#…nov11 2019. happy three years

[another-dr-another]

fte w kizuna!!! give her the pink glow sticks :D -iris

Maeda, narrating - …Well, need to face todays events at some point or another;

Maeda - Might as well show her that I’m normal and fine early on.

Maeda - Would she still be in the cafeteria?

Maeda - …Even if she’s not, I’ll find her.

~*~

Maeda - Hey, Tomori.

Tomori - Hello, Maeda!

Tomori - Anything I can help you with?

~*~

Ask Tomori to Hang Out?

[Yes]

{No}

~*~

Maeda - Are you free? Just to hang out with.

Tomori - In fact I am! It’s always great to talk with you, Maeda.

~*~

Would You Like to Give Tomori a Gift?

[Yes - Pink Glow-Sticks]

{No}

~*~

Maeda - Here, I thought you might like these.

Tomori - Oh! This is nice, thank you Maeda!

Tomori Likes this Gift!

~*~

Tomori - So, Maeda, how are you?

Maeda - I’m… fine as you can be, in a situation like this.

Maeda - Which… sometimes it feels like I’m handling this worse than everyone else, if that makes sense?

Maeda - Everyone always seems so composed…

Maeda - Which- I’m just saying this to explain how I’m doing, that’s all.

Tomori - I mean, I get that…

Tomori - I don’t think you’re alone? From an outsiders point of view, you seem just as well-off as anyone else.

Tomori - And personally, it’s not like this isn’t affecting me, I just know that acting happy- smiling, telling myself it’ll be okay- 

Tomori - Has been found to have positive effects on people, improve their mental health.

Tomori - To a degree of course- not like it fixes everything, and I’m being honest with myself about how I feel, I just try to keep optimistic about our prospects.

Maeda - Mhm…

Maeda - Hey, how did the baking thing go for you?

Tomori - Oh!

Tomori - It went well, actually.

Tomori - I… kinda got hit by homesickness because of it, but it’s important to let yourself feel things,

Tomori - And I think it ultimately helped me;

Tomori - Little slice of home, y’know?

Maeda - …Did you bake a lot with your family?

Tomori - Not… a lot of baking with, but there was definitely a ton of baking, cooking, et cetera for other people back home.

Tomori - It was kinda our way of showing love- I like the five love languages conceptually,

Tomori - But I think they serve better as a baseline of sorts to show love.

Tomori - Like, making things for other people can be an act of service, or gift-giving,

Tomori - And I definitely have fond memories of sharing food between its creator and its recipient.

Tomori - Like… my sister and I picked up that show of affection from our mom, right?

Tomori - I remember taking the bus home from cheer meets, and getting home so late-

Tomori - I mean, you know how public transportation is-

Tomori - And my mom would be just getting home from work, and even though she was taking on two jobs to keep us afloat,

Tomori - She’d insist on getting me something to eat, even if I told her no, that I was fine, to go rest.

Tomori - I think… she felt bad. Felt bad that I had to take the bus instead of getting picked up like others,

Tomori - Felt bad that I didn’t come home to a stay-at-home mom who’d been playing housewife all day…

Tomori - Which, I never wanted anything different. She loved me, and she took care of me, which was all I could ever ask for, but y’know.

Tomori - Uhm, anyways…

Tomori - …Right! So, my sister, Kumiko, she started taking on what she could, and a lot of times,

Tomori - That looked like bringing dinner home, or making something if we had ingredients and she had time.

Tomori - Just something to take off Mom’s plate, show she wasn’t alone in this.

Tomori - Which… kinda torn between wishing Kumiko didn’t feel she had to be the second parent, and feeling bad I didn’t do more myself…

Tomori - But! 

Tomori - There’s no sense in beating myself up for not playing the role of an adult, and I’m there for Kumiko- and my mom, of course-

Tomori - As much as I can be. 

Maeda - …Well, it sounds like things are all working out okay, so yeah, I wouldn’t feel bad.

Maeda - It seems like your sister and your mom are really great, Tomori.

Tomori - They really are!

Tomori - Just… for comparison’s sake…

Tomori - My dad wasn’t all that great- it’s why he’s not around anymore, he was… that bad.

Tomori - I never really got hurt by him, but that’s just because I was still little when he was around.

Tomori - He really hurt my mom, and in turn, that messed with Kumiko to see.

Tomori - Hence my mom feeling so stressed and all…

Tomori - My grandparents- her parents -were there, but my mom can be stubborn, and didn’t want to accept too much help.

Tomori - But… just goes to show how strong she is, and how much love she has, if you ask me.

Tomori - Growing up, I always knew that no matter what, so long as she was there, I’d be loved, and have somewhere safe to go.

Tomori - …

Maeda - …?

Maeda - Is… something up?

Tomori - No, no, everything’s good.

Tomori - Uh…

Tomori - Got way off subject, but back to baking!

Tomori - It helped a lot, reminded me of nicer times, and gave me an extra little boost to keep going.

Tomori - It’s important we find reasons to stay happy and hopeful. 

Tomori - Along with past memories, there’s the people we have here, now.

Tomori - It can be sad to remember we can’t go back to what we’re used to, but finding things that help us keep going will make you feel better.

~*~

Maeda, narrating - …

Maeda - I just asked about her baking…

Maeda - …But no, it’s nice to hear things like that.

Maeda - Even if I can’t really recall any happy memories, I’m glad Tomori’s got something nice to remember.

Maeda - She’s a good person, she deserves to have had a nice life, and to have people who make her happy now.

Maeda - Should I go hang out with someone else?

[Free Time Event - Iranami]

{Head to Your Room}