Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 2

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have any idea the origin or purpose of this rule here?

>If memory serves, it ties in to the sense of 'nature' proposed by the Wood element. Having no shoes allows one to truly feel the ground beneath their feet. Or tatami and other flooring materials, as the case may be.

[DracoOmega]

>"I believe its purpose is to evoke a deeper connection between the visitor and the ground beneath their feet, as the befits the nature of the shrine's element."

[Oldmansour]

>"I believe its purpose is to evoke a deeper connection between the visitor and the ground beneath their feet, as the befits the nature of the shrine's element."

>"Guess it must be more sym.... uh, symbolic, than anythin'. What with the whole floor thing and all." Rin quips.

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes, I imagine so. Still, symbols can have great significance in matters of faith."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes, I imagine so. Still, symbols can have great significance in matters of faith."

>"Oh yeah, the whole 'somethin' beyond what ya can see' thing, right?"

[DracoOmega]

>"There is that, but also simply that they can be meaningful to the people themselves - some tangible connection with their beliefs."
>Continue onward

[Oldmansour]

>"There is that, but also simply that they can be meaningful to the people themselves - some tangible connection with their beliefs."
>Continue onward

>"I can understand that. Helps to see proof of somethin' you believe in. No matter how strong you believe in it."

>The rear veranda of the shrine is occupied by a trio of individuals that were not there when you came this way first. The short-horned oni Nora is sitting between a pair of well-dressed individuals, sharing tumblers of drink. You can smell whiskey from here. The tall, older man to her right is wearing a fine white suit and blue tie, with a matching top hat atop his pinkish hair. A brass-rimmed monocle anoints his right eye. The pretty woman to her left is clad in a tan jacket over a pink shirt, and matching knee-length tan skirt. And sports a hard hat, for some reason. The three of them salute you with their drink receptacles as you and Rin walk past. Nora, you note, seems to be displaying her newly autographed flask with pride.

>The children's party that was going on when you arrived is no longer in evidence, but you can hear children's muted voices in numbers coming from inside. Moved indoors, it seems, and rightly so. The wind is starting to pick up a little, turning colder. That said, it is not empty out here. The kappa who greeted you on the way in has left the water and stands, dripping, on the left hand bridge leading to the parking lot. The middle bridge is occupied by the blonde miko you passed on the way in who was mopping the exterior veranda, presently engaged in escorting a rather... unsteady looking bat-winged blonde towards the parking lot. Rin prudently suggests taking the third bridge, currently unoccupied, and you agree.
>You keep an eye on the incapacitated-looking woman as you and Rin cross the bridge. Clad in a bright red dress, white shirt and blue vest, she seems thoroughly intoxicated, as you can hear her mumbling to the miko supporting her. She does not, however, smell of alcohol, as the majority of drunks you've been around do, hinting that the woman with the long blonde hair has a rather low alcohol tolerance. Her being attended to by the ponytailed shrine maiden pleases you, however. You know some establishments in town that don't really do anything to their drunks other than eject them. This miko seems genuinely concerned about her status.
>The woman's head bobs up and down, as drunks often do, but when her bleary purple eyes wander in your direction, they seem to regain some of their focus, and her mumbling pauses. She stares at you, rather intently.

[DracoOmega]

>We don't recognize her from anywhere, do we?
>Give her a friendly smile anyway

[Oldmansour]

>We don't recognize her from anywhere, do we?
>Give her a friendly smile anyway

>You do not. And she's a rather unique looking individual. Beyond being rather pretty, she has a large red star mark under her left eye, a hairpin of a jeweled flower, a large red and purple bow on the back of her head, and the largest set of bat-shaped wings you've ever seen. If you'd seen her before, you'd definately remember her.
>If anything, your polite gesture makes her eyes narrow even more. She seems to be trying to figure something out about you, or possibly recognizes you. You're not sure, but the attention isn't entirely welcome, on your part. She isn't even blinking.
>The blonde miko makes a thoughtful sound, and looks over at you. "Apologies, guest." she says with an inclined head.

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, no need to apologize."
>Larger even than the bat wings we saw at school the day this all started?
>Gently reach out our senses in the staring woman's direction

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, no need to apologize."
>Larger even than the bat wings we saw at school the day this all started?
>Gently reach out our senses in the staring woman's direction

>"I'm afraid that whatever she drank hit the young lady rather hard." she says by explanation.
>By way of scale, they're not dissimilar. But that demon bat was the size of a large eagle- large wings, yes, but still proportional to that body. This woman has large wings scaled for a humanoid body, and a somewhat tall one, as well. You estimate she'd be about six feet, give or take an inch, were she not hunched over.
>The thought of the bat makes a faint chill run up and down your spine, but this woman's wings are colored differently, thankfully. Black and a dark purple. An odd color scheme, but distinct from the demon, which you find something of a relief.
>As the woman scrutinizes you with her eyes, you opt for a more subtle scan, probing the bat-winged woman with your extrasensory perception. Gently, of course. It is the shrine maiden, however, that draws your attention initially. A faint aura of power surrounds her, the kind of power you're coming to associate with miko-magic. It's not as profound as what you sensed from Kiku, or Haruka, but the miko definately has power.

>The woman she is supporting, however, does not seem to. At least, your simple scan doesn't reveal anything out of the ordinary. At least, it terms of being a normal person. Curiously, as you pass your senses over her, you yourself feel as though you'd just taken a swig of a potent liquor.
>And yet.... Looking at her closely, you have the nagging sensation that you HAVE seen this woman somewhere before. Like a memory long forgotten.

>Rin takes a step towards the woman, looking rather displeased by the unwelcome look the blonde levels at you. "Somethin' we can help ya with?" she asks, politely but pointedly.
>The blonde finally blinks and turns her head to look at her. You can't help but think it's only now she noticed Rin was even there. "I wuz...." she starts, her voice a bit deeper than you would have thought to look at her, but rather slurred. "Wuz looking for.... looking for..... for...." she trails off.

[DracoOmega]

>Smile indulgently
>"Looking for what?"
>Try to focus on that nagging sensation a little. Can we figure out where we might have seen her before? Assuming, of course, that we have.

[Oldmansour]

>Smile indulgently
>"Looking for what?"
>Try to focus on that nagging sensation a little. Can we figure out where we might have seen her before? Assuming, of course, that we have.

>"Some... someone?" she replies, like she's not certain of the word. She blinks, visibly trying to focus herself, and then nods. "Yeah, someone. Someone.... who.... who...." She places a hand to her temple as she draws out the last 'o'. Clearly, the woman is only on her feet still thanks to the support of the miko to her left.
>If you have at all, it would have been years upon years ago, probably in passing as well. She may have been a patient receiving care during one of Myoren's visits to the hospital, she may have been featured on a magazine cover you saw once, someone you saw on TV... You can't lock it down. Vexing, that. Like hearing part of the melody of a song you only half remember, but the rest is lost to you.

[DracoOmega]

>To the miko supporting her: "Do you know if she came here with someone else?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Rin, do you get the feeling that she looks familiar? I do.

[Oldmansour]

>Rin, do you get the feeling that she looks familiar? I do.

>Rin's head moves a little, a very small shake in a negative. Been tryin' to think, but I'm gettin' nothin'. There's a girl in second year, one of Hina's sewing clubbers, who kinda looks a little like her, but her hair's longer, and she don't have wings. Shorter, too, I think.

>To the miko supporting her: "Do you know if she came here with someone else?"

>She shakes her head. "Suika said she came her on her own, walked here."
>"DIDN'T walk....." the inebriated blonde asserts with a shout. "FLU."
>"I stand corrected." the miko replies, trying gamely not to wince. You respect her effort. The burst of breath accompanying that shout reeks of vinegar and something else you can't put a name to and don't think you'd really care to. Whatever it was she drank, you vow here and now never to try.
>"I think it best to take her home." the miko continues. The drunken woman makes a noise that sounds like an objection, but comes out as a slur of vowels. "I don't believe she'll remember much of tonight, and I don't know how she'd like waking up in a strange building."

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you know where to take her?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Do you know where to take her?"

>"Not yet, no." the miko confesses. "I'm hoping to learn that by the time I get to my car."

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh dear."
>Frown a little, then address the bat girl again.
>"Excuse me, miss, but... where do you live?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh dear."
>Frown a little, then address the bat girl again.
>"Excuse me, miss, but... where do you live?"

>The woman makes a sound akin to a 'Bwahk?' but doesn't quite manage to raise her head all the way, before she slumps again.
>"The hell'd she drink?" Rin blurts out.
>The miko shakes her head in resignation. "I'm not sure, but Suika was the one who gave it to her. The head miko doesn't always take into account how badly some of her drinks can affect people, especially when she's in high spirits herself."

[DracoOmega]

>"High spirits indeed, or at least incredibly strong ones..."
>Keep that concerned frown going.
>When we reached out our senses to her earlier, we felt a distinct impression of her drunkenness, yes? Can we try to... push that aside? At least a little? Be cautious about it, though, and only try slowly if we feel we're doing anything at all.

[Oldmansour]

>"High spirits indeed, or at least incredibly strong ones..."
>Keep that concerned frown going.
>When we reached out our senses to her earlier, we felt a distinct impression of her drunkenness, yes? Can we try to... push that aside? At least a little? Be cautious about it, though, and only try slowly if we feel we're doing anything at all.

>The kappa on the far bridge provides you with a rimshot.
>You not only felt hers, it affected you as well, somehow. It was an interesting experience. Like having a drink by proxy. But if you can feel it, you might be able to affect it, although 'drunkenness' is more of a simple chemical reaction than anything supernatural. Nevertheless, you still don't know the limits and parameters of your abilities. Anything could be possible. Plus, you think with a stifled grin, Marissa would kill you if found a way to cure drunkenness and didn't go for it.

>Narrowing your focus on the woman again, you try to get a sense of her inebriation. It's a bit tricky, though. Unlike when you sensed the veil in Lily and the leopard's minds, there doesn't seem to be anything solid to grab a hold of this time.
>No, wait, there's something. Thinking about that veil gave you an idea, something to visualize. When a person is this drunk, their mind becomes very foggy, in a proverbial sense. 'Drunkenness' is a state of body, but 'foggy' is a state of mind, and that is something that seems to gel more closely with your powers. That said, however, this is an area where your powers are untested, so you're not sure what, if anything to expect. But if you can help the poor woman a little, then it's worth a shot.

>As you start to push against the fog you see in your mind, however, Rin's voice sounds in your mind, Mistress, are ye trying to do something magical?

[DracoOmega]

>I was... this may sound silly, but I was about to see if I could 'brush away' some of this poor woman's inebriation, at least enough for her to help us find her home. I find myself a bit concerned for her well-being.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I assume she has, ah, purged herself of most of the drink already?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I assume she has, ah, purged herself of most of the drink already?"

>"Not yet." the miko says with a wince. "Though... I doubt that's all that far off."
>"I'll get the mop-kappa!" the kappa behind says with a chirp heading back for the temple.

>I was... this may sound silly, but I was about to see if I could 'brush away' some of this poor woman's inebriation, at least enough for her to help us find her home. I find myself a bit concerned for her well-being.

>You can DO that? Rin says with obvious surprise. Then her voice collects itself. Well, it kinda shows. Yer startin' ta squint.

[DracoOmega]

>Oh, I am? Could I just pass it off as being concerned, do you think? And, well... I don't know if I can do that, to be honest. It was just an idea.

[Oldmansour]

>Oh, I am? Could I just pass it off as being concerned, do you think? And, well... I don't know if I can do that, to be honest. It was just an idea.

>Rin nods, ever so slightly. I think so. Just figured you ought to know.

>Despite the slight distraction by Rin, you think you're actually having an effect. The fog around the woman's mind isn't clearing, you don't think you can bring enough power to bear to have that kind of major effect on her, not in your human form. Or if you could, you'd be a lot more obvious than merely squinting. But it DOES seem to be moving a bit. Not perhaps enough quite yet to affect her coherence, but it's something. And fortunately for you, the effect on your own mind hasn't been that profound. There was the same initial sensation of taking a stiff swallow of alcohol, but it hasn't progressed farther than that.

[DracoOmega]

>Keep at it, and if we can, try to look natural.
>After we feel we may have made a bit more progress, try gently inquiring again about where the intoxicated woman lives.

[Oldmansour]

>Keep at it, and if we can, try to look natural.
>After we feel we may have made a bit more progress, try gently inquiring again about where the intoxicated woman lives.

>Spurred on by your apparant progress, you press on in your effort to bring the woman back to some sense of sensibility. While trying to keep yourself from squinting too hard, as Rin cautioned.
>Rin, likely in an attempt to keep the miko from noticing any overt signs of your using your power, points back towards the temple and asks, "She need a hand fetchin' the supplies?"
>The miko shakes her head. "Thanks, but-"
>As she starts her sentence, you feel the woman's head swim and her stomach lurch, and a wave of disorientation washes over you. Your own stomach churns as the blonde woman hunches over the bridge railing and empties hers. Loudly. And boy, does it reek.
>Rin grasps your shoulder as your own balance, and stomach, temporarily revolt against the sensations you receive through the connection to the inebriated woman. You think you helped, but your stomach doesn't seem to have a sense of victory.

[DracoOmega]

>Pull our mind back, if we haven't already
>Take a few deep breaths and try to steady ourselves