reaper_of_fortune | [P3] A Shred of Hope

Entry tags:

!rp,
*shinjiro

[P3] A Shred of Hope

[Well, it's winter again. This is the time of year Jun hates the most, partly because of the weather and partly because... well, while most people see snow as calming and pure, to her it just reminds her of solitude and loneliness.

In SEES, knowing the Shadows lurked, and after October... that's the last thing Jun wants. So that's why she's coming into the hospital today with the usual bag, barely getting a glance from the nurses who are already fairly familiar with her face. She easily finds the door she's gone through countless times since then, noticing one of the doctors have already pushed over a chair for her. Maybe it wasn't a good sign that the staff was so familiar with her by now, but... Jun doesn't really give a fuck, settling into the chair.]

Good morning, Shinji.

[It's become a habit to talk to his quiet face, even if she never gets any response.]

It's gotten really cold outside, you know? At least everyone's smart enough to bundle up. Even Akihiko-senpai! He and Haruka are doing really well, you know.

[She digs in her bag, coming out with a couple of folded cranes.]

Hope you're not getting tired of these. Yeah, it's probably childish to keep folding them, but I've got spare time between training and studying, so I thought it'd be nice.

[And up they go with their mates on the wall there. She lingers on them for a moment, sighing. She withdraws the third crane, her cheeriness falling aside as she crushes it in her hands absent-mindedly.]

I'm sorry it's been a little while. The Shadows are getting harder to fight and Minato-kun insists on keeping us in good condition. Plus Mitsuru-senpai is on all of us to study, and Akihiko-senpai seems to personally want to make sure I'm doing okay.

[Silence.]

...Please, come back soon. I miss you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[weird. Coma!Shinjiro's lips seem to have upturned just a little... although he isn't 'awake' yet. Maybe he looks like he's having a nice dream.]

[Do people in comas get dreams? She doesn't know, but the slight smile makes her smile a bit and she puts aside the poor abused paper, to put her hand on his, looking out the window by the bed.]

What are you dreaming about? Something good?

[In fact, Shinjiro's been hearing voices for a while. But his head is hazy, and he forgets things as soon as he hears them, as though they were part of this chaotic dream he's seeing. His smile, if you could call it that, fades shortly.]

[And Jun's follows suit. She closes both her hands over his for a moment before turning his hand palm up in one of hers, sighing.]

It's strange. Being able to touch you when you're not really here.

[She still doesn't know why she's talking to him. He can't hear her, as far as she knows. So she falls silent, tracing a finger along Shinji's palm absent-mindedly.]

I wonder... if the doctors are right. If you really won't wake up again...

[That feels kind of weird, Jun. But check out this timing. Shinjiro quietly mutters]

What th' hell...?

[of course, some people do mumble in comas. It could be nothing. But after a moment, he looks over at her and blinks. He really looks shocked.

Where is he? What's going on? Why is she here?]

[Hah. That's funny. She wants to see him so badly she's imagining his voice.

....wait a minute. That's not her imagination. Her head snaps over and a look of disbelief and shock pass her face. It's a delicate balance right now.]

...Shinji?

[If there exists even a single kind god, this won't be just a dream.]

Jun...?

[he props up on his elbow a bit and takes his other hand back to pinch the bridge of his nose with. He is trying to orient himself. He's in the hospital? And she's here? Did he see a paper crane when he looked over at her? Oh, jeez...]

[His hand is released for Jun to twist the skin on her wrist as hard as she can. It hurts like hell, which of course means this is no dream.

It's real. This is real.]

You're awake. You're awake.

[It's all she can do to keep from crying in joy, so she settles on nearly crushing his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip.]

You're AWAKE.

[aaah. Nothing like a little bit of pain and shouting to bring him back to reality. Except not really. His expression is distant as he thinks about what she's saying. The events of the 4th creep back into his mind, and he thinks about how much she must have worried about him. Damn it, that's why this wasn't supposed to be a thing... even if she's happy, he feels terrible.

He pulls his wrist back, taking her hand with it so he can kiss her knuckles. He's sorry. He's also not sorry. He's also getting a headache.]

[The kiss is enough to make the tears fall, but she's smiling brilliantly through it. She leans over the bed, pushing herself up with her arms to properly kiss him, even if lightly and quickly.]

Good morning.

[Her voice is barely above a whisper but it's almost choked with relief.]

[he barely has time to react to the kiss, but he'll sit up all the way.]

Uh... morning?

[His memories are fuzzy. He shouldn't be alive.]

....

How am I ...

[Alive? She can guess that's what he wants.]

...Your watch. You were wearing it that night, so when you got shot, it... it stopped it from going into your heart.

[The one she had scoured the city for. The one that, if she hadn't found, he...

No. Don't think about that.

Instead, she pulls the ruined watch from her bag, placing it on Shinji's lap quietly. The hole through the center of it tells the entire story.]

[That watch. He picks it up.]

Tch... what is this, a movie?

[Shinjiro drawls sarcastically. But as his hand clasps the watch, it begins to shake. He's replaying the events in his mind. He wouldn't have even given this stupid thing a second thought, would he?]

It's because you found it for me...

It feels like it sometimes.

[There's no way she's going to stop crying anytime soon, but Jun's rubbing viciously at her eyes anyway to try and dry them. It's the only thing she can think to do that isn't collapsing into a pile of relieved sobs against him.]

...Yes... it is.... isn't it?

[Shinjiro scoots closer to her on the bed, the watch still in his grasp. He wishes she'd stop crying, but what right does he have to say that?]

Sorry I made you wait.

[She smiles through it, moving her hands to grasp one of his tightly again.]

You should be.

[There's no bite behind her words, of course. She's just barely keeping from breaking down and tackling him to that bed.]

[No don't, you'll make his head spin. As it is, he smiles weakly and puts his other hand over hers.]

You're right, I don't deserve you.

[and then he grimaces.]

I've got a hell of a headache.

[That's precisely why she's not doing that. She doesn't want to hurt him any more than he already is.

She meets his smile, closing her eyes for a minute to just hold onto him.]

I'm not surprised... you've been in here for months now...

Months... shit.

[and then his mind lingers a reaaaally long time on the word 'shit'. It's a pretty accurate descriptor of his situation. He had better not think about it.]

How's Aki?

[first thing that came to mind. Sorry, he didn't hear you earlier.]

[Not at all a problem. Give her prompts so she's not just sitting here praying this isn't some horrific fantasy that will all come crashing down.]

Better than ever. He confessed to Haruka, so they've been going out together for a little while.

[She laughs a little, quietly.]

I think he's been watching out for me more than usual, too.

Huh??

[this isn't the kind of news he was asking about! And since when is Aki bright enough to get a girlfriend?! ....But somehow, he resists the urge to go full on girl talk. I-It's not like that's so interesting or anything!!

Cough.]

No kidding... sounds like you've all got it taken care of.

[Well, maybe not that's what you asked, but that's kind of major and important! Gosh!]

Besides that, he's been eating the same and fighting as well as ever, but... we've still struggled against the Shadows.

[How much, she won't say, but one of her hands goes up to instinctively rub at her shoulder under her jacket.]

[?]

Something wrong with your shoulder?

No, it's fine.

[You were never good at lying, Jun. Plan B, change the subject! Quick, before he asks further!]

How are you feeling? Besides the headache, I mean...

[Because being in a coma for months has gotta suck.]

[Don't lie, now you're going to make him fret.]

I don't know. Maybe we oughta get the nurse.

[Ackkkk you know the nurse will probably throw her out, right? This is the first time you've been awake for months! ...But she can't really tell if you're just trying to get her to spill or actually mean that, so she'll go the safe route.]

I... can get her, if you need me to.

... She doesn't know you're here, does she.

...No, not yet. No one's technically supposed to be here in your room anyway...

Alright, relax. I'll be fine.

[She exhales a bit, smiling sheepishly. She is a little worried but, hell, if you say you're okay, then she trusts you! ~~And that's not just because she might freak if she gets tossed out.~~

After a moment, Jun bites her lip, then pushes the sleeve up on her shoulder a bit to reveal some... fairly heavy bandaging. Not enough to suggest it was nearly ripped off or anything, but it probably doesn't look good under that slightly red-tinted-white.]

[Ouch. Worse than he thought.]

I hope you're taking a break with that...

Of course.

[She pulls her sleeve back down and goes back to hold Shinji's hand with both of hers.]

They wouldn't let me come along even when I asked.

[No wonder she had so much time to visit him. It must've been tough being left at the dorm alone.]

[If only you knew.]

...What do you want to do?

[It's... a selfish question, she knows, but she can't help but ask it.]

When you're well enough that they release you... are you going to come back?

... To be honest, I don't know if I can.

[What about Ken? He thinks.]

Because of Ken-kun?

[She smiles now, if only a little.]

I don't think he'd mind it at all.

Oh. Tch...

I guess a lot's changed while I was out.

It has. With... most of us.

We've all had time to think about things... or things to think about. It's changed a lot in us.

...I don't have Hilaeira anymore, for instance.

What?

[So awkward, to be out of the loop.]

She evolved into Hephaestus.

Some of us had our Persona change like that. Ken-kun, Akihko-senpai...

That can happen?

Yeah. It seems so.

[She'd summon Hephaestus to show you, but... yeah.]

[ After a long time catching up with Shinjiro, a nurse eventually caught on and sent Jun home.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[P3] A Shred of Hope

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject