Author Topic: Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 3 (Read 46892 times)

Oldmansour · « **Reply #120 on:** October 13, 2015, 08:31:55 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 13, 2015, 08:16:42 AM

>Did we mention any of last night's affair at the shrine to them?
>For that matter, did we mention anything about Reisen's change of ownership?

>Partially. You didn't tell them about the nature of the giant you fought and destroyed, given its gruesome and vile nature, but you did make sure to tell them about Fire and Ice's involvement and your cooperation. To help make your point about them not being all bad.
>Not yet. That would make a story in and of itself, so you wanted to get the bulk of the story about your war out of the way before discussing that.

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 13, 2015, 08:16:42 AM

>"Well, Lily is going to insist upon that victory pie she made us promise to go out with her for, and then after that I might see if I can track down Kanako and Suwako and ask them what it was they recognized about what happened to Sanae. Any tidbit of information about that could be significant. After that, I'm not sure.... There's at least a few other things to look into."

>Wordlessly, Letty reaches her free hand into one of her pockets, produces a business card, and holds it out for Rin to take. "What's this?" the kasha asks as she does so.
>"Iron Rings' business card, address included. If they're not out looking for Sanae themselves, that's where you'll find them."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #121 on:** October 13, 2015, 09:02:08 AM »

>"Thanks."
>How strong a ring reaction did we get from Minoriko, anyway?

>To Reisen: Are you okay with them knowing about your change of ownership, or would you just as soon not bring that affair up again right away?

Oldmansour · « **Reply #122 on:** October 14, 2015, 05:12:06 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 13, 2015, 09:02:08 AM

>How strong a ring reaction did we get from Minoriko, anyway?

>Noticably stronger than with Hatate or Komachi, not as strong as Rin.

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 13, 2015, 09:02:08 AM

>"Thanks."
>To Reisen: Are you okay with them knowing about your change of ownership, or would you just as soon not bring that affair up again right away?

>You can tell them whenever you want. In fact, telling them now might be the best idea. Since we're sharing, anyway.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #123 on:** October 14, 2015, 05:38:39 AM »

>"For all that's happened today, there's at least one other bit of good news that I hadn't mentioned yet."
>Pause and smile a little
>"Reisen is officially free of Patchouli's parents."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #124 on:** October 14, 2015, 06:30:39 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 05:38:39 AM

>"For all that's happened today, there's at least one other bit of good news that I hadn't mentioned yet."
>Pause and smile a little
>"Reisen is officially free of Patchouli's parents."

>"Oh really nao." Nitori says with a grin. "What'd you do, use those magics of yours to beat up the evil witch and save the rabbit in distress?" she teases.
>"Well...." Reisen starts, blushing slightly.
>Nitori blinks. "Wait. Really?"

DracoOmega · « **Reply #125 on:** October 14, 2015, 06:36:27 AM »

>"I... mightn't have put it quite that way, but... you're probably closer than you realize. After a rather unpleasant conversation with Madame Knowledge, I stated my intention to take Reisen's ownership papers with me and invited her to stop me. Oni slave code should be clear on the legality of this."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #126 on:** October 14, 2015, 06:47:39 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 06:36:27 AM

>"I... mightn't have put it quite that way, but... you're probably closer than you realize. After a rather unpleasant conversation with Madame Knowledge, I stated my intention to take Reisen's ownership papers with me and invited her to stop me. Oni slave code should be clear on the legality of this."

>"Back up a sec, since when did you want to have Reisen?" Nitori's choice in phrasing makes the rabbit in question blush again.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #127 on:** October 14, 2015, 07:01:02 AM »

>"Because she deserves to be treated as a person - something I'm not certain Patchouli's mother ever did, or ever could. If anything, Patchouli's complaints about her didn't even do justice to just how dismissive and selfish and autocratic she is. She... she virtually tortured her own sister for not wanting to attack us."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #128 on:** October 14, 2015, 07:55:47 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 07:01:02 AM

>"Because she deserves to be treated as a person - something I'm not certain Patchouli's mother ever did, or ever could. If anything, Patchouli's complaints about her didn't even do justice to just how dismissive and selfish and autocratic she is. She... she virtually tortured her own sister for not wanting to attack us."

>"She did WHAT." Nitori exclaims.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #129 on:** October 14, 2015, 08:07:18 AM »

>"She hit her with a lightning spell once it became clear she wasn't going to do as she was told. I, um... quickly put a stop to it."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #130 on:** October 14, 2015, 08:17:36 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 08:07:18 AM

>"She hit her with a lightning spell once it became clear she wasn't going to do as she was told. I, um... quickly put a stop to it."

>The kappa seems positively agog by what you've told her.
>"Patchy never said anything like that about her." Letty mutters, plainly disturbed as well.
>"It's true she was never the nicest woman, but that was the first time I ever saw her strike at anyone." Reisen informs her.
>Rin nods fiercely. "And it's a good thing you were the one that stopped her, Mistress, not me."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #131 on:** October 14, 2015, 08:27:54 AM »

>"I... still hit her harder than I meant to, but.... Well, you were there."
>Shake our head
>"I think she is very unaccustomed to not being obeyed. By, well... perhaps anyone. She can afford to surround herself with people who won't talk back."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #132 on:** October 14, 2015, 08:47:39 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 08:27:54 AM

>"I... still hit her harder than I meant to, but.... Well, you were there."
>Shake our head
>"I think she is very unaccustomed to not being obeyed. By, well... perhaps anyone. She can afford to surround herself with people who won't talk back."

>"Or can't." Letty agrees, looking at Reisen as she does. "Small wonder Patchouli wanted to get away from her. If she was willing to do that to her sister, what could she have done to her daughter?" The yuki-onna stares into her teacup.
>"And ya saved her all the same." Nitori says.
>"You're surprised?" Minoriko asks her gently. "I'd have been surprised if she didn't."
>Nitori sighs and laughs quietly. "Yeah, good point. Guess you're a better woman than me."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #133 on:** October 14, 2015, 09:02:22 AM »

>"She has used and abused others, but that doesn't mean that being killed is an equitable punishment. It is a very slippery slope when we allow ourselves to be indifferent to the suffering of those we dislike - even for good reason. To say nothing of what effect it might have had on Patchy. That is not the kind of thing one can undo."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #134 on:** October 14, 2015, 09:26:49 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 09:02:22 AM

>"She has used and abused others, but that doesn't mean that being killed is an equitable punishment. It is a very slippery slope when we allow ourselves to be indifferent to the suffering of those we dislike - even for good reason. To say nothing of what effect it might have had on Patchy. That is not the kind of thing one can undo."

>"So what are the odds that she won't try it again?" Nitori asks. "I mean... I might, if I was her."
>"The Water Champion assured us that she wouldn't." Reisen says.
>"And you believe her?" Letty asks you.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #135 on:** October 14, 2015, 09:32:58 AM »

>"I think we have to. She understands what has happened to Patchouli better than we do yet, and since she clearly wanted us to stop Patchouli in the first place, I doubt her words were deception. Though I genuinely don't know what will happen the next time Patchouli and us cross paths, I have to hope this isn't something we'll need to repeat."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #136 on:** October 14, 2015, 09:42:53 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 09:32:58 AM

>"I think we have to. She understands what has happened to Patchouli better than we do yet, and since she clearly wanted us to stop Patchouli in the first place, I doubt her words were deception. Though I genuinely don't know what will happen the next time Patchouli and us cross paths, I have to hope this isn't something we'll need to repeat."

>"I'll second that hope." Nitori says fervently.
>You think you hear Minoriko says something, but it comes out only as a mutter. "Why what?" Rin asks her.
>"What? Oh." the blonde says, surprised. "I forget how good your ears are sometimes, Rin-chan. Well, I was just wondering, why did Louise want you to stop Patchouli? Did she say?"

DracoOmega · « **Reply #137 on:** October 14, 2015, 06:10:56 PM »

>"Well, as for why she wanted us to stop Patchouli instead of doing it herself, she said directly it was because our power could incapacitate her without doing serious harm, but her own could not; she wanted her stopped, not grievously injured or killed."
>"As for why she wanted her stopped at all, well...she said that Patchouli would not have stopped with just her parents, and that she was too important to let her be lost to her anger. Louise once said she viewed killing without need as wasteful. Perhaps this is not quite the same thing as empathy, but it's a start."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #138 on:** October 15, 2015, 07:03:37 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 14, 2015, 06:10:56 PM

>"Well, as for why she wanted us to stop Patchouli instead of doing it herself, she said directly it was because our power could incapacitate her without doing serious harm, but her own could not; she wanted her stopped, not grievously injured or killed."
>"As for why she wanted her stopped at all, well...she said that Patchouli would not have stopped with just her parents, and that she was too important to let her be lost to her anger. Louise once said she viewed killing without need as wasteful. Perhaps this is not quite the same thing as empathy, but it's a start."

>"I suppose it's too much to hope for that the other Champions might feel the same if their Avatars go off like Patchy did?"
>"Sanae-chan didn't." Minoriko points out to Letty.
>"True, but she still changed."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #139 on:** October 15, 2015, 07:58:32 AM »

>"Patchouli's anger centered around something we all knew had long bothered her. Sanae seemed... well, I don't know her nearly as well, of course, but it seemed she spoke of matters quite a bit less related to her own life before that point. I still don't quite know what it means to become an Avatar. The Champions spoke of them becoming who they always were, becoming whole where they once were not. Louise wouldn't give me any information when I asked her, though. She feared I could use it to undermine their plans somehow."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #140 on:** October 16, 2015, 06:45:26 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 15, 2015, 07:58:32 AM

>"Patchouli's anger centered around something we all knew had long bothered her. Sanae seemed... well, I don't know her nearly as well, of course, but it seemed she spoke of matters quite a bit less related to her own life before that point. I still don't quite know what it means to become an Avatar. The Champions spoke of them becoming who they always were, becoming whole where they once were not. Louise wouldn't give me any information when I asked her, though. She feared I could use it to undermine their plans somehow."

>"Beat it out of her next time." Nitori rumbles, only about half sincerely.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #141 on:** October 16, 2015, 06:51:37 AM »

>"Perhaps one of them will explain it to me better at some point. In the meantime, we'll just have to make due with whatever other avenues we can think of to pursue."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #142 on:** October 16, 2015, 07:08:07 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 16, 2015, 06:51:37 AM

>"Perhaps one of them will explain it to me better at some point. In the meantime, we'll just have to make due with whatever other avenues we can think of to pursue."

>"Do you know where to find them?" Letty asks. "At least the ones that are here."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #143 on:** October 16, 2015, 07:21:02 AM »

>Can we actually sense where Louise went, if we stop to think on it?
>Presumably we lost track of Air, as we did previously, though?

Oldmansour · « **Reply #144 on:** October 16, 2015, 07:47:51 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 16, 2015, 07:21:02 AM

>Can we actually sense where Louise went, if we stop to think on it?
>Presumably we lost track of Air, as we did previously, though?

>You cannot. She gave no hint of directionality when she disappeared with Patchouli, and your normal form senses, at least, detect no trace of either of them.
>Correct. You can still sense the presence of the Fire Champion, but the other three, and their avatars, are no longer on your radar screens.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #145 on:** October 16, 2015, 07:57:43 AM »

>"I know where to find Fire, and probably Ice, by extension. I don't know where Louise went, and Air I was never able to properly track except in brief periods where she was active. ...though I might have the faintest of leads on her. Not that she, of all people, is likely to tell us much."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #146 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:23:35 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 16, 2015, 07:57:43 AM

>"I know where to find Fire, and probably Ice, by extension. I don't know where Louise went, and Air I was never able to properly track except in brief periods where she was active. ...though I might have the faintest of leads on her. Not that she, of all people, is likely to tell us much."

>"Maybe you could beat it out of her?" Nitori suggests, not quite as insincere as when she made the same suggestion about Louise.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #147 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:30:31 AM »

>"Not right now, we couldn't. Not after all we've already been through today, and not with Sanae there to defend her. But... we'll see what the future holds."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #148 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:52:44 AM »

Quote from: DracoOmega on October 16, 2015, 08:30:31 AM

>"Not right now, we couldn't. Not after all we've already been through today, and not with Sanae there to defend her. But... we'll see what the future holds."

>"And you're sure you want to visit Kanako-san and Suwako-san today?" Minoriko inquires.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #149 on:** October 16, 2015, 08:57:48 AM »

>"I think so. I think they knew something, even if it was a very small something. And I'll take whatever little bit I can get, at present. At worst they just don't talk to me, after... after they saw me stand by and let it happen. But I still think I should try."