Help, It's Spring and A Drama Student Has Appeared

[thestarknows]

⭐ Who: Junna Hoshimi... and you!
⭐ When: Throughout April!
⭐ Where: Throughout Yumemigaoka!
⭐ What: Various prompts within.

Comments

Stuck on a Train | April 19

[thestarknows]

[KERRRRRRR-CHTHWUNK.

That would be the sound of the train encountering a malfunction. It jerks to a stop, jostling all of the people on the car. This includes Junna Hoshimi, who stumbles and almost falls into the lap of the person in the seat nearby. She had been standing; she straightens herself out.

Then she looks around.] What in the...?

[A train operator speaks up, over the intercom:

"Attention all passengers. The train has come to a stop due to technical difficulties. Please remain in the car and await further instructions."

...well, looks like everyone aboard this train is stuck here.]

[shrieking_violet]

[ Chris was standing too - sways slightly, but manages to avoid turning this into a game of human dominoes with Junna. ]

...hn. Hope it's something, y'know. ...normal.

[thestarknows]

[Junna stops swaying... then looks sideways, back at Chris. She gives her an uncertain, worried look.]

...Probably normal, but... that really didn't sound good.

[shrieking_violet]

[ Didn't sound like a jumper or anything, so...

A mechanical failure was less distressing than that! ]

I really don't wanna walk.

[thestarknows]

[Junna frowns, as she considers that -- and looks around the train. Lots of people are doing the same and checking their phones.

Then, back to Chris.]

How... how long would it be from here, you think? To a station?

[shrieking_violet]

Probably faster than waiting.

[ If train broke. ]

Not that they'll let us off unless it's really fucked, though.

[thestarknows]

It's probably for the best, right? Since... it'd be dangerous to walk through the tunnels. Unless we really had to.

[Getting hit by a train if they got into the wrong one, for instance.

But also she's a rules follower.]

[shrieking_violet]

...that could be messy.

[ Chris isn't a rule follower, but she is risk-averse. ]

[thestarknows]

Not how I want to go.

[She groans and... and makes a bit of a face. Quite the mental image.]

[shrieking_violet]

[ Chris winces too. ]

So, we're staying put unless something bursts into flames.

[ That thought makes her wince... more? A stopped train shouldn't be enough to have her imagining Horrible Death this vividly should it? ]

[thestarknows]

Ch-Chris. Maybe we don't imagine unlikely but plausible worst case scenarios?

[Her eyebrow twitches a little.]

P-Please?

[shrieking_violet]

Y-yeah, we're totally safe!

[ At least she's not the only one getting nervous about nothing. ]

[thestarknows]

Yes. We just have... to sit here.

[a beat]

...for hours.

[another beat]

...and nothing to do.

[...sigh.]

[shrieking_violet]

[ Maybe Chris can just knock herself out to pass the time. ]

...sooo. ...up to... anything interesting lately?

[thestarknows]

Well... I... looked at auditions for a musical. I didn't audition. But I looked at them!

[Small victories.

She pauses, though, because it sounds lame.]

What about you?

[shrieking_violet]

Oh! ...I'm glad you're keeping it in mind.

[ It perks her up a little. ]

I've had enough on my plate with classes.

[thestarknows]

Yeah. I'm not sure, it's a big time commitment. But...

[She wants to. That much is clear. She looks a little distant, for a moment, then her eyebrows lift.

She nods.]

Yeah. New year and all, right? How do they look?

[shrieking_violet]

I'm managing.

[ Which is honestly already an achievement. ]

It's been cutting into Dreamer... stuff though.

[thestarknows]

It's hard to do both?

[There's a sympathetic look. Yeah, Junna does it...

By not quite sleeping enough and pushing herself harder than she neds to.]

[shrieking_violet]

...maybe if I was smarter I wouldn't need so much time for school.

[ Chris frowns. Asking for tutoring would sting too. ]

[thestarknows]

[Junna frowns. She hesitates. Maybe it's too much to say, but -- but after seeing everything Amane went through, after seeing the way Lisa could push herself so hard...

She should speak up, when she thinks it's right.]

...You're not lacking in smarts. It's okay to struggle with something and need help. It doesn't mean you've done something wrong.

[shrieking_violet]

[ Chris takes a deep breath. ]

Figured you'd say that.

[ She says it pretty neutrally. It doesn't feel like it should be true, but needs to remember to believe that Junna means it. ]'

...d'you think we could study together a little?

[thestarknows]

Figured you needed to hear it. But it's still true.

[She smiles a little bit.

Then, she blinks -- and, well, she wouldn't ever turn her away. But it is a surprise to hear Chris ask for help. Junna nods.]

Of course! Of course. I'd be happy to.

[shrieking_violet]

[ It's odd that Junna's the person she likes the most here so far - but the whole thing is odd. ]

Thanks. ...not much we can do about that here though.

[thestarknows]

...not so much, unless you happened to bring all of your books with you.

[...probably not. Junna smiles a bit.] Kidding!