April catch-all ♫

[traceofeffort]

⭐ Who: Lisa and you! Yeah, you, I see you on your phone over there, come on, sing along! Junna will be along for at least one of these, I expect, You'll Know.
⭐ When: All through April! Especially earlier in the month, though.
⭐ Where: Asagi Public Library, DU HQ, Tsubaki Department Store, the park, and probably other places too
⭐ What: After last month's roller coaster of emotions, Lisa's doing her best to keep her head and embrace her vision for the future, with everything preparing for adult life entails. She's also got some slightly esoteric shopping to do.
⭐ Warnings: Early in the month, nothing, for once! Tooth-rotting fluff, perhaps. Later in the month, Lisa will be somewhat less cheery for Obvious Reasons.

Comments

[thestarknows]

[Maybe it's better that Lisa can get it out now. Junna hates that it's in public like this. She hates that it has to happen at all. But maybe it's better that Lisa didn't have to keep it inside, if it had to happen.

Her arms stay around her girlfriend. Junna leans her head down, by Lisa's. When she talks, her voice is strained. It's hard to hear Lisa cry and not start to choke up herself.]

I know. It's not fair. It's not. [She bites her lip.] But... but we can try to make it more fair, can't we? And we can do our best with what happens, and find the good that can come out of it, right?

[She gently puts a hand on Lisa's cheek, lifting her chin to look into her eyes.]

It's not fair but we'll make it more fair.

[traceofeffort]

[Even through her own tears, she can hear she's setting off Junna. She- she doesn't want that. Not that she can stop herself when she's like this, but... she has to try harder. What a mess she is...

...that's not productive. She'll have plenty of time to be depressed later. Right now... well, right now Junna's trying to help her and she needs to. Try and tune back in.]

We'll... we'll make it fair. Somehow or other. W-we have to. It's... it has to be okay. It has to, right? [The words are as much for her as for Junna.] I- I don't know what good can come of a Disturbance, other than what happens after, but... but there has to be something right? There. There has to.

[Her eyes are still wild as Junna looks into them, even if she's... coming down from the worst of it.]

[thestarknows]

[Junna does her best to take a deep, steadying breath. The same as her therapist taught her, for moments when it feels like too much. It helps, but it isn't everything. She keeps her arms around Lisa, looking at her. She can see her trying.

There's a little flash of guilt despite herself. Was she enough, then? Did she just make it worse for her?

There's a nod, though, to Lisa's question.] Good can come from it. It--it helped me realize things about myself. Things I might not have learned otherwise. And it brought me even closer to you.

It doesn't mean that it's not awful or unfair. But, it...

[She places her hands on Lisa's shoulders.] ...It was hard, but I'd never give it up. It's the path I walked, and it's the path that led me to you. And led me to myself.

It can be like that for her, too.

[traceofeffort]

I don't know... if I'm the person that should be getting closer to Senpai. It feels. It feels wrong to do it like this. But... I have to try, right? If- if we're going to help her.

[Lisa takes a breath, and lets it out in a slow, shuddering huff.]

I'm a little afraid of... what kind of realization will be waiting. When we get to the depths. She might need it, but it might- [another breath, this one shorter and sharper-] be something that breaks how we see her. Still...

[She still looks miserable. Looking up at Junna, she's pretty sure she's made her miserable too, which. Isn't helping either of them, and she can throw feeling bad about it onto the pile with everything else going wrong today. But her eyes are clearing, determination starting to work its way into her voice.]

I want to help Senpai. I have to help her. Even... even if it hurts. Hurts me, or hurts her. Probably- probably both, just like last time. It... it doesn't stop what needs to be done. Yeah?

[thestarknows]

Yeah. We... we can't pick a different outcome, where this never happened. [Junna's hands still rest on Lisa's shoulders, and she looks at her -- her expression is still intense. She hesitates to see how Lisa looks so miserable.

But, it's something they have to push it back.] Maybe. But... we just have to have faith that she's still the same person we care about. Even if there's more to her, it doesn't mean that all of that goes away.

[There's a nod, then.] Yeah. We'll do what we have to, and--and we'll be there for each other, whatever happens. To pick each other up. And keep moving.