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

[Oldmansour]

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

>Louise offers you a slight smile. "Indeed. But beyond the treat itself-" she pauses long enough to have another lick, then finishes, "I believe it is more pleasurable to be able to eat without keeping all my senses on alert."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I am happy to have given you this, then."

[Oldmansour]

>"I am happy to have given you this, then."

>"And it took the three of you to deliver it?" she asks in Lily and White Rose's direction.
>Lily, unfazed by the veiled jab, merely smiles. "Like I told Lotus, ice cream's a lot tastier when you share it with friends."
>"We are friends?"
>"We could be." Lily asserts. "No, scratch that. We will be."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Just so."

[Oldmansour]

>"Just so."

>The Water Champion has just about exhausted her supply of ice cream, and she says, "Ah, but I have forgotten. In your world, the expression for such a gesture is, 'thank you.' So, thank you, Magical Lotus."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You are most welcome."
>Dig into ours, as well. Also get a sample of Lily's.

[Oldmansour]

>"You are most welcome."
>Dig into ours, as well. Also get a sample of Lily's.

>Having received Louise's gratitude, you finally turn your attention to your own treat. Though it took some time for you to return here, you know that Pinkie's product stays chilled for quite a while after it leaves refrigeration. Especially in the winter, as it is now. After a couple bites of yours, you stand and wander over to the bench, whereupon Lily presents you with her offering. You suspect she had to work a bit to make sure there was some left for you, thoughtful girl. The caramel-topped cotton candy flavor is, if you're honest, a bit too sweet for your taste. The combination of flavors does work better than you had thought, but the result is sweeter than you'd prefer for something you'd order yourself.

[Hello Purvis]

>"A bit sweet for me, but not bad at all."
>Make some small talk with the others about daily life things. See if Louise shows any curiosity outside of tactical values and such.

[Oldmansour]

>"A bit sweet for me, but not bad at all."
>Make some small talk with the others about daily life things. See if Louise shows any curiosity outside of tactical values and such.

>"Papa tells me I've had a sweet tooth forever."
>Returning to your chair, you ask Lily about some of the other ice cream she favors. A subject which Lily is pefectly pleased to rabbit on about with a great deal of enthusiasm, expanding at times into other parts of the world of candies and other sweet flavors. She focuses most of her attention on Rin moreso than you, which makes sense. Knowing Lily, after hearing that the kasha's experience with ice cream is substantially limited, she'd want to gush for a bit about all the different kinds that she can now be having. Rin doesn't seem to mind. She does however ask, after a few minutes, if the winged blonde had ever been sent to the dentists' on account of her sweet tooth. Lily merely laughs and assures White Rose she always keeps her teeth 'sparkly and clean'.
>"Do you have dentists in your world?" Lily asks Louise after saying this.
>"Not as such." the now empty-handed demon replies. "Centralized healing such as that doesn't really exist on Makai. There was an attempt made once in my lifetime that I am aware of, but it was destroyed by the Melting Man."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mmm. I get the feeling I wouldn't like to learn much more about that one."

[Oldmansour]

>"Mmm. I get the feeling I wouldn't like to learn much more about that one."

>Louise nods. "You would likely find the details somewhat discomforting."
>"And that's no good when you're eating." Lily says sagely, taking a big bite out of her cone.
>"Speaking of," White Rose ventures cautiously. "Do your kind share meals like this?"
>"Not like this, since we don't have ice cream on Makai. But more broadly, it depends. Some Children think only of their own sustenance, some share what they have readily. I believe this is true for your kind, as well, is it not?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Some do like to dine alone, but it's not so much thinking of their own sustenance as thinking of their privacy. As well, when dining together it's less about sharing food than sharing company, though it's not uncommon for one to gift another with something to eat if they cannot provide for themselves, or it would be too costly for it. Company is the primary factor, I would say, rather than food distribution."

[Oldmansour]

>"Some do like to dine alone, but it's not so much thinking of their own sustenance as thinking of their privacy. As well, when dining together it's less about sharing food than sharing company, though it's not uncommon for one to gift another with something to eat if they cannot provide for themselves, or it would be too costly for it. Company is the primary factor, I would say, rather than food distribution."

>"You use it as a means of combating lonlieness."
>Lily frowns slightly. "I wouldn't put it that way. People just like other people's company."
>"Some people, you mean."
>"No, no, I mean people-people." Lily argues with a shake of her head. "Deep down, no one wants to be alone. Sharing a meal, a movie, a drink, a..." The winged blonde cheeks redden ever so slightly. "More intimate encounter. People can't be alone, not all the time."
>"You, Magical Lily, are as optimistic as your leader."
>Rather than remark about the dry tone of the demon, Lily merely smiles and rustles her wings. "Thanks!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"There are indeed some who prefer their solitude, but even they tend to have a close circle of friends, and seek them out when they feel the time is right. I would say that combating loneliness is but one of many benefits. But we tend not to think of it in such terms, and rather say is just preferable to share meals."

[Oldmansour]

>"There are indeed some who prefer their solitude, but even they tend to have a close circle of friends, and seek them out when they feel the time is right. I would say that combating loneliness is but one of many benefits. But we tend not to think of it in such terms, and rather say is just preferable to share meals."

>"Even with ones enemies at times, it seems." Louise remarks wryly.

[Hello Purvis]

>"There's actually quite a precedent for sharing meals as a way to bring grievances to an end, there is quite a lot of social complexity that has grown around dining, since the vast majority of us need to do it. But in this case, it's simply a gift."

[Oldmansour]

>"There's actually quite a precedent for sharing meals as a way to bring grievances to an end, there is quite a lot of social complexity that has grown around dining, since the vast majority of us need to do it. But in this case, it's simply a gift."

>"'The vast majority', you say?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm sure there's some odd youkai who doesn't need to eat something."

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm sure there's some odd youkai who doesn't need to eat something."

>"A mixed blessing."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"I would imagine, of those that do not need to eat, those that can choose to do so likely would sometimes just to be with their friends and loved ones."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod.
>"I would imagine, of those that do not need to eat, those that can choose to do so likely would sometimes just to be with their friends and loved ones."

>"There is quite a lot to be said for the experience itself, even if nothing is gained in other ways."
>White Rose looks at the demon. "You like doing things for the sake of doing things?"
>The ghost of a frown crosses Louise's face for a fraction of a second, but she returns her visage to normal so quickly you're sure the other two didn't notice. "Some of my kind do. Some of us value experience perhaps more than you Terrans do."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It's not really that surprising. After all, we do share a home, do we not?"

[Oldmansour]

>"It's not really that surprising. After all, we do share a home, do we not?"

>"Not yet."

[Hello Purvis]

>"We used to, at least. And perhaps shall again, if I have anything to say about it."

[Oldmansour]

>"We used to, at least. And perhaps shall again, if I have anything to say about it."

>"You presume that my kind are not from Makai originally." Louise observes. "Even I can't say that for sure."

[Hello Purvis]

>"At the least, you were here for a time. That is enough for me."

[Oldmansour]

>"At the least, you were here for a time. That is enough for me."

>"Even in the event that we were invaders?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"We'll clear that little issue up soon enough, I'm sure."

[Oldmansour]

>"We'll clear that little issue up soon enough, I'm sure."

>"Does it make a difference, though, I wonder." Louise ponders. "It really doesn't to me."
>"It doesn't?" White Rose asks.
>"Whether we originated on Gensokyo or Makai is irrelevant to me. Though I imagine you might feel differently. Curiosity drives your kind so very often, human or youkai or anything else."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I imagine it is due to the lack of Makai-inspired terror, myself."