331/Just one small problem...

Just one small problem...
Date of Scene:	30 August 2023
Location:	Korma Chameleon
Synopsis:	Rashmi gets an SOS from a wounded TSAB agent and recovered Chrono, a TSAB enforcerer. Hopefully he won't be too much of a handful.
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Rashmi Terios

---

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown collapsed to his knees, his eyes locked on the smocking crater which was the last of the threats. A hand moved down to his chest, the cold gauntlet conflicting with the warm, bloody wound.

He ran a diagnostic scan with S2U, but he suspected he knew the answer. Yup. Nothing fatal was hit, but he needed rest. He needed to recover. There was no telling if more of... whatever those were would appear.

What was with this planet? He'd always assumed that this sector would be hollow. Possibly a few life forms, but not a full blown civilization. He'd gotten sloppy. Mistaken. He hadn't expected a strange monster to appear. That he'd have to interfere. That he'd get wounded during it. Worse, S2U was damaged and needed to repair. As hurt as he was, he was in no state to be using someone else's device. Slowly, he got to his feet and started walking, his other hand reaching out to lean on the wall.

"Run locater program."

It took a few moments before one was found. A device. Active? No. There were more devices. Not many. But more than he'd have expected. None of which he could get a proper read on aside from 'they exist' without letting everyone with such a device know that a TSAB agent was here.

He groaned and stumbled into an alley, then collapsing back against the wall. This brought a hiss of pain as THAT bloody wound was pushed against said wall.

He needed to cleanse himself, disinfect, get bandaged, rest...

None of which he had access to. Worse, he wasn't sure how much more he could walk.

He raced through the options, before finally sighing. He had no way of identifying who or what these other device users were. People from the ship? Criminals? Someone else? Who knew. But now... he had to gamble. "Locate... the nearest device... and send an SOS..." he ordered his device.

<Yes, boss!>

It was times like this that he almost wished he used an intelligent device over the storage device he had. While the faster processing was nice, it'd be really nice if his device COULD make decisions on its own. Especially if he blacked out. A situation that was looking more and more likely.

Not that far away, Rashmi's device would get a small alert. 'SOS - Time Space Administration Bureau agent requests immediate aid. Injuries: Lacerations, blood loss. Location: XX.XXXXX, XXX.XXXXX. This message will repeat. SOS - Time Space...'

Slowly, Chrono sunk to the ground and took a weak, pained breath.

He just hoped whoever that was was friendly. And didn't mind being disturbed in the middle of the night.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The thing about notifications is, if one is a heavy sleeper one can usually miss them in the middle of the night.

Notifications pinging *in your brain?* That will interrupt even the most determined dream about unicorns gnawing on trees made of solid korma.

Which is how Rashmi gets catapulted out of bed in the middle of the night, upright before she can even manage to process Nicomachea's reading of the distress signal. By the time she locates her glasses, she understands that someone's in trouble. By the time she pulls on a pair of sweats, she understands that someone with a Device is in *big* trouble.

By the time she has the presence of mind to don her Barrier Jacket *before* heading -- swiftly but *quietly* -- to the roof-access staircase, she's pretty sure she's awake enough to do something about it.

One quick Flier Fin later, and she's off into the skies above Tokyo, taking the fastest possible route toward Chrono's position, guided by her book. << Tell them we're almost there, Nico-kun, >> Rashmi thinks, and gets an answering *bong!*

<< TSAB AGENT -- HELP IMMINENT. SUBJECT 'Nicomachea' AND MASTER INBOUND TO YOUR LOCATION. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MISPLACING CRITICAL AMOUNTS OF BLOOD. >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times when the message was relayed back to him. "G-good," Chrono said before closing his eyes. "I wonder how much more blood I'd need to misplace to hit a critical level? No, that wasn't a query, S2U," he said. "Begin a... no. Direct one of the other devices to begin a search on that device name. If it comes from the Arthra, let me know. Otherwise, figure out what they can. Other than that, begin recovery but restrict power usage. Do not go into standby mode." Though, honestly? Unless it was from the ship, he doubted there'd be any info on it. It wasn't like he had access to the TSAB libraries.

It wouldn't take her long to find the wounded soldier. A smoking crater nearby. The remnants of dark energy, at least two or three of them. And a young man collapsed against the wall. His staff was laying in his right hand, damaged with a thin crack down the core. He garments had three long gashes on the front and, if he moved, two down the back. He'd look up at her before... well... she looked nice enough. Not blasting him away. He held out his right hand. "I am Time-Space Administration Bureau Enforcer, Chrono Harlaown," he said, holding up his right hand and a 3D image of his TSAB ID appearing for her to see. "All... hostile forces have been eliminated, there should be... no danger at this point. However, a t-tacticle retreat to a safe location would be advised, as I have no idea when or if they'll return."

He didn't stand, though. He would have, normally. But he kind of... couldn't. Right now.

"Are you... an agent of the TSAB? Or a... civilian?" he asked, sitting up slightly... before collapsing back with a grunt. Right. Moving. Not recommended right now.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Okay no *definitely* hold still," Rashmi says, as Chrono collapses back down, eyes darting worriedly over the scene. No people around, no signs that emergency help is swiftly on its way... Good enough to help get this poor boy on his feet.

*BONG!* << SOLAR HEAL >>

A small Mid-childan spell-circle spreads under Rashmi and Chrono, releasing warm, healing light upward. By Chrono's experience, it's a *weak* spell, best used for getting the walking wounded to help carry themselves to safety. Blood stops leaking, though, so that critical amount isn't likely to be reached, *and* there's a bit more strength in his limbs. Pain is dulled too, so that's something?

"Civilian," Rashmi says, crouching down to offer her hand in a more 'take it when you want to get up' fashion, and she smiles encouragingly. Rashmi Terios is my name, and you've met Nicomachea... And if what attacked you is anything like the usual, we'll probably have more to worry about from emergency services, so... When you think you're okay to stand up, I'll take you to our restaurant. It's... about as safe as it gets hereabouts?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded and... oh. That? That was nice. His wounds were... stabilized. That was better than he'd have expected. When she came down, it was likely a surprise at how quickly he took her hand and got to his feet.

"I... appreciate the aid, Terios-san," he said. His grip was weak, but he did manage to get up. "I... should be good to walk there, then. Please lead the way." He was limping, but at least he COULD walk. His device hung loosely in his grip. It was a clear sign of both of their state that he wasn't trying to fly.

"A support device, correct?" he asked. He could have used his device to talk with her, but... admittedly? The verbal communication was helping him stay awake. "You... seem to at least understand magic, so perhaps you'll be more use. Are you aware of any TSAB embassies on this planet?" He doubted it, but he had to at least ask. He likely was alone.

A part of him wanted to question where she got her device from... but, well... THAT was a talk that could wait until after the world stopped spinning. He was a bit unsteady on his feet and if she didn't let his hand go, he'd use her for support as he walked.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Here," Rashmi says, looping Chrono's arm behind her neck, and taking hold of the boy's waist. "Let me..." And once he's secure in a Barrier Jacket-enchanced grip, she takes them both off the ground, slowly. Speed is speed, and air pressure alone might undo all her work.

Soon they're floating lazily over Pikarigaoka, and Rashmi feels secure enough to continue the conversation. "So um... I'm afraid not. This is *definitely* an unadministered world, and the way Hannah talks people are supposed to *actively avoid it.* ...Um. Hannah Steiner. She's... Belkan, is that right? That's a whole story, but anyway. The important thing is if you didn't mean to be here, you might have to stay awhile. Which is why I'm going to take you home, get you fed and settled, then wake my parents up and beg them to give you the couch for a bit."

THere's a pause, as she reels back the conversation. "Um. Yeah, Nicomachea's a Support Device."

*BONG!* << SUBJECT 'Nicomachea' OPTIMIZED TO FORCE-MULTIPLICATION, DEFENSE, AND ANALYSIS, >> the book helpfully supplies.

"Thaaaanks, Nico-kun... But I'm... kinda new to all this? Like, maybe three months new. And there's a *lot* packed into those months."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown would, well... it was a bit awkward. Namely due to how much taller she was than him. But flight was flight. And he honestly appreciated the fact he didn't try to princess carry her. More importantly...

His eyes widened when he got news on the Nicomachea. It was one of theirs. Reports were... unclear. But it wasn't currently active. Or shouldn't have been. It had been one of the devices intended in the event one was damaged or even destroyed. Possibly a new recruit.

"Hannah... Steiner? A belkan? Here? I'll... need to make contact with them when I am able." He took a slow, shallow breath. It could hurt sometimes, with the wounds. "First... I need to have these wounds cleaned and bandaged. Past that, I won't require anything else from you, Miss Terios," he said firmly. "While I do appreciate the offer for food and shelter, I have no way of knowing if whatever that... thing was was in some way drawn by my presence at this time. I--" And then his stomach growled and his cheeks went *red*. "Maybe... maybe some food... would be nice. But... I wouldn't wish to intrude on a civilians life more than I need to."

But there was one more thing he needed to do. <<Administrative access, User: TSAB Enforcer-CH01.>>

He tried to access the device, intending to get what information he could off it. What he didn't expect was for his access to be *denied*. He'd assumed that the girl was a guest user. But now, when he looked at her, his eyes wide... well... "The Nicomachea has deemed you its master. My... apologies. I had assumed you were its guest user. You should see a request for log-downloading in a moment, could you accept the request?"

It wouldn't give him a LOT of information, but it would, hopefully, give him a little bit of data to work off of. Or at least something for him to go over later. But, mostly? "It seems the Nicomachea was... from the Arthra. Before our accident. How it found its way to you, I can't say. But if it has accepted you as its master, I can only assume your capabilities are quite impressive for one from a non-administrated world."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh, yeah there it is..." And the request is accepted, with relevant logs downloaded.

The strangest part about the logs isn't that so many are redacted -- though that *is* decidedly odd -- it's that there are *so many logs,* with timestamps linked to this world's space-time coordinates going back almost *thirty years.* What isn't redacted, beyond Rashmi's entire tenure with Nicomachea, involves a polity some distance away from their present location, with a precis on the general state of the world compiled every five years.

As if she's completely oblivious to the information transfer -- And she might well be, she's much more focused on keeping Chrono from straining his injuries -- Rashmi shrugs at his assessment. "I mean, I do pretty okay for making half of this up as I go along, but... Really I'm better at helping *other* people do their best. It was over a month before I even know there was anyone *else,* and half that again before I knew there was anyone who used Devices. And if you want impressive, you should *see* Hannah or Koji. I'll introduce you to them soon; *definitely* before school starts up again."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. His eyes went wide at the information he was receiving. How... Of course. Nothing could ever be simple, could it? Did that mean some of the...

... Did that mean his mother was... No. NO. They had taken a different method. The ship was gone, but that merely meant it wouldn't be their way home. He'd need to find a way to locate the others and get them off here and away safely.

"Up as you go along? Have you accessed any of the Nicomachea's training programs?" he asked. Then blinked. "Does it even have those?" he asked. He had half a mind to request a log of all its programs, but that could wait until later.

"My apologies. The... information I'm receiving is... quite..." And then he just gave an exhausted sigh. "Hannah. Koji. I see. Your device is a support type. It is most efficient in aiding others. The fact it has deemed you worthy of being its master, despite not being a TSAB agent, must mean that it believes you have a good heart, Terios-san."

"I... will be honest. I had believed I was the only magic user on this planet. Any attempts to--" And then he stopped, breaking into a fit of coughs and clutching her. "Perhaps... we should... discuss this more once my wounds have been cleansed. Will... your home have proper cleansing resources?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"We've got basic first aid stuff," Rashmi says uncertainly. "I can make sure you're cleaned up and bandaged and won't get infected, but if it turns out you need more than that... Well the problem with hospitals is, you're not on record *anywhere* yet. Which might be a problem."

It's at about this point that she starts to descend, toward a two-story building with a large glass construction taking up much of the roof. "That's Mami's spice garden," she says, carefully helping Chrono toward the door. When they touch ground, she shifts his arm to wrap around her waist, due to the height imbalance. Then through the door and down the staircase -- which requires a bit of maneuvering, as the roof-access stairs are only a little bit wider than necessary for a single person -- and out into the living room-dining area, with a kitchen that could feed a small barracks visible from the couch she lowers Chrono onto.

"I'll be right back." And off she dashes to get a first-aid kit, opening it up and handing Chrono iodine and cotton balls ("clean it with this"), antiseptic ointment ("Smear this over, it'll keep you from getting infected.") and finally gauze pads and bandaging, which she uses to bind up the wounds when all the rest is taken care of.

At some point during the process, she let go of her transformation and bopped around the house in a nightshirt and sweatpants, heating water for tea and fussing in the kitchen with rice and some sort of chilled stew. "Is that your Barrier Jacket? You'll want to take it down before my parents wake up... And oh yeah; as far as anyone who doesn't use magic is concerned, magic is fiction and monsters aren't real, and there's nothing offworld that anyone knows about. Trust me, it's just better you don't tell the truth about yourself and follow my lead, for now."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. "That will be sufficient. Cleaning the wounds and rest will be enough, while they're deep nothing vital was hit." Well, that was good news at least.

The building seemed... nice. Okay, he couldn't judge. He really knew very little about this world as it was. But it mostly just made him worry more about the remaining crew of the Arthra. He followed her lead, without complaint. Once they were down and the tools were out, well... He didn't so much take OFF his jacket as it disappeared, stored in the device. And she could see just how deep the wounds were. Still, he got to work, stoicly as could be. Cleansing those in the front and... requiring her help for the ones on the back.

He managed to go through it with a lot of cringing, maybe a few grunts, but he never cried or let any tears fall. He seemed to be quite well trained... But once it was done. "It... is," he said. "Thank you. S2U, go into standby mode and repair yourself."

And then it turned into a small card and his barrier jacket disappeared, replaced by the blue tracksuit from the ship. And he nearly dropped, collapsing onto his side.

He was far, far more exhausted than he let on and now it was clear to see. He hadn't ended his henshin for two reasons. One, he was using the magic to help keep him standing. The second reason was because he didn't even have the strength right now TO take his shirt off. He'd needed his device to store it. At least now the bandages were under the track suit and therefore hidden. But he looked like he was going to pass out already.

"What do you need me to do?" he said, as if he wasn't half collapsed on the couch already.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi moves over to kneel next to the couch, *extremely worried* about the state that Chrono seems to truly be in. "You were robbed," she says very quietly, after a moment's thought. "You didn't get a good enough look at them to identify them, but they took everything you had. I happened to be awake and see them running off outside my window, so I brought you here. That... should be enough for the night, we'll have to come up with something better tomorrow. Koji'll probably have a better idea what to do. But for now... I want you to eat, reassure my parents, then get some sleep. When I get the food heated up, they'll *definitely* wake up, so... Be prepared, okay?"

Even though she has little idea what to do, it's pretty clear why Nicomachea chose her; she does indeed have a good heart, enough to take walking-wounded in off the street and make sure of their safety and comfort.

When she returns to the kitchen, and sets the stew in a small pot to heat up, it's *also* clear why she knew it would wake her parents up; something about the spices used to flavor the food is *startlingly* attention-getting, like a soft fabric pulled across one's face, toward sunlight. If Chrono was hungry before, it's extremely likely his stomach is *crying out* for the contents of that pot, now.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded, giving her a small smile. "Indeed. I was... robbed," he said softly. "I'm from... out of country," he said gently. He'd need to come up with a cover story eventually, but that could wait. For now, he just wanted to sleep. His eyes were already struggling to stay open as his body tried to enact HIS self-repair program. "I'll be ready... if... they demand I leave, I understand. You've already done far more than I have any right to ask of you," he said gently.

But it was comforting, at least. Knowing that one of their devices had ended up in the hands of one who was so kind hearted. He would have preferred it ended up in the hands of a TSAB agent... but if every heart that held such a device was like hers, there wouldn't even be a need for the TSAB.

When she left, though... she'd barely make it to the kitchen before darkness finally claimed him and he laid his head back against the couch.

Granted, that didn't last long. Because once that smell hit his nose he was once again awoken from his slumber.

And soon found his mouth watering. Well... this... this was already starting to be a better plan every moment!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
About the time Rashmi brings a steaming bowl of butter chicken over rice and a spoon, and a warm cup of spiced milk tea to Chrono, the sound of a door opening can be heard. Ambling into the living room with the sort of sleepy, annoyed confusion of a parent wondering what in the absolute hell their teenaged child is doing banging around the house three hours before prep time, is a tall, scruffy, sleep-squinty adumt man; apparently Rashmi's father.

"...Sunshine," the man drawls, as Rashmi stands to divert the bulk of the man's attention, "I'd be annoyed at you bringin' boys home at the best of times. But it's two-damn-o-clock in the mornin,' an' unless we *really* ain't raised you right, that kid looks *way* too young for you. So may I ask, with all the love in my heart, what *exactly* in the hell it is you think you're doin'?"

And before Chrono can even begin to speak up -- chancy at best, given the food sitting in front of him -- Rashmi start talking. "I found him across the street, Papi, he was robbed and *really hurt.* Can he please take the couch tonight? I promise he won't cause any problems!"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced up at the sound. Oh. Oh dear. He looked annoyed. He opened his mouth to speak, but fortunately Rashmi beat him to the punch. And well, the curry looked amazing. His mouth was already watering. But for the moment, he had to focus on what was in front of him. First, the parents.

He at least tried to look presentable. He even stood up... which... wasn't the best idea. Because while Rashmi's back was to him, her father would get a very good view of Chrono standing up, wobbling, losing his balance and almost crashing head first into the table. He managed to redirect himself so he more... crashed into the backrest of the couch with a loud *thump*. But well...

Combined with the fact he looked rather small, clean cut and... okay, adorable, it at least made him look like not a threat. Which, frankly, right now he would be about as dangerous as a newborn kitten with a molotov cocktail. That is, probably NOT dangerous, but still possibly. He was just going to lay here for a moment on the couch until the world stopped spinning.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
While Rashmi tries to do the fast-talking, Goro Terios simply peers at Chrono, eyebrow rising as the young man tries to *stand up,* but clearly finds even that too much. A dark-skinned woman with an absolute *mane* of black hair moves slowly out of the parents' bedroom, robe firmly belted and sleepy confusion in her eyes--

--right as Chrono's spill brings everything to a halt. The woman, now much more awake, glides past the two to kneel at Chrono's side, back of her hand against his forehead. "Yes, Rashmi dear," she says, her Japanese spoken with an *extremely* different, almost musical accent. "He can stay the night."

And Goro doesn't even get the chance to utter more than one syllable, before the woman silences him with a smile. "Our daughter sees a boy in trouble, and her first thought is to make him safe, tended, and fed, my love. It would be poor manners to override her."

As Rashmi tries not to squeal her celebration, Goro sighs, and musses the back of his head. "Yeah a'ight... C'mon Ananda, let's back to bed. We got -- hell, three hours -- before work starts. Sunshine, you're *gonna* get him all squared away tomorrow, understand?"

"Yes! Of course, Papi!" Rashmi says, helping her mother put Chrono to rights on the couch, then dashing off to fetch a blanket and pillow.

Ananda chuckles to herself, and gently pats Chrono's head. "I am certain this will be a tale for the ages, come the morning. But for right now? Rest, eat, and *stay* resting until you feel well enough to stand for more than ten seconds, yes? Our Rashmi will take good care of you, I think."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was yup. Just gonna... lay here a moment. Good curry or not, it... oh... he did not like this. How did he mess up enough to get this wounded? Perhaps if he hadn't had to use such destructive magic so quickly, perhaps--

No. That was then. This was now. Learn from the experience. And-- Well, hello, ma'am.

"I... thank you for your hospitality," he said as firmly as he could. Which, frankly, was not very firm. "I will endeavor to be out of your hair first thing in the morning and not outstay your hospitality. My apologies for intruding in such a manner and I am eternally grateful for the kindness and compassion your daughter has already shown me. Thank you."

Stand for more than three seconds? It was going to take more than three hours for that. But... exhaustion waited for no man. It did, however, wait for delicious curry. Once that was settled, the curry was... ahem. It did NOT last long. He practically... nope, he actually did lick the bowl a little. It may have taken him longer to say 'Itadakimasu' than it did for him to devour the curry.

And less time than that to just finally collapse in the couch and disappear, once again, into dream land. Rude, he didn't even give a review of the meal! But judging by the little bit of sauce on the tip of his nose and how fast it disappeared, Rashmi could be assured it met the qualifications of the TSAB. Yeah. If they didn't wake him, he'd be out for a LOT longer than 3 hours. Hell, he might be out longer than tomorrow's shift.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The Terios elders have returned to bet by the time Chrono finishes his 'Itadakimasu,' and when the food is gone and Chrono is passed out, Rashmi settles the blanket over him and takes the empty dishes away, her face a mix of worry and relief.

Also what kind of people *are* the TSAB, that they have a ten-year-old as a soldier-cop?!

Worries for later. Once order is restored in the apartment, sh takes herself off to her own bedroom.

<< Nico: Please ping Hanzo and Blauer Grief. 'Someone from the TSAB crashlanded badly, still recovering. Please help me figure out how to get him settled in?! on the planet?!?! Resolve with appropriate punctuation. Message ends.' >>