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

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hello, I'm just helping Chie out a little, I hope that's not a problem?"
>Go grab the stuff if they do not object.

[Oldmansour]

>"Hello, I'm just helping Chie out a little, I hope that's not a problem?"
>Go grab the stuff if they do not object.

>The leopard glances over at you out of the corner of her eye, and nods sharply. Taking that as an affirmative, you approach the right side of the room, find the blue cabinet indicated by Chie, and open it. The first shelf is lined with glassware, while the second shelf holds a collection of ceramic chopstick sets of varying design and color. Chie asked for a total of sixteen, so you acquire that number, seperating them between both of your hands.
>The black haired miko spares you a glance as you turn around. "A guest is a rare thing at this hour," she purrs in a low voice. "Even rarer one that finds her way into the kitchen." She sniffs the air. "You must be one of Chie's friends."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, a new friend. We've only met earlier today, but we've crossed paths a couple times."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, a new friend. We've only met earlier today, but we've crossed paths a couple times."

>The shrine maiden eyes you with one of her deep purple eyes. "Ah, yes, I thought that voice was familiar, you were the young human who performed with the Eagle some hours ago."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Guilty as charged. I hope we didn't wake you up or somesuch."

[Oldmansour]

>"Guilty as charged. I hope we didn't wake you up or somesuch."

>"I was only dozing." she purrs, reaching out and turning the heat down on the ground beef sizzling in the pan in front of her. "I'm nocturnal." She turns to you and gives you a small bow. "Isumi Hayami, silver-level shrine maiden." She gestures to her fellow feline miko. "This is Anya, a bronze." the leopard nods sharply again.

[Hello Purvis]

>Bow in return. "I am Byakuren Hijiri. It's a pleasure."

[Oldmansour]

>Bow in return. "I am Byakuren Hijiri. It's a pleasure."

>"We are curious, though. It is rare that one visits our shrine twice in one day." She pauses, her ear twitches slightly, then continues, "My sisters told me of what transpired earlier. Is that newborn youkai the reason for your return?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Among other things, I had a little private business to tend to as well. Right now, I'm just passing time until it can be handled and looking around."

[Oldmansour]

>"Among other things, I had a little private business to tend to as well. Right now, I'm just passing time until it can be handled and looking around."

>"Ahhh, you are here to see Satori, then."

[Hello Purvis]

>Put a finger to our lips. "Shhh."

[Oldmansour]

>Put a finger to our lips. "Shhh."

>The black haired miko chuckles a purring chuckle, but her companion merely grunts once, sharply. "Yes, you're right, Anya." the talkative one says with a nod. Her slightly lopsided smile returns as she says to you, in a somewhat exaggerated tone, "Private, yes. My apologies."
>"Rather than have you grunt at me again, Anya, I'll ask her first." she continues. The leopard-colored miko merely nods, and Isumi says to you, "May I ask how you arrived back here?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I took a long way around, so to speak."

[Oldmansour]

>"I took a long way around, so to speak."

>"Indeed." she says sideways. You have the distinct impression she knows there's more to the story than that. Anya exhales sharply, though, which seems to settle Isumi down a bit. "Well, that's good enough for me. Guests may be rare at this time of night, but all are welcome here."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you. I've been rather overwhelmed with all the kindness here."

[Oldmansour]

>"Thank you. I've been rather overwhelmed with all the kindness here."

>"Satori will be pleased to hear that. I must ask, does that include from Eagle, as well? I understand you..." Isumi asks, but she trails off and holds up her finger as her ear twitches again. "Excuse me a moment." Very quietly, very slowly, she creeps towards the door on the left of the room, which leads out into the hallway you came down, and pulls it open inwards very slowly. The miko in the hallway seems to have overcome the Sanbones and moved on to Gregorio.
>Anya lets out a breath and shakes her head slightly. She then looks at you out of the corner of her eye, and points to the large fridge just to your right with her tail. "Bag of cherries." she says in a voice colored by a moderate Moscovich accent. Then she glances at your full hands. "Never mind." she corrects herself, flicking some water off her hands then picking up a small towel next to her, drying off her hands.

[Hello Purvis]

>Shift the chopsticks to out offhand, fetch cherries.

[Oldmansour]

>Shift the chopsticks to out offhand, fetch cherries.

>With a bit of juggling, you transfer your load to your left hand. Pays to have hands a bit larger than the average girl sometimes. With your now free right hand, you open the fridge door and locate the small satchel containing the indicated fruit, and walk it forward to the copper skirted miko. The feline accepts it with her left hand, which you note, somewhat disturbingly, has no fingernails, and a small surgical scar at the back of her wrist.
>"Spazeba." she says as she accepts the fruits.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You're welcome."

[Oldmansour]

>"You're welcome."

>"You speak Moscovian." she says, sounding slightly impressed as she turns back to the sink, placing the bag down on the counter to its side.

>From the open door where Isumi went there comes a small noise of surprise. "You're getting better, Maiko." Isumi says complimentarily.
>"In the middle of a charge, Isumi?" the other miko demands.
>"Would you have preferred during a defense?" the feline shrine maiden purrs.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not so much that as there isn't much else one would say, and I suspected you wouldn't say 'Eat dirt' just then."

[Oldmansour]

>"Not so much that as there isn't much else one would say, and I suspected you wouldn't say 'Eat dirt' just then."

>"You are generous." she says, reaching out to her left and pulling a ceramic bowl down from the cabinet.
>Isumi walks back over to the stove at this point and adjusts the heat on the beef again, while stirring it with a flat wooden spoon. "As I was saying, Hijiri-san. When you left here this afternoon, you took the Eagle with you. I'm curious what sort of deals she made with you, but if those are private as well, then I understand."

[Hello Purvis]

>Start sorting the chopsticks back into both hands.
>"I needed her help to find something, and she was very suitable for the task."

[Hanzo K.]

>"As they say, 'the right person for the right job'. And when it comes to finding things, she's good at that."
>Smile a bit. "That, and unlike most, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

[Hello Purvis]

>Don't add the last part, no need to needle them just yet. And certainly not so blatantly.

[Oldmansour]

>Start sorting the chopsticks back into both hands.

>With a little more juggling, you divide your load between two hands again. You have to catch yourself before dropping one set, though. Your fatigue is starting to affect your dexterity a bit.

>"I needed her help to find something, and she was very suitable for the task."

>"As they say, 'the right person for the right job'. And when it comes to finding things, she's good at that."
>Smile a bit. "That, and unlike most, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

>Don't add the last part, no need to needle them just yet. And certainly not so blatantly.

>"She is definitely that." Isumi agrees as she opens the cabinet to her left, revealing a decent sized spice rack. "Finding things is something she does very well."
>Anya mutters something in Moscovian that doesn't sound too complimentary.
>"Did she find it yet?" Isumi asks. "She seems to always get what she's after, but it can take time sometimes."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"It was found, yes."
>To Anya: "Give her a chance. She may surprise you."

[Oldmansour]

>"It was found, yes."
>To Anya: "Give her a chance. She may surprise you."

>"That's what I've been telling you, Sister." Isumi agrees with you. "They're not all as bad as the ones in Moscovich."
>Anya pulls her lips back and snarls, baring her fangs.

[Hanzo K.]

>"She may seem an unsavory sort, but it's in my nature to give her the benefit of the doubt."

[Oldmansour]

>"She may seem an unsavory sort, but it's in my nature to give her the benefit of the doubt."

>"I have no more doubts." Anya snarls.
>"Satori trusts her, isn't that enough?" Isumi counters.
>"Satori controls her. Control is not trust."