346/Magic Fight Night

Magic Fight Night
Date of Scene:	01 September 2023
Location:	Sports Pavilion
Synopsis:	After magic fight night, Naru learns more about Device magic from Koji.
Cast of Characters:	Koji Silvia, Naru Osaka

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Koji Silvia has posed:
Magical Girl Self-Defense Class can be surprisingly... mundane... even with the weird magical stuff.

Today, some of them were wanting to practice ranged attacks. This lead to one of the rare boys who seem to be able to transform and help out to create targets and even project a scoreboard for them all. It actually turned into a game at one point for some of the sparkly-dressed ones to shoot various colored bolts of light against moving targets to see who could hit the most, and of course everyone was encouraging everyone else...

But that left the young man who was behind the whole thing... in both the figurative and literal sense. He had these floating knife-like things making the shields and moving around, and there was a larger shield in the back to catch any stray blasts and keep it from adding fresh craters to the sports paviilion.

Class has started to wrap up, and most of the others have left, leaving the semi-masked young man who seems to go by 'Hanzo' sipping through said mask on an energy drink as those strange floating knives around him continue to bob and otherwise move about... as if they were alive in their own right.

Naru Osaka has posed:
While she's not always there for the magical side of self-defense class, Naru sticks around to watch sometimes. Today, she'd really only planned to stay for a few mintues, but it was amusing enough to watch that she's ended up stay right until the end.

Naru hops down from the bleachers as class is wrapping up and she's less likely to get herself smacked by errant blasts of various bolts and projectiles. She gestures at the floating knives. "Okay, those are pretty awesome."

Koji Silvia has posed:
Looking up from his drink, 'Hanzo' tilts his head slightly as he caps it off and puts it back down in an RHA gym bag, "Oh these?"

A couple of them seem to bob almost in some kind of cheeky response to your words.

He goes on, somehow showing a faint smile under the mask, "Since you're here you know... so I suppose it's alright to say. These are extensions of my Device." To which Koji/Hanzo pats his belt, and touches the buckle with the blue gem in it.

Looking around, he can see that the place is mostly empty save for the two now in close proximity, "If you want to hold one, it's fine. They're perfectly safe for non-youma. At worst the energy blade will just sting you and knock you out cold."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Those are the ones." Naru confirms, watching the knives react to the conversation. Her smile turns just a touch rueful as she nods. "I never know what everyone's comfort level is in talking to me outside of this sort of setting." She gestures around. "When its clear that I know. I dont want to blow anyone's cover or anything, but its hard to ask questions."

Naru clearly has no fear about the potnetial of geting knocked out cold as she reaches for a knife. "I didnt' get my butt handed to me with an energy sword, I'm gong to be optimstic about an energy knife."

Koji Silvia has posed:
The Blade being reached for flips it's position so the blade is pointing away and then floats down into Naru's hand. The weight is a little front-heavy but it's lighter than it looks, the edge a glowing blue-white that almost seems to hum and yet doesn't.

Hanzo then says, << Greetings. Device and User designated as Hanzo. >>

This makes the young man chuckle a bit, and he shrugs, "Our Devices can talk to us and other people. Some are Intelligent and have minds of their own... some are simpler and can only give short responses, kind of like a smartphone."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Hello.. Hanzo?" Naru offers and then glances to Koji and smiles. "Can I assume that your device is named Hanzo then?" She gives the knife in her hand a feel for the weight, as if she's got much experience either way.

"And yours? Chatty or not?" Naru smiles easily, chuckling a little. "I suspect the former."

Koji Silvia has posed:
Continuing to allow the Blade to be handled, Koji passes his hand over top of it for a moment, changing the blue-white to a pale gold color, "Just changing the ability for it to hurt anything to nothing. It's just like a lamp in a bedroom."

Taking a breath, he reaches down for his drink once more, then thinks better of it as he looks back at Naru, "He's talkative at times with me. Advises me, helps me use my magic... in general tries to work as a partner, and I try to respect him for that. He'll also warn me when something is a bad idea, but still will go along with it. He chose me, after all."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I am not quite so incapable that I am likely to accidentally stab you while we're standing still chatting." Naru points out as Koji ensures that he's child-proofed the energy blade, although there's no heat to her commentary, more amusement.

"How do you get matched up with your Device?" Naru asks curiously. "Like.. do you interview to ensure you get alone, or something?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
The question makes him pause and consider, and the remaining floating Blades all go back to the bulky-looking sheathes on his hips, each settling into a slot and leaving you with the Fifth of six in your hand, "It's not quite like that... I'll try and explain it as well as I can."

He then sits down, "Mages, as we're called, are all born with something that the Devices tell us is called a Linker Core. It's like a second heart, but instead of pumping blood, it regulates the flow of magic in our bodies. Some of us are stronger than others. But that inherent strength isn't the full measure of our ability. Training can make up huge gaps, from what I'm told."

He pauses again, obvious that he's straying, "Well, the Device sees if we have a Linker Core, and measures our intent. If it deems us a worthy match to it's abilities, it then registers us as a User."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru comes to join him in sitting, offering the last remaining blade back to him. "Interesting." She is listening carefully.

"So you're born with the potential, but it isnt' until you find a compatable Device that it all comes together?" Naru tries out, to see if she's grasped the concept.

Koji Silvia has posed:
After accepting the Blade back, he slides it home, and the boy called 'Hanzo' replies, "Not quite. There's various degrees of Devices. Mine is what's known as an Intelligent Device. So it can think on it's own and share the load. I only recently learned there are other grades, and I can only assume they use their own criteria for registering a User."

With that he chuckles again, "This is technology from another place... so those of us who've been chosen are still learning as we go. I've been with Hanzo for almost 9 months, and we're still learning about each other."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Does that mean I get to put you in the 'alien' column?" Naru flashes a grin, and a little laugh. "Sorry.." She shakes her head a little.

"So your Device chose you, about nine months ago, you said? That's pretty cool. Clearly your knives are under your control."

Koji Silvia has posed:
There's a palpable pause from him and for a moment 'Hanzo' seems lost in thought, before saying, "Humans can be born with Linker Cores... unless the people who they came from landed here and well... it's hard to say. I'd rather not be considered an alien? Seems too much like a Superman comic, and I'm not one for capes or copyright infringement."

Trying to brush it off, he stands up and stretches, "So... are you here hoping one of these various forms of... whatever we are... might just decide to float up and pick you? It's honestly a little odd for someone to WANT to do this."

His voice goes a little softer, "None of us wanted to be like this... but we all understand. There's something happening. Adults can't see it, or fight it... or they just don't care So it's on us. But it makes me wonder about why this school exists."

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru reaches over to offer a pat to Koji's arm. "I'll leave you in the human column, have no fear."

Naru watches him get up and stretch. "I have few illusions that I'll have powers of my own. That seems exceptionally unlikely." Her words are plainly spoken, and without any rancor. "It doens't change the fact that I am involved, even if in a different capacity than the rest of you."

She considers her own words a moment and then nods. "That's quite clear.. few chose this life for themselves, but were born into it and came to it reluctantly and with just that sense. There's something happening." She watches him move, still seated. "And we.. you guys.. are all in it together. I'm hoping by learning more of the different styles that are involved, planning can happen that recognizes everyone's strengths."

Koji Silvia has posed:
There's a momentary shift as you reach close, but it's more like one of those things that get drilled into self-defense students and not anything made from guilt or trauma. It's a barely noticable correction as 'Hanzo' nods to those words,

"As my mentor is often prone to telling me... just don't get in over your head."

With that, he reaches down for the gym bag and zips it up before slinging it over his shoulder, "Do you need someone to take you back to your dorm room tonight? I mean... just to be safe. Night time can get dangerous in Tokyo, and not even here is fully safe."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"I think we are all pretty much past that point already." Naru comments mildly, tucking her hands in her lap. She watches Koji a little while longer and then there's little shake of her head, and a quiet smile. "Thanks for the offer. I'm just going to get a bit more of my own workout in before I head back. Don't let me keep you though, I'm pretty comfortable traveling in Tokyo, even at night. Especially on campus."

Koji Silvia has posed:
"Fair enough." He says, and then reaches for his belt and throws one of the Blades up towards one of the open upper windows of the area, where it turns and zips out into the night air, just before vanishing from sight. He draws a second and then tilts his head as if listening for something.

"See you around, maybe."

A small glowing and slowly rotating magical diagram appears from the center of the knife-like device in his hand, and then suddenly both it and he are just GONE.