555/Koji TSAB Experience

Koji TSAB Experience
Date of Scene:	05 October 2023
Location:	Plot Room 3
Synopsis:	Chrono and Koji have their training session! After which, well... Chrono makes a discovery about the young mage...
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Koji Silvia

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Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had, once again, prepared for a training session. Outside the city he waited, in henshin, where he had called Koji to meet with him. After all, he needed to see what the other device wielder was capable of. And he'd been spreading TSAB training around. He just needed to know where Koji's training was. Create the baseline, as it were. Then help the boy advance his own training as well. He'd been, slowly, making his way through all of the device users, leaving Koji one of the last ones to learn about.

The area was just outside of the city, an open field with some trees surrounding it, and he was sitting in what seemed to be a meditative stance.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji does not so much as arrive, but also appears. It's a ripple in the air in front of you that shimmers and resolves into the form of the older Device User.

With his Barrier Jacket on, the first time Chrono would see is how ill-fitting it is. It looks like it's meant for someone a bit shorter than him, as the pants stop around mid-shin, and the sleeves come up oddly short. The light breastplate seems more curved for someone of a more female persuasion and gives the black-clad young man this weirdly androgynous feeling. The mask that covers his mouth and nose seems an afterthought, but combined with the lack of glasses, it does make him a lot harder to physically identify.

Floating around him are three remote Bits from his Device, each one with a grip pointed towards the sky and their emitted downwards, while the lights on their sides glow faintly golden.

"Fair warning... Hanzo can't generate Time Space Barriers like other Devices... so... if you want a private space for this, you'll have to put it out there yourself, Chrono-san."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown looked the jacket up and down and couldn't help but smile, just a hint. "You... do you know you can alter your barrier jacket a little, right? When you put it on? It doesn't need to... ahhh... maintain past... measurements." He didn't laugh, though. Honest! He just... looked a little amused.

He then held out his device and the magic washed over them, a barrier forming over them. "Your device is optimized for stealth, correct? Your mother's talents?" he asked, slowly rising up into the air.

Koji Silvia has posed:
The expression almost looks sour, "Every time I try to change my Barrier Jacket, Hanzo gives me some error code and says 'Unable to alter parameters due to missing data'. He's admitted there's gaps in him, but he doesn't know what they are."

As the Barrier goes up around them, Koji reaches up and takes one of the floating Bits in hand, and a short knife-like Blade of energy emits from the pointed end, "Stealth, intrusion, intelligence and data gathering. But we can still hold our own. I've never tried to attack another Device directly with it though. I didn't want to accidentally damage someone's friend."

He drops back into a combat stance now, and Chrono would recognize some of it immediately. It's basic, but it's almost like Strike Arts instead of any of the earth fighting styles the young Enforcer may have seen so far.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times and then glanced to the device. "That's... that's some pretty interesting damage done to your device, then. I'm surprised it can even make a barrier jacket at that point. We'll see what we can do about that later. I wouldn't worry about that, however. You'll be unlikely to be able to damage my device."

"Most devices are usually crafted and programmed to fit the capabilities and focuses of their wielders. Yours comes from your mother, correct?"

"So, the important question, is what method of combat do you prefer? I'm not very familiar with the creatures of this world, but in my current experience subterfuge has been of limited use." after all, you can't hack a youma!

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji shrugs once as if to say 'You asked' and then the other three sheathed weapons at the Device's holsters all disengage and float up into the air around him!

    << Yes, Young Master. OBSCURE. BLADES 2 THROUGH 6. BARRET. >>

Koji and the one Blade in his hand vanish from view as the other five suddenly flit out to different angles and begin to launch knife-shaped bolts of blue energy at Chrono. They seem to be moving slow, almost deliberate as if to telegraph what's about to happen. But this doesn't stop 5 moderately-powered bolts from trying to hit him from multiple angle!

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just gave a soft sigh. He held up his hand and four circular shields formed around him, one in each of the cardinal directions to halt the blasts. "We haven't begun yet, Silvia-san. If you'd like to persist in this route, you are welcome to. I understand the desire to prove such methods and launch a sneak attack to earn a 'surprise victory'."

But that smile grew into a gentle, soft and kind look. "But if you would like to continue along this path, I understand and I don't see the harm in allowing you to dictate the terms of this measuring practice."

Across the field, traps were being set. Dangerous binds, hidden from view... waiting for one wrong step to capture the young ninja. Primarily in Chrono's blind spots.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji's voice comes from around you even as his Barrets just cause your shields to vibrate.

'Never let your enemy dictate the battleground. If they have chosen the field, you choose the means.'

After a few moments of the less than successful assault, the Blades stop firing, and then just begin to dart at Chrono directly, trying to re-angle and slip past his shields to cut at his barrier jacket. His voice comes again, but this time from through the blades themselves, "Besides, this is a better way t-"

The words are cut off as one of your Binding traps goes off, and you witness one of the other abilities of Hanzo, the one that saved Chrono's life.

    << POINT WARP. BLADE 4. >>

The successful trap grabs at him, but at the last second it just wraps around a Blade, as Koji appears, landing several feet from you, holding one one of the Blades that was trying to hit you, but swerved at the last moment!

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown moved his rod in front of him, neatly holding it over his lap. "That's not a bad thought process for an agent of espionage. But I've already chosen the field, Silvia-san," Chrono said.

He slowly lifted into the air, and his shields... dropped? "As an enforcer, I'm trained to deal with all numbers of assaults, styles and tactics." He held out his device.

            <Stinger Snipe!>

Seven orbs of blue light appeared...

Then took off in a flast. One orb for him, one orb for the blades 2-6, aiming to strike and disable them...

And one orb flashing towards the one in the bind.

"Point teleportation to your blades, a useful ability. Excellent both for defensive and offensive maneuvers. Forcing an opponent to adapt not just to you, but keeping each blade as a permanent threat that must be dealt with accordingly."

The binds were more than just landmines for Koji, however. They were his own style of lure, as it were. Being used to try and dictate which directions Koji would go... and track the routes and methods he took to get there. And, of course, cover him in the event Koji managed to get into his bland spot.

Koji Silvia has posed:
5 of the 6 Blades are just... taken out. Those parts of the Device are either fragile in nature or did not have enough mana invested in them to be able to withstand the strikes, including the one in the bind... however... that one seems to dissolve of it's own accord post-teleport before the Barret can hit it.

For the pair that are coming at Koji and his remaining offensive tool, he puts it into a defensive posture and a pair of small hexagonal shields appear in front of him. They catch, and begin to crack against the opposing strikes, but he's given time to physically move out of the way of the attack, via a backflip.

    << SENSOR. ALERT! >>

As he's mid-maneuver, his Blades are slowly reappearing in their sheathes, and he quickly pulls one and flicks it towards the bushes to his left, and just as he's about to land on the trap that he was being pushed towards, he vanishes again in another Point Warp, causing the Blade Bit to be captured and destroyed in the Bind.

    << Guidewire. >>

From close to where Koji landed, like an arrow attached to a rope, the pointed-tip comes lancing not towards Chrono specifically, but at S2U instead!

"You're good. You're not looking at where I'll go, Chrono-san... you're looking at where I'll BE. This is almost like chess."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown hmmed watching the boy move. The seven orbs floated back around Chrono for a few moments before flying out. It was the advantage of the stinger snipe, after all. The fact it could remain and be redirected. An efficient, low cost strike that allowed him a lot of precision and control.

When the blades reform, his eyes narrow slightly. It seemed they were an efficient tool as well. The binds were efficient, but not very effective as it was. Five of the orbs flew out, aiming to try and swirl at Koji, to try and guide, direct...

As a new trap was set. Struggle Bind. Aimed to where he suspected Koji would step in his retreat... And that would be a dangerous one. As it was a special bind that when sprung, disabled the magic of its target and dispelled most ongoing effects.

Still, that wire coming at him required dealing with. The obvious answer was block, it, but he had a bad feeling about it. Instead he pulled back, deeper into his field of binds, the two orbs around him zipping out. One to snip the tip, the other to snip the wire.

"Every movement should be calculated, measured and prepared for," Chrono said. More importantly, he didn't have an intelligent device, so while Koji had someone watching his back, Chrono did not. More importantly, with a subterfuge style device, he knew better than to run in haphazard. That would be suicide.

Koji Silvia has posed:
The bushes hide the irritated eyebrow twitch from Koji as he's countered so easily. Another Guidewire comes out this time going into the trees and used to propel him upwards. A lot of his system seems to be about constant mobility in combat, trying to rely on the speed of teleportation and his own native gymnastic talent to keep out of the enemy's field of fire.

As he clears the trees, he releases three of his Blades that then interlock together into a single unit and create a much larger shuriken-style weapon. From his belt, he takes out three Cartridges and loads them into it. The sensation of wind blowing begins surrounding him as he winds back and throws... not at Chrono, but at the ground! The spinning weapon sweeps down and then curves... as he tries to set off all the traps in the area rather than face them himself, using a burst of Wind Mana to make the Blades move fast enough to not get caught.

However...

One missed little trap, in one spot that was 'It'd be stupid to go there' is the one that gets him, and as Koji lands in a crouch, those magical chains come up and wrap around him with a *CLINK* of finality.

...Except that he's still got the Wind-Cartridged Blades out there...

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small smile, lowering himself to the ground and beginning to walk towards the bound boy. More binds flashed around Koji, while a small grin formed on his lips. "Very good, Silvia-san," Chrono said, walking closer and closer. His own sensors giving him a constantly updating tracking of the flying blades. Many of the traps across the field were dispersed, releasing them.

"Against most opponents, your style would be very effective. It's easy to try and defend an attack from a known location, but one that can come from any direction is much harder. If you can use those abilities to move your allies around, you would make a very effective support mage. Being able to strike from any direction means being able to hit where one's opponent's defenses is weakest."

While he didn't show a reaction outwardly, he noted a slight disturbance in the air currents, the way the grass moved.

"Every battle is a mix of different things. Power. Skill. Planning. Tactics." A struggle bind was set, hidden, cloaked to the maximum of his abilities. Waiting. "Some mages are incredibly powerful, but raw might doesn't win fights alone. One must look at every aspect of a battlefield in order to achieve victory."

Then the orbs would strike out, going into the 'Koji'. Ironically, to spring his own trap... and if it was...

"From the way the air flows, the grass bends, even the shadows move. An enforcer must ensure they stay aware of all these, or they'll meet their end. As every threat is different and every threat can take your life if you let it."

Koji Silvia has posed:
From his hidden position, one Blade dedicated to keeping him Cloaked under his Obscure and floating over his head, Koji loads a Lightning Cartridge into the one in his hand. The blade's energy begins to glow brighter and crackle as the mana infuses it

As Chrono is talking, he tumbles down out of the tree he was using for cover to try and come down on the one blind spot he was hoping the younger mage would not have accounted for. Above and behind.

So three things happen at once.

The 'Koji' in the Bind is hit and then just vanishes as the three orbs go INTO him and the cracked and non-functional Blade just pops in a disappointing little mist that vanishes into the air.

Behind Chrono, the three Wind-infused blades strike the ground and detonate like grenades, tossing debris everywhere from the direction that Koji wanted him to believe that he was coming at him, but also kicking enough into the air to hide his final movements as he tries a non-lethal electrical takedown.

...And Third?

That hidden Struggle Bind hits him like a small truck, locking him down, and causing him to tumble past Chrono and into the dirt... Obscure vanishing, and his Blades falling 'dead' to the ground. His escape blade in the bushes, the Obscure Blade accompanying him, and the weapon in his hand.

"Ouch."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced towards Koji, the binds wrapping tightly around Koji and dispelling his magic. "Very good, Silvia-san. I can see your training hasn't been put to waste." He then started to walk towards the real him... before holding out his hand again.

The bindings disappeared and he smiled. "You have a while to go, yet, but I think you'll do well in our training. Though... you may need to work on your desire to jump the gun, as it were. In TSAB training, many trainers would have put you down rather ruthlessly for going before they said 'begin'."

He'd help the other boy to his feet. "Your device is an interesting one, for sure. Difficult to pin down. For a moment I was beginning to think I would need to struggle bind all of them just so they couldn't return after being destroyed." ... Not just binding them. Shutting them down entirely.

It would probably be around that moment that Koji would realize just... how Chrono had survived this long. He was ruthless, merciless... and had the capabilities to apply said aspects to his advantage. Despite how small he was... if Koji had heard about the enforcers, Chrono lived up to everything they'd said. Possibly more.

"Still, your style is going to be interesting to train. You lack the raw strength of Greta-san and Nano-chan. Not quite the support capabilities of Terios-san. You'd still likely do well in a support well, focused on information gathering and directing of forces. Can you teleport others with your blades?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
Sitting up, Koji brushes some dirt, leaves, and grass off of himself, and picks a branch out of his hair to flick to one side. Looking up at Chrono, he waves his hand across the mask and causes it to vanish. A minor use of his Obscure magic on the Barrier Jacket itself, it looks like, and probably one he holds onto just enough that it hadn't been pulled down by the Struggle Bind just yet.

"Yes, I can teleport others. The Blades move people between them, so I can send one out ahead of time to a pre-arranged point, then use a triple-group to generate a teleport strong enough to move them. I've done up to a half-dozen. I've also moved multiple unconscious bodies. I keep my mana focused on the receiving blade so it doesn't break, and then send the others out to touch and move other targets. It's how I get drained civilians out of the arena, so that the girls who show up can do what they do best. Which is smash the bad guys."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown nodded. "Good. That is very useful. While the barrier is the most effective method to protect non-magical civilians, the ability to extract others is valuable as well. Not to mention being capable of adjusting the positions of your allies. You'd work well as a... what's the term for this planet? 'Spotter'. Although, you never did answer my question."

"Your device was obviously designed for your mother, both in form and function. I asked you, what is your preferred method? Do you wish to follow in your mother's footsteps, or was there another style you are more accustomed to or prefer to use?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
Standing up, Koji takes out one of the blades and looks down at it.

"To be honest?" He says softly, "I've resented my mother for her lies... even if she was right. It's made me wonder who I am. If she knew I was always going to have magic, why would she hide it from me? Why not train me? There's a lot of whys that I can't answer, and... pushing her on it feels unfair. She doesn't remember everything. Like... she can explain how to channel my linker core, she can tell me what commands to use with Hanzo and how to visualize... but she doesn't know what a Spell specifically is anymore."

There's a fair amount of pain towards the end, and he looks back up, tapping the inert Blade in his hand, "I'm used to her style, but her alternate mode, which a spear, is really clunky for me. I'd rather something a little more flexible for direct combat... and also..."

He looks down at himself, "I kinda wish I didn't feel like I'm wearing hand-me-downs, Chrono-san."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small chuckle. "Oh, Silvia-san, I don't know how to tell you this... but she likely didn't. Know you'd have magic, I mean. From what I've seen, the veil activates around the late teens. On top of that, ones parents having a strong linker core does not necessarily mean they will. Add to that the... strangeness of this world and it makes it even more unclear on if you even would have powers or not. The fact you've gotten any training beyond what your device can give you is, frankly, a miracle in its own right."

"On top of that... ones parent's style does not necessarily fit our own. My mother is a rank AA+ mage, synthetic. She can channel far, far, far more mana than I can. She's also capable of suppressing dimensional distortions, with enough mana. I am incapable of that. However, I am a AAA+ mage with an aerial specialty. While my mother is more capable of support and protective spells, I can utilize a wide range of spells to deal with different threats of varying levels. While there is overlap in our capabilities, there is a reason she is an admiral and I am an enforcer."

"Few mages use their parents devices because, frankly, a device is usually made for them. As for your clothing... well... I'm sure we can fix that. It'll require some overwrite privilages on your device, but changing the form of your barrier jacket shouldn't be difficult."

Koji Silvia has posed:
Holding his hand out, a bottle of sports drink appears in Koji's hand from his Device's storage, and he tosses it gently towards Chrono, following up with a second one he cracks and starts to drain down, "So what you're basically saying is..."

He grins, "I either have all the BAD luck, or all the good luck. Either way... this was educational. And I apologize for jumping the gun. If it's not clear, Hanzo is kind of a strange Device to explain. And I thought you could handle it. You're right. I got eager. It comes from being too used to being the most experienced person in the room... as it were. Thankfully, that's becoming less of a thing."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown opened the bottle and took a slow drink... after scanning it, subtly of course. What? Koji was a subterfuge type. Don't judge. That was his job as an enforcer.

"Either or. It is what it is, to focus on what could have been is to miss what is now. It's fine, I'd have possibly been eager as well. As for experience... welllll... I'm finding it means less and more here. There's... a lot here that shifts, constantly. In the end, the only experience you can truly count on is the most vague sort. Your experience with your own capabilities and predicting how someone could react to a given situation. But what their powers and the like can do... that is far more difficult. Now then... why don't we see what we can do with your barrier jacket, hm?" He sent a request to Hanzo for some write privilages... it was time to make Koji a new dre-- jacket.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji's eyes narrow a moment, and he tilts his head, a sign of 'listening'... and a moment later Hanzo sends back it's approval for privilieges, even citing the required TSAB regulations for submission to inspection.

In the meantime the older boy takes a drink, "So what nice things have you experienced while being here? And I don't mean Korma Chameleon. Japan is a culture all of it's own, you see. I should introduce you to some of our ideas of what it might be like in space. We've got a LOT of science fiction, ranging from plausible to just crazy. Some of it's even pushed science. If not for shows like Mobile Suit Gundam, we wouldn't have people working to build mobile human armor."

Grinning a bit more he walks over next to Chrono and finishes off his drink, "That's the thing. You got dropped here in the middle of a shadow war. But that's just one tiny layer. There's so much above and below it, it's really hard to let just 'We change into costumes and fight monsters and the people who summon them' define a place like this. Like you said."

He pauses, and then adds, "I just want you to know the place you're going to have to call home at least for the short term... and not resent it for all the bad that it's inflicted on you."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown managed to turn just a slight shade of red when asked what nice things he'd experienced. Admittedly...

It was kind of nice to be called 'cool'. And everyone on this planet seemed to be some kind of super model or in that ballpark, it was nice. It was nice not being the 'littlest enforcer' who everyone teased. Not having Amy tease him all the time. Not having his mother flustering him. Almost no cats.

"The food is very nice. I've... actually found a lot of good in this world. I may not always understand it, but it's... nice. I'm still concerned about what I will do when the fade comes for me... but I'll figure it out."

"My primary concern is to get the rest of the crew out of here. To get them... home. Other than that... I don't know. Admittedly... even if I send the rest of the crew home... I don't know if I'd join them. I can't help but wonder if this is where I am supposed to be. I'm young enough the fade hasn't hit me. There's a lot of good here I can do that very few, if any, in the TSAB can do."

He ran the barrier adjustment program, linking it with Hanzo to allow Koji to adjust his jacket.

Koji Silvia has posed:
And this is where for the first time, someone sees that not all is as it appears.

The Barrier Jacket adjustements actually error out. The code that is indexed is literally 'Abherrant data is not allowing this process to complete.'

None the wiser, Koji goes on, "Maybe it's stupid of me... but you remind me of... well... me, Chrono-san. Always with the plan, always knowing what to do and where to go. And suddenly you're stuck in a place where all those plans and thoughts are kinda pointless. I was going to be an electronics engineer. Someone who takes all the theory and builds it into practice. But now... I'm not so sure. Maybe I was just trying to push myself into a place where I could hide in the open... again."

As he uses his Storage again for the empty bottle, he adds, "Personally... I think you've been the TSAB Enforcer for so long that... you haven't had time to consider Chrono. Who does HE want to be when the Barrier Jacket comes off?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown frowned and then... requested permission to have another deeper look into the device and... "Oh. Oh wow. Ohhhhhh wow. That's... uhhhh... your device... who... jerryrigged this together, Silvia-san? I thought it was using a modified... well. That isn't CVK-792. I'm not... entirely... sure what that is."

"... Poor Hanzo. Did they just... jam that thing in? How old is this device?" he asked. Trying to gather more information on it with his scans.

"But no, we're not quite the same. I'm Chrono either way, barrier jacket or not. I'm an enforcer because I like being an enforcer. I like the structure. I like the lifestyle. I chose to be an enforcer, Silvia-san. At the end of the day, though? When I need to stop? When I need to be a normal person? And I CHOOSE to be a normal person? I can do that."

"I'm not hiding. I have plans, but I've adapted. I will admit I find this place unsettling. I find so much shifting before my eyes in ways I didn't imagine possible. But I still chose it. Chrono the enforcer and Chrono the person are the same. I chose the barrier jacket, it never chose me. So who I am is who I want to be."

His eyes shifted around, cringing again as more information came up. "You can hide from the world if you like. But you can't hide from yourself. You should decide who you truly wish to be, then become that person. If you're unsure, then reach out and test all that you can until you find where it is you desire. Because at the end of the day? The Barrier Jacket is just that. A jacket. It's a shield. You are the same person, inside or out of it. If you keep trying to see it as someone else, you'll only make yourself miserable."

Koji Silvia has posed:
The report spells out a Device who has been doing very well at hiding his own damage...

Hanzo is maybe running at 80% efficiency overall, with several systems showing signs of corruption because of the Cartridge System's poor install. It's also very obvious that the Device has created it's own workarounds, but these have caused other issues. It's not a bad spiral yet, but there are clues that it's beginning to worsen the more he's used in combat.

Chrono can see from his displays that Koji should be able to do more. He could get 50% more Bits generated with this fixed... he could actually use combat teleportation as he has an affinity for Dimension magic. The Direct Boost mode is a total mess. It is only a few uses away from glitching or worse, and would be completely dependent on the Cartridges to even function soon.

Koji immediately looks down at his belt, and touches it, asking, "You alright there, Hanzo?"

Both of you hear, << Hanzo is functional, Young Master. Still able to perform primary directive. Protect the Young Master. >>

For Chrono, there it is. The Intelligent Device actually smart enough to try and honor his previous Master's wish, and at the same time bond with a new Master. Like a guardian trying to do his best by a young charge, even while hiding his own problems from the world.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown sighed and didn't say a word. For now. But he did look frustrated...

He had a lot of software, he could fix that side of things, at least. That was easy. The hardware, though? THAT was a massive issue. No matter how many programs you had, it didn't matter if the hardware and core system was busted. And in a lot of ways it was. He'd need to discuss this with Hannah. If only there was a midchildian meister.

Well, just another thing to add to the list. He held up his device and collapsed the barrier around them. "Silvia-san, I need to go and take care of some work. I'd like you to consider the things I've said."

Oh, Hannah was going to be such a headache in every way. He could feel it... oh well... It could be worse, he supposed. At least she was on their side. He started to fly off.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Watching Chrono depart, Koji just lets his Barrier Jacket down, and begins walking back towards the bus he took to get here...

"Maybe one day we'll get you with a working flight spell, Hanzo."

    << Young Master. Flier Fin was removed by the previous user. Cited reason? Fear of heights. >>

That just sets Koji laughing, "OH you have got to be kidding me! Mom is scared of heights?!"

His laugh carries up a bit to Chrono as the pair part ways.