Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3

[Oldmansour]

>Maybe we should suggest Lily moonlight as a wandering air purifier. It would be a public service!
>If this is the place, go make ourselves comfortable.

>Perhaps a marketing strategy for the days once the Demons have been dealt with? You make a mental note. After all, you have the power, why not use it for the benefit of noses everywhere?
>This is indeed the place, and you grab a seat at one of the lab tables, which is outfitted with a sink and wide enough to accommodate three. Letty and Rin join you. The faces here are a bit different than the previous classes. Students at Mayoiga must take two of three science classes, any two of chemistry, physics and biology. As a result of this, you end up seeing different faces in these classes than you do normally, including one Hina Kagiyama, whom you know through your work with Aya, and Yamame Kurodani, one of the youkai you encountered last night.

>Less than seven minutes into class, Melancholy-sensei, obviously in a lousy mood on account of that botched experiment that lingers in the air, calls upon you, and demands an answer to the question, "What effect does Sulphur Hexaflouride have upon the human voice?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"It causes one's voice to sound much deeper than usual, much the opposite of the effect that helium has."

[Oldmansour]

>"It causes one's voice to sound much deeper than usual, much the opposite of the effect that helium has."

>The short blonde youkai nods sharply. "Very good. You can sit down." Which is pretty much as close to praise as she ever really comes. Reclaiming your seat, Medicine goes proceeds on her lesson as to how certain gasses interact with the human body, specifically the vocal chords and areas of the throat. One of your classmates, a human by the name of Miranda with whom you share music class with, asks if the same rules apply to youkai biology. This annoys Medicine, and she admonishes the blue haired singer for trying to 'jump the lecture'. But she does answer the question, insomuch as she says that youkai are quite different, and would be covered in later lessons.
>The rest of the class manages to avoid irritating the crass teacher until the chime rings to end fourth period.
>The time is now 11:55 AM. Lunchtime.

[DracoOmega]

>We do have a packed lunch with us, yes?
>Do we typically eat lunch in the cafeteria or elsewhere?
>Did Sanae end up in this class with us or no?

[Oldmansour]

>We do have a packed lunch with us, yes?
>Do we typically eat lunch in the cafeteria or elsewhere?
>Did Sanae end up in this class with us or no?

>You do. Well, technically, Rin is carrying both hers and yours.
>When the weather allows, you try to take lunch to the roof or outside, either to eat alone or with your friends. On cold, windy, rainy days like this, however, this obviously is not an option, so you remain indoors, either in the cafeteria, in the tennis club's room, or sometimes elsewhere when you are invited. Today, however, you have no outstanding invitations. At least not yet.
>Sanae did not. You believe she mentioned 'physics' to the group that absconded with her during english class.

[DracoOmega]

>Gather our things and stand up.
>"Well, shall we go eat, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>Gather our things and stand up.
>"Well, shall we go eat, then?"

>"Good plan." Letty says, rising herself. "Sanae isn't the only one that missed breakfast."
>As you place your things in your bag, however, Yamame approaches you. "Can I join you, Morning Star? There's something I need to talk with you about."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Certainly."

[Oldmansour]

>"Certainly."

>Yamame looks momentarily relieved. Curious.
>"Want me to see how bad it is topside?" Rin asks you.

[DracoOmega]

>"If you'd like, though I'm not holding out much hope."

[Oldmansour]

>"If you'd like, though I'm not holding out much hope."

>"Probably best to stay indoors." Letty advises her. "Minoriko would let me have it if I had another umbrella blow away on me."
>"Actually," Yamame interjects, "I was hoping you'd join me in the drama club room."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, that's certainly fine with me."
>Appraise the others' reaction

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, that's certainly fine with me."
>Appraise the others' reaction

>Your two friends seem quite amenable to the idea.
>"Splendid." says Yamame, and gestures towards the door.

[DracoOmega]

>Nod and head to the drama club room. Assuming we know where it is. (Otherwise indicate for Yamame to take the lead)

[Oldmansour]

>Nod and head to the drama club room. Assuming we know where it is. (Otherwise indicate for Yamame to take the lead)

>You do. As a matter of fact, you have actually worked with them before. Not to the extent of actually acting in one of their productions, but you did read lines for one of their members who was out sick last year, during their production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Yamame's tried to lure you away from the tennis club a time or two since then. And truth to tell, it isn't an unattractive prospect. You wouldn't count that particular play among your favourites, but you did enjoy the acting experience, even in such a limited capacity. And the drama club at the time was composed of a very good collection of people. Its composition isn't the same as it was then, but you know it to still be a nice place with good people.

>The place is a bit messier than you recall, small props and bits of paper strewn about across the couches and tables, the bookcases on the east and west wall crammed with books, scripts and other knickknacks to the point of overflowing. It has the signs of someone recently trying to restore order to the place, but that order refused to endure.
>"I know, it's a mess." Yamame speaks into your thoughts as she collects the papers from the table in the middle of the room.

[DracoOmega]

>Smile a little.
>"Oh, that's quite alright - signs of passing thespians, no doubt."
>Find a comfortable place to eat lunch and seat ourselves.
>"Now what was this you wanted to talk about?"

[Oldmansour]

>Smile a little.
>"Oh, that's quite alright - signs of passing thespians, no doubt."
>Find a comfortable place to eat lunch and seat ourselves.
>"Now what was this you wanted to talk about?"

>Yamame chuckles. "I like it when someone outside the club uses that word. And correctly, too."
>Rin clears off a chair for you at the long table and you sit yourself upon it, as Yamame cleans out the filter in the coffee machine. The young youkai sets the machine to its work before dusting off her hands and turning her earnest look upon you. "Without the preamble, Morning Star, quite simply, we need your help."

[DracoOmega]

>"My help? With what?"

[Oldmansour]

>"My help? With what?"

>"I realize this is pretty short notice, and I know how busy you are. But I also know how talented you are, so I was hoping I could convince you to join our Christmas play this year."

[DracoOmega]

>"Are you short on members for it?"
>"And what is the play, anyway?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Are you short on members for it?"
>"And what is the play, anyway?"

>Yamame nods as Rin places your lunchbox in front of you. "I just found out this morning. One of our new girls, Agito, eloped on us over the weekend. And she was our Cratchit."
>"You're doing A Christmas Carol?" Letty asks.
>"As a musical." Yamame corrects her.

[Hello Purvis]

>"And you can get no one else to fill the role?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And you can get no one else to fill the role?"

>"No one I think would perform as well as I know you can."

[DracoOmega]

>"I fear you may give me too much credit. When is it due to be performed?"
>And how does that date stack up to the present one?

[Oldmansour]

>"I fear you may give me too much credit. When is it due to be performed?"
>And how does that date stack up to the present one?

>"And you're as humble as ever." Yamame says with a grin. "I know I'm younger than you, but trust me, I know talent when I see it on stage. It's true, there's other people in school here that can act, others that can sing, others that can command the attention of a room, but nobody puts it all together like you, Morning Star." Funnily enough, Aya said almost the same thing to you in regards to your modeling talent once. 'Charisma' was the word she used. Evidently you've got it in spades.
>"December 18th."
>"That's a month from now." Letty says between bites of her rather healthy looking salad. She's right, that date would put the play precisely one month from today, which is November 18th.
>"I know, it's short notice." Yamame says with a face resigned to a long month ahead of her.

[DracoOmega]

>"Less short than I might have expected; I'm just honestly unsure of how much time I'll have free to commit to it. But I suppose I could take a look at the script and score you're using."
>"Who's playing Scrooge, anyway?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Less short than I might have expected; I'm just honestly unsure of how much time I'll have free to commit to it. But I suppose I could take a look at the script and score you're using."
>"Who's playing Scrooge, anyway?"

>"That'll do for a start." The young youkai turns then and heads for the other desk in the room, this one with a computer and a lamp upon it, as well numerous papers and books. She rummages for a moment before coming up with a black plastic binder. "That's just the script and stage directions. I'm afraid I don't have any copies of the score on hand right now." she says apologetically.
>"At the moment? Kogasa. But I managed to find five minutes to talk to her between classes this morning. She's willing to change if whoever we get to replace Agito wants to play Scrooge instead."

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, that's fine."
>Accept the binder and have a skim through it while we munch. About how sizable would our role be, if we were to take it? Although we don't have the score, is there at least some indication of how many singing roles we would have?
>"I'd assumed Kogasa would be playing Tiny Tim. She is typecast as the woobie, after all...."

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, that's fine."
>Accept the binder and have a skim through it while we munch. About how sizable would our role be, if we were to take it? Although we don't have the score, is there at least some indication of how many singing roles we would have?
>"I'd assumed Kogasa would be playing Tiny Tim. She is typecast as the woobie, after all...."

>Evaluation of the script before you shows that Cratchit would be the second largest role, behind Scrooge himself, who seems to be onstage throughout nearly the entire play. If you accepted the role of Cratchit, you note two separate songs you would be involved in, one during the 'Ghost of Christmas Present" segment, and one at the end of the play, a duet with Scrooge.
>She wanted to try playing against type.

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we have any acting experience at all?