208/A meeting of Knights! Suzuki and Lena at the Shrine!

A meeting of Knights! Suzuki and Lena at the Shrine!
Date of Scene:	22 July 2015
Location:	Pikarigaoka/Uminari City - Hikawa Shrine
Synopsis:	Suzuki and Lena meet each other at Hikawa Shrine
Cast of Characters:	Suzuki Natsume, Lena Reiniger

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Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     The Hikawa Shrine, a beautiful place that many people visit on a daily basis. Where people quietly pray about their worries and make peace with their troubles. And where people ask for their fortunes of the daughter, however, Suzuki Natsume is not here for any of those reasons today. Though she perhaps gave a small prayer to the shrine, Suzuki was mainly here because it was a peaceful place, where frequently there were few crowds.

     It was likely a place she visited often, for that same reason. She was sitting on a small bench towards the edge of the shrine, silently looking out into the thin woods, simply resting, relaxing, and taking in the simple joy of watching nature. It was a peaceful scene, and it likely looked very formal, as Suzuki was presently wearing a light Yukata for the summer months. A light white base color, with blue leaves and flowers spotted here and there, she seemed completely relaxed and at peace at the moment. As usual, her Device was on her wrist, even if she was also what allowed her to fight.... Verdrehen Sturm was also a good luck charm for Suzuki. One that had actually turned out to bring her the luck she had hoped for, even if it was not in the way she wished.

Lena Reiniger has posed:
She figured that her quiet attempt at having a new life away from magic and duty wouldn't last forever, though she was hoping for a bit more than two years. Perhaps she's put off her duties for too long as is. No need to be greedy. If nothing else, Lena can think of it as a nice, well deserved vacation.

She'd decided to get some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city and go somewhere quiet and the shrine in the Three Wards seems like the best place for that. With no holiday happening or around the corner, she's comfortably sure that there won't be too many people around. It will give her time to think about what she's going to do next. Though even after that afternoon not too long ago, she's pretty sure the answer is 'finally get off your ass and look for those Lost Logia.' Stranded or not, they're still a danger to this world and with no way off of it, a danger to her as well.

Dressed in a black shirt, sleeves cut off near her shoulders, and a pair of jeans, Lena's just reaching the top of the steps heading for the shrine. A quick glance around confirms a lack of people gathering, so she's found her place of peace and quiet. Well, for now anyway. As she moves about the shrine's grounds, arms folded behind her back, she idly runs her fingers over the bracelet there, tracing along the various patterns on it. "We screwed up pretty big, didn't we?" There's a quiet ping from her companion, gem lighting up as he speaks. <Kein Geheimnis ist fr immer gehalten>. She stops, arm moving up before her so she can get a good look at her device. "Guess not." Her smile is somewhat bittersweet, but she seems to recover quickly enough, putting a bit of a spring to her step as she looks around this place she's never really visited.

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Ping? Suzuki shifted her gaze slightly as she thought she heard a Nein.</span>> Hmm. She must have been hearing things then. Suzuki lowers her arms, looking around for a few moments. And then... then she spots her. It was Lena.

     She had been considering seeking her out, though she hadn't really expected Lena to show up around /her/. Suzuki looks at the forest for a few more moments, before giving a soft sigh. Right, it seemed that her time alone wasn't going to last. She turns her head lightly, before raising her voice quietly, "The view from this area is rather pleasant, Reiniger-san." Suzuki calls out, her voice measured and careful. Her gaze then turns back out towards the forest. "It seems we both happen to like the shrine." She says mildly, her gaze returning out towards the forest. Okay! Now, Suzuki! figure out something important to say! Have actual conversation! "...It's quiet here." ... That's not something important to say. Internally, Suzuki may or may not be smacking herself on the head.

Lena Reiniger has posed:
Completely coincidence! Running into Suzuki would cut into her alone time, but it seems that the fates are not kind to her in that regard. Gotta make up for all that time spent slacking or something, right? She appears to just be looking around, minding her own business. If one of the very few people around does say something to her, she's polite enough to return the pleasantry but she doesn't engage them any more than that. Just a simple hello and a bow and then she's on her way again, back in thought.

And then alone time comes to an end with a voice calling out to her. Lena stops and turns to look in the direction it came from. That girl. Through all of the awkward attempts to make conversation, Lena keeps her distance and keeps her silence. She does have one hell of a stare for Suzuki though; hard to say if it's friendly, indifferent, or antagonistic. In truth, she's still not sure how she's going to deal with this problem. She knows that she should just take back the device, but something about following protocol here seems wrong. Well, no sense in not dealing with one thing bothering her right now while she's got it in front of her. "It is. I've never really done more than pass by this place, but it's quiet and the few people seem to keep to themselves," she says, starting her approach to Suzuki. "Perfect for people that value privacy, or to discuss pressing issues." She's decidedly less polite than she had been at Infinity, though she does maintain a formal air about herself. When she's within a few feet of Suzuki, she looks down at that charm. "Is this where you received your charm, Natsume-san?"

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     It was complete coincidence. More or less, that and somewhat similar preferences on being around poeple -- though Lena seemed to prefer to be alone, while in Suzuki's case, it's more a place to enjoy herself where she won't get overwhelmed, due to her issues with people. She stays silent, continuing to look out into the forest as Lena gives her that stare.

     Thus, antagonistic or not, Suzuki is unaware of the friendly, indifferent, or antagonistic emotions behind it. She did, however, have this vague feeling that someone was trying to stare a hole through her skull. She wasn't sure if this was because Lena hated her, or some other issue altogether though. She takes a small breath before she murmurs softly, "That's a pity, it's a gorgeous shrine. Its age shows in its architecture and the air around it. It's like a beautiful antique that doesn't have to be hidden within a cabinet and never touched."

     The mention of discussing pressing issues got Suzuki to look back towards Lena again. "Pressing issues? Is this in regards to how the tone of that fight shifted?" Suzuki asks curiously, feigning ignorance. Most non-magical people seemed to be unable to understand magic if it was subtle. So she decided to act like that. "This is not where I recieved my charm, no. I do not believe this shrine sells good luck charms, though I hear that the daughter of the owner of the shrine gives incredibly accurate readings of the future." She murmurs softly. "I... honestly cannot say I recall the name or exact location of the fortune teller I recieved this charm from. It was something cheesy though, like Fabulous Fortunes or ... something along those lines."

Lena Reiniger has posed:
That's good news, at least. The shrine is a nice place, and she'd hate to have to search it thoroughly for other devices that might have found their way onto Earth. Though that hardly answers the question of where Suzuki and Miss White obtained their devices. She'll just have to search out any places with cheesy names dealing in fortunes. If the fight bothers her, it doesn't show in her posture. She's still standing there with a thousand yard stare, though the way her eyes stare right at the device on her wrist, narrowing slightly, it's pretty obvious she's thinking about something.

Fingers rub against the thumb of her right hand before curling up into a fist. A deep breath later, she seems to relax as her eyes return to Suzuki's. "So, Natsume-san..." she begins moving just a bit closer. "What would you do if I told you I've come to collect that charm?" Her voice is even, all hints of polite language gone. "Do you even know what you have on your arm right now?" She asks, taking another step forward. What answers will she get? Somewhere in the back of her mind, she's wondering if she's perhaps gone too far, if she's going to make the girl lash out at her. Deciding the risk of something going wrong is very possible, she softens her gaze and does her best to offer a pleasant smile. "I'm just worried that you're getting yourself involved in things you don't really understand."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     That frequent looking towards Suzuki's device gets the girl subtly shifting her hands, moving her arm slightly so that her device was concealed within her yukata's arm a bit more. She looks up towards Lena silently, and then... Lena speaks. "...Ah-hah. I was right then. The way you reacted when you saw it the first time, I suspected you might have an idea of what this is." Suzuki says quietly in response. She takes a small breath as she muses on the response. "I politely decline your intent to take property that I have paid for."

     She pauses at the question if she even knows what's on her arm right now. "Verdrehen Sturm, a partner who has helped me defend those who have been threatened by those who would do harm." She frowns thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, she seems to speak german, and that makes it incredibly difficult to understand her to know her more than that." She says a tiny bit sheepishly. "I won't lie, I do not entirely understand everything that is going on, however... I have been raised to believe that it is the duty of those who have the means to aid and defend those who do not. She is the means for me to protect more."

     Suzuki looks up towards Lena's face, her gaze neutral, calm, and not entirely aggressively. "I have no intent to fight you unless you prove to be a threat, but I also have no intent to give up my partner." She says softly, her hand shifting very slightly. It was a subtle movement, but it was a movement of preparedness, readiness to defend herself if necessary.

Lena Reiniger has posed:
Well, she had figured the girl wouldn't willingly give up the device. The revelation of that does make her sight though. "I might have known," she says at length, voice becoming a bit softer. "I should take it, by force if necessary. But I'd rather not, especially not here." She shrugs and moves beside the bench Suzuki is on, finding a tree to lean against, arms crossing when she gets comfortable.

She's back to being lost in thought. Where does she even beginning explaining things? Her father would know, but then... he always seemed to know everything. Expected of an ideal knight, she supposes. The thought causes her to frown, unpleasant things crossing her mind in that instant. Perhaps it'd be best to just start with the basics. "Your partner..." she begins, taking things slowly to consider her words. "Your partner is a remnant of a very old empire from another world: Belka. An armed device meant to aid knights both in working magic and engaging in personal combat. It is, to put it plainly, a weapon of war. And a dangerous sort, at that."

The explanation seems to be the same as giving the okay to speak, and her bracelet is more than happy to do just that, <unser Zweck ist es zu kmpfen, um unsere Herren zu schtzen>. She can't help shaking her head and letting a quiet laugh escape. In short order, she holds her arm up, displaying the bracer on it. "This is my partner, Ascalon." The gem at its center lights up with a pleasant ping, <es ist eine Ehre Sie zu treffen>.

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Asking a knight to give up their device is indeed silly, even if Suzuki was a descendant of the Samurai, rather than the more english-based knights. She looks towards Lena silently for a few moments as she moves to lean against the tree. Slowly, Suzuki stands up. Her hands reflexively smoothe her yukata down as she moves to stand. This was largely so that she could look towards Lena's face. She frowns thoughtfully as she looks around. It was a quiet enough shrine, and very few were around. "...I cannot help but admit relief that you feel that way. I have kendo training, as I mentioned the other day. But you have experience that I do not, which would likely lead to an unpleasant loss on my part." Suzuki murmurs softly.

     When Lena begins to explain what her partner is, she lifts her hand up slightly, her device hanging and visible now. As she listens to Lena speak, a somewhat awkward laugh escapes her laugh. "...My goodness, the irony of that." Suzuki says softly, giving a small shake of her head. "An Armed Device meant to aid knights... that is likely why she spoke to me." She gives a slow bow towards Lena. "Let me give a more proper introduction. I am Suzuki, eldest daughter in the Natsume Clan, descended of the ancient Samurai. Effectively, Japan's knights." Suzuki says, slowly straightening up.

     "This is Verdrehen Sturm... that is about all I know of her." <DIE EHRE WIRD GETEILT.> Verdrehen Sturm DURCH PARTNERSCHAFT VERSTANDEN.</span>> Suzuki looks down towards Verdrehen Sturm. "...I've been learning a little bit of german, but it's been slow."

Lena Reiniger has posed:
There's so much she needs to explain, especially if she's going to just let Suzuki keep the device. So many things to know, and she's not even sure where to begin. Lena rubs at the back of her neck, not entirely sure how best to proceed. Introductions, though, seem like the best place to start. The bow is returned with a very pronounced nod of her head. "Lena, last living member of the Reiniger family. One of the few remaining full-blooded Belkan lines," she says, finally offering her hand out to Suzuki.

She looks down to Verdrehen Sturm and nods. "I was surprised how similar this world's German is to Belkan when I came here, but there are other ways to understand one another without words," she says, looking around the shrine just to make sure nobody's wandering too close so they might hear things they don't need to. "I think you have a very good partner, but you need to know how to properly use her, and know the dangers that come with using a Belkan device." She doesn't really think there's no sense in beating around the bush, and the drop in her voice's tone probably makes it clear enough. "If you aren't careful, you could do serious, permanent damage to your Linker Core."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     That hand is given a curious look for a few moments -- before Suzuki remembers something she had heard of in the past. Many other countries shook hands. Right. She reaches her hand to take the hand and shake it. It was awkward, Suzuki had no idea what she was doing when shaking hands. Her grip was firm, but... well, yeah. "A pleasure." Suzuki says softly, releasing Lena's hand after that. She takes a small breath. "...Two people descended of old bloodlines that now are extinct or have moved on to other things. This is somewhat of an amusing meeting." Suzuki murmurs softly.

     The mention of German being close to belkan got a small nod. "That's convenient for me, however, as... well, it means I've been able to research at least a few basic words. We can communicate through yes or no questions and I can understand a couple of various things, like 'die Gefahr'." She says with an incredibly terrible accent. She was japanese, and japanese was a very soft language by comparison. "...I have a similar feeling with regards to my device."

     Mention of dangers got a small nod. "...I believe I already understand one of those." She reaches into her Kimono, before withdrawing a shotgun-shell style cartridge. "...One of the spells that I use requires this. I've noticed it gives me a strong rush of power, but it leaves me tired and a bit strained afterwards. I've been trying to use them sparingly." Suzuki murmurs softly, quickly putting the Cartridge back into her yukata to avoid being seen with what looked like a bullet. "I'm assuming that's what you're talking about... unless there are other hazards to worry about?"

Lena Reiniger has posed:
Still amused by how strangely people of this country react to shaking hands, Lena can't help a mild chuckle. Surely other people on this world don't think it so strange a thing to do. Still, this meeting seems to be going in the right direction. If nothing else, she's found someone that might be promising as a knight, for all the good it does being stranded on Earth. Though she's still not sure she should mention exactly why she's shown up here in the first place.

She's about to explain the cartridge system when she's shown that Suzuki is apparently already familiar with it. Seeing the actual shell though gets a pretty uncommon reaction out of Lena. A somewhat worried, wide-eyed expression crosses her face, especially at the mention that she's used one of them. Of course, why wouldn't a new mage have the equivalent of a cannon in her hands. Collecting herself some, Lena sighs and can only nod. "Yes, the Belkan cartridge system is not exactly easy on an untrained body, and even someone who has conditioned their body to use it would be incredibly stupid to run through cartridges in succession."

She looks around to see if anyone is near before looking down at Ascalon. Her device lets out a soft ping before a violet circle appears above her hand. Turning her palm up, a single, much thinner style of cartridge falls into it. "That particular style of cartridge is meant for aiding in assaulting fortifications," she says while holding up her own shell. "This is meant for anti-personnel combat. Both put strain on the mage's Linker Core, but those shells are not meant to be used more than once an engagement."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     Yes, it was normal in other parts of the world! Japan was not one of those parts of the world though! Suzuki tilts her head very slightly at that mild chuckle, watching Lena's body language carefully at this point. Though she seemed mostly relaxed, she hadn't /entirely/ put the thought that Lena was just trying to get her relaxed out of her mind. That wide-eyed look is thus taken in carefully. Which gets a slow exhale from Suzuki. "...I had assumed that this was similar to what appeared to be a shotgun shell meant something, seems I was right." She had researched it the moment she had gotten ahold of them and realized she had the cartridges.

     "At this point I honestly think that the lightning and ... magic I can produce has been largely managed by Verdrehen Sturm, training would probably be stretching what I have right now." She says softly. She also wasn't progressing quickly, due to her inexperience. She frowns slightly as she hears mention of it being stupid to run through cartridges in succession. "Well, you can rest easy knowing that I use them incredibly sparingly. I only have two, and it takes me a few days to manage to refill one." Suzuki says, attempting to be reassuring.

     She listens to the continued explanation. "... I see, that's... interesting. My device takes on the shape of a Naginata or Glaive; which is generally not the sort of weapon used for assaulting fortifications." Suzuki murmurs softly, one hand lifting to take the end of her braid and brush it over her cheek idly as she thought. "Hmm. That is also another thing that I've ended up doing the same. I only use it for one spell, and it is... probably the most powerful I am capable of at present." She says softly. After a few moments, she asks, "Linker Core?"

Lena Reiniger has posed:
Another circle of violet light shines quickly, engulfing the cartridge before fading away and Lena's arms cross once again. "You'll get better at filling them, just takes practice. The biggest problem is making sure mana doesn't escape before you can seal it." She would show her how to, but she's currently not in possession of an empty shell and it probably wouldn't be too smart to fill one out in the open like this.

"There's nothing wrong with letting your device do all the work for you. After all, they were made to ease the burnden of using magic," she shrugs, seeming to think it's an acceptable approach to magic, but the tone of her voice very clearly hints that it isn't how to get the most effect for the effort put in. "But a device can only link so much mana on its own. Paired with a mage that can use the full output of their Linker Core is when a device truly shines. And there are training routines that can help with that." It doesn't even cross Lena's mind that she might be talking about things completely out of Suzuki's depth until the other girl makes it clear she doesn't know what a Linker Core is.

Hearing that actually makes Lena flush a bit as she realizes she's gotten ahead of herself a bit. "Oh, well... let's see," she says, looking Suzuki over before reaching over to point near the center of her chest. "It's an organ of sorts located right about there." She pushes off the tree and taps her own chest in about the same spot. "It allows a person to draw in surrounding mana and link it into spells. Devices make the actual linking process much easier."

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     That violet light was ... barely responded to, probably because of Suzuki's own light that she tends to create when making some spells. She watches and listens to Lena quietly, before she gives a small nod towards her. "I've managed to do that, more or less... I think part of it is just the sheer amount of energy that the cartridge can contain." Suzuki says softly. "...Add the fact that I was unaware magic even existed before I ended up with Verdrehen Sturm and, well..." She gives a small shrug, the braid brushing over her cheek again.

     She listens quietly as she listens to Lena's explanation that there's nothing wrong with that. She gives a small nod as she listens. "I see, so Verdrehen Sturm was basically designed to do that, in a way..." She pauses. "That also explains why she used a Cartridge when I used my first spell, probably to kickstart her own systems, or possibly my own ability to use magic... forcing the gate open, so to speak?"

     Which, of course, probably is not the best thing that lena ever wanted to hear, Suzuki is sure. But it was honesty. "...Hmm. So I'll need to train. ...That wholly unsurprises me, considering I perform a martial art." Suzuki says with a soft chuckle, musing a few moments. and then... Lena answers her question what a Linker Core is! She looks down at her chest, and then up towards Lena again.

     "That sounds like it's suspiciously close to where the heart tends to be normally." Suzuki responds lightly, resting her hand over her chest as she thinks on that. "...Though to be fair, I've never cut my chest open to check, so that doesn't mean anything." She tilts her head a bit. It allows a person to draw in surrounding mana. "Hmm... so that's part of why rest and time helps regenerate my energy if I'm tired after a fight. I see. ... I would like to learn about the training routines to make use of the energy better." Pause. "...Lessons on the belkan language might be helpful as well."

Lena Reiniger has posed:
Suddenly she's wishing that her vacation wasn't coming to an end thanks to all of these magical people she's running into. Magical people, she would point out, that shouldn't be here! Hey, TSAB, what happened to Unadministrated World #97 being a backwater world with no magic? Things to complain about another time, right? She's not going to bother Suzuki with her musings on how she wishes she could just go back to ignoring everything magical while hiding under a rock.

So it is that Lena sighs and gives Suzuki a nice, long stare. Hanging her head a bit in seeming defeat, she can only shrug and reach up to rub at her forehead some. "I didn't really come here to train a new knight on how to use magic, but I guess if I'm going to let you keep that device it'd be irresponsible of me to just let you figure it out yourself and risk injury," she says, giving a weak smile, clearly without any way to argue out of helping. "Thankfully it's nothing hard, just things you need to do every day."

"Though... I may not be the best at teaching a language. It might be easier for your device to learn your language." Ascalon gives a quiet ping, but says nothing. "Well, we'll see what we can do, I suppose. When do you want to start?"

Suzuki Natsume has posed:
     It's still possibly technically a vacation! From work! Not from being a magical girl though. You never get a vacation from being a magical girl. Evil seems to follow you around. Still, that /was/ odd. Earth was definitely not without magic, which might be worth looking into! Which Suzuki has no idea of. "You don't have to train me in earnest, just enough to function and be able to work from there should be enough, even if unideal." Suzuki responds quietly.

     "After all, it's better if I get to a point where using my magic isn't quite as exhausting for my own safety's sake, correct?" Suzuki questions gently. Things to do everyday... that wouldn't be a huge deal. "Once i learn German, I'm sure Verdrehen Sturm can take over form there, and I've been using books to learn." Suzuki adds carefully, finally dropping her b raid as she looks at Lena.

     "...well, if it's something that I can just be informed of to start, perhaps you could describe what I need to do for the daily drill? Obviously you can't show me, considering our location." Suzuki says, musing a bit. "...Ah, just a little bit might be enough. I've been taking out german text books from the library, so I've been learning gradually. I've mostly been struggling with the grammar and the ... pronunciation." She wrinkles her nose a bit. a U with dots over it? A strange symbol-like B? She didn't even know how to approach that!