Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 2, part 4 (Complete)

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.

>"Which leaves the rest." Eagle says easily, nodding at Lynx, who produces an older model camera from her coat pocket.
>"'The rest'?" Kiku growls, looking between you and Eagle.

[Hello Purvis]

>Laugh.
>"I had all but forgotten about that part!"

[Oldmansour]

>Laugh.
>"I had all but forgotten about that part!"

>"WHAT part?" Kiku insists.
>"Loosen your sarashi, Kiki, it's only a couple of little favors, really." Eagle assures Kiku. The use of that particular nickname, however, does little to improve Kiku's disposition. "Byakuren promised me a couple pieces of her uniquely gorgeous hair for my bands here. And a simple picture, of her and me." Kiku's face goes pale, but Eagle continues, "Consider this, metal miko. At the start of the day, would you have thought, for a passing second, that the Morning Star and a Manari would ever be photographed side by side, with the Star being a willing participant? And in a public place, no less."
>Looking at you out of the corner of her eye, Kiku says simply, "No."
>"And neither would a lot of folks I associate with a lot more regularly than her crowd. Hence, a little proof that at least one member of the upper branches of society doesn't see me as nest droppings."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Eagle, there's no need to talk down to Kiku like that."

[Oldmansour]

>"Eagle, there's no need to talk down to Kiku like that."

>The winged Manari merely shrugs.
>"That's how she is, Morning Star." Lynx informs you. "It's not disrespect, it's just the way she talks."
>"You don't need to explain for your sister, Lynx." Dragonhawk growls at her.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ah. My apologies."

[Oldmansour]

>"Ah. My apologies."

>"Nothin' personal." Eagle replies easily.
>Kiku sits back down. Your coming to her defense, as it were, seems to have restored some color to her face, and calmed her. Somewhat.
>Lily, quiet during all these exchanges, finally stands. "If you and Byakuren have more business to settle, then feel free to do it, Asuka. But I don't want to see any more trouble tonight, okay?"
>Dragonhawk levels her piercing blue eyes at Lily. "And who are you?"
>To your surprise, Lily's chin comes up defiantly. It is, however, the Lynx who answers her fellow Manari. "She happens to be the daughter of one of the owners here, Dragonhawk. So let's not get kicked out of here, shall we?"
>The burly member of the Manari grumbles, grunts, then sits down at the table Eagle was seated at. Kiku smirks once, briefly, then stifles it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Quietly to Eagle, if we can without shifting too much or being overheard by the others. "Your friends seem to have come expecting trouble, but not quite from the expected sources."

[Oldmansour]

>Quietly to Eagle, if we can without shifting too much or being overheard by the others. "Your friends seem to have come expecting trouble, but not quite from the expected sources."

>Lynx is close enough to overhear you, you think, if her ears are as sharp as the average feline youkai's.

[Hello Purvis]

>Then just keep our mouth shut, and try not to smirk at the scene.

[Oldmansour]

>Then just keep our mouth shut, and try not to smirk at the scene.

>You settle for restraining a smirk at Dragonhawk's expense. You wouldn't have expected that kind of attitude from Lily that she demonstrated.
>Lynx and Eagle exchange another look, then Lynx taps her nose, nods and joins her angry sister at the table while Eagle remains standing. "We can settle up the other two little bits after you're done your food. Lynx's nose never lies, and it says yours is on its way."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It is? That's good, thank you."



So. We're going to exploit the shit out of this photo It is destiny.

The only question is how,

[Oldmansour]

>"It is? That's good, thank you."

>Eagle nods and starts to cast a glance at Kiku. She stops, however, before completing the act, and merely turns and joins the other two Manari, as Lily sits herself back down as well.
>True to her word, mere seconds after you return to your seat, Stephanie emerges from the kitchen, wheeling a tray with yours and Kiku's dinner upon it. Despite her hitherto professionalism, you can't help but see her pause when she lays eyes on the three Manari sitting at the table across from you. She approaches your table after a moment, and takes the empty plate that held your garlic fries before. She clears her throat and says, evenly, professionally, "If you'd like, guests, you may avail yourself of another empty booth."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, this is fine, thank you. I doubt I could wait another minute, having seem the main course, in any event."

[Oldmansour]

>"No, this is fine, thank you. I doubt I could wait another minute, having seem the main course, in any event."

>That brings a smile back to the waitresses' face. "The chef will be pleased to hear that."
>She returns to her cart and brings back a fair size of a plate, weighted down by twelve ounces of grilled steak, combined by fluffy mashed potatoes with a respectable amount of gravy upon them, as well as baby carrots, green peas, and a portion of coleslaw as well.
>"Looks hot." Lily comments as Stephanie sets down Kiku's stirfry. The smell of freshly grilled meat confirms the heat, too, even the steam is warm on the nostrils.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll have to try that, next time."
>Dig in!

[Oldmansour]

>"I'll have to try that, next time."
>Dig in!

>Lily nods. "The stirfry's one of Papa's specialties."
>Eagerly, you attack your generously sized steak first. It's thick but not tough, and your knife makes eager work of it. You can sense the heat as you raise the piece to your lips, so you blow on the offering a time or two, despite your eagerness, before popping it into your mouth. Perhaps a touch more blowing might have been advised, as the meat is indeed quite hot, as Lily warned. But it tastes wonderful. It's been seasoned with a kind of salt you'd never tasted before. As a matter of fact, you can't recall ever having a steak prepared in a western style before. It may be on the pricey side from your usual fare, but, at first blush, it's worth it.
>Thanks for defusing things between Kiku and Dragonhawk. Lily's voice sounds in your mind. I thought the Manari was going to take a swing at her for a second there.

[Hanzo K.]

>Not a problem at all, they're rather alike when you think about it. Aloof, quiet, and somewhat imposing.
>We'll have to see about getting the recipe sometime, Orin could enjoy something like this.
>...We should bring her back something too.

[Oldmansour]

>Not a problem at all, they're rather alike when you think about it. Aloof, quiet, and somewhat imposing.
>We'll have to see about getting the recipe sometime, Orin could enjoy something like this.
>...We should bring her back something too.

>Lily snickers out loud, but her laugh in your mind's ear is much more generous. I wouldn't let Kiku hear you say that.
>You make a note to consult with the chef for the steak's recipe as you chew, enjoying the taste and sensation a bit more than you might normally. But you've earned it, and you're quite hungry.
>Orin does appreciate gifts quite a lot. She doesn't talk much about it, but you've seen enough to know her previous owner, currently seated at the other end of the building, was none too generous herself.

[Hanzo K.]

>Oh, remind me to get the recipe for the steak, Orin would probably love to know it.
>We'll bring her back some sweets then, surely something on the dessert menu strikes her fancy.

[Oldmansour]

>Oh, remind me to get the recipe for the steak, Orin would probably love to know it.
>We'll bring her back some sweets then, surely something on the dessert menu strikes her fancy.

>Mmm, I really shouldn't. Most of the chefs here are very protective of their techniques. Gives them an edge over the competition around town.
>Knowing Rin, she'd probably enjoy just about anything you brought back. Except hot and/or spicy things. Some feline youkai retained their 'cat's tongue' after their ascension. Rin appears to be numbered among them.

[Hanzo K.]

>Hmm...something simple should do it.
>What all would you recommend off the dessert menu again? I'm planning to bring something sweet back for Orin.

[Oldmansour]

>Hmm...something simple should do it.
>What all would you recommend off the dessert menu again? I'm planning to bring something sweet back for Orin.

>Orin? Lily ponders that one for a few seconds. Is that a nickname for Kaenbyou-senpai?

[Hanzo K.]

>Indeed. As you already know, she tends to things for me, so I thought I would do something nice for her, and get something while we're here.

[Oldmansour]

>Indeed. As you already know, she tends to things for me, so I thought I would do something nice for her, and get something while we're here.

>Lily ponders the dessert options available. You can't go wrong with the cupcakes. I'd go with.... vanilla frosting, or maybe the strawberry. Although the chocolate's really good, too. Oohh, that's what I should have, too...

[Hanzo K.]

>I suppose I'll bring a trio of them back for her then.
>Let's enjoy the steak some more!

[Oldmansour]

>I suppose I'll bring a trio of them back for her then.
>Let's enjoy the steak some more!

>Oohhh, I think one'd do the trick. See, when it says 'Eagleland sized', it means about twice as big as your basic cupcake. Lily holds her hands apart to emphasize the size. Western folks love their desserts. Or so they tell me.
>This is really very good meat. If you had to pick anything at all to niggle over, it's that it would be ever SO slightly closer to well done than perfectly medium, but that's hardly worth noting. Not forgetting your veggies, you bite into a baby carrot. It's soft but not too soft and flavorful, boiled. As are the peas, though to be honest, you've never been an enormous fan of green peas. Something about the taste of them never did it for you.
>Kiku, you note, seems a bit less enthusiastic about her portion, despite the appetizing colors of the vegetables and the sizable chunks of beef. She keeps glancing over at the Manari table, said gang now browsing the menus provided them by Stephanie. Obviously no love lost there, still.
>Somewhat to your relief, though, the rest of the restaurant no longed seems as tense as it was when Lynx and Dragonhawk first entered. Makes the dining experience a lot more enjoyable, that, and not even Kiku's sour puss can ruin the taste of yours.

[Hanzo K.]

>Chuckle a little. Orin certainly loves sweets though, doesn't she?
>Well, at the very least, there would be extras for later. Besides, a girl has to enjoy her sweets every now and again.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't worry about those guys, Kiku."

>_

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle a little. Orin certainly loves sweets though, doesn't she?
>Well, at the very least, there would be extras for later. Besides, a girl has to enjoy her sweets every now and again.

>She does enjoy her treats, yes.
>Lily giggles.

>"Don't worry about those guys, Kiku."

>The tiger youkai flares her nostrils. "I'm just thinking."