❝hold your own, know your name❞

[guiltapalooza]

Characters Willow (guiltapalooza) and you! OPEN.
Setting: The infirmary.
Format: Action to start, but I'll match if you want prose.
Warnings: Maybe some mention of past violence.
Summary: Though she's laid up in the infirmary with some pretty debilitating wounds, Willow's feeling a lot better than she has in months, and is more her usual self. Her magic is finally back, and she's welcome to visitors.

[Willow is currently propped up in bed, a stack of pillows fluffed behind her and the layers of blankets tucked around her. There's healing, scabbed scrapes on one cheek, and her right hand is splinted; she's wearing rather boring gray thermal pajamas, but along the neckline clean white bandages can be seen wrapping across her torso. It's not a surprise that with how battered she is she's also very tired. She's rather dazedly holding a mug of tea in her hands, cradled in her lap to stabilize it while she rests and not bother her injuries.

But despite all this, when someone enters she looks up to greet them with a sleepy smile.] Hey.

Comments

[nemophila]

Actually, two of my friends are here. Tatsuya and Eikichi-- if you've run into them. [Not frowning surprisingly!]

...Sorry you're by yourself though... [And then he took notice of her shifting.] Uh-- are you OK? Do you need anything?

[guiltapalooza]

Nope, never heard of 'em. But I'm glad you aren't alone. [She forces a smile, not wanting to be selfish about it. She talks about her sad loneliness enough; even she gets tired of it.] I've made some friends, and I'll... get back to them someday.

[Though she's not so sure of that, anymore, Willow can't own up to that uncertainty.

She looks embarrassed at being caught out.] I'm as okay as I can be? Could you... maybe pour me some water, though? I finished my tea, and I'd do it myself, but. [She holds up the hand with the splint in explanation, and the other one, with the mug. There's a pitcher of water on the night stand that she gestures to.]

[nemophila]

Of course! [He was glad to be able to at least help a little. He took the mug from Willow when she held it up, filled it up with water from the pitcher, and held it back to her for her to take as he set the pitcher down again.]

Um... if it's any consolation... I don't really understand how this world works, but... I've lost my friends for a very long time before... but I did get them back. [Even if it sort of lead to the destruction of his world.]

[guiltapalooza]

[She takes it gingerly when he hands it back, and gives him a self-conscious, though genuine, smile of gratitude.]

I've... sort of lost them before, too. Or at least had them die, or didn't see them for a few months and assumed they'd hate me and then they didn't, and. Turns out it's harder to get rid of some people than you think. I won't give up.

I just-- miss them.

[nemophila]

I think for better or worse, real friends can never really leave you alone, even if they're not physically there. [Hoo, didn't he know it.]

I know... I can't make up for them being gone, but let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Even if it's just refilling your cup.

[guiltapalooza]

[That was almost exactly what she needed to hear right then, overwhelmed as she was with so many not responding to her overtures of friendship. Either by being outright hostile, or just by being somewhat cool and not reciprocating her gestures.

Having someone else be the forward one makes her slump in relief, and then offer him a smile that was probably too sincere for such a simple statement.] I... thanks. It's getting really depressing around here. I feel like someone needs to go full on Mr. Rogers with the tower.

[nemophila]

[Too sincere or no, her thanks brightened his smile in return. Although he did look at her curiously at the end.]

Mr. Rogers? Is that one of your friends?

[guiltapalooza]

[She can't restrain a surprised giggle, though she tries to (ineffectually) hide it behind a hand.]

No, no, it's an old children's TV show. Um, an American one, so I guess that would be why you didn't get it. Basically I mean everyone needs a dose of love and togetherness around here.

[nemophila]

[Don't worry, he probably wasn't going to be offended even if you didn't try to hide it.]

Oh...! [And thinking on it, he can't help a chuckle himself.] Well, I'm sure it'd be useful, especially here... I guess there are still some things a kid's show can teach us.

[guiltapalooza]

Children's television: surprisingly deep, [she agrees somberly.]

If we all did what they said there'd be a lot less wanton violence and a lot more getting excited about the mail.

[nemophila]

A children's show is still one of my favorite TV shows. [Admitted with a small smile. Oddly enough not embarrassed by it, then again he didn't watch much TV when he got older.]

There might me more kids going around pretending to be super heroes, though.

[guiltapalooza]

Is that supposed to be a bad thing? [she jokes.] Everyone needs to wear a cape at some time in their life.

So what show is it that's still one of your favorites?

[nemophila]

[Cape-wearing as a life requirement? Now that was one he hadn't heard before!]

It's called Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. [And boy is he starting to look excited again!] It's about a team of transforming superheroes that protect the populace-- my friends and I even have masks for all of them...!

[guiltapalooza]

Masks, huh? [She smiles at his excitement, happy to hear it, and to hear him talking about his friends.]

Did you ever do anything with these masks, or are they just expressions of epic nerddom? Not that I'd scorn nerddom. Card-carrying member, here.

[nemophila]

The first time we wore them was to the Tanabata festival when we were kids. That's where we first met. We were all wearing Featherman masks and decided to play together... We were all pretending to be superheroes, and when we realized we all lived nearby, we started wearing our masks whenever we went to play together.

[There is absolutely no shame in his voice about running around pretending to be a superhero named after a bird.]

[guiltapalooza]

[Why would he have shame? Willow went to a school wide party in an eskimo suit once. As far as she's concerned, bird-based superhero masks are tame.]

Awww, that's really cute, Jun. And you've been friends ever since? You must all be pretty close.

[nemophila]

[He nodded, a slight red tinge coming to his face from sheepishness.] Mmhm; we would play all sorts of games together while wearing our masks. It was a lot of fun.

[Forgetting the part where they set a shrine on fire, sort of. this was no time to talk about depressing backstories.]