2025-08-05: White Lace Flower
- Log: 2025-08-05: You're so Sweet
- Cast: Jun Kashihara, Tatsuya Suou
- Where: A hospital in Hirasaka
- OOC Date: August 05, 2025
- IC Date: June 21, 2012
- Summary: Tatsuya sits by Jun's side while he recovers, even though he knows he shouldn't.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
It's been a hectic past few days for Jun Kashihara.
Well, not for him personally. He's been asleep. But it's been hectic around him, particularly for his parents, who've been worried sick about him.
Since the Joker Killer's attack on Eikichi Mishina, which was reported as a gang war with no hint whatsoever of any supernatural involvement, Jun has been in the hospital. He was admitted along with Tsubasa Seki and the first-year Kasu High student they both tried so hard to protect--after all, while Jun sustained no physical injuries, he'd passed out and his head was covered in blood. It was only after he was admitted that the paramedics realized he was fine, for a relative value of "fine."
There was a big question of why Jun's head was covered in the first-year's blood, but neither of them were awake to question, and Tsubasa apparently has a history of psychosis and displayed signs of a concussion and confused memories, so their testimony can't be trusted. Their psychologist said so, so it must be true.
Either way, once Jun was cleaned up, he was given a bed to sleep in while the hospital's focus rightly remained on surgery for the first-year. It's been rough, but that student's pulled through and will survive. Jun himself... It's worrying that he hasn't already woken up even though he's uninjured. Since it's possible he hit his head when he passed out, he's kept in the hospital for observation, just in case.
His mother and father came, of course, both of them worried sick. He's such a gentle, considerate boy, they explain to the doctors. He never starts any fights, they explain to the doctors (leaving out the part that sometimes fights are started with him). They, in particular Akinari Kashihara, listen to Tsubasa and say that Jun must have been trying to do first aid on the injured student and gotten overwhelmed by all the gang fighting and fainted, getting that student's blood on himself in the process.
The doctors are doubtful about that one, but that part isn't their job. The cops are willing to go along with it, especially after Junko Kurosu gives them an indulgent smile. Both Junko and Akinari sit at Jun's bedside for a while, holding hands; when they have to go for the sake of their respective jobs, they leave a letter (courtesy Akinari) and a vase of fragrant flowers (courtesy Junko) so that he can be greeted by what he loves when he wakes up.
They're such thoughtful, loving parents this time around. It's lovely to see. Right?
All of which is to say that there's no one to stop anyone else from visiting Jun in his hospital room. Soon enough, his eyelashes flutter and begin to crack open, and in the shuttered gloom of the room, he smells the lingering scent of his mother's perfume...
"Mother? Father?" he murmurs, still half-asleep, as he shifts in the hospital bed. "I had another nightmare..."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
He shouldn't be here.
Why is here?
This is an act of unreasonable sentimentality. This is playing into his whims. This is exactly what he wants. Tatsuya knows Jun was... was... people said he was fine, but that blood... and then that's where rational thought ends, because the whole ordeal, of being exposed to the Joker-Persona, which had Tatsuya's face on it, was too much. What if he remembered it all? What if that unravelled the very fabric of 'This Side', if Jun remembered? What if he was manipulated and became the Master Joker again? What if...
What if your beloved came back?
And that's why he's here now, ignoring 'common sense' once more. Whatever common sense counts for any longer. His motorcycle leathers are still ruined, but he didn't really have time to go shopping, because he doesn't have the luxury of breaking into his own home and stealing his own clothes again.
When Jun murmurs and shifts on the bed, however, he slowly reaches forward and gently takes hold of his hand. His expression is conflicted, but he doesn't say anything yet. Just touch.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
A hand slips into Jun's. He smiles, reflexively; it's large and warm and reassuring, and his fingers curl around it. He rolls onto his side, prepared to fall back asleep... but something niggles at the back of his mind. It's not like he knows the feel of his parents' hands by memory, but this is definitely not his mother's hand, and wouldn't his father have said something?
So his eyes crack open again, and he blinks blearily several times up at someone he doesn't know.
"Oh!!" he utters, jolted into awareness as he snatches his hand back and shoves himself upright. "I-I, um--"
He knows this person from somewhere.
From where?
The room still smells familiar. He looks around and sees that the two of them are alone, but this is clearly a hospital room, and there's a letter addressed to him in his father's handwriting and a bouquet of flowers on the nightstand. He presses a hand to his chest and breathes out a reassured sigh. He doesn't understand what's going on or why he's here, but he can trust at this point that there's a good explanation.
So: "I'm terribly sorry about that; you startled me," he tells Tatsuya, sitting upright properly and brushing a few strands of his hair back. He knows this person from somewhere, but he can't pin down where. The more he thinks about it, the more he can't quite remember how he got here in the first place.
"May I ask who you are?" he thus continues. He looks up and around at the dim hospital room. "And... why I'm here?"
The letter from his father probably says, and he'll read it in a moment if this handsome stranger bids him to, but... for some reason, he'd like to hear it from him directly first.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
His hands are so... soft. Delicate. Was the other Jun's the exact same? Maybe just a little rougher, from the myriad hostile experiences Jun's had before they were able to reunite with each other, all those years ago, but... unmistakably, these are his hands. A warm sense of nostalgia flooding Tatsuya until--
Oh!
His embarrassment and concern shocks him to the present. He lets go of his hands.
I'm terribly sorry about that; you startled me.
And then--
May I ask who you are?
It shouldn't hurt remotely anywhere near as much as it did; Tatsuya's already rationally guarded and explained to himself that Jun wouldn't know. Jun shouldn't know. This is a different Jun! Yet... it hurts, all the same, to be a stranger. He feels like he's been discovered as the Doppelganger he is, an invader into his comfortable home life.
"You got wrapped up in..." A soft frown. "An accident in Kasu High." He keeps it vague, because he's certain his parents will have the explanation that they received for him, and he doesn't want to say 'Joker'. Don't say 'Joker' at any cost, Tatsuya. That'll just be reopening the wound -- and not a physical one.
"I'm--" Tatsuya frowns deeper. "I'm just a passing motorist. There was an explosion outside..." Is that why his clothes are ruined? "That other student, the one with the tan was admitted to hospital with you, as well as the one who was badly injured... but it looks like they'll all pull through, one way or another."
He's doing a really bad, bad job of lying. He didn't really prepare a story. Everything about his visit here was running on instinct, and how he's paying for it.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
A little rougher? Yes, that's fair to say. On the Other Side, Jun had a Persona and took active part in battles against Demons and Shadows and more. Here, he only fights when one of his schoolmates gets too big for their britches and decides to try to make an example out of him. On This Side, the greatest battles are the ones he fights against weeds that threaten the flowers he raises at home.
But he wakes up fully, and the dream is over. Jun gives him a questioning look, not realizing, let alone understanding, how badly he just hurt him. His own little innocent sin, perhaps.
He listens to Tatsuya's excuses. An accident... That--feels wrong. Doesn't it? Didn't he hear an explosion at one point? He doesn't remember enough to contradict him, and it's true that those leathers look like they've been through the wringer. He almost doesn't remember anything at all, just a mish-mash of sounds and colors. But he does remember Tsubasa, and... there was a student who was injured... wasn't there? Jun's posture sharpens when Tatsuya confirms that part, and relaxes when he then confirms they'll be fine.
"I'm so glad. I think... I remember a little," he murmurs, rubbing his temple with one hand. "Most of it is a blur, but..." He trails off, lips pursing pensively. There is a lurking fear there. Something horrible just beyond his blurred memories. But he looks up at Tatsuya's face, and--
(it was the wrong face)
(this is the right face)
The fear that surged in his chest for a moment subsides like the tide pulling out. It's still mostly a blur, but even so: "You... saved me, didn't you?" he murmurs, gaze softening.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
It's a good thing, when the most dangerous battle in your life is making sure you're gloved up before handling compost and thorns. It's a good thing, to not get involved in the messy, violent supernatural life that they had. The him of 'This Side', too, should've been like that, though it looks like his life wasn't as rosy as Jun's ended up being... was that the strength of his conviction -- not just to himself, but to his parents, who were violently manipulated and then disposed of too?
So Jun didn't remember a whole lot... was that by design, too? Was it the strength of his own will protecting him, and thus, 'This Side', by not remembering? A blur. But Tatsuya catches note of the way his face shifts -- was he remembering how the Joker Persona bore that face?
It hurts, to have his face and identity be a source of pain. But it seems to wash away, and...
Did he save him?
"... I had to," Tatsuya affirms. He lets himself indulge that much. Then, as if to regress to cruel rationality, he retreats from personal sentimentality: "Anyone would, in my shoes, wouldn't they?"
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
It *is* a good thing. Conflict might make one strong by giving one the chance to overcome hardships, but peace ensures there's no need to overcome hardships in the first place.
The reason for Jun's blurred memories is hard to pin down. Maybe it's just plain old repression; maybe it's the strength of his will to protect the new reality they sacrificed their memories for. It would be like Jun. Even while he was being used and manipulated, his will was always fierce.
He chuckles a little when Tatsuya attempts to minimize his efforts. "One would hope. Still, you have my gratitude. Whatever happened..." His features melt into concern as he looks over Tatsuya's ruined clothes. "...you clearly suffered to make sure others were safe. Including me."
He offers his hand anew--this time to shake. "I'm Jun. Jun Kashihara. Thank you... not just for that, but for coming by to check up on me." That's what this is, right? Someone checking up that the person they saved really is okay. It what makes sense, given the context he knows. "May I ask your name?"
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
It's indulgent, but Tatsuya is convinced -- or perhaps has convinced himself -- that the blurriness of those memories is a way of the 'Other Side' Jun to keep fighting. It gives him a distant kind of hope -- like he's not the only one fighting this. It's all shadow and mirrors, though -- just a little thought that he allows himself, to make it feel like he's not the one sustaining the weight of this world.
"Ah... yeah," Tatsuya looks down at his clothes. "Things ended up... a bit rough." That might just be the understatement of this still-young century. Including him. He doesn't want to admit that he tunnel visioned. He didn't even give Tsubasa or the axed kid a second glance, in the moment. That feels really cold. That selfishness...
That selfishness was what caused all this.
He gently reaches for Jun's hand again -- this time, it feels a bit less sentimental, a handshake. Jun... Jun Kashihara. It's a remarkable difference, of just one surname, so innocently, but it represents so much of what Jun never had on the 'Other Side'.
Yes, this is just someone checking up on the person they saved. But-- their name--
Tatsuya's mind is distant again as he comes to a decision point. He can sense the echoes of Nyarlathotep, and his heartbeat is pulsing higher.
There's no sense in lying. If he rebuffed him, Jun could look it up. Rumours have probably already spread -- why was Suou from Sevens involved in that incident in Kasu High? It's no use hiding it anymore.
"Tatsuya... Tatsuya Suou."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Maybe it is smoke and mirrors, but Tatsuya can know that Jun would want to give him that comfort, however small it might be. This Jun might not know who he is, but the Other Side's Jun wouldn't want him to have to bear up under this burden all alone. He knows all too well how hard it is--how much better it was once he was reunited with his friends and had his true memories restored... and allowed himself to fall in love with the one he considered to be like another him.
The night is quiet, the streets are calm, In this house my beloved once lived...
...So maybe it is just something Tatsuya's telling himself to self-soothe, but Jun would certainly not hold it against him.
"Why do I get the impression you're downplaying your efforts?" this side's Jun teases, tone and smile light. It's just a little bit of a joke--it's clear that it was more than just 'a bit' rough. Whatever he went through, it must have been the cause of that haunted look on his face. Jun can't help but worry for him. He's clearly a good person to have gone through so much for a stranger (and at that thought, his chest aches painfully and he doesn't know why), and yet he can do so little for him besides show him a smile...
Their hands touch in a friendly shake. It's like and yet unlike earlier, and abruptly Jun wonders. If he'd just come by to check up on him, why was he holding his hand? ...However, he finds it doesn't bother him now that his initial shock has passed. Maybe it's that gratitude that makes his hand linger a little longer on his rescuer's than politeness would deem necessary.
"Tatsuya Suou..." he murmurs. His brown eyes light in recognition. "From Seven Sisters? I've heard of you a little. A number of the boys at my school complain about how cool and manly you are." He starts to pull his hand away, but it slips only a little before he ends up lingering anyhow. Color rises in his cheeks. If he were any good at flirting, this would be the moment to say some kind of smooth line, wouldn't it? But when he tries to think of one, he finds himself growing flustered. I-isn't he holding his hand too long, anyhow? Maybe he's being inappropriate, acting like this to someone just because he saved his life...
The effect is that Jun ducks his head but still looks up at Tatsuya, giving him a doe-like look in his one uncovered eye. He does not continue that thought, though his grip has loosened enough that Tatsuya could remove his own hand. Jun won't force him to stay.
"A-anyway, Suou-kun, thank you again for saving me," he murmurs shyly. "If there's anything I could do to repay your kindness..."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
It's all entirely too true. Jun experienced that isolation, then, when they all repressed their memories. Even then, Tatsuya can't imagine the suffering of being the only one to remember, when everyone had seemingly forgotten, going about with their lives as if not remembering their sin... up until he was the one who now did it himself. They understood so well about how it's always better to share in pain and tough times -- that was how they overcome all the seemingly impossible challenges that stood in their way at the end. How freeing it was to finally admit long-bottled-up feelings...
In this house... my beloved once lived. A long time ago he left the town, but the house still stands... here, in the same place.
"Maybe..." Tatsuya answers, on whether he's downplaying his efforts. "But there were others too, who I should also thank just as much." Kasu High had more Persona-Users than he thought. If there really wasn't anyone to defend against Sudou and Chidori, perhaps he would've come to the scene of a carnage, with both Jun and Eikichi. But speaking of... Eikichi already awokened to his Persona. Was that a 'failure' point? Eikichi didn't seem to recognise him like he'd regained his memories, though.
But it did mean... that he was ensnared in the supernatural too. And that was risky.
That handshake lingers, just a little bit longer than is strictly necessary for polite company -- but it wasn't about polite company for them, is it? Tatsuya himself doesn't seem to mind, his thoughts clearly off in other directions. It's plain to see in his eyes. This young man is quiet, but his thoughts are racing off a million kilometres, haunting him, tormenting him.
Jun recognises him. For a moment, something flares in Tatsuya's heart -- but of course, he'd know him from his reputation in Sevens. What was he expecting, exactly?
"I'm nothing like how people are gossiping, really..." Tatsuya half-heartedly answers. He didn't really buy into the reputation, never did -- even on the 'Other Side' when people gossiped about him in much the same manner, he didn't really suck up the attention and revel in it. Perhaps that only added more credence to the 'coolness' factor, but... he still remembered how much he struggled with coming up with an answer for Saeko-sensei. He didn't know what he was doing after high school. He was aimless, hollow, and it was only circumstance that fortunately gave him direction for a time.
He catches that flush, however, and the way he gently looks up at him from his one uncovered eye. It's a look he remembers well -- they had so few moments to themselves before it all ended horribly; though they confessed, their circumstance made it really difficult to do things like 'go on a date' when Sumaru City was hurtling through space, having been revealed to be a spaceship...
His hand slips gently. That's the end of that... isn't it? The way their hands held was nice, for a time, but so ephemerally, it has to come to an end. It can't possibly be this way again for them.
"No, I..." Tatsuya pauses. There's no real sense in requesting anything. That will just create more threads of sentiment between them. "Maybe just... maybe just give Eikichi my regards too, if you see him."
There it is again. Another retreat into the sea of impersonality, one that's redoubled with another look of pain and hauntedness, even though Eikichi was also a dear friend that he was relieved didn't get messily murdered by Sudou. He can't be part of either of their worlds. He has to be a distant spectre. A...
A Doppelganger.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
There were others, too, Tatsuya says. Jun knows this objectively--he doesn't really remember what happened, but he gets the sense there was a big crowd, and violence, and fire, and...
He clutches his forehead, wincing as he grits his teeth. Fire. Fire... Why does that in particular feel painful? They don't feel like they suffered any burns at all... He shakes his head and lowers his hand. It's probably just the trauma of the event. In fact...
"Funny," he murmurs to himself. "I read about repression while studying psychology... Now it seems I'm experiencing it for myself."
...that's just the logical assumption.
He looks up at Tatsuya with those doe eyes, and his gaze seems to be so far away. Something seems to be paining him deeply... and it isn't that they're holding hands for a less-than-polite amount of time. Why...? But soon enough he does let go of his hand. Jun sets his back down at his side. His pulse is running quicker than usual now, too. Still, he offers him a soft smile.
"I can relate. Some people jump to all sorts of conclusions based on simple facts and think they know you when they really don't," he replies. This might be a Doppelganger... but it's the only Tatsuya Suou that Jun Kashihara has known. He speaks completely naturally as he concludes, "Not that I was in a rush to see you for myself, but if we were going to meet anyway, I'm glad I had a chance to get to know you for myself."
...Even if he doesn't seem all that happy about it. Jun doesn't think that's about him, though. How could it be? It must be other circumstances in this young man's life that have him looking so bereaved--distant and haunted, like a man leaving his own funeral. Even so, it makes him want to do something for him, beyond what Tatsuya allows himself to ask for.
"When's your birthday, by the way?" he thus wonders, a question that might seem like a strange non-sequitur to most. Tatsuya will no doubt remember how Jun would relate to Demons with astrology during their battles. So often, he would conclude that their compatibility was high or that they were destined to be friends... How much does he really want to hear that again?
But first, Tatsuya does ask for *one* thing, and that's to send his regards to-- "'Eikichi'?" Jun echoes, confused. It's not because he doesn't recognize the name, but because-- "Are you friends with the Death Boss?" --it seems odd that he would refer to him in such a familiar manner after claiming he was just a passing motorist. Then again, Kasugayama and Seven Sisters are bitter rivals; maybe he just doesn't want to cause trouble for him. Jun nods in agreement, accordingly. "I'll be sure to do so."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya's fear starts to spike up again as Jun reaches to his forehead -- it's something like an acquired trauma at this point, whenever they see Jun start to clutch their head; instinctively they've moved forward again, not right by their side, but their hand has found itself forward again by the bedside.
Repression...? "It..." A pause. "It's going to take some time to sort things out... you've been through a lot. Try to not push yourself too hard. I'm sure your parents wouldn't want that either."
He nearly stumbled on that. 'Parents' is convenivently generic enough, however. But Jun expresses how people jump to all sorts of conclusions when he says that he's not really anything like how the school rumours view him -- and... that he's glad that he got a chance to know him for himself.
Now it's Tatsuya's time to feel a flush coming to his face. Is this what their meeting would've been like, if it had been allowed to happen under more natural circumstances? They'd talked about it, during a lull, a break in battle, just idle fancies and imaginations: what would've it been like if they didn't forget... if they just naturally grew up together without everything in the world conspiring to set them apart?
'If' they were going to meet... it feels like they're saying it was fate, almost. "I... do too, Kashihara-san." There's something of a lump in his throat as he says that. What a distant, polite way to refer to someone. They were yelling: 'Jun! Jun!' at that moment. Jun might have forgotten, in the midst of his repression... it's probably better than he did. But he definitely forgot all about politeness and appearances at that point.
His birthday?
"It's..." Tatsuya actually has to remind himself, because he's never seen it as a special day. "July 27th... about a month from now. Why is that?" He does remember, of course, the way that Jun could intrigue demons with talk of astrology and the zodiac, about compatibilities and how that pulls people to be fated with one another... and he remembers his love of the language of flowers, too.
But-- 'Eikichi'?
Shoot. He overplayed his hand again. "Ah..." Tatsuya pauses, momentarily caught off-guard. "No... just-- he was in a lot of danger too. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen..." It seems that Jun's accepted that explanation, though, so he doesn't worry about it too much.
"I should let you rest," Tatsuya starts to make motions to excuse himself. "... I nearly forgot... I did... bring you flowers," he admits, as he draws a small bouquet. It's incredibly unlike him, but it's been a really difficult, sentimental day. It's a small one, not particularly fancy... butterfly weeds, and lilies of the valley.
'Let me go.' A desire for a loved one to let them go and move on with their life.'
and...
'You made me happy.'
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Once again, Jun's pulse jumps as Tatsuya moves closer. For all that he's trying to keep himself at arm's length, that genuine concern he expresses is very clear. Between that and the rescue and, to put none to fine a point on it, Tatsuya's good looks... is it any wonder a youth's heart might flutter? He only looks up at him with a wide eye, hand falling away from his head. ...That's one way to encourage someone not to hit a trigger by accident.
He sees that flush creep up Tatsuya's cheeks, hears him agree, and Jun can't help but smile. Back on the Other Side, they had indeed only had a few scant moments to be together in between their battles and their mad scramble to save the world. A moment like this, where they could meet by chance at the behest of destiny... It might have seemed like a precious luxury back then. And here they are, having it--
At the cost of Jun's memories. At the risk of the world.
"July 27th... A fiery Leo. They're known for being born leaders drawn to the spotlight, and being steadfastly themselves. Stubborn and loyal, they make excellent friends--" Jun smiles again, a little coy this time. "Especially with Aquarians like me, who are equally individualistic, and just as driven to help others be their best selves."
Maybe Tsubasa will remember how Tatsuya had shouted his name. Maybe they'll let them know the discrepancy of that moment and now. But for right now, Jun doesn't even bat an eyelash at being called 'Kashihara-san.' It's only natural for someone you only just met, isn't it?
Fortunately for Tatsuya, Jun doesn't question the mention of his parents. He knows his parents were in this room earlier. Perhaps Tatsuya crossed paths with them earlier. And if his mother and father don't recognize Tatsuya's description... it is generic enough, to cite one's parents as a reason not to overextend oneself, isn't it? Likewise, he accepts his excuse about Eikichi. He does still think there's more there, but he also has the impression Tatsuya is a kind person... and for all that the other day is a blur, Jun does get the impression that whatever happened, the Death Boss was at the center of it.
"It's all right," Jun starts to say--he's been enjoying Tatsuya's company so far, and is reluctant to let him leave--but when he says he brought him flowers, he's stunned into silence. F-flowers? For him? How could he-- Oh. Jun shoots a glance at the bouquet at his nightstand. Yes, he must have seen them and gone to get some for himself... He accepts the bouquet with, initially, a smile of gratitude...
And then, when he takes in the flowers in it, furrowed brows of puzzlement.
He understands the message, plain and clear. But he doesn't understand why Tatsuya would give him this message. It's more like... a bouquet one would give to a freshly ex-lover. A farewell bouquet upon breaking up with a boyfriend. Why in the world would he...?
"Oh," he utters to himself. Of course. Tatsuya must not know hanakotoba, and just picked something small and pre-organized from his local Rafflesia. Manly men don't usually know the language of flowers. Once again, it makes just enough sense. He gives him a rueful little smile; he appreciates the thought that must be behind it, at least. "Thank you," he says graciously. "They're lovely."
Still... something about it sits un-well with him. It's almost like he's saying goodbye right after saying hello. To end a friendship before it's had a chance to blossom just doesn't feel right. At the same time, Tatsuya doesn't want anything, and there's nothing he can offer him... except...
Jun looks again over at the bouquet his mother left. It's a wide array of flowers with a wide array of meanings; that's on purpose, he knows. The point of this bouquet isn't to bequeath a specific meaning, but so Jun can take flowers and hand them out based on the messages he wants to give. That's the kindness of this present: to allow Jun the chance to speak his own language on his own terms. His gaze skates over the collect
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun looks again over at the bouquet his mother left. It's a wide array of flowers with a wide array of meanings; that's on purpose, he knows. The point of this bouquet isn't to bequeath a specific meaning, but so Jun can take flowers and hand them out based on the messages he wants to give. That's the kindness of this present: to allow Jun the chance to speak his own language on his own terms. His gaze skates over the collection until he finds one that pleases him in this moment; he carefully, tenderly pulls out a white lace flower.
"Let me offer you this in return, Suou-kun," he says, holding it out to him. As befits its name, it is a white flower with lacy petals that rise up like a firework on Tanabata. "It's a white lace flower. In the language of flowers, it means 'gratitude'..." Another shy, coy little smile. "...among other things."
Those other things: 'you're so sweet'...
...and 'modest affection.'
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
He can't help it. It's clearly affecting Jun too. It's as if though he's forgotten and Tatsuya's trying his hardest to ignore it, something about their movements do inspire some attraction to one another. Is it, as Jun says, a factor in how he's a Leo and he's an Aquarius? Is it still some invisible thread of fate that binds them together? Or is it just natural attraction, one attractive boy to another?
Whatever it is, it does risk the world, to have these little pleasures, right now.
Tatsuya almost looks nostalgic as Jun explains the Zodiacs and what their personalities mean. They remember admitting feeling a bit negative about the Zodiacs, because they'd grown to associate it with the Masked Circle, with the Shrines that had erupted and killed people around the city. 'Leo', to him, was a shorthand for 'Tatsuya Sudou, King Leo'. But... Jun turned that around for him, explained what was so fascinating and charming about them, and helped reel them back to something they could own, not just a signifier for their enemies.
"I can't say I'm much of a leader, but... perhaps," Tatsuya does admit. Instincts did take over when he guided Akari (oh god, Akari is awakened, a side-thought creeps into his head), Umie and Ririka through the battle with Strega. He knows he's not going to be leading a team much more any longer, but that compassion and understanding is hard to just simply get rid of.
But clearly, as he rises, Jun recognises his bouquet for what it is -- and there is a look of sadness as his brow furrows. Because he knows he'll get the message, even if it's confusing to him... but he wants to express that earnestly in the only way he knows is acceptable for the fate of the world.
Because... indeed, once more, he retreats behind the sea of rationality. Manly men don't know the language of flowers. It's just a coincidence. A cheap little bouquet he got because it was probably the cheapest they had on sale -- there's only two kinds of flowers in it. (That in itself could be a clue, because you'd usually have more, even with their most meagre offerings. So is it deliberate?)
But before he leaves... Jun gives him a white lace flower. He takes hold of it so tenderly, like he's afraid to crush it at any part of it. He closes his eyes for a moment, and then... there's one last indulgence before he leaves.
"... you're so sweet, Kashihara-kun. Then... until later."
... was that just a coincidence, or did he know, after all, the language of flowers? He turns, the crimson of his motorcycle reds standing out against the calm, sterile whiteness of the hospitals. The 'X' on his back, as if restraining him against the very world, insulating and caging him.
... this is enough.
This has to be enough.
He's so frightened, at his core. His opponents are capable of so much more, and he doesn't know the shape of what they're all capable of. He knows he's being monitored. He knows they might keep tabs on Jun, Eikichi. He knows Maya-nee won't give up, and that'll put her, his brother, Serizawa-san and the others under their crosshairs too. He can't stop this inexorable wave of actors being drawn onto a fated stage...
So all he has is the small comfort that they were okay, this one time.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
"You might be more of a leader than you think," Jun replies. "If you rushed into an accident site to help people caught up in danger, that means you took charge and made decisive action during a crisis. That's an important trait for a leader, don't you think?"
...For all that Jun dislikes crowds, he was the leader of the Masked Circle too, for a time--for good or ill.
But right now, they're talking to each other through flowers. When Tatsuya calls him sweet, Jun startles. He'd assumed that Tatsuya hadn't known hanakotoba, but can that really be a coincidence, after so many seeming coincidences? But if it's not a coincidence, what does it mean?
All he can do is watch the black X on his back as he leaves and softly echo, "Until later."
Like a Doppelganger.