6775/Police Not So Brutality

Police Not So Brutality
Date of Scene:	06 August 2019
Location:	Shrine of Adversity
Synopsis:	Lory Thumper and Nanoha Takamachi have a good sparring session, and Touta Konoe treats them to dinner after.
Cast of Characters:	Lory Thumper, 7075, Touta Konoe

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Lory Thumper has posed:
     Although she is still sore after the whole falling space elevator incident, Lory Thumper is still training. She probably spends half of her free time training in one way or the other. Right now, having issued an open invitation to anyone nearby that she is looking for a training partner for a spar to help loosen up after the incident, Lory is in the middle of stretching.

     The police bunny is in the middle of a large city intersection, her familiar choice for matches since she is a city cop back home. At each of the four corners is a very tall skyscraper, there are stop lights and many city signs around in the pavement, and the blacktop is four lanes wide.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha had been looking forward to experiencing a fight against another elite. At least, one not from her own world. She had also been looking forward to testing out the Shrine of Adversity after seeing the extent of its capabilities in broadcasts of the MECC. Lory's invitation has thankfully given her the opportunity to do both at the same time!

    Nanoha walks into this instance of the Shrine where Lory is waiting. She's just wearing her standard blue and white uniform at this point. Floating along beside her head is a small red gem with wings of pink light stretching out from either side.

    Nanoha glances around at the cityscape that has been recreated, admiring its authenticity, "This is impressive. It seems even more realistic than some of the Bureau's holographic training grounds!" She turns her head to look at Raising Heart beside her, "Maybe we should organize an session here for the next class?"

    The device chimes, <A slot has been scheduled. We will test them.>

    Nanoha grins, "Exactly!" Nanoha finally stops near Lory and gives her a smile, "Lory Thumper, yes?" An anthropomorphic bunny is admittedly a little strange to Nanoha. But not greatly so. It's only a slightly more pronounced version of some of the animal familiars she's known in the past. Nanoha offers a hand out to the rabbit, "I'm Nanoha Takamachi. It's nice to meet you!"

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Those big ears perk when Raising Heart speaks up, and Lory turns to look at it and Nanoha with a smile. "That's me!" she replies, holding out a paw-like hand to shake Nanoha's hand. "Did you say you are a teacher somewhere?" she adds after the handshake. "You must be pretty accomplished! I'm not an expert on human age, but you look pretty young for a teacher." She then tilts her head slightly at Nanoha's hairstyle. "Wow. That is one thing I am kind of jealous of about humans. You guys have such long head fur and can make it look pretty amazing." she says, smiling up at Nanoha. When you are only four feet tall, you end up looking up at just about everyone.

She turns around after that and heads over to where a riot helmet and a riot shield are laying on the sidewalk. She slips on the helmet and secures it, then slips the shield into place on her back. She then approaches Nanoha again. "Thanks for the help, by the way. I wasn't sure who would answer this time, but last time I got a Yakuza." She shakes her head a bit and giggles. "It is a bit awkward fighting an obvious criminal in a neutral arena."

     Lory blinks, then looks down and opens a wrist cuff to reveal a silicon keyboard. "Oh, do you mind me putting on some music? Helps me focus when training, and it is hardly ever peacefully quiet when one is fighting, especially in the multiverse."

     With that, Lory pushes a button and a small holoscreen pops up above that keyboard. She types and touches in some commands, and loads her personal playlist onto the arena's sound system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZXac7A4dFA&list=PLAGB5PWFZlY0jnSzhohbptKvhknWd9pHb&index=1

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha rubs the back of her head a little in embarrassment, "Ehehehe, yeah. I started out a little young." She then smiles at the compliment about her hair. Also head fur, that's cute! Nanoha nods a little, "It can also feel really nice to get our hair brushed. But fur is nice too! It's so soft and fluffy and nice to press against." Nanoha then quickly adds, "N-Not that I would do so without permission, or anything!" As much as she wants to.

    As Lory proceeds to equip herself, Nanoha does something similiar as she asks of her partner, "Raising Heart?"

    The device chimes in acknowledgment, Set up. A light surrounds Nanoha, obscuring her and growing out a little. Finally there's a flash of feathers and Nanoha reappears in the flowing dress form that is her Barrier Jacket. Likewise, Raising Heart has grown out into the long staff that Nanoha now clutches in her left hand.

    Nanoha nods a little in understanding as Lory speaks about her previous opponent, "I'm in law enforcement myself. So I can understand how that would be a bit strange. But I think it'd also be a good opportunity to speak with them to try and understand why they do those kinds of things!"

    At the question of music, Nanoha shakes her head, "That's fine! It could be nice to fight to some music." And then Lory starts playing it. Nanoha looks a little amused, "Hehe, that's an old one!"

    Nanoha's turns around to walk away from Lory, to put a little distance between the two before starting. She then spins back around to face her opponent. She plants the bottom of Raising Heart into the ground beside her then asks Lory, "Ready?" Once the rabbit agrees, Nanoha turns her head to her device, "Raising Heart, if you would?"

    Raising Heart chimes, <Ready. Three. Two. One. Start.>

    Nanoha takes the initiative right off the bat, spinning her staff down to point towards Lory and firing off a simple beam of pink magic. It explodes on contact, whether that's Lory or the surroundings.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory smiles at the mention of brushing and nods in agreement, but ends up giving Nanoha a bit of a stare at the addition of that last part. She laughs after a moment and nods. "Yeah, it is." she agrees, smiling once more.

     Nanoha changes form, and Lory is left staring again, but this time in awe. "...wow..." she says softly, her ears laying back just a bit. They perk up again when Nanoha says she is in law enforcement. "Oh, great! It's nice to meet a fellow law enforcement official!" she says cheerfully. "May I ask what organization you are with? I'm with the Mammalopolis Police Department." She pauses a moment, then shrugs lightly. "He...really didn't seem interested in talking, and when he did he seemed very..um...dense." She tries to say that last part a bit more quietly, like her last opponent might somehow hear her. The note on her music choice makes Lory giggle a bit. "Yeah. I mean, it's a remake but yeah."

     When asked if she is ready, Lory lower her stance a bit. When that beam fires, Lory leaps to the side in the blink of an eye and rolls away, avoiding it entirely. When she rolls back upright in a kneeling position she has a pair of futuristic looking pistols in her hands. "Let me know if you get tired. That Yakuza guy got tired of chasing me around." she says as she raises them and there is a charging sound.

     She fires, but the sound isn't gunpowder, and what seems like two bolts of light puch through the air. Then the bunny is up and running to make it harder to hit her.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha nods, approving of Lory's maneuvers in order to avoid her beam. If she was as small and agile as the rabbit, she would likely do the same. Nanoha holds her ground as she tracks Lory's movements, taking the time to respond, "I'm a Captain in the aerial instructors corps of the Time-Space Administrative Bureau. The Bureau manages a number of planets, including taking care of larger scale crimes. Though my position is more about teaching."

    As Lory raises pistols, Nanoha raises her own hand in response. The resulting bolts of light fried from them are surprisingly familiar to Nanoha. She doesn't take them lightly. <Round Shield.> The magic circle appears just beyond Nanoha's hand. One of the bolts impacts it directly, halted from causing any damage. But the second one manages to slip past the edge of the shield and hit one of the puffy shoulders of Nanoha's Barrier Jacket. A scorch mark is left behind.

    Nanoha smiles at the offer, but happily replies, "Thank you, but I think I can manage. I do have a little experience fighting fast opponents." To that end, Nanoha turns her staff a little to aim at Lory once more. A ball of pink light begins to gather just beyond the tip.

    This time Nanoha calls out, "Axel Shooter."

    The ball of light bursts, forming several beams of light that arc out and begin to rain down on the bunny's location.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory nods at Nanoha's reply and smirks lightly. "Good." she says.

     Those beams of light arc, and Lory hops back and forth on her feet as she runs to avoid the brunt of them. One manages to catch her in the shoulder just like Nanoha, and much like Nanoha Lory's meager armor keeps her from being injured too badly. She grunts and winces, but keeps running. "Is that technology or magic?" she asks as she runs...and while she is actually curious it is also a distraction from her pulling out a palm-sized disk. She hits a button in the center with her thumb, then throws it through the air like a throwing star. When it gets near Nanoha it explodes, but rather than high explosives it is filled with a very rapidly hardening foam! Riot foam. It is meant to keep someone in place for easier capture, but it is also quite useful for making a difficult opponent easier to hit!

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    "It's both. The Midchildan magic system is heavily based upon mathematic and scientific concepts. Our Devices help us process complex equations to produce our magic.

    The gem in Nanoha's staff flashes and Raising Heart chimes, <Hello. I am Raising Heart.>

    Nanoha isn't sure what the device Lory just threw at her is, so she doesn't stick around to find out. The Mage jumps away from her position in an attempt to avoid it. But the device explodes, unleashing a shower of riot foam.

    Nanoha looks down as several blobs of the stuff lands on her legs. Nanoha winces a little as the stuff hardens and puts pressure on her legs. It does indeed slow her down a little.

    Nanoha looks back up at Lory, "I take it your police force prefers to use non-lethal methods?" Nanoha clearly approves.

    Nanoha swings her staff around to point at Lory once more. More magic gathers as Nanoha calls, "Sacred Cluster!" The gathered magic fires off in Lory's direction, streaking through the air. But as it gets close it explodes prematurely, launching a collection of small shrapnel-like-blasts of magic in all directions, hopefully catching Lory with some of it.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     "Well, we wouldn't be much of a police force if we just killed everyone who broke the law. We'd be execution squads. But, in addition to that, I always try to solve things non-lethally if possible." Lory replies even as she keeps running. She has been running and moving since they started, but doesn't seem to be showing any signs of getting tired yet.

     When Nanoha's cluster bomb goes off, Lory...leaps right toward it! And in an amazing display of flexibility, acrobatics, and precision she spirals and twists through the air, lowering her already small profile to the smallest it can get and managing to perfectly slip between the gaps of the magic blasts.

     She lands on her back on the other side of the wave of projectiles, sliding on her shield for a short distance before instinctively sticking out her arms and backflipping back to her feet. "H-hello Raising Heart!" she manages, looking surprised herself that she managed to avoid that wave of magic bolts and looking back at them before to Nanoha again. "That was awesome! Um..." She points. "Are those non-lethal? It's hard to tell with magic."

     With that she flicks a switch on her pistols and aims them at Nanoha. Both fire a set of prongs that, if they manage to hook, send a very high voltage but ultimately harmless shock through and into the TSAB agent.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha is... Surprised. The clustered nature of her last attack would make one think twice, thrice or even fource (not a word!) about trying to evade it. And yet Lory naturally pulls it off and looks like a pro while doing it! Nanoha can't help but smile as she says, "Nice!"

    Nanoha nods in agreement with Lory's sentiments. She then nods again as she explains, "You haven't really felt it yet." Because you keep dodging. "But our magic can't kill anyone by default. It causes minor injuries, but also drains their physical and mental stamina. So it gets to a point where they just don't have the strength to continue fighting."

    Lory proceeds to alter the mode of weapon. Nanoha isn't sure what to expect. Weapons with multiple modes can be tricky! Maybe it'll turn the guns into a dagger?

    Nanoha naturally recognizes the prongs of a stun gun. Oh joy, electricity! Nanoha chooses to not actively defend against the stun guns, letting her Barrier Jacket take the shock head on. It helps to reduce the charge running into Nanoha herself, though the mage still winces as she feels the familiar pain running through her.

    Finally Nanoha comes out of the shock, her clothes smoking a little. But she's still looking strong to go! And she thinks it's time to switch things up a bit. The two have been trading blows from a distance. But Nanoha suspects that's not all that Lory can do. The instructor decides to test Lory's close combat capabilities. Of course, the riot foam on her legs is making things a bit difficult... "Bind Break." The hardened foam begins to glow with light, before shattering into dust.

    Nanoha suddenly launches forward towards Lory. She's not running, but flying along close to the ground at high speed. She quickly closes the distance to the rabbit, swinging her staff around as she reaches her target for some good ol' fashioned blunt force trauma.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     "Oh!" Lory seems impressed with this style of magic use, and seems like she is making a mental note on it. When Nanoha comes flying in toward her, Lory lowers her stance once again and holsters her guns quickly. In almost the same motion she pulls her shield off her back and in a quick motion that is part block part sidestep she knocks the staff away from her using the shield while she maneuvers around Nanoha and goes into a somersault to bring a kick down at Nanoha's back as she passes.

     As might be expected, there is a lot of speed and a decent amount of force behind that kick. Hopefully enough to drive Nanoha into a crash with the ground! She lands again after her attack, then chases after Nanoha and attempts to shield slam her in a technique that seems meant to pin a suspect down for another officer to cuff.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    At this stage Nanoha is pretty much expecting that Lory can evade her blows. So isn't too surprised that that's exactly what happens. And quite rightly, Lory tries to capitalize on that dodge. However, Nanoha proves that she can also be quite agile as she twists in mid-air, causing Lory's kick to just graze Nanoha's side. The heavy kick causes some obvious pain to Nanoha, but that partial force isn't enough to send the Mage crashing into the ground.

    Instead Nanoha grounds herself, righting herself in flight, turning to face Lory and bringing her feet down on the street once more. She skids across the ground a short distance as she brings her staff around to meet Lory's shield.

    As the two briefly struggle against each other, Nanoha smiles at Lory, "Good! You obviously have great reaction times. And a solid grasp of basic personal combat. Your police force has trained you well."

    Nanoha suddenly twists her staff in an attempt to shift Lory's shield to the side and create an opening. At which point Nanoha releases one hand from her weapon, raising it up towards Lory. A sudden blast of pink is launched from her hand at point blank range.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory lets out a slightly concerned noise when Nanoha hooks her shield like that. She has no choice when Nanoha brings that hand up but to let go of her shield and kick off of it to try and avoid the attack. One of her legs takes a hit though, and she ends up crashing a bit rather than her usual graceful and skillful landing. But, she is back on her feet quickly enough.

     The comment on her police force training her makes Lory smirk lightly. "Um...yeah. I actually did a lot of...extracurricular training." she says, rubbing at the spot on her leg. "If there are any other officers on the force that could give you as much trouble as me, I'd be surprised. I mean the SWAT teams are still pretty good, but I'm really the only small animal on the force. The rest are things like lions and bears and elephants, so they don't have to worry quite as much. But, I wanted to be the best, so I trained hard on my own to be able to take down even animals like those. A bunny like me cornered by a big criminal wouldn't stand much of a chance without it."

     Lory seems pretty proud of her skills, and even crosses her arms over her chest and smirks lightly in a proud sort of way. "Now...I'll need that back if you don't mind." she says before rushing back in toward Nanoha. She cartwheels as she passes Nanoha, picking up her dropped shield and in the same motion swinging it with the edge aimed at Nanoha. "That's also why they didn't object when I volunteered for the Multiversal Task Force!"

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha spins her staff around to meet Lory's shield strike once more, though she's only partially able to block the blow. It strikes her had in her side and Nanoha jumps back a little afterwards to gain a little distance. As she lands she moves a hand to her side to feel the injury. That's probably going to leave a bruise, even through her defensive magics!

    "I see. So you trained hard so that you could be better at your job. A good attitude!" But then the rest of Lory's words process in Nanoha's mind and her eyes go a little wide, "Your society is made up of lots of different creatures like you?" Familiars on Nanoha's world are rare. So for an entire community to be made up of animal people... Nanoha's eyes sparkle with excitement, "I'd really like to visit a place like that some time!"

    But for now, "Well then, Raising Heart. Should be take this up a notch?"

    The device chimes in response, <Yes. Hit her hard>

    Nanoha exclaims, "Right!" Nanoha floats into the air, rising up as she gains some distance from Lory in order to have an opportunity to prepare for her next attack. Nanoha swings her staff around to point down towards Lory below. A large spell circle appears beneath Nanoha and she places her feet down on it. She lowers her stance in order to help absorb the coming recoil.

    Several balls of light appear in the air around Nanoha. The Mage calls out, "Strike..." The orbs all fire beams. They aren't directed at Lory, but instead around her. They are also all continuous, creating a cage of sorts in order to limit the bunny's movements.

    While the rabbit is cornered, Nanoha continues her preparations. The cartridge slide at the neck of the weapon pulls back three times.

    CA-CHUNK. CA-CHUNK. CA-CHUNK.

    Another spell circle appears just beyond the tip of Nanoha's staff and another, much larger, ball of magic appears. It begins to grow in size as the sound of charging energy can be easily heard. The air begins to whip up at the sheer amount of power flowing into the shot, rustling Nanoha's ponytail and clothes. Finally Nanoha is ready as she calls out, "...Stars!"

    The ball of magic bursts, unleashing a huge blast of pink energy down through the center of the beam cage. It roars through the air towards Lory, threatening to not only smash into the bunny but also obliterate a good part of the street around her.

Touta Konoe has posed:
    A young man had finished up his own match in the Shrine of Adversity with a carefree smile on his face as he walked about it's enormous halls.

     "Man, it's real nice we've got free access to the Shrine now. Or was it just for a year?"

     < You expect me to remember? >

     "...Fair enough, well hey at least we won't have to worry about paying for a while either way. Good thing too. Not like we have Concord or Paladin funds to work with."

     The boy makes a light hearted chuckle at his rather unfunny financial situation. As he keeps walking about he stops for a moment as he stares at one of the screens, "That's..."

     < Touta? >

     Without another word the boy starts dashing from the grand halls of the Shrine and into one of the arena spectator areas to get a better view. He arrives just in time to see a certain magician in white starts accumulating her magic that begins to encircle and try ensnaring her opponent and then...

     "Woah..."

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory can't help but giggle a bit at how cute the already cute Nanoha looks with sparly eyes. "Well, feel free! So far Multiversal traffic hasn't been limited beyond customs checks and proper registrations." she says, then her ears perk. Hit her hard is usually not a good thing when you are the her. Perhaps Lory's first mistake is not rushing Nanoha, but she has no idea what is coming and rushing in usually gets you into trouble.

     By the time she realizes her mistake, Lory is -already- in trouble. That beam cage locks her down pretty well. Leaping through lasers seems like a bad idea. And Nanoha apparently is loading something really big by those loud ca-chunk sounds. Within the cage, the bunny can't do much but...wait.

     Strike Stars seems like an appropriate name, although Lory might have left it as just Star considering that it is only one huge blast of pink energy coming down at her. With nowhere to go, all she can do is stare upward with splayed ears. Lory has never experienced an attack like this before, and she doesn't even think to bring up her shield. Like some doe in the headlights she just watches the blast come down.

     When it is over, the bunny cop is left in the blast's crater, smoldering and curled up and definitely feeling the effects of Nanoha's magic finally. It takes her several long moments to get back up after that one, and she is actually looking sluggish when she finally does get up. "H-holy shitake mushrooms..." she groans. "If this were real, I'd feel very lucky that your magic isn't meant to be lethal. I am pretty sure I'd have just been incinerated there."

     Lory takes a moment to check herself and make sure she isn't injured, since knowing that could affect her fighting style. But, she seems alright other than exhausted now. "Well...I definitely don't have anything like that, so...I'll just have to make due with what I have!"

     She rushes in on Nanoha again, and when she gets close she leaps into a flying kick aimed at Nanoha's belly. Once the kick is delivered, she follows it up with a flurry of blindingly fast punches and kicks. Individually none of them are any more dangerous than a random joe's punch, but when coupled with dozens of similar hits all with the expert aim of a master martial artist behind them...they could add up quickly.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Fshhhhhhhh.

    The vents on the head of Nanoha's staff release a puff of cooling gases after that attack. Nanoha stands up straight once more on her magical platform, letting her guard down just a little as she waits to see the result of her attack.

    As expected, Lory got hit hard by that attack. Though she then impressively proceeds to stand with only a little trouble. That's more than Nanoha can say for some of the aerial troops she's trained in the past.

    Nanoha smiles at Lory, saying in response, "The Bureau has to fight some powerful foes sometimes. If we couldn't match them, we wouldn't be able to do a very good job. And lots of peoples lives would be in danger as a result."

    It seems that Lory is still intent on continuing. So Nanoha shifts her stance once more as she prepares to defend against the bunny. But the super fast kick is a bit of a surprise. While Nanoha manages to bring the shaft of her weapon in between her and the kick, she wasn't able to brace herself properly. The result is Nanoha's weapon getting kicked into her own chest and launching Nanoha of her floating platform.

    Nanoha hits the exterior wall of one of the corner skyscrapers, putting a dent in the building before she falls down to the ground. Nanoha lands on one knee and rises, but is barely able to do so before Lory rushes in for a follow-up flurry of strikes. Nanoha tries her best to intercept them with her staff, spinning it to meet some of the strikes, while others are able to impact against her body.

    The final blow sends Nanoha skidding back a short distance, the Mage planting the end of her staff into the ground and dropping to one knee. Panting a little, Nanoha takes a moment to recover.

    Nanoha stands straight once more. She's looking a little beaten, but otherwise doing alright. She gives Lory smile, "You remind me a lot of my daughter. Fast and quite a puncher." Nanoha relaxes a little as she says, "I think it's been a pretty good training session! Shall we finish it up here?"

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory is about to rush in to continue, but Nanoha calls for an end and Lory skids to a stop. She blinks, then nods and smiles as she relaxes and pulls off her helmet. "Sure. It's been a pretty good workout and...wow that magic of yours is-"

     Lory blinks, then looks Nanoha over. "You...have a daughter? My estimation of human ages must be off..." she says, rubbing at her chin a moment. "I'd have estimated you were no older than 20. Certainly not old enough to have a daughter that could fight. Just how old are you? Are you one of those immortal types I've heard about?"

     She looks over at Touta after that. "Hey, looks like we attracted a small crowd." she says, offering a friendly wave for no other reason than he was there watching them. She looks back to Nanoha and smiles. "When you decide on a day to visit Mammalopolis let me know. I'd be happy to show you around. And it might be worth my time to look into some of those magic devices of yours. Something that packs that kind of punch without actually harming the perp seems like something I could use."

     There is a slight growling sound from somewhere and Lory blushes, just barely visible through the thin fur of her cheeks and ears. "Uh...ehehe. I don't suppose you are hungry?"

Touta Konoe has posed:
    The boy stays silent as Nanoha's blast sends her opponent blasting to the other side of the arena and cratered into the stage. Just watching so much power accumulate at once made him cringe.

     "Ugggh, I can't imagine getting it by something like that, it'd probably blow me to pieces."

     < Is that so? Than her opponent must be sturdier than you are. >

     "Huh, what are you-"

     The boy stays silent for a moment as he sees Lory get up. "What the, she's banged up but that attack...I've been hit with alot of stuff and that should have really got her! What's going on?!"

     < You're asking me? For now it'd be best just to watch. >

     "Ah, yeah. Whatever the reason was the one she's fighting looks like they still got some kick left in them."

     Speaking of kick, he watches Nanoha get sent flying as she tries to brace herself for Lory's kick only to be overwhelmed by the attack. He sees that she's already getting up after having a crater of her own being forged from her impact.

     "This is where we see what she's really made of I guess."

     He says that as he watches Lory begin her onslaught of close combat strikes against Nanoha, and watches her tried to fend them off. He knows from his world that mages aren't the most physical of combatitives so to see Nanoha be able to deflect most of those strikes really spoke to the prowess of the person. Though just as he thinks he's gonna see Nanoha come back from her recovery for another hit...

     "Finished already?"

     < Mmm, there wasn't really a need to go further. It seemed more like the two were evaluating the other. >

     "Really, it looked like the other one was just about t- Oh, think they noticed us."

     The young man waves from the spectator area towards Lory, and then quickly to Nanoha. He makes a gesture to let the two he was planning to come into the arena real quick. So for a few moments he disappears from sight before arriving through the stadium entrance with a really cheerful smile on his face to greet the both of them.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha is clearly happy to hear that she doens't look over twenty. But she does laugh a little and admit, "A little over twenty, actually. But my daughter is adopted."

    Nanoha's attention is diverted as Lory mentions their audience. She looks for a moment, then says, "That looks like..." Sure enough Touta makes his way into the arena. Nanoha gives him a wave, "Hello, Touta!"

    Looking back at Lory, Nanoha smiles at the offer of a tour, "Thanks! I'll probably take you up on that. I've been meaning to see other parts of the Multiverse, now that I can. And I'd be happy to show you some of our magic. Though whether you'll be able to implement it into your own tech I'm not sure. It does sort of rely on a person having an inherent magical ability. But there might be a workaround!"

    Nanoha chuckles a little as Lory's stomach rumbles. At the question of being hungry, Nanoha admits, "After a fight like that? Quite." Nanoha glances at her staff, "Raising Heart?"

    Raising Heart chimes, <Mode release.> Nanoha is surrounded with light, after which she has returned to wearing her uniform instead of her Barrier Jacket. And her device now hangs from a necklace around her neck.

    Nanoha looks at Touta, "Come and join us!"

Lory Thumper has posed:
     "Oh, I see." Lory says, nodding at Nanoha's explanations. "Adoption. Why didn't I think of that?" she chides herself lightly. She looks over as Nanoha greets Touta. "Ah. A friend of yours huh?" She watches with the same sparkly eyes Nanoha had earlier when Nanoha shifts clothing again through some kind of magic system. "I -really- need to get me something like that." she says with a bit of a giggle.

     She holds out a paw-hand to Touta when he joins them. "Hi there. Lory Thumper, MPD! Nice to meet you, Touta. May I ask who you were talking with up there? I heard you but...I didn't see another person." She wiggles her ears a bit as if to demonstrate how she could have heard them up there through battle and music. Speaking of which, she clicks the music off now that the battle is over.

     She then takes a moment to look Touta over. She tries not to make any snap judgements but...he is clearly a child. "Wait, is this another of your adopted children Nanoha?" she asks.

Touta Konoe has posed:
     "Oh, you guys getting food? Sounds good to me. I actually just finished up a fight in the shrine too so I can eat." He looks back towards Lory for a second realizing even though he's being offered to join them, he hasn't really said anything to her yet. Though she beats him to the punch with her paw already extended out for him to shake. He firmly takes her hand and shakes that paw with a sturdy grip and a big smile. Part of that smile is totally not cause she's shorter than him...You can't prove it otherwise!

    t "Nice meeting ya Lory. Also I'm not Nanoha's kid, I met her recently so when I saw her here I just decided I wanted to check out her match. But the both of you were really going at it. Especially that last magical attack, it seriously looked like it was gonna rip you to shreds, you must be one tough bunny. Hope you didn't mind me watching though."

     He brings his other hand behind his head awkwardly smiling as he says that, but even that sort of smile just seems sort of endearing on the kid who looked no older than like... Twelve, maybe thirteen? Either way he doesn't look the kind of person who should be in the shrine. Even the way he rests his blade on his shoulder seems way too relaxed.

     "Oh, you heard me? Right I was chatting with my trusty Sable Side-"

     < Will you stop calling me that?! ... > A sound almost like clearing someone's throat can be heard from the blade resting on his shoulder,

     < Greetings Lory Thumper, you may call me Kurobo. Also, it's good to see both of you as well, Nanoha Takamichi, Raising Heart. I hope you both have been well. >

     "Ehehe, well looks like we got all the introductions out of the way. Anyway, if we're looking for food I know some really good stands to check out. It'll be my treat. Since the end of the MECC they're giving out all these benefits and stuff so might as well enjoy it with others."

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha blinks in surprise that the suggestion of Touta being her adopted child too, "Ehhh? Ehehehe, no." Touta explains and Nanoha nods along with it, "We just met a couple of days ago. My daughter is my only child." Pause. "But she does technically have a brother and sister." Pause. "It's complicated." Where's that relationship chart when you need it...

    Anyway, Nanoha replies, "Hello, Kurobo."

    Raising Heart likewise chimes, <Greetings. We are adapting.>

    Nanoha nods in agreement, "It's been a little busy, organizing my new position with the Paladins. But it's coming along nicely, I think!"

    And then Touta offers to pay for their food. Nanoha grins, "Lead the way!" Nanoha is happy to trust Touta to pick somewhere good, even though she barely knows him. Probably something to do about that suggestion he made, shortly after they met, about her trying to be a good cook. She already is. But anyone who thinks of something like that being important clearly knows food!

    As they go, Nanoha asks Touta, "What else did you get for being in the tournament?"

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory has no experience with magic-influenced family trees, so gives Nanoha a rather puzzled look with one eyebrow raised. "Sounds like something with quite a story behind it." she says, smiling lightly. "I like stories." And she has an isatiable thirst for solving mysteries. When Nanoha greets the sword Lory does the same. "Nice to meet you, Kurobo." she says, even while looking a bit caught off guard to be talking to a sword. "What's wrong with Sable Sidekick?" she asks, figuring that the most likely continuation of what Touta said.

     She follows after Nanoha and Touta as they head toward the restaurant. "Do you know if they have vegitarian options? I don't really do meat since you know..." She gestures at herself.

     "The MECC. I wasn't around when it was being held, but it seems to have left quite an impression. Sounded like there used to be a similar tournament every year, but for some reason it stopped?"

Touta Konoe has posed:
     Starts walking and talking along with the others, "Mmm, well since I was a semi-finalist winner I apparently got some prize money, a couple of things from the sponsors, and then I'm getting access to the Shrine without having to pay any fees. Which is good since unlike you I'm not in any of the factions, so I don't get any funding or discounts usually."

     He starts walking them through the halls being pretty casual if anything. Occassionally waving to vendors and strangers as they go through the Shrine. Either this kid comes to the shrine a decent amount, or he's just gotten popular? Maybe both? Maybe he's just very outgoing?

     Sadly Lory asks a question that would make Kurobo give a rather annoyed face if he had one. < Because I'm not some side-show horse, I'm a blade forged by one of the evilest mages of my world, forged under the pressure of a white dwarf and left to slu- >

     "Right? I think it's an awesome name. He just doesn't get good naming sense!"

     The blade doesn't talk up anymore after that...Though the walk over is still pretty lively as they make it to the restaurant. From the outside it looks like a barbeque place of some sort, but hearing Lory talk about her dietary restrictions he looks back with a smile, "Oh, don't sweat it. Despite the name this place has a lot of variety. It's sorta like a Japanese Barbeque restaurant. You go in order your food and cook it on a grill yourself. They've got really high quality meats here, but they got plenty of vegetable dishes you can cooked on the grill or order off the menu. I usually don't come here since it's expensive but since I'm with company I figure we should splurge!"

     < Also because the meals are being accomodated for him and his guests as one of the semi-finalists. Rather extravagant for someone who didn't even make it to the finals. >

     "Ehehe, well...Not wrong about that. But might as well take advantage right?" Without another word he takes them inside and gets them brought to their seats. A small grill in the middle of the table is turned on, and Touta starts ordering a few meats for the table, and leaves the vegetables to Lory to decide on. Though when the meats come out, one look at the marbling of the stuff makes it seem like this is some high quality...High priced food...

     "Oh right, Nanoha, you said your daughter was watching the matches right?"

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha looks a little amused at Lory's curiosity. She does admit, "I do have a few stories. Perhaps you should come over for tea some time! I'm sure my daughter would love to meet you. She has a Device like mine, but hers is a plush bunny." Coincidence! "Plus she's also a magical martial artist. With high reaction times and physical speed. You two would match up perfectly!"

    Nanoha nods approvingly of the choice of restaurant. As they proceed to sit, Nanoha admits, "It's been a while since I've been back to Japan. Midchilda certainly has some good restaurants. But sometimes I miss the style."

    Nanoha nods at Touta's question, explaining while she organises her own food, "Like I said, Vivio likes to fight in official matches and the like. While we get as much tourism as other worlds, very little of it is elites as there haven't been any major incidents on our world in years. So Vivio has only fought other Mages. She's naturally excited about fighting from other worlds."

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory frowns just a bit at Kurobo's comments to Touta. "Hey, semi-finals for a MULTIVERSAL fighting competition seems pretty noteworthy to me." she says, putting plenty of emphasis on the word multiversal. "Especially for someone as young as..." She trails off, then peers at Touta. "...actually, now that I think about it, you seem kind of mature for your age. Not to mention you have a sword and were a semi-finalist in a competition that must have included people like Nanoha here."

     "Not to mention that Sable Sidekick is nice for a nickname. Would it be better if he introduced you as 'Kurobo, my Sable Sidekick'?" She adds as they near the table. Lory selects a few different vegetables. Carrots (of course), sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower, and long green beans.

     To Nanoha she replies, "Oh! That would be nice! I'd be happy to meet your daughter even though it is weird to think about worlds where a bunny is just a small four-legged creature." She doesn't realize the danger she would likely be in upon meeting someone who has a plush bunny. "Do you think she would want to spar like we did?" Lory asks Nanoha.

Touta Konoe has posed:
     Touta starts taking some of the prime rib and placing it on the grill. It only takes a few seconds each side but the meat's quality is so good it feels like it'd literally melt in your mouth as you eat it. Though in between bites, flipping meat over, and server out portions for him and Nanoha he starts speaking up.

     "Huh, I guess that's pretty similar to my world. At the moment we only have a few Warp Gates and the ones that are near us are kinda in bad locations so we kinda don't advertise the Multiverse's existence that much. But it's not like we don't let people through. Also, I was gonna ask if you had a Japan on your world. Your name sounded Japanese but when I heard about Midchilda it really threw me off. Anyway, if Lory ends up going to meet your daughter I can tag along too. I'm probably not as popular as maybe Yang would be to her maybe since she's a really knuckle duster but I'm sure if she wanted to spar with a MECC contestant I'd always be happy to head over. Besides, I still owe ya for catching me when I fell.

     When Lory asks about his age though he looks over with a big smirk on his face, "Heh, you think? I mean, I'm turning sixteen soon so...."

     < Miss Thumper, I'd simply request that my name stay the same so that I don't get any strange nicknames... >

     Touta gets cut off immediately, but he seems fine with it. "But uh...Yeah there were alot of incredible people in the tournament. It really makes you realize where you stand in the Multiverse, and you know the crazy thing? There were plenty of crazy tough people who didn't end up joining. Like on of the sponsors, King Gilgamesh. I got on that guy's bad side once and he nearly dropped a tower sized sword on me! Still..."

     At this moment, if only for a brief moment Touta's face sombers. His eyes drift down to the food as he continually flips it.

     "...It really makes you think how much farther you gotta go..."

     Just as quick as that moment flashes by though, his attention returns to the bright-eyed cheerful kid from before. "Oh yeah! Hey, why don't all three of us take a picture for your daughter!"

     Without another word he pulls out his phone and moves over to the other side of the table where the two are, squeezing himself between the two and pulls out his phone to take a picture of the three. "Everyone say cheese!" There's little time to argue it, but at least enough time to pose. Click, click, click. And when he turns the screen around to show them...

     The picture only shows Lory and Nanoha, and a blank space in the middle of them. Oh right, he didn't mention a certain thing to them did he?

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha pauses mid-eating so she can get off a quick laugh. She then says to Lory, "I think it'd be harder to make her NOT want to spar with you!" Nanoha puts her food down as she happily explains, "One of her current friends. The first thing she did when they first met? Asked her to spar. Admittedly it didn't go too well. She felt like she had offended the other person by not taking it too seriously. So her solution? Ask for a rematch and fight even harder."

    Nanoha then nods to Touta, "I am from Japan. Though before the Multiverse, my Earth didn't even know magic existed. Due to some events, I ended up working for the TSAB when I was younger and wound up moving to the Bureau's capital on the planet of Midchilda."

    As Touta mentions how there are likely even more powerful people out there than those who fought in the tournament-who seemed powerful enough-Nanoha says a little solemnly, "I am a little concerned about that. I want to do the right thing and help people. But there are many people who would be sad if something happened to me..."

    Nanoha is distracted from somber thoughts by picture time, "Oh, yes! I'm sure Vivio would be REALLY surprised to see her mama with a MECC fighter!" Nanoha smiles during the photo. But then when they take a look... Nanoha blinks, "Uhhhh... Huh?"

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory blinks a few times. "Sixteen? Haven't quite hit your growth spurt yet, I guess?" she says, not seeming like she is being insulting just trying to make sure she knows all the facts. Kurobo's comment makes Lory giggle a bit and shrug. She certainly isn't going to try and force a sword to be called by something other than its name. And she is boggling a bit as Touta talks about more craziness that leaves Lory wide-eyes. Touta probably doesn't know it, but her world has zero supernatural stuff. So, not only is a tower-sized sword kind of out there, but a sixteen-year old twelve-year old kid who could survive being nearly hit by one and could place so high in the MECC...

     She kind of just nods silently as Touta suggests a picture and slides inbetween herself and Nanoha. At least she is actually in the picture, albeit with a very confused and surprised look on her face rather than a picture-taking smile. When Touta turns the screen around to show them though...it all makes sense. Lory's ears lay back and she gets a deadpan expression. "...ah. You're a vampire." she says flatly, as if that answers all her questions. "Wait, you're a vampire who eats regular food?" Okay, almost all.

     After her mind has a chance to catch up, Lory considers what Touta said. "...yeah. After today and that incident on the space elevator I am not sure how I managed to stay alive even this far. I'm lucky my training is basically instinct now." she says.

     Nanoha's story about Vivio brings a smile to Lory's face. "She sounds like a handful. I look forward to meeting her." Pause. "...she isn't like...older than you or something is she?" After all the age surprises today, she just wants to make sure.

     Nanoha's mention of magic and the multiverse draws another nod from Lory. "Yeah, before that gate opened outside of Mammalopolis, the only magic we'd heard of was in books and movies and games. We might be in trouble the first time there's an actual multiverse-level incident on my world."

Touta Konoe has posed:
     "Oh wow, you're quick on the update Lory." He pulls at his cheeks a bit to reveal his teeth and the fangs that are definitely present but not as protruding as you'd think they'd be from media representation. "Yeah, alot happened before arrived in the Multiverse where I almost got killed and I ended up becoming a vampire to stay alive. And yeah, I can eat regular food. Truthfully, I don't think I've ever even had blood before. I'm definitely the weirdest vampires you'll find in the Multiverse! It's also the reason I'm stuck looking like this. I won't die from old age but not gonna get any older looking either probably rich really blows. Just think of me as one of the oddballs in the Multiverse, you'll find a lot of them but don't sweat it too much Lory. Even if a few pop into your world the Paladins, Watch, and Concord are actually pretty good on clean up things like that."

     After reassuring Lory though, his attention returns to Nanoha, whom after her letting her feelings out about her concerns with such strong people in the Multiverse and wanting to make sure she was safe for her family. This results in him giving her a headpat out of the blue.

     "Hey, don't sweat it. That guy I was telling you about swinging that tower sword is a Paladin. He's a bit over the top, but as far as allies go he'll definitely watch your back. But as a heads up, don't be surprised when people call you out on how you do things. You can bet there's a lot of different mindsets in the Multiverse and they'll really try butting heads with you. Honestly I've seen the worst fights in the Multiverse be done with words more than with fists." He releases his hand from atop her head as he goes to prepare more of the meat, and starts speaking up again.

     "Oh yeah, before I forget...Do you mind if I end up visiting if I bring a guest? Apparently she might be from your world originally. Does a magician by the name Rynith ring a bell to ya?" He asks his question so non-chalantly after stating something like that, and then brings up something as random as 'Oh hey, I think we have someone from your world with us.' like no big deal.... The Multiverse must really normalize the strange.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha blinks again, "Vampire?" Oh right... Those things are real in the Multiverse... "Ehehe... Okay. This will probably take some getting used to."

    Nanoha starts eating again, giving a light chuckle to Lory and saying, "No. Vivio's ten." Pause. "Though her transformation does turn her into an adult form." Pause. "It's complicated."

    Nanoha is only a little surprised by a headpat. It's not that she minds. It's just been a while since someone last did that. But she does nod along with Touta's reassurances, "I'm sure I'll manage. I'm used to facing tough opposition and fighting for what I believe in." She goes back to eating.

    And then Touta drops the next bomb. And Nanoha literally drops her fork, the utensil clattering down on the table.

    That would be a yes.

    Nanoha recovers her fork a little and nods, "Y-Yes. The name is familiar. Though I highly doubt she's from my world specifically. Probably one of the others I've heard are out there. As for bringing her along too... Well, I don't see why not?" That could be interesting.

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Lory smirks a bit when Touta compliments her. "It is fairly common knowledge that vampires' images aren't caught in reflective surfaces, and I don't know of any other creatures that don't appear in those things." she says. She listens to Touta explain about his diet and smiles at his reassurances about the Multiverse. "I hope you're right. Still, I'm not looking forward to it. From the accounts I've read, disasters in cities can easily end up with very high death tolls." Unlike Nanoha, she isn't really worried about herself. "It is scary, but it comes with the territory in law enforcement, as I'm sure you know if you've been an officer for a while. We just have to make sure we never disappoint our families by coming home in a box, right?" she says, trying to smile through that.

     Nanoha's reaction to the name Rynith is a surprise, and Lory gives her an 'are you alright?' kind of look. She theorizes immediately about what it could be. Family member that is dead on her world? Person of great importance? Long lost hero? But, the best method is to ask. "So...who is Rylith?" she inquires, going through the motions of putting another veggie on the grill while looking at Nanoha. A small part of the bunny's mind notes the irony of the human being headpatted while Lory is right beside her.

Touta Konoe has posed:
     "A kid that has an adult form...?" That sounds oddly familiar to a certain other person he knows. Except the ten year-old he knows is actually waaaaay older than that. But the similarity makes him chuckle for a moment. He bets Yukihime and Kitty would both be surprised. He won't add onto that though, no point to for now. Though when he sees Nanoha drop her fork he's beaten to the punch by Lory to see what's going on. Now that it was said though, he wasn't really sure who Rynith was either besides her being a Magician from a world like Nanohas or an alternate version of it, and the fact she likely did something to make her be considered heroic in some way.

     "Ah, you don't have to if you don't want to Nanoha. It's like you said, this person probably isn't even from the same world right? I just thought she might like returning close to home but it might be a bad idea!"

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha gets a look from Lory. She smiles reassuringly back at the rabbit, then answers both of them at the same time, "It's fine. I was just a little surprised. That's all."

    Nanoha is silent for a few moments before starting, "Rynith was... Is..." Okay, that's a little confusing. "Well, assuming they're the same person... Rynith was not someone I ever had a chance to meet. However, she was quite close to someone who is very important to me. And as far as either of us knows... She died. Over a decade ago."

    Nanoha quietly muses, "I never considered that there might be people out there who..." And then a thought crosses her mind, "-Ah. I wonder if she's..." Nanoha shakes her head. Best not to think about it.

    Nanoha tries to return to her more normal happy mood as she says more firmly, "If she wishes to visit, then I'd be happy to have her. I will admit that I'm interested in meeting her too!"

Touta Konoe has posed:
     Says nothing as she explains her relation to Rynith. It's nothing grandiose, and it doesn't really give much of an explanation to Rynith's history. It didn't divulge any sort of legend that she was. It didn't make her sound like she was some amazing hero. She was just, "A friend of a friend then?" As far as Heroic Spirits it didn't really feel too heroic but then again he still didn't know much about Rynith at all. He did know that she was dead, and technically...She was still dead. If anything Nanoha's statement might have only reconfirmed that this Rynith was from the same world.

     "Well, if she's up for it I'll definitely bring her along. Would it be alright if I asked what that person's name is though? Might be easier to convince her if I have a familiar name for her to go off of."

Lory Thumper has posed:
     Well, she was close in her internal guesses. Lory smiles as Nanoha does and nods lightly. She listens to the bits of story about Rynith and is left wanting more thanks to those fragments of thought that Nanoha expresses. "Different?" she offers as a suggestion of finishing that second unfinished thought before poking the carrot that is probably a carrot chip by now into her mouth. The bunny blinks at the overdone carrot, then giggles self-consciously. "Oops. Got too caught up in the conversation."

     She smiles to the two of them after that. "Thanks for the warm welcome to the Multiverse, by the way. If I got this warm a welcome somewhere back home I might think something was wrong!" she says half-jokingly.

Nanoha Takamachi (7075) has posed:
    Nanoha looks at Lory in confusion, "Different?" Apparently that's not the thought process that Nanoha was going through. But she doesn't expand on it any further. Especially as it seems Lory has to go, "Ah! Thanks for the training session, Lory. It was a lot of fun! We'll have to do it again, some time." She's not entirely sure why warm welcomes would be wrong anywhere, but doesn't want to keep Lory by asking.

    Looking back at Touta, Nanoha nods along, "R-right. You can give her the name, Fate T. H-" Nanoha quickly corrects herself, "Fate Testarossa. Unless she's not the same person, she'll know the name." This is going to be weird.