579/Movie Night 2: The Two Towers

Movie Night 2: The Two Towers
Date of Scene:	09 October 2023
Location:	Mitakihara General Hospital
Synopsis:	Chrono, Nanoha, and Setsuna surprise Rashmi in the hospital room with cake! And the Two Towers! And cake! And *Nicomachea!* And *even more cake!* Good times are had by all, and of course Chrono can't leave without being an awful troll about his own recent events.
Cast of Characters:	Rashmi Terios, Chrono Harlaown, Nanoha Takamachi, Setsuna Meiou

---

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Hospitals are *so boring.*

Rashmi has never consdered herself much of a gamer; you can cuddle up with a blanket and a cup of something warming almost *anywhere* if you're reading a book. Video games... not so much. But you can only have so many books in a hospital room before you run out of space to store them, and there's all this laptop just begging to be used...

Rashmi has by now had enough free time between homework, light exercise, medications, and intruder-powered heart attacks, to get all the way through Shadow of Mordor, and has begun Shadow of War.

While the story remains interesting, she can't help but maintain a thunderous frown whenever she boots that game up, because She Has Big Opinions about Shelob's characterization.

She's learning all kinds of new things about herself and her genre fandom of choice now.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had, after countless hours... finished fixing Nico-chan.

... With the help of the belkan. His honor as damaged, but for his student he would have happily done it again. Well, happily is a strong word. Either way, he DID do it. And now he held Nico in the palm of his hand and was ready to bring the noble device to see Rashmi...

And, to which, he sent a message to Setsuna. 'Surprise watch party with Terios-san'? From there, it was a simple trick. Rather than going to Rashmi's parent's shop to get treats, which he was sure she'd had plenty of...

Instead he want to Midori-ya. A locale run by the family of the somewhat terrifying Nano-chan. Asking for some cakes that created the most satisfaction in their customers! ... Their best cakes. And he was okay, even happy, to have carrot cake. What kind of person disliked carrot cake? A weird person.

From there, well, he invited Nanoha over as well. Why? Because Rashmi was a sweety and liked people. And Nanoha was sweet and a joy to be around. And Chrono had to say something while the cakes were being prepared. But mostly it was the first part.

Of course, he also lacked subtlyty... which was why, when he arrived, he came in through a window... "Terios-san," Chrono said... "I have a surprise for you." Then he, very gently, tossed Nicomachea to her. Who was back at 100 percent! He'd give her a little time to calm down from THAT excitement... then...

<Okay, she's ready!> he'd tell Nanoha. Extra surpriiiiiise!

Nanoha Takamachi has posed:
Nanoha Takamachi, Shill for big Carrot Cake, has come along when asked. Yuuno decided to come along, primarily by hanging out on Nanoha's shoulder. If anyone asks, he's her ESF. Emotional Support Ferret. Still. She arrives through the window after Chrono and goes. "Surprise!" she goes. She's carrying the cake, okay.

Also, hopefully there's no nurses checking in often right now. Whew, no, good.

"I brought carrot cake! and other cakes." she says.

Yuuno looks around and whispers into Nanoha's ear. "I don't know yet, Yuuno!" she says to his whispered question.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Shortly after the others arrive, the door opens and a Nurse DOES check in. Though perhaps to the surprise and confusion of at least two persona in the room, said Nurse is the School Nurse, Nurse Meiou, who carefully closes the door behind her.

She turns around and at seeing the others, smiles, "Hello, Mister Harlaown, Miss Terios..." While she doesn't even bat an eye at the two are coming in via the window, there is a momentary pause as she processes that there's someone else in the room before she addresses Nanoha, "...and you as well, Miss."

She carries a small cooler that gets set down nearby before she opens it to reveal an assortment of chilled bottles of Ramune, "I have arranged to make sure that, so long as we don't make too much noise, we should be undisturbed for the next several hours."

She then walks over and rolls over a spare tabletop and starts fiddling with a small box she places there, "How are you all doing tonight?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Chrono-kun!" Rashmi says in delighted surprise. Game is paused and laptop shut, as she shifts the pillows to allow her to sit up properly. Her recovery has been dubbed a minor miracle, and it's quite likely she'll be going home soon; in fact, most of the reason she's still wearing her salve-infused bandages is more due to the principle of 'if it's working, don't stop doing it' than anything else.

...It is, after all, hard to explain something like 'magic leftovers that help healing do better' is even a thing, so Rashmi just let the doctors and nurses scratch their heads and toss around their theories, and just did what they recommended.

When Nicomachea is tossed her way, however, she goes absolutely silent, staring down at the starburst. When she looks back up, tears are falling down her cheeks, and the resulting scramble to get out of the bed and give Chrono a tremendous hug is objectively comical. The sheets haven't even finished settling, by the time she's hauled the Enforcer up off his feet. "Thank you Chrono-kun, thank you thank you thank you thanky--hiiii, Nanoha-chan!"

Hurriedly, she sets Chrono down, wipes her face, and tries to look presentable for an audience. But Chrono has earned a Friend For Life this day.

"It's so good to see you! ...And *cake!* Oh wow that's winderful they don't *have* cake here. It's like they don't know the healing power of calories!"

*Then* she turns to the sound of the door closing, and realizes that she may have been the last to hear about a party being thrown in this room. "Setsuna-sens-- oh wow you found those centimeters you dropped! That's wonderful!"

Surrounded by friends, Nicomachea in hand, and tears of joy drying on her face; for Rashmi, at least, the answer to Setsuna's question is plain on her face.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had no idea how deep he had fallen into the whims of big carrot cake, nor the danger he was in. Alas. Because suddenly the girl was on him. He squeaked, his cheeks going bright red when he was off his feet, rigid and... squeak. "I, errr, happy to, uhhh, help. You. I mean, err, ensure that, err. Right. We, uhhh. Yes. Setsuna... Setsuna is here. And... Nano-chan and her familiar. Yes. A-all of them are here. For you. For thing. Party! Yes. Movie. Party. Right." And yup, it was... clear that he was a little flumixed.

Also. Awwww. Setsuna was tall again. Curses. Well, it wasn't like he mocked her or anything. But it was kind of cool being the tall guy in the room. Well, except Rashmi, he supposed. At least he was still taller than Nanoha. he coughed and cleared his throat. "Thank you, Meiou-san," he said politely, bowing his head for a moment. "Nano-chan's bakery has provided this evening's snacks," he said, motioning to Nanoha. And, well... he DID pay for them, at least. But yes, the bakery supplied.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna glances over at Rashmi as she hugs Chrono, megaflustering the poor boy...and she quickly turns away to conceal the huge grin on her face from the two...and she also has to bite her lower lip a little to keep from giggling as she fiddles with the little box a bit more, occasionally glancing between it and a large blank spot on the wall.

After a few moments, she satisfies herself that all is well, then presses one button, then the other on the box, which lights up slightly but doesn't further seem to react.

Then Setsuna turns around and smiles to Rashmi, "Yes, Miss Terios, I have once again regained my full stature...and I'm glad to see that you're doing much better as well."

She then shifts her glance slightly over to Chrono, "Mister Harlaown, is there perhaps anything you can do to muffle the sound from in here? I'm sure we can all be relatively quiet if we have to be...but if one of you can do something where we don't HAVE to be as careful as to not disturb anyone, it would probably work better."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Finally letting go of Chrono, Rashmi steps back, looking from Chrono to Setsuna to Nicomachea, and back again. "Well... Nico-kun, could you confine a Barrier to the dimensions of this room?"

    << *BONG!* >> << 100%, MASTER. IT WOULD BE AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE, >>

comes the monotone, professorial voice from the charm's 'gem,' causing Rashmi to threaten to bawl for joy a second time.

    << TIME-SPACE BARRIER >>

The Barrier, as directed, stops micrometers beneath the surface of the drywall; *just* enough to provide a projection surface, and Rashmi makes little happy teakettle noises as she returns to sit, cross-legged, on the bed. "This is just the best day you guys, thank you all so, *so much.*"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown brushed off his jacket. Well, while the food was delivered, Nanoha did have to return. Work or something. Either way, it was just the three of them now and he was... regaining his senses. He sat down... a small smile on his lips. "Well, I am happy we were able to give you the kind of day you deserve, then," he said. Smiling just a little at seeing her so happy.... and seeing her device so happy. He sat at the foot of the bed. "Well then, which movie was up next on our list?" he asked, leaning back and even... relaxes a little. Undoes a button. Dun dun duuuuun.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna passes out cold Ramune to one and all, then waves to Nanoha as she has to depart.

Rashmi's delight to be reunited with Nicomachea makes her smile once more...but seeing Chrono flustered and then relaxing makes her bring a hand to her mouth to cover a smile and a soft giggle.

She then shakes her head, makes a slight adjustment to the little box projector she'd used before...and then unpauses it.

On the Screen, the black fades into the title 'The Lord of the Rings' much as before...but when it fades to black and then back again, we are treated with a snow-covered mountainscape.

The camera pans around at the gorgeous vista...but quietly, as if muffled by distance or intervening blockage, we hear the voice of Gandalf declaring 'I am the Servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Arnor...'

And then the camera brings us back the the Bridge of Khazad-dûm...and the end of the fight between Gandalf and the Balrog...including the breaking of the bridge, and Gandalf's final line of 'FLY, YOU FOOLS!"

But instead, this time the camera follows Gandalf as he falls...catches Glamdring, then proceeds to have a fight falling several miles in midair with a flaming Balrog before crashing into the huge lake below...

Which transitions to Frodo waking up from a dream, and he and Sam making their way towards Mordor...and Sam getting hit in the head with elvish rope.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...And *that,*" Rashmi murmurs to Chrono as she sips from her ramune ,watching Gandalf beat down on the Balrog, "is why wizards are *cool.*"

A wizard's greatest strength, after all, is the depth of their learning. And a learned wizard is a prepared wizard, and a prepared wizard is an *invincible* wizard.

Settling in for another three hours of happy watching, she starts picking lightly at a big slice of carrot cake. Carrot cake is *awesome.*

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times, watching them fight.... and.... "Why doesn't he use a flight spell?" he asked. "Or an ice spell? When fighting a balrog, the obvious response in this situation is to use an earth spell to temporarily dampen the flames, then follow up with an ice spell. That's what I always do."

In this case? He was, in fact, joking with them. As there were NOT balrogs in the outer universe as far as he knew. "Although, I will admit... riding a giant flaming monster into a lake is pretty fun. Not that I uhhh, ever did it for that reason."

... It was once. And not as cool as he makes it sounds. Maybe his pride took the 'wizard' comment a little personally.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna smirks and says, "Well, for one, he'd dropped his staff. For two, the sword was right there, and for three, it's generally hard to get a good cast off if your enemy just won't stop hitting you. Sometimes it's best to just resort to beating on your opponent with a really sharp or hard thing."

On the screen, Gollum is revealed...and subsequently captured. Frodo bargains with him and gets him to swear on the Ring.

And then we switch to Merry and Pippen being carried off by the Uruk-hai...and learn about the fricton between them and the orcs of Mordor.

The two groups argue for a few minutes before they realize that they're being pursued...and then they're off again, and Pippen manages to throw his brooch to the ground.

And then the transition to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

We find that they've been chasing for three days and three nights with no food...but Aragorn finds the fallen brooch, and they realize their pursuit may not be in vain.

Setsuna meets Rashmi's eyes and glances momentarily at Chrono at Gimli's gripe 'I'm wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances.'

At which point Legolas lets them know that their quarry is turning towards Isengard.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Besides," Rashmi says, "I don't think there's many people who'd look *forward* to going blade to blade-to-blade-to-blade-to-blade-to-blade-unto-infinity with you, Chrono-kun." With a wry grin, she sips from her drink again. "Anyway I was including *you* under 'wizard,' cos we basically are."

The Uruk-hai troop *always* made her recoil some; not for their monstrous looks, per se, but the memory of an upcoming scene. Knowing how that army is willing to sustain itself makes her *always* side-eye them...

But the glance is caught, and a wide grin spreads on her face at Gimli's line... And Rashmi hums a very basic tune under her breath, as Legolas reports the trail of the Uruk-hai.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked and his cheeks went a little red, but he crossed his arms and nodded. "I see. I... suppose that is true. I've on numberous occasions resorted to ensuring my opponent could not cast terrible magic via application of excessive force." Enstabinating. A lot.

Then he just sighed at the uruk-hai... And cocked his head to the side. Weird. "This book series must have been massive," he mumbled softly.

However, the comment on 'cross country' made Chrono just look confused. "They... have horses and the like. Why doesn't he ride one into combat? He is stocky and powerful. He'd likely make a great mounted warrior."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna shakes her head, "They havent had chance to get any. Remember, they came right off the boats, were ambushed, and gave chase on foot. To get horses, they'd have to find some and acquire them...so they're doing what they can with what they have."

She pauses, then nods, "And yes, these three books are all fairly hefty at several hundred pages apiece."

And then we switch to Isengard...and we see Sarumon in full evil mode, 'The old world will burn in the fires of industry. Forests will fall. A new order will rise. We will drive the machinery of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the orcs.' 'Build a dam, block the stream, work the furnaces night and day.' 'The Forest of Fangorn lies on our doorstep. Burn it.'

And then he sets the Wildmen on the villages of Rohan...and we see the villages burning.

Cut to the brief scene of Èomer and his men finding the results of the ambush on Theodred, his return to the halls of Rohan...and the state of the king and Grima Wormtongue's effective control and his use of it to banish Èomer from the kingdom.

At which point we go back to Merry and Pippen talking during the night...and the Mordor orcs wanting to take a little bite of the hobbits...before the head Uruk beheads the head Mordor orc and declares, 'Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!'

And then the Rohirrim attack, and Merry and Pippen attempt to sneak off in the scrum.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"And--oof..." Rashmi leans over to the end table next to the headboard, and picks up a hardcover book that is basically a brick made of pressed paper. "...Molly-chan got me the collected omnibus. It's in English too Chrono-kun, if you want to borrow it. It's basically Mid-Childan, but it must've evolved separately on Earth. ...The way we have a Belkan analogue too. ... ....... ... huh."

Contemplating how the two languages is a *great* distraction from flying goblin innards, which is one of the things she hated worst about this movie. "There's a fun question..."

Her mood improves remarkably when the Rohirrim descend upon the warband, punctuated by more cake.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. "I suppose. But even when they have access to mounts he is always on foot. It seems inefficient, considering his struggles with... long ranges." He didn't approve. However... "Oh, speaking of. Have either of you read through any of the series I supplied you?" Possibly... but unlikely they'd read any of the ones from his colleciton. They were as dry as him.

... Also he may have paused at some point to redo the button he'd undone. He really was wayyyy too serious at times. He then took a piece of cake and....

"Magic," he said. "Other dimensions, you'd be surprised how few languages there actually are in comparison to actual planets, races and dimensions. In fact, your world seems to have far more of them than are normally out there." Gotta love having a weird magic man to hang out with. And...

"The special effects in this series really are impressive. I sometimes forget you don't actually have magic or these kinds of creatures and keep wondering why they choose specific styles when actual treants are much easier to work with."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna smiles, "These movies are over two decades old now...but unlike many of their contemporaries, they have aged very very well. At least part of that is because the director insisted on using what are referred to as 'practical effects' whenever possible. Things like using forced perspective in shots to make the hobbits and Gimli seem so short, or using extremely well crafted actual props whenever possible. It's a feat that's never been quite duplicated since."

As the horse rears over Merry and Pippen...we cut to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they are confronted by the Rohirrim. After the beginning tension, Èomer and Aragorn defuse the situation, and Èomer lets the remaining members of the Fellowship know about the state of things in Rohan. He tells of the White Wizard and his dealings...then tells of the Uruks that they killed the night before. Before he goes, he leaves the three with two horses like Chrono had been suggesting and told them that hope had left Rohan before riding off.

The three come to the site of the ambush...and while Legolas and Gimli begin to mourn, Aragorn kicks a helmet and screams in anguish before falling to his knees.

Knowing the story behind that shot, Setsuna winces.

And then hope returns as Aragorn notices tracks...and the scene rapidly cuts between the then and the now as Aragorn narrates what he's seeing in the signs on the ground...and the hobbits run into Fangorn forest, 'Fangorn! What madness drove them in there?'

Then the scene cuts back to the night with Merry and Pippen being chased by an orc...which is squished by Treebeard, an ent.

She covers her mouth to supress a giggle at Pippen's lines of 'It's talking Merry. The tree is talking.' and 'Don't talk to it Merry. Don't encourage it.'

And then Treebeard takes them to the White Wizard.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Um..." Rashmi glances at the cube on her end table, pursing her lips. "I'm on book three of 'Liberta My Heart'? ...I gotta admit, I thought it was gonna be a romance book when I saw the title, but it's actually a pretty interesting set of political thrillers. Is that the entire collection, those five?"

The kicked helmet also makes Rashmi wince, then sigh. "So obligatory diversion... It's so widespread it's practically a contractual obligation to note that the reason Aragorn's actor screamed then, wasn't because h was frustrated. He'd broken his toe when he kicked that helmet, that's pain. But *wow* he's an actor for keeping going despite it."

'Hope has left Rohan,' Eomer says, and Rashmi snorts in knowing what comes after.

When Treebeard inadvertently saves the hobbits, Rashmi can't help but giggle. That stomp had always felt so cartoony, it was like it was supposed to be laughed at. "...Those two are great," she chuckles. "Honestly I think the story would be *upsettingly* bleak if Merry and Pippin weren't part of it."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded along, though he had to admit. He saw what she meant. He didn't get all the tricks, but he could feel the grandeur and amazing displays with each and every shot.

His eyes narrowed at the scream, though. "Wow, that scream is... oh. OH! Okay, yeah. That makes sense," he said with a chuckle. "Been there."

He couldn't help but agree, giving Terios a small smile. "Yeah. It's... I will admit, there is quite a bit that goes on. The bleak moments are saddening. But the moments of joy and lightheartedness help to keep it from falling apart. Help... remind us that there are things worth rising for, even in the bleakest moments. It's those moments that give us the courage to walk forward against the dangers we face or when hope seems lost."

"... It wouldn't be nearly as good without them. For a story."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna nods to Rashmi, "I think you're quite right. Those two do have a tendancy to lighten up any scene they're in." She smiles at Chrono's understanding of the sentiment, then takes a bite of her cake and turns back to the movie.

Which cuts back to Sam, Frodo, and Gollum making their way through the dead marshes, Frodo falling in and being subsequently rescued by Gollum.

And the night after when Frodo speaks with Gollum and reminds him of his old name...Sméagol.

And then the Black Riders return...and we find out how they are for all intents and purposes, deathless. Sam stops Frodo from putting on the Ring and answering it's call...which would bring the Nazgûl down upon them.

And then we cut once more to Fangorn...where Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas are about to cofront the White Wizard...they hear the voice of Sarumon...and before they can attack, they have their weapons neutralized...but the light dims to reveal not Sarumon, but Gandalf in the White robes.

An intense greeting is had, and Gandalf says, 'I am Gandalf the White. And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide.'

As the now four begin to leave, Gandalf tells them where they need to now go, and Gimli protests: 'Then we have run all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank tree-infested...' The trees rumble. 'I mean charming, quite charming forest.'

They then step out of the forest, where Gandalf summons a horse.

Back with Merry and Pippen, they find out more about Treebeard, and that he's going to meet the other Ents.

The brief scene where Aragorn and Gandalf discuss Sarumon, Rohan...and that Sam went with Frodo towards Mordor.

And then, as if being mentioned summoned them, the movie cuts to Sam and Frodo with Sméagol. And then we find that the elvish cloaks the fellowship had been granted have some very useful illusion magic woven into them as they fool the soldiers pouring out of the Black Gate.

...and finally Sméagol reveals to Sam and Frodo that there is another way into Mordor.

Back to Merry and Pippen waking up the next day, drinking the Ent Draught and quibbling over who's taller at three foot and change before some roots attack and Treebeard shows up to shoo it off before we find out about the lost entwives.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah," Rashmi murmurs, looking down at her bandaged hand for a moment. "Seeing the sun behind the clouds does a *lot* to make you less scared of the dark..."

Subsiding, she finishes off her carrot cake and fetches a slice of the peach. "...Like that," she says as Gandalf reborn steps into visibility. "The first time I saw this movie, I was *cheering* seeing Gandalf-sama come back. Because if he can fall for miles and beat on a demon the whole way, and probably die but still show up to help his friends help the world? I remember thinking *nothing* was impossible."

Snickering at Gimli's gimli-ness, she shakes her head and rests back against the headboard.

But no good mood truly lasts forever, for there is Smeagol, and Rashmi looks *so sad.* "Lots of people *hate* Gollum, y'know... Me? I just thought he was sick. He had the Ring all that time poisoning his thoughts, and *everyone* kicks him around, and it's like how are you *ever* going to feel safe with all that around you? I just... Iunno, sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he never got the ring."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown took another small bite of his cake, watching... And... there was a lot. So much. Gollum was... broken. Very, very broken. But the part that resonated him the most was Gimli's protests. To not help, not protect those... to leave them behind. THAT? That was painful. To be the hero was very satisfying... but to fail to protect.... it was... painful.

"In ones darkest moments, it's the light that shines brightest," he said softly. He didn't comment on the 'nothing was impossible', though. Many... things were. But so much more was possible.

He glanced to Rashmi when she mentioned Smeagol. "He was sick. To use... a term I use often, the ring sounds like a lost logia. A powerful object that they believe will solve their problems. Undo their own pain and suffering at times. Sometimes... sometimes they can get into the hearts of people. Twist and alter them. I've seen kind, loving, gentle people... turn into the most twisted of monsters when they felt it was the only way forward."

"In times like that, to people like that... all we can do is offer a hand in aid. Sometimes they will take it. Other times they will bite at it. But it can take a lot of courage to take that hand... and sometimes? They no longer have that courage. Sometimes... they have to be stopped, regardless. It's not kind, it's not right. But it has to be done, for the safety of others. But... it's not something to be celebrated."

"It takes a very powerful soul to rescue someone who no longer believes they can be saved... who no longer believes they're worthy of being saved."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Rashmi and Chrono discuss darkness and saving, Setsuna goes a bit quiet as she ponders...ponders who can and cannot be redeemed...and whether efforts to TRY are worth it, in the end.

And then the movie brings us back to Edoras and Theodin. Èowyn tries to reach her uncle, the king...and then the scene between her and Grima in the tomb with Théodred, at which point Setsuna snorts a bit, "...sorry...just remembering. Apparently, Wormtongue's actor would stay 'in character' as much as possible from the time they put the makeup on him until they took it off. Which apparently led to the crew getting a bit freaked out whenever he'd show up in the lunch hut they had, acting like Wormtongue the whole time.

Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas then arrive in Edoras and go to meet the King. The guards take their weapons...but let 'the old man keep his walking stick'.

And then the confrontation in the throneroom...which ends with the spell being lifted from Théoden...and some of his youth returning.

Then Wormtongue is kicked out, Théoden finds out about his son...and then riders come in and they find about the army marching on the kingdom.

Edoras is ordered emptied, and the march to Helm's Deep begins.

Gandalf does as he so often does, and goes off by himself, but leaves Aragorn with the cryptic message 'Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East.'

A cut to the stables in Edoras...and then to Wormtongue speking with Sarumon.

After some final preparations, Théoden leads his people from Edoras and off into the mountains.

Grima tells Sarumon Théoden's most likely plan to head to Helm's deep...and Sarumon sends the warg riders after them.

Cut to Sam, Frodo, and Sméagol. Sam increasingly worried about Frodo and how Frodo seems to be empathizing with Gollum.

Then the scene where, despite not actually physically being seen in the shot, Andy Serkis UTTERLY sells the back and forth between Gollum and Sméagol.

Then the next day where Sméagol is much more energetic and helpful...before the three get captured by Faramir and his band.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Sometimes silence has a sound all its own. Sometimes it's rude to point out when someone is being silent for the reasons they are. As Setsuna finds a pensive moment, Rashmi only gives her a glance, then gets out of bed, collects a piece of Midori-ya's *legendary* melon-filled cake, and gently places it in the young nurse's lap. 'Cheer up, you're among friends.'

"...Okay we have *got* to show you the original Star Wars movies, Chrono-kun," Rashmi laughs at the 'walking stick' moment. "I *never* believed he wasn't doing magic there."

"I believe it," Rashmi speaks up at the Wormtongue trivia. "That actor is *amazing* at playing just the absolute worst people, I've heard. I don't think I've ever seen his name associated with anything but just the slimiest characters ever to crawl the ea-- okay Princess Bride needs to go on the list."

Gollum's conversation with himself just... *never* fails to send chills up Rashmi's spine. "I think this was the first real use of motion-capture like movies use now," she says. "Half the time it gets used, it's *this actor* playing the part. It's *insane* how good he is, and I *love it* when you can see one guy act like two or more people-- Spider-Man goes on the list."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced towards Setsuna. Then... "If someone is willing to seek redemption, I do not believe any is undeserving. But it takes so much more effort to repair what was broken, than to never have broken it in the first place."

He snorted slightly at the walking stick. "Ahhhh. I see. I suppose I should start introducing S2U as my walking stick, then? And... star... wars?" he asked. Oh, the list of things he was going to have to see...

He also snorted at Wormtongue and nodded. "Oh, I believe it. In a weird way, most of the best actors I met were the ones who played villains or less roles. It was usually the 'heroic' ones who were jerks. But the villains were often the sweetest people. I've heard it's because they get to get their nasty side out in private... but also I think being aware of how people look at you makes you want to more often put your best foot forward."

However.... then another name. "The... princess'... bride? So... a... lesbian romance?" he asked. It sounded like a romance. And he was, once again, confused what this had to do with anything.

And then spider man. "A... man made of spiders?" he asked. You could almost see the question marks over his head. "You... like a lot of movies, don't you?" he asked. "The entertainment of this world is fascinating..."

And then his cheeks went a little red. Odd how it skipped his mind earlier... "Oh! And um, Liberta my heart, no. It's just the five. I thought they were pretty great as well. If you're looking for romances, I believe Amy was a huge fan of 'The Reborn Heart'. It's about a dimensional traveler using an illegal ship to travel dimensions in order to find his lost love. However, whenever he moves to a different dimension, he loses his memories past his first travel, so only has his notes of past journeys to help guide him forward."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna smiles at Rashmi and quietly thanks her for the cake. Then snorts, "Yes. Star Wars and Princess Bride are a must." Beat. "And Spider Man."

The comments about 'The Reborn Heart' cause her to note the title and resolve to skim it a little later. She's generally not fond of 'romance' titles...but she's also aware that young men of Chrono's age can sometimes have confused ideas about what counts as a 'romance' book.

See the aforementioned Princess Bride.

Then we are back on the road with the populace of Rohan...and Gimli talking to Èowyn, 'It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, they are often mistaken for dwarf men.' And as she looks back at Aragorn to see if she's being put on, he just confirms it with a gesture at his chin and a whisper of, 'It's the beards.' And Gimli falling off his horse, 'It's all right! It's all right. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. It was deliberate.'

Then the scene where they have stopped to eat...and Èowyn finding out that Aragorn is much older than he appears.

Then the series of flashbacks about Arwen and Aragorn and her desire to be with him.

And then the fight with the warg riders that ends with Aragorn falling off the cliff and the king ordering that they have to march on.

And finally, the arrival at Helm's Deep, and the view of the fortress built into the back end of a canyon.

Which then cuts to Sarumon and Wormtongue discussing the weakness of the wall at Helm's Deep...the tiny culvert...and Wormtongue stating that even were the wall breached, it would still take an enormous army to storm the keep...at which point Sarumon leads him to the balcony and shows him the incredible army of Orcs he has assembled. As Sarumon exhorts them, a single tear falls from Wormtongue's eye...and Sarumon intones, 'There will be no dawn for Men.'

The movie cuts to Merry and Pippen riding Treebeard as they see the army setting out from Isengard...and then we cut to Aragorn dreaming of Arwen kissing him...only to find out that it's the horse Brego that he had ordered released back at Edoras earlier, and he climbs up and starts riding towards Helm's Deep.

And then the scene between Arwen and Elrond about remaining in Middle Earth...and then as Elrond watches her go, he hears the words of Galadriel, as she Sees what happens and asks him shall the Elves do nothing?

Then we transition to Faramir...who discusses Boromir's death with Sam and Frodo...and we are shown backstory of Boromir and Faramir's relationship with Denethor.

The discovery of Sméagol and the slow resurgence of Gollum.

Faramir discovering the Ring...and his declaration to take it with them back to Gondor.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
*snort*

Rashmi nearly chokes on her ramune at Chrono's question, and when she can trust herself to breathe: "...No, no. Princess, singular. The Princess is the Bride. It's one of the best fantasy movies America ever made, before these ones. And only very technically a romance movie, in that love lets people do flatly impossible things. You'll see."

A sigh, as Aragorn does his very best to be kind to an awful cook. "I mean, I *understand* her. Barely anyone *wouldn't* have a crush on Aragorn... ..... ...uh, in her place. But it'll be awhile before she understands *how* kind he was to her."

When Saruman shows Wormtongue the assembled hosts of the White Tower, Rashmi looks thunderous for a moment. "And now Wormtongue sees the future he's helping to make. If he hadn't been so set on himself, and what *he* wanted..." Letting out a short, explosive sigh, she sets the empty bottle on the end table. "That's one of the reasons these stories endure, I think... Every little story within the big story revolves around the same theme; 'small actions have large consequences.' I hope I never forget that."

Faramir, once again, brings unutterable sadness to the redhead's face. "Poor man... You'll see it in the next movie, Chrono-kun, really why he's like this. And it's *awful.*"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was going to get such the education in the end. He... honestly... didn't mind. A part of him wondered if he should. But as he had been learning more and more of this world, seeing it through the eyes of its inhabitants? He felt more and more that learning of it was... worthwhile.

Perhaps these moments would help give him more grounding when he brushed against the veil.

Though... "You know, it's not entirely unheard of for female species to have beards. In fact, there are a few species that the female's beards are considered incredibly attractive." .... Was he into that? Gosh no. But as the outer dimensional person here, he felt it was important to share such information.

Though, he honestly... he couldn't deny it. there was so, so much going on. "This is the kind of movie you'd need to watch a dozen times to understand fully, wouldn't you?" he asked.

"And... yeah. A crush can be... a dangerous thing. But... not something one should suffer over. Noone should ever use it to hurt another."

"... One must be aware of their actions. The steps they take. For the consequences may not be seen for a long time, nor may they ever be seen. The results can be wild and far reaching... so in the end, what is most important is being aware of the choices you make, that they are ones you can be proud of. For good or ill."

... Then... "So is Aragorn one who you have a crush on?" Chrono asked. If only he had a TEASING tone! And didn't sound so SERIOUS all the time!

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna snorts a bit, "After these came out, the 'scruffy' look was definitely 'in' for quite a while."

Aragorn makes his way to Helm's Deep...Gimli gives him grief for making him worry...Legolas just says 'You're late.' Then Aragorn makes his way to meet with Théoden...and lets him know what kind of army is coming...in it's tens of thousands. And Théoden shows that he knows how hopless the situation is...but he is resolved to fight anyway, 'What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance!'

A brief cut back to Merry, Pippen, and Treebeard and the Entmoot...where the Ents will decide whether to go to war.

Back in Helm's Deep, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn discuss how hopeess it is. Three hundred defenders, most too old or too young against an army of tens of thousands. Meanwhile, Théoden contemplates what lies ahead, 'Where is the horse and the rider. Where is the horn that was blowing. They have passed like rain on the mountains. Like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the west. Behind the hills, into shadow. How did it come to this?'

At that bit, Setsuna takes a deep breath, "Oh, Théoden gets all the best speeches in these..."

Back at the Entmoot, we find that hours have passed and the Ents have just finished saying good morning.

Back at Helm's Deep, Aragorn tries to keep spirits up...and Gimli is...Gimli as he walks in in too-long armor 'If we had time, I'd get this adjusted.' (The armor falls to the ground.) 'It's a little tight across the chest.'

Then, outside, the small detachment of Elves appears to provide much-needed re-inforcements.

A little later, the forces are atop the wall, Gimli (who cannot see over the rampart) grouses, 'Argh. You could have picked a better spot.'

And then the rains begin as the Orcs array themselves, 'What's happening out there?' 'Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?'

Then, with Théoden's declaration of 'So it begins.' the battle is joined. Ladders are raised, and Gimli and Legolas start keeping score.

Then back to the Entmoot...and Treebeard lets the hobbits know that they have been decided to not be orcs. At which point it becomes clear that Merry, much more than Pippen at this point, is starting to finally grow up in the figurative sense as he confronts Treebeard over the Ent's inaction...and Treebeard responds with the line that demonstrates that the Ents are truly alien beings who do not think the same way the younger races do with the line, 'War, yes. It affects us all. But you must understand, young hobbit. It takes a long time to say anything in old Entish, and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.'

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Back at Helm's Deep, Théoden makes the mistake of tempting fate as he says, 'Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Saruman?'

At which point the suicide runner sets off the explosive charge and breaches the curtain wall.

Chaos ensues and Aragorn and his forces start a fighting retreat towards the keep. Legolas surfs a shield down some stairs, and orcs keep flowing in.

Back at the Entmoot, Treebeard lets the hobbits know that the ents have decided to stay out of the war, and Merry has to explain to Pippen why they can't just turn their backs and hide in the Shire, 'The fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckburough and Buckland will burn. And all that was once green and good in this world will be gone.' (Merry grabs Pippin's shoulder.) 'There won't be a Shire, Pippin.'

Back at Helm's Deep the Uruks are battering the gate...at which point Setsuna giggles again, "When they were shooting this bit the first time, the orcs battered the gate for, like, five minutes and it just wasn't getting damaged. So the director called a halt, went to his build crew and asked them what was up...and the guy in charge said 'Oh, yeah...we were looking at the script and saw that this gate was supposed to get hit with a battering ram, so we built it extra tough to take the hit.'

Aragorn and Gimli go to buy the crew bracing the gate time, and Aragorn knowingly says 'It's a long way.' Gimli grimaces and references the moment in the previous movie where he declared 'Nobody Tosses A Dwarf!' by saying, '..I cannot jump the distance so you have to toss me...Don't tell the elf.'

Then the two cross the distance and start an absolute slaughter as two veteran warriors are unleashed in the middle of a crew with only a battering ram. Legolas swings them a rope to get them to freedom, buying enough time for the defenders to fall back to the final defense of the keep itself.

And back with Merry and Pippen riding treebeard...Merry looks angry...when Pippen gets an idea...and he cons Treebeard into taking them south past Isengard...and after Treebeard is rather easily convinced, 'Hold on, little Shirelings. I always like going south. Somehow it feels like going down hill.', Merry asks what Pippen is on about.

A very brief cut with Frodo pleading to Faramir to let them go...then cut back to Treebeard...and Pippen's plan is revealed as Treebeard gazes on the devastation of the forest around Isengard...and he then calls the Ents to war.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"....I mean, *yeah,*" Rashmi says, cheeks flaming pink. "Not *just* because he can be scruffy *and* pretty, but just... He's smart, he's kind, and even when things are just *awful* he looks like he's just kind of annoyed at something getting in his way for a little bit, but it'll be over soon. I mean sure he's got that tragic story nonsense that nobody can stop giving their heroes, but... Aragorn-san, he's... just... *reassuring.* So yeah... Probably won't ever *stop* having a crush on him."

Gimli's antics are dutifully chuckled at, and Rashmi shakes her head. "Y'know... I love Gimli-san for just being quietly silly and keeping peoples' spirits up, but... I always wondered if maybe he couldn't have gotten moments that *weren't* funny. Aragorn-san got to be kind and inspiring, Legolas-san just too competent to be real, and Gimli-san... just comes off like a bumbling clown, y'know? And... yeah, when these movies get going with the speeches, they go *hard.*"

And apparently Rashmi hadn't heard the fact about the gates, which sends her off into a round or two of snickering. "And yeah, Chrono-kun... This is a movie you could watch twenty times and find something new."

Pippin's cleverness gets a *wide* grin. "Sometimes, it's just not enough to be told something is awful. You have to see it for yourself, before you can really *get* what needs fixing."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "I can understand that. We've had more than a few times like that where a movie or form of entertainment shifted a lot of looks." He glanced to Rashmi and... maybe there was another small hint of red to his cheeks. "Yes, I can certainly see why that's appealing. to have power, but the knowledge how to use it and the gentle touch to not overuse it is an attractive quality for most. And knowing someone who can always keep their control regardless of the situation..." Odd how it was, in that moment, his own memories where he had lost his control came to mind... "I think few early crushes ever truly go away, I wouldn't worry about it."

Of course, well... "So... are... dwarves a joke species in this world?" he asked. "Because it really feels like... almost... every... joke is based on him. He's the only dwarf, yet it feels like he is designed to just be the punching bag. Yet we've seen him being entirely capable and impressive. Is it because his people are short, like the halflings?" Literally surviving with a worg on him. Then another worg. THEN ANOTHER WORG AND ITS RIDER! Like. THAT was awesome!

The plan for the ents, however... seemed to have brought another small chuckle from him. "Clever."

But Setsuna might notice... that Chrono seems to also spend a lot of time glancing towards Rashmi during the movie After all.... it was really nice for him to see that light in her eyes once more. He doesn't even comment on that insightful, but funny, story of the gates.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Oh, Setsuna notices. She notices quite a lot...but she's smart enough or wise enough or has seen things happen too often to push. Best to not...but the occasional nudge here and there? Well, lets see where that leads things to develop, hrm?

Cut back to Osgiliath, where the orcs of Mordor are surging through and driving the defenders back as Faramir and his men arrive.

Then back to Helm's Deep...where the final defenses are being assaulted...and Théoden has very nearly lost all hope, 'So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?' Aragorn remembers Gandalf's words about the fifth day as Théoden goes on, 'Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep, one last time. Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn! Forð Eorlingas!'

As Théoden's final bodyguard rides forth and starts brushing all aside, then into the horde where they are quickly surrounded...but then Gandalf and Èomer arrive and take the orc army in the flank with a monstrous charge with the sun at their backs.

Back at Isengard, the Ents are wreaking utter havoc, utterly trashing all the infrastructure and finally washing it away by breaking the dam, to Sarumon's dismay.

And then we cut to the battle at Osgiliath...where Frodo very nearly gives into the Ring and is saved by Sam.

And then Sam gives the speech that Setsuna had done several weeks before, cut with scenes of victory at Helm's Deep and Isengard...and a moment where Gollum is driven back and we see Sméagol briefly once again as the speech concludes with 'That there's some good in this world, Mister Frodo. And it's worth fighting for.'

A brief cut to the retreating orcs getting basically eaten by Fangorn Forest.

Then to Gimli taking his well deserved rest on a dead orc and proving that he actually ISN'T just a joke by coming up ahead when he compares kill counts with Legolas...who evens it up by shooting the one Gimli is sitting on, '"He was twitching.' 'He was twitching because he's got MY AXE embedded in his nervous system!'

Back to Merry and Pippen being...Merry and Pippen as they raid Sarumon's storehouse...and find the pipeweed.

A brief cut with Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn discussing what lies ahead...and how their hopes rest on a pair of hobbits in the wilderness.

And finally cut to said hobbits and their companion whom they think is still Sméagol...but it quickly shines through that Gollum has come up the victor as he has a back and forth with himself...and leads the hobbits towards Mount Doom...and there the movie finally ends.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's very likely that Rashmi doesn't notice. Chrono might know by now, and Setsuna probably *definitely* knows, that Rashmi is just the worst at concealing her feelings. And, equally, often just completely oblivious to any regard turned her way unless it's set in front of her nose, with a big neon sign, and then someone tells her outright that the thing is in front of her face. And besides, it's *Lord of the Rings.* If you want to captivate her for three hours, provide her this movie and allow her to dive headfirst into its world. You could probably set up a surprise birthday party for her *around her,* if the screen is small enough.

"Oh man that speech," she sighs as Theoden, King, exhorts his weary defenders. "And the best part is? The next movie has the *best speeches in the series.* Period. And Theoden-sama gets *one* of them."

"Oh, Sam-kun," she sighs fondly, as the little gardener proves himself the absolute beating heart and soul of the entire story. "I adore Frodo-san for even being willing to do this whole hell-march in the first place... But you'll never convince me of anything other than that Sam is the deepest hero in the whole story. The world would literally have ended a dozen times if he didn't almost drown himself to stay by his friend's side."

And this time, Gimli's buffoonery is *earned,* and the line about his axe gets a hesitant chuckle out of Rashmi. It *is* funny, until you think about what it means to have metal buried so deep in your brain it can activate muscles.

And no, she has never and will never eat lobster sashimi for that same reason.

Merry and Pippin earn their ease, and Rashmi snickers at the discovery of the pipeweed. "Yeah, giving Gandalf-sama *all that teasing* over the pipeweed, and who's got a year's hoard of it?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown stared maybe a bit more than he should have at times... but it really was good to see her so strong. So able. So... alive. If that made sense.

Because seeing her hurt, broken, seeing her... almost... Knowing that darkness of the heart, it tore at him. And knowing she could stare with such wonder at this? It made him happy. To know her smile could come back. She was strong. Also, he knew how... special a device could be to a mage. And losing it... could hurt.

However, then the *speech.* And his head whipped around, stared... and glared. "Oh, you little... I knew it. You're not wrong, though. Heavy burdens can be difficult. But it's those amongst us who can sometimes give us the strength to carry them. And he has two burdens. Getting Frodo to that mountain... and watching Frodo carry his own."
"It's often those with vices who will mock others for such things," Chrono said with a little chuckle. "We often hate the things in others we see in ourselves."

But... but eventually... the movie did end. And he sighed, slowly getting to his feet...

And fell over with a yelp, crashing with a groan. "L-leg... fell asleep."

Oh, look, they had a Gimli too!

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As Chrono finally catches on where that speech she did a while ago came from, she covers her mouth to conceal a giggle...which lets her hide another as he has a sleepy leg moment.

She stands up and walks over to the projector, turning it off and making sure it's okay before putting it in a pocket and absently policing up the ramune bottles.

For the moment, she doesn't comment on the various moral and ethical conundrums addressed by the movie...as a part of them hit a bit closer to home than she really cares to dwell on at the moment.

And she's also trying to NOT draw attention to the fact that she's caught Chrono's glances...but now is not the time

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Chrono-kun are you okay?!" Rashmi says, scrambling to look over the edge of the bed. For a moment, she simply looks worried... But then joyous realization hits, and she activates Nicomachea. As the great armored book materializes over Rashmi's upraised hands and falls open, she closes her eyes, grinning wide.

    << C'mon, Nico-kun. Let's help out our friend! >>

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR HEAL >>

THere is something... *right,* about mentally commanding an alien computer book to pull magic out of her soul to cast an honestly real true-to-kami-sama healing spell. And to think that just three months and a bit ago, all of this would have seemed like the best kind of fever-dream. But it's real, and it's happening, and there's something of the wonder on her face again; 'I am *doing magic.*'

The circle that defines the boundaries of the healing spell is much smaller than it could be, but even still there's that warm, gentle feeling of sunlight on skin as Rashmi's golden magic shows itself for the first time in over a week.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown slowly, gingerly, crawled to his feet. Cheeks burning. "I... I'm fine," Chrono said, hopping in place a bit. The heal... well, it wasn't really necessary. He fell a few inches. And another advantage of being low to the ground.

But he still smiled. A genuine smile. "It's good to see you doing magic again," he said, unaware how his own words were matching her own thoughts.

He then gave a soft yawn himself. "Though... it is pretty late. So... I think it's time we take our leave. Besides, you two haven't seen each other in a while. I imagine you have plenty to catch up on."

And then Chrono reached out and... there was a moment's hesitation. Before he patted her on the head. "I look forward to seeing you in the field again, Terios-san."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna blinks at Chrono, then shakes her head. Oblivious boy is oblivious.

She shrugs internally, then says, "Well, I'll be happy to help Rashmi-chan finish off this cake."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi's expression very nearly outshines her magic, as she chuckles under the headpat. "I can't wait to get back out there either, Chrono-senpai," she says... with no small amount of humor in the honorific. Silly boy, being a silly, serious mentor type. "But yeah, you go to bed. We can finish up with the cake, and-- well I can save some for you now! ...Nico-kun's storage is fixed, right?"

    << *BONG!* >> << INTACT AND OPERATIONAL, MASTER. >>

"...Perfect! So whatever Setsuna-chan and I can't finish I can save for after hospital food!"

...Being in the hospital *sucks.*

"Good night!"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded and then made his way towards the window. He paused for a moment, grinning back at her. And it was that same smile he always had. That same look. A soldier, through and through. One who kept his emotions so well in check. But she had been around him a while. She could see that... slight glimmer in his eyes that told her it was real.

"Oh, Terios-san, Meiou-san. I wanted to tell the both of you, but I actually forgot until now. How silly of me. It's no big deal... but... Thanks to some aid from Silvia-san, I've managed to locate another member of the Arthra's crew. She's doing quite well. I'll tell you more about it at our next training session."

AND THEN THE LITTLE TSAB AGENT LEFT!

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna blinks at Chrono as he gives a parting shot like that, then scarpers off...and she just stares at his departing form until he's out of sight.

At which point she turns and looks at Rashmi, "...okay, there is LITERALLY no way that boy just 'forgot'..."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
And Rashmi's grin freezes as he drops that bomb and just *hops out the window.* "...*No big deal?!* ...Did I ever tell you about the time I almost threw a chair at someone at Debate Club in my old school?"

Rashmi is many things. Kind, gentle, caring... But anyone who knows her father, knows that there *is* a temper under all that sanguinity, and there's a glitter in her eye now, that there wasn't when Sunbreaker was ever an object of discussion. Not to mention the Osaka accent creeping into her voice.

"...Think I'm'a have to revive old traditions..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna just smirks a bit and arches an eyebrow, "...oh? Please. What traditions are those?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"*Percussive maintenance,*" Rashmi all but growls. "Sometimes you just gotta realign all the parts so they sit right an' work properly."

Loosing a long sigh, she shakes her head. "We were doing improv one-off arguments at the club, but one of the students was the kind of jerk who liked to make people uncomfortable, but it was his turn to pick topic. I had to argue *for* American-style gun laws. ...I got about ten minutes in before I went for the chair."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna snorts and rolls her eyes, "I doubt you'll be able to beat him with a folding chair this time. However, if you like, I can hook you up with a wide array of staves, or if you want to get particularly percussive without doing any LASTING harm, I know where I can get my hands on some boffa weapons on short order."

At Rashmi's quite likely question of 'what are those', she responds, "...they're used by some re-enactors over in America. Basically imagine a PVC pipe wrapped in foam rubber and duct tape. You can smack someone really good with one and it won't do any LASTING damage."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
At this, Rashmi can't help but loost a snort of laughter. "That sounds like fun! But no, thanks. The great thing about magic is, I have to *actively turn on* a permanently-damaging setting to worry about hurting someone for real. So if I really want to get back at him, I can just ask Nanoha-chan to do another training session with him!"

The redhead grins. "The girl who delivered the cakes with Chrono? Turns out she could probably hold off the Yamato single-handed. The *space* battleship, not the real one."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna blinks a few times at that, "...so..."

She pauses for a moment, then shakes her head and goes on, "...so you're saying that she's basically a magical Wave Motion Gun?"

She very carefully mentally files that information away for later...because it'll be VERY useful to have someone around who can do that kind of thing...especially if their enemies are not savvy enough with modern media to appreciate the idea of the threat.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Just about!" Rashmi chirps. "I was passed out the last time she really had to open up on something -- spent too much mana too quickly -- but *oh boy* did I see the crater afterward. Nanoha-chan is *definitely* the kind of mahou you call in when you need to just *erase* cover without causing loss of life. Not loss of buildings though. Yikes was I glad for Barriers, we'd've been missing a good chunk of the fencing room."

With that, she slides back off the bed, opening up the cake boxes. "Melon, peach, carrot?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna Meiou says, "Let me get a slice of the melon to go, then I should probably let youget some sleep so they can let you out of here tomorrow.""