2463/Training mode - Bunny difficulty

Training mode - Bunny difficulty
Date of Scene:	10 April 2025
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Chibiusa experiences the joy that is training with Chrono Harlaown, under the aid of Rashmi Terios. Through hardwork and quick thinking... she leaves the enforcer impressed.
Cast of Characters:	Chrono Harlaown, Rashmi Terios, Chibiusa Tsukino

---

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was once again sitting in a meditative stance on a rock, in one of Tokyo's many more isolated parks. Apparently Rashmi was intending to introduce him to someone new... an a new devicer. He wasn't... excited, or anything. But he was prepared.

... And he was also using it as an excuse to dodge some uhhhh... meetings with his mother. She desired for him to... listen. The mother/son brunches were... passable. Those were okay. But the mother/son shogi tournament was where he drew the line. Neither of them knew how to play and she didn't even remember him being her SON! It was WEIRD! Okay?!

And this was the perfect excuse because telling his mom no was hard.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When Rashmi had handed Chibiusa her new Device, she'd explained that Luminous Titan came with spells pre-loaded, and asked her to go over them with the Device, so she at least had an idea of what she could do.

This was about a week ago.

Now, Rashmi has sent Chibiusa a message for her, *to* Luminous Titan.

<< Hi Chibiusa-chan! Are you ready for Device training? I'm a few minutes out, so let people know who you're going with, okay? I'll be on the roof. >>

Gently touching down, she moved to the upstairs 'entrance' to wait.

<< Also, you've done your spell homework, I hope? Because we're going to be flying there. >>

With that, she shoots a second message to S2U.

<< I'm picking her up now, Chrono. Thanks again for doing this, and by the way when did Lindy-mama learn how to play shogi? >>

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa could not be stopped from doing magic homework. It was basically her obsession since the moment she got a hold of Luminous Titan. She was driven, because even if it's not exactly the powerset she expected, it was still magic.

    Plus she really liked how she looked in the Barrier Jacket.

    After receiving the call, Chibiusa transmitted back. << I'm ready! I'll tell mom and dad where I'm going. I'll have to keep the henshin up at all times, though. >>

    Small Lady would not have made it this far without at least a certain amount of caution, and while she hadn't always picked her battles wisely, she most certainly did pick them. Making any sort of public appearance without a disguise was always a risk, and in this case a very unnecessary one.

    << I've been keeping up on my homework. I'm not sure I fully get it yet but I'm a lot better! >>

    Rashmi will find Masquerade Lapine waiting on the roof. When the Meister approaches, Lapine hops into the air and starts to hover. "Ready whenever you are!"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown let out a sigh before sending Rashmi a quick, concise message. One that, in two words, managed to tell an entire NOVEL of frustration and exasperation.

<< She hasn't. >>

And yet, despite this, nobody would question the trophy... somehow... Maybe his mother was a lost logia.

He, at least, was going to be momentarily stupified when the two arrived and he saw a smol stage magician...

... Not to mention the scans he was getting were giving him a headache.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< ...Ah, >> is the answers to Chrono's reply. Yeah, she gets it.

But Chibiusa's enthusiasm earns her a wide grin, and she holds out her hand for the smol pink to take. "You look *adorable* too, Ch-- um. So, what should I call you, now that you're in uniform?"

But she does take off, letting Chibiusa talk on the way. It's a fair distance to the training ground, so there's time to get used to flying, then to get used to flying at speed, then experiment with turns and banks... At least Chrono's headache will be a fair ways off.

<< First lesson, >> her voice says gently in Chibiusa's head, << is that we can talk by thinking, through our Devices. Makes it easier to talk when we're on the move, you don't have to shout over the wind. Luminous Titan *should* have a Telepathy spell, that's what I'm doing. Just pick the spell, pick who you want to talk to, and that's that! We'll cover more when we get to the training area, and Chrono -- my boyfriend -- has agreed to handle your first training day! He's a real Enforcer, he travels through space and captures really dangerous artifacts, and tries to bring home the people responsible alive."

Yes, Chibiusa, your trainer is going to be a sci-fi action movie hero, according to Rashmi.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    "Well I was thinking about a name..." says the Magician Devicer, as she flies with Rashmi to the training area. She takes the offered hand. "I wanted something that kinda was based off both my mom and dad, but I didn't want it to be too obvious. So I went with the name Masquerade Lapine!" She says this with a certain amount of pride. She came up with it all by herself!

    "It's French," she explains. "I don't promise that it's good French, but it's French."

    Of course, once they're at speed, actually talking normally becomes basically impossible and kind of pointless. As Rashmi explains Telepathy, Chibiusa nods. She'd been getting used to using it in the past week. Fortunately the mahoujin were already used to Devicer telepathy by now and didn't get confused when she tried talking to them.

    << Right. That part I've been using lately. It's pretty useful, actually. Especially if I need to say something I can't say out loud. >>

    Though, the description of Chrono has her thinking. << Are there a lot of dangerous artifacts like that on Earth? Sorry, I guess I've been pretty absorbed in my own problems. >>

    Chibiusa's flying seems to be smooth enough, though she's very much following Rashmi's lead here. She's keeping up in terms of speed, though her untrained reactions means that she often wastes some time overcorrecting or undercorrecting her turns.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Oh that's okay, I use bad French too. Masquerade Lapin is a perfectly fine name, it's-- >> Quick consult of her Device << Bunny Mask! Perfect! >>

When she asks about other dangers, Rashmi can't help but chuckle. << Honestly listening to him, some of *us* are on the level of the kinds of artifacts he has to help take care of, >> Rashmi answers, grinning into the wind. << Otherwise... a *surprising amount.* And we're not sure why! Apparently there aren't supposed to be *nearly* this level of magical people running around, Counselor Inai said there were only maybe five in all of Tokyo, when she was active. But don't worry... your problems have been *pretty immediate,* I certainly don't blame you for being focused on them. >>

Rashmi has a top speed, and by the time they've gotten to where they're going, she'd hit it a while back. But in terms of *flying speed,* hers is very much on the low end... possibly slower than Luminous Titan's own top speed, in fact. But shen she sees Chibiusa overcorrecting and struggling, she gently helps her out, giving pointers about keeping toes pointed, how you'll fly wherever your head is facing at first, and how to make small movements to make small changes in direction.

But then they've arrived, and Rashmi touches down, stepping back for Chibiusa. "Chrono dear... This is Masquerade Lapin, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen's daughter from the future. And she could really, really use a beginner course in Device use."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    When it's mentioned that some of the mahoujin themselves are on the level of dangerous artifacts, Masquerade blinks and immediately thinks back to the Ginzuishou. Certainly, something like that shouldn't be in the wrong hands. << Huh. I wonder why so many, at this point in time, in this city. I mean... it's kinda weird that even someone like me ended up here, too. >>

    As she's given pointers on flying, she heeds them. She starts to plan out her turns well in advance, look further ahead, and even incorporates small motions that change her aerodynamics and momentum. It's certainly a different mindset than walking on the ground, though Chibiusa imagines that it can't be much worse than learning how to ride a bike.

    As they arrive, Lapine sets down on the ground and takes a step towards Chrono. With a smile she says, "Hello, Chrono-sensei. Thank you for agreeing to teach me."

    Small Lady is not really sure what to expect here, but Rashmi did mention a 'beginner course' so it can't be that rough, right?

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times when he looked at Masquerade Lapine. and then... "Daughter from the future?" he asked. He then sighed, an exhausted 'Of course she is' sigh. Before lifting his staff to the heavens and creating the barrier.

"That, at least, explains a few things... dimensional distortions... temporal rifts... Honestly, I'd be a little surprised if she's the only time traveler in this world by now. She... huh?" And then he blinked a few times, cocking his head and looking towards Chibiusa for a few moments, before glancing away. His fingers tapped on the air, as if there was some menu he was adjusting. He finally just shrugged and Rashmi might have, maybe, if she listened verrrrry closely heard him utter some words that sounded DISTINCTLY BELKAN under his breath.

"So... then. I am Time space administrative bureau enforcer, Chrono Harlaown. My duty since arriving on this planet is seeking out lost logia that pose a serious risk of causing dimensional distortions and keep them out of the hands of people who will use them for evil." At this point, he's just given up on keeping all of them under lock and key. "And you, young lady, are quite an interesting one. From the future makes sense, but... how long have you been this age?" he asked, glancing over at her. "The last time I saw a temporal lock like this one there was a star on the verge of exploding and we were about two hours from entire dimensional implosion. So, congratulations if that's intentional. Otherwise... sheesh. You really are Sailor Moon's daughter." Should have known giving him a headache was genetic.

"Right, moving on, I am to understand this is your first time in combat. You have an intelligent device so we'll start with that. There are two types, intelligent and non-intelligent. Intelligent devices run an assisting AI that is capable of doing just that, in combat. They can cast basic spells, such as shields, and alert you to incoming threats. I hear they also make excellent conversationalists on long trips. This comes with the penalty of slightly slowing down processing speed, but many who use them swear the delay is worth it. What this means is that, so long as you are fighting, you won't be fighting alone. Even if you fall from, say, a great height? Even if you forgot how to use a flight spell in your panic, the device will likely still catch you if you fall."

That, at least, was likely some comfort.

"However, the power for the spells is still drawn from YOUR linker core. So if you are out of energy, then your device will be unable to cast the spells for you. We'll start at a beginner training level."

            <<Stinger Snipe!>>

A single small, blue orb appeared over his staff.

"I am sending over information to your device, you should be able to see a timer overhead when the orb will be launched at you. I want you to attempt to make a shield, as quickly as you can, to block it. The direction it comes from, however, will be up for you to determine. And don't worry, midchildian magic isn't fatal unless desired. It may leave some bruises, but that is the most you should suffer. After this defensive exercise, we'll move onto an offensive exercise, then some more basic strikes."

Focusing on defense likely wasn't that surprising... what might be surprising was that the orb he made just hovered there until the timer hit 0... then zapped forward, straight at her. It took about three seconds the first time... but was a LOT stronger than it looked. It wouldn't break her shield, though, instead bouncing off it if she brought it up, and if she didn't, it'd glance off her torso and move to the other side.

The second strike would take about two seconds before arriving. The third a second. The fourth a fifth of a second. Depending on how well she was able to bring the shields up, it would soon become almost like a rythm game of the orb, crashing and bouncing into her barrier until it was dispersed... Either from too many hits to her shield, or too many times smashing into her body.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Chibiusa looks up as the barrier forms around them. She sees a nearby butterfly just... vanish in thin air. It's not the first time she's seen something like this, but the previous times have all been, well... emergency situations.

    On the subject of other time travellers, Chibiusa mentions, "Well, the Black Moon Clan that's been after me is also from the future. Same one I'm from. Also I think someone was caught in a timeloop a while back."

    Small Lady does not speak Belkan, so she's not sure if she should mention the swear jar. She decides not to because, honestly, that's kindof a senshi thing. Using a language she doesn't understand probably counts as not swearing in front of her, too.

    Look a proper royal has to make judgements on rules, okay? It's not a crime if Chrono doesn't get caught.

    When asked how long she's been her current age she says, "I'm a little over 900 years total, most of which was spent in this unaging state. It's complicated. I'm supposed to be immortal, but no one knows if I'm supposed to be forever young." Small Lady decides not to mention the apocalypse today. Poor Chrono seems like he has enough problems.

    As Chrono starts going over the differences between Intelligent and non-Intelligent devices. Luminous Titan, clearly, is the former. This is probably for the best really, since it grants her an extra layer of safety. She nods and listens, because all of this is important.

    The training begins. Luminous Titan feeds her the information, which to her looks almost like a magical HUD. It reminds her somewhat of video game graphics where the health meter is just floating on the screen in a way that doesn't actually make in-universe sense if you think about it.

    She watches the countdown on the first shot, and uses the time to form her first shield, wider than she is tall. It impacts and bounces off, and she smiles. She drops the shield to conserve energy, but also tells Lumie to keep track of how quickly her shield comes up. If she can plan around the exact timing she can probably get more mileage out of them.

    The second one comes out a little faster, but she gets the shield up in time. The third, also, is caught. However, once the shots start coming in faster than once a second she stops being able to realistically drop the shield in between the shots. Thinking quickly, she starts opting for smaller, more focused barriers to catch the shots, half her height, and then the size of her head. Then she starts trying to manage multiple shields at once, forming one before the other has even had time to fall, and that's about when she gets overwhelmed.

    A shot to her shoulder stings, giving her a reminder to stay focused. She doesn't stop just at one mistake, though. Small Lady keeps producing shields, keeps trying to predict the path of the projectiles, but eventually it's too much. Her shields break, she misses with them, she can't get new ones up in time, and she starts getting pelted with magic orbs.

    Chibiusa, at her current level, certainly has limits.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
"... Huh. Neat," Chrono Harlaown said in response to her being over 900 years old. It, was not, in fact neat. He didn not think it was neat. He thought it was horrifying and that the minds of very few species could adapt to such a long, long lifespan. Especially being locked like... that. As someone who had felt like he was locked at the age of 10 for *years* until recently, he had a unique perspective of 'That sucks'. He, for obvious reasons, kept his face calm, collected, and the gentle, 'Everything is going to be okay, I promise' smile of an enforcer on his lips at all times. He didn't want to make the poor girl more tense. Especially not during training.

Finally, as the orb disintegrated... He couldn't help but give a small nod. "That is very impressive. Believe it or not, I've seen plenty of adults who couldn't do a quarter as good as that on their first go. You truly are of this world, it seems. Everything here just keeps impressing," he said before taking to the sky.

"Now then..."

A small data packet was sent and a dozen small targets would appear on the hud, in a kind of 3D targetting range. He moved about a little, checking they were all in position, before nodding. "Okay, assuming the transfer is correct... I want you to try and hit all twelve of the targets. I take it you are able to access basic barrets, correct? Now, I do not require you tyo hit them a certain way, just merely hit them. A timer will begin once you hit the first. You may do this exercise as many times as you please, just let me know when you feel you have achieved a time you are satisfied with."

It was important to note that while most of the orbs were in the air, a handful were on the ground, and some were even moving, up or down or side to side. One was even moving in a small circle.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Masquerade Lapine, who is currently a little out of breath, is pleasantly surprised at the praise. Impressive? Really? Granted it was 'for her first time', but still!

    The momentary pause to explain the next test gives Lapine time to recover. She floats up into the air so that she can get a better view of the targets, and says, "I see them," once she's at an acceptable height. Luminous Titan has a short telepathic conversation with her while they plan out a strategy for optimizing their time.

    Strategy one is a trial run, just to make sure she understands the rules of the game. A single barret is fired at each of the targets, one at a time, prioritizing the stationary ones. Some of the moving ones get missed on the first shot, but she gets them on either the second or third.

    "I can definitely do better than that," she comments, indicating that she wants a reset.

    Strategy two is the first real attempt. It's important that she minimize the time between the first and the last hit, so she summons twelve barrets all at once and sends each at their own target. This would have been a good plan, but one of the moving targets near the ground managed to duck behind a piece of the landscape and she lost several seconds trying to shoot at that last one.

    "Okay, I'm sure I can do better than that!"

    Strategy three is a little different. She summons twelve barrets, but about half of them are a little different. The ones going after the non-moving targets are just your normal, basic barrets. The ones going after the moving targets actually explode when reaching their marks, making sure she can hit them on the first try.

    "Um... I think I can still do it better."

    What happens from then on are a number of retrials, with Masquerade doing the same general idea over and over trying to squeeze out every single minor optimization she could come up with. Eventually she hits a plateau where her time isn't really getting any better.

    "Okay, that's about the best I can do right now, I think."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The look Rashmi shoots Chrono, even if it was in Belkan and she understands maybe one word in six, confirms Chibiusa's suspicion that Chrono might be in a swear-jar grey area. When the defense practice begins... well. She may be a 900-year-old smol, but she's still a smol, and watching her wear down to eventually get pelted still produces no small amount of wincing. However, she nods along with Chrono's assessment, and chimes in. "That's actually a lot better than I did, for my first while!"

Rashmi will not qualify that with 'But I was usually fighting for, if not my, then *someone's* life.' That would be mean.

As Chibiusa starts in on the target practice, Rashmi glances down at her book, then lets it fall open and float int he air before her, a screen popping up to get realtime status information on the little one's mana levels, efficiency ratings, and more arcane information.

...The exploding Barrets actually make her glance askance at Chrono, and blush. It sounded like a *really* good idea at the time, after all...

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just hoved there, his face an unwavering mask as he watched her. Rashmi would likely begin to realize why soon enough...

Especially when S2U started coordinating with her device on monitoring the girl's levels. And told her not to comment to Luminous Titan about it.

This test was, partially, to test her capabilities...

It was also a test to see how much she'd push herself. And WHY. Starting with a test run was fine. The future runs were monitored closer, however.

Pushing herself. Not to the point of exhaustion, however. Pushed to the point she felt she could no longer advance. That was good enough. She had decent instincts, it seemed.

The exploding barrets, however, made him cock an eye at her, but he didn't comment. It was a clever tactic, however. Like mother like daughter.

Chrono then lowered himself to the ground. "Rashmi, I want you to boost her capabilities for this fight. The final test is simple, Masquerade Lapine." More targetting marks would appear... this time... on him. One the chest, shoulders, head, legs.

"I want you to try and hit me. I won't use a shield or flight during this encounter, however, I will strike back if you come to a distance within ten meters. If you can hit my chest, both legs, my head or both arms, you pass. If at any point you wish to stop, you need only say the words and the exercise will end."

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    A part of Chibiusa wondered if the exploding barrets would be considered a form of cheating, but she wasn't called out on it.

    As for how she was pacing herself, well... she was assuming that this wouldn't be the last test. She's learned from what combat she's seen that she can't really afford to be exhausted unless she has an escape route.

    Her assumption turns out to be correct when Chrono hits her with one of the most classic tests that a master can give: Hit him. Just once.

    She breaths in, and breathes out. Again, she starts with a plan. << Luminous Titan, show me a sphere with a radius of ten meters around Chrono. We don't want to get within that zone. From his confidence and level of experience, we're expecting that he wont need either shield nor flight to dodge our attacks. That, too, is part of the lesson. Study his moves. We might want to practice them later. >>

    LT pings in response. Masquerade then says to Chrono, "Okay. Starting now!"

    Again, she starts by feeling out the situation. She fires one barret directly at Chrono, then two that arc out in separate directions and converge back on him from either side, followed quickly by a spray of barrets meant to overwhelm and catch him at least once.

    After that, she stops being stationary, zipping through the air to try and hit him from multiple angles, and the moment she tries this she realizes the flaw in this plan. At long distance, she can't really move fast enough to provide meaningful pressure, and the range gives Chrono plenty of time to react.

    That explains the 10 meter limit.

    So then Masquerade Lapine zooms in closer, to a range of about 15 meters, giving her a bit of leeway so she doesn't end up flying into the minimum distance. Then she tries again to zip around Chrono, hitting him from unpredictable angles, watching how he avoids the attacks, and trying to catch him in the middle of a dodge. The whole time, Luminous Titan is analyzing for a weakness in Chrono's movements. An overcommitment, a delay, a blindspot...

    Anything.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Understood," Rashmi says, bobbing her head, and takes off to shadow Masquerade Lapin from a bit higher, keeping her in sight as she tries out her first few probing attacks.

<< Chrono wants me to help you out, >> she says to the smol. << That's because Nicomachea has *very specific* spells that help other people. Since you're starting at range...? Let's start with a Barret Boost. This'll make your next shot *much* stronger, so be ready for the recoil. >>

    << *BONG!* >> << BARRET -- BOOST UP >>

A single foxfire wisp materializes above Nicomachea's pages, darting out to impact on Chibiusa's back. What spreads through her is... kind of vaguely like Mamoru's healing, in the sense that a single sapling is like the Amazon rainforest. There's a feeling of... determination, of the summer sun shining at one's back, of energy welling up beneath one's heart.

This is a Boost spell, and if Chibiusa spends much time in Rashmi's company, there will be many and more like this.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown held his device behind his back. Calm, relaxed, watching her. Good. She was measuring. Planning. She didn't rush into battle, she thought before she made her move. Interesting.

Admittedly, he wasn't expecting she'd have much trouble, she was fast, clever, already adapting to her new capabilities.

Ahhhh, this planet truly did create the best, didn't it? He wondered if things were different, how many soldiers the TSAB would have desperately tried to recruit from here. Countless, if they were wise.

Starting now. His hands moved from behind him, to besides him. A two pronged attack, not a bad move. He didn't have an intelligent device, so he couldn't have something tell him it was coming. He did, however, have a suite of sensors so he could follow the trajectory himself.

And it was at this point he was able to demonstrate why his gauntlets were metal. As the two orbs came at him, he moved to the side and both fists struck out, punching the pair and dispersing them as he bent backwards, narrowly avoiding the one coming at him point blank.

He wouldn't shield, but this wasn't a shield. Though there was certainly magic involved.

More importantly, though. She was keeping fifteen meters away. Outside of the range, launching attacks. As he used his sensors to try and follow the paths.

Oh, she WAS a talented thing, wasn't she? Was this really her first combat maneuver? He'd have assumed she had other fights before! He will have to give her parents some praise later, raising her up to be a more than capable combatent.

He moved nimbly, his fists moving out to parry the strikes, the fifteen meters gave him some wiggle room, but not nearly enough...

And it was after the first dozen strikes that one did get through, glancing his left shoulder and making him stumble back. He then...

Moved his left hand behind his back. And it would likely be about now she realized why he said 'Both shoulders'. He could block with his hands, but if the shoulder was hit, the arm was 'disabled'. Disable both, no way to defend.

But he had one last test.

As the next burst of barrets came at him, and when she was at her lowest....

He dashed RIGHT at her. It was time to see how she reacted to a sudden shift in the game. He could only attack if he was within ten meters... Could she react in time to pull away, or go up and out of distance, before he could cover the five meters to get her in distance?

If she could? Then she'd effectively passed all of his tests for her first lesson. If not? Well... then there would be a stinger coming RIGHT at her and intending to knock her down to the ground.

... Either way? She'd already impressed him quite thouroughly.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Interesting. He did say both shoulders, didn't he?

    Chibiusa thought the wording was a little awkward. Now she realizes it was intentional. It wasn't enough to score a single hit. She had to disable the opponent, or at least simulate as much.

    Had she seen combat before? Depends on how you define it. She's been through one apocalypse already and is currently on her second, and while she hasn't had a chance to fight back before now the fact remains that the horrors of war are not unknown to her. 900 years is a very long time to wish for something.

    That said, even while her tactics and strategy aren't coming purely out of wild guesses, there's a lot to be said for reaction, muscle memory, and sheer experience. The boost from Rashmi is appreciated, and she pings the pagemage with a << Thank you >> when the support starts.

    Yet it's that lack of experience, the failure to realize, that catches her in the end. Even though she had Lumie display the 10 meter boundary around Chrono, and even eventually added a numerical tracker next to it, that only stopped her from getting too close. It didn't stop him from approaching her.

    So caught off guard by the sudden motion, so focused on looking for weaknesses in Chrono's movements, she failed to consider her own.

    This too was part of training, she reminded herself, as the stinger knocked her right to the ground and ended her flight. Masquerade Lapine makes a, "tch tch atatatata" noise as she picks herself up and rubs her back.

    "Well played," she admits, almost begrudgingly. Many repeated lessons on royal refinement demanded that she lose with grace, so she displays as much 'grace' as one can have after being knocked on their tush. "I should've seen that coming."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Maaaasqueraaaaade~!" Rashmi calls from on high. "You didn't yeeeeild~!"

...Oh no she *hasn't yielded.*

    << *BONG!* >> << ACCEL -- BOOST UP >>

Hopefully, hopefully, the speed-boosting spell can outrun Chrono, and when it impacts it brings with it the driving *need* to run for the sheer exhilaration of it.

"LAPIN *BREAK LEFT!!!*"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chibiusa was a princess, a girl who had likely spent her entire life being protected and cared for by those around her. More than that, she was a child. Yes, she has been a child for 900 years, but a child none the less. She was likely used to people letting little slip ups pass. Of being looked down on. Pampered. Babied, even. People holding back for her sake. Double checking.

Chrono, in many ways, was a child himself. But he was never one to underestimate a child, even one half his age. Heck, he'd nearly been bissected by Fate and had seen Nanoha vaporize spaceship hulls designed for dimensional travel.

In summarization, if someone hadn't yielded, he didn't expect them to have. And he understood the importance of gathering herself.

So it was likely a bit of a surprise when Chrono didn't *stop* when she fell. That he kept *coming*.

And when her face looked up, it would be looking up at a *staff* enveloped in magic coming *right* at her head.

She was within ten meters.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    'You didn't yeeeild'

    Oh shoot.

    That's all the warning Masquerade Lapine gets while she's still picking herself up. Eyes wide open behind her mask, she jumps to the left, the speed and range of it boosted by Rashmi's support magic. Luminous Titan keeps feeding her relevant tactical data on Chrono: Attack range, telemetry, relative velocity and the like. The targets are still on her HUD, and she thinks, I just need to get the other shoulder... Or maybe...

    She did, indeed, forget to yield. She still has not. 'Don't get within 10 meters', she realizes, was a rule that she made up. The real rule is you can stay within 10 meters if you can handle Chrono's aggro. Another rule learned.

    Her hand grips the edge of her cape, and with a flourish she raises it as a barrier. She decides, in this moment, that she's not going to dodge this hit.

    She is going to trade.

    She steps forward, swinging the cape that is Luminous Titan's current form into the staff, device meeting device, and in that moment from the lining of the cloth comes another spread of barrets. Some of them go for Chrono's last shoulder, sure, but a lot of them are going for his legs.

    Small Lady is getting cocky, which is maybe making her reckless, but then again this is a training session, right? Hopefully Mamochan wont be mad at her for this later.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
    << *BONG!* >> << ACCEL -- BOOST UP >>

Another speed boost streaks Chibiusa's way, in case she reconsiders her wish to stay inside his aggro range, and her voice speaks low and urgent at the back of the smol pink's mind.

<< His favorite trick is seeding the area with traps. If you trigger one it'll lock you in place until you can get free, but he'll have the room to follow up with an attack. If something clamps down on you, have Luminous Titan target *it* with at least three Barrets. Otherwise, you can spot them if you see a little blue glimmer. >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
The staff hit empty air. Rashmi alerted her in time. Good. Combat awareness... but at least she didn't phase everything out after she thought she lost. She listened to the direction given. More importantly, she was up, moving around him. And...

Blocking. His eyes went wide, his grip on his device was loosened, and he let it go. For a moment, the device was there...

And he pulled his shoulder back, narrowly dodging a barret, and held his palm out to her, a small magical circle appearing in his hand. Of course. As long as the device was connected, non-device magic COULD be used... but Rashmi had never actually seen him do this before... primarily because it wasn't very efficient. She was--

Oh? The magical circle on his hand disipated, no orb of magic forming, and his hand moved down, gripping his staff, all of that happening so quickly the device hadn't even had time to fall and disentangle...

And his left hand, the disabled one, came down on her head. Not in an attack. But in a headpat. "Very impressive, Masquerade Lapine. I can see you've been through quite a bit more than most would suspect."

Mission: Success. Both legs: Tagged.

"I must say, you're going to be quite the terror before long. I think that more than qualifies you at a beginner rank. If you would like, you are more than welcome to join us during our regular training sessions. I meet a few times a week with any device mages interested, to help them prepare spells and run through different training scenarios." Pause. "Well, and a few non-device mages. I imagine you'd fair quite well amongst them, if you're interested. But... as you have passed the training session... I imagine the hunger of magecraft will beset you momentarily, so why don't we get something to eat? My treat."

He then sent a private message to Rashmi... << She's good, especially for a rookie... Better even than I was at her, apparent, age.>> She'd likely get an impression that that... was not... so much praise as a warning as to what this girl had been through. << You've done marvelously on setting up her device. >>

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    Masquerade Lupine laughs a bit nervously as the hand comes down. She was braced for this. It was the cost of success...

    Only it's... a headpat? And praise?

    Oh, that actually -worked-?!

    Masquerade is kindof staring ahead blankly and wondering if the fight is actually over. It's a good thing she's wearing that mask because she has never been good at hiding her feelings.

    "... If that didn't work, I was probably gonna yield," she admits.

    Then the adrenaline fades from her system and she smiles. "Sure! Let's go eat. Thanks for the lessons. I learned a lot."

    She considers the training for a bit. Right now she's having the kind of moment where if she actually voiced her feelings she'd have to fill her own swear jar. Good thing this was Chrono and not Rubeus. The thought of facing something like Zero Chill Chrono again makes her want to run away.

    Yet the more she thinks on it, it's much better for her to learn by a friend kicking her butt than by an enemy seeking her life. "Y-yeah, regular training. We should do that. I think that's a good idea."

    She is just kinda... standing there like a deer in headlights for a moment. She still has mana to fly, but she likely wont take off until someone else does.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Here's the part you're gonna hate; I couldn't have done it without Riventon giving me its original specs, >> Rashmi says, with a mental sigh. << But I'll at least give him that much credit; he *does* want Mamoru's daughter safe. As to why: ask Usachan for a briefing on the Black Moon Clan you just heard about. I'm pretty sure just what I've heard would be enough to put them on a TSAB alert list, and they came *across timelines* specifically to *kill her.* So... yeah. Even if I was the kinda person to cut corners, no way would I do it here. >>

At the deer-in-headlights look on Chibiusa's face, Rashmi chuckles, reaching out to take the girl's hand. "C'mon... I saw a yakitori cart on the way here, let's get some calories in you. With any luck, the amount of practice you'll have using a Device? You could beat your mom in an eating contest when you get to be the age she is here. And you really did really good, by the way."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
<< I see. That... will hopefully not come back to bite us later, but... at times his heart IS in the right place. It seems he's just as clever as I suspected, though. And trust me, I have read all about this Black Moon Clan in your reports. You've been handling them well when you are there, I'm sorry I haven't been able to support you in their fights. >> Both the BMC and Riventon were something to worry about. Later. For now?

Chrono lifted his device and the barrier recinded, returning others to the field before he then ended his henshin and started walking, slowly, at least, due to Chibiusa's shorter legs. He, of all people, understood THAT problem. Chibiusa might have even noticed the 'card' form his device took, before he slid it into his pocket.

"Going after the legs like that was clever. Most initiates in their first training session will focus on the other shoulder, seeing it as the primary means to victory. But keeping in mind all means by which to achieve victory, even when they aren't as obvious, is a skill that will serve you well. The battles we fight are multi-faceted, but it seems you are as well."

"Adapting to ever changing combat situations is paramount for the battles we find ourselves in, as the enemies we fight often have strange and wild abilities that we can't predict. Knowing your limits and pushing them, without driving yourself into exhaustion for the sake of perfection, is a skill that will help you well in some of the longer slogs of battles we go through. We rarely fight alone, so sometimes the wisest thing we can do is go just hard enough, then allow someone else to take over while we recover, rather than pushing too hard and needing more than just a second wind. Finally... the ability to rapidly deploy your defenses is, frankly, one of the most important skills you can learn. Not just for yourself, but for others. If you join us out on the field, there will likely be times where you are not only shielding yourself, but those around you, be they wounded, civilians or even an ally who needs to focus on offense. A good defense is critical."

Not only was he giving her praise for a good job... he was giving her praise on what she had done AND detailing what aspects the tests were designed to test! Not just hollow congratulations, but praise backed with details on what parts she HAD done well on! And it seemed she had done admirably, on all counts.

"Most of my training sessions focus more on different scenarios, such as hostages, protecting a target, ambushes, and such concepts. So feel free to let me know if there is anything in particular you'd like to have more training in."

<< ... So, Rashmi... >> Chrono asked her. << Should you deliver the news of their daughter's stunning display to their parents... or should I? >>

Either way, the amount of preening he imagined from the two... might even put Riventon's to shame.

Chibiusa Tsukino has posed:
    As Chrono starts walking, Chibiusa follows after. Her moment of nervousness is passing. She stays in henshin for now, because she really doesn't want to catch BMC aggro and, realistically, no one's going to give too much trouble to a small kid wearing a fun costume.

    Chrono praises her, and it's not just empty words. She listens to his evaluation, and smiles because she is happy to be told, realistically, that she's done well. "I was concerned that you'd defend the shoulder. It was my primary target, but I didn't think I'd get it."

    "... and me of all people will need to be good at defenses. Especially if the enemy keeps targeting me." Though, when she's told that she'll likely have to protect others too, she considers that and then nods. "That's what my momma and papa would do, too."

    Positive feedback was good, and she appreciated it. It was also worth considering, because if she has a strong point she may as well focus on it.

    When she considers what scenarios she'd want to focus on or go over, she thinks out loud. "Maybe... how to fight when people are targeting you specifically. How to hide when henshining in the open isn't an option. Keeping an artifact away from the enemy."

    She has no idea how her parents will react. As much as she wants to put on a brave face, Mamoru will notice where she's sore the moment he touches her to heal her. Well... even in a case like that, she's pretty sure she can at least somewhat mollify his concerns. She wasn't hurt that badly, compared to what a real battle would be.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Oh no, *you* get to report, >> Rashmi says, the grin audible in her mental voice, followed by the telepathic analog to a kiss on the cheek. << From you they'd *know* she did good, Enforcer Chrono. And... I actually haven't been there when they've attacked either. I'm mostly hearing this thirdhand, but... Working with Riventon *did* give us some upsides. Like... Luminous Titan's Dark Energy mitigation setup was mostly focused on keeping it *suppressed* in Hotaru-chan. I had to figure out how to incorporate it into Shields. Which means I *finally* have something close to usable readings on Dark Energy, and with some time and testing and talking with the others, I think I might actually be able to come up with a reliable way to mitigate it before it hits the body. >>

"That's right, Masquerade-chan," she says aloud, nodding along with the smol's assessment of herself. "And more importantly, you're *thinking* tactically. Where you're not great and need to do better, where you *are* good and need to do *even better.* That's gonna carry you lots farther, especially after you get enough practice that these things become reflex."

When she asks about how to fight a determined attacker, Rashmi glances at Chrono, and nods, as if this shores up the point she made to him. "You should have an instant-movement spell in Luminous Titan's grimoire, Usa-tan. Chrono and I, we use spells like that to cover a lot of ground really quickly, and getting practice on that will help you a *lot* in the short term. In the long term... There's really only a few ways to get away from someone like that, and they all boil down to 'make chasing you not worth it.'"