Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have any acting experience at all?

>Some. You did work a little with the drama club before, though only in rehearsals, and not truly as a cast member. You were also in school plays back in grades 8 and 9. Neither of them were musicals, but they were still on stage works, and you remember them fondly.
>Your modelling jobs would also count, in a sense. There as on stage, you are performing, the difference being one is for a camera, and the other is for a live audience.

[DracoOmega]

>Given our own experience and the script in front of us, can we get a rough gauge on how much work we'd be undertaking by accepting this?

[Oldmansour]

>Given our own experience and the script in front of us, can we get a rough gauge on how much work we'd be undertaking by accepting this?

>Memorizing the songs would be fairly simple for you. There's only the two that you can see, and you're the type that can learn a song with very little effort. Minoriko envies you that. The stage directions likewise probably wouldn't be too hard for you. You'd be onstage a lot, but you take directions very well. In fact, from what you can determine, Aya's photo shoots would probably be more difficult on you.
>Forming such an estimate would be easier if you knew their rehearsal schedule, which you don't off the top of your head. But from what you can remember about the drama clubs habits and approach from when you filled in with them before, accepting this role, while a decent investment in time and effort, would not detract from your work or your schoolwork. And it would definitely be fun. Working with Kogasa would be interesting in and of itself, to say nothing of how happy your school mates would be to see the Star of Drama work side by side with the Morning Star.

[DracoOmega]

>"What would the rehearsal schedule be like?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What would the rehearsal schedule be like?"

>"Well, that's partly up to you." Yamame says as she sits down, having retrieved a fairly hefty ham sandwich from a small fridge next to one of the bookcases. "If you accept, of course. I'm prepared to add more rehearsals and practice for the benefit of whoever takes over Agito's place, be it full rehearsals, line recital, anything."
>"Ain't it gonna be hard to get the stage as often's that?" Rin asks.
>Yamame nods. "But it won't be the first time I've butted heads with Vice Principal Mima over stage time. And besides, there's always other options."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Are they indoor options?"
>If there are windows, give a meaningful glance through them.

[Oldmansour]

>"Are they indoor options?"
>If there are windows, give a meaningful glance through them.

>Yamame cracks a grin as the wind rattles the window situated behind and on top of the computer. "Definitely." She jerks her thumb in that direction. "Macbeth might do well in that, but not A Christmas Carol."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, when is the next practice scheduled at the moment?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, when is the next practice scheduled at the moment?"

>"It had been today, but I rescheduled it for tomorrow. I'm hoping to have this problem settled by then."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'll need time to figure out how much I'm going to have to put toward this, hm."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'll need time to figure out how much I'm going to have to put toward this, hm."

>Yamame's expression grows pained for a moment, then she exhales. "I understand. I won't press." She folds her hands in front her. "But if you can't do it, I'll have to find someone else, and I'll have to do that as soon as possible."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>We can't ignore the effect this would have on our tennis practice. Not with Rin relying on our skill to keep Konngara from winning her back.

[Hello Purvis]

We had been pondering that.

>"The other issue is the Tennis team..."

[Oldmansour]

>We can't ignore the effect this would have on our tennis practice. Not with Rin relying on our skill to keep Konngara from winning her back.

>That is a good point, you never know when Konngara will challenge you again.
>That said, however, you also know that Konngara knows oni law as well as you do, if not better. If she wants to challenge your claim to Rin, that challenge may not come in the form of another tennis match.

>"The other issue is the Tennis team..."

>"Of course." Yamame nods, like she was expecting that. "As much as I'd love to have you join us here, I know you're dedicated to the tennis team. And I'd never ask you to sacrifice your commitment to them. But on that front I admit to feeling a little lucky, since I know you don't have another competition until the Yamato Isle-Wide in January. If you were another actor, then yes, I might ask you to focus more on this play than your club. But in your case, I really don't think I have to. I remember how easily you memorized lines when you stood in for us on Streetcar. And I remember your natural sense for the stage, as well. So I don't think you'll need to take any time away from the tennis club for this play. If you wanted to play Scrooge, then maybe, but not for Cratchit, or any other role."
>She smiles somewhat shyly. "As a matter of fact, when I first got the idea to ask you, I had thought that the real problem wouldn't be you learning the part in the time we had, but the other actors getting used to sharing the stage with the Morning Star."

[DracoOmega]

>What forms of challenge are valid? Surely it can't be absolutely anything.

[Oldmansour]

>What forms of challenge are valid? Surely it can't be absolutely anything.

>You would have to give Konngara grounds for questioning your capability as a slave owner. This would include things like, if you were grievously injured and unable to care for your slave, or if your finances were in ruins. By oni law, the character of a slave owner must be of high quality. The reality is that most oni don't enforce those laws. They simply challenge the owner to some form of physical contest that both have a chance at winning.
>In the case of Konngara, if she were to challenge you to a physical contest again of some sort, it would have to be something she knew you could perform well in, or the challenge would be invalid. Outside of tennis, you can't think of anything that the two of you would both be called 'good' at. That said, you don't know Konngara all that well. She may be a model herself. A modeling challenge would be a valid challenge for ownership of a slave.
>Rin may know more about Konngara's areas of expertise. In fact, you'd bet your hair she does. It's just never really come up. You've always found the idea of talking about her old owner to be a bit of a touchy subject. You still don't know for sure how comfortable she is talking about the years she spent with Konngara. Still, you believe that if Konngara was immediately threatening you in some area Rin knew about, she would tell you right away, so you haven't worried about that as much as you might have otherwise.

[DracoOmega]

>Slightly uncomfortable smile.
>"Please, I don't really warrant all that attention. Kogasa is the star, after all."

[Oldmansour]

>Slightly uncomfortable smile.
>"Please, I don't really warrant all that attention. Kogasa is the star, after all."

>"And I know she'll be great. Scrooge will be a challenge for her, but I know she's up for it. But as the captain of the drama club, I have to find the best person I can to fill the void left by Agito, someone I know who isn't just a good actor, but someone I know can work well with other actors, without upstaging them, and someone who can learn the part in a month." She interweaves her fingers together and points them in your direction. And then she smiles. "Think of it this way. It can't be as great a challenge as riding a tiger bareback."

[DracoOmega]

>Slightly more uncomfortable smile
>"A very different skill-set, that."
>"That being said... I think I may accept. At the very least, I can show up for tomorrow's practice."

Since we've apparently been told that we can juggle our tennis responsibilities and this just fine, I'm not sure that Konngara's a factor worth worrying about in this regard. And if she does choose to make an issue of herself, we may have some other options regarding her. Obviously saving the world takes ultimate priority over a play, but if the schedules don't end up clashing too badly, we can probably wing it. Ultimately, I would have rathered take more of a wait and see approach, but if Yamame wants to have this settled by tomorrow, we don't seem to really have that option.

[Oldmansour]

>Slightly more uncomfortable smile
>"A very different skill-set, that."
>"That being said... I think I may accept. At the very least, I can show up for tomorrow's practice."

>The drama club captain may be a competent actor in her own right, but she makes no effort to conceal her relief as you inform her of your decision. She sits back her seat heavily, and you can practically see the tension drain out of her body.
>Social Link: Yamame Kurodani (Chariot) has been established.
>"You okay?" Letty asks her.
>Yamame breathes out a laugh. "Honestly? I thought I'd tear my hair out after getting the news this morning. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to find anyone to take Agito's place. The Morning Star just saved me getting an ulcer."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile
>"Well, then I suppose I have already done some good. I can imagine what it must be like in your position; it's a terrible thing to imagine hard-laid plans starting to disintegrate before your eyes. And I shall endeavor my best not to give cause for that ulcer to return."

[Oldmansour]

>Smile
>"Well, then I suppose I have already done some good. I can imagine what it must be like in your position; it's a terrible thing to imagine hard-laid plans starting to disintegrate before your eyes. And I shall endeavor my best not to give cause for that ulcer to return."

>Yamame nods slowly. "Haven't had a play yet go off without a hitch or two, but this was a new one."

[DracoOmega]

>"'Hitches' are an inexorable part of life, sadly. How long had you been working on it by then?"
>How's lunch, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>"'Hitches' are an inexorable part of life, sadly. How long had you been working on it by then?"
>How's lunch, anyway?

>"The play, you mean?"
>Very good. Rin may not be Minoriko, but she knows her way around a rice cooker.

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes."

>"Since..." She tilts her head back in thought. "September? No, can't be that long... Today's the 17th, right?"
>"18th." Letty corrects her.
>The drama captain shakes her head once. "Lost a day already... But that'd be about a month and a half back, since early October."
>"Isn't that a long time for a christmas play?"
>"Well, I count 'conceiving of the play' as work." Yamame informs her. "Getting the idea, casting ideas, getting the script... It's all work from day 1."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's quite a ways into things to lose a key cast member. Well, hopefully it needn't cause you any more worry."

[Oldmansour]

>"That's quite a ways into things to lose a key cast member. Well, hopefully it needn't cause you any more worry."

>"Yeah... You can see why I was a bit worked up over it." She gives you a little grimace. "And I'm sorry if I came on a bit strong."

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, it's quite alright. It may have been a little sudden, but for what it's worth, I didn't feel you were pushy. And given the circumstances, I can fully understand."

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, it's quite alright. It may have been a little sudden, but for what it's worth, I didn't feel you were pushy. And given the circumstances, I can fully understand."

>Yamame seems relieved again momentarily, but her jaw opens slightly as a thought occurs to her. "And about that tiger, it wasn't me that took that picture that's going around, I promise you."