OOC: Midnight, we'll clarify the extent of your energy skill on IRC. Don't worry about them too much right now.
IC:
Natsume.
Natsume Kusanagi.
Natsume Kusanagi of the family school of sword fighting arts.
Natsume Kusanagi, mage?
Even as the months have rolled by and by, it can be hard to believe. But as you gain more and more control over it, it's hard to deny. Your feats of energy control, guided by Usagi, are becoming stronger and stronger. Why, just last week, that annoying tree stump in the back yard was dispatched of with one concentrated burst of chi - beats several hours of shovel and crowbar work.
And thus, even with this, life goes on. It's a snowy day in late November - with a steady, wet snow today and a blizzard widely expected for tomorrow. It's something of a news story, being on the anniversary of last year's great blizzard. Several feet of snow fell in that now legendary snowstorm, leaving Tokyo shut down for a week.
So it comes as no surprise when Juuban cancels just before 10 AM for the day, as a inch or so of snow is already on the ground. As many students, including Ann, didn't even bother to show, it's not a big deal anyway. On heading home and doing a nice early afternoon practice and a bath, coming into the living room leads you to this. Kurumi and your Grandfather are staring down at a heavy overcoat - your grandfather's winter jacket. A huge tear is in it, both starting at it. "Oh man...I'm so sorry, Grandfather," Kurumi blurts out, blushing. "I know that was your favorite jacket and..."
To his credit, he just shakes his head. "No, it's fine, Kurumi. Just purchase me a new one today before the storm sets in." Glancing back over his shoulder, "Oh, Natsume. Why don't the two of you go to the mall together?"
Kurumi smiles a bit at that, perking up. "That's a good idea...you've been so into your training I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you much in the past week, Natsume-chan."
"Huh...have I really been that busy?" Natsume thinks. In hindsight, most of her time WAS either being spent in the dojo, or with Usagi. "Sorry about that, I guess it just slipped my mind."
It does not take long for her to change into some slightly warmer clothing. She thought it a bit odd that Kurumi would want to go out in such wintry conditions, but she did not want to deny her younger sister a chance at sibling bonding, something she now admits they've been lacking as of late.
"Alright, let's go," Natsume says as she throws on her own heavy jacket. "But try not to spend a better part of the day trying on 100 different pairs of the same shoes, you know how much I hate that."
Putting on her own puffy and pale blue jacket, Kurumi smiles. "I promise, Natsume-chan," she vows. "Though, maybe you should look into some new shoes, or maybe a nice new dress?"
As she banters with you, you step out into the snowstorm. It's a nasty one with three to four inches already falling, and the grey sky is showing no signs of ceasing. With a bit of a wind, it's really not fun to be outside at all. At least it's not a far walk, as even conversation is a bit strained in this weather.
Silence eventually settles between them as they continue to trek through the thick layer of snow. After spending a few minutes admiring her own milky white breath, Natsume gazes up at the dull, ash gray sky, and watches the snowflakes slowly flutter down.....
"It was such a long time ago...the last time we played in the snow...," Natsume muses outloud. "I think...I think it was the last winter we spent with Mom and Dad...."
"Mmmm," Kurumi says, sending her head and gaze heaven ward as well. "I always think about snow with them because of that," she murmurs, thoughtful. "And with last winter...I did a lot of thinking."
Turning to you, "Grandfather told me once that snowflakes were the crystalline tears of those who miss us." Kurumi smiles, sadness tinging it strongly, as she holds out her hand to catch a snowflake. "I wonder if it's snowing where Mom and Dad are now?"
"Hmm, I would hope so," Natsume says. "Its probably snowing all year around where they are..."
She could still remember their faces clearly in her mind, but as the years passed she found the picture growing just a little more fuzzy. Maybe one day she would forget what they looked like...but for now she was content to know that that day was a long way away.
"We never did know how they died," Natsume says softly. "I wish I could've been there to say goodbye."
Kurumi sniffles a bit, wiping away a tear from her upturned face. "Yeah. I...still can't believe they'd have left us alone if they could have helped it at all, though."
Taking a shuddery breath to compose herself,
Oh, Natsume...You at least remember them...That's one up on me.
"At least we still have Grandfather," Kurumi notes, trying to look up. "We'd have been left alone to wander if it wasn't for him." A smile there, brightening her melancholy face. "Kami only know what would have been our fate then, Natsume."
"Oh I'm sure we'd come up with something," Natsume says, amused. "We'd probably become a pair of wandering gypsies traveling from one end of Japan to the other, living by whatever means we could."
Hm, I guess that would make for a pretty interesting life.
"Well, that probably sounds a bit too farfetched," Natsume smiles. "What do you think?"
"Realistically?" So asking, Kurumi again glances at the sky that is gracing you with millions of snowflakes. "We'd probably have ended up being taken to an orphanage, or being adopted sooner or later." Now slipping into a thoughtful lull as she speaks, Kurumi smiles.
"When you look at it that way, we're even luckier to have Grandfather around. Kami only know what you'd do if you hadn't been taught swordfighting, Natsume."
Probably...hell, maybe she'd be the giggling sister I always kind of wished for, to buy clothes with and laugh about boys....
That's a good question....what would I be doing now if I didn't have the sword....
Natsume's face turns contemplative. She had never really thought about it really. The art of swordfighting had been a fascination for her ever since she first met her grandfather, so many years ago....
The sword has been nearly my entire life. I just can't imagine what I would be doing without it...
"Hm...I don't know if I should be worried by that or not..."
"Yeah," Natsume replies after a moment. "Probably just as well, sis."
At that, Natsume falls quiet. With the snows falling and silence between the two of you settling in, it's ripe for contemplation as you approach Tokyo Mall. This seems to be what takes Kurumi, who goes silent and has her gaze fall on the sidewalk you transverse.
Would Natsume be like that? I can't help but think that even without sword fighting that she'd still be the way she is. Still so quiet and dedicated to whatever she does, still interested in those Senshi? Still so damned focused?
Would I be the same, though? If I only had Natsume...would I be Natsume II?
Glancing up at Natsume, Kurumi smiles slightly as you enter the walkway to Tokyo Mall, through the path between parking lots. "Hey, Natsume.
Are you happy with what you do?"
"Of course," Natsume answers, as if it were the easiest question in the world. "Anything worth doing just should be worth enjoying. That's what I believe anyway."
"Guess so," Natsume murmurs with a smile, as you approach the entrance you desire. It's a little side door that you've used before, that leads you right into the mall, near the 1st floor clothing shop Kurumi has always been fond of.
As you enter, you note it's not really all that much warmer inside as outside...brr. On entering, the same familiar details catch your eye.
The floor setup is pretty simple - underneath the shadow of the upper walkways are the stores, each advertising great deals and bargains in glittering glass windows. Past that is the guts of the floor area, the open areas with benches, trees, and such, leading to the center area with the fountain and exhibit. Esclators dot here and there, leading to higher floors.
The roof of the fourth floor is a giant skyroof. Gray light comes down from it, but not enough. Due to the snowy weather, it leaves a certain lack of light in the majority of the mall. A special, almost dusk like shadowness, only banished in small pools of yellow light in intervals.
Some people are about, all dressed in warm sweaters, scarves, coats, trench jackets - the familiar wear of the winter months. A high number of school uniforms are hidden underneath the jackets, showing that Juuban wasn't the only school with no attendance today. Everyone seems cheery and relaxed despite the gloominess as you head to the ice scuptures. It's a strange contrast.
Past all this, Kurumi heads right to the shop she wants to - Naomi's Clothing. Nothing unusual to this, really. "Come on...and if you hurry, we'll have time to get you some shoes after all, too," Kurumi says with a playful smile, her mood boosting in anticipation of a shopping fix. The normal dummies with clothes are in the windows, the same blue sign above the open entrance as always. Just another day in the mall...right? Just the same as Kurumi heads into the front racks of advertised winter clothes...?
Natsume walks in right behind Kurumi. The store seemed to be having a winter sale of some kind, judging by the unusual number of customers packed into the place. Kurumi had quickly headed over to the winter clothing racks, leaving Natsume to her own devices...
"I'll never understand that girl," she sighs. She could never understand the allure of shopping, but nonetheless she went to work finding something...anything...she might need. "No way will Kurumi let me leave without getting something..."
Glancing about, you walk around a bit. Damn, it's chilly in here...don't they have the heat on? Almost like an icebox, as a matter of fact. But, your contemplations about the cold are cut off by something catching your eye. A rack of scarves, with one near the front getting your attention. It's the palest gold, long and woolly. Nice and all...and yet, a patch of ice is forming on it, spreading across the scarf there to all the others in the rack.
"Don't they realize how cold it is in here?" Natsume says to herself, just before she notices the ice forming the scarves, and moves to take a closer look. "This is getting ridiculous, I hope Kurumi hurries up so we can get out of this place."
The ice continues to spread fast, faster than it should by any means! Within ten seconds, the entire rack is covered, the ice shooting up and around everywhere! The store is being coated in ice faster than you can see!
And yet, for this, "NATSUME!" Kurumi cries out, pained. Turning, you see ice swiftly travelling up her body as she tries to walk out from the racks of clothes, inching up her...
"KURUMI!" Natsume screams as she sees her sister being consumed by the ice. She rushes to her side quickly, and sees the ice extending from the floor and slowly crawling its way up her legs. "Just stay calm Kurumi, I...I'll think of something!"
I could melt the ice easily...but I can't just use my powers in public! What do I do?!
"Nat...sume..." Kurumi gasps, shivering and shuddering as the ice makes it up her chest. All around you, the entire store - including other humans sans yourself - are being covered in a thick quilt of ice. Employees and shoppers alike are flashfrozen by this surge of frigidness, Kurumi the only one showing any resistance at all to it.
"I'm...it's..." she gasps, as the ice is starting to get close to her neck...
In the face of her sister's helplessness, Natsume decides that action takes precedence over discretion. She immediately throws her gloves off and places her hands on the ice. Her hands feel instantly numb, like a thousand needles driving themselves into their flesh, but she bears with the pain as she begins focusing all of her ki into the palms of her hands. She can already feel them warming up, and hopes the heat will grow so that she can melt the ice that is entrapping her sister.
OOC: Due to us having time issues with IRC on weekdays, I took the liberty of rolling for you. Simpler for all concerned, as I don't want to have to pause over something trifling liket his.
IC:
* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6-1 and gets 4."
As the world around you continues to freeze into a pefect winterscape, the power of your chi courses into the ice around Kurumi! It pauses just below her mouth and jaw, the girl shuddering...but stopping as the ice begins to thin.
"Natsume...chan?" Kurumi manages from blue tinged lips. "It's...warm...?" With a golden glow, the ice melts away from her, thinning out then fading altogether! Kurumi falls to he knees amid a sprinkling of watery ice, shivering terribly.
"Oh...oh...Natsume..." she shudders, her clothes notably wet from the melting.
Natsume collapses to her knees in exhaustion. That was an application she had never tried before, and forcing such thick ice to melt had taxed her to her limits.
"Kurumi...are you...alright?" Natsume asks between labored breaths.
Your sister shudders and shakes from her experience, but looks up at you weakly. "I'm...cold, Natsume," she half gasps, her outer coat sagging with lots of added moisture. Sighing, she begins to undue the buttons on it, quickly divesting herself of the ruined jacket. It lands on the floor with a wet plop, her inner clothes just as soaked.
"What's going on," she asks, shivering. "It's turning into an ice rink...?"
"I'm not sure," Natsume replies, having caught her breath. "I've never seen ice move so quickly, its like its alive."
She quickly surveys the store, and sees countless other customers entombed in coffins of ice, most of their faces frozen in a mask of terror. It would be impossible to unfreeze them all, judging by how much energy it took just to free Kurumi.
"For now, we'd better focus on getting out of here," Natsume says. "Theres no telling what will come next."
Indeed, the ice is merely growing thicker now, clear yet throughly smothering. The doors are icing over, a wall of frost forming with the doors merely jammed in the middle.
Your sister rises, pulling at her freezing wet blouse. "I need to get out of these clothes or I'll get hypothermia. Natsume...can you free one of the racks of clothes?" Kurumi asks, her face grimacing at the cold she feels.
Natsume focuses her ki again. The ice around the clothing is not as thick as what surrounds the people, so it melts reasonably quickly, and with noticeably less effort. She also takes a bit of extra time to ensure the clothes are dry after the ice is melted.
"Alright, hurry and get dressed, the sooner we leave the better," Natsume says as she turns her attention over the iced over doors.
I could just blast them open, but I've already used so much energy as it is. Better to conserve as much as possible...
So, she instead decides on a more direct approach, and attempts to ram them open...
As Kurumi does so, you give the door a good RAM! Running to get a good head of stream, you plow right into the door, shoulder first!
* Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
Your crude body attack does cause a CRACK! to sound, a few pressure faults running through the ice from the small crater you impacted into the frozen water. Indeed, the doors are likely looser now as well, but it's still considerably iced over. A single ram doesn't seem to be up to the job, at least by itself.
Meanwhile, Kurumi takes care of her business, calling out from behind a frigid rack. "Natsume-chan, what the hell is going ON here? This is like a bad anime now!"
I really wish that's all it was.
"I really don't know," Natsume answers. "I don't know of anyone or anything that could just freeze an entire store full of people like this."
And here I thought it was only the air conditioner on the fritz....
Natsume takes a few steps back and tries for another ram, hoping this attempt would yield better results.
* Musk-bot --> "Natsume rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
Getting another running start, Natsume again shoulderbutts the door! The crack of ice is heard as even more lines run through the ice! A moan comes from it, the sound of ice cracking under pressure...yet it holds, damaged but up. It's looking considerably loosened, though. Maybe a few more shots...?
MEanwhile, as you survey your handiwork this time, it's getting even colder, well below freezing. "Natsume, is the door going at all," Kurumi asks in a tight voice. "I'm getting cold and...." It's also rather dim in here now. The lights are being frosted, many failing and at the least covered in a foot of thick ceiling frost.
Natsume curses to herself in frustration. She had obviously underestimated the strength of the ice surrounding the door.
So much for conserving energy. I guess I'll just worry about that after we get out of here....
"Kurumi, I want you to get behind something," she instructs as she takes a step or two back, then aims her index finger at the door. "This might get a little dangerous."
Hopefully its weakened enough that I'll only need one shot.
Starning at you,
With what she did last time...is Natsume...
"Alright," she nods, ducking behind a frozen over rack of clothes. This gives you a free shot, now...
After Kurumi is clear, Natsume focuses on concentrating her ki. Before long, she feels the familiar sensation of the energy building to critical, and a bright, pulsing point of light forms and grows at the tip of her finger. Hoping its enough to get the job done, she aims and fires...
Your body heats and prickles as your white hot chi forms, the familiar blast flying out! You are blinded a moment by the light and the effort to release it, taking a needed step back and watching on...
With a crash, the jagged bolt slams into the door! Ice is shattered and splayed about as you open a hole in the wall, more than big enough to get into the main mall through!
I should've just done that to begin with...
"Finally," Natsume says in relief. "Okay, we can leave now Kurumi."
Standing carefully, Kurumi views the hole that you carved out of the ice. "Good," sh esighs in relief. "Let's get out of here!" At that, she walks up to you, ready when you are.
"Say...this is like one of those things on the news that the Senshi deal with, isn't it?" she notes, not really sounding amused by the irony.
"Yeah, I suppose it is," Natsume answers with a bit of wry humor. "Makes me wish they were here right now."
Natsume cautiously steps through the hole, relieved to finally be out of the living ice box that was once Kurumi's favorite clothing store. After which she takes a moment to scan their new surroundings, in particular, looking for the nearest exit....
Walking out with your sister in tow, a brave new world greets Natsume Kusanagi.
Ice is everywhere - ice has coated and reshaped the first floor. Where there were benches are now blocks of ice, plants are now shining scupltures of beautiful, diamond like clear ice, glimmering with what little light is to be hand. Indeed, all is dim save for strange sources of light here and there, all hidden by ice. This gives the floor a sparkly, otherworldly feel. The walls and shops are utterly covered over, no outside doors discernable.
There seems to be some sort of building where the fountain was now...it's hard to see from here, but it's notable. There also seem to be moving ice bodies around there...?
Natsume takes a few precarious steps into the now frozen wasteland. The fact that the ice had spread so quickly was mind boggling in itself.
This is making less and less sense every minute
After being unable to locate an obvious exit, she notices the strange ice caste in the center of the first floor. To be specific, she notices the strange figures moving about around it...
What...are those things?
Kurumi stays close to you, taking in the transformed mall.
"Oh...my...God..." she murmurs in shock, stunned beyond coherent thought. "It's like an alien world..."
Walking a bit forward, you can see it's a simple enough structure - a dome, almost. Crystalline ice figures of all sorts - human, animal and a few that defy easy classification are around it, wandering slowly and stiffly. Gleaning in unseen light sources, it's like the constallations come alive on the gray predawn hours of early morning.
"C'mon, we shouldn't stick around and let those things notice us," Natsume says turning in the opposite direction. "If we can't find an unfrozen door, I'll just have to blast one open."
"Yeah," Kurumi agrees, turning away from the sentinels of frost. "LEt's get out of here...let those Senshi deal with this. This just too much!" Nodding so, she eyes around, hoping to see an easy exit.
Natsume wanted to help in stuff like THIS?
Those creatures are probably responsible for all of this, but as much as I want to fight them and try free all of the civilians, I can't let Kurumi get caught up in all of this....
After gaining a good distance away from...whatever that ice palace was supposed to be...they begin the search for an exit, frozen or otherwise.
"There should be one close by, I hope."
Retreating away from the small army of frozen figurines, you scan the walls. Everything is covered in a choking, cloaking, thick layer of ice. It's just one bland wall, save for the one hole that you made to escape your near-tomb.
Yet, you do find what -should-, if you remember the layout right, roughly be the door area. There are the frozen plants and sign there that welcomed you into the wall, but only a foreboding barrier is your way. No light comes through it, making it opaque and hard to see through.
This SHOULD be the exit, if my memory is reliable, but I have to get through this ice somehow
Natsume idly glances at her finger. The ice looks to be the same general thickness as the ice back at the store....
I could just blow a hole through it like last time....
She remembers the horde of ice creatures they encountered prior to their escape. They had not noticed them then, and she wanted to keep it that way...
No, that would be too risky. I had better not use anything that could potentially work against us.
It does not take long for Natsume to focus her thoughts and her ki and form her energy katana. When she first discovered the weapon, it took nearly all her will and concentration, now it took barely any effort.
"If I can't blast it, I'll just have to slice an exit,"
With a short, worried nod to Natsume, Kurumi steps back a good ways, out of the range of any potential mishaps. You hope.
Your blade of chi appears silently, the energy warming your hand. With this and your skills...you should be able to escape.
Right?
Natsume swings her blade as fast her limbs will allow, cutting out large chunks of the ice entrapping the door at amazing speed. It shouldn't be long before she works her way through...
Natsume slices ahead, cutting into the ice barrier again and again! Fragments of thick, opaque ice clatter to the ground, as you work a hole into the wall. Pale snowstorm light begins to peek through, as the snowy day ahead can finally be seen. Just a bit more...
Kurumi shivers a bit at all this, though looks out at the area beyond as you cut. "Come on, Natsume! You're nearly there!"
A rush of biting cold air greets her as she finally slashes her way through to the outside. Out of one icebox and into another it seems, but at least this one was not trying to kill them...
Three more skillfull slices fully render a hole in the icedoor, a final clatter of falling frozen as wain, snowy cloud sunlight greets both of you!
Releasing a breath at this sight, Kurumi smiles. "Come on, Natsume...let's get out of here. Those Senshi or the police can deal with this...I just want to go home."
Natsume has one foot out of the makeshift door when she pauses in midstep. She looks back toward the mall as an odd feeling overcomes her. Its a complete frozen hell inside, and it had taken a noticeable amount of power to finally break them out. So what was holding her back? Why wasn't she making a mad dash out of there like her sister was?
No...I can't just run away...Not like this...
"Kurumi...do you think you'd be able to get home by yourself?"
Pausing as she just steps fully outside, Kurumi's face is a momentary mask of surprise before cramping up with worry. "Wait, Natsume! You aren't going to back in there? Come on...we need to get home, the both of us!"
Looking back at you with clear distress, "What if you get hurt or worse back there?"
"I'm always talking about how I want to protect to innocent people from the evils of the world," Natsume says quietly. "Well here it is, staring me in the face, and all I'm doing is running away."
Natsume slowly brings her foot back down...on the wrong side of the wall.
"All the training I've done, the abilities I've spent so much time trying to grow, all the ideals I've based my entire life on...if I run from this now, than what would've been the point of it all?" she explains. "I have to do this, I have to at least try..."
"But Natsume, what if..." Kurumi says, then deflates and sighs. "You're really going to do this, sis?" Pausing a moment and looking down emotionally, she then looks up and meets your eyes.
"You'd better damn come back alive, Natsume-chan!"
Natsume blinks in surprise, she thought Kurumi would put up more resistance than that. Then again, she really had no idea what kind of effect this entire ordeal was having on her.
"Hey, don't worry about me," Natsume says, replacing her former grim expression with a smile. "I can't lose to things like this."
Smiling back, though a weak smile indeed, "Alright, Natsume-chan."
I hope so...don't get yourself killed because you won't run away, Natsume. I'll never be able to face Grandfather or Mom and Dad if you do...
"Just...promise you'll retreat if gets to be too much." At that, she looks up at you, lettin gher worry show through her eyes.
"Don't worry, I may be bullheaded, but I'm not stupid," Natsume laughs.
She quickly sobers from her sister's worried look. She slowly walks over to her and puts her hands on her shoulders...
"No matter what happens, I will never leave you alone," Natsume says softly. "I'll always come back to you, of that you can be certain."
Kurumi looks down, taking one shuddering breath before looking back up. Eyes shining with unshed, worried tears, "Then hurry up...if you get back quickly, we'll have a nice warm dinner, alright? All three of us."
Then, after another lingering moment, she takes a few steps back. "Get going, Natsume...."
"I'll be looking forward to it," she says as she backs up back through the hole. "Tell grandfather not to worry either. I'll do the Mugetsu Seijin Ryu proud!"
With that she disappears back into the icy hell from whence they came....
"Be careful, Natsume!" Kurumi calls, staring ahead as her sister dashes off into the unknown arctic world ahead.
Come back safe, sis. You promised...we'll even go up into the mountains after this, just our family... All you have to do is make it back, Natsume. Please.
---
As you dash down the cold mallfront, you see that all is as you left it. Ahead, at the center junction of the mall is the small, castle like building. Dozens of icy figures surround it, some walking, some not. All are breathtakingly beautiful...Great samurai could take the time to compose heartmoving haikus here, perhaps.
She stops and takes a moment to consider her situation. First, she's outnumbered. Second, she has no idea how strong these ice creatures are. Third, she has no guarantee that defeating them would free all the people trapped in the ice, IF she could manage to defeat them in the first place.
It seems I bit off a whole lot more than I could chew this time
Natsume laughed softly to herself, this was almost too unreal. Deep down she was wishing this was a bad dream, even her hands were shaking...
NO! After I finished explaining to Kurumi about how I need to do this...I can't let fear hold me back now!
She takes deep, slow breaths to calm herself. Now was not the time for doubt or apprehension. What she needed now was a plan....
I can't face them all at once...if I could lure them in...somehow force them to come at me one a time. But how...
Pondering in the ice cold mall, Natsume notes that:
1. It's cold. Quite so, as a matter of fact. Not a problem for any of the new residents, likely, but certainly one for you.
2. Perhaps it's due to the lack of relative light or some other, unforeseen reason, but the ice creatures haven't seemed to notice you yet. Still.
3. From the sounds of an icy SLURRK! behind you, something just happened. It sounded like something moving and rubbing against another thing harshly, grating, almost.
Natsume whirls around at the peculiar sound, manifesting her ki sword in the same instant. She manages to resist the urge to scream out "WHO'S THERE!", for fear of making her presence known to the ice demons.
Behind you, the entrance you carved it is slowly being recovered in ice! Fragments slither out of the frozen floor and up, filling in the gap that your own energy and efforts cut out. Lining the shrinking hole, ice grates against ice as it settles in, making a unique and unsettling din.
Well that is certainly encouraging, ice that can regenerate itself apparently...
"So no matter how much I hack and slash at these things, they'll just grow back," Natsume says to herself, gripping her sword even tighter than before. "Wonderful, as if things weren't hard enough..."
Her heart started to race, and her hands began shaking again...but this time it felt different. Before there was an ice cold lump dead in the middle of her stomach. She knew it had to be fear...but now...this was not fear she was feeling, it couldn't be, this was a feeling she had never really felt before...
It...kinda feels like whenever I fight Ann...heh...all this activity must really be getting to me....
"Whatever's happening to me...," she whispers, a toothy almost...feral grin forming on her face. "I think...I might like it..."
As Natsume goes through her own cat like smile and realisation, the ice palace in front of her gleams. Though, there is a shaking from above a moment later, distant but loud and reverberating.
Like something just went boom, perhaps.
What...what in the world was that?
It sounded like a bomb went off in the distance.
That...sure as heck wasn't me....
Natsume decides a wait a few moments to see how the ice demons react.
A minute or so passes. The ice creatures don't seem to react much, instead holding their course as it is. There is no repeat of the rocking sound from above, either.
Enough of this, I can't just stand here all day. I made the decision to fight, so all I can do now is charge in head first!
She aims her finger at the nearest ice monster, charges up, and fires...
OOC - I'm going to deal with this attack roll myself, as I want to keep moving.
* Hatbot --> "Natsume rolls 2d6+1 and gets 9."
IC:
It's a fair distance and a hard shot, your effort narrowly whizzing by the clostest ice statue. A man like thing with embossed ice armor and a crazed look, it's head pivots and turns to look in your direction.
As this happens, you hear a whizzing above, like wind whipping. Also, carried by that, "Space...Turbulence!" The voice heard is faint and slightly distorted, but you're sure you heard what you just did.
Natsume curses herself as a the shot barely misses. She wanted to take at least one of them out in her opening volley.....
"Space...Turbulence!"
She stops just as she's about to move to a closer range. What was that she just heard?
Space Turbulence? What's that supposed to mean?
She pays it only brief heed however, she can not afford to become distracted now that at least one of the ice demons has become aware of her.
I can't afford to miss any more shots, fighting at close range is my best chance.
She grips her sword tight again, and charges toward the armored humanoid ice monster...
It's a fair distance to the ice figure, it's frozen body slowly turning to you as you charge...
Despite an opening stumble that causes you to have to replant and start running again, eating up valuable time, your charge goes on! The ice creature is cleaved cleanly as you deliver a massive swipe to cut it in twine, shattered apart by your blow!
As this happens, you can see the other ice creature turning to you, quite a few of them...
Noting the ease with which the creature shatters, her odds for survival begin to rise in her own mind. Despite that though, she's still very much outnumbered.
From this distance, I can't miss!
As she thinks this she's already charging energy into her finger again. She aims at the center of the nearest ice demon and fires, hoping the blast will be strong enough to rip through and tag any others near it.
* Hatbot --> "Midnight rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
A second shot fires from Natsume's hand, draining her powerful vitality to attack. It goes right through the stomach of the second, melting the ice like butter! A second one is grazed by it, causing a tiger like scupture to stumble and fully awaken!
The first, a man shaped one with a spear, simply fades into nothing ness and apart from your blast.
As effective as it is, I can't afford to keep using ki blasts. I have to conserve as much power as possible
She sticks to using the ki sword from then on, hacking and slashing through whatever ice constructs come her way.
OOC - This next post may have to wait a bit, as I'm at the awkward stage of about to merge two threads and juggling the timing between them. Heads up.
Okay. I'm making this one thread for sanity now.