see Nasume lean back slightly, blushing fiercly. "I..."s he smiles, before darting forward and doing it again.
Ami almost faints at the rush of chills sweeping through her at the kiss, and her eyes widen as Natsume does it again...and tentatively, she pushes her tongue forward to meet Natsume's...
It goes on as you feel yourself becoming pertly numb, your body losing feeling save for what you get from Natsume. Your vision begins to cloud, even as you feel so wonderfully cold. Your hot cloth clothes feel stifling, only the chill from Natsume mattering. When she withdraws a second time by a mere inch, you can feel the overbearing heat of the room.
Muuuh. Want to just fall into Natsume, so cold...
Ami leans forward, desperately wanting to drown herself in the cold, and trying to regain the feeling Natsume provides her with...
Natsume enfolds you in a deep hug, your head finding it's way into the valley of her chest. "Ami..." the voice of Natsume(?) tickles your ears distantly, as you feel cold overwhelm you.
"Thank you...heh...."
Your last thought before you fade away entirely is that you love being this cold...
But.
As your eyes want to try and close, you see something odd - your Talisman on your wrist is starting to glow with a pale blue light, your skin around it changing to that color. Whaaaat? What sense you have left seems to race in alarm to that.
...So what....?
...Want to sleep...
...feels good, cold
...refreshing...
...But...TALISMAN! Celcia...Artemis, Mother...unprotected! NO!
Ami struggles back to consciousness, using all her willpower to push away from the blissful cold, and beginning to lift her arm to look at the Talisman...
It's hard - your body doesn't seem to want to move as your brain tells it. You manage to see your Talisman with your best effort - your wrist, hand and forearm are icy blue, the light from the bracelet sprading to color your flesh. "Hush, Ami," the voice that comes from Natsume's mouth, yet is not Natsume's, says. "It feels good, doesn't it? You'll feel better once you're frozen again; you're almost there."
OOC - Minor reaction and body check.
"N-No...N-Natsume?" Ami manages weakly, struggling to get away. Confusion runs rampant through her brain as she tries to process the unexpected resistance. "Celcia..."
Ami rolls 2d6 and gets 7. A bare pass with the 20 EP spent.
---
IC:
You manage to stagger back as your body is still numb, your legs barely felt as you awkwardly stumble back. Natsume rises even as you struggle against your body's frozen state. "Don't resist it, Ami," the image to you smiles. "Once you go to sleep...
The dreams are just the tip of the iceberg. Tellu, Usagi, Makoto, Natsume, Artemis...you can have them all to yourself there," she promises, advancing to you, even as you see the blue slowly expand to your upper arm. "They won't reject you there." Her smile is meant to be warm, but a certain nastiness turns it as cold as her spirit.
Ami shudders, breathing heavily. "It's...it's you." She shudders again, feeling a chill deeper and more frightening than the cold she just about drowned in. "Celcia..." she stumbles back another few steps, trying to buy herself time to think. The Ice woman had proven immune to reason previously.
"I-I can dream on my own, thank you." she manages, a sick feeling beginning in her stomach. "You...No...No. It wasn't real..." She can't have escaped, can she? No...No, it's the talisman! Ami realizes with a burst of intuition, and begins struggling to get her hands to pull the bracelet off of her wrist.
You fumble at it weakly, fingers barely moving. As you touch the bracelet, you shudder! Your fingers on the other hand begin to turn rapidly, as if the touch of the on firmly and not moving bracelet is infecting the other arm.
"Let go, Ami. You've lost your body, but I'll at least take good care of you, and it," Natsume promises, coming over and taking your hands. You...AGH!" Natsume's image flickers and what looks to be a can of salmon plunks you on the forehead. It causes you no pain as your head is numb, but does knock you back.
"Ami!" Artemis cries, his human form wide eyed. "What is that...light by you," he asks quickly, as Natsume turns to her. You feel your body seeming to shut down, as if the cold is reaching deeper in...
Ami swallows, her vision beginning to dim as consciousness fades. "Tal...isman...off..." she begs Artemis weakly, her last thoughts grim. I'm going to lose...I didn't pay enough attention...and now everyone else will pay...Usagi...mother...Artemis...I'm sorry...
You feel yourself slipping away. Your body is gone to your feeling, yet you see through your eyes dimly. You advance as light from the Talisman fills your vision. Artemis braces, as you feel a tug downward, as if lulling you away.
"Ami...Ami....Ami..." voices echo. "Come on, Ami-chan!" Usagi calls, Natsume mimicking. "Come on and play!"
Ami struggles against the voices. No! I'm not ready to give up without a fight! she screams inwardly, trying to focus on the rapidly dimming physical sensations. I want to live, no matter how bad things get!
* Hatbot --> "Mistress_Ami rolls 2d6+2 burning 40 EP for, like, not 12ing and stuff. and gets 13."
You struggle and sqiurm, yet your ability to resist is sealed away in the soothing cold. Ooooh...falling...
Is it over?
"Ami-chan..." A chorus of these voices echo, as you float in a pitch blackness. Around you, Natsume, Usagi, Artemis, Makoto and all thoseyou care about deeply float around you, as if boxing you in and comforting you. "Let's take a nap, Ami-chan," Usagi prods, her unclad and slightly blurry to your eyes body giving off waves of sleepy cold.
"Time to go to bed," Makoto agrees, hugging onto you from behind. "You don't need your body any more, so your spirit can rest withus...we'll be so happy here..."
These are not my friends....Celcia again. Ami thinks, with no small amount of bitterness. Achingly tired, Ami pulls away. "I'm sorry. I'm not ready to go to sleep." Ordinarily, she'd be blushing at the unclothed state of her friends, but sheer desperation has pushed the smaller concerns from her mind...but not entirely.
How do I get out? Ami thinks with despairing weariness as she tries to concentrate with her 'friends' nearby...
All around you is bleak darkness, no exit or entrance seen. "Ami-chan," Artemis insists, hugging you. "I...don't leave us. We want you here. We'll do anything to prove it," he says, the crowd bunching around you. "We'll make you want to stay here, Ami..."
Oh god....I already do.
"If you were really my friends, you wouldn't want to keep me here." Ami tells them all and a flat tone, though fear for the real Artemis is beginning to crack through, and tears of frustration begin. "Celcia is going to hurt people unless she's stopped...My mother, Usagi's mother....Mako-chan..."
Ami glares at the people crowded around her. "I love the people who's forms you wear. They're all very important to me. But they wouldn't hold me back when something needed to be done! They support me, no matter what, and it's WHY I love them!" Ami snaps with suprising fierceness, despite the by now bone aching weariness.
The figures shimmer and recoil, as if your words are a powerful ward of will against them. Yet they remain despite this, all smiling. "Oh, Ami," Usagi smiles, reaching to you. "You're so confused! Even if all that was true...
We want you to stay here with us," Makoto finishes. "We want you, more than they do. We'll keep you happy," the brunette whispers, drifting in extremely close to you. "Don't you want me?" she asks plainly, her body on display. "You can have all of us here...forever." The darkness shimmers, changing into your bedroom minus doors of windows. All around you are those you have crushes on...
"Let's go to bed, Ami. Forget about them and anything but here..." Makoto promises.
Ami almost chokes as Makoto takes the lead in persuasion, and closes her eyes. "No." Ami replies softly struggling to open them again. What I felt for you was so much more than a crush, Mako-chan...I could never even tell you...I broke my own heart by waiting until you found Alan, but I survived...kept it all to myself, too, until that other Mako-chan came along.
Ami opens her eyes with a struggle and looks at 'Makoto' with a smile. "You look and sound so much like her...but you know nothing about her. Mako-chan is beautiful...heartstoppingly so, but that's not why I loved her." Ami smiles a little wider, the memory of the frighteningly intense feelings for the Senshi of Jupiter making her wistfully happy, and a little sad, as well.
"She has a beautiful soul...she brings out the best in everyone. She's kind, gentle, playful...and fierce, when she has to be. You look like her, but you're selfish where she's selfless, and harmful where she's nurturing. You're nothing like my first love."
She turns to the others, smiling thinly. "Usagi and Tellu...I have deep feelings for them, because they reached out to me when I was lonely...made me feel a little less alone. It may be a bit misguided, but yes, I had a crush on Usagi. Tellu...I hope to become closer friends with her. She's a warm person, and we're alike in many ways. I'd be proud to call her my best friend. But you two....you reached out to me as well, didn't you? But it was different. Less emotional. You said the words, but they meant nothing, they were just a tool to usurp my emotions, weren't they?"
"Artemis...Natsume...They both are with me now, and you have them all wrong. I should have seen it before, but there it is."
"You look like them, but at the core, you have the same, selfish hearts that Celcia has, and you will never NEVER make me want to stay with people who would value one person over the lives of the MANY Celcia will hurt!" Ami shudders, a cold rage keeping her weariness at bay for the moment.
AGain, the images recoil, blinking as the room does. They seem insubstantial for several seconds, until they slowly reform. This time, Makoto's expression is a hateful grimace. "Foolish girl...you can have everything here! All the pleasure your body craves for nothing!" Celcia's voice comes from her mouth, coldly angry. "I suppose if you want it that way, they'll just have to force you to appreciate your base needs until you understand your place here..."
With that, all four advance towards you, even as a little image appears appears above them. "Ami..." Artemis looks bruised and chilly, but alive. The moon on his forehead shines brightly, illuminating your faux room. "I know you're in there! You stopped! Come on, Ami, fight her!"
Even as this goes, the other Artemis advanes menacingly! "Heh...guess I'll take Ami first," the spectre growls. "She'll learn to like it here..."
Ami blushes, but far from her usual shyness at the subject, the flush is an angry one. "I don't want to hear how repressed I am from you!" she snaps, weariness pushing aside her usual shy speech, her emotions beginning to fray badly. "I. don't. want. you." She hisses. "Haven't you raped me enough, Celcia?"
Bitter, hot anger and humilation flood upwards as Ami remembers Usagi, and Tellu....
Artemis advances, another part of him advancing further even more. "Oh, I'm not done with you yet," Celcia says, before Usagi and the other two turn up to the still speaking image.
"Ami! Put the knife down! Come on, I don't want to lose you! You're really important to me, and to all of us," the image goes on, even as it starts to flicker, as the other three girls in the room seem to focus on it.
"Leave me alone, Celcia!" Ami cries, struggling away from the group and beginning to try to get to the image. "If I wanted what you think I need, I would have locked myself in my bedroom with mother's vibrator!" she rages. "I've not come this far in my life to throw it all away on pale imitation of my dearest friends! Even if I NEVER find someone to share my life and myself with, I'd rather spend my life celibate than leave my friends to you and let these pathetic fakes rape me over and over!"
"Urgh," Artemis growls, advancing! The images besides Artemis seem to flicker, the human Mau tinting blue as the room fades away! "No more, Ami...if you won't take my heaven, I'll give you oblivion instead!"
* Hatbot --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
* Hatbot --> "Mistress_Ami rolls 2d6 for Hatbot evil! and gets 8."
He grabs onto you, cruel smile in place. "You'll finally at least get a man," Artemis smirks darkly, pressing onto you - but not past that terrible point yet, at least. But if you don't do something soon...
"Ami, that's it," Artemis's voice calls. "Stop! That's it..." the image shows again, flickering as Artemis seems to lunge forward as it fades, the world rocking.
Ami shudders and twists to the side, shoving out against the Mau hard. "I said stay AWAY!" she screams, beginning to feel deeply, deeply afraid...
With the shove and the world shaking, the two of you seperate a degree, giving you a chance to recover. Artemis scowls, seeming to look away, as if distracted by something..."Damn it," he(she?) mutters, seeming to focus away.
Again, Ami lunges for the view if the other Artemis, distracting Celcia's puppet from attacking her. "Let me out!"
The view flickers once again, Artemis's face blinking. "Did you just say that, Ami," he asks, seeming to be moving, grunting, as if wresting with your outer body. "Ami, fight her! Do it!"
Ami shivers, remembering the mention of a knife, and a horrified, Icy cold bleeds into her consciousness, beating back the exhaustion. "Celcia!DON'T YOU HURT HIM!" she all but screams, desperately clawing her way up to the image. Horror at what she might have caused, or might yet cause, should she not be able to retake her own body lends her a near crazed energy, and she fairly blazes with anger.
As you resist your binds and claw upward, the other Artemis turns to you, advancing at you! "That's enough from both of you," it grunts, coming to you, a flash of bright cold coming from it's hand!
* Hatbot --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
* Hatbot --> "Mistress_Ami rolls 2d6 for escapiness, and gets 5."
Miss! It misses by a narrow margin, a twist of your body just evading it! The fake Artemis continues to drift closer, as you approach the image above!
Ami relentlessly struggles back toward the real Artemis, redoubling her efforts, not wasting any more effort on speech, simply intent on reaching and saving her best friend...
Rushing! Rushing to it...gah!
As you hover merely a foot away, you feel a hand on your ankle tight! It prevents you from going, a look down showing Celcia in place of Artemis now. Shivers pass through your body as she holds you, reaching up!
OOC - Your reaction, etc.
Ami, almost beyond rational thought, kicks hard at Celcia's face, fueled burning hate for the....thing that tried to use the most precious thing she has against her, and took her first time, as well.
The kick hits home firmly, as your....
Whooosh!
Awareness seems to come back fully as you see Artemis above you. You're so cold, Artemis shivering as he pins youdown grimly. "Come on, Ami," he hisses, desperately. Besides that, your blue arm draws your attention, the Talisman glowing like ice caught in the form of fire.
Ami takes a deep breath as she comes back to awareness, looking wildly around before the bracelet catches her attention. "Get this off of me!" Ami shrieks, shaking badly, adrenaline and fright shifting her goals now that she's alive again!
Desperately, Ami dips into her nearly depleted reserved, and tries to muster enough energy to fuel her affinity with ice into removing Celcia's toehold into her body.
Artemis starts as your yell, but nods quickly as he reaches for your Talisman! As he does so, you focus your will onto your body! It meets another, as the blue, up toyour shoulder, shrinks back slightly!
"AH!" Artemis winces, his hand darting off as bits and patches of ice form on it from the momentary contact. "I can't even grasp it, Ami," he exclaims to you.
Ami doesn't even acknowlege the statement, depserately trying to hold the advance at bay, and reaching out, desperately trying to restock depleted energy reserves...
While you can't seem to gather you energy, your instinctive responde does keep the advance at bay a little longer - even as you feel a tugging down again.
Artemis looks around desperately, before reaching and coming up with what looks to be a frigid ice knife, formed and wickedly jagged. "It's worth a shot...I'm going to try and cut your Talisman," he says quickly, trying not to let go of the starting to melt weapon.
Ami, narrowing her focus to keep Celcia's energy at bay nods tersely. "If that doesnt work, cut my arm." she replies with bleak, flat force, her thoughts coming quickly, and with grim clarity edged with desperation. "I can't handle a prolonged battle..."
He shakes his head, "Ami-chan, I can't do that," he protests, before grimacing and swinging down at the Talisman! There is as hattering crack as the ice knife breaks apart, fragments falling over your arm! Celcia's prison only glows on, as you feel her will trying to drag you down again!
* Hatbot --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
* Hatbot --> "Mistress_Ami rolls 2d6+1 for walking a razor's edge! and gets 11."
You feel pulled, reality becoming an image a few feet from your vision as the black void returns! Celcia is holding your side, grimacing as she's trying to drag you down. "This is my body...you don't deserve such a affinitied to ice form!"
Ami doesn't bother to reply, and simply shoves hard on Celcia, struggling to get free. "You lost your right to ice powers the moment you held them above human life!"
* Hatbot --> "Mistress_Ami rolls 2d6 for again...@_@ and gets 10."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
The two of you shove back and forth, not making much progress at all! "Give up! You can still have all your dreams if you surrender," Celcia growls as the two of you go back and forth. "You'll never get to touch Makoto any other way because she can't stand you!"
"I told you!" Ami retorts taking a swing with everything she learned in the little dojo downtown behind it. "I don't want a cheap, worthless fake!"
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 for...bah, just roll. ;-; and gets 5."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
Back and forth the two of you roll, grappling and spinning wildly in the darkness. "You'll never have anything besides a fake! No one wants you as the real thing," Celcia digs as you go on!
"So be it." Ami smiles, suprised to find she really means it. "Better to serve in heaven than rule in hell." she retorts, twisting the famous gaijin saying before lashing out at Celcia's head!
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 @_@ God, make her stop! She's touching meeee! and gets 11."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
Down and down the two of you fall as you squirm, above and the images fading away to void. "Then die," Celcia sneers, as the two of you still fail to have a upper hand on either side of this brutal fight for survival!
"If I go, I'm taking you with me." Ami promised with a grim smile, feeling lighter, emotionally, somehow before lashing out again and again at her tormentor.
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
As you tumble to the...bottomo f this place, you land against something hard and are winded, Celcia's hand impacting your windpipe! You gasp, as the world goes hazy for several seconds.
Above you Celcia stands, a sword of ice appearing as she recovers her balance. "I hope you like it hot in Hell..." is her comment, darkly. "You've wasted your only chance to be accepted by anyone. Fool."
OOC - Action, Ami. No damage yet.
Ami twists sharply up and to the side, trying to push Celcia's weight away, and squirm free from the choking pin, her breath leaving her...
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
You manage to do so, a knee to Celcia sending her staggering back and giving you breathing room. AS well as giving you a moment to look around. Where ever you are is dark and chilly, a solid surface beneath you. Celcia advances, snarling as her sword flashes!
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
GUH! It slides into your stomach smoothly, feeling leaving as your body goes ice numb! No blood flows, instead your reflexes dulling and shutting down, as if you are weighted down with a great paralysis.
"You lose," Celcia smirks, as you feel yourself falling backwards. Falling, and falling, and falling...
It's so cold here, perfectly icy. You can't feel a thing besides the cold, ravaging your body. The blade of ice stays where it is, glowing maliciously with blue light. So cold...
"Ami, come on!" ARtemis's voice echos at the very edge of your hearing. "I can't get the bracelet off! You have to do this yourself! I know you can!" AS he speaks, a faint golden light tints your vision, a cresent moon again appearing just at the very outskirts of what you can see.
Ami struggles against the cold, trying to reach out to Artemis, to make something in her body work...ANYTHING, and beginning to despair. I'm sorry, Artemis...I can't find you.... She can't even shiver, the cold biting again and again and again...
As the golden light infringes on her vision, Ami tries to take in the cresent moon, wondering why it's here. Will it be the last thing I see?
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
It grows quiet for a few seconds, then the light slowly picks up. "Ami...you mean a lot to us, all of us..." Artemis murmurs. "I know you can do this! You have to! I'm counting on you coming back, damn it!" The light grows, the sword at your midsection fading away! "Ami, get up! Usagi's counting on you for the future, too! I won't let you leave all of us behind!"
The warmth from the light seems to thaw your body, movement returning as the wound vanishes...
Ami blinks, marveling at the sudden reversal of fortune, standing and looking upward.
"I'm not out yet?" She wonders. "One more try!" she tells herself, trying to work her way back upward to the light, and her friends, and life...
Back up, you soon see the image from your eyes, and Celcia! She's nearly there, turning to look down. "How," she stops, before grimacing. "I'll kill you as many times as it takes," she declares, rushing down at you angrily. As she does, more light shines down, seeming to slow and weaken the ice girl!
"This is why I won't give them up, Celcia." Ami replies calmly, moving into the rush. "They never give up on me...how can I do any less?"
Ami braces herself, and steps into Celcia's rush, her lessons with Ryoma-Sempai and Makihara-san flooding back as she reaches for Celcia, attempting to use her own momentum to hurl her away!
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 12."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
---
Gwah! Perhaps your noble effort needed more, as your attempt to throw her fails utterly! Celcia grabs you, knees you and send you flying downward, the air expanding outward from your chest! Yet despite it, you linger and do not fall all the way, winded but not quite out of it.
Yet...yet...but you feel exhausted. If this keeps going on...
...I can't...keep this up...I'm going to die. Ami thinks blearily. But...even if I am, I'll still fight. Tooth and nail, I'll get out...and if I die trying...at least I tried.
With that rather bleak but somewhat librateing thought, Ami picks herself up and hurls herself at Celcia again, form, technique and style going out the window as she fights for her life...
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ana-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 9."
* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6-1 and gets 8."
Ami rushes forward, groping, grappling and clawing at Celcia! As she continues to rise to her goal, Ami is battered again! She staggers even as Celcia does the same thanks to the now flickering light, as you fall away...falling asleep, cold here.
So very cold...it's dark again, lonely and chilly. I...your mind is having trouble comprehending as you feel dragged down into a lethargy pressed on from all sides.
Then, unconciousness. Yet you feel another falling with you dimly, as if the force of the battle brought another down.
OOC - Reactions, then I'll move you to *dum dum* a new thread. Oi, you need to shoot Hatbot/Cy.
Ami feels her body shutting down, a deep and profound sadness filling her fading mind. Everyone...I'm sorry...I thought I could...but I have to go...I hope I took her with me...Goodbye...
And with that....nothing.