Chiyako

Emi had tried her best to exit the portal, had hoped that all three of them could make it. Alas the Demon lady had other plans. It had closed right when she was about to slip through, sealing Alexandrine, the muscular man, and herself off from Ryan. Their method of retreat was gone, but at least it meant her friend was safe. Now she had to focus on the foes before her. Or that is what she might have thought if it were not for Alexandrine's impressive performance! The hound had made their attack, a direct assault towards the Diamond Sorceress. She in turn lived up to her name and ended up skewering the hound with long sharpened crystalline spears! Emi almost felt sorry for the creature. Left in a one versus three scenario the portal Demon had decided to rip the fire beast free and flee, leaving the three of them in the middle of the forest. As much as she wanted to pursue, to make certain that their foe was taken care of, Emi also understood that this had been a win, potentially even a close one. Both pistols were holstered at her sides as Alexandrine stepped over to inspect her. It had been a close call with the beast's flames but, thanks to Alexandrine's diamonds, Emi hadn't been hurt. "You were amazing" she spoke, voice a hint excited. Her tail was wiggling behind her. Adrenaline still flowed through her body. Per the woman's request Emi nodded and turned, making her way over to their companion. A knight. Potential semi-unlocked. Wait. Does that mean. . .? Cheeks glowed a soft pink at the thought. Was Alexandrine suggesting that? For her to do for him what she had done for Ryan? Checking first was probably for the best. "Hello" the rabbit spoke softly, approaching the man. Purplish eyes swept across his figure, primarily to seek out any injuries but now that they had some time also to sate her curiosity. "My name is Emi." Wait, why had she used her name? She was still new to this sort of thing. It would be okay though. Probably. He might have been like them already! And besides nobody was going to get much in the way of information for searching for her through that name. "Are you a knight?"

No problem! Although I think we are stuck in the forest right now.

The little bunny considered the boy's request. Sing again. She didn't like that, but then what if it was only one person watching? Or just a few? Would it be fine then? Truth be told it was actually a brilliant suggestion. Upon further pondering Emi realized that it would be an excellent way to get more comfortable. At the very least it would let her solidify within her mind whether or not she could do singing as a career! If nothing else it also gave Rin a chance to maybe try sex with a boy, if she was into him. Or me if I get into that mood, I guess. With cheeks growing a bit more pink Emi nodded once. "W-well, if you want to then I guess I wouldn't mind."

That was of course a fair point. It was entirely possible that Ryan might slip up during sex. Then someone would know his true identity! It wouldn't only be dangerous for him but also for his friend. Or, at least, potentially. But then anyone who got close to a magical girl or a knight was at risk from evil forces. White ears perked up when she heard someone approaching, drawing her gaze towards the boy. Purplish eyes looked over the fan, head nodding once. The singing. Yes. It made sense that people might approach because of it. The compliment however caused her cheeks to pinken. "Thank you" she replied softly, tail wiggling slightly behind her while she gave the boy a slight, grateful bow of her head. She then glanced between Rin and the boy. So far it had been others approaching them with suggestions! Truth be told she still wasn't very familiar with the process.

Indeed they were both new to this sort of thing! But then Rin was technically more new. Emi had at least one autograph under her belt! Heck that was more than she ever really anticipated giving out. She probably would have made out the same caption to the girl who had visited them, but then in a way she figured that title realistically went to Ryan. As the girl departed Emi glanced between her and Rin. Ryan's coworker? "I see. I am surprised you did not invite her" she replied quietly. Heck if she had been in Ryan's shoes she probably would have. But then maybe that was wrong as well. It did get a little tricky when it came to being with someone as her true self versus her magical girl persona, but then for Ryan there was a lot more in play!

Something special? Oh. A photograph with the girl between them. That might have been special! Also not too big of an ask. Just her arms over their shoulders. She could handle that much with ease! With a nod Emi scooted on over to the girl's side. She settled in close, arm against her body although the timid rabbit kept her hands together in front of herself. Once the picture was taken she went ahead and signed it! Of course she did try to give each person a more personalized signature. For Hana she wrote: 'Thank you for visiting us. I really enjoyed meeting you!' 'Luna Rabbit'

The poor bunny's face only seemed to gain a brighter shade of pink as they continued. She didn't know whether Rin meant for autographs and photographs, or whether she meant for other things. Lewd things. Discussing such things so easily in front of strangers was, well, pretty impressive! She had to have a lot of confident for that! It wasn't just Rin either. This fan seemed to be the same way. Very similar. How many others were like that? Of course the private room stuff was something of a rumor, but it seemed to be a pretty well known one too. Regardless she offered the girl a single timid nod. She was right about one thing: Emi did look a lot more harmless than she actually was. Sure, because she was a magical girl and had powers, yes, but there was also the issue of her other self. That thing scared her.

Maybe I really can do this. The happiness from the girl had definitely rubbed off on the white rabbit! That was a part of the job she enjoyed the most: making others happy. She liked to help people. Of course now she knew of another way to make people happy, and that certainly would count, but it was definitely a more confusing and more dangerous thing to simply give out to anyone. Another girl approached, this one older. Around her and Rin's age, in fact! The compliment that she gave brought a faint pink to her cheeks, as well as both a timid nod and smile. "Thank you" she replied softly. Of course the reminder about some of the more grope happy fans didn't help with her flustered state either but, thankfully, Rin managed to answer for them. Wait, love confessions?!? She honestly didn't know how she might handle something like that. So afraid was she of letting other people down that Emi would have a difficult time actually rebuffing such efforts. That and she just had an overall weakness to such things. It's okay. Rin is here. I'm sure she can handle those!

So Alexandrine, Toshiro, and Emi are still in the area where the battle took place, yes? Potential camping trip?!? Though I suppose it depends on how far out they are.

As she stood beside the girl Emi did her very best to put on a warm, relaxed smile, even if only a slight one. Smile for the girl. This was to be a moment captured for her. Her cherished memory. Emi couldn't ruin that with her anxiety. Wouldn't ruin it. The picture was taken. Her tail wiggled behind her once it was completed, body relaxing a bit. Once the photo was developed she accepted it, signing: 'To my precious fan. A magical girl is good to others and does the right thing. I know you can do it!' 'Luna Rabbit' In exchange for her plushy she handed the girl the photograph. As she departed Emi sent her off with a friendly wave! Then she returned to Rin's side, carefully setting the plushy down somewhere it would be safe. Or so she hoped. She was right. They were probably going to see all sorts! Heck she might even manage to enjoy this! Her anxiety was already starting to lessen a little. "This is not bad." Of course she didn't notice the presence within the crowd. Emi was focused completely on one person at a time. That was how she would get through the night!

For a moment Emi thought that the girl meant the two of them. On closer inspection she realized the truth. It made her feel a little bad for Rin. At least they would have plenty more opportunities, right? And besides there were probably people who would have preferred to only take one with Rin as well! Or so she hoped anyways. "Of course." From the table Emi grabbed the plushy of Alexandrine. After a moment of consideration she held it out for the girl to hold. "You may hold her for the photograph if you wish. Just be careful. The Diamond Sorceress is very important."

It did hurt a tiny bit. Her mother had not been the one to make her a monster. However she understood that the child was simply ignorant of the fact. She wasn't trying to hurt anyone. It would be cruel to punish her for such a question, or anyone really, after all it was a distinct possibility if one didn't know the truth. "My father was the bunny. I do not have any siblings." Was she doing well? She hoped so! Maybe she wasn't the most talkative, but at least she was answering questions! Heck, this hadn't been too difficult so far!

That was of course one of the disadvantages to being so small: most anyone could reach her ears! It actually made her tail harder to reach for taller people, but then those who planned to go after it in the first place often didn't seem to mind the extra hassle. Thankfully the girl was only reaching for her ears. As sensitive as they were her tail was a much worse place to grab! Well, for her anyways. A faint pink spread across her cheeks while she nodded, tail wiggling behind her. They were incredibly soft, just as one might imagine. "They are." There was no harm in this. Nope! It was just one child doing this. A curious child. It wasn't as though every person was going to try to touch, right? I hope I did not just open up something that cannot be closed.

Okay. This it! My first ever photograph! And maybe my first autograph. It's so weird to think that I got here, especially so quickly. A small child. This was an easy start, right? But wait, how was she supposed to handle this? The child appeared to be shy. Shy like she was shy. Emi wasn't really used to caring for children. Trying to help other timid people was also a problem. No, she was much better when other people took the lead. It wasn't just the other child either. People were watching her, Rin included. Waiting to see how she handled even this minor thing. Certainly judging. Eyes were on her. Watching. Waiting. She focused upon the girl. Just the girl. Everything else was removed from her thoughts. Focus on one person. Pretend nobody else was around. The bunny offered as warm a smile as she could muster, hoping that the girl could not realize just how scared she was. A timid, friendly wave was offered towards her. "Hello."

One shot had managed to partially land, however the fire hound appeared to be quick enough to avoid the others. That was worrying. Gunfire wouldn't work well enough on its own. Still it seemed to be enough to keep her on her feet. That had its own useful applications, even if it wouldn't do a lot of damage on its own. Within a very short period of time the creature retaliated. Flames erupted around herself and, more importantly, the portal. Escape was going to be difficult for the others. Heck she would have difficulties with the landing. Then her attention lifted to meet the falling rabbit. More flames, this time aimed in her direction. It was troubling, sure, but she did not allow herself to fall from the sky without a plan. Right before the flames made impact with her body became slightly translucent. The space that she occupied was shifted. No longer was she set within the space occupied by the flames. As she fell through them Emi pulled her legs and arms in close. Landing on the flame covered ground was going to hurt. Suddenly the ground beneath everyone's feet appeared to turn into diamonds! The flames disappeared, the ground left mostly flat thanks to the incineration of nearby plant life. It was her lucky break! As soon as she passed beneath the stream of flames which had been directed up towards her Emi's body lost the translucent appearance. She landed in a crouch, wincing at the heat which still permeated the space around her. If the ground hadn't changed that would have hurt. Close call. Fighting her alone would be difficult. Pistols raised towards the hound's center of mass. BANG BANG! BANG BANG! BANG CLICK! A barrage of three shots from one pistol and two from the other. She needed to reload. Of course she didn't expect most of the shots to hit her quick foe. No, it was primarily a deterrent, perhaps an attempt to get her to back away. At the same time she kicked hard against the ground, propelling herself back towards the portal and, therefore, nearer to Alexandrine. It became clear that she had no intention to fight. This was fine. As long as they all made it out. Provided Toshiro was actually launched through the portal she would aim to hop through herself! Of course she kept her focus upon a specific spot within the forest. A backup in case the portal was closed behind her.

As they made their way over to the photography area Emi could feel the grip of anxiety tighten around her heart. The crowd was again going to be watching them. She had to tried the techniques she was told about. Focus on one person at a time. She could do this! It would be a smaller crowd. Less people could watch them at any given time. You can do this! Upon their arrival she offered the crowd a timid wave. Her plushy was set down next to the table they would be using. After briefly inspecting the offered pens she decided to choose one which was a sky blue color. She enjoyed that color, after all. Then she turned to Rin, nodding once. She was ready! Or, at least, as ready as she ever would be.

An ordinary girl. Human. Not a monster. Emi's tail wiggled happily at the thought. She would have liked to see that, to experience it. No shame. No fear. No corruption. At least if they wrote stories she could read them and pretend to be something she wasn't. Then again there were people who would probably draw a bunny version too, touting it as some failed transformation, but at least she would have the other ones. "I like the thought of that." Rin had a point about her powers. They needed to see what sort of thing developed there. That would also decide what genre she might tend to fall in. The note about her, specifically about her being cute, did bring another sharp fluster to the bunny's cheeks. No longer was her mind on the potential artworks. "W-well. Should we visit some fans?"

Emi's face lit up a bright pink as Rin continued with the talk of lewder topics, all while she continued to nibble at her pizza. She wondered what sort of person decided to make the dirtier stuff officially. Not that there was anything wrong with it, of course. If anything it was more impressive! To be able to show off everything without worry was a state she figured she'd never be able to attain. "Oh. Yes. I know that." She had used the internet before. Not so much for that sort of thing but even she could not escape from it! It wouldn't surprise her if lewd fanart emerged of her without having to ever get undressed. No, people's imaginations were powerful! At least in some of those stories my chest will be bigger. Once she finished her pizza Emi gently patted a napkin to her lips, cleaning up anything that had lingered. "What sort of things do you hope people make of you? For things like artwork and comics, I mean."

When the two of them arrived at one of the tables in the back Emi took up a seat, one as close to the corner as she could. It was smart not to leave one's back open. Even here, in this relatively safe space, she tried not to let her guard down. That and it was just a good thing to practice. Hungrily the bunny took to biting into the slice of pizza she'd picked up. It was pretty good! Especially good in comparison to the cold snacks she often had for meals. Pizza was one of those things that was difficult to get wrong though, especially when it came in so many different flavors. She listened to Rin while she nibbled upon the delicious food, nodding along slowly to her words. Sit next to people. Stand next to them. Put an arm around them. Hold hands. Wait, that one was a bit spicy! But not too spicy for her not to do it. Hold hands. Wow. Making poses might be fun. Sexier stuff was starting to push things but, again, nothing she wouldn't do. Of course given her outfit she was worried that it might constitute most of the requested photos from her. "I think I can do that."

Once more they were back out in the crowd, and once more there were eyes upon them. She did her best to offer smiles and timid bows of her head, and allowed Rin to do the talking. Her friend was far more confident, after all. Emi still held the plushy, not wishing to accidentally leave it behind, squeezing it close to her chest as they ventured through the mass of people. Her face grew flustered, the plushy squeezed harder still whenever roaming hands touched somewhere inappropriate. When they arrived she breathed a sigh of relief, glancing around at the various dining options. Ultimately she would go with something simple: pizza! A large slice of cheese pizza in fact. Simple to eat, clean if one was careful enough, quick, and delicious! "What sort of photos are normal to take?"

That was true. She couldn't imagine going through what Elie had gone through. Maybe it wasn't Emi's fault. Or maybe it was. Who was she to say? But it was probably partially her fault. There was no shaking that thought completely. "Food sounds nice" she replied softly, pausing to consider the other ideas. More eyes on them. Less eyes, however. She needed to get somewhat used to that, especially if she was going to be operating publicly! That and if she ever did wish to try singing. Maybe it would eventually help? "We could try autographs. And photos." Of course depending on the type of photos things certainly did have a chance to heat up! But then she probably wouldn't have agreed to those either. She didn't need nude pictures of herself passed around. That would just feel weird.

I was waiting so Toshiro had a chance to reply.

It was somewhat of an abrupt departure. Emi was left confused, offering the woman a friendly wave as she exited. Alexandrine's frown said a lot, especially given her normally stoic expression. Her quick leave and apparent sudden need to speak with the woman left the bunny with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Did I say something wrong? Do something wrong? Her ears drooped somewhat, a slight frown permeated across her lips. She looked to Rin, nodding in agreement. It had been interesting! She just was not usually very good at conveying emotions. Here this woman, who had just been through a lot, had come to assist them and somehow Emi had managed to mess up even that. Or perhaps it wasn't Emi's fault? Maybe it was something more personal, something the woman felt or decided about herself. That was possible, probable even, but then Emi had the bad habit of assuming she had been the one to bring misery upon others. "I feel a little better about it, I think. Singing, I mean. But I just don't think it's right for me." She flopped back against the couch, gaze cast towards the ceiling. "I don't like having all those eyes on me. It scares me." As for the other thing, well, she had been considering it. A faint pink returned to her cheeks as her thoughts lingered in that direction. It sounded nice, yes, but then what had just happened also put a damper upon her mood. She didn't really feel very good about herself. Also that warning about the devil card. Would doing this too much lead to her corruption? Might it awaken her other self? Nor would she even know how to begin to choose the right people. I wonder if that man we met at the battle is here. No, this probably isn't his sort of thing, right? "Maybe eventually." Something else. What else would they do? "We could walk around. Maybe that will give us ideas?" Heck, it would work for the other thing too if they found people they were interested in!

The little bunny nodded in agreement. "It is more that I am confused about the interpretations, I think. Some of what you divined is scarily accurate, so I don't think it is false." Of course there was also the fact that the reading had been for both of them, not specifically for only one of them. What was said might apply to both, but perhaps it might also only apply to one! There was a lot of wiggle room, but regardless the readings had been accurate enough that she couldn't discount them. "Still. Thank you. It does help a little, I think." A lot of what had said had been quite positive! There were things which were negative, and things she still couldn't believe herself to be capable of, but that was by no means a fault of the woman's magic. No, that was all on Emi.

Emi remained quiet, composed, focused even as the cards were drawn out. She was certainly curious about this sort of thing, sure, but did she believe that it would speak the absolute truth? No. Unless that was her power? In that case maybe it was! Did that mean she just couldn't change her future? First to appear was the two of wands. She had failed to complete something in the past, or had rushed through something. Was it that first night they spent together? It was a reading about the two of them. Confusing, but then the past wasn't really the focus either, was it? Next was the sun. The present. Warmth. Freedom. Progressing past trauma. That was scarily accurate for the most part, although she wondered if she was actually fully past her trauma. As for her inner turmoil, well, that was still there. She had plenty of it, even now as she considered a singing career. The part about new power was definitely referencing Rin. It was good to know that her fortunes were looking up! Her known desire was next. Three of cups. She was too hard on herself? Maybe. But then she had good reason for it too. She was a monster who had killed people and other monsters alike! Maybe she was slaying monsters for what she perceived to be the right reasons, and maybe the killing of people had been accidental, but it still didn't excuse her actions. That had been one of the things that her mother had tried to avoid, even when she had been a magical girl, or at least she had been told as much. If I hadn't been born then she would not have suffered. She would have lived. Heart of the question. Ten of wands. Was she a burden to others? That was certainly one question she had, although she didn't know if it was the most pressing one. Heck if anything it was more of an acknowledgement. She needed a support group. That she at least knew that she had. But then perhaps this card was more for Rin? This looks somewhat taxing. I do like the pretty effects though. Their future. Ten of pentacles. Happiness, stability, and wealth. Friends would help friends. That was rather promising! Hopefully it was meant for both of them, although if at least Rin managed to attain that then she would be happy herself. There was also the seven of pentacles. Energy, happiness, family, and love. It was similar to the last one but not quite the same. Truth be told she preferred that one herself, but also knew that it might fit Rin better given she still probably had a family. Finally the outcome. Two cards as opposed to one. Her ears perked up a bit. Did this mean one for each of them, or both for each? The first was the moon. That sounded harmless enough! One dark side and one light. Fears and doubts about moving forward. She was already feeling that, at least when it came to singing. The strength and power of friendship. Hopefully she already had that one too! Find balance. It made sense. The devil? Emi sat up a bit straighter. That sounded worrying right off the bat! Her face gained a pink tinge. Lust. Also corruption. Potential danger in her future. Or Rin's future. Either way it didn't sound good. If anything it made her even more worried about losing control over herself! Maybe I will fight that Demon lady. Or the fire dog. Could that be what it means? Will I lose this time? Her gaze shifted to Rin, and then to Alexandria. More red entered her cheeks as the idea of being with others sexually was expanded upon. She shifted a bit in place, legs squeezing together at the idea of being with anyone, let alone multiple boys at once! Sleep had not done as much as she'd hoped to abate those urges. At Alexandria's question her gaze instead shifted back towards Elie, curious as to what her answer might be. She wouldn't dare try to willingly tap into the power of her Demonic blood. That had only ended poorly in the past. Still, she was curious as to what the woman had to say on the matter.