Heart of Ice(Ami-chan thread)

[Anastasia]

...cold....

....dark....

....silent...

These facts slowly ingrain themselves on your mostly submerged conciousness. From the dull unawareness, dark spreads out all about you. So cold, so...you shiver, even though you can't see yourself doing it.

Even the Talisman on your wrist is black as night now, invisible. Talisman...Celcia...battle? Images work there way as you mentally stir, memories showing up wherever you are.

[Bean Bandit]

The faint shiver pokes Ami's recovering consciousness, and with what little awareness she has, she starts the long climb back to full awareness, trying hard to remember the details of what happened to her...

[Anastasia]

You seem....strangely stuck here. Your mind is aware, but...

You can't seem to go any farther. Trying again, the same thing happens. It's as if you're floating in a blackness void...wait...what's that?



A wreath of ice and snow around her, a blue haired, blue skinned woman approaches to you, in your vision. A soft blue skirt and white top are tied with a ribbon of sorts as she comes closer, every movement bringing a feeling of cold to you.

On seeing you, her face twists into a cruel smile. "I see....Ami Mizuno, Sailor Mercury...all alone, without the friends she clinged to no matter how much they rejected her." Like a whipping winter wind, her voice flails at you. "They hate anyone as cold as us, don't they?"

[Bean Bandit]

Ami shrinks back at the woman's approach, feeling strangely naked and defenceless. She shivers at the icy feeling brought to her by the approach...and stops short at the icily spiteful words.

"No...NO." Ami bursts out. "They're not...not like that." she shivers. Inwardly, she wonders for a moment, then mentally shakes her head. They're not. I may be lonely from time to time, but that's normal. she assures herself.

[Anastasia]

To that, the sharp sensation of a slap rocks you. "Stupid bitch," she snorts. "Of course they hate you. You're just like I am and I still can barely stand the sight of you." Even closer now is Celcia, sneering. "I'll at least put up with you for a little while...

So you won't be alone when they finally ditch you, Ami." Close enough to touch now, Celcia reaches out to touch your cheek. "I can make it stop hurting, too. Just become cold...even though they hate you," she snickers, "You won't care anymore."

[Bean Bandit]

Ami gasps as her cheek stings with the force of the slap. Focus. If she weakens my resolve...she wins. But....No. I won't give in...I CAN'T.

"To what end?" she asks calmly, forcing herself to proceed slowly, and focus on the task at hand. Bury your doubts down deep Ami, or she'll use them against you.. "I don't believe my friends are as you say, but even if they were...what would be the point in existing without feeling?"

[Anastasia]

"Stop fooling yourself," she laughs, the feeling of a kick in your stomach area winding you and causing you to feel a tear escape your eye. "Usagi and Rei think you're after the other to seduce, Makoto is sickened to be near you, Haruka and Viluy feel nothing but pity for you...even your pet cat only wishes you weren't around."

Drifting closer, she whispers into your ear. "I saw everything now. How much you deny it, you still see it.  "You can at least stop the hurting...it's all a little girl like you can hope for..."

[Bean Bandit]

Ami is rattled by the impact, gasping for breath, both emotionally and 'physically'. Sickened...? Artemis...? Could She....No! I won't let them down...even if this is all I can do...I won't give up on them...remember who the enemy is...

"Why?" Ami gasps. It's just like hypothermia...I cannot let my guard down...not even for a moment...if I fall asleep, it's over... "Not going to...give up on them." she manages, somewhat defiantly. "They've put their lives on the line for me. I may not be worthy of them...but I'll keep trying, instead of quitting to live in a void..."

[Anastasia]

Harshly, you feel nails dragging across your stomach, cutting and slicing. It burns in pain, making your body writhe in agony.

"Why? They just want cannon fodder," she says, lifting you up by both hands around your neck. Smile becoming even more twisted as she holds you up, "Clinging to a life where no one loves you, where you're nothing but a freak relic of the past....

You know what you should do. Go on...they won't even mourn.

Bleed out this warm blood...icew ill only make you happily numb..."

[Bean Bandit]

Ami shudders, crying out as the burning sears into her gut. The pain overloads her senses briefly, and she wavers, desperately wondering how she can make the pain stop, before coming back to her senses.

Scraping together her mental defenses, Ami gropes in her memory...and unbidden, the brief moment of her kiss with another world's Makoto flares in her mind, and the warm feelings from the memory bolster her resolve. "No." She gasps. "...Keep my pain...and happiness. Don't want...to be like you."

[Anastasia]

Celcia reaches up with one hand, as if to smite you down. Her mouth opens as if to jeer you again, to cruelly dig and flay out your emotions for her petty advancement.

But instead, the world turns golden. Light flood in all around, Celcia hissing at the warm, bright light! Your body seems to lighten and mend in it, clarity returned as the garb of Sailor Mercury appears on your body! All around you...Haruka? Natsume? Artemis? Viluy? Ptilol? Cyprine? You can feel your friends through this, even as you are restored.

In this light, Celcia looks indistinct, almost ghostly. To contrast it, your Talisman is pure blue now, pulsing with frigid energy, yet energy that doesn't seem to be rechilling you. Coughing, Celcia glares at you with frozen hatred, words spilling from her mouth. "You...ugh! Not again! Not this time!"

Rushing at you, you barely have time to think as Celcia lunges!

OOC - Your HP is restored to full and you regain 15 EP. Your Talisman is tingling you...

[Bean Bandit]

Ami's eyes widen as she feels the rush of power, a smile beginning to show on her face as pain fades and strength returns. She turns to resume the matter at hand when she spied Celica lunging at her from the corner of her eye.

Alarm blazes brightly in her mind as she tenses to dodge the lunge, but the tingling registers at the last moment. She tries to figure out what the Talisman is trying to tell her. It's safe to assume it's trying to tell me to use it...but how? she thinks, raising the arm that the Mercury bracelet encircles.

Tapping into her own Elemental control, and using the bracelet to boost it as before, Ami concentrates on binding the ghostly blue woman with the energy throbbing in her Talisman...

[Anastasia]

* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 for 'damn, Ami has issues.' and gets 8."

Your control goes forth like a mighty wellspring of elemental power has been summoned, surrounding Celcia! Icey bars surround her a moment as your will takes physical shape around her! Screeching in dismay, Celcia extends her own power, thrusting out to counter!

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

Gathering her cold will into a shattering pulse, the bars around Celcia shatter into tiny fragments and are sent flying about! Taking the initiative then, the ice bitch makes her attack, hands like crystal clear talons of ice slashing at Ami!

* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."

* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 12."

The claw of frost slashes Ami's side and stomach brutually , drawing warm blood out that steams as it is shed!

OOC - 25 damage to Ami-chan.

Ice spreads in the wounds, turning the skin around it blue and causing Ami-chan to shiver despite the warmth of her friends all around her!

[Bean Bandit]

Ami lets out a strangled cry, clapping her free hand to the the wound instinctively as she backpedals to gain distance. Reaching out again, Ami uses the Elemental power to touch Celcia directly, and pulling the ghostly woman into the Talisman itself...

[Anastasia]

* Shai`Hulud --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 for desperation moves. and gets 7."

This time, bonds and chains of ice appear on Celcia, binding her! Again she frowns and tries to focus on them, a certain worry on her face as she expends her power!

* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."

Despite her best efforts, the bonds stay somewhat solid.

"You little pest," Celcia hisses, "For this...I'll not even bother to keep you around!" With that, her deadly claw lashes out again, this time right into your chest!

* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6+2 and gets 8."

* Shai`Hulud --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6+2 and gets 8."

The claws rake in, blue seeping across your bosom and throat like an inky plauge! While held back somewhat by the bonds already in place, the wound is still a vicious one, one that cuts you deeply!

But to this, as a blessed counterpoint, the flow of vitality from outside raises again! Evem with this latest injury, you still feel alive and like you have the will to keep going!

OOC - 10 damage from the slash, due to being restained and Haruka's effort.