Magical Lotus - Episode 1 (Complete)

[Oldmansour]

>"Perhaps so, but it's also not quite related to what we were doing. I suppose we'll have to go there first."

>"Mind a suggestion afore y'start fishing fer answers?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Please."

[Oldmansour]

>"Please."

>Rin jerks her thumb in the general direction of the window, grinning lightly. "Wanna swing by home, have some grub first? Ya may have to save the world, but ain't nobody said ya had to do it on empty stomach."

[Hello Purvis]

>Would we have time to do that and get to the shrine before it closes?

[Oldmansour]

>Would we have time to do that and get to the shrine before it closes?

>Probably not, but it's not impossible. Reisen was supposed to cook for the lot of you tonight, so it's entirely possible she set aside your portion. And if Nitori or Reisen's home, you'd be able to bum a ride off of one of them, as the both of them have their liscenses. Assuming Nitori's bike hasn't exploded and taken Reisen's bike with it. Again.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'd prefer not to risk missing the closing time. If I'm wrong, we've missed a meal, and I'll buy us something on the way home. If not, well, then time is likely of the essence."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'd prefer not to risk missing the closing time. If I'm wrong, we've missed a meal, and I'll buy us something on the way home. If not, well, then time is likely of the essence."

>Rin frowns momentarily. "Well, it's your call. You're the one with the dreams." She then bounces to her feet. "Then we better get movin'."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Indeed we should."
>Get movin'.
>We should phone the place, and let them know we won't be there on time.  Do that on the way out.

[Oldmansour]

>"Indeed we should."
>Get movin'.

>You climb out of bed, slowly, as a small wave of dizziness passes over you. You're not perfect just yet, it seems, and Rin steadies you until you're sure of your footing. Your tummy growls as you leave the infirmary and head towards the main door, but you put that out of your mind. You've got other things to worry about at the moment.

>We should phone the place, and let them know we won't be there on time.  Do that on the way out.

>You do not know the shrine's number at the moment.

[E-Nazrin]

>What about the Moonside Apartments' number?

[Oldmansour]

>What about the Moonside Apartments' number?

>You have the numbers of each of your fellow resident, land line and cell, as well as Reimu's business number.

[Hello Purvis]

>Call up Reisen on the way out.

[Oldmansour]

>Call up Reisen on the way out.

>You punch in Reisen's number as you retreive your shoes from the shoe locker. There are three envelopes resting atop your shoes. Reisen answers on the third ring. "We're glad to hear that ring, Byakuren. How you feeling? Still in bed?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"No, I'm out of bed."
>"Listen, I have to go to the White tiger shrine, so I won't be back in time for dinner. I'll explain later; it's kind of a long story, and I need to get moving before they've closed up for the day."
>Open the envelopes and read their contents.

[Hello Purvis]

>Amend that to Rin and I.
>"If you could set us something aside, that would be much appreciated."

[Oldmansour]

>"No, I'm out of bed."
>"Listen, I have to go to the White tiger shrine, so I won't be back in time for dinner. I'll explain later; it's kind of a long story, and I need to get moving before they've closed up for the day."

>Amend that to Rin and I.
>"If you could set us something aside, that would be much appreciated."

>"I prepared some soup for you earlier, actually, in case Reizushi-sensei didn't want to keep you overnight. But are you sure you want to take off like that after having the fall you did? I realize it must be something important, for you to be in a hurry like that, but you wouldn't want to do yourself any more harm by being more active than you should be."

>Open the envelopes and read their contents.

>Opening the envelopes, you expect at least one, if not all, of them, to be fan letters. You average at least one a week. What you find, however, are two handwritten 'get well' messages, wishing you a speedy recovery from your accident earlier today. The third, however, is not quite as benevolent. It reads simply, "You'd better not be badly hurt. I don't want her back by default."

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we recognize who wrote any of the letters.
>"If it's a poor hunch, I'll be sure to take it easy when I get back. Thank you, Reisen. Let the others know I am okay."

[Oldmansour]

>Do we recognize who wrote any of the letters.

>All three are unsigned, and you do not recognize either the handwriting or the tone of the first two. The third, on the other hand, while also possessing handwriting unknown to you, has a fairly familiar tone. The only person in school that speaks so bluntly to you on even a semi-regular basis is Konngara. Rin might recognize her handwriting, if you showed the letter to her.

>"If it's a poor hunch, I'll be sure to take it easy when I get back. Thank you, Reisen. Let the others know I am okay."

>"I will. Did you want me to ask Nitori if she can give you a ride? Her bike's working, at least for now, and you're going need some wheels to get to the shrine on time."

[Hello Purvis]

>Can her bike accommodate two people and a driver?
>"Yes, that would be most helpful."
>Consider a proper location that we could meet up with Nitori without having to stop and wait for too long. Or preferably meet her on the go. Then give it to Reisen.

[Oldmansour]

>Can her bike accommodate two people and a driver?

>Nitori's bike does have an optional sidecar, and the bike itself is large enough to accomodate both a rider and a passenger.

>"Yes, that would be most helpful."
>Consider a proper location that we could meet up with Nitori without having to stop and wait for too long. Or preferably meet her on the go. Then give it to Reisen.

>Given that you all live 5 minutes' walk away from the school, she could meet you at the front gates in very short order, as soon as she fits her sidecar on. You pass this on to Reisen. "I'll pass that along. Just try to keep her from breaking any speed limits this time."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I'll try. I'll see you later."
>Go wait for Nitori.

[Oldmansour]

>"I'll try. I'll see you later."
>Go wait for Nitori.

>Saying goodbye to Reisen, you put on your outdoor shoes, pocket the letters (even the one you suspect came from Konngara) and head outside with Rin. The approaching sunset bathes the school ground in diffused orange light, which Rin pauses only momentarily to bask in. That's one freedom you've granted her she seems to have especially enjoyed; Konngara wasn't big on 'basking' in general. The place is very quiet now, the cheering squad must've gone home by now, and the sounds of traffic are distant, at best. The walkway to the front gates is about 40 feet long, but you don't get too far along it before an odd sound catches your ear. You can't be certain, but it almost sounds like a woman's yell.

[Hello Purvis]

>Is it pained, surprised, frightened, something else?
>Regardless, look in that direction.

[Oldmansour]

>Is it pained, surprised, frightened, something else?
>Regardless, look in that direction.

>It seems fairly indistinct, and some ways away. It seems to be coming from around the building, towards the sports areas, where the cheering squad was practicing. This gives you an idea. Two members of the cheering squad are romantically involved, which is neither strange and unique, but these two are known to be rather... loud, to use the diplomatic term. You yourself have heard them in action on more than one occasion. They're a bit distracting, but harmless.
>The look on Rin's face, however, tells you a different story about the nature of that cry. Her ears are perked, and you would describe the look on her face as alarmed.

[Hello Purvis]

>That's good enough, go investigate the scream.

[Oldmansour]

>That's good enough, go investigate the scream.

>You start to head in the direction of the scream, but Rin catches your arm. "Let me go first, Mistress. There's another sound I can hear from there, and it ain't like nothin' I've ever heard before."

[Hello Purvis]

>"We'll go together, now let's not waste any time if someone's in trouble!"
>Progress!

[Oldmansour]

>"We'll go together, now let's not waste any time if someone's in trouble!"
>Progress!

>You pull away from Rin's grasp as make a dash for the source of the sound. Another yell issues forth as you approach the corner of the school, and even your hearing can detect that it is most definately not a cry of pleasure. Rin actually passes you, and rounds the corner first just before you. You can hear her gasp as you turn the corner yourself. In fact, you nearly run into her back as you skid to a halt. Before you is a scene unlike anything you've ever seen in your life.
>Kyouko Kasodani, member of the cheering squad, is the one yelling, but her cries are getting weaker. A large gold hoop has encircled her around her chest, and a sickly greenish glow is all around her. This glow is drifiting away from her like a sort of guided mist, into the outstretched hand of a creature that could well have walked out of a nightmare. It is humanoid, likely female based on the simple black dress, but her skin is a dark yellow, with thin wirey hair sticking out of its nearly bald head. It's eye sockets are distented, massive things, with two tiny pricks of yellow for pupils. Its hands end in four distended fingers, more like claws, and it hovers a couple inches off the ground.

[Hello Purvis]

>Pause for a moment.
>Does the stranger seem to be aware of us?
>Does the hoop constricting Kyouko seem to be under the stranger's control, given our understanding of magic?
>If the stranger is not away of us, does it seem like we could approach her without being seen?
>How far away are they both? Are there any obstacles between us and them?
>How good's our throwing arm? We still have all of our school stuff, right?

[Oldmansour]

>Pause for a moment.
>Does the stranger seem to be aware of us?

>Although it appears to be looking in your general direction, it makes no outward sign of noticing you.

>Does the hoop constricting Kyouko seem to be under the stranger's control, given our understanding of magic?

>You cannot be certain, given your limited understanding of magic, but given the creature's otherworldy appearance, it seems at least a reasonable assumption.

>If the stranger is not away of us, does it seem like we could approach her without being seen?
>How far away are they both? Are there any obstacles between us and them?

>Kyouko is approximately 15 feet directly in front of you, with the stranger about 8 or 9 feet behind her and to her left. Unfortunately for you, it is all open ground between you and both of the other parties. There's nothing you can use for cover between you and the stranger that you and her without running a very strong risk of drawing her eye.