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

[Oldmansour]

>Well, that's one way to clear your hair.
>Let's give ourselves another moment to rest and see what, if anything, is going to come of this race business

>Not necessarily one you'd recommend to everyone, but obviously effective.
>With your task now finally complete, that leaves the one other outstanding bit of business. Poppy turns back to the conscious bikers. "So you all want Lotus to lead you?"
>"That's what we said, babe." Drag Strip replies.
>"Don't call me 'babe'." Poppy admonishes her, not harshly, but firmly enough. "And even if she wanted to, and I accepted in her stead, she's right when she said I'd have no chance against you, not right now. I don't think I could beat Vice in a race right now. You'll have to wait at least until tomorrow night." She glances back over her shoulder at you. "Assuming you want me to do this. I know it's in your nature to help people, but that doesn't mean you have to indulge Drag Strip."

[DracoOmega]

>"Whether you feel like beating her or not is up to you."
>Truly, I don't have an issue with dismissing Drag Strip's insistence without a match to decide things, but I didn't know if you'd enjoy the opportunity or not.

[Oldmansour]

>"Whether you feel like beating her or not is up to you."
>Truly, I don't have an issue with dismissing Drag Strip's insistence without a match to decide things, but I didn't know if you'd enjoy the opportunity or not.

>"If you can." Drag Strip says confidently.
>I can beat her. Reisen replies confidently. I've done it before. If she fights fair, I can beat her. And I'm more sure now that she'll play fair, now that I've felt that spell of ours. And as for enjoying... I'm a biker myself, Byakuren. I love having a chance to ride. But, I won't do it unless you're sure you want to take the risk that I might lose. I don't know if you'd want to be saddled with this bunch, even after they've been 'fixed'.

[DracoOmega]

>I have faith in you. And if it doesn't work out, well... I'm sure I'll manage somehow.

[Oldmansour]

>I have faith in you. And if it doesn't work out, well... I'm sure I'll manage somehow.

>In that case, that just leaves when. I think I'll be alright by tomorrow night, I can challenge her then. Unless you'd prefer some other time.

[DracoOmega]

>Whatever's best for you is fine by me.

[Oldmansour]

>Whatever's best for you is fine by me.

>"Tomorrow night, then. On the Amethyst Road."
>Drag strip's grin broadens. "You know the roads here too? That means I must've seen you around here before."
>"I doubt it. I only came to town a couple of days ago. But I know the Mayoiga scene. Amethyst will give us the chance to challenge each other without too many prying eyes around."
>"Don't make too many large wagers on that." Wildrider warns her. "Word has a way of getting around this town. It's not as big as you might think."
>"And what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Breakdown inquires.
>Kiku steps forward. "I would recommend you explore your new freedom. You are now free of the taint of being a Blackblood, and free of the narcotics you'd been poisoning yourselves with."
>"And you're free from Motormaster as well." Reisen adds.
>The three bikers look at each other. "Well, when you put it that way..." Wildrider muses.

[DracoOmega]

>Smile
>"Tomorrow night, then?"

[Oldmansour]

>Smile
>"Tomorrow night, then?"

>"You'd really just let us walk around town?" Breakdown asks. Then she glances at Poppy. "If you know about us, then you know none of us are exactly saints."
>The rabbit pauses to look at you, then returns her attention to Breakdown. "You WEREN'T saints. Whether or not you are now... I guess we'll see."

[DracoOmega]

>"Indeed. I'd like to think that things will be different now, for all of you."

[Oldmansour]

>"Indeed. I'd like to think that things will be different now, for all of you."

>Wildrider barks out a laugh. "I honestly can't tell if you're generous or stupid. You're taking a risk letting us just walk around town."
>"Not as big as before." Drag Strip points out. "I mean, we still got the same power, but now we all got a conscience."
>With much sarcasm, Wildrider remarks, "Just try not to argue with yours so much."
>Breakdown, somewhat shyly, looks down. "I'll try not to disappoint you."

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you. I am sure things will work out okay, if you truly want them to."

[Oldmansour]

>"Thank you. I am sure things will work out okay, if you truly want them to."

>"Um... I know this might not sound important," Breakdown begins, "but, were you planning on taking Motormaster's bike with you? Or did you put it whenever you put him?"

[DracoOmega]

>"The bike's still here; why do you ask?"

[Oldmansour]

>"The bike's still here; why do you ask?"

>"Well, I was thinking... You said that, Motormaster had been corrupted by something, some evil force, right?"
>"Correct." Kiku replies.
>"Well, if he turned out like us, then maybe, when you let him out, he won't be so bad. And I was thinking, maybe, I should look after his bike for him. Until then."

[DracoOmega]

>"Feel free. And I hope you're right."

[Oldmansour]

>"Feel free. And I hope you're right."

>"You don't owe that jackoff anything!" Drag Strip says sharply.
>"Except maybe a kick in the balls for all the shit he's put us through." Wildrider adds.
>"Well..." Breakdown looks back up at you, avoiding the somewhat unfriendly glances of her fellow bikers. "She gave us a chance. Shouldn't we do the same?"
>Wildrider makes a sour face. "You can." she says dismissively before walking over to check on Vice.
>For her part, Drag Strip shakes her head. "You're a hell of an influence on people, Lotus."

[DracoOmega]

>"Harm done is rarely healed by doing further harm, but one thing is certain: you will never have to be subjected to Motormaster's cruelty again."

[Oldmansour]

>"Harm done is rarely healed by doing further harm, but one thing is certain: you will never have to be subjected to Motormaster's cruelty again."

>"And you... You really don't think we'd go out and, and be cruel ourselves?" Breakdown asks very hesitantly.
>Lily beams at her. "Honey, I really don't think you have it in you."
>The blue haired biker looks between you two. "You have a lot of faith in people, don't you?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I like to think I'm a good judge of character."

[Oldmansour]

>"I like to think I'm a good judge of character."

>"Ah, so that's why you're making ears here race me." Drag Strip drawls in that casually arrogant voice of hers. "You know what a prize I'd be to have on board, but you wanna see how good I can ride first. I don't blame ya. I'd want to see what I can do too!"
>"You always want to see yourself show off." Wildrider observes to no one in particular.
>"Who doesn't want to watch the best?"

>Believe it or not, says Reisen wryly, This is actually LESS boastful than she was before. And a damn sight less confrontational about it.

[DracoOmega]

>They don't need to be saints, just... people. Their own people.

[Oldmansour]

>They don't need to be saints, just... people. Their own people.

>"Wait a second." Breakdown says as she looks up sharply. "You said you fought Motormaster, but, what about our bikes? Were they damaged?"
>Drag Strip's eyes go wide in horror as that possibility crosses her mind, and she makes a mad dash for the stairs up, swearing all the while.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we have any idea their condition, or did we not notice them one way or the other?
>If we did see that they were unharmed, try to reassure them of this
>Otherwise, take this opportunity to ask Reisen and Kiku: What was happening topside while we were down here, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have any idea their condition, or did we not notice them one way or the other?
>If we did see that they were unharmed, try to reassure them of this
>Otherwise, take this opportunity to ask Reisen and Kiku: What was happening topside while we were down here, anyway?

>You saw that Motormaster's bike had been undamaged, but all the other bikes were on the other side of the crypt. You didn't notice them on the way in.
>Poppy was dancing. Kiku replies matter of factly.
>Reisen's cheeks redden a hair and her ears droop as she clarifies, Hatate wanted to see my other Spectrums, the ones I didn't use in the fight. I saw a chance there to get rid of her, and the cops that were on their way over. They wanted a word with us, but I didn't know how long that spell of yours was going to take. So I shifted to Dancer and used its powers to, uh...
>You charmed them? Lily asks eagerly.
>The rabbits ears droop even lower. Dancer has that power. she mutters.

[DracoOmega]

>How thoroughly does it work?

[Oldmansour]

>How thoroughly does it work?

>What do you mean?

[DracoOmega]

>How charmed were they? Does it just make them more receptive to suggestions or actually compel them to do things? Will they think they made the decision to leave of their own accord or will something strange about the interaction occur to them later? How long does it last, for that matter?
>I don't mean to sound like I'm grilling you, but it's useful to know these things if we have cause to draw upon it again in future.

[Oldmansour]

>How charmed were they? Does it just make them more receptive to suggestions or actually compel them to do things? Will they think they made the decision to leave of their own accord or will something strange about the interaction occur to them later? How long does it last, for that matter?
>I don't mean to sound like I'm grilling you, but it's useful to know these things if we have cause to draw upon it again in future.

>Think of it like... a form of hypnosis. Using that dance, I can make suggestions, instill simple compulsions. 'Turn around', 'Drop your weapon', things like that. The longer I can hold someone, the stronger the command I can plant. But it only goes so far. I couldn't, for instance, make someone immediately surrender if we were fighting them, and I don't think I could force someone into a threatening position. Assuming it could even work in combat. All of Dancer's skills can be resisted through willpower alone. As for how long it lasts, I'm not acutally sure. I would guess it depends on the person.
>In some ways, it's a more useful form of my own hypnotic power. Except I'm more vulnerable while using it. It's easy to hide a hypnotic gaze. A bit less easy to hide a dance.

[DracoOmega]

>They need to be watching you dance, I assume? Does it take effect immediately?