948/Glace/Cannon

Glace/Cannon
Date of Scene:	31 December 2023
Location:	Pikarigaoaka Ward
Synopsis:	Rashmi asks Chrono to stress-test her latest defense spell. And somehow, these two goobers manage to turn 'shoot me with all the fire you can' into a declaration of love. Honestly, poor Fenyx.
Cast of Characters:	Rashmi Terios, Chrono Harlaown

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Rashmi Terios has posed:
While Christmas did not go at all according to plan, it was still nice to be able to spend time with Chrono, and Setsuna, *and* to meet Setsuna's family-teammates-roomies and spend time with them.

Seeing the *helpless* look on Pluto's face as she laid out the terms of her duty, though, *did* remind Rashmi of a project that has briefly fallen by the wayside, thanks to December being an absolute madhouse of a month. A project that might become very, very important soon.

So, on the day before New Year's Eve, after her parents have gone to bed, Chrono gets a text relayed through S2U:

    << Hey sweetie. I *think* I've gotten that thermal component worked into a shield spell, and Nico-kun's simulations say it checks out. Want to help me field-test it? And maybe after, we can check out the Midtown Lights? They've lit up the *entire* garden behind the tower, it's supposed to be *beautiful.* >>

...So okay maybe her holiday plans being thwarted *did* gnaw a bit.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown couldn't help but perk up the moment he got a message from his little Page Mage. Work? Did it really count as work when you enjoyed it that much?

Yes. Because work/life balance mattered even when you liked your job.

But, the important thing was that he was already in the air when she finished.

<< I'd be delighted. >>

Fenyx, of course, was flying besides him with a slightly smug look on her beak. How she managed to do that was anyone's guess.

<< So, by field test do you mean you want me to light you on fire or you'd like me to freeze you out? And the lights sound wonderful. But they can't be nearly as beautiful as you. >>

Chrono was a little flirty... but... he was also cheerful. Why? Because... Christmas had been nice. He'd finally had it really hammered home.

This was his home. He had a family here. Was it the family he once knew? No. But it was a new family... and he loved them. Now all he had to do was find the rest of his family and all would be well.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< ... It's an ice shield, >> Rashmi says with *more* than a little giggly blush in her voice. And as she hops out of her window and angles herself toward one of the parks closer to the Academy than her home, she hopes that it *never* gets old when Chrono flirts with her... And then has to wonder if the warm fuzzies might interfere with ice magic...

Something to test later, perhaps. All she knows at this moment is that somehow, her adorable goober of a boyfriend even manages to make her feel special when *homework* is involved. That's *talent.*

When Chrono and Fenyx land, she asserts her priorities; First, kiss Chrono hello. Then, beam at Fenyx. "Hello to you too, Fenyx-chan!" *Third,* put up the Barrier that'll allow the testing to take place without unduly disturbing anyone in the vicinity.

"Sssoooooo," she says, taking Chrono's hands, since she has an excuse to. "I'm thinking we need to do the 'test to destruction' thing at least a few times, so I know where its limits are. ...Also I wanted you to be here the first time I used it for real."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown beamed himself at the kiss. He got kissy. He liked kissy. Girlfriend kissies were besties.

However, Fenyx did not get kissy. Fenyx didn't want kissy, though, so it was okay. Instead she flew over to a tree branch and watched.

"Hmmm. I see. Heat redistribution shielding. Yes, that seems fine. I'll start off light, please let me know when you are ready and I will begin application of light force to your barrier."

Of course, all business. Calm. Stable. Slow. Focused on the task at hand. Because while he realllllly wanted to scoop her up and hug her and kissy her... there was work to be done. There would be time to flirt with her madly, to hug her and hold her and walk with her through the pretty lights...

Though she might notice the scarf around his neck, under his henshin...

Was very familiar.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's the faint whiff of perfume that gets her attention, and her grin is positively luminous. She *knows* why he'd smell like her perfume, which means he *liked* her present, and liked it enough to keep it *separate* from his Barrier Jacket. Leaning in, she presses her cheek against his. "Let me know when the perfume's worn off," she says quietly. "I'll put more on."

With that, she takes a few hopping steps backward, skirts flaring, as Nicomachea puts himself into position. "So okay, light force first!" she confirms, as the seal spreads out under her feet.

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >>

The shield's framework forms up around her as normal... but then there's the sound of stressed ice, then with a *CRACK* the Shield resolves into its final shape.

It is definitely made of ice, and in *almost* a spherical shape -- as if an enormous ice-cube were half-melted, and resolidified. The way it interacts with visible light is interesting, however; instead of the foggy translucence of ice, Rashmi's new shield is either transparent, or opaquely golden, depending on where light hits it. Apparently she had time and inclination to play with the refraction settings, as well!

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown went absolutely beet red when she just flat called him out on it! RUDE!

... But he did get a bit of a goofy smile on his face. And gave a small little loving nod. He had it sooooo bad.

Right, work, they were working, right. FOCUS! Hee hee. She loooooved him.

Chrono flew up a little into the air, then turning towards her. He reached up with his left hand, adjusting his collar just a hint and, frankly, looking to all the world like a villain.

            <<Blaze shot!>>

Which wasn't helped when a moment later small orbs of fire materialized around him in the night sky, illuminating his dark uniform, then flying straight at her. It was a gentle, soft flurry of assaults... by his standards.

But Chrono had a lot of things. 'Delicate' was not particularly one of them. And he seriously looked like he was about to start laughing like a madman or tell her how 'the shadows of the night would fester in her demise' or some other edgy saying that made no sense.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's Chrono, who would never hurt her but by accident. This, she knows very well, enough that she asked for this test to be done.

But she just *cannot* help but flinch as multiple balls of fire streak toward her brand-new Shield. The shield itself, however, stays put, and as the fiery Barrets make impact, the shield shows even *less* flex than the standard, and is dense enough that the fire splashes over its surface, producing no small amount of steam, but...

...No major loss of structure.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small grin. Well then. It seemed the girl was getting impressive. Well. More impressive. NO! BAD! TRAINING! NO MOONING OVER HIS GIRLFRIEND! No matter how much the gentle scent of her perfume on the scarf occasionally hit his nose and made his heart skip a beat and a little heart of...

            <<Blaze Blade!>>

A lot like his stinger blades, this time a single flaming sword appeared. While not quite as destructive as some of his other attacks... it was still somewhat effective. A medium strength attack. Admittedly... his stinger blade was stronger, due to his experience with it. But adding the fire element to it by amplifying the temperature could be quite useful at times. Especially in this regards. The sword spun... then descended on the shield in a red, blazing streak.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Somehow, a sword on fire isn't *as* scary as simple fireballs! Perhaps it's that Sunbreaker never tried to *stab* her with fire? Or swords are just too wound up with Chrono to really be afraid of?

Which is an odd thing to think, as a *sword made of fire screams toward her newly-build shield,* and throws up chips and chunks on impact.

And there, the first weakness fo the shield is identified; thicker and more rigid than a normal shield, this one is prone to all the issues ice has with icepicks; enough force, concentrated in a small enough spot, will start the process of digging through.

And Rashmi seems *delighted* by the fact that the sword doesn't make it all the way through, even if visible cracks around a small point can be spotted in the magical contruct, now.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown would be grateful to Sunbreaker to that... somewhat. His own eyes narrowed when he saw the way the ice was chipped away at. A concentrated force was its weakness. But it dispersed wide angle attacks well.

"... Do you want me to unleash my most powerful fire attack? It isn't... very long range. But it is incredibly destructive. You've seen trhe force my Blaze Cannon can unleash, but I'll only use it if you feel you can fully take it. Perhaps... refresh your shield, as well."

Would it kill her? No. If it broke her barrier and hit her? That. That would likely hurt like *hell*. And he didn't want her to have to explain to her parents where she got a bunch of burns from. Not to mention it would make their after date... harder... Much, much harder.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Actually yeah," Rashmi says, when he offers the use of his Blaze Cannon. "But I'm gonna do more than just refresh it... Might as well try to tap myself too, if we're gonna go all-out..."

And once again, the seal spreads out under her feet, the incantation is named, and with a shriek-scrape-SNAP, the shield is as good as new.

Then...

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >>

A *second* shield *CRACKS* into being, its inner edge nearly a meter away from the original shield, in all directions, and at least a few centimeters thick.

<< Hooo, I haven't felt drain-woozy like that for awhile, >> comes Rashmi's telepathic message... and even her *brain* sounds winded. << I've seen how scary that thing is, but if I've tuned this the way I think I have... I'm *pretty sure* the inner shield will survive if the outer one doesn't. Maybe. >>

There's a moment's beat.

<< Oh also, did you recognize the name? I, uh... told Nicomachea that adding cold to any of my spells is gonna be called that. ... ...After the place we went to after the dance. >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod, waiting for the shields to come up. Impressive. He couldn't help but feel a small warmth in his heart upon seeing it.

"If you're sure," he said, before walking not far away. Just... ten feet or so. He turned to her and...

            <<Blaze Cannon!>>

The eruption of fire, a swirling, mega powered vortex of destruction and heat lancing out, twisting and writhing against her shields, struggling to pierce it...

He didn't hhold back. Because if he held back now, and she thought it was strong enough to handle it and it wasn't? Better she learn now... than later.

But, once the heat and fire subsided... << I did. Couple's sundae. Strawberry, walnuts, a little hint of banana slices and three blueberries. You looked positively breathtaking, and only cuter when I reached out and wiped that little walnut that dripped down your cheek. >>

Fenyx, in the background, could be heard chuckling in both their heads. << He's been having me check if Glace meant anything on this world, just in case it was a reference to something else. >>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Now *this.* *This* is more like what she could expect to face from Sunbreaker. *This* is a proper test of the first step of her readiness to fight back, and overcome that rage.

And that was why she specifically tuned this shield not just for cold, but *rigidity.* Because she didn't just study thermal magic, when putting this shield together; she studied *fire.*

And fire, like air, behaves in ways similar to liquid. It *flows,* it fights containment, and the best way to break the force of fire is to break its ability to *concentrate.* Lowering the temperature of fire is only one way to mitigate it, and why use one method when you can use two?

That is not, however, to say that she's not very, very, very worried that she might have miscalculated. Because that is a *hell of a lot of fire,* and the sound of thermal shock forcing the shield to *CRACK* is thunderous within this Barrier. Then another crack forms, and another, and another, and despite her best effort to maintain it with yet more mana, finally the Shield shatters into discrete golden chunks that fly back and apart...

But by the time the Cannon is spent, her inner shield is holding. Barely.

There's a moment of silence, and a chunk of 'ice' just sort of falls away from the second Shield, landing on the ground with a *thump* before the whole spell is allowed to dissolve away.

Rashmi is sweating, doubled over, and struggling to catch her breath. But untouched.

<< It's... French, I think, >> she says to both of them, but in answer to Fenyx. << For 'ice.' When a restaurant wants to advertise itself as fancy, French is the language. Also, *darn* it Chrono you are gonna get so many kisses for that. >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown is getting a little concerned himself, watching that shield. A part of him wanted to lighten up. To pull back. To not push her so hard...

But he ignored that part of himself. She was his assistant. If she couldn't handle this, they both had to know. It didn't stop him from starting towards her the moment the fire was gone. It didn't stop him from reaching out and embracing her, the moment she was unshielded.

It didn't stop him from holding her. Ever so tight. "I didn't hold back," he whispered. "You are becoming every bit the mage I knew you could be. The one Nicomachea chose, worthy of being its wielder."

And then he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"And I am so proud of you."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Part of her would have very much liked if he'd held back. But that part of her, the part that was *terrified* by everything that goes into a real fight, the part that tries to shout 'BUT WE COULD *DIE.*' in her mind's ear when violence happens... That part is growing smaller and smaller, as she gains more and more confidence in her own abilities. As she *pushes,* and as she is pushed by others, and is forced to improve to overcome the dangers in front of her.

So when Chrono embraces her, she wraps her arms around him, just as tightly. "Thank you," she wheezes, and her cheeks are positively *aflame* at the sincerity of his praise. "For not holding back. *Ever.*"

She cups his cheeks in her hands, and manages a smile -- tired and wan though it is -- before kissing his lips.

"You make me better than I could ever be alone."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown held onto her, a smile on his lips when he looked into her eyes. "Holding back will do you no good and I care too much for you to ever not unleash my full capabilities. Better you be hurt by me, than killed by another."

"This world is dangerous, Rashmi. But... it's not impossible to challenge or face. So long as we go at it with a steady hand and firm focus. There will be nothing we cannot handle."

The kiss, however, made his heart flutter a little.

"We all have to fight for others and with others, to unleash our true potential. And very little can drive us as well as our own families."

Which she was a part of, it seemed. At least, he seemed to feel she was.

"I believe there were some lights you wanted us to see? And I feel after that rather stunning display, I should get you something particularly delightful. Perhaps something... cold. Because I feel so long as we're together, our hearts will keep us warm. And yes, I know that was cheesy... my talented Page Mage." He grinned up at her, his nose lightly booping hers a little when he went in for a kiss... making him freeze and then chuckle softly.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"You're not wrong," Rashmi murmurs, already feeling a bit more herself -- if *extremely hungry* -- and the boop absolutely makes her giggle into the kiss. "'Page Mage,' huh? That's the one that's sticking? Also you are the most romantic goober I have ever known and I am *so lucky,* I swear. Also let's make sure to get some extra walnuts on the side, Fenyx-chan *absolutely* deserves a treat for putting up with us."