Magical Lotus, Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 2

[Hello Purvis]

>Accept the tea.
>"So, aside from being a good gambler, has she caused much trouble?"

[Oldmansour]

>Accept the tea.
>"So, aside from being a good gambler, has she caused much trouble?"

>Lily pours a drink for herself, then open a cabinet in a desk behind her, producing a bottle of water and handing to Chie. "Not TROUBLE so much...." she says thoughtfully, before popping the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. "She's always got an angle, yknow? Got something to sell ya. New pictures, concert tickets, little knicknacks."
>Chie pauses her mastication to look at you with her pale purple eyes. "Her being here is not bad. Her prices for things are. She knows what people want, and profits from it." Lily nods in agreement with that assessment. "Heck of a businessman, that one. Just shady as heck."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm, so operating within the confines of the law, technically. Has she actually made any friends here?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Hmm, so operating within the confines of the law, technically. Has she actually made any friends here?"

>Lily and Chie exchange a look, as though they're both thinking about it. "She acts friendly with people..." Chie supplies. Lily nods, "And folks here like having her around, even if she DOES have her hands in everyone's wallets." They pause again, Chie chewing her rice ball meditatively. Lily continues, "But as for real friends.... I'm not sure. 'f I had to guess, though, I'd say no. You can tell she keeps folks at arm's length. Being friendly with someone isn't the same as being their friend."
>Before today, that sentiment would have surprised you coming from Lily, who seems rather... flighty, you would describe. Today, however, you've learned that your winged companion is far deeper than most people might have given her credit for.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I expect there's been no lack of effort to bring her closer than arm's length. Hm."
>Sip tea.

[Amraphenson]

>"In fact, there have probably been more efforts to the contrary."

[Oldmansour]

>"I expect there's been no lack of effort to bring her closer than arm's length. Hm."
>Sip tea.

>"In fact, there have probably been more efforts to the contrary."

>Chie blinks her eyes in confusion at your phrasing as you sip on the pale orange tea. It's not as bitter as your usual fare, heavily laden with milk and sugar, and you detect a dash of cinnamon as well. Lily interprets for her colleague. "That means she thinks no one's really tried to be her friend." Then she looks at you. "And she's never really tried to befriend anyone here, at least not in the usual way. The Eagle's only here because she has to be- her own words."
>Chie adds, "She's a predator. Can't be friends with predator. Eat you." She accentuates her point by chomping on her onigiri, of which little remains.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, of course she's only here because she has to be. This is why one must break through that exterior and try to make her want to be here."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, of course she's only here because she has to be. This is why one must break through that exterior and try to make her want to be here."

>In the process of sipping her own tea, you hear a slight choking sound from Lily, then she places her little hand to her mouth and coughs a couple times before laughing quietly. Chie, for her part, cocks her head to the side in curiousity. "Why?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's how one affects a positive change. For her, she's only here because she has to be. It's nothing more than a job, one she doesn't get paid for. She really doesn't have a lot at stake here, as it stands. The idea, I would think, is to give her a reason to want to be here. Friends worth seeing, things worth doing, and so on."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's how one affects a positive change. For her, she's only here because she has to be. It's nothing more than a job, one she doesn't get paid for. She really doesn't have a lot at stake here, as it stands. The idea, I would think, is to give her a reason to want to be here. Friends worth seeing, things worth doing, and so on."

>Chie seems to have trouble following your logic, and it shows on her face. "Why?" she asks again. Lily chuckles, the offers her opinion on the matter. "Byakuren tries to make the world a better place, for everyone in it." Chie nods, then asks you, "Why do you care about people that make the world worse?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"To put it simply, it's not very fun when the world's made worse, even for the people who make it that way. So by getting them to not make the world a worse place, it becomes a more enjoyable place for everyone, even the people who wanted to make the world worse in the first place."

[Oldmansour]

>"To put it simply, it's not very fun when the world's made worse, even for the people who make it that way. So by getting them to not make the world a worse place, it becomes a more enjoyable place for everyone, even the people who wanted to make the world worse in the first place."

>Lily nods and smiles. "The world's a better place when everyone gets along." Chie looks between the both of you, still evidently a little confused. "People don't change. They have their natures, like animals." She looks in your eyes, her pale puples wide with curiousity and confusion. "Pretty lady thinks people can change?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"It's all a part of growing older. People mature, grow calmer from a more energetic way of living, or perhaps more energetic from a calmer way of living, as they grow older."
>Smile.
>"I suppose you'll understand it more as you get older, I guess. There's still much more to be learned by all three of us after all."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's all a part of growing older. People mature, grow calmer from a more energetic way of living, or perhaps more energetic from a calmer way of living, as they grow older."
>Smile.
>"I suppose you'll understand it more as you get older, I guess. There's still much more to be learned by all three of us after all."

>Chie nods, as does Lily, ever smiling-Lily. "We have a lot of life left ahead of us all." Her smile takes on a strange, strong look for a moment as she sends you a private look, one that says And we'll make sure it stays that way.
>Chie nibbles on the remnants of her rice ball, obviously pondering her words. "Animals don't change. Wolves are always wolves. Birds are always birds. Cats are always cats. People are strange." Lily laughs and pats the catgirl on her head. "But good strange!"

[Amraphenson]

>"Well, possibly a bad analogy, but wolves can become dogs, right? And then they aren't so vicious. I think that everyone deserves a chance to change."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Don't say that. Instead, say this: "You changed, when you became a youkai. So did she. Why shouldn't she be able to change again?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"Living things always change as time passes. Slowly, but it is still change."

[Oldmansour]

>"I think that everyone deserves a chance to change."

>"You changed, when you became a youkai. So did she. Why shouldn't she be able to change again?"

>"Living things always change as time passes. Slowly, but it is still change."

>Strictly speaking, you're not certain the Eagle was born an animal, as you've never spoken to the woman herself about the subject. Still, when it comes to animal youkai, this is usually a safe assumption.
>"Animals become people... People become different people...." Chie visibly turns your words over in her mind. "Satori says same thing. People are different from one person to next, each person a little different. Some things about people don't change. Some things about people change often."
>Lily nods. "The important thing is to give people a chance, and never give up on 'em. People will surprise you." She gives you another look. "In all kinds of ways."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And speaking of changes, how are you finding your time here, Chie?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And speaking of changes, how are you finding your time here, Chie?"

>Chie offers you a big smile. "Chie likes it here! Satori and friends helped Chie learn how to be people!"
>The catgirl scoops up her third riceball before Lily pats the floor next to her. Chie plops down next to your winged comrade, who proceeds to give Chie a scritch behind the ears. "Chie came here a little after I started working here, courtesy of the Saigyojis. A lot of ascended animals come through here, once the Saigyoji's help them acclamate to their new existance, especially land-based animals." Chie makes a vaguely purring noise as Lily alternately scratches behind her ears and rubs her head. "The Tiger is the patron of the Beasts of the Land. Plus, Satori has a talent for communicating with animals. That extends to Youkai that aren't quite as.... Humanized, as, say, the Eagle is. Satori is pretty sharp and skilled at helping animal-youkai become more youkai than animal."

[Hello Purvis]

>Give Chie a pat on the head. "I'm glad you're doing well."
>"Shame you're hanging out with a bunch of worthless shintos"
>Have a bit more lunch.

[Oldmansour]

>Give Chie a pat on the head. "I'm glad you're doing well."
>"Shame you're hanging out with a bunch of worthless shintos"
>Have a bit more lunch.

>Chie looks like the cat that ate the canary as she receives the ministrations of two of the prettiest girls in town. She stretches out and lays down on her belly, her head resting on Lily's leg, as she continues to much on her riceball.
>Not touching that one with a 20 foot halberd.
>Settling in to satisfy your hunger, you polish off what little was left of your own riceball before selecting one of the sandwiches before you. For a seemingly plain affair, it has quite a lot of flavor. The mayo is rich in texture, and you think you can detect a hint of oregano garnishing the meat. For her part, Lily selects one of the octopus-shaped meat bits and pops it in her mouth, before feeding one to Chie, and taking a segment of egg for herself after. Making rather short work of your sandwich, you select one of the bite-sized sausages for yourself, and devour it. For a boxed lunch, this is nearly on par with Minoriko's fare, and she's the best cook you've ever known, better even than your own mother.
>You catch Lily looking at her new ring a couple times as you work your way through lunch. It looks good on her little hand, the colors somehow matching her personality, but you suspect she still be may turning over the events of earlier today over on her mind.
>After a little while, you start to feel that your hunger is nearly satisfied, when you catch the sounds of a harmonica floating in from the direction of the temple.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Who is that?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Who is that?"

>"Eagle." Chie replies in a very contended voice. "Plays harmonica. Good sound."
>Lily smiles down at her feline fellow miko. "It's one of the things she doesn't charge for, playing." She glances out the door, despite the Eagle not being in her line of sight. "She and Satori have a bit of a tradition. The Eagle's great with numbers, as you probably guessed, so she goes over the books once a day, and then Satori does after her. And since Satori doesn't like people looming over her when she's doing maths, Eagle usually comes outside and plays a few tunes." She glances down at Chie. "Futaba's on today, right?" Chie nods slowly. "Mmhmm." Lily giggles slightly. "Might get a group performance, then." She looks at you. "There's a lot of folks here that love music, and play it, too. I sing with them, sometimes, too."
>Chie looks up and gives Lily a grin. "Lily has a pretty voice."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Shall we go show our appreciation more openly?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Shall we go show our appreciation more openly?"

>"Mmm, you can, if you want." Lily replies, reaching for another piece of egg. "I'm still hungry." And she hasn't been slacking on her portion, either. Girl must have a vast appetite.
>Chie, for her part, offers a small yawn of contentment and returns her head to Lily's leg. Obviously she doesn't want to go anywhere anytime soon.

[Hello Purvis]

>Take a riceball for the road, and step out to see what's going on. Stay a little wary for Satori appearances.

[Oldmansour]

>Take a riceball for the road, and step out to see what's going on. Stay a little wary for Satori appearances.

>With only one riceball surviving the three of you so far, you snatch it up and rise, making for the temple proper.
>Spotting the musician in question isn't hard, as she sits on the porch in front of the temple, playing a surprisingly upbeat tune out of her mouth organ. She sports a pair of bands on her arms, one on her right wrist and one just below her left elbow, both decorated with feathers, some seemingly from her wings, some of a very different coloration. And her feet are bare, as well.
>Of Satori, there is no sign, but you remain on guard.

[Hello Purvis]

>Stop and appreciate for awhile.