Dunno. A lot of my things have been showing up here.
[Like, a lot of them. She has almost all of the little trinkets her friends had given her back in her possession now, save for one important notebook. Hopefully she hasn't gotten it back because it's made it somewhere into the wider world like she'd wanted... so others can read Akinari's story.]
[Although, all things considered, there wasn't much that he wanted to bring back from home. And yet, there was something that he really would like to see...]
But I don't think I would mind them giving me a picture of my mom and I.
I'd like to see that, too, if you get it. I got a picture of all of us -- remember the party we had back in the dorms when we thought we'd ended the Dark Hour? That picture.
[Her voice shifts, just a little melancholic. Are there even any pictures of her and her parents that she could have...? Surely there must have been some, but it's hard to remember that far back. Sometimes, it's hard to remember what they looked like.
[There was silence on his end. He didn't say anything as it served as a reminder of what they had back then. To think that they were so naive to believe that everything would be over and that not heartbreak would happen.]
I'm sorry, Kotone-san, when we get back? Would it be possible if I saw it?
[He said with a sigh.]
I'm sorry, I think there's a part of me that wants some closure or something.
[She answers without any hesitation, and only hums and nods in acknowledgement at first when he continues. It had been tough to look at that picture at first; they'd really thought they'd been doing the right thing, but then so many things fell apart after that. Things had already started falling apart even before that, though, hadn't they? There's someone missing from that picture, after all.
But she nods again.]
I get it. It... was all a lot, huh? For all of us. And then you had to do even more after, huh?
[Ken didn't say anything as he kept his gaze downward. Indeed, things were simple back then and there was so much he didn't know about. He didn't know how to feel seeing a picture of his past when things have gotten so crazy as it was.]
I think the day I made up my mind to be with you, I knew my life wouldn't be the same.
[Pause]
...I just never thought that I would keep fighting for this long.
[Her voice is soft and a little sad, because he has to keep fighting without her. All of them do, but it seems so unfair that Ken won't have the chance for a normal life, not really.
She shoulders open the door to the club building and keeps it open with her back for him to go through first.]
You said Mitsuru-senpai and Sanada-senpai started something called the Shadow Operatives, right? Are you going to join them after you graduate?
[He said immediately. As he went in and started to look around for a place to put the things down, he gave a small sigh. He didn't want to look at Kotone as he didn't know how her reaction would be. Was he fearful of what would she would say?]
It seems like the least I can do after everyone helped me out. I know they all said that I don't have to but...it just wouldn't be fair if I didn't.
It wouldn't be fair? [she echoes as she moves to the back of the room to deposit her own bolts and holds out her hands to take his to add to the small pile in the back of the room that'll become Sewing Club. There are a small handful of mannequins, sewing machines, and a lot of fabric and thread scattered around the room, which makes it a little creepy without the lights fully turned on, but don't worry about it.]
[Which was why Ken couldn't help but feel a tad bit nervous at seeing those mannequins. While they were harmless, it didn't stop him from feeling worried. As he followed her toward the back, he momentarily looked the other way.]
Mitsuru-senpai and everyone else helped me out so much. It seems fair that I return the favor somehow.
[He really was just a boy with a Persona. In many ways, if it weren't for Shinjiro, he wouldn't be here and met so many wonderful people. Despite all the hardships, he couldn't leave SEES or the Shadow Operatives even if he wanted to. He just couldn't.]
[She hums, not quite doubtfully, but not fully in agreement, either. She can't imagine that after everything, Mitsuru and Akihiko would require Ken to join their group in exchange for whatever help they'd given him.]
Do you think you'll wanna go to college first? I know both Mitsuru-senpai and Sanada-senpai took their entrance exams. Do you know if they ended up going?
I know that Sanada-san didn't finish college, he said that he wanted to be a police officer instead. As for Mitsuru-senpai, I know that she did. She is someone who wants to be on top of her grades...
[With that, he gave a sigh.]
But I know I will. I don't want to let them down but I don't really know what I want to do yet.
[Okay, now that's a surprise. Akihiko had always been really serious about school. Not nearly as much as Mitsuru, but... huh. Still, she feels a bit better knowing that someone like Akihiko will be out there protecting people like Officer Kurosawa.
But as she takes the last bolt from his arms, she gives him a flash of a smile.]
I dunno, I don't think you'll let them down no matter what you decide to do. You've got time to figure it out!
[Assuming they can even figure out how to get back...]
Hopefully but I know I can't think too much about it. If I do, I'll probably end up getting gray hair before I know it!
[He can definitely hear Junpei telling him that. Although, the more he thought about it, the more of a struggle it was. Indeed, how can he relax and be a normal kid with everything going on.
[In the back of his mind, he really wondered if he should have said that or not. Although, he couldn't complain when he was just trying to be normal here. With a sigh, he nodded to himself.]
Yeah, that's fine, I'll try my best!
[Although, by the time that she left, he found himself looking at the fabric and wondering exactly how she wanted to organize it.]
Uh....should I do it by color or shape...?
[What was he to do? Mumbling to himself, it seemed that he'll just have to wing it! However, by the time Kotone came back? He'll see that he was still organizing everything. And yes, he did it both by color and shape. Because what else was he supposed to do?]
[Shouted back on her way out the door. If she takes a little longer on her way there and back to give Ken extra time to figure out how he wants to organize it, well, don't worry about it! It's all in the spirit of giving him something new to try, after all.
When she comes back, she's grinning, arms piled high with more fabric.]
Looks good! [She'd say that even if it wasn't organized at all, but it's Ken -- there was no doubt in her mind that he'd succeed!] Once you're done with that, let's try some basic stitches!
[In the midst of it all, Ken kept on trying to figure out how to get this done right. Mumbling to himself, he just hoped that his leader wouldn't mind organizing it in a certain way...
As she came back, he gave a small sigh of relief. Not that she would ever (or at least he hoped!!) be disappointed but he would much rather try his best. Although, there was a sense of dread coming in...]
It shouldn't be too hard right? From what I remembered, it's just making sure two pieces of fabric are staying together.
[...Or at least, that's what his mother told him as he looks toward the side.]
[Without ceremony, she dumps the pile of new fabric next to the remaining ones from earlier and bounces across the room to start organizing some of the smaller units of thread and needles, humming to herself.]
We can use the machines, they're way easier to start with. But the fun part about doing it by hand is that you can do it pretty much anywhere!
Which would you recommend, hand sewing or the machines?
[Because the more he was thinking about it, the more he wondered if he could handle such a thing. Whenever he saw people using said machine, they make it look so easy and yet........]
Depends! You've never done it before, right? We can do both! They're good for different things. Like, hand-sewing lets you be a lot more precise, but the machine is more efficient and, until you get really good, probably makes for a stronger hold. I use the machine when I make bags, but I like doing my knit rabbits by hand.
[As she's dropping different spindles of thread onto their pegs, she continues,] So maybe we should start with hand-sewing so you can get used to the motion! That'll make it easier to see what's happening with the machine, I think?
No, I haven't. To be honest, the last time I saw anyone sown anything was my mom and even then I don't think I was paying much attention.
[After all, if he had only known that his mother wouldn't be with him, he would have learned a lot more from her. Either way, he shook his head before giving a small sigh.]
But anyway, we can start from there. Let's start making a small keychain that I can give you later!
[Her smile softens a bit at the reminder of his mother, though in a way, it makes her feel a bit guilty as well. It's not like she remembers a lot about either of her parents anymore.
Instead, she beams at him.]
I'd love that! Lemme know when you're finished organizing, and we'll get started!
[Should he really be this serious about organizing fabric? Perhaps not but when it was his leader, he had to try his best! Especially when he knew that there would be other people using it too!
Placing his hand under his chin, it seemed as though he was pleased with what he did.]
I think I'm done. Tell me, Kotone-san, what should I do next?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Well, that was something he wasn't expecting.]
...Was it something that they can just give to you?
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[Like, a lot of them. She has almost all of the little trinkets her friends had given her back in her possession now, save for one important notebook. Hopefully she hasn't gotten it back because it's made it somewhere into the wider world like she'd wanted... so others can read Akinari's story.]
None of your stuff has showed up here yet?
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[Although, all things considered, there wasn't much that he wanted to bring back from home. And yet, there was something that he really would like to see...]
But I don't think I would mind them giving me a picture of my mom and I.
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I'd like to see that, too, if you get it. I got a picture of all of us -- remember the party we had back in the dorms when we thought we'd ended the Dark Hour? That picture.
[Her voice shifts, just a little melancholic. Are there even any pictures of her and her parents that she could have...? Surely there must have been some, but it's hard to remember that far back. Sometimes, it's hard to remember what they looked like.
But she smiles anyway.]
Still, I'm glad I have it.
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I'm sorry, Kotone-san, when we get back? Would it be possible if I saw it?
[He said with a sigh.]
I'm sorry, I think there's a part of me that wants some closure or something.
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[She answers without any hesitation, and only hums and nods in acknowledgement at first when he continues. It had been tough to look at that picture at first; they'd really thought they'd been doing the right thing, but then so many things fell apart after that. Things had already started falling apart even before that, though, hadn't they? There's someone missing from that picture, after all.
But she nods again.]
I get it. It... was all a lot, huh? For all of us. And then you had to do even more after, huh?
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I think the day I made up my mind to be with you, I knew my life wouldn't be the same.
[Pause]
...I just never thought that I would keep fighting for this long.
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[Her voice is soft and a little sad, because he has to keep fighting without her. All of them do, but it seems so unfair that Ken won't have the chance for a normal life, not really.
She shoulders open the door to the club building and keeps it open with her back for him to go through first.]
You said Mitsuru-senpai and Sanada-senpai started something called the Shadow Operatives, right? Are you going to join them after you graduate?
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[He said immediately. As he went in and started to look around for a place to put the things down, he gave a small sigh. He didn't want to look at Kotone as he didn't know how her reaction would be. Was he fearful of what would she would say?]
It seems like the least I can do after everyone helped me out. I know they all said that I don't have to but...it just wouldn't be fair if I didn't.
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What'd you mean by that?
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Mitsuru-senpai and everyone else helped me out so much. It seems fair that I return the favor somehow.
[He really was just a boy with a Persona. In many ways, if it weren't for Shinjiro, he wouldn't be here and met so many wonderful people. Despite all the hardships, he couldn't leave SEES or the Shadow Operatives even if he wanted to. He just couldn't.]
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[She hums, not quite doubtfully, but not fully in agreement, either. She can't imagine that after everything, Mitsuru and Akihiko would require Ken to join their group in exchange for whatever help they'd given him.]
Do you think you'll wanna go to college first? I know both Mitsuru-senpai and Sanada-senpai took their entrance exams. Do you know if they ended up going?
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[With that, he gave a sigh.]
But I know I will. I don't want to let them down but I don't really know what I want to do yet.
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[Okay, now that's a surprise. Akihiko had always been really serious about school. Not nearly as much as Mitsuru, but... huh. Still, she feels a bit better knowing that someone like Akihiko will be out there protecting people like Officer Kurosawa.
But as she takes the last bolt from his arms, she gives him a flash of a smile.]
I dunno, I don't think you'll let them down no matter what you decide to do. You've got time to figure it out!
[Assuming they can even figure out how to get back...]
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[He can definitely hear Junpei telling him that. Although, the more he thought about it, the more of a struggle it was. Indeed, how can he relax and be a normal kid with everything going on.
Shaking his head, he gestures toward the door.]
I think I really would be old, wouldn't I?
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Then you'd really take after Sanada-senpai!
[She dances back out of reach with another smile and a laugh, clasping her hands behind her back.]
I'll go get the rest of the fabric. Could you organize the stuff we got whatever way that makes sense?
[By color, by size, by texture... it's all up to him. Try it and see what happens!]
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Yeah, that's fine, I'll try my best!
[Although, by the time that she left, he found himself looking at the fabric and wondering exactly how she wanted to organize it.]
Uh....should I do it by color or shape...?
[What was he to do? Mumbling to himself, it seemed that he'll just have to wing it! However, by the time Kotone came back? He'll see that he was still organizing everything. And yes, he did it both by color and shape. Because what else was he supposed to do?]
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[Shouted back on her way out the door. If she takes a little longer on her way there and back to give Ken extra time to figure out how he wants to organize it, well, don't worry about it! It's all in the spirit of giving him something new to try, after all.
When she comes back, she's grinning, arms piled high with more fabric.]
Looks good! [She'd say that even if it wasn't organized at all, but it's Ken -- there was no doubt in her mind that he'd succeed!] Once you're done with that, let's try some basic stitches!
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As she came back, he gave a small sigh of relief. Not that she would ever (or at least he hoped!!) be disappointed but he would much rather try his best. Although, there was a sense of dread coming in...]
It shouldn't be too hard right? From what I remembered, it's just making sure two pieces of fabric are staying together.
[...Or at least, that's what his mother told him as he looks toward the side.]
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[Without ceremony, she dumps the pile of new fabric next to the remaining ones from earlier and bounces across the room to start organizing some of the smaller units of thread and needles, humming to herself.]
We can use the machines, they're way easier to start with. But the fun part about doing it by hand is that you can do it pretty much anywhere!
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[Because the more he was thinking about it, the more he wondered if he could handle such a thing. Whenever he saw people using said machine, they make it look so easy and yet........]
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[As she's dropping different spindles of thread onto their pegs, she continues,] So maybe we should start with hand-sewing so you can get used to the motion! That'll make it easier to see what's happening with the machine, I think?
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[After all, if he had only known that his mother wouldn't be with him, he would have learned a lot more from her. Either way, he shook his head before giving a small sigh.]
But anyway, we can start from there. Let's start making a small keychain that I can give you later!
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Instead, she beams at him.]
I'd love that! Lemme know when you're finished organizing, and we'll get started!
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Placing his hand under his chin, it seemed as though he was pleased with what he did.]
I think I'm done. Tell me, Kotone-san, what should I do next?
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