1626/The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 1626: A Magical Afternoon

The Meloncholy of Setsuna Meiou Episode 1626: A Magical Afternoon
Date of Scene:	03 June 2024
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Setsuna is practicing a new attack when Chrono and Rashmi sense her energy.
Cast of Characters:	Setsuna Meiou, Chrono Harlaown, Rashmi Terios

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Setsuna Meiou has posed:
It's several days post the whole nonsense with the sun going out and coming back. Things are getting back to more or less 'normal' levels for the Tokyo area.

Which, by almost any other place in the world would count as 'four alarm fire, things are coming apart at the seams'.

Around the Tokyo Mahou scene, they call it 'Tuesday'

Still, what IS slightly abnormal is that a known energy signature is putting out some high levels of power.

Specifically, it's Sailor Pluto's signature, and by the reads, she's flinging around quite a bit of power.

Detections point to what looks like an abandoned warehouse not far off...so whatever she might be fighting is there.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was, admittedly, enjoying the fact the world wasn't about to explode. It was a nice change of pace. And while he still needed to find, and beat, Riventon's ass? It was nice that things were, respectively, calming down.

Sure, he doubted it would last long but it was nice going back to less dangerous, and deadly, results. He was almost chill.

Almost.

Of course, upon picking up signs of the abnormal blasts, worse, of Pluto's? His eyes narrowed. "Rashmi, danger," he said. Quickly sending her the readings. Sure, she likely had her own, but it was best to collaborate on these.

He veered off, heading towards the source of the disturbance, readying his device in order to help protect and defend the Senshi of Time and Space. And, this time? Readying to go in first and take point. He'd been in the back too often as of late.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Verifying the readings is the work of a moment, as Rashmi peels off to follow Chrono, and the results have her quite visibly puzzled. "Wait... Pluto? But..."

Eyes scan the readings a second time. "She's alone. Did Obsidian catch her out? Be careful, Chrono..."

As they close in on the warehouse, she mentally pages through her menu of tactics, trying to come up with a response no matter which way Chrono moves, and readying her strongest shield just in case her dear friend needs it...

The events may be a puzzle, but honestly, there's a sort of comfort in slipping into tactics for a small-stakes rescue. It's not the fate of the world in the balance, nor the rescuing of the badly wounded... Just simple support for someone she cares about.

Honestly? This is nice.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
As the two of them enter the building, they'll see Sailor Pluto standing in the middle of a mostly-empty abandoned warehouse, hands held in front of her with a glowing ball of purple energy between them.

Oddly enough, the Garnet Rod is nowhere to be seen...which is rather odd for if a fight was going on.

The REAL clue, however, is one that will likely sail right past Chrono...but that Rashmi should catch easy enough.

There are some sounds, after all, that enter into the cultural zeitgiest.

Sounds so iconic that, even if one is not a fan of whatever source it's from...that sound is still easily identifiable.

Things like the Star Trek transporter noise

Or the sound of a Lightsaber igniting from Star Wars

Or the Proton Pack charge sound from Ghostbusters.

Or, in this case, the sound of a Kamehameha charging up from Dragonball.

Chrono and Rashmi entering causes Sailor Pluto to glance over at them in startlement with a suddenness that might put one in mind of a cat that just got caught doing something.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown ran in, holding his wand aloft, scanning for danger...

... Only to realize... there was none. Then, slowly, his eyes turned to Setsuna.

After a few more moments, he just smiled at her. That same, calm, gentle, knowing TSAB enforcer smile. "Ah. I see. Are you... practicing... Setsuna-chan?" he asked in that calm, gentle tone. The kind of tone that she, at least, likely knew well.

The tone of someone who knew *exactly* what was going on here. But oh, he wasn't going to *say* it. He was going to let *her* say it. "Developing a new... technique, perhaps?"

Namely, it was the equivalent of a new mage who got their first device, and kept holding it up and going 'Pwew pwew!'in the mirror. And he knew that experience well... Alas, he didn't get the reference, in this case, just the basic idea.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Having come in behind Chrono, he wasn't going to see the reflex. Setsuna, however, very much would; the moment she heard the noise, she very nearly tackled Chrono to the floor, before the rest of her senses came on-line to point out her turned away from them, and maybe also not actually concentrating something close to Kamehameha strength.

So it's with a flush, and a shared look of wide-eyed embarrassment over the TSAB agent's head, that Rashmi touches down. "I mean... more practice is never a bad thing?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Caught in a moment of surprise, Setsuna stares at the two for a moment before letting out a weak chuckle, "Ehehehehe...yeah. I was seeing if I could work out a new attack...something a bit less powerful than Dead Scream, but that I can just snap off with a single hand...but then I got to thinking about other ways energy balls get used...and it made me think about maybe trying to do something like the Soukidan since it's actually steerable...but then I got stuck trying to get the charging up sound the same because 'A', it's good practice at manipulating the energy and 'B' it SOUNDS cool..."

She then shrugs, "...and then you two busted in."

What may or may not be noticed is that the energy ball between her hands has slowly kept getting larger...as she's apparently forgotten to stop channeling energy into it.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown eyed her, that smile never wavering...

<< Rashmi, could you put a barrier around that ball when it explodes? This would be far less amusing if she actually got hurt. >>

"I see. Yes, having a wide repetoire of attacks is quite useful. As useful as powerful attacks may be, there are times when a more precise strike is more useful, or a softer one, or one designed to pierce through barriers. For example, many TSAB spells are derived from one base spell, then applying different modifiers and styles to the spell, for example my blaze, subzero and stinger spells."

And yes, as he was just a hint of a troll.... he was distracting her as the orb got bigger and bigger....

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Um... Setsuchan... Se-- Setsuchan it's..."

Trying the default way of warning someone doesn't *quite* help when they're so stuck in they're describing how cool the sound effect is -- and let's face it, it really *is* cool -- and Rashmi's concern is growing more and more visible, until Chrono comes up with a perfectly reasonable solution to the impending problem.

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD >>

With the least intrusive *vwoop* sound a spell can muster, the growing energy ball is enveloped in a dimension-shifting orb *just* big enough to miss Setsuna's palms, and capture the energy in between. Then, it expands just enough to nudge Pluto's hands apart, and after a moment's thought what looks like an aiming ring resolves into being, angled toward the ground. "So uh... Does anyone know if anything important runs under this foundation...?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Of course, the moment the shield cuts between Setsuna's palms and the orb of energy, said orb experiences what is best described as 'catastrophic destabilization'.

Fortunately, with the shield around it and a convenient hole pointed generally downwards, it manifests as a purplish beam of energy that scores across the concrete floor, cutting a shallow gouge and kicking up a LOT of dust.

When said dust clears, Sailor Pluto is left there, blinking in surprise...her face comically covered in dirt except for her eyes...and her hair blown out behind her, frazzled by the blast.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just kept his smile on his face. Not even flinching or looking the slightest bit frazzled by this... display. Instead, he just kept smiling. Gently. Kind. Affectionate. And, as it went off, he continued that annoying little smile of his.

He did, of course, cover his eyes as the blast went off, shielding it as best he could from the dust. He was silent for a long, long moment, before finally asking the words she likely was oh so happy to be asked.

"So, Setsuna, what did we learn?" he asked, in that same tone of every TSAB teacher having watched a student's first spell blow up in their face.

Yes, he was, in fact, enjoying this. In fact, the amount he was enjoying this was pretty much a clear sign... of how important the two of them were to him, and how much he trusted them. Rashmi to keep things under control, and Setsuna to make mistakes and learn from them.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Even though her shield was specifically designed to have exactly this effect... It's *still* startling as hell when explosives explode. Thankfully, the shattering shield, the roaring stream of energy, and the concrete being dug into, all serve well to mask the incredibly un-TSABlike shriek Rashmi utters.

And when the cloud of concrete dust settles, the redhead looses a short, loud *KAFF!* and emits her own little cloud, before staring wide-eyes at Setsuna.

And trying, very very hard, not to laugh at the look on the Guardian of Time's face.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna heaves a sigh and absently starts shaking her hands, "Mainly that I should stop channeling power into a spell when not about to fire it...though I strongly suspect I should add a dose of 'don't pay attention to the troll when he's trying to distract you'.

She gives the TSAB agent a flat, unimpressed look...but he knows her well enough to know there's no heat in it.

She glances down at herself...then gets an idea from the look on Chrono and Rashmi's faces about how she must look.

At which point the Senshi of Time sighs, cocks a hip and places her hand there, waving the other absently, "...go on, then. Get it out of your systems...I know you want to."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just kept smiiiiiiiling. "I have no idea what you could possibly mean, Setsuna-chan." Oh. He DEFINITELY knew. And the fact he was willing to do this with her? Well, it really did speak volumes of how much he trusted the both of them. Because, believe it or not? This was him relaxing and letting his shields down.

And that grin grew juuuuuuust a fraction of a centimeter wider... "Well, if you insist." A moment later, Pluto's phone would alert her in whichever its preferred method was... that something was posted into the group chat. An image, if you will. Of a current Sailor Pluto's little experiment.

He'd then walk forward, looking up at her and holding up his device. A few screens appeared, little videos of... Setsuna's attacks. At least, the ones he'd seen enough to have gathered adequate data on. Well. One displaying her doing the attack. Another displaying little information points about it, such as mana use, etc.

"In full seriousness, however. If you'd like some aid in developing a new attack, you know we are always willing to help. While our magics do not... exactly... interconnect, we can at least offer you some advice that might connect." Pause. "And a training partner."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Because Rashmi adores Setsuna, she does not, in fact, burst out laughing. There is, however, an extended *SNR-R-R-R-RK* that could probably be the fault of all the pulverized concrete still hanging in the air.

Probably.

Almost certainly.

Passing a hand over her face, she nods along after Chrono's words. "Besides... If *anyone* would totally understand the value of building new spells, it's us!"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
After trying to wipe her face...making things worse...then wiping her gloves om her thighs and then wiping at her face, Setsuna manages to get MOST of the dirt off. After a moment of inspection, she gives up her hair as a bad deal and just pulls it into a rough braid before looking back at her two friends, "I was planning on doing that NEXT. I was mainly trying to see if I COULD channel my magic in different ways."

She shrugs, "I was PRETTY sure I could...but it's been a LONG time doing things the way I had...I mean, the reason I can get away with whispering the verbal component to Dead Scream is lots and lots and LOTS of practice."

A shrug is given, "I've got a few other tricks, but one of them is more or less a one-off. I suppose doing it won't kill me anymore, but even without that, the backlash would be hell and would probably leave me useless for a good week or more."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod, glancing down at the cement. "Indeed. Using spells that will knock you out, especially for more than a short time, are rarely worth the use. They may be good to know, but they are incredibly difficult. There are a plethora of spells like that in the TSAB and quite a few I even know." Pause. "And none of them I am actually capable of casting due to the mana requirements." The fact Nanoha could likely CHAIN CAST some of them was something he only felt a little teensy bit self conscious about.

He then held up his device and a barrier formed around them, enveloping the building. He then flicked his device to the right and five blue orbs appeared, flying into the air in a small, circular pattern.

"So then, Sailor Pluto. Tell me. What kind of attack would you like to develop? Precision? Focus? Penetration? Multiple targets?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Wide-area bombardment?" Rashmi follows up with.

Then stares into the silence for a moment at Setsuna and Chrono.

"...What? Did you *see* the insanity they were flinging around this weekend?!"

Seems like someone *else* is a touch self-conscious.

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Sailor Pluto shrugs, "Well, it's kind of a thing you save as a trump card anyhow."

A shrug is given as Chrono lists various types of attacks...then a look is given at Rashmi's addition.

She shrugs at that one, "I already have a reasonably wide area cone attack...it just takes a bit more setup to do than I typically like in a fight."

She absently ticks off on her fingers, "That one is 'Chronos Typhoon'. I also have 'Garnet Ball', which is a strong defensive shield, and 'Dark Dome Close'..."

She trails off and frowns, "...which I *THINK* will still work with the Gates as they are...testing it will be...troulesome...so best put that off for now..."

She then rocks her neck back and forth a little, "...actually, I was mainly looking to figure out something I could do with just the one hand. Dismissing and resummoning the Garnet Rod takes a bit longer than I really care for in combat, so I was thinking something I could do while still holding it."

As she notes the additional comment Rashmi makes, she pauses and looks over at her friend, "...actually, that reminds me of something...your spells...when you're firing an energy blast of some kind, some of the energy of your spell has to go into focusing and directing it, yeah? What if Rashmi and Nicomachea used a shield like she just did a moment ago to focus a blast down a funnel shape, say?...letting you just pour raw power into the blast while she just shapes and directs it? Could you do that to hit harder if you needed to?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown shook his head. "No. I was keeping an eye on the jewel seeds and ensuring they didn't fall into bad hands." And fighting bears. Annoying bears. "I still don't know why those bears were dancing, though. And, wait. Chronos Typhoon?" he asked, staring at her. "This is another... reference thing, isn't it? Oh. Right. The 'god of time' or something, correct?"

He reaaaaaaally was trying to avoid considering the fact his name holds such a reference in it.

"Honestly? My mana reserves aren't really anything to draw much attention from. A lot of Rashmi's supporting abilities are more useful for me in that her barriers and amplification spells are quite well tuned. My own magic isn't particularly strong, it is merely the fact I constantly adjust, re-evaluate and refine my spells that allows me to get the amount of force out of them that I do. Even now I am constantly re-purposing my spells and refining them to better align with this world's strange magical properties. They're more often than not more an application of precision and technique, rather than raw power."

"... Sadly, the benefits that would be gained from such a technique would hardly make up for the sheer benefits I gain just from having her fight by my side as she normally does."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...I mean all the other ultra-powered nonsense aside... Turns out Koji-kun's got a spell close to what you were talking about, Setsuchan... Though I'm preeeeetty sure I heard Hanzo's core crack a little bit while he was dumping all that energy into a stupid huge beam. He didn't stick around long enough for me to grab him though, so if you see him in the hall thump him on the head and make him come to me to get it looked at?"

She falls silent for a bit, looking from Setsuna to Chrono as a theory close to something she'd considered is brought up, then argued against, and chews at the bottom of her lip. "...I mean. Mana-collection is a thing. I'd had this idea about throwing small ones onto some Barrets, then collapsing them into a collimator and focusing array. Maybe coupling them with some thermal attunement, because what if I *was* the only one available that could cut through a bulkhead?"

At this, the redhead shrugs, and fiddles a bit with her glasses. "But then I was thinking about it, and for all our strengths it's actually *pretty hard* to do team-attack stuff with Device magic. Not like you guys, where you and Mars could literally huck a ball of flaming death at a monster..."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna shrugs, "That was kind of the idea when the whole Senshi Transformation was being devised. It literally nudges our magical output into fequencies that resonate with each other...so if two of our attacks intersect, the result will be constructive not destructive interference."

Absently as she talks, she cups one hand and starts trying to focus a modest amount of power into a small ball there, "...that being said...magic is no different than physics...both are ways to interact with the universe...just through different mechanisms...and a lot of the same rules apply..."

Pluto slowly extends her hand to point at a far wall and lets the ball destabilize...producing a fairly weak flash of power that's so dispersed as to be ineffective.

She frowns a little, then forms the ball again, shifting the placement of her fingers a bit, "...maybe there are ideas from fiction you can crib for inspiration even if they won't work directly..."

She then glances over at Chrono, this time remembering to stop channeling energy into her attack, "Yeah...dad's name was Chronos. Yes, I know it's wierdly close to yours. No, I don't know why. For the same reason I don't know why belkan is close enough to German for me to be able to mostly follow it or why Midchildan is close enough to English for the same."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown sighed at the mention of Koji. "Really? If the core cracked, that can be dangerous. A device with a damaged core requires attention from a meister in order to repair it. When next I see him I'll ask to make sure the core is okay."

He then glanced back to Rashmi. And he just smiled. He didn't say anything. He just smiiiiiiiled. He was so proud of her.

He then glanced back to Setsuna. "Kind of. Magic, at least in this world, is definitely different. The rules it follows are... quite strange. I've already encountered at least four different styles of magic on this world that don't align with any known rules of magical study."

Like Sailor moon CATCHING a ball of MAGIC and CHUCKING IT BACK AT HIM. It was LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE. Like trying to catch a BALL OF FIRE, and CHUCKING IT BACK! It WASN'T SOLID, it was just...

But no, he decided to, once again, brush past the fact THE IMPOSSIBLE WAS DONE, and instead focus on the now.

"Eh, the language things make more sense. Our dimensions were closely aligned, there's likely multiple languages that share a lot in common. But there is quite a bit of the midchildian language that has no known connection. Honestly, I'd imagine the biggest thing to surprise you on this planet would be how similiar we are, biologically. Sure, midchildian have a few extra... organs that you lack, but we are eerily similiar. But that's most likely due to how close, dimensionally, our dimensions were to each other."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"...Honestly the more I think about it, the more I think Earth is just a Lost Socks World," Rashmi says with a shrug. "I'm sure there's something behind it that *can't* be traced back to the Moon Kingdom, but... ...Oh. Right. So Chrono, for some reason misplacing socks is so common, and they stay lost forever, that some people like to joke that there's a... *someplace*... filled with all the lost socks from all over the planet. Which... until a better analogy comes across, that's how I keep from blinking when a zombie pirate and a werewolf team up with me against a vending-machine monster, y'know?"

"Aaaaanyway... Yeah Setsuchan, mana accumulators are a thing! I might actually talk to Nicomachea about setting up something that can gather and throw back, if only to just *get used* to firing above my own weight class, y'know?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna smiles at Rashmi...then cups both hands in front of her and starts speaking.

Once again, it's something that's become a sort of a cultural background radiation, "...raise wave motion engine pressure, close emergency valves...open wave gun outlet...chamber pressure rising...all energy to wave-motion gun...initiate forced induction...initiating...prepare to fire...release wave motion gun safety...releasing...safety locks at zero...pressure approaching firing point...releasing final safety..."

As she goes through this, she's collecting power again...but this time she seems to be trying to focus it much more tightly.

"...chamber at limit...ten seconds to firing...brace for shock and flash..."

Yes, she's quoting the full firing sequence to the Yamato's Wave Motion Gun.

Finally, as she finishes her countdown, she claps the heels of her palms together and touches the tips of her index and pinky fingers together, compressing into a beam that she fires towards a bunch of rubble at the far end of the room that looks like it's been piled there for the very purpose of being a backstop.

The damage is...about what she would have gotten from a Dead Scream, if a bit more focused.

After a moment, she snickers, "...okay, that was fun but WAY too slow...though I could probably have pushed that one harder."

Pluto shrugs, "Not really what I was going for, but when you said 'accumulating' that's where my mind went."

She then looks down at her hand, "...though between that and what I was doing before...I think I've got my finger placement down...I just need to practice doing it faster until I can do it at a useful speed...then I'll work the intensity as high as I can.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. "Oh, no, that's true. It's dimension S18-G12. There's a lost logia there, the Reactor of Grandfall. As far as we can tell, it was originally created to test other dimensions, what it does is it grabs things of little notice and value from other dimensions and..." He trailed off. "Err, sorry, I got carried away there for a moment." The worst part? He said it all with such a straight face, so it was all but impossible to tell if he was messing with them or not.

He did, however, nod to Rashmi. "Indeed. Pushing yourself outside your normal, magical comfort zone is often a good idea. There's all manner of spells we aren't sure we'll be able to do until we actually attempt them. And our comforts only go so far on their own. An enforcer must be flexible, after all."

However, as he watched Setsuna work... well, his smile grew a little more. "Oh Setsuna-chan, you really are a piece of work. A shame you weren't able to attend the TSAB basic training. I imagine you would have made quite a few friends for life with your antics. I would worry less about speed, unless you intend to state the whole leadup every time. Speed comes with practice."

He then paused. "So... your... staff. Does it function as a device for you? To... calculate the spells as necessary? Or... something else?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"It's true," Rashmi says, head bobbing. "Like... for us, when a spell is new all the calculations have to be worked out the long way, right? But the more familiar our Devices -- or, y'know, Chrono -- get with a spell, the more optimized it gets, in speed *and* efficiency. But that first time, we usually have to do an Aria, or a longform kind of chant thing to clear our minds and buy time for the math to work out."

Clearing her throat, the redhead pushes her glasses up her nose. "Anyway... it's probably not the same, but as a concentration aid it *seems* to work close to similarly, so--"

Trailing off, she replays Chrono's blithe assurance back, without the filter of 'Chrono sounds like he knows what he's talking about, so he must be telling the truth,' and stares at the young Enforcer, narrowing her eyes. "...Goober."

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna opens and closes her hand a few more times, flexing her fingers before she looks over at Chrono, "The Garnet Rod?"

She closes her left hand around empty space...that suddenly has her key-themed staff in it.

She holds it up, "Not in the same way you guys use your devices. For me, it's more of a combination between a channel, a focus, and something of a catalyst.

She lightly strikes the ground with it, emitting a rather distinctive chime sound as well as a tiny flare of magic...sort of a magical 'notice me' that she's used before to help her allies find her.

She absently spins it in place as she goes on, "It's keyed...pun not intended...to my magic...and it harmonizes with it...so it channels and focuses my magic very well. That's why all my attacks so far involve it in some form or other."

She then shrugs, "That might be why I was having problems at first working out how to properly focus my attack."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
"That makes sense. Many members of the TSAB will use the same device throughout their entire career, even though more powerful or efficient ones are created. For example, I've had my device, the S2U, since I was quite a bit younger. While there are faster and more efficient devices out there, the comfort of using a system I have practically rebuilt at times, and learned all of the inner workings and quirks of, allows me to get more out of my device than I could most, technically, better devices."

"But it also leads to an issue where using magic without your device present can make it far more difficult. Even if the device itself isn't a part of the casting process, the comfort it gives can be a psychological booster in a manner that is incredibly hard to quantify. I've used a few other devices at times, but I almost always prefer S2U in all but the most... difficult of times."

He then glanced to Rashmi and.... just kept smiling. "Oh? I do hope that is still a positive quality of me, Rashmi. I would always hate to disappoint."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
To answer, Rashmi leans over, peeeeering at Chrono from millimeters away... then plants a quick kiss on the boy's nose. "'Course it is," she chuckles, before turning back.

"So since your magic doesn't work like ours, Setsuchan," she starts, pursing her lips in thought, "...d'you think it might help if you did some visualizing? Like... leave your staff where it is, but when you're starting up your attack, *imagine* you have your staff in hand? It probably won't be the same, but like... we *all* know how easy it is for the brain to trick itself. Maybe use that?"

Setsuna Meiou has posed:
Setsuna hrms as she ponders Rashmi's suggestion...and she closes her eyes to focus a little more as she whispers, "...dead scream."

As she does, a misty wind whips in around her...and a ball of purple energy forms a few feet away from her.

It's decidedly smaller and seemingly more unstable than her usual attack...and when she spins and fires it off downrange, it doesn't even make it the whole way before flaring out.

Setsuna scowls at the result, then looks down at her hands.

After a moment's thought, she seems to make some abortive moves in the air as she runs through in her head how Neptune throws a Deep Submerge...before finally shaking her head, "I might could do it the way Neptune does...but I'd need to basically yell the attack name out loud...and frankly, I'm not really sure what that would do."

She shrugs, "It's easier for her...the human body's already mostly water as it is...so water based attacks are easier to channel...well, for her, at least."

She absently makes another ball in her right hand, "...anyway, I think I've got what I need...now it's just a matter of refinement and practice."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
"Perfect. A lot of developing a new spell is focused on that, namely refinement and practice. A spell, when first created, is often a wild, unwieldy thing. It can be awkward and feel strange, casting it. In some cases, it can even be painful." He held up his right hand and formed a small, rough orb.

"However, with time and practice we can sand away the rough edges, making the spell more our own. Find the parts we like, remove the parts we dislike. Even find where we struggle and where we thrive in them." He lifted the hand up, moving the glove over the magic orb, removing bits and pieces of it. "Eventually, we end up with a spell all our own. Even if the initial spell comes from somewhere else, it's the shaping and reshaping of a spell that makes it our own, allowing us to build off our predecessor's magic. Well, at least for device users like myself and Rashmi. This is why I regularly host training sessions with other device users. To help them make their own spells, and develop their own. If you'd ever like to workshop something new, you are always welcome. As it is, I think we would be more than happy to continue working with you on yours this evening. It's kind of... nice. After all. Since the world isn't... exploding around us now."

He looked back to Rashmi and well... he almost seemed 'relaxed'. At least, his version of it. After all... he was with his two favorite girls. And nothing, as far as he knew, was going wrong yet. Things like this? Were soothing.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Rashmi nods along with Chrono's explanation, and summons a golden Barret of her own, that lazily orbits around her midsection. "Chrono's been helping me with that a lot," she confirms. And when the Barret orbits within reach, she taps it, sending a mental command to Nicomachea. Immediately, the simple energy ball freezes in place, then extends into a leaf-bladed sword, pointed directly vertically and rotating along its longest axis. "That's how I built my shield-breaker, here, using his magic as a framework. ...I mean it helps that we have a whole programming engine to play in, but you still have to know what works and what doesn't."

    << GLACE SHIFT >> Nicomachea chirps, and with a screeching *snap* the sword is coated in golden, crystalline-looking ice. "Once you know that, though... There's a *lot* you can do!"