[center][h2][b]Freedom of Expression[/b][/h2][/center]

Starring:
‘The Anti-Batman’ Connie
‘The Good One’ Emily

Having taken the unusual bounty, Emily and Connie found themselves summoned to downtown Penrose in the early morning. According to the one who had placed the bounty, that was the best time to catch the culprit in the act and make them stop their activities. Or at least limit them in a way that would prevent harm to the public. 

The dark sky was streaked with purple and red as the sun began its struggle to ascend from below the horizon. Street lamps illuminated their path, and there was little in the way of people to obstruct their path. Not when it was this early and this cold out. Sadly they could not do the same as those people taking shelter, but that was the price to pay as a magical girl.

It was time for the hunt to begin. They’d have a limited window, and if they weren’t able to find the subject of the bounty then they’d need to come back tomorrow. Hopefully that could be avoided. Their first step was to find the person doing this, and it remained to be seen how they would go about that.

[color=DarkOrchid]“T-Thanks for a-asking me to h-help you w-with this, E-Emily,”[/color] Connie told her friend as the pair walked along, the masked girl hugging her cold weather robe close to her trembling body. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I always l-like t-to use my p-powers to h-help people i-if I c-can, b-but, um, I-I’m s-still too n-nervous to a-accept one of t-these requests i-if I d-don’t have a f-friend to g-go with me…”[/color] she added, the mouth of her mask forming a slight frown. 

[color=turquoise]"Yeah. It's so much more fun and safe to have a friend to tackle these with you. I'm glad you came, Connie,"[/color] Emily exclaimed, ambling alongside Connie, clad in only her magical girl outfit despite the colder weather. With the contrast between the two, it wasn't long before she noticed Connie seemed a bit chilled. [color=turquoise]"Are you feeling warm enough? Here, I'll try to help a bit."[/color]

Emily concentrated on increasing her own temperature enough that she began to radiate warmth. [color=turquoise]"Um,"[/color] she started to look as though she was steaming, but it didn't appear uncomfortable at all. [color=turquoise]"I hope that's better. Ironically, I'm more comfortable making the area colder than I am making it warmer."[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“O-Oh, wow! T-Thanks, Emily!”[/color] Connie replied with a smile after her friend had heated the air around them. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-That f-feels a l-lot better!”[/color]

After walking a bit further, and due in no small part to the soothing warmth she was feeling, Connie finally worked up the courage to voice a question she’d been wondering about the past few weeks.

[color=DarkOrchid]“U-Ummm, E-Emily?”[/color] she asked hesitantly, her fingers nervously playing with her hair. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I, uh, n-noticed you s-seemed to be k-kinda upset a-about s-something at the C-Christmas Party, a-and, um, I d-didn’t want to pry, b-but, w-well, I w-was s-still concerned a-about you, s-so, um, i-is everything o-okay?”[/color]  

It wouldn't take Connie more than a second to realize she had brought up something Emily wasn't expecting. [color=turquoise]"Huh? A-ah... uh, um... yeah!"[/color] she tried putting on a more confident front but failed spectacularly. Unable to look directly at Connie, she wore a strained smile. [color=turquoise]"...It's a bit embarrassing thinking about it since there were definitely more important things to be concerned about during the Christmas party..."[/color]  

It took about a dozen seconds before Emily was able to attempt to articulate the event. [color=turquoise]"...See, there was just a minor... misunderstanding that happened... and I kinda overreacted and let it get to me..."[/color] she found herself glancing at her dominant hand and frowned momentarily. [color=turquoise]"But I'm okay! Sakura is-...! Everything is okay! Or... well, when I can talk to Sakura it will be! I'm sure!"[/color] 

Whether she was trying to convince Connie of this or herself was anyone's guess. 

[color=turquoise]"...Um... well, how about things on your end, Connie? Are you and Mia getting by fine?"[/color] as she asked, she retrieved her special locket and tried to see if it may give her any indication on where their target may be. 

[color=DarkOrchid]“O-Oh, uh, t-that’s good,”[/color] Connie replied after Emily had (sorta) explained what had happened. [color=DarkOrchid]“A-And Mia and I are d-doing great!”[/color] she added with a smile. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-We got adopted b-by a v-very nice m-magical woman n-named Kayli, a-and w-we’re l-living w-with her, a-along with o-our f-friends Rose and Iris. Oh! A-And we just s-saw Miss S-Sakura the other d-day! S-She looked a b-bit different, t-though…”[/color]

Emily's expression betrayed nothing but joy for her friend's fortune. [color=turquoise]"Oh, that's wonderful! Being adopted was the best thing that ever happened to me, so I'm so happy for you!"[/color] she congratulated. [color=turquoise]"Does this mean you have a few sisters now?"[/color] Emily asked, perhaps a bit more excited than she needed to be. Sakura being brought up did draw her attention, however. [color=turquoise]"Oh?"[/color] she almost seemed hesitant to continue. [color=turquoise]"H-how so?"[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“U-Um, well, s-she looked a b-bit older, a-and she h-had a d-dragon t-tail instead of l-legs,”[/color] Connie replied. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But it d-didn’t make her l-look l-like a m-monster, or a-anything!”[/color] she hastened to clarify. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I actually t-thought she l-looked very p-pretty. A-And yes,”[/color] the masked girl added with a smile. [color=DarkOrchid]“R-Rose and Iris are n-now Mia and I’s s-sisters! I-It feels s-so nice being p-part of a f-family,”[/color] she continued. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I mean, M-Mia has a-always been l-like a b-big sister to me, b-but having f-family d-dinners in m-my own h-home, well, i-it’s like a d-dream come true!”[/color]

[color=turquoise]“Yeah, it’s really something else, isn’t it?”[/color]

Turning to their powers to find what they were looking for, Connie was soon rewarded by the brush of a nearby mind. It was an active one, thinking about how colors combined, proper strokes and techniques. No doubt it was the mind of their target going about their next devilish act, or something suitably dramatic.
 
Meanwhile, Emily was able to determine that their target was nearby thanks to her Absolute Direction artifact. It appeared to be nearby in a courtyard between buildings, connected to the street by an alleyway. With a general direction to work from and a limited range, that would make things easier too. 

While she would have loved to do little more than make small talk with Connie for as long as they could, they did have some business to attend to. Ideally, the two of them would simply need to meet the person performing this aggressive graffiti and tell them to put an end to it and then they would realize their folly. Emily only wished she was naive to think this was the most likely outcome and not that the perpetrator was going to get angry and fight or scared and flee. But hey, with a friend nearby, she didn’t feel the least bit nervous! [color=turquoise]“I’d love to hear more about your new family. But for now, let's see who we’re dealing with.”[/color] Emily wasn’t exactly frontline material but unless Connie encouraged otherwise, she would start to lead the duo by a few steps as they approached the supposed location of their target. 

[color=DarkOrchid]“R-Right!”[/color] Connie agreed, trying to sound as fiercely determined as she could (which wasn’t very). Following along behind Emily, the timid girl found herself hoping that she and her friend would be able to resolve things peacefully. Still, if the vandal decided to put up a fight, Connie was prepared to do whatever she could to incapacitate them, before anyone got hurt. 

Around the corner and down darker pathways they went, following the guidance of the artifact they possessed. There were no mundane obstacles in their way, not that much could have stopped a magical girl anyways. Passing by small piles of trash scattered along the side of their path, they soon arrived at their destination.

The courtyard was not all that interesting. The ground was covered in concrete with small weeds making their way up through the cracks. There were a couple benches and a table whose wood was starting to become very warped. Doors allowed access to the courtyard from the various other apartment buildings surrounding it. Because of this it was not hard to find their target. 

[url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e0/32/a4/e032a47064faeb018d2cbafc87fb4c36.png]A girl[/url] stood on the Eastern side of the courtyard about equidistant between the way they had come in and the other exit on the opposite side. She wore a green jacket which bore paint smears both old and new. In defiance of the cold weather she had a skirt on, and wore sneakers too. In one hand she had a painter brush while the other idly shook a can of spray paint. The clicking it made clashed with her humming as she eyed the half finished art in front of her. It had vibrant colors, mixing clean lines with smooth transitions from one part to the next. She hadn't noticed then yet, giving them the element of surprise for however they chose to proceed.

As they approached the girl in what Connie hoped was the most non-threatening manner possible, she greeted her with a small wave, while her mask formed the friendliest smile she could muster, [color=DarkOrchid]“U-Um, g-good morning,”[/color] she called tentatively. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-That’s a v-very p-pretty picture y-you’re m-making.”[/color]

Surprisingly, Connie took the lead when it came to interacting with the girl. Emily decided to wait to see how this individual would react. After confirming with the compass she had, she tucked away the locket and looked at what was apparently their culprit with anticipation for a friendly encounter. 

The clicking came to an end as the artist found herself addressed. Arresting the motion of the spray can, she turned to eye both Connie and Emily before breaking into a confident grin. “Thanks. It’s not quite done yet, but I think people will get the message clearly enough.” The technicolor angel being skewered by a horned beast was pretty unsubtle. 

Now that they had gotten closer, Connie finally noticed the dark beast that was… [i]impaling[/i] the brightly colored angel she had initially seen. Needless to say, she was less than happy about this fact, and after gasping in shock, the timid girl tried to muster a reply to the artist. [color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Y-You’re v-very w-welcome,”[/color] she stammered. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-B-But, u-ummm, I-I’m s-sorry, b-but, u-uh, I-I d-don’t r-really u-understand…”[/color] she confessed, the mouth of her mask drooping into a frown. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-W-Why i-is t-that b-beautiful a-angel b-being… b-being…”[/color] the poor girl felt such shock and horror at the gruesome sight that she was unable to finish, nervously playing with her hair as her whole body began to tremble. 

[color=turquoise]"...completely destroyed?"[/color] Emily finished Connie's sentence with gusto. She appeared utterly entranced by the painting unlike her companion and her eyes shone with adoration. [color=turquoise]"So visceral, leaving nothing to the imagination! It always surprises me to see how detailed and vibrant people can get with a can or few of spray paint."[/color] There was no mistaking her tone -- Emily was genuinely amazed by the piece of artwork rather than repulsed. [color=turquoise]"But..."[/color] her expression became tense. [color=turquoise]"...the 'message' isn't a very kind one, is it? Um, why create such destructive pieces?"[/color]

Still grinning, the girl mostly ignored Connie and instead turned to Emily as a more appreciative viewer of her art. Even if there was some disagreement with the message, the compliments had soothed any offense that might result. “I’m protesting,” she explained simply. “Those Ascendancy guys keep ruining the city, and nothing that happens makes them go away. I figure it can’t hurt to make their stay unpleasant.”

[color=DarkOrchid]“O-Oh, I-I s-see…”[/color] Connie said softly. She had to admit, the Ascendancy [i]did[/i] seem to cause a lot of problems, and she had been present when they declared their intention to destroy Dan’s dimension, but still, was what this girl was doing really the best way to go about opposing them? [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But, u-umm, w-why d-does it h-have to b-be s-so… v-violent?”[/color] she asked hesitantly.

[color=turquoise]“Um, yeah…”[/color] Emily was likewise generally against violent methods, even towards the Ascendency who had been built as nothing more than a font of misery as far as most people she asked about it were concerned. But she didn’t think their ideals would resonate with this girl considering how far she went to cause them what she more or less admitted to as being ‘minor inconveniences’. [color=turquoise]“...isn’t there another way you could try to go about this? It’s just that… well, those paintings don’t seem to discriminate. Even people who aren’t related to the Ascendancy are, well, not having a pleasant time.”[/color]

“That’s the point!” the girl declared, agitatedly waving her paintbrush towards the drawing. “We’ve got to make people feel uncomfortable, get angry, challenge the status quo! All of the big players in Penrose are just in it for themselves, so we have to do something before it’s too late. That’s what art is all about!”

[color=DarkOrchid]“U-Um, w-well, [i]I-I’m[/i] s-something of a-an a-artist, too,”[/color] Connie added with a slight frown as she pressed her fingers together. [color=DarkOrchid]“A-And [i]I-I’ve[/i] always t-thought t-that art s-should b-bring p-people t-together and m-make them h-happy. I-It s-should f-fill them with [i]g-good[/i] f-feelings, n-not b-bad ones…”[/color]

[color=turquoise]"Um... I don't draw aside from a doodle every now and then, so I won't comment on what art is about. It would be rude of me to try,"[/color] Emily placed a hand on her chest and she gave a pleading look to the girl. [color=turquoise]"But I can't stay quiet when innocent people are in danger. Could we ask you to stop?"[/color] she bluntly asked. [color=turquoise]“There must be a better method, I’m sure!”[/color]

The girl huffed, shaking her head. “Art’s what I’m good at, so art is what I’ll do. Now’s not the time for touchy feely kumbaya, it’s time for resistance!” After a few moments she turned back to face the wall. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to finish.” 

To say that Connie was troubled would have been an understatement. She didn’t want to fight this girl. Indeed, she empathized with her. And yet, she knew what the rebellious artist was doing was wrong. As Emily had said, there had to be a better way for the girl to accomplish her goals, they just had to find it….

[color=DarkOrchid]“B-B-But, w-what i-if y-you p-painted t-things t-to m-make p-people s-stop f-fighting a-and w-work t-together?”[/color] Connie suggested, the timid girl using all her willpower to find the courage needed to speak up in what was clearly a tense situation. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I d-don’t k-know m-much a-about the A-Ascendancy,”[/color] she conceded with a frown. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But a-aren’t t-they just h-here to s-stop a-all the v-violence? M-Maybe i-if t-they s-saw people g-getting a-along p-peacefully, t-they’d l-leave…”[/color]  

“Sure, you try that,” the girl replied distractedly. She had already returned to painting, using her brush to shape the paint delivered onto the wall by the canister. She had ceased paying attention for the most part, and it seemed she would not be swayed by words alone anymore. 

[color=turquoise]"So you won't stop?"[/color] Emily frowned, and then took a long, drawn-out exhale. She gave Connie a solemn shake of her head, a signal that she had realized this wasn't going to end peacefully. She almost seemed to be in pain judging by her expression. 

Lucifer took a step forward and created a blue flame in the palm of her hand. She pointed it at the artist but did not fire. 

[color=turquoise]"I told you that I can't ignore this. That innocent lives are in danger. Knowing this, you would still continue to place them in harm's way. I can understand strong feelings against the Ascendancy. I'm sure they are warranted. But that doesn't mean you can use such reckless, selfish means to enact your revenge,"[/color] Emily now looked determined. Determined to stop the villain before them, even if... [color=turquoise]"...even if you are a sister, I can't let you continue!"[/color]

The mouth of Connie’s mask drooped into a frown, the gentle girl’s heart sinking, as she, too, realized that the artist wouldn't be swayed by their words. With a nervous gulp, Connie readied her own magic, and although she still hoped that this show of force might yet convince the artist to stand down, she knew she needed to be prepared for anything.

The sudden turn by Emily caused the artist to pause. Her head fell slightly, though the fire in her eyes did not diminish. After a moment she shook her head and turned to face both magical girls. “I thought you understood. But I guess you’re no different from the rest of them. Fine then. Try your best, but you won’t stop me!”

As she said that her hand shot out and came to rest upon the painting she had just made. Magic flowed from her to the painting, activating the dormant power therein. It responded, spikes of magical energy erupting from the brick surface to lance out at the duo from the side. Having done this she then stepped back, keeping her tools at the ready as she faced the fight that had now arrived. 

Emily quickly took a vertical approach towards avoiding the impending attack the artist had thrown their way, boosting her way only a little over a dozen feet into the air. [color=turquoise]"Connie! Let's fight from different angles, that way she can't deal with both of us so easily!"[/color]

[color=turquoise][i]...Unless the artist terraformed the area.[/i][/color]

That wasn't impossible with a magical girl, but hopefully the girl's hatred outweighed her experience in a fight, or so Emily wished as she flew her way to one side of the girl. Emily did not engage in a melee, but she wasn't very far out either. She conjured a blue fireball on the smaller side which she lobbed at their foe.

Sadly, the girl didn’t stand down, but rather got ready to fight, sending spikes of mystic energy shooting out of her painting. Instinctively, Connie’s tentacles manifested to shield her from the attack, while Emily used her magic to dodge the spikes completely. 

[color=DarkOrchid]“R-Right!”[/color] Connie acknowledged after her fiery friend suggested that they split the painter’s focus, moving to place herself opposite her pyromantic partner. While Emily conjured a small fireball to throw at their opponent, Connie prepared a small, focused nightmare pulse, which she’d fire just as the painter attempted to dodge her ally’s attack. With any luck, the girl would escape the flames, only to plummet headfirst into a realm of her deepest fears made manifest…

The girl’s brow furrowed as the fight began, not surprised that they had dodged her initial attack. So they had some experience at combat, but that would not be enough to stop her. She waved her paintbrush in the air, forming a fireball of her own that she launched at Emily a moment after the blue one was launched at her.

Dodging to the side, she was already lifting her spray can. A hiss filled the air as she pushed down on the trigger, emitting a green cloud into the air. In addition to obscuring vision, it would have a negative effect on Connie if she breathed it in. It threw off things enough that the girl was able to backpedal and use her magic to fend off the nightmare pulse. At least this time around. For now she simply sought to keep them from closing in, so she’d have the space to manage the two opponents. 

Emily had to avoid the retaliatory fireball before she could continue their attack, which she had done by sharply increasing the thrust in her ‘boosters’ and pointing them to the side. She suddenly jolted to one direction just in time and then corrected herself before returning her focus to the hostile girl, who was now enshrouded in a green cloud, which Emily kept herself out of. 

Blinking, Emily’s pupils appeared to light up as she began to focus on the heat everything was giving off. Both Connie and the hostile Esper’s heat signatures were clearly visible to Emily and she used the confidence from the vision to accurately fire another one straight at the girl, similar in size and power as the last.  

Meanwhile, Connie was forced to stumble back as she shielded her masked face with the sleeve of her kimono in order to block the enchanted spray paint. This unsurprisingly caused her nightmare pulse to miss the painter, although once she’d gotten some literal breathing room, the timid girl prepared to conjure a second beam of nightmare magic, ideally timed so that it would cross the path the agile artist took to doge Emily’s second fireball. She also readied her tentacles to wrap around their adversary, and so prevent any further attempts at evasion.

Emily had no difficulty reading the heat coming off of the girl, as the cloud was more emotional than elemental. At least for now. That allowed both girls to continue their offensive as they sought to press the artist from two sides. 

Just as clearly, the girl intended to remain on the offensive. SHe shook her spray can again before pressing the trigger. Unlike the cloud of mist, this time it unleashed a crackling burst of blue lightning. It struck at the incoming fireball and then wrapped around it to lick at Emly directly. Her brush also twirled, creating a barrier of Hope to try and block the second nightmare pulse, but Connie could feel that it was relatively weak. All the same the girl kept slowly backing up, edging nearer to the closest exit from the courtyard as the back and forth continued. 

[color=turquoise]“Woah!”[/color]

The sudden lightning strike from the paint can was a bit too fast to evade, so Emily brought up Purgatory, her gauntlets, to defend as best as she could. 

[color=turquoise][i]Wait, I’m airborne, how does electricity affect me? There’s nothing grounding me, is there? This is what I get for skipping school to watch War of the Worlds… Well, it’s magic so I’m just gonna assume it hurts![/i][/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“Emily!”[/color] Connie gasped as she watched the artist fire a stream of crackling lightning at her friend. However, there was little the masked girl could do to help, other than continue to press her attack and hope it was enough to draw the painter’s attention away from Emily. Although her second nightmare pulse was blocked by a mystic shield, the protective barrier shattered upon the pulse’s impact, meaning it was rather weak. Sending her dark tendrils shooting towards the retreating artist in an effort to bind her in place, Connie charged up a third, and significantly stronger, nightmare pulse. Once it was ready, she would fire the horrific beam at the painter, and, with luck, finally bring their battle to a close…

The girl did her best to dodge the tendrils as they swept in, spraying corrosive mist like a poisonous flamethrower to dissolve them. Yet she was not a fighter, and it distracted her enough that she had barely any time to react to the nightmare pulse as it came racing in.

A shield came up as before, only to be shattered like so much paper without slowing the powerful blow. The girl’s eyes widened in shock, just as she was struck head on. Illusions quickly took effect as the magic fed on her fears and phobias to craft and cast her into a nightmare. What this was quickly became apparent as she sank to her knees, spray can and paintbrush left to clatter to the ground. “M…My hands,” she whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she seemed to stare at them like they weren’t there. “Now w-what good am I?”

Deeper she sank into the nightmare in her own mind, curling into a ball on the ground as her crying intensified. The fight had ended, though it was debatable as to whether the duo had solved the problem they had been sent to fix. 

Emily touched down near Connie and the girl, the areas on her arm where her gauntlets did not protect would be blackened, and there was a whiff of something burning. Yet despite this and the apparent discomfort, Emily observed the pitiful wreck of a girl their target had become. 

[color=turquoise]"O-oh!"[/color] she stifled her surprise and turned to Connie before offering a huge grin. [color=turquoise]"Nice job, Connie!"[/color] she congratulated through the increasing volume of the sobs. Her words lost a bit of its intensity as they went on. [color=turquoise]"That's a lot safer than having to hurt her until she can't fight back. For everyone involved."[/color]

While Connie was certainly glad that her nightmare pulse had found its target, her kind heart still ached at the sight of the sobbing artist. She always hated to see the effects of her nightmares, and even though this girl had fought against them, she didn’t feel the painter deserved the anguish they were now clearly suffering. 

At the sound of Emily’s words of approval, the masked girl’s attention was brought back to her friend. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-Thanks, Emily,”[/color] Connie replied softly, her mask forming a fragile smile. However, despite her pyromantic partner’s jubilant demeanor, her expression soon returned to a somber frown once more, while her trembling hands remained clasped over her chest. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I g-guess…”[/color] she conceded after Emily noted that [i]this[/i] was better than the alternative. [color=DarkOrchid]“B-But I-I just w-wish we d-didn’t n-need to f-fight her a-at all…”[/color] Indeed, each of the painter’s pained sobs seemed to send an equal spike of agony through Connie herself.

The fire-based girl kneeled down next to the catatonic spray painter and even brushed her hair with a hand, almost like a mother would when comforting a child. [color=turquoise]"I'm sure she has suffered a lot before becoming obsessed with the Ascendancy like this. It's not like I can't understand or sympathize. Most of Penrose has a bone to pick with them, after all. Maybe she'll be more receptive to changing her ways now. I really hope so."[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“M-Me, too,”[/color] Connie agreed, kneeling down next to Emily, her masked visage filled with concern for their former opponent. She would allow the artist’s nightmare to continue for a short while longer, but if it didn’t end on its own after that, then she would bring the nightmare to a conclusion herself. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-Why can’t p-people just s-solve t-their p-problems b-by t-talking t-things out?”[/color] the timid girl asked her friend. [color=DarkOrchid]“W-Why d-does everyone h-have to f-fight all the t-time? A-And w-why does the A-Ascendancy have t-to be s-so cruel? I-I t-thought B-Beacon was s-supposed to h-help p-people…”[/color]

Slowly the sobbing began to dwindle as the nightmare faded. Even though reality returned for the girl, she did little to shift from the position she had ended up in. There was no attempt to fight, nor was there an effort to flee. It seemed the drive she had so recently displayed had been drained out of her by Connie’s attack.

“L-Leave me alone,” she muttered, her voice cracking as she avoided meeting their gaze. “You w-won. I’ll stop p-painting. W-what more do you w-want from me?”

Emily didn’t seem to mind and remained where she was as she answered. [color=turquoise]“Nothing at all, if you’re being honest about not painting anymore. But maybe we can do something for you? I’m not sure what yet, but your strong feelings about the Ascendancy won’t go away just because we won the fight and told you to stop. If you’re willing to accept the help, that is.”[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Yes! W-We’d l-love to h-help!”[/color] Connie quickly agreed with several rapid nods.

Looking between the two of them, the painter’s eyes trembled as they offered their help. It was difficult for the girl to trust that they were being truthful. But she didn’t have much of a choice anymore. “I don’t know what to do now,” she muttered. “I just wanted to convince people to take a stand, since I couldn’t make a difference alone.” 

She looked between the two of them seeking an answer to her question. “I-If you know something I don’t, I guess I’m willing to listen.”

As she had just mentioned, Emily didn't have any immediate idea of how they could help, but she was genuine in her desire to make sure her sister was happy in the end. 

She looked to Connie and then back to the painter. [color=turquoise]"Is it possible that you could still paint, just without the 'flair'?"[/color] she asked. [color=turquoise]"I don't think it needs to be magical to have the effect you want, it just needs to speak the right words to people,"[/color] her face loses a bit of tension and she becomes a bit sheepish. [color=turquoise]"U-um... well, I don't really have artistic talent myself so I'm not sure how much help I can be... but I'll do what I can!"[/color]

[color=DarkOrchid]“Y-Yeah, I-I think t-that’s a g-great idea!”[/color] Connie added, her mask forming an enthusiastic smile. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-Instead of c-causing division, y-you could m-make paintings that b-bring p-people together! A-And i-instead of v-vandalizing p-private property, y-you could p-post them on G-Glimmer!”[/color] she suggested, clasping her hands together. [color=DarkOrchid]“L-Like I m-mentioned earlier, I-I’m p-pretty sure the A-Ascendancy’s only h-here to m-make the city more p-peaceful, s-so if y-you encourage e-everyone to w-work together p-peacefully, t-then they should l-leave, r-right? O-Oh!”[/color] she added as another idea occurred to her. [color=DarkOrchid]“A-And if you need a place to s-stay, the n-nice lady who adopted me and m-my b-best friend has a r-really big h-house w-with lots of room! T-Then we c-could p-paint together!”[/color]

Glancing down at her hands once more, the girl bit her lip in deep thought. “I’ll…I’ll try. But sometimes it just slips in when I don’t mean to. When I get in the groove, you know? I don’t know how well I’ll do in avoiding it. Still, I’ll do my best. Both that and the Glimmr thing. I just figured this was more noticeable.”

As much as she might or might not truly believe what Connie and Emily were saying about peaceful cooperation, she did not provide any further arguments against it. “I have a place to stay already, but thanks,” she told Connie. “We can still hang out there though.” She had the feeling that neither girl would be particularly opposed to the idea. 

[color=DarkOrchid]“I-I’d r-really like that!”[/color] Connie replied, her mask forming a happy smile. [color=DarkOrchid]“A-And if y-you have s-someone with you w-while you w-work, t-they can l-let you k-know if y-you s-start making something d-disruptive,”[/color] she added, really hoping such a solution would work out.

Emily couldn't help but smile at how positive things were looking now. If things worked out, they'd have a new (and pretty talented) sister. The mulling over the situation with Sakura was something she wasn't doing more than an hour ago, but it already felt like it'd been a year since that point. 

She nodded when Connie pointed out they could keep an eye on the painter's excitement while she was drawing. [color=turquoise]"Exactly! You can count on us! I'm sure your message will reach and inspire a lot more people this way..."[/color] her sentence hangs somewhat awkwardly for a second as she realizes that no names come to mind. [color=turquoise]"Oh! I don't think we ever caught your name...or introduced ourselves..."[/color] she turned a bit red. [color=turquoise]"A-anyway, I'm Emily and I'm not super good at drawing or anything but I doodle here and there,"[/color] she looked to Connie. [color=turquoise]"And this is my friend and much better artist, Connie!"[/color]

The cheeks of Connie’s mask turned a bright shade of crimson at the sound of her friend’s compliment. [color=DarkOrchid]“T-Thanks, Emily…”[/color] she whispered, more than a little embarrassed, but also happy she had such a kind and caring friend.

Looking between the two girls, the artist seemed to reclaim some glimmer of the enthusiasm she had previously espoused as the hostilities between them faded into memory. It wasn’t as if Connie and Emily were the true focus of her ire. “I’m Adeleide. Thanks for helping me see sense. An empath swept up in her own emotions, who would have guessed?”

The group would linger for a bit longer, discussing details and arranging another meeting in the near future to help spark this newfound friendship into bloom. The danger was at an end, and both Connie and Emily could be sure that Adeleide would not intentionally put the public in danger again. As they prepared to depart, Adeleide looked to the painting and let out a sigh. “I hope they leave some of it up.” Misguided though she might have been, she was nonetheless sincere in her hopes for the future.