yumemigaoka | Theater Kid's March Comes in Like a Lion

Theater Kid's March Comes in Like a Lion

⭐ Who: Junna Hoshimi... and you!
⭐ When: Throughout March!
⭐ Where: In Yumemigaoka!
⭐ What: March catch-all!
⭐ Warnings: Junna's grappling with some heavy stuff, so... threads could get into parents not being great, some homophobia, and other things. There's also some implicit sleeping together (nothing NSFW though) in the Lisa and Junna thread, if that's a thing you prefer to avoid!

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[She sincerely hopes so. She did some things she's not proud of and that she won't be excited to explain. Hell, she's already not excited to explain what comes next! But she waits a second while Junna tells her the penalty - nothing, somehow, - and then immediately pockets a ball. Lisa makes an appreciative "woooow" and claps politely.]

I can definitely tell you've played before, you have good technique. Or are you just trying to impress a pretty girl?

[It's terrible flirting slash banter, but it's helping to keep her mind from wandering too much, and there's a hint of nervous energy still in her voice she can't quite shake.]

Thankfully, Zeke-san is absolutely insane in combat, and I don't think I was ever in any real physical danger. He didn't ask me any questions... well, not about what I'd said. We just cleaned up the rest of the Torments- ah, right, still you, I'll wait a sec.

Maybe I'm trying to impress a specific very pretty girl. [Junna looks up at Lisa, standing up up again, and then she grins. She can do banter! She can do flirting!

She walks around the table, eyeing the 9-ball. It's not at a great position, so she wants to fix that... and give Lisa another turn. So she hits the cue -- and it hits the 9-ball, but it hits the rail and doesn't quite get into the pocket.]

Wasn't sure I'd make that... [She looks back up at Lisa.] I'm glad he was there. He's... something else, that's for certain.

[Lisa grins. Good.]

Well, then it's working. But I'm not giving up!

[But she sobers a little as she takes her cue back up and starts to look for another shot. That purple one isn't quite in a place she can reach... hmm, what about this green one...? Worth a shot. She starts to set up to aim at the 6, not overly far but not an easy shot to push into the corner.]

When we finished cleaning up, I said something about wanting to take less damage, and I said I couldn't be invincible like him, that was too many powers and I already don't have time to practice with everything I do have. And... [She takes a deep breath to stabilize herself; thinking ahead from the last time, she decides to just shoot now, and it seems to pay off, the 6-ball being driven into the corner solidly. But the cue ball goes into the adjacent pocket, oops.]

Ah, oops. Um. But Zeke-san asked me... if I wanted to be a Dreamer.

[The question doesn't cause quite the same reaction it did in the moment; she feels melancholy settling over her again, but not the sheer, blind panic for that one second, or the massive wave of uncertainty that'd washed over her at the time. Just... resignation. Discontent.]

It didn't... seem like a fair question, at the time. I was diving into your heart to pull you out because I was freaking out without you, and he wanted to ask if I wanted to be there? But... I understand what he means, now. I still haven't found my answer yet. [She shakes her head.] But I know I wouldn't have met you if I never started Dreaming, and I don't want to let you go in alone. So for now, at least, I have enough of an answer to keep me going.

[She... seems to pull herself out of a mental mud pit, snapping back to the game, if not completely.]

Um, right, what do I do now? I'm pretty sure that one is a penalty.

I was sure you wouldn't, Imai-san. [She's pretty sure she is turning using Lisa's last name like that into a flirting routine. Oh well.

She watches and listens at the same time. When she sees the cue ball roll into the pocket, though, she can't help but wince. But, she keeps quiet. Despite her flirting, her focus is on what Lisa is saying. She puts that first. And it's a heavy thing to consider. It's something she has grappled with too, if for different reasons. Does she want to be a Dreamer? Is Dreaming what she thought it would be when she started?

She freezes up for a second. It's hard for her to consider for herself. What could she possibly tell Lisa, when she can't get her own act together?

But that's not what Lisa asked for. She needs to be heard. Junna nods, then.] I have trouble with it too. I felt like... like I'm betraying people close to me to doubt that. But that's not true, is it? It's okay to be unsure. I'll stay by your side, and you can take all the time you need to find that answer.

[Then, there's Lisa's question. Junna smiles a little apologetically then.]

That's called a scratch. There's a few ways to get one. I thought we'd cover them as they come up -- and some of them depend how serious you're taking it. This is a friendly game, not a tournament, though. [So they don't need to worry about the edge cases. Or when Lisa did one because she was too upset to hit it right.

She looks at Lisa, then walks over and pulls out the cue ball.]

A scratch means it's my turn. You have to pull one of your sunk balls -- your choice -- in the middle of the table. And it means I can put the cue ball where I'd like. It can give the other player a big advantage.

[Lisa's also starting to notice that. But she's not exactly in a position to keep putting on airs as she sees that cue ball heading for the pocket, so she lets it go as she talks. She's... okay, still. Junna's still being patient and understanding, sure, but she also seems interested to hear everything, which... yeah, she asked, but it's still a little surprising? She also, of course, sees that hesitation.]

It isn't, but... it doesn't make me feel any less like I'm running away. Zeke-san said this is kind of his and Senpai's and the other adults' fault, for looking like they can handle whatever comes their way and putting crazy expectations on our backs. He said it was okay not to know, too. So... I do want to think about it, but. I have time. We have time. It's a little comforting to know I'm not the only one that doesn't have the answers.

[She lets out a breath. It's... this is like therapy, on the days therapy actually works and something doesn't go horribly wrong almost immediately and the whole session feels wasted. But it's going over Dreamer stuff with another Dreamer, who can understand what you're going through in a way a civilian really can't. She's coming to appreciate the difference, as the knot that's been in her stomach since the third week of February slowly, gently comes undone.

She's also coming to appreciate that putting the cue ball in the pocket was really bad.] I have to put a ball back and you get a free drop? Ew, that's... bad. I take it you don't really come back from those without your opponent doing it at least once or twice.

[It's not a question, as now she's pretty sure she's behind despite sinking the first ball, pulling the 6 back out of the pocket and dropping it onto the spot.]

Yeah. [Junna smiles back at her, even if it's a bit of a sad smile. She wishes she did have the answers -- but, really, that's the whole point. Maybe Zeke s right about that.] Me, too. We'll just... take it slow and give ourselves time.

[It's different when they can talk to a Dreamer about aspects of Dreaming. That's something she hasn't encountered as much -- but sometimes, a person who can't do Dreaming can't understand what they're going through. She looks back at Lisa -- and then she nods, at what she says.]

...You usually don't. [There's no point in pretending otherwise. Junna doesn't plan to play so hard that it's discouraging, but it isn't a good outcome. She takes the cue ball, then puts it where she's lined up a shot on the 9-ball.] It can let someone set up the table the way they want. They still need to be good, but... it can let your opponent do a run out. That's when they sink all of their balls right away.

[She hits the cue ball, which sends the 9-ball into a pocket. Then, she looks back at Lisa.] It happens when you're new to it. Controlling the cue ball is hard. I, um, sent it flying a lot at first.

[She tilts her head to the side.] So, you... eventually got to the bottom of the elevator?

[Time... they have that for now. But when the next Disturbance comes - it will, it always does, as sure as the sun rises in the morning - will she have made a decision? Probably not. She may never. But... it has to be enough to have started. To seek the answer and learn from the journey. That... has to be enough, right?

......ugh, Dreamer philosophy. She drops that train of thought, grimacing at the pool table instead. She's already got something headache-inducing in front of her. She's well behind now, and while that's not surprising it's now a hole of her own making.]

But even if you don't, if we play at the same general accuracy from here I still lose. Yeah, can't do that in the future... math and physics and now statistics, this game is mean! [She gives Junna a look that screams nerrrrrrrd loudly enough to be heard outside.] I guess it just means I need to practice, though. But this one's probably out of my hands from here.

[She sighs softly, shaking her head and letting her smile reassert itself as her attention drifts again.]

Yeah. The bottom of the elevator went to a bunch of hallways with a bunch of... I guess club rooms? Every room you found had a poster for a production outside - a movie, a play, something like that. And if you popped your head in, a pile of students dragged you in and frantically asked for your help to repair this costume, build this set piece, paint this backdrop. Every time you fixed something, two more things would need doing. Nothing was ever finished, nothing was ever ready. The show couldn't go on. And if you refused to help, well, they're Torments, and you were made to regret that decision.

[She doesn't seem to have a lot of emotions wrapped up in that statement; she only got caught up with them a few times before she learned the pattern and figured out how to sneak away.]

[Junna smiles a little sheepishly, when Lisa realizes that she's in trouble. She hesitates for a second -- should she have told her it was fine? Did she play too hard? But--no, the way Lisa calls the game mean and all but says 'nerrrrrd' tells her it's fine. She laughs.] I'm not arguing with you. It's a lot more than knocking balls around a table. But, you're doing really well, especially for a first timer. I've got a few years of practice on you.

You're gonna get there, trust me. And... learning to play is fun, on its own. [She smiles a bit more. Then, Junna starts towards another side of the table. She listens, though, and she makes a bit of a face. That... that sounds...

She sighs.] That's so on the nose that it feels unfair, Lisa.

[But there's a look in her eyes, too. That's her; that's exactly how she feels about everything. Finish one thing, two more pop up -- always having something she has to do, always feeling like she's treading water. Junna looks back at the table, sucks a breath in, and then she leans over. She looks at the 14-ball, which hasn't been touched much so far. She hits the cue ball -- and she gets the angle wrong. The cue ball goes flying..

...hits the rail, bounces up, and then hits the floor with a clatter.

Junna's eyebrow twitches.]

Y-You were saying about if I get a scratch?

Mm, learning is fun. Getting wrecked feels bad, sure, but I'm enough of an adult that I understand you're a little better than me. So I'll work on it. Everything through practice, yeah? And I get to take some time off with you as a bonus!

[She sees that initial look as Junna moves around the table, and giggles softly. But before she can throw out a quip, she sees that darker turn, and she checks a bit. It was on the nose, and now that she's looking for it, she's starting to understand the look she's seeing. Junna's thinking about it. Overthinking about it, maybe, but either way, she should probably cut that off. It's fine if the hydra of responsibility presents itself, you just need more and capable hands to slay it, right? She opens her mouth to say something to that effect-

and Junna shoots, the cue ball pops, and Lisa's startled by the solid thunk of the ball as it hits the wooden frame of the table as it rolls. She's not even thinking to catch it; instead instincts from Rhodonite assert themselves, and she jumps back lightly, gently bumping into an open patch of wall as she lands. The ball falls to the ground, not having been at risk of hitting her in the first place, but... that's not how combat reflexes work. Oops. She does see the eyebrow twitch, though, and thinks better of laughing, sympathetic smile on her face as she bends to pick it up.]

I said I would need at least one or two of those to have a fighting chance. That's one. If I keep running my mouth while you're shooting I might come back that way, but that'd feel mean. [She pauses, a more serious, worried frown on her lips for a moment.] You okay? I'm not psychoanalyzing you on purpose, I promise, but it's... kinda part of the deal. So I know it's gonna be a little hard on you.

Mm-hm. [Junna smiles and nods, her head tilted for a second; it makes her ponytail drift to the side, too, when she tilts her head. She looks happy with what Lisa said; it's something she thought too.] I was thinking that. It's another thing we can do together. And... ah, you know, my dad taught it to me. So... it's kind of important to me, too.

[But then she sends the ball flying. Lisa dodges -- not that she needed -- and Junna lets out a laugh after a second. That wasn't very skilled of her. She looks embarrassed, but not really bothered. She pulls the 9-ball out of the pocket, putting it back in the center of the table.]

I'll have to be careful. [There's a pause, though. Junna's quiet for a second, and she looks down. She's trying to be honest with herself, and the truth is that's a little hard for her to do.]

...I'm okay. [She sighs, softly, then looks back up.] It's... I can't quite shake feeling like it's my fault. I know it's not, I know it was a Disturbance feeding on me. But the way it used the things I'd think or feel... [She shakes her head, then she looks back at Lisa.] ...I want to hear, though. If I don't, I'm going to wonder.

And that's... that's worse for me, I think.

Then I'm here for you, anytime. Whether or not I'm a challenge, I can still be practice, along with a chance to unwind and keep ties to the things that matter to you.

[Then there's a ball there and she reacts without thinking. Junna seems to have noticed, going off the laugh, and Lisa scratches her head, understanding that reaction was heavy but needing a moment herself to figure out why. She'll... come back to that.]

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Your Disturbance can't create feelings that aren't somewhere in your heart, right? That's the whole point. In there, there's nothing filtering them or holding them back. It's just... you. Undiluted, 100% you, except with all the happy thoughts locked away somewhere and everything amplified into distortion. At your lowest point, you're going to think and do some things you'd never consider in even a little happier a place. [Lisa's smile turns harsh for just a moment, like she's bitten into a lemon whole (or maybe her lip), seemingly aimed inside.] Remember that. It's gonna be important in a couple minutes.

[Lisa sighs. There's... going to still be a fair bit to work out, and this isn't going to be as simple as a few games of pool and late-night chats. They're going to have to work at it. A Disturbance, she's coming to realize, is not a panic button that marks a turning point. It's an intervention, by force and with everything on the line. They've never failed a rescue yet. She never wants to, and she'll give everything to make sure it never comes to pass. But... there has to be a consequence for failure. That Night Terror isn't there for show and to be a set piece battle like in some RPG. What... would have happened? If they hadn't- no, her mind butts in, forcibly kicking her off the topic before she can spiral and slamming the door to the train of thought behind her. She jerks, realizing where her thoughts were going, shaking her head hard. Gotta cover that up before Junna notices and calls her on it-]

It's worse for me too. I- I haven't let anyone tell me what happened, down there. Nobody else has context. Nobody else understands. I want to know, but I refuse to push you to tell me before you're ready. And that's why I'm telling you this now, even if it hurts you. Even if it hurts me. Yeah, I really need closure, and I have some things to get off my chest, but this is your heart and... I dunno, I guess I'm hoping some of this will help you. If all it does is help me sleep at night because I'm not hiding things from you, great. But if it were just that I wouldn't unload it on you, I have a therapist for that. You don't deserve that.

Thanks. I'll wanna do this again. More than once, too. [She's thought about whether they could afford a pool table in their apartment. If they could fit one. It's an idle thought, for after they get a place. Junna can't get too far ahead of herself yet, after all. Besides... there's something heavier to think about.

The Disturbance is, ultimately, her. As Lisa says: it's undiluted, it's Junna without hope and happiness, it's all of her fears and worries magnified. It's a sobering thought, but Junna nods her head. A similar thought goes through her mind: this isn't something they can talk about once. It'll take a lot of time to work through, both with the help of therapists and a lot more talks to come. And more than that; they need to be a reason for each other to keep working. A reason to be happy.

She does spot the way Lisa looks upset. She doesn't know why -- but she has a few good guesses. She walks over, and takes her hand.] I... I think I understand. It's somewhere in the middle. I'm... [She smiles, a little.] It might hurt and help at the same time. I want the closure, too, though. And I want to hear what happened, and... I don't want to say I'm ready for it in the sense that I'm completely prepared. But--

[She squeezes Lisa's hand.] I'm ready because I want to know. And it... it does help to hear it, instead of imagine it, make it worse in my head, and then react to that instead. And I--I mean... [Her expression turns more fragile, for a second, and she looks at Lisa.] ...My imagination can say a lot of terrible things that aren't true, Lisa. It's helping. I promise.

[Lisa's not thinking that far ahead. She really, really wants to get through tonight, first, because there's still a part of her that expects a dressing-down for her attitude toward her friends in the depths. Junna seems to be on the same page as her and relatively agreeable, so she's not complaining, but boy, Lisa's running her mouth a lot in ways she really doesn't like...

But Junna jumps in, coming around to hold her hand, and Lisa takes a deep breath. Brains suck. Especially when hers keeps taking sick days and threatening to go on strike. So her girlfriend calmly, patiently explains why she's willing to put up with what should by all rights be a depressing evening, and Lisa... listens. Slowly starts to wind back down, tension releasing from her chest. Sees that last, fleeting look of delicacy, and that galvanizes her for a bit. She wraps her free arm lightly around Junna, trying to convey warmth and trust and hope she mostly feels.]

Imaginations are for daydreaming about what you're going to do with your girlfriend in your free time, not for doomspiraling. Even if I've been doing a lot of that. So I get you. And... thank you, for telling me what's on your mind. Sorry, for not trusting you to make your own decision. I-I'll be better. [She takes a breath, nodding.] What you're thinking is probably worse, anyway, so... I'll get through it. We're coming up to the worst of it, though. Or, well, the worst I know about, anyway.

And just to get it out of the way... this is the part where I was staying too long and getting too worn-out to be much good over there. Too spacey, too slow, too irritable, even more stubborn than I already am. But I just couldn't- couldn't stand to be at home. So if it sounds a little jumbled, that's. That's probably why. [But she won't apologize for that. She'll never apologize for that single-minded dedication, even if it hurts her., That thought, somehow, stabilizes her a little more.]

I'll try to keep my imagination better focused. Thankfully, you help out a lot with that. [Junna laughs and leans into the arm around her. She puts her arm back around Lisa in turn. She wants a hug right now. And she wants to hold Lisa in turn. It sounds like they're coming up to the really hard part.

She's patient as she listens to Lisa explain. She was worn out by then. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. It had been days -- and days without Junna there to support her. (Don't blame yourself for that! she tells herself.) It's no great surprise that this was when Lisa was stretched too thin.]

I... I think I understand. You had to get to me. And get me out of there. Get me back. Whatever it took, right?

[She looks into Lisa's eyes.] What came next?

[Lisa needs it herself too, so she's not complaining, leaning into the half-hug and trying to keep herself together.]

Mm. Just... it was the only thing I could think about, almost. It consumed me. [She almost keeps going, but Junna's waiting patiently, and looking into her eyes suggests that she does understand. So Lisa moves on, nodding faintly.] One of the work rooms just had a single high-school girl in it. And a table, with a couple scripts, and a pile of knives that... sure looked sharp enough to be real, and not just props. Sure felt real.

[Her tone changes; it's harsher, more hurried, like everything is riding on her words.]

Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.—
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.

[Her meter is... better than it should be, though far from professional. So is the performance itself, considering she's not holding a script... or working with other actors... or holding props... The words are right, and the emotion is clear. The moment fades, though, and Lisa comes back to herself, a little sullen but otherwise seeming not to get lost in herself too much.]

She insisted on playing Caesar, and starting from the top of the third act. You didn't need a full cast, and it's not like she didn't have most of the lines, but I had to play all the other roles once, it sucked. At least she was pretty forgiving of screwups. If you tried to go around her, she'd just try to stab you anyway, so... meh. Once she was out of the way one way or the other, the next area was behind a poster for Yonezawa's Last Paycheck.

[Junna looks at Lisa, considering what she says: 'It consumed me.' She can't quite avoid the guilt at hearing that. The feeling is there before she can really fight it down, and it takes her a second to push that. She realizes, though, with a second's more thought that it is deeper than guilt. It's not okay, but that was Lisa's choice. She chose Junna, and that means she chose to stand by her. Even at Junna's worst, even if it would hurt Lisa herself. Junna swallows down the way she feels guilty. Lisa respects her decision; she can respect Lisa's.

And so she listens. She looks at Lisa, as she explains, and doesn't hide the way her expression changes; the slight widening of her eyes, the intake at the knives that looked so real. The sharpness to them. And the way she winces, just slightly, at the words.

But she follows Lisa's performance up with one of her own. Even years later, her Brutus is excellen; she slides into character in an instant. His worry at a plot about to be enacted, his shaking resolve at upholding the Republic, his profound but subtle sorrow at the need to kill the man who he would have called Father; it's all there. It comes to mind without trying, and her meter is perfect.]

Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

[Then, she's back to herself -- and her own expression is sad. She smiles a little, but it's distant.] ...I played Cinna, when we did the play in middle school. I'd wanted to be Caesar, though. I kept practicing, over and over. And I--I think it was always a metaphor. And... and how things ended for him. Driven by ambition until he destroyed himself.

It's... I guess the Disturbance was trying to show you the way I'd push myself for perfection. And make you experience how it could feel. It's... not playing fair, is it?

[She hugs Lisa with the arm around her. Trying to be reassuring. Though she hesitates, at the mention of the movie poster.] The first movie that we saw together. It was--it was almost like our zero-eth date. That's...

[She pulls a little closer to Lisa. There's fear in her expression, now. Did that hurt Lisa? She isn't sure. It makes Junna angry, too; that's a precious memory. It's not one that she wants tainted by association. It feels wrong that the Disturbance used it -- to paper over, in a literal sense, the way down to her heart.]

I-I'm sorry. I can only imagine what it might have made you think.

[She feels something is off before she sees it; Junna didn't seem to take her admission of how bad her obsession was well. Maybe she didn't understand. But... she sure does now. Lisa feels a little bad about that, but... she won't apologize. Instead she picks up on the cues that Junna both is reading into her setting of the scene, and understanding where her performance is coming from.

The following lines, then, aren't a surprise. Not truly. If anyone knows this play, it's Junna. But the delivery is so much more profound that it shakes her. Junna doesn't just know this play, she breathes it. Brutus isn't a character, Junna is channeling the man and trying to keep the assassination plot on the rails, with the limited information he has. Lisa has a feeling not unlike being underdressed at a party: she thought understood the assignment but the assigment had layers and she didn't go past the first. Her answering, admiring smile is a little... lopsided.]

It's a hell of a metaphor, then. Driven by ambition, until your friends, your trusted colleagues, your love herself had to come and bring you down, lest you bring doom to the people. I bet you killed it - um, no pun intended - doing this in middle school, though. Even then I imagine you didn't do things halfway. [Lisa sighs.] But yeah. You've pushed yourself hard as long as I've known you, and I admire that... in moderation. This is just reminding me I need to make sure you take breaks. Relax sometimes. Let me spoil you, just a little.

[Her smile is something approaching normal as she grins. It's perhaps a little salacious, but if she has to threaten Junna with a good time, she'll do it. The reminder of their pre-first date, then, catches her attention as what should be something along those lines. But Junna follows the thread all the way to its conclusion, and Lisa's brow creases when she sees Junna seem to retreat a little. So she keeps her tone as light and affectionate as she can manage, holding Junna tight.]

I'm glad it meant as much to you as it did to me. Does to me. But... that wasn't the way I read it, you know? I figured... Caesar-chan was a dungeon puzzle that, ah... selected either for drama kids, or for close-range fighters for when she got tired of dealing with subpar performances, both of which would have been distracted from looking at the walls. That means the person that did know what that movie meant to you - me - shouldn't have been there to find it, so there we'd stay, looking for the way forward. I was a little hurt, because I wasn't expecting to see that in there, but... [Her tone turns a little teasing.] Like I said, Happy Junna wasn't in there to help with decorations. You'd probably have framed it or something, and put little spotlights on it. Maybe a plaque.

[She lets her voice shift back to something firm and kind.] The fact that something important to us showed up in a place like that, tells me that you wanted to make sure that only someone that wanted what was best for you - who was determined to make sure you were taken care of - would be able to go further to pull you out. That's what I think.

Edited (HTML fail) 2025-03-26 00:44 (UTC)

I-I am... a little prone to dramatics, you might say. [Junna laughs at that, and it's even genuine, if a little awkward. But, by now, she can laugh a little about it. She nods, then, and looks up at the ceiling for just a second. Thinking back to when she was in Julius Caesar... she nods. She did a good job; a great job, even. Sometimes she loses sight of that, when she thinks she didn't the part that she really wanted.] I did. We did. It was a huge success.

[She looks sideways at Lisa, and she sees that smile. It's playful -- maybe even a little salacious -- and that gets Junna to smile back. She wraps her arms a little tighter around Lisa, then she leans against her more. Threaten her with a good time, and it will work.]

...I won't say no to being spoiled. Or to being told to relax. And I... do like it when you help me relax. [Her cheeks turn a little red and she finds herself leaning in a little bit... but reminds herself they're having a talk, and maybe that she could come later.

She hesitates a moment, but then she nods with understanding. A puzzle dungeon -- exactly the sort of thing Junna would do. It's like the RPG's that she still likes to play; it's not the same as her love for theater, but she got into them as a kid, and they stayed with her as she got older.] That sounds likely. Something... tied to what upsets me, and something that would make it hard to find the way to help me. Something... ah...

[Then, Junna blinks.

She never considered that maybe the part of her that wanted to be saved -- the parted of her calling out for help, even if she didn't know how -- could have somehow shaped the Disturbance. Not to save herself, but to make sure that the right person could find her way to her. The person in front of her, the person who risked everything to bring Junna back. She blinks, speechless for a moment.

They did it together. They made sure she got out. It wasn't just that Junna was helpless; she did something to be sure that the right people knew how to find her, and one specific person. Junna stares at Lisa, her lips parting, but she can't find what to say. It's easy to see that she's moved. She looks like she might tear up, but she doesn't.

Instead, she leans forward and kisses Lisa, without hesitation.]

A little prone to dramatics. Yeah, like I'm a little good at the bass. I can even play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. But I wouldn't have you any other way. [She grins, and doesn't interrupt as Junna reminisces. But after a bit, she lets herself quip again.] See? Actress then, actress now. [Lisa lets out a soft breath.] Consider yourself on notice! If I think you're pushing yourself too hard, you are getting hugged and you will snuggle for a bit. Non-negotiable! I don't care what else we're in the middle of, it can wait thirty seconds while we stop and take a deep breath.

[And, indeed, she doesn't fight as Junna pulls her in closer. She's doing her best to control herself and not get too distracted, even if the serious conversation and Junna's moods are making that difficult. This mood is even harder; she wants so much to stop for a second and comfort her properly. But... no. A little more left, then she doesn't have to focus on her words anymore. Just her feelings. So she'll soldier on a little longer. Case in point, as Junna takes a moment to digest while Lisa presents her theory. That's all it is, and yet... it's plausible. Junna apparently thinks so too, as she starts to work through it, but Lisa presenting her conclusion is the deciding factor. It's not airtight - one Disturbance is hardly conclusive, and Lisa isn't the person to assess really any of the other ones - but it's enough. It'll ease both their minds, at least.

Or, well. It eases Lisa's mind. It seems to have sent Junna's into overdrive, though, before she leans in to kiss her. So. Apparently that theory works. Lisa's briefly surprised, having expected a little more of a fight, but after a second she kisses back, a little more passion in it than usual. She's... relieved, and that comes across in her desire not to let go. But more than that, one week of healing hasn't quite been enough to overcome three weeks of hell, and Lisa is taking comfort where she can get it.]

[Three weeks of hell for both of them. Junna appreciates, now, that it was a different kind of hell for each. But there's one thing in common, she thinks: they didn't have each other to lean on then. That's something that Junna realizes she needs going forward. That is to say, though, that she needs that comfort too. She keeps her arms around Lisa -- and she stays in the kiss. It's more passionate than previous ones for her, too.

And she only pulls back reluctantly. Her cheeks are flushed when she does, and she laughs a little. She really is an actress, isn't she? She looks at Lisa, then she sighs, and leans her forehead against hers.] ...mm. I could... I could get pretty distracted right now. [She stays quiet for a second, her eyes finding Lisa's.

Her tone shifts a little. She knows that they're not done and she shouldn't lose her focus entirely. She doesn't separate herself physically, but she does nod to her. Her eyes linger on Lisa's, her arms still around her shoulders.] ...thank you. I... I thought I'd been a burden. [She pulls a hand back and lifts a finger, as if to say, "Let me finish."]

I thought there was no way I couldn't be a burden, because you -- because everyone -- had to come after me. But... I wanted you to find me, even while I didn't want to be found, at the same time. And knowing a part of my heart helped you, that... that takes away some of that feeling that I was a burden. So... thank you, Lisa.

[Lisa somewhat reluctantly pulls back when Junna does, her own face red, but she has zero regrets.] You and me both.

[But she stays quiet for a moment after; Junna seems to still have something on her mind, and she waits more or less patiently. Predictably, she immediately starts to say something to disagree about being a burden, but that finger may as well have been to her own lips instead. She stops, and makes herself listen again. And her grin softens. This girl is too precious, aaaaa-]

I told Hibiki in the depths, you're too clever. If you didn't want us to find our way, we'd have been lost in there forever and we'd... never have made it. But you wanted us to save you. You wanted us to get there and bring you home. That made the difference. [Lisa hesitates, opens her mouth to add something else, but shakes her head gently and moves on.] You worked hard too, you know? You held out until we got there. You kept a tiny ember of hope alive in your heart, even despite everything crushing in on you. That's amazing to me.

[Junna smiles a little bit wider when Lisa says she could also get distracted. It's good to know that sometimes they're on the same page.

And it's her turn to listen, now. She is quiet -- blinking at the idea that she's too clever -- and then she nods her head. She did try to hold onto some small sliver of hope. Even if she'd fallen so far, felt so blinded, that she tried to fight everyone. She didn't completely succumb. She let them reach her, when she found her. Junna leans forward, her forehead resting against Lisa's. She puts her hand on her cheek.]

...th-thanks. I... I still feel guilty for it, but... but I'm glad. You're amazing, too. You kept pushing, to find me, and help me, and... [She trails off. Is it too early to say that?] ...I-I know I should let you finish. But, I can see... I can see how much I mean to you. That's important, too.

[Lisa relaxes into the touch, taking as much comfort as she can. She's happy - knows she's going to have to bare her heart a few more times in the next several minutes but she trusts Junna, save for the truly worst parts where she's still a little unsure if she'll be okay - and she's basking in that while she has it.]

I appreciate that. I... everyone knows I went a little crazy, but I'm not sure anyone truly understands how far gone I was, toward the end. If it hadn't been for... a thing I'm getting to in a second... I don't think I would have left, that last week. But it's... because I needed you. [.....her face doesn't cool any. She could be using even more charged words but this gets it across without making her sound insane, given the rest of what she's got.] So I get why you still feel guilty, and I'm not going to deny that. I did some things I'm not proud of, but I'm willing to own those things. I'll take my lumps if it means I can keep moving forward.

[Lisa hesitates again; she should probably go on, but one, the mood isn't quite right, and two... she's not sure she wants to be able to feel Junna's reaction for the next part. It'd kill her if Junna didn't accept her after hearing the rest of what happened in the depths. She knows better, but...]

Feeling okay? Lemme know if you want a little more recharge time. But... I should probably finish or we're going to be here until they throw us out, yeah?

[Junna's fingers brush gently over Lisa's cheek, while her forehead stays leaned against hers. She's loving every moment of this, too. It's a good pick-me-up -- and she has a sense, and Lisa has heavily implied, that there's more to come. She can't imagine something that would push her away. But there's that little nervousness, in the back of her mind; that worry, that won't be fully banished until she hears.]

...Mm. Me, too. I don't think... I can just turn off feeling guilty about it. But I'll try to keep moving forward, too. I-I want to hear, though. What else happened, in that last week.

[Junna's quiet for a moment more. Then, she nods her head. That entails pulling back a little -- though she keeps her arms around Lisa. The pool can wait; it might wait til next time, even. She thinks she'd rather hold her, at least a little, while she hears this.]

I'm okay to keep going. Promise.

[Well, Lisa got one of her wishes. But not the one that worried her. So she'll have to double down on trusting Junna to understand her when she didn't really understand herself. She takes a long breath and does her best to smile, although she knows she's... probably going to lose her composure in the immediate future.]

O-okay. I'll... let me go on. We're down to about the last week, by now. There's something past the poster, of course, but... a few days after we first found how to get past Caesar-chan, I tried to get through, but Nikki- ah, Sonic was blocking the door to her room. I tried to get past him, asked him to move, but he- he told me to go home. [Lisa's grin turns... brittle. She remembers how this goes. And she hates that this is what solidified something so important to her in her mind.] I told him my home was trapped in the Disturbance, and to let me through. And then... he attacked me? Not for real, but a... warning charge? I- I never saw him coming. But... I. I yelled at him to move or I'd go through him. And he attacked me again, so... I said if he wanted me to go home, to make me. And I... [Her voice is a whisper.] And I sang.

[It comes out with the gravity of "I shot him", tone miserable, eyes haunted. Which. She also did, if not effectively. Most of that fight from her perspective was a whirl even without the haze of depression clouding everything, and it's hard to characterize as she tries to describe the feeling of being totally outclassed but unwilling to give in.]

I... he's so fast... he kicked a chair at me? I hid behind a fake plant, and he scared me and kicked me and I blasted him but I only found out later I even hit him at all? And I-I...

[Nope. She's gonna have to calm down a little more before she can go on. Lisa's shaking a little, but not as bad as she's been before.]

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