2011/Many Ways To Be Human

Many Ways To Be Human
Date of Scene:	21 October 2024
Location:	Dorms #1
Synopsis:	Miho asks Amy for some advice on several subjects. The first, magic, but the second goes down a rabbit hole for both of them, leading to a long heart to heart talk between the two.
Cast of Characters:	Miho Inada, Amanda Faust

---

Miho Inada has posed:
    Well, its late afternoon, and a lot of people have gone out, or focused on homework. Miho had called Amy, and said that she needed some advice on a few things. And that Amy was one of the few people she trusted to give her good solid advice. She didn't mince words though, and said she had talked to Laura about one of the subjects. As the woman heads to the dorm, she stops by the cafeteria, and grabbed some food as both payment, and dinner for herself. Tonight's outfit is a pair of jeans and a loose fitting tank top. The woman is wearing a type of perfume thats smells like wildberries at first, but moves on to cinnamon the longer its smelt.

    Miho knocks on Amy's dorm room door. "Amy, is it ok to come in?", Miho asks. At least she's polite! The woman takes a moment to make sure her outfit is at least presentable. The woman takes a deep breath as she looks around to make sure that others arn't exactly watching her. Last thing she needs is for Hinote to find out that she went to Amy to ask her questions.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "You can talk to me about anything!" Amy reassured Miho, "although I certainly don't know everything."

    It's probably stuff about being a magical girl; Laura's also pretty new to it so that must be why Miho talked to her.

    "Come in!" Amy calls. She's relaxing in front of her computer, already lounging about in a T-shirt and PJ pants. Relaxing in a nice computer chair in front of a computer with a tower and two monitors. It's probably more Computer than any of her other friends use.

    Once the door is closed, she gestures for Miho to take a seat on her bed (it's the lower bunk), or Mio's desk chair which came from the room.

    "So... what's on your mind? Magical girl stuff?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho takes a moment to hand over some food to Amy, before she sits down on the lower bunk. She pulls out some curry rice, and some tea. She takes a moment to adjust herself with the food before coughing a bit. "Yeah, some magical stuff, and another subject.", she tells. The woman blushes a bit before settling down a bit. "I've been working on some of my abilities, and I've been talking to Hinote about maybe going to the Gunma prefecture for a few days to learn more of what I am.", she tells. Thats an odd way of saying something...What she is, versus who she is?

    "I've been also learning a bit about the onmyoji spells that I have. I've been working on summoning crows and otters, but I want to try to summon a Shiki-Ouji.", she tells. "Shikigami I've gotten good with but an Ouji might be a bit much without some protection.", Miho tells.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Another subject? Amy's eyebrow goes up, but that's swiftly forgotten as Miho moves on to magical matters. "What does the Gunma prefecture have to do with it?

    And she's been practicing spells! "Oh nice! I confess, I don't see the connection between crows and otters, is there a particular theme there or do you just have a generalist spellcaster power like a Wizard where you can learn all kinds of spells?"

    "What's a Shiki-Ouji?" she asks, turning to the computer to look that up. The woogle result is of... questionable help.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho stretches out a little bit as she puts the curry down for a moment. She takes a deep breath. "Well, I looked up some of my mother's family history, and I descend from a clan formed from a 1,000 years ago. We were from the Gunma prefecture.", she tells. There's a bit a blush there. "At least thats what I can gather before certain facts were covered up. Though I know the reason why, and why I can sense youma to a certain extent.", she tells. The woman takes in a deep breath. She bites her lower lip a little bit.

    "Also, its kinda a part of what I am. I can use Shikigami to summon snow bunnies, ice crows, and ice otters. All animals that can be seen in the mountains during Japanese winters. Land...Air....Water. I can summon shikigami in all enviroments.", she tells. Miho gives a small smile. "The difference in Gami and Ouji is both the complexity of the summon, the size, and nature. While gami are violent, they're typically small and not very strong. Thats why people can summon a bunch of them. Ouji...Much bigger, more violent. Much smarter.", she points out. "In the past, Oujis were only summoned via paper, cause if you lose control, you can burn the paper.", she points out.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    A secret history and a clan of magic-users from a thousand years ago is not the weirdest thing Amy's heard of. "So what's it like finding out you're secretly descended from magical folks? ...Although I guess that could be true of a lot of us and we wouldn't know."

    Summoned spirits using paper. "So it is kinda like that," she nods at the computer screen showing some giant folded-paper monster from a videogame. "I'm guessing, though, that the ones you summon don't burn -- or get soaked -- so easily, or they'd be kind of pointless in a fight."

    She blinks and stares into the distance in thought. "Huh. So are these independent spirits, or pieces of your will? If independent spirits, where do they come fr-- oh right, youkai are real." She remembers her encounters in and near the Forgotten District. "Man, that's something I haven't really had time to investigate..."

    Amy blinks, as she remembers what Miho is here for, and sits up straight again, refocusing on Miho. "So what did you want to ask me?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho bites her lip a little bit about the comment about Youkai are real. She kinda looks down a little bit at that before she sucks in a breath. "They're indepentant, but with the talismans, I can command them to a certain extent.", she points out. "And mine are snow and ice.", she points out. She looks at the Ouji on the computer, and nods her head. "Yeah, that game has a tendancy to be pretty good on bringing up stuff from areas that people don't know too much about.", she points out.

    After a few seconds, Miho looks at Amy a bit. She takes a deep breath before focusing her thoughts. "I wanted to ask about some advice. You see, there's somebody that I like. I mean, really like. We've been getting close, but I'm...not sure how he feels. I mean, we hang out, and enjoy each other's company. I kinda told him my feelings before, but at the tme, he kinda was like no. Lately though...", she tells. The woman blushes. "The other day, I kinda went arm to arm with him, and well...it felt right.", she tells. There's a deep blush. "And well, I think he felt something then as well."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy glances back at the computer. "Huh, reccomendation noted. Maybe I'll get around to checking it out eventually."

    She looks to Miho. Eyebrows rise slightly at the breath. She leans forward slightly at 'I wanted to ask about some advice.' And then...

    There's somebody that I like. What.

    I'm not sure how he feels. Wait, what?

    "Umm... Uh, well, I don't know, um, I don't think about that a lot..."

    Oh dear. A real girl has come to the TSko for girl advice--

    Amanda grabs that thought and squishes it. She is a real girl. Just... A geeky gamer girl who knows nothing about relationships with boys. Or relationships she's the initiator of, for that matter. But... she must be able to find some angle to approach this with, and do her best for someone in need.

    She goes over the facts Miho stated, and, once she's over paniccing about knowing nothing about romance, it seems pretty straightforward. "So. You. Asked before and then he said he's not into you that way. But now there's a spark, and you think hes feeling something..."

    Amy sighs a little. "So why not just ask him? But um. I do also think that uh. It is possible to have friends that... I mean to have feelings for people that aren't... Um..." She holds a finger to her chin, considering how to say this. "Romance," and then instead of speaking the second list item she makes a suggestive gesture with her hands before continuing on to the third, "and physical closeness, aren't necessarily all connected? Like, society assumes they are but they're not. Some people might just... not feel mosta that? Or even, like, you can feel that but not always feel it together about the same person..."

    Amy sighs. "Like. Okay. Taro. Yamada-san. Is a special friend to me, and I like being around him. I feel... safe, being close to him, but I don't want to date him, or kiss him," she glances away, "or more than kiss him. ...I think." She looks back at Miho, blushing and leaning forward in her chair, gripping the arms. "I dunno anything for certain I'm new to all these feelings and trying to figure it out!"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho kinda blushes a bit. She takes a moment to gulp, before taking in a deep breath. "Well, I've kinda been stuffing my feelings down a bit, but a number of people have kinda been thinking we're a couple.", she tells. The woman shakes her head a little bit. She takes a moment to eat a bit of rice to settle her thoughts as she watches Amy's reactions a bit. "I think you know who I'm talking about.", she tells. The woman shakes her head a moment as she sighs.

    "And I don't think I can just ask him! I mean, I was still kinda the new girl, and just learned how to transform. So, I can kinda see how he might of been kinda hey, hold on a moment. But lately, we're just...I don't know how to say it. I feel like we're past the friends stage...", she blushes a bit. "And I did kinda kissed his cheek cause I was nervious about trying to kiss him.", she tells. The woman shakes her head a little bit.

    "I mean, I get what you're saying. Just...I don't know. I mean, I don't want to make things awkward.", she says. "And you have a crush as well? Oh? Spill!", she says with a light smile.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "People... think you're a couple?" Amy echoes, trying to catch up with this. Know who she's talking about? "At this point I think I really shouldn't assume, or it's going to lead to comedic misunderstandings better suited to manga -- and while our lives are like something out of a manga, we already have crazy magic stuff going on and don't need to add heartbreak and bad feelings born of misunderstanding to that," she waves her hand, "there's no audience who needs a better, more dramatic story."

    Amy listens. Miho can't say it. "Hmm." She inclines her head. "I understand. Or rather, I don't, but I believe you."

    Eyebrows up again at the description of the cheek kiss. "And how did he react?"

    And then suddenly Amy's the one being interrogated, before she can even-- "I-- what? No I don't!" She scoots back in her chair, flustered. "I just told you what! Like, I just like being close to him! It's not like Hannah--" Actually, mental check of feelings for Hannah, hey brain do we still wanna kiss and more than kiss her-- Amy's face reddens. Yes, okay then.

    She nods. "I-it's not like Hannah. And." But now Miho's gotten her rambling. She looks down at the floor. "Like, I dunno, there's other feelings of being jealous-- err, envious of people, l-like when I see Mizuno-san and Usagi-chan together I wish I had that but Hannah's never around lately and--"

    She looks back at Miho, "W-wait, I thought this was about you! And whats-is-name! N-not about me!"

Miho Inada has posed:
    "He was speechless, and was blushing horribly. Afterwards, I got him a ring, and we went out for hamburgers.", she tells. The woman pauses, and sees how Amy is acting. There's this look on Miho. She smiles a bit, as her eyes slant a little. Ruh oh!

    "Yes, it is, but somebody has needs to speak a little as well.", she smiles. Apparently Miho has been around Laura a little bit too much. "Hannah? And Taro? Which one do you want to be with more? Not judging!", she tells. The woman smiles a bit as she watches Amy. There's a silver chain that Miho's playing with now. There's a pair of charms on it, a magnifying glass, and a dolphin. "And being jealious of Usagi and Mizuno?", she comments.

    "Ok, ummm, I've only met Usagi once. I still need to apologize to her. I kinda...thought her transformation failed cause she was missing a large part of the skirt. Found out later that was her transformation.", she tells. The woman blushes a bit. "I...couldn't fight like that."

    "And by more then kiss?", Miho eyes Amy. She's watching Amy's reaction as she giggles a bit. Miho takes a deep breath as she watches Amy. "Also, this'll kinda help me. I mean, do beings like us have these feelings?", she asks. Miho takes a moment to cough.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Speechless and blushing horribly could just mean he's awkward... Amy thinks to herself, but after the mention of hamburgers, suddenly Miho's grilling Amy. The question, though, is one she has strong opinions about. "It's not limited to one person! People thinking that's the only way relationships can be! H-Hannah's relationship's been open from the start, she's gonna have other girlfriends and I'm fine with that! And I dunno if Taro's monagamous but a cuddle-friend doesn't interfere with that and he likes boys anyway!"

    Wait. Was... that okay to tell? ...Maybe not entirely, she never explicitly asked for permission, but she is less worried about it mattering at this school in 2024 than... well, anywhere else in the past.

    Miho moving on from that gets her while she's still spilling her guts like a piñata. "Mizuno-san, of course." It hasn't at all occured to her to look at that any other way.

    Amy looks curious at the comment about not being able to fight like that, like it's surprising somehow, but as she opens her mouth to ask, Miho plows on and Amy's face reddens as she gets defensive. "W-what do you think I mean! I've been in this body with these hormones for 15 months! You're-- you're going through it too, everyone at this school is!"

    The redhead calms slightly as she has to give a technical correction. "I mean, in certain grades. Except some ace people, I guess. Or, or who are repulsed by their own body."

    And now she can catch other thoughts in the storm swirling around her. "You really couldn't fight like that?" she imitates a finger-snapping motion and there are pink sparkles all over her and suddenly she's sitting in an imitation of what seems to be the female senshi uniform, with red and black as the accent colors. And then blinks, wide-eyed, at an uncomfortable thigh-on-chair feeling and presses the hem of the skirt down to cover better. "Okay, sitting in these is another matter, they are clearly not made for sitting in." She sparkles back to her regular clothes.

    "A-a-anyway, you, you don't..." words. "You look fine. Is there something else about it that bothers you?"

    And then, gaining verbal and mental momentu,. she sits up straight again, and leans forward, frowning slightly. "What do you mean, do beings like us have these feelings??? Why wouldn't we? Beings like what?" She doesn't sound mad, but she does sound like she has Opinions about some underlying issue there.

Miho Inada has posed:
    "...I'm half Youkai...", she tells bluntly. "I mean, I'm here, so obviously somebody had did things...", Miho points out. "But...I mean, you know, it just...seems awkward to find all this out now.", she tells. "And you're one of the few that I feel that I can speak to about it, and keep it quiet. Plus...I guess, I can give myself a cold shower when I have to.", she tells. The woman looks down a moment. And Miho turns bright red at Amy changing into a Senshi outfit, and shakes her head quickly.

    "Ok, well, let me put it this way with those skirts...Ask a girl whose trained as a MMA fighter to throw a High Kick or a roundhouse while wearing those...", she tells. "Many of us would just give you our opinion.", she tells. The woman sips her tea a bit. Miho sucks in a breath a moment. "I didn't mean to offend.", she says. "Just my main fighting style is jiu jitsu and kick boxing. Meaning I'm throwing more then a few high kicks.", she says.

    "But again, I'm not judging. I know that sounds bad saying it that way, but I'm really not. I think its good for you to be able to talk about it without worrying about it.", she tells. "I can't.", Miho blushes. "I want to, but I just...afraid to in a sense.", she says. "I'm just...not as confident about love as I am with other areas of my life."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Half youkai. "Half?!" Obviously somebody did things. On that matter, Amy speaks dryly: "That's really not that weird. People... that's not a barrier to attraction, or that. A snow fairy or yuki-onna or whatever they were," she waves her arm, "is far from the bounds of the Harkness Test."

    Right, yes, skirts. High kicks? "You'd keep flashing the enem--ah. Okay yeah, me an' the Sailor Senshi don't really use kicks, so I hadn't been thinking about it emphasizing that. Skimpy outfits are one thing, but..." she blushes a bit. "Yeah, that's just... I'd be uncomfortable if I'd gotten kickboxing magical girl powers instead, if I got an outfit like that." she nods in agreement.

    Talking about things without worrying about them. Which things are they on, now? "It's more that... I can see some of the bullshit of highschool life for what it is. And I came here without knowing anybody or having any past, I don't have friends here outside my comrades in battle to think I'm weird, I fight magical monsters, I'm gonna care what human bullies think?"

    Amy suddenly looks at the floor sadly. "...Okay, yeah, if I was... if I didn't... If I didn't remember finding out how little high school mattered I would absolutely be terrified of being too weird. Huh."

    She sighs and looks back at Miho. "Look, I'm pretty sure people have had these feelings since the beginning of time." She points at her head. "It's not like we're running on hardware all that evolutionarily different from our caveman and cavewoman ancestors. And yeah, anyone can take a cold shower, but--" She pauses. Gears turning. "Wait, is that just. What you think you have to do. Every time you have... feelings? About a boy, about romance or love or more-than-kisses or, I don't... I don't think that's a healthy way to process any emotion forever, I... um..." Gods what to say here. This conversation has taken some turns off of any map she'd planned for.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho nods her head. "You have to kinda remember, I came from a family that where my mom and dad were from two very old families that lived in Kyoto for many generations. There's a lot that I'm processing just by coming to Tokyo, and then you add magic to it. And romance. My head is spinning so much all the time that I just don't know how to process it. And I'm on my own here. I mean, there's you, Rashmi, Hinote, Laura. All people that I've met in the last couple of months.", she points out.

    "Hell I still feel lost when I go off campus sometimes to get away from things. And then things look much different at night when I try to practice as Yukihime.", she tells. Yeah, she's been sneaking out at night to practice. "So, yeah, you're able to just talk about something without caring what others think, its comforting.", she admits. "Cause I can be honest with you without feeling like I have to hide stuff.", Miho admits.

    "And no, I don't think about taking a cold shower or surpressing all the time. Just...all of this is much different then how it is back home. Everything is so new. And what I'm feeling is much different then just the occasional flirt, tease, or hey cute boy alert...If that makes sense.", Miho tells.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "It's not that I don't care what others think. It's more that I never learned how to fit in and gave up long ago. If I were to pretend to be normal..." She shakes her head and shrugs. "Well, I can't. I don't know how."

    Amy listens, slouching slightly in the chair and resting her elbows on the armrests and her chin on her hands with a sort of scrutinizing expression.

    "I don't know how to flirt or tease, and I don't think I've ever felt 'hey cute boy alert'... or 'hey cute girl alert'. And there are a lot of cute girls at this school, but I don't feel some particular desire to... well, to be in a relationship with them, nor to objectify them."

    She sits up and takes a breath, "I wasn't socialized as a girl. I don't know... however it is you were told to behave or how to contextualize such thoughts. I was told boys think about sex every eight seconds and that it's natural to look at a woman and only think about... doing things to her instead of first seeing her as, y'know, a person like me, and I said to myself well that sounds horrible, I'll never do that, and I didn't, and because I never looked at women that way, there was a rumor that I was a... how do I translate it... I guess here they'd have said okama." She rolls her eyes.

    She takes a breath and lets it out, slouching again and holding her hands together again without resting her chin on them this time. "So... yeah. I kinda don't know where you're coming from, and that might, like... make it hard for me to see some connections? I don't mind hearing what it was like for you."

    Beat.

    "...I guess that might help me understand some of my classmates better, huh..."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho takes a moment to listen, and process what Amy says. She takes a deep breath, and lets it out. "Well, I mean, I can't exactly call you a pot...", she says. "Or are you trying to say pot calling the kettle black?", the woman says as she looks at Amy a moment. "I mean, I was...kinda sheltered growing up.", Miho tells. She thinks back about the conversation, and then holds up a finger. "But first, I'm kinda confused. You said you've been adjusting to your body for 15 months?", she asks.

    "I mean, that kinda sounds odd.", Miho says before sipping her tea. She takes a moment to adjust how she's sitting before taking a breath. "Well, in Kyoto, we have to be ultra polite, and obey very strict social standards. Like some families don't talk to other familes cause of status.", she says. The woman takes a deep breath for a moment. "And like when I trained with my father's students, I wasn't allowed to practice ground combat with the boys.", she tells. "Standing, I was able to compete with them pretty good. But Father refused to let me practice any ground combat with them.", she tells.

    "There's been a few times where there'd be a cute boy in the class, and I would kinda spar with them a bit more aggersively then with others in the class, or I would practice with them more then others.", she says. The woman sighs. "Of course, Dad would get very upset...", she mutters. "So...kinda had to hold back a bit back home."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy blinks. The innocent question isn't odd, in itself -- were they having the same conversation in English Miho would be asking about a bundle of sticks, or a cigarette if she's not from the US -- but she's never heard this exchange in Japanese and it strikes her how the structure of it is similar in both languages. She wonders if every language has a word for gay man that's the same word as an innocuous object.

    While she's wondering this, Miho ploughs on.

    Blink. Blink.

    After Miho finishes talking, Amy bluntly: "It's a rude word for a gay man. ...As in a man who like likes other men. Although I guess some people may be reclaiming it."

    Amy quirks an eyebrow, she was trying to process the rest of what Miho said too. "How old were you during this sparring? And um, hold on, do you understand what I'm saying, like... What do you think my deal was." She immediately regrets that wording, as it could mean her deal with Kyubey, and holds her hand to her head, half-covering her face. "I mean, what do you think was different about my life sixteen months ago besides not being magical?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho blinkblinks. "Oh!", she says blushing a bit. She coughs a bit as she settles her thoughts for a bit. "Well, I started actively practicing with the boys when I was 12, and continued until I transferred here.", she tells. Miho sips her tea a little bit. She picks up her plate, and eats a little bit off the curry as she focuses her thoughts.

    "Well, I...umm, don't know to be honest. I don't think we ever talked about it. And I thought it would be rude to ask about it, since it was your wish.", she tells. The woman takes a long moment to think about things. "I mean, what was your wish? I mean, mine was simply to gain the strength to protect those that I cared about. The first time I ever seen a youma, I couldn't even stand, let alone face it. I never felt so weak.", the woman says as she looks down.

    "I can't guess what your deal was.", the woman says as she watches Amy.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "My wish was made in a hurry; At least consciously, I cared more about becoming a magical girl and fighting evil and helping people and getting involved in magical adventures." Amy replies.

    She takes a breath and sits up straighter. "Alright. I don't consider this a secret from magical folks, which is why I talk about it openly, but I'm realizing I guess I never told you but I've like. So just today I told you I've had this body and hormones for fifteen months, that I wasn't socialized as a girl, I talked about the bullshit ideas society tells teen boys, and... and I probably mentioned some other stuff last time, and at this point I have to wonder what picture has come together in your head explaining all of this."

-- Earlier, on a Helicopter --
    "I dunno what Setsuna-san thought when she had to explain, um, basic things to me in the nurse's office."

    "That you'd either been raised by some VERY backwards people or perhaps one of those families you sometimes hear about who are INSISTENT that they had a boy, not a girl."

    "Backwa-- how do... buh..." Amy sputters at the sheer absurdity suggested.

-- Now --
    Do people really do that?! Amy wonders to herself, and she suddenly wonders if it might well be more of a weird polite stratified Kyoto society thing than around here.

    In any case, she is insanely curious how the hell Miho has fit the puzzle pieces together, and just has to know before she actually corrects any misconceptions.

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho takes a moment to think about things, and process them. As she thinks about things, she has to think back on a few things. "So...ummm, let me think a second.", she tells me. Miho takes a deep breath for a long moment. "Errr, your wish was to become a magical 'girl'?", she asks. The woman takes a moment to process. "So...you were a magical boy and he or it turned you magical girl?", she asks.

    The young woman breathes out a moment before settling into something of a breathing technicque her mother taught her. "S-sorry. Just trying to settle into a miko breathing pattern.", she tells.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    It does occur to Amy that what she said so far probably easily adds up to 'trans girl', but if Miho knew more about queer stuff she'd know what was meant by okama, right?

    Amy listens with a poker face, then relaxes, looking up at the ceiling and scratching her jaw in thought. "I wasn't magical. The specifics of the wish will make more sense when... no, perhaps that's actually pretty straightforward:"

    "But yeah, I was a man, on the outside at least, and I told you before the circumstances of my wish. I had to think of something in seconds, the others had been defeated by Scorn and Sailor V was next. And I had figured, that a small wish for myself was less likely to backfire or go wrong than wishing for world peace or to cure death or something. And I was thinking, I don't care as long as I get to be a magical girl, but... I suddenly felt a terrible fear that that wouldn't change my body at all, or wouldn't change it that much. And the thought of having to participate in magical girl battles looking like... A man, five-o-clock shadow and all, in the frilly outfit?" She hugs her shoulders and shivers. "Euuuuggh. I didn't want to look like that. So I said I wish I could be cute."

    "I think... you probably would rather not look like that either, right?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho takes this in for a moment as she thinks for a moment. Then after a few seconds, she shrugs her shoulders. "I can't say anything about it. Its what you wanted. I can't judge something like that.", she tells. "Nor do I care to do so.", the woman says as she stretches out. "I mean, some people would call me a tomboy until they see me perform a Miko dance, just cause my dad trained me to be a MMA fighter.", she says. "But I want to be a DJ, or an Idol.", she admits.

    Miho focuses her mind. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to look like that. I didn't think it had that kind of power. Makes me wonder what would have happen if I had taken his offer.", she says. The woman takes a moment to stretch out.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    An MMA-trained, DJ idol? Why not?! Amy shrugs, "There are many ways to be a girl. And, come to think of it..." She scratches the side of her jaw again. "No one else's appearance changed, as far as I know. So... I don't know what would've happened. ...I guess there's no way to tell..." She rests her chin on her fist and her elbow on the armrest.

    There really is no way to know what would've happened, right? Wait...

    Amanda's brow furrows. "Wait. Kyubey's doing it as a scheme to harvest the emotional energy of humans. And he wouldn't get enough to bother making a Puella Magi unless I'm a teenager going through this period of social turmoil and uncertainty and new hormones and feelings and all that. So... it stands to reason the Contract would have to adjust that at least somewhat, and for optimal results I should look like I can go here, probably."

    She shrugs and shakes her head. "No way to know for absolute sure, though. As for you... yeah I don't think it'd change your body unless you wanted that. Why, what would you have wished for?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho nods her head a little bit as she listens. "Well, I would have just asked for strength.", she points out. "Like I said, all I wanted to do was protect my friends.", she tells. "I mean, I'm...not really that complicated.", she tells. The woman takes a long moment to shake her head a bit. "Does that make me a little goofy? To only want the power to protect those close to me?", she asks. The woman shakes her head a bit.

    "At least your change makes you cute. My change, I don't know.", she tells. The woman finishes her rice a bit. "I mean, I get claws and fangs.", she tells. "At least I have snow bunnies...", Miho laughs a bit as she sips her tea. "Beware the bunnies of Yukihime!", she snerks.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "I dunno what that woulda done, but I'd imagine your Puella Magi form would've been ridiculously strong, then." She blinks. "Why would that be goofy? That sounds like a pretty normal want."

    At least her change made her cute. Amy blushes a little. And then Miho says she's worried she's not cute because she gets claws and fangs, and Amy is suddenly imagining a catgirl Miho cuddling snow bunnies and it is adorable, by Godoka!

    She takes a moment to remember Yukihime's appearance. Claws and fangs like that... "That really doesn't detract from cuteness as much as you think it does."

    "Also, you make fun, but we really do live in a world where one of the most dangerous things in existence is a cute little girl shouting stuff like," she stands from her chair and does a series of poses: "My Heart, Unlock! Pure BEEEEEEEEAMU!"

    She's grinning as she sits back down. "So. Where were we? Right, you came here asking about... feelings, and boys, and... concerns about being part yokai, and about what had to happen to make you, and feelings, and whether they're normal or you have to suppress them, and whether we get to have feelings as magical girls, all that I think it was?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho pauses, and chokes on her tea as she starts laughing. She holds her stomach. "I-I can't! O-oh gawd. My ribs. That hurts.", she squeals a bit. "Pure Beeeamuuu!", the woman goes as she laughs. She's crying now as she can't help it. "I know its not funny, but gah!!"

    The woman takes a moment to wipe her eyes a little bit. She breathes out a bit. "Y-yeah. That was about it. I mean, I have feelings for Hinot....I mean, a boy.", she says, blushing horribly. "And wanted some help with how to appoarch it. Then we just...kinda got side tracked by everything. Now it all seems kinda goofy how I was overthinking everything. Just...kinda got inside my head with everything.", she tells.

    "I wish I had my phone when you did that! I swear...I would so make that a part of one of my videos.", Miho laughs a bit.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Miho's laughter is infectious, and Amy bursts out laughing too. "It is funny! Our lives are absurd! I'm stuck in a gender-bender magical girl manga and I have to find the humor in it, you know?!" She attempts to regain her composure while Miho does the same.

    "I mean, I can do it again. Also," she's still smiling, "technically, nothing is stopping me from actually shouting 'pure beeeeeamu!' before actually shooting a monster. Like, I can call my attacks whatever I want. If anything it's been hard not to, like, imitate some piece of media or other..."

    She takes a breath and lets it out. "It's fine. Like... you went through a big life change that makes you question everything you knew. You find out you're not completely human -- ancestry-wise, I mean -- and you wonder how much other stuff about you is different that you always took for granted. And I find out I'm a girl and there's been times I wonder like... do I really know anything about boys? When so much of my understanding was based on assuming I was one. But... it's not like boys are suddenly completely alien creatures, incomprehensible and inscrutable to the mind of woman. ...Probably."

    "That would... assuming that is probably overthinking about how much I need to recontextualize. Like, I always figured girls were mostly just like me with a few differences, and," she holds a finger to her chin and looks up at the ceiling, "okay yeah that was righter than I knew, but the same logic probably still applies in reverse..."

    She looks at Miho. "But I guess this is also your first time away from... that weird society you mentioned, and also without your dad being paranoid about you getting close to any boys, so like... I dunno what you know."

    Amy thinks for a moment. "...Are you worried that he wouldn't like you, that a boy wouldn't like you if you had fangs and claws? Doesn't, uh, your own existence kind of logically disprove that?"

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho gets her breathing back after a few more moments, and settles in. "Ok, yeah, you're right.", she says. The woman can't help by giggle a couple of seconds more. After a few more seconds, Miho settles down fully. "Yes, it is. I mean, I'm kinda lucky compared to Kureha.", she tells. "She's stuck with babysitters.", she tells. The woman rolls her eyes at that. Seeing Kureha having to deal with her bodyguards just annoys Miho to no end. The temperture int he room drops a little bit before Miho breathes out from her mouth...The blue fog. "Err, sorry! Just a little irked about that.", she admits.

    "I know it sounds goofy, but I mean, when you look a stuff like werewolves and stuff like that...", Miho points out. "And don't give me that Twilight stuff!", she shakes her head. "And when does Logic and Emtions ever agree on anything?", Miho points out. "But yeah, you do have a point. I'm just goofy.", she says. Miho is already starting to think about how to use Pure Beeeamu as an attack the next time she has to fight a youma...

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Kureha... Onihime. Right, Amy hasn't really seen her much, outside of during, and right before and after battles. "Dang, are you all from weird upper-class families?" She would rather not have babysitters or bodyguards following her around either.

    It's cold. Miho is sorry about that! "It's fine!" Amy rubs her arms for warmth.

    And then the conversation turns back to... warmer subjects. She is, in fact, just opening her mouth to point out the popularity of that book series when Miho says not to. "I never read Twilight, but I would absolutely still wanna be Hannah's girlfriend if she was a werewolf. It would be kinda cool, if she weren't already, y'know, an alien princess and also just wonderful..."

    She stares off into space smiling as she imagines being swept off her feet by Werewolf Hannah <3 It wouldn't change a thing! Except that she'd be even warmer to hug. She's probably only thinking about that because the room is cold now.

    "...A-anyway, people may act like its weird, but plenty of people don't. I think far more are concerned they're supposed to think it's weird. And plenty of people care more about the person than the appearance."

    Amy crosses her arms. "You're not goofy. Or if you are, so what? And you say logic and emotion don't agree, but... I think they just, skip steps sometimes. Like, if you're feeling bad about something that happened and your guy friend asks what happened, and then gives you advice for how to avoid it in the future... Like, not feeling better from that isn't illogical. The unpleasant thing still happened! It sucks! Of course you feel bad, even if it was never gonna happen again! And it well might, because a lot of 'logical solutions' are easier said than done."

    "But conversely: Him proposing that solution isn't un-emotional. Aren't emotions why he cares about wanting to make you feel better? He just, skipped some steps and focused on avoiding the problem in the future, rather than how to help you feel better now. Well, no, even then there's some emotional logic to that: One would hope that reassurance that the unpleasant experience won't recur in the future would be uplifting, but..." She hangs her head and looks thoughtfully in the floor. "I guess in the moment it's not."

    "...I've thought about how the hell I'd explain that to past me, sometimes, and that's the best I've come up with."

Miho Inada has posed:
    Miho pauses a moment, and looks at Amy a moment. "You know of others, other then Kureha and I?", she asks. The woman looks a bit at Amy before shaking her head a little bit, and coughing. "Apologies. Sorry! Just that Kureha seemed shocked when I finally awakened.", she tells. The woman shakes her head a bit as she looks as her iced tea now. Well, more like forzen tea. Miho really needs to learn how to refocus herself, so that when she gets upset, she doesn't freeze have the room...

    Miho readjusts, and smirks a bit. "Sorry. I was just more of a sci-fi girl. Most fantasy books I read, werewolves and vampires were evil. Kinda why I get a little nervious when I change. Ether way though, you're going to create a loop with that train of thought.", Miho points out as she listens in. The woman does give a small smirk though.

    "Hey, think on this, At least during the summer, if I visit, you get free AC...", she laughs. "Alright, I think its getting a bit late though. I better get back to my room before lights out. Thanks for the talk, Amy. All I can do is just...meet up with him, and ask him out, and see what he says.", Miho tells.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Others? Amy shakes her head, "No, just you two. Although, I wouldn't know if they were the same type anyway if I did know them, right?"

    "You thought... you were worried you'd turn evil?? Oh, Miho-san..." She hops out of her chair and strides over to hug the girl tightly. "Those stories may have cast such beings as monsters, but you're not evil. Like, if I suddenly turn into a demoness physically," There are an awful lot of stories like that, and it's a little concerning that she has to rate the probability of this happening at above zero, "but I act just the same, I'm not evil or anything, then it doesn't matter, right?"

    Free AC gets a smile. As for her plan... "Okay, but... yeah. Respect his boundaries if he affirms them, and know that... like, he might have feelings to sort out too. Maybe he was... maybe he didn't say anything for whatever reason you said at first, but is also confused about these feelings himself. Maybe he wants to be close to you without, like, dating and kissing and stuff. There are, uh... Huh."

    Amy smiles. "I've tied the threads of today's conversation together! There are many shapes relationships can take, and they don't have to be the one shape everyone talks about the most." She points at Miho, and then at her ring. "Claws and fangs, a gem-controlled puppet, there are many shapes people come in!"

    And then she points at Miho again, and then at her chest. "Martial artist idol DJ, speculative fiction otaku TSko who was raised as a boy and is new to any 'girl stuff', there are many ways to be a girl!"

    She throws her arms up in the air, grinning like she's thought of something really clever. "There are many ways to be human! The human experience is a vast space, encompassing more than what any one of us knows, or what our society talks about! A-and we're all just finding our way through it, um, where we are in it and exploring to find where we're comfortable."

    "...She smiles and waves, and offers another hug. "I'll see you around, and feel free to talk to me more if you need to! I'll do my best to help, although I don't really know a lot about some things..."