Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 4

[Oldmansour]

>"Perhaps it means we should be wary of the water in Makai."
>Let's see what follows.

>The flying snake watches the ripples of energy dissipate, then turns to her left and slithers through the air. along the wall of her cell. This however takes her in your direction, and she stops after a moment, lowering her head to look in your direction. Then her disembodied voices sounds from around you, "You return. And sooner than I might have thought. Has something occured?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"We've brought you a gift, actually."

[Oldmansour]

>"We've brought you a gift, actually."

>The Water chuckles quietly. "You must have enjoyed our conversation quite a lot, then. To show such generosity."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Somewhat, but not quite as you mean. Would you care to join us?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Somewhat, but not quite as you mean. Would you care to join us?"

>"Very well."
>Lily's feathers rustle a little nervously as the snakeform demon descends. You okay? Rin asks her silently.
>Lily smiles at her Yeah. Just... Nasty memories.

>The slithering batsnake drops down to rest a few feet in front of you, coiling her frame atop her tail.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You might find your other shape little more convenient for this."

[Oldmansour]

>"You might find your other shape little more convenient for this."

>Louise seems to consider that, then nods slightly. Unlike you and your comrades, whose transformations involve a light, Louise simply.. melts into her other form limbs growing out of her serpentine torso as it expands, while her tail shrivels and coils up into her body. Worse is the sound. In the silence of this place, you can actually hear the sounds of her internals rearranging. It's almost enough to make a girl lose her appetite. But at least she's wearing clothes this time, rather than when you found her before.
>"Is that your normal form?" White Rose asks her once she finishes her transformation.
>"Which form?"
>"The one you just had, the winged snake one."
>Louise shakes her head. "No. But it offers me options that this form does not."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Interesting. As to why we're here."
>Offer her the vanilla with fixin's.
>"I felt you would enjoy this."

[Oldmansour]

>"Interesting. As to why we're here."
>Offer her the vanilla with fixin's.
>"I felt you would enjoy this."

>Louise accepts the ice cream cone with a look of curiousity. "I am familiar with some of the materials from your world, but not this one." she admits.

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's ice cream, a kind of food. A treat, in particular! Since you're originally from our world, it shouldn't be any problem for you to have some too. Oh, don't eat it too quickly, either, since it's cold."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's ice cream, a kind of food. A treat, in particular! Since you're originally from our world, it shouldn't be any problem for you to have some too. Oh, don't eat it too quickly, either, since it's cold."

>The Water Champion examines the treat in her hand. "I assure you, Terran, I have consumed much colder." Nevertheless, the blonde demon takes a rather small initial bite of the batter-coated vanilla. "Very interesting." she says after a moment. "A substance that seems solid but melts almost as soon as you take a bite of it. I've not known anything like this before. This is based on... milk?" she guesses.

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Milk and sugar. Do you like it?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"Milk and sugar. Do you like it?"

>Louise takes another bite. "I believe I do." she says after swallowing. "It is not as... flavorful as some of the favors of Makai, but it is... refreshing, in its way."

[Hello Purvis]

>"There are certainly sweeter things to be had, but they tend to be expensive, and too rich to enjoy in quantity. Shall we find a nice place to sit down, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>"There are certainly sweeter things to be had, but they tend to be expensive, and too rich to enjoy in quantity. Shall we find a nice place to sit down, then?"

>"As you wish." And Louise matches her words by promptly sitting down in the middle of the path.

[Hello Purvis]

>Chuckle.
>"I meant somewhere with benches."

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle.
>"I meant somewhere with benches."

>"Oh." Louise regains her feet. "You did say 'nice', and safe ground is nice for me."

[Hello Purvis]

>Chuckle. "Languages can diverge with time, can't they?"
>Let's go find a proper place to sit.

[Oldmansour]

>Chuckle. "Languages can diverge with time, can't they?"
>Let's go find a proper place to sit.

>Led by Louise, the four of you set off for the lakeside again, where seating arrangements other than ground can be found.
>Between bites of her treat (the idea of licking ice cream doesn't seem to have occured to her), the demon asks, "Surely this alone is not all you came back for?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, we do intend to finish ours, too. Also, try licking that."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, we do intend to finish ours, too. Also, try licking that."

>Louise seems curious about your direction, but Magical Lily demonstrates for her. "I didn't know your people did that with food." she says before giving it a try herself.
>"So, what do ya lick?" Rin asks cautiously.
>"It depends. Not all of have tongues that work exactly the same.
>"But aren't you all the same race?" Lily asks.
>"We are all Children of Mother, yes, but that hardly means we're identical to each other, and that extends to our biology as well. Some of us have wings, some do not. Some of us have tails, some do not."

>At the point your group emerges from the path once more to  the clearing where lies the pond. You have a look around, and spy a wrought-iron bench to your northwest, large enough to accomdate three comfortably.

[Hello Purvis]

>Is there a nice ledge or wall or rock or some such to sit upon nearby?

[Oldmansour]

>Is there a nice ledge or wall or rock or some such to sit upon nearby?

>Not far away from the bench is a chair that one of Louise's watery humanoids was using before. It is large enough to accomodate you or any of your friends.

[Hello Purvis]

>Head for the chair, let the others arrange themselves on the bench.

[Oldmansour]

>Head for the chair, let the others arrange themselves on the bench.

>Indicating your intentions, your two friends nod and make for the bench, while you walk towards the blue chair. Louise, however, states, "I will stand."

[Hello Purvis]

>"If you must. But the bench is open."

[Oldmansour]

>"If you must. But the bench is open."

>"Plenty of room!" Lily adds, patting the iron seat to her right.
>"I will stand." Louise repeats simply, taking another lick of her treat. "It is how we eat."
>"Don't you ever sit down when you're eating?" Rin asks, perplexed.
>"Almost never."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I assume it is to keep your guard up? I do wonder, though, what kind of treats do you have in Makai, if any?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I assume it is to keep your guard up? I do wonder, though, what kind of treats do you have in Makai, if any?"

>"By your definition, none. As I understand, a treat is something you eat more for pleasure than for sustenance, correct?"
>"Basically." Rin confirms.
>"Makai gives us no ammenities."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I hope that you enjoy this amenity, then?"