2140/Maintenance Issue, Open Ticket

Maintenance Issue, Open Ticket
Date of Scene:	05 December 2024
Location:	Pikarigaoaka Ward
Synopsis:	Zephyr contacts Rashmi, enquiring about repairs to her Device, Tenraikaze.
Thanks to:	Rashmi for taking time out to do this.
Cast of Characters:	Zephyr Windstar, Rashmi Terios

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Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Text to Mahounomicon via Tenraikaze: Miss Terios. The Chief would like to know if you have any of those Belkan Devices still in your possession. If so, we would like to see if we can adapt some parts to replace worn-out sections of my offensive spellgrid. If you can help us, even by pointing the way to a place we could source parts, would meeting in the park just outside of the academy work for you?

    The Device is overly formal when writing out requests, and Zephyr, once recieving a reply, would make her way to the stated park, and set up her cart, while waiting.

    The tall foreigner has a small sign on the cart, which reads in blocky, hand-written text: Back soon, please help yourself to a free sample.

    In front of the sign, are small sample bottles of various Jan Ken Pop flavours. Zephyr herself is sat on a bench a few dozen paces away from the cart, watching it, and glancing around to see if Rashmi's arrived yet.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< That would work perfectly well, Tenraikaze-san! Tell your Chief I'll be right there! >> comes the answering message, with the Device equivalent of a thumbsup from Nicomachea.

It's not that much longer, before a bright yellow dot can be seen darting away from the Radiant Heart campus -- because when you need to help someone in a hurry and are an academic *of course* you fly there -- and dart down behind a tree in Zephyr's vicinity.

A few seconds after that, Rashmi strolls out from behind the tree with a wide smile on her face, lifting an arm in greeting. "Hallo, Zephyr-san! Got here as quick as I could, what's the issue exactly?"

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr glances at the dot, picking up the burst of magical power. She then stands, and smiles at Rashmi, gesturing to the bench, then lightly tapping her temple.

    A Telepathy handshake goes out, and while speaking about random normal things out loud, she goes into detail through the telepathy link.

    <<You probably heard Tenraikaze alerting about a problem with the Buster system during the... incident... with Aloisia?>> she asks. <<Anyway, we went deep into the weeds on it, even disassembled the outer frame components... and we found the problem.>>

    She offers an image, Tenraikaze's medal-like frame, hanging in a softly glowing purple pillar. Several components are floating nearby, highlighted in a dark orange shade. <<We need a Coherance Modulator, a Beam Attenuation Matrix, and a Power Coupling Motivator.>> she explains. <<Mid or Belkan doesn't really matter... we can modify and adapt it... at least enough to bring the system back online.>>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< I do remember, yeah, >> Rashmi answers, her social brain set to autopilot and chattering pleasantries. << Let's see... >>

Studying the parts closely, and referencing with Nicomachea, Rashmi is silent for some time. << So okay... I *think* I can find these parts. The attenuator's gonna be the trickiest one, but worst comes to worst I'll raid Hannah-chan's parts bin and duel her later over it. The real question is; do *you* want to do these fixes, or would you rather I did? I've taken the C-class Repair Depot MOS exams, and Nicomachea's told me I'd qualify if I worked for the TSAB, so I know I can *do* this kind of work. It's more a matter of, are you and Tenraikaze-san willing to *trust* him with me? >>

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    <<Her, and... well I'll let her answer that one.>> replies Zephyr, as her own outer face continues on autopilot. The Device's voice insinuates itself now. >>Rashmi-san... I say this with all the respect and love I can find for my Chief, which it a deep and near infinite wellspring... she barely managed to put me back together after the maintenance check without my help. I would prefer if you performed the repairs on my frame.<<

    Zephyr glances over, and looks a bit sheepish even as the autopiloted outer conversation continues. <<There you have it. I was never very good with the finer details. Dad fixed Mom's Device for her, and he built Tenraikaze for me before I left to join the TSAB. I think we'd both be a lot more happy with someone who knows what they're doing in charge.>>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Her, sorry, >> Rashmi says quickly, then subsides to listen to the rest, nodding slowly.

When Tenraikaze gives her approval, and Zephyr concurs, Rashmi can't help but chuckle. << Well until someone like that comes along, I can definitely whistle the tune. Also... It sounds like I ought to take a look at your self-repair module, I've been, uh... having to learn a lot about making and tuning those, lately, >> she says with a faint blush.

<< Anyway if you don't mind giving me Tenraikaze-san, I'll get the fixes done as quickly as possible. Give me... two days? One to find the parts, one to install them, navigating school and whatever else happens up... That sound okay to you both? >>

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    <<That sounds fine by me.>> replies Zephyr.
    Tenraikaze is silent for a longer moment. >>I, am concerned for Chief's safety while I'm not there...<< she says. >>But if she promises to stay out of trouble...<<

    <<You sound just like Mom, y'know that? I know your voice module was based on her but still.>>

    The squabble ends quickly enough. The pair giving their concent, and Zephyr casually tugging the coin-sized Device off the bracelet mount, and handing it over to the other girl. <<I'll continue as normal, and stay /away/ from any... magical entanglements.>>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Thank you, >> Rashmi says, accepting Tenraikaze's coin with care. << Zephyr-san, you have my phone number too, right? Because Nicomachea's linked to it, and if you *are* in trouble just send me a message and he'll ping me no matter what I'm doing. >>

Looking down at the Device in her hands, Rashmi falls silent for a bit. << Y'know... I really, really wish we could find some actual Device cores. I'm not ever gonna be any kind of Meister without knowing how to work on them, and it just feels *wrong* tinkering with an active one just to learn. >> Looking up, the redhead shrugs. << But, that's what I'm gonna have to do, I guess! In the meantime... Tenraikaze: TSAB Repair Depot access requested, code Alpha-Five-Victor-Six-Four-Eight-Lyon. >>

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    <<I do, yeah. I routed my phone through Tenraikaze, but I can adjust that option easily enough.>> replies Zephyr, pulling out a fairly basic cellphone, and tapping away at the buttons for a few moments... as if finding some message to show Rashmi, due to the cover.

    Tenraikaze seems inert, almost peaceful, in Rashmi's hands, and then responds to the access code. >>Marchian-Mid Device Core 2411234-B, Access Granted. Switching to Repair/Mainentance Mode, Suppressing autonomous systems.<< the reply is 'robotic' System Access level... then a normal reply comes through. >>I am in your care. Meister.<< the tone affects a smile in the voice.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Acknowledged, >> Rashmi answers Tenraikaze, resting her fingers atop the Device for a moment as if trying to split the different between a hug and a gesture of fondness. Looking up at Zephyr, the redhead smiles brightly. << I promise I will be *so careful* with her, >> she says. << And that I'll have her back to you the moment I finish. And... thank you, both, for trusting me to handle this. >>

Zephyr Windstar has posed:
    Zephyr smiles warmly, placing a hand on Rashmi's shoulder. She ends the mundane conversation with a fairly smooth feeling. "There's noone I'd trust with this more." she says aloud, giving the smaller girl's shoulder a squeeze. "Anyway, thank you for meeting me, it was nice to catch up." she adds, "Here, let me get out a drink to go back with."

    She stands, and heads over to the cart. All the samples are gone, and a couple of people seemed to misread the sign, as coins and a few notes are tucked under the sign and into the cabinet drawers. She chuckles, and fishes out a lychee soda, a bottle, not a can, and brings it over to Rashmi. "Looks like someone paid it forward. This one's on whoever that was." she says, offering the bottle to Rashmi. It's only cold, because the ambient temperature has made it cold, it's not that 'colder than freezing but somehow still liquid' that some take-away places manage to get their drinks to.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh thank you *so much,* Zephyr-chan!" Rashmi says, pleasantly surprised at her good fortune as she takes the offered bottle. "I've got homework to get to, but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Lychee soda. This is *truly* the best timeline.

"Wish me luck on the sourcing!"

Because, honestly, if the most she has to do is duel Hannah, that *will* be good fortune. And with a cheerful wave, she ambles her way back to the tree she'd come down behind.

A few moments later, there's a flash of magic, and a sunshine-colored streak of light rockets into the air.