1472/Hydrangeas and Sulfur: Miyake-jima

Hydrangeas and Sulfur: Miyake-jima
Date of Scene:	12 May 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Juuban Avenue - North
Synopsis:	Bryony drags Nicola to a
Cast of Characters:	Bryony Elan, 158, Hannah Sharpe

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Bryony Elan has posed:
    Tokyo is a city that never seems to slow down. Its nights might be quieter than many metropolises of similar size, but even then, there's a nervous energy there that's hard to escape. The days of rest are few and expectations are high, and most nights of peaceful sleep give way only to more intense work the morning after, whether that be academic or commercial or domestic. It's an intensity that most residents there are used to, but sometimes, you just need to get away from that life.

    Stretching south from the city, past the bay and into the ocean, lie the Izu Islands. Most are small and sparsely populated. The farthest are too distant to get frequent visitors, a journey of several days by boat. Active vulcanism drives away tourists on others. But people live there, families who have made their living on those islands for generations. And if you really, really want to get away, sometimes those quiet, sleepy islands are the perfect place to relax.

    Roughly 180 kilometers or 100 nautical miles from Tokyo is Miyake-jima. It's one of the larger islands, at roughly 60 square kilometers, with a population of just under 3,000. Its largest city is Oyama, technically its seat of governance, though it's actually under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. And after spending a few hours approaching it via ferry, or far fewer from the air, it's not hard to spot. It's volcanically active, and a constant white plume of sulfuric smoke drifts into the air above a blue horizon, appearing before the island itself comes into view. It was last evacuated only fifteen years ago, when geologists feared a major eruption. Now, though, the island's families have returned, as well as a small tourist industry. Volcanic hot springs, beaches, and most importantly, quiet: that's what Oyama sells.

    Bryony first mentioned this place to Nicola not long after they first met. And when the two of them resolved to start practicing together in earnest, the idea of coming here suddenly returned to her in force. She said it was an ideal spot for training. Volcanic slopes made for wide-open, largely abandoned practice areas. And its distant location meant most of the magical threats in the city wouldn't notice their barrier. It wasn't clear, of course, whether she really picked this place for its value as a training ground, or if she desperately wanted to go there as a tourist. Islands are still a novelty to her. They exist on al-Furat, sure, but who would be suicidal enough to get on a boat to go to one?

    That same sentiment probably explains why she was so miserable on the ferry ride here. She never dared venture onto the deck, and every passing swell which gently rocked the boat seemed to inspire in her a moment of terror. But that's over now; somehow, they survived. Now the two find themselves walking away from the docks at Oyama.

    Already she's excited. Bryony turns toward Nicola, a stuffed backpack slung over her shoulders, filled with the previsions for their journey. "Look at this place! It's perfect! Doesn't it remind you of home?" Does it?

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Nicola spent half the trip above deck, half the trip with her friend. Part of that time belowdecks was spent trying to encourage Bryony to come abovedecks and watch the sea with her. With little success, and after that became clear, she gave up on trying.

"A little." She agrees, but she looks up at the by the day less alien looking sky. "It's not the same, though..." She sighs, and reaches for the little red gem that she's wearing around her neck. "What do you think, Ruby?" The device obligingly answers, <The geological formations are quite similar, but it's impossible to ignore the differences in atmospheric composition and the impact on the ambiance>

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
After all that's happened with a certain Hannah, a small island getaway offers both relaxation, a chance to decompress, and /lots/ of areas to toss up a barrier and work on her own abilities. She has a number of spells and physical techniques she's been wanting to work on outside of simulations, and this little island is perfect for such an endeavor.

Thus, Miss White is stepping off the boat not long after the pair. One of the local porters has her luggage, who quickly gets a tip. "Thanks. Room Three-Oh-Two. Be careful, don't break anything, okay?"

That done, Miss White is whistling jovially as she just makes her way down the docks. She makes her way past both Nico and Bry!

Raging Tempest, for her part, is tucked away in a pocket in lieu of Boris or a cane. There's a slight ping to the other Devices in the area! Hannah and R.T. aren't exactly being incognito to those in the magical know, here.

Bryony Elan has posed:
    The ferry left in the barely lit, early hours of the morning. Most of its passengers, like Bryony, departed as early as possible to take full advantage of the long weekend. It's only afternoon when they arrive. The climate here is subtropical, but today is pleasant. It's warm and a little humid, and a middling cloud cover has alternating patches of sun and shade drifting over the island, giving this afternoon a temperate, easy feel.

    The town of Oyama looks to be small, most of the larger structures concentrated on a small pocket to the north of the island, complete with docks and a small airstrip for transportation to and from the mainland. Past the city, to the south, rolling, bright green hills stretch away, drifting upward until the peaks meet the clouds.

    https://imgur.com/a/LgZFa

    "C'mon, Ruby! Both of you. You have to look for what's the same, not what's different." You'd have to try pretty hard to see anything similar to their home here, a desert world where few dare approach the ocean, compared to this lush green island. The two keep walking, their path bringing them close to a bench.

    "Hold on a second." Bryony sits, pulling her backpack in front of herself onto her lap, beginning to rifle through it. She's looking for something. "There are some other really interesting islands around here too . . . There's another one I really want to go to. But I guess that'll be some other day." And finally she seems to find her prize, fishing a brochure from her belongings. A resort? "Look! They're having a special! That's how I got the rebate on the ferry tickets!" Ummm . . . training? Did she really come here just to be a tourist? "Oh, right! Training! Where do you want to go first, Nicola?"

    It's about then that the white bracelet around Bryony's wrist chimes once. "Unknown signature detected," a calm voice speaks in seemingly-British-accented Mid-Childan. Bryony suddenly looks up at Nicola, worry on her face, clearly not quite sure how to react.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Nicola shrugs, "You can say that all you like, but that doesn't make me stop missing home..." She says softly, there's real pain there. The girl is seriously homesick. She smiles though, Bryony's drive for exploration appears to be back, if channeled through remote islands rather than urban exploration, and that's good. "Those look cool too, but one thing at a time."

She's about to answer the question of training when Ruby speaks up. <Signature Matches Raging Tempest. Issuing response.> A reply ping is sent in return, and Nicola explains, "That's the device of someone I encountered while going over a practice regimen Ruby set up."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
There's a return ping, and then a /thud/ of a single dress shoe arresting Hannah's progress. She turns around, grinning, and seems to gaze at the owner of said Device that just said hi to her own!

"...Jeeeez! Didn't think I'd catch up to you here, Gun-chan! Small world, huh? Or series of islands. Man, Japan is freaking tiny, right?" She offers to Nicola wih a patented wide-Hannah-grin!

Yup, shoving the porter along with her baggage, she's walking up to the duo with a laugh.

"What're you doing here, and...eh?"

Her Device registers Bryony before she can accidentally ram into her.

"Who's the other kid? Nice to meet ya! Kasagami White, CEO of WitchHunter Professional Services! You two on vacation? Lovely island and hot springs, or at least that's what my tour guide said. Better be right, or else his butt is fired! Haaaaah!" Yup, Hannah's in a good mood today. Vacation ho!

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Bryony looks between Nicola and Hannah for a few uncertain moments. She's clearly not quite sure what to make of the person in front of her, or of the situation in general. There's some part of her that's a little skittish. Maybe she's a little gunshy after her recent scrapes. It's hard to avoid those for magical newcomers to this city.

    But that more hesitant part of her seems to be a small part. Being more open and engaging looks to be her default. Bryony zips up her bag and slings it back around her shoulders as she stands from the bench. She smiles wide, an eager expression on her face. "I'm Bryony." Looking at Nicola, she adds, "we're cousins."

    She bows slightly, her tone becoming a little more formal as she addresses the older girl in front of her. She's assuming Hannah is Japanese? Can she not tell the difference? Bryony's Japanese does seem to have /some/ kind of accent, and her word choice is just a little broken. She's definitely not a native speaker, or even totally fluent. "It's nice to meet you, White-san."

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Nicola's accent matches Bryony's, which would make sense if they're cousins. Beyond the flecks in their eyes, however, they look nothing alike. "Hello again, miss White." She glances towards her 'cousin' trying to think of a good answer.

"I was going to help my cousin practice a little, she needs a usable device, but I thought she could practice with mine if we picked somewhere out of the way, and she suggested this island." Nicola decides to go for honesty, albeit leaving out some details. "She never bothered to look at the sea from the ferry, though. It's like she didn't want to go to an island." It's gentle teasing.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
'Kasagami White' is a blatant lie if anyone has either A. The Gall to call her on it and B. a knowledge of American accents. Or, at least, that she's American-Japanese in heritage. Hannah's voice is as Southern Belle as you can get, albiet just a touch gruff. That's all Hannah, magic or not.

Thanks to Ao-chan, and quite a few other locals, Hannah's japanese is pretty good by now.

"Hey, hey! Don't be so formal. Call me 'Miss White', or White, or something! I'm not too old, you know? Nice to meet you, B-chan!" If the girl doesn't back away? Hannah's coming forward to ruffle the heck out of her hair! Touchy, this Hannah!

One eye closes.

"You too kiddo! Training, huh? Me too! What, you guys need some help? Heh. I take it your 'cousin' is 'gifted' too, huh? GREAT! I have a few 'techniques' I want to try out. So why not we three team up for now? A training vacation! The best kind!" Hannah sounds /way/ too into this!

Squint. "What? Missing a good view like that? Well, yeesh, take it for granted, why don't you, B-chan?" Huff!

Bryony Elan has posed:
    "Hey! That was totally justified concern!" Bryony says that, but she still hasn't so much as turned toward the ocean since they got here.

    Hannah steps forward a few moments later, and Bryony only shifts a bit as her hair is ruffled. She's not quite used to such gestures, clearly, but she doesn't back away. It's not clear whether she's just being polite, though, or if she really doesn't mind.

    When the question is asked about a joint training session, she just turns toward Nicola, seeming content to let the other girl answer.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"No it wasn't, we're not home, we don't need to fear the sea here." Nicola reminds Bryony in some smoothly flowing polysyllabic language, definitely not Japanese. The ease with which she pronounces the foreign syllables suggests it's their native language. Some of the ways the sounds are formed seem to explain part if not all of her accent.

"That sounds good, miss White." Nicola glances towards Bryony, and adds in, "I could borrow Aegis again if we need to, this isn't about getting you used to any particular device, just to thinking for a fight." She suggests.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah rubs the back of her head. "...Huh?" She offers to B and Nico, as matters turn to the sea! Hannah at least hasn't had any seasickness problems, so over her head it all goes!

She laughs it off. "Weirdos!" All smiles! All endearment!

In the end, Hannah just shrugs it all off.

"Great! A training vacation! I like it! Wait, do you not have your own Device yet, B-chan? You /ARE/ a mage, not a Puella or something, right?" She asks of Bryony quickly.

Then, finally, a smirk. "But hey, if it's a simple /fight/ you want, I can do that too. No magic. Just fists and instincts!" Why does she sound so cheery about that!?

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Bryony swivels toward Nicola, her eyes lighting up as her cousin speaks. "Wait! Are we going to trade? /Awesome/," she says, sounding more than a little excited by the prospect. "Hold on . . . /Does that mean I get to fly?/" She grins almost too wide at the idea. Has she never done that before?

    Her enthusiasm is a bit dampened, though, by a question from Hannah that she clearly doesn't quite expect. Bryony's hand rises to rub the back of her neck. It's a nervous, reflexive gesture as she laughs uneasily at Hannah's query. "I do have my own device. We just thought we should trade, so we could practice a bit with different devices." Is that so?

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"She's a mage, her device is just a little... quirky." Nicola settles for that answer, handing over the little rope and the attached little red gemstone that is Ruby Rose. "I don't think we should start with flying, though... it's easy to get hurt if you don't know what you're doing. Ruby Rose probably won't let that happen, but it's better to start with the simple things... pause, "No fist-fights, you're way older than us, White-san."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah grins. "Flying? Ground based? What makes you think I care? I'll take any and all kinds of assaults. Huh? Switching Devices?" For a moment, Miss White seems a bit surprised, and then, she scowls.

"I'll admit the ability to just switch a Device between two people is pretty impressive, but I'd rather die my last breath before I gave up Raging Tempest. Maybe you two have that kind of Bond, but..." A rapid shake of her head.

But Nico causes Hannah to suck in a deep breath. 'No Fist Fights'.

"You pair of pansies! How do you think I learned?" Huff.

Leeeeean back.

"Alright, then. How about endurance training? There's a nice gym in the best hotel. I'll book you two if I have to. What about it? If your natural body's weak? Your magical body is weak too! What about it? I'll challenge you both to a small marathon. You two get anywhere near me? Magical training for a week! WPS training. How's that sound?" She's already slapping the backs of the pair!

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Overhead, in the distance, the sound of spinning rotors can be heard. A helicopter is doing a flyover of the island, and right about now, it's passing over the town itself. "I don't know . . . " Bryony says, clearly hesitating. She actually looks quite fit for her age, as if she was accustomed to some kind of regular exercise, but the prospect of a marathon or day at the gym does not have her enthused. She clearly had different ideas. "I had a spot in mind that looked really good . . . " A pause, and then a nervous laugh. "Good for training, of course." Her explanation sounds more than a little forced, though. She's still holding that resort brochure in her hand. Why did she want to come here, again?

    Before she can say more, though, someone rather hurriedly approaches the group from down the street. It's a man in his forties, dressed smartly, with a warm smile and welcoming demeanor. There's a rather stuffed duffel bag at his side. "Welcome to Oyama!" As he draws closer, the badge on his dress shirt identifies him. He's a member of the town's tourism committee. "I just noticed that some of our guests for this weekend hadn't checked in to their lodgings yet, so I thought I'd check on you and welcome you myself." There /was/ an announcement on the ferry that all guests should go straight to their hotels before exploring the town. Is that really so urgent, though?

    The man unzips his duffel, starting to rummage within it. "You're normally issued these at your hotel, but per our safety regulations, I've brought them to you. Please don't be alarmed. It's purely a precaution. The forecast is predicting that the air should be clear this weekend." What forecast? Finally, he pulls out three compact pouches with a shoulder sling, handing two smaller, child-sized packs to Bryony and Nicola, offering a third, adult-sized pouch to Hannah.

    Opening her pouch curiously, Bryony suddenly erupts into a loud, "Ohhhhh! I totally forgot about this!" She apparently forgot something important. She looks over at Nicola sheepishly, her eyes asking for forgiveness for something she clearly knows she should have mentioned earlier. Inside the pouches? Gas masks. What kind of tourist spot issues gas masks to guests?

    This one, of course. Miyake-jima, an island with many names. One of them is the Island of Gas Masks. Active vulcanism is a constant here. Satellite spectrography and helicopter air sampling is performed constantly, making sure the atmospheric sulfur levels from the active volcano don't get to unsafe levels. And when they do get too high? That's when the alarms sound, and suddenly you have a town where everyone is wearing a gas mask.

    Bryony seems eager to change the subject, though, speaking to the man with the kind of unbridled enthusiasm that only comes from awkwardly trying to cover up one's own guilt. "Actually, since you're here, there was somewhere we wanted to go! Can we rent an off-road vehicle somewhere?" An exchange follows, with the committee member pointing toward a shop down the street. Wait. How was she planning to drive that thing if they hadn't met Hannah here? Is it even legal for Hannah to drive? It's probably better not to ask those questions.

    The three of them end up renting a rather beat-up-looking, but well-maintained, Jeep. Maybe it figures that Hannah would end up driving a Jeep. From somewhere in her backpack, Bryony fishes an old, worn-out outdoorsman-grade GPS unit. Was this the thing she was so excited to get off ebay a week ago? She navigates, sending the group on a route that leads straight out of town. The road rather quickly turns from well-paved, to rough, to non-existent. There's a path here, worn down by other off-road vehicles, but it's still slow, uncomfortable, and jerky going. The sole saving grace of the journey is that this island is small, only about 8 kilometers in diameter. Even skimming its edge, as they are, it's not a lot of distance to cover. After a half-hour of rocky ups and downs and drifting through rolling grasslands, the group gets to their destination.

    It's green, but it's not. The soil is extremely rich here, and the plant life is vibrant, at least where it grows. But there are rolling stretches of blacks and browns along the hills, stretches burned clean by the intense heat of volcanic activity. Their destination is one such interface of black and green, one near the coast. Only a few young chutes are peeking out from the black, volcanic soil. Looking down, one can see the sand of a beach only a few hundred meters away. In the opposite direction, in the distance, the gently rolling hills culminate in the same peak in the clouds.

    

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"Endurance training is good." Then the official arrives, and Nicola looks at the gas mask warily, but puts it in her lap anyway, especially once they get into the jeep and she looks out of the window. She's quiet during the trip, looking like she's just soaking up the environment. For the first time since reaching Earth, she's in an alien landscape that she has the luxury of treating as a tourist spot rather than her new reality.

When they arrive at their destination, Nicola looks around with wide eyes. "This is amazing, Bryony. Where did you learn about this?"

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Gas mask in hand, and one slightly bumpy jeep ride later, they're in the lush, rolling greens and burnt out fields. Hannah parks the jeep and steps out. It's technically illegal for her to drive, but that's never stopped her. Laws are for non-Eclipse members.

Also technically it's her Device driving. Miss White has no shame in cheating.

R.T. feeds Hannah the visual data. She whistles.

"Not bad. not bad at all." She kicks the dirt.

"Weird footing, varied levels...good variety. I like it."

She turns to the two, a quick henshin complete with glowing symbol beneath her, and then she starts to stretch.

"Alright! First, stretches everybody! Always remember to warm up."

she'll leave Nico to ask questions of Bry for the moment.

Bryony Elan has posed:
    "Online!" Where else? As much as she enjoys exploring the real world, she also has a tendency to get lost in the online one. The natural curiosity of being a "foreigner" is part of that, certainly, but she'd quite possibly be the same if she was a local. Her inquisitiveness certainly doesn't seem to have many constraints, common sense included. "I was reading up on the history of the area." This from the girl who only barely passed her history exam to get into the 4th grade? "Some of these islands have a lot of significance."

    Was it really training, though, that brought her here? Bryony dismounts from the Jeep, taking a few short steps toward the sea. There's a moment of hesitance on her face, but that disappears quickly enough; she seems determined to enjoy this, fear or not. The brown-haired girl smiles broadly, spreads her arms wide, and inhales deeply. "You can small the ocean a lot more strongly here." True enough, a healthy wind, unimpeded by the usual wind shadows of urban Tokyo, is blowing in from the water. Bryony looks at Nicola, grinning, before turning toward Hannah a moment later. "Isn't it pretty, White-san?"

    It's only when she sees the older girl warming up that she catches up with the agenda that actually brought them here. "Aegis-san," she says. "If you please." A white bracelet on her left arm flashes once as Bryony slips it from her wrist. It seems to understand her. An intelligent device, it looks like. Bryony takes a step forward toward Nicola, offering the bracelet to her "cousin." "I'll take care of Ruby Rose. I promise." She says that with some reverence, her tone a little more serious than it has been thusfar.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"Oh, of course." The girl clearly feels like she should've known that's how Bryony knew about it. She shrugs, and doesn't care enough about grades to care about the incongruencies of Bryony's knowledge. She's sure there's a simple answer. That she expects Bryony's quest for exploration is to blame for their destination goes unsaid.

When Hannah goes to warm up, Nicola removes the little red bead that she's got around her neck, and hands it to Bryony, then putting Aegis around her arm. "Be careful, Bryony. Ruby Rose can be a little stubborn." <Only when protecting you Master> And with that, Nicola starts doing some basic warming up.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
"Beautiful. God, I've missed the outdoors. I'm not a city girl, believe it or not."

The exchange between Nicola and Bry gets Hannah's attention, though. A little squint, mid-stretch.

"What's with all the ceremony, kids? I mean, yeah, a Device is important. This some kinda weird mage family thing?" Tact, not something Hannah often employs.

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Something about that question touches Bryony. There's a hint of emotion there, brief but obvious. It's hard to tell exactly what it is. Surprise, for sure, at first, but it trails after that into something murkier. Regret? Confusion? She musters a smile for Hannah, sanitizing whatever she might really be feeling. "Yeah . . . it's something like that."

    Bryony accepts the red bead, placing the necklace over her head and lifting her hair through it. After a moment of getting comfortable, she reaches up to grasp the device. "Ruby Rose. Set up."

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"Ruby Rose is important to me, and Bryony respects that." Nicola answers Hannah softly, in a tone that suggests the prospect of losing Ruby Rose is substantially more than just a loss of access to magical powers. And then, at the same time as Bryony, "Aegis. Set up!"

The two girls transform, acquiring their barrier jackets. Nicola ends up looking pretty much like a typical TSAB officers, a plain uncustomized jacket fit to her form. It's bland but functional. Bryony's new appearance is a little different, she ends up with a red skirt, red ribbons on her ankles and shoulders, and a black jacket. Along with that, her hair turns even redder than it already was.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Between the personal tone of Bry, and Nico's own answer, the woman slowly nods. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. A Device isn't just a weapon, it's your best friend. Treat it like one, and you'll do just fine."

Miss White, of course, is her usual: white suit, tie, dress shoes, and R.T. clenched in her natural hand. Wind seems to naturally buffet her suit jacket and hair.

"So yeah, let's get started. Show me a taste of what you kids can do, and importantly, what you want to be able to do. Show me a spell or two. One offensive, one defensive." Grin.

The uniforms are noted. One might see Hannah give the slightest of frowns for a moment. TSAB is a dirty acronym in her book.

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Bryony holds up her hands and the magical handguns within, taking a moment to eye the details of her new outfit. She doesn't look like she's familiar with this henshin.

    A few moments of quiet thought follow, ending with a bright smile as she turns toward Nicola. "This is a really interesting feeling. I like it." Her tone toward her cousin seems light and friendly, but with Hannah, she's a little more formal. A little. It's respectful, yes, but it's not quite the rigid deference that Japanese norms demand of children addressing their seniors. Like Hannah, her actions seem informed more by another culture. "Ummm . . . I don't have a lot of experience fighting, just so you know," she says, this time to the older girl. Apparently not, judging by her stance. It's unsteady and all too normal; it screams "untrained civilian," through and through. Either she doesn't know better, or she's not serious because this is practice.

    She chooses not to use a special attack for her demonstration, though. Instead, she turns away from the other girls entirely, looking out toward the beach not far from them. The brown-skinned girl extends her arms forward; a second of quiet aim follows, and then she fires. Two beams streak forward, one from each weapon, both convering on the same point and striking a small boulder quite a distance from her. Lucky shots?

    The boulder is blown into tiny chunks, but that shot probably should have done a lot more. Maybe she's just not used to her cousin's device, but it doesn't seem that Bryony has a lot of magical power to work with, certainly less than Hannah may have initially sensed from her.

    "Oh, wait . . . I probably should have put a barrier up first, shouldn't I?" She laughs nervously. "I think I just violated an environmental law." Oops.

    It's only when she looks back at the girls to speak that she actually notices something. She frowns, her expression turning to one of concern. "Oh. Aegis. Can you do something about that uniform? You know how she feels. Do you have anything else saved?"

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Before Bryony can fire, Nicola is already setting up a barrier, because she never practices without one. Unlike her 'cousin' Nicola stands there like she knows how to fight, her feet firmly planted and the bracelet pointed forwards.

"It'll do for now, Bry. Don't worry about it. Even a device made by those murderers will be fine." Nicola says with a casual 'let's not focus on that' kind of shrug, and then the device starts spinning, and a stream of magical needles is sent for the rocks. She follows it up with a basic protective spell, the typical mid-childan shield. "It's not my preferred fighting style."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Miss White's attention turns to the gun wielding Bry. Her Device pipes up. "Deploying Wide Area Search, Mistress."

Hannah's magic flows outward, covering the area from the other two girls over to the targets in question. The attack goes off, she takes in that stance...she sighs. Loudly.

"Oh yeah, we've got a lot of work to do. That's okay though. The power's pretty good in that attack, but overall your mana rate's mediocre. Ruby Rose. How's the compatibility? Might be the problem. And when was the last time you guys had your Devices calibrated? I've got some guys on staff that can do the basic stuff, if you've got the cash."

Suddenly she's all up in Bry's grill. She takes the girl's weapon hands, steadies both arms into something less amateur-like, then rather bluntly taps the poor girl's legs farther apart.

"There. Memorize that stance. You'll be able to fire more accurately without all the hand waver. Easier to back off too, if your opponent's a melee fighter. You guys both ranged specialists I take it?"

Nicola's attack is far more favorable. Miss White gives a nod at the two spells.

"Not bad, not bad. You've got the basics covered Nico." She taps on the shield, just to see how sturdy it is.

"I'm not a long range specialist, so I can't really show you anything you don't already know Nicola. But I'm good at shields, for obvious reasons. I'll show you a trick. Pay attention, Bry." Hannah takes a small leap backwards a few and lands.

"Wind Shield!"

An emerald green wind kicks up into a shield in front of her.

"Go ahead. Shoot me. Twice."

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Aegis is a defensive device. That much is obvious to Hannah with very little examination. Its offensive suite seems pretty simple, if a little out of the ordinary. Rather than firing continuous beams, it materializes multiple needles around the bracelet, which seem to be fired on mental command. It's an interesting choice. To those familiar with device tech, it was likely designed to emphasize efficiency over maximum potential power, useful for someone with less than ample mana reserves who isn't planning on slinging megabeams. The shield is a little more impressive, though. It's well-focused and highly sturdy. For whatever reason, Aegis routes the vast majority of the user's magical output is routed toward its defensive capabilities.

    Bryony accepts Hannah's adjustments to her stance and grip, seemingly eager for the help. She manages to hold that stance well enough once Hannah leaves and activates her shield. At the very least, her arms are steady. She seems athletic and quick to learn new movement, at least by the standards of a ten year-old. That's a useful trait, especially considering that Aegis doesn't seem to grant flight.

    Bryony watches Hannah closely after she's prompted to fire, not quite sure what to make of the shield she's facing. Seemingly unable to come to any conclusions, she simply squeezes both triggers. Again, two beams converge on a single point in the shield's center. There's only a moment's pause before she fires a follow-up salvo.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Nicola's not quite the best match for Aegis either. But it's a solid device, and she's clearly more experience with magic than Bryony does. The shield is solid, if a little sloppy. "Ruby Rose is my device, she's designed for magic that relies on speed over anything else, which is why the ranged focus. There's not as much point in being fast if you need to get close anyway."

And when Hannah asks to be shot, Nicola shoots two of those needles at the girl's shield.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
The first shot goes about as expected. The energy slams into and disperses off oof the shield, causing minor cracks to the magic. Then, it shimmers as Hannah puts more magic into it.

Then, the second barrage is fired, and both girls will see the ping of magic against magic. This time, it doesn't just disperse or crack, their attacks come flying right back for both magical girls!

The mage grins. "That's called a Reflector Shield spell. Good for catching ranged types off guard. They'll be too busy dodging their own attacks for when you..."

Suddenly, Hannah's riiight up in Bry's grille! She goes for the worst attack possible! Suddenly, Bry is getting her nose tickled!

"Hah! Raging Tickle Attack!"

"That explains it! Why the switch then? You're just holding yourselves back if you do that."

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Bryony's eyes go wide as Hannah appears in front of her. Is she afraid? Maybe a little. That kind of flinching speaks to more than just momentary shock; she doesn't look like a trained combatant, but she just might have been in her share of scrapes. Whatever it is, though, it's gone quickly enough once the tickling starts. "Hey . . . hey!" She bats at the blonde-haired girl in front of her, trying to suppress her reaction. A laugh? Maybe a little, involuntarily. Though if nothing else, that speaks to her being relaxed around her present company. Maybe she's not the best judge of character?

    The question that follows from Hannah almost seems to catch her more off-guard. She takes a step back, a nervous look cast in Nicola's direction before she looks back at Hannah. A laugh follows, but this time, it's uneasy and forced. "Well, about that . . . " What her words don't say, her tone fills in. This time, it's genuinely uneasy.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
Nicola pays attention to the lesson, but it's the question that makes her speak up. "The TSAB has taken us hostage, and though we're allowed to roam, they gave her Aegis to track and protect her, but they locked it so she can't use Aegis properly. Somehow I can use it just fine, must have been an oversight."

That should also cover why it comes with a TSAB uniform, of course. "Ruby Rose was made for me by my dad, so it has no silly restrictions put on it." Come to think of it, the girls do have some strange accent, where are they from anyway?

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Eventually Hannah backs off, laughing a bit herself. "You're adorable, Bry." Griiiin.

But the nervousness from Bry and Nico's words easily get Miss White's attention. There's a thoughtful look to her.

"I'm not a fan of those jerks. Bunch of fascists that think they have the right to control magic. Magic's for the strong. Why let yourselves just be hostages? That makes the TSAB your enemies. If I were you, I'd get somebody to bypass the locks on Aegis, disable the tracking, and then go teach 'em a lesson." Pause, she looks back to Bry.

"...Well, once we get /you/ at a passable level. Right now a stiff breeze would kick your ass. Oh yeah."

Hannah lifts a finger, and a ball of wind energy suddenly kicks up from nowhere. She throws a punch in the air towards Bry, and a burst of wind goes flying for her.

"Wind Burst!" Comes her Device. There's a smug grin on Hannah's face. "Dodging lesson! Try not to die!"

Bryony Elan has posed:
    "Nico!" There's a note of clear protest in the brown-haired girl's voice. Apparently, Bryony doesn't quite like what Nicola is sharing, or maybe she doesn't quite agree with her cousin's characterization of their situation. "We're not /hostages/. We're just . . . " Just what?

    She's cut off, though, by the ball of raging wind suddenly barreling toward her. There's the briefest momentary shriek, followed by a leaping, tumbling roll that just narrowly allows her to avoid the attack, leaving her back on her feet and ready to dodge again. "Hey! I wasn't ready!" It's graceful, in its own way, as if the girl had some experience with dance or gymnastics. Maybe that's where her athleticism comes from.

    Of course, it's not /that/ impressive, considering she could have dodged far better by leaning on her device's magic. Ruby Rose can fly, after all.

Nicola Esprit has posed:
"That sounds like a good idea." Nicola agrees with Hannah, and then Bryony sorta scolds her, and Nicola just folds her arms defiantly. "If we're not hostages, then what are we? Prisoners? Kidnappees?" She names a list of other options, like she's in no way ready to let that characterization drop. "That wasn't bad, Bryony, but Ruby Rose has flight built into the default barrier jacket, should've tried that."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Hannah doesn't let up with the assault. She gives a satisfied nod. "Hey, you /can/ do it if you try. You're weak with a Device, but you've clearly been in a fight before. Good, that makes things easy. You have instincts, you just need experience and practice."

Hannah's legs glow and she rocks towards the Bry, hands in her pockets as she takes a small leap into the air in a nice arc. Then, as she lands, she starts to slam down hard, rough stomping kicks mid-air onto Bry to try to break through her guard and pound her into the dirt. She's holding back, not trying to really hurt the girl, but these are going to sting in the morning if Bry doesn't dodge or shield properly!

"Your opponent's not going to be nice and wait for you!"

To Nico, though, she laughs. "Hey, if you ever want to try, I know somebody who loves giving the TSAB a good bit of chaos. I'll introduce you guys, and we can all go say hi to that one official...what's his name...Chrollo? Chronus? Tell 'em to stuff it and that you're both free women."

Bryony Elan has posed:
    Bryony raises her hands reflexively as the first kick flies toward her, Ruby Rose blinking once as a barrier rises in response. Nicola's device isn't quite designed for holding one's ground, but with Hannah holding back, the shield holds easily enough. Still, the device's offensive focus and Bryony's lack of raw power shows, as she's pushed back nearly a foot by the force of the blocked blow, her feet grinding furrows in the soft, black volcanic soil. The look on Bryony's face hardens, a hint of intensity creeping into a demeanor that's far more often carefree. "I want to learn. And if your friend can help me lift the restrictions on Aegis, I want to meet them."

    Her body drops reflexively as the second kick comes, that one higher, the brown-haired girl ducking cleanly under it. And then a third, low. She's not quite ready for that; she doesn't recover quickly enough from her dodge the moment before. It catches her clean in her side, and a muffled, pained grunt follows as she bites her lip, the girl clearly surprised by how it actually feels to get hit, even with pulled punches. That seems like a new and unwelcome sensation to her, but she doesn't falter. "I don't want Nicola to have to fight alone anymore or shoulder both of our burden without help."

    Finally, she decides to get some distance, to actually use Ruby Rose's capability. She leaps back, and this time, she doesn't land, vaulting cleanly into a hover a few meters off the ground as Ruby Rose's flight capabilities kick in. There's a moment of surprise as she acclimates to the sensation of flight, and then she grins at Hannah. "Your opponent isn't going to be nice and wait for you, right?" Ruby Rose's twin handguns rise, steady salvos fired at her sparring opponent as Bryony starts to speed up, flying an erratic circular path around Hannah. Her physicality is enough to keep her body steady midair, but she's not really experienced with flight or with midair combat. There's a noticeable unsteadiness that she doesn't even seem to notice herself. A bit of her impulsive, dive-straight-in nature is showing; she's getting cocky.