Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 2

[Oldmansour]

>"Not to this shrine, no. But I thought tonight would be a good night for a change of scene."

>"Well, the flame room's in the same place as the other three shrines keep it. I might have tried something different, like on the roof. Giant point of light, like the north star in Mayoiga." The kappa grins expansively. "Kinda poetic, isn't it."

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps it is a little, yes. But wouldn't the rain be a problem, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Perhaps it is a little, yes. But wouldn't the rain be a problem, then?"

>"Naw. See, it's sacred fire." she says, drawing out the word 'sacred'. "Rain hitting it would just make holy water. Nothin' short of a really major demon could make that fire go out. Or a giant squid." After a moment, she adds, "I think."
>"Ya think?" Rin asks.
>The kappa nods. "I've only been swimming these waters about a month. There's things I don't know for certain yet."

[DracoOmega]

>About how large are these flames, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>About how large are these flames, anyway?

>The flames themselves, or the housing surrounding the flame's brazier?

[DracoOmega]

>Both, I guess

[Oldmansour]

>Both, I guess

>The brazier, if the term is appropriate here, is housed within a wooden box formed of blessed logs. In both the Fire Bird shrine and the Wood Dragon shrine, this boxy altar is a little more than foot wide and five foot six inches tall. A metal bowl holds the flame itself, the size of a rather large cake bowl. Both are festooned with designs and talismans to ensure the purity of the temple, the sanctity of the flame and the strength of the prayers of the faithful.
>The flame itself is largely static in size, depending on the wind in the room, filling the bowl and reaching an elevation of about four or five inches over the lip.

[DracoOmega]

>"Even if the rain were no threat to the flame, surely that would still generate quite a bit of steam?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Even if the rain were no threat to the flame, surely that would still generate quite a bit of steam?"

>"Sacred steam." the kappa corrects brightly.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Hmm...And I suppose that given what this shrine's patron is, that would not be too amiss, would it?"
>After all, we know enough about animals to know that tortoises are cold-blooded. Which means steam is a rather nice refresher in the right amounts.

[Oldmansour]

>"Hmm...And I suppose that given what this shrine's patron is, that would not be too amiss, would it?"
>After all, we know enough about animals to know that tortoises are cold-blooded. Which means steam is a rather nice refresher in the right amounts.

>The kappa nods. "And it's good for the pores! At least, that's what Kirino tells me."

[DracoOmega]

>"Kirino?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Kirino?"

>"Yup, Kirino."
>"Who's dat?" Rin asks her.
>"New girl." the kappa replies, somewhat unhelpfully, though still cheerfully.

[DracoOmega]

>"Ah, I see. Well thank you for the directions, and I hope you have you have a pleasant evening as well."
>Carry on to the sacred flame room.

[Oldmansour]

>"Ah, I see. Well thank you for the directions, and I hope you have you have a pleasant evening as well."
>Carry on to the sacred flame room.

>"Thanks! You, too-kappa!" the bright eyed kappa bids you a farewell and ducks her head underwater again, leaving you and Rin to continue on along your way.
>Is that a good sign? Rin asks you mentally. She never said the fire was out of bounds.

[DracoOmega]

>I suspect that means everything is fine, yes. But still, it will be nice to see it with my own eyes.

[Oldmansour]

>I suspect that means everything is fine, yes. But still, it will be nice to see it with my own eyes.

>I'll still keep my ears peeled. Rin decides.

>The temple itself is larger than the Tiger shrine, having an extra story built atop it, and a taller tower extending from the front center section of it. It's color scheme is largely dark and light blue, intermixed with dark red and black here and there. The kanji for Black Water Tortoise are emblazoned under the square-cut window of the tower, ending over the top of the veranda. Wave-like crenelations top the veranda, painted blue with white caps, like the waves of the sea. Two streams of water pour from two slits cut into the roof, sending water down over the veranda to the far left and far right of the main entrance, pouring into a small moat that circles the temple building, everywhere except in front of the offertory box, six feet in either direction. The cobblestone walkway leading to the offertory box branches off left and right, going around the temple as well, possibly providing access to the lake behind it.

>A single black-haired shrine maiden sits atop the roof of the shrine, reading what seems from this distance to be a manga, while another shrine maiden, a statuesque blonde with three very long ponytails, one running down her back and one on either side of her head, is mopping the area in front of the main entrance and to its' right. She catches your approach out of the corner of her eye, stops her mopping, then nods a greeting to you both.

>My apologies. Kiku's voice rings in your mind. I was speaking with Satori. You wished to speak to me?

[DracoOmega]

>Return the greeting and carry onward.

>To Kiku: I did, though first I think I shall ask if everything remains well on your end?

[Oldmansour]

>Return the greeting and carry onward.

>To Kiku: I did, though first I think I shall ask if everything remains well on your end?

>"Watch your step, visitors." the blonde advises in a clear voice. "The floor here is still wet."
>Rin slows as you approach the entrance, and asks, somewhat quietly, "Ain't it normal ta put somethin' in that box with the bell?"

>Oh, yes. We were merely discussing whether or not we should hold an event for the christmas season this year.

[DracoOmega]

>What are the customs here regarding leaving offerings before entering the shrines?
>And our own habits in that regard, moreover.

[Oldmansour]

>What are the customs here regarding leaving offerings before entering the shrines?
>And our own habits in that regard, moreover.

>Ordinarily, one would only make a donation when making a prayer at the shrine. None of the four shrines enforce, or even encourage, donations simply to enter. That would be like charging admission, and so far as you know, there's only one hokey religion in south Eurasia that does that. Now, some people do indeed offer monetary sacrifice each and every time they visit a shrine, you know, but these people are usually the especially devout sort. Or the insanely generous.
>It's also an accepted tradition to leave donations at shrines when a miko, or someone associated with that shrine, has done you a favor.
>You yourself, while certainly a very, very generous soul, fall into the same category as the majority of people you know, and that is offering a donation only preceding a prayer. Rin, however, may have experienced differently in her time with Konngara. The issue's never come up.

[DracoOmega]

>"If we were making a prayer here, certainly. But it isn't a customary requirement if we're simply paying a visit."

>To Kiku: That is a pleasingly mundane topic. In any case, I was wondering if you know anything of a three-eyed Yatagarasu?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>See, an aquaintaince of mine has been having dreams of late, dreams where she sees a three-legged bird that, from the description I was given, sounds like a Yatagarasu. Except that the creature described to me had three eyes in addition to the three legs, something I've not heard of before. I'm afraid I know little about the subject, and I thought you might know more.

[Oldmansour]

>"If we were making a prayer here, certainly. But it isn't a customary requirement if we're simply paying a visit."

>To Kiku: That is a pleasingly mundane topic. In any case, I was wondering if you know anything of a three-eyed Yatagarasu?

>"Ahh." Rin looks at the box. "Never thought a dat. Never came here much with Konngara, her family wasn't that faithy."

>Don't you mean three-toed Yatagarasu?

>See, an aquaintaince of mine has been having dreams of late, dreams where she sees a three-legged bird that, from the description I was given, sounds like a Yatagarasu. Except that the creature described to me had three eyes in addition to the three legs, something I've not heard of before. I'm afraid I know little about the subject, and I thought you might know more.

>A dream of a divinity is something that should always be investigated. Kiku says approvingly. But a three-eyed Yata- Kiku cuts off abruptly, and after a few moments' pause, her voice returns, Actually, that DOES sound familiar, albeit vaguely. I believe I have read something about a three-eyed Sun Raven in one of the texts here. But it was some years ago since I last read that volume. Give me a few minutes, I shall check.
>Do you have any idea why this individual would be dreaming of a Yatagarasu? Does she have some connection to the divine you are aware of?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Not that I know of. She is a bird youkai, though. A raven, I believe. I don't know if that's relevant, but I thought it worth mentioning.

[Oldmansour]

>Not that I know of. She is a bird youkai, though. A raven, I believe. I don't know if that's relevant, but I thought it worth mentioning.

>Indeed. A raven youkai may indeed have some kind of connection, or at least an affinity, to a Yatagarasu, much as a tiger youkai like myself has an affinity for the Metal Tiger.
>These dreams of hers you mentioned. What form do they take? Nightmare, portent, pleasant?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>I should probably say that this was told to me not by the youkai in question, but by a mutual friend. And the word that friend used was 'nightmares', although being secondhand, I don't know how true to the dreams that designation truly is. She also said that she got the impression the raven youkai is starting to see, or at least hear, this... being even while awake.

[Oldmansour]

>I should probably say that this was told to me not by the youkai in question, but by a mutual friend. And the word that friend used was 'nightmares', although being secondhand, I don't know how true to the dreams that designation truly is. She also said that she got the impression the raven youkai is starting to see, or at least hear, this... being even while awake.

>Intriguing. And this was a recent development?

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>I don't know how long the dreams have been going on for, but seeming to hear the being while awake does seem to be a fairly new development, yes.

[Oldmansour]

>I don't know how long the dreams have been going on for, but seeming to hear the being while awake does seem to be a fairly new development, yes.

>By that, I mean, since the demons began their invasion of our world?