Welcome to Gaia! ::

She had yet to personally congratulate her awesome soulmate for becoming the new Student Council vice-president, and she wanted to apologize for not turning up at the first event that they held as well - things had happened recently that left her both in a good mood, and in a mood that made her feel like she had done something wrong. She wasn't sure who else to turn to, seeing how most of her friends were not attached, or had never been attached before, no puns intended for Tess. It made her anxious, but she wasn't about to go running to her mother right now. She needed to talk to someone closer to her age... Oh, and give her this awesome dress she found the other day that reminded her of the ghoul.

The monster dorms was a dorm she hadn't visited for a while, but she knew her way around the maze-like corridors enough to find her way to certain parts of the building... Like Junko's room for example.

"Junko?" She knocked on her door thrice before taking a step back, straightening out the non-existent ceases on her skirt and combing her fingers through her long hair, trying her best not to look nervous, "It's Lizzy, are you in?" She held a black box with a purple ribbon tied around it, ending with a bow at the middle of the cover, in one hand as she eagerly waited for an answer; she had came unannounced, after all... What if she was out?

Junko was feeling better. A lot better. Things had been going well for her lately what with the whole boilfriend thing and being voted as vice president and then the whole success of the terror warrior event. Yup, Junko would say she was feeling better from when she had had her little episode that had nearly ended in her doing something completely stupid. That something being cutting off her own hair. It seemed Junko was in an exceptionally good mood, however, as she had just spent her morning...with Seiji. He'd gone off to run some errand or something, Junko was admittedly in too much of a daze at the time to really remember all that clearly why he'd said he'd be leaving, but she was still feeling rather blissful. She wasn't expecting company, meaning she was free to just rest and relax. She was curled up on her bed, tangled up in her sheets and blankets and nuzzling her cheek against a pillow with a happy noise when someone knocked on the door. Huh? Seiji didn't need to kno--oh Jack! That wasn't Seiji! She gasped quietly and looked around, scrambling off her bed. Lizzy would hear a muffled 'COMING~!' and a bit of stumbling and rustling about until Junko finally came to the door. She looked flushed, but she'd made sure her clothes were all neat and tidy. Not even a wrinkle!

"Lizzy! Hi~!" Junko chirped, grinning at her friend as she stepped aside to allow her in. The door would be closed once Lizzy was in the room and settled. "How're you? Been awhi--ooooh what a pretty box!" All worries she'd had not even five minutes ago dashed away at the sight of the box. What was the box? It was pretty! What was it for? Was Lizzy going to a birthday party! Ohohoh! Her birthday was on Spiderday! Was it...no way. It couldn't be for her! Was it for her?! Her hair twitched with hopeful excitement as she eyed the box as subtly as she could manage, and considering who this was in regards to we can pretty much expect that subtle meant blatant here.

"Junko!" For a moment, all felt good again the moment she heard Junko's happy greeting; the ghoul was someone Lizzy was still getting to know, but experiences had given her reason to believe that Junko was like the sister she never knew - they were both into fashion, they both liked romance, and it was so easy to sit down and giggle about silly ghoul things with her! She also happened to be the only friend she had that had a boilfriend - more specifically, Seiji, whom she had the pleasure of meeting on that boat trip to that hellish foggy island. He was a nice enough boil, and she thought that he looked really good together with Junko.

She grinned when Junko noticed the box, and her staring only caused Lizzy to giggle as she tossed her arms around the ghoul, box held firmly in one hand, "Hello, Miss Vice-President of the student council!" After giving her a friendly squeeze, she took a step back and held out the box to her, "This is for you! Congrats!" She herself had lost the elections - which was a downer - but that didn't stop her from being happy for her friends!

"Why don't you open it now?" She suggested with another giggle, trying her best not to ruin the surprise; the dress inside the box was handpicked by herself. It didn't have a very fancy cut, but the details! The details on the edge of the dress were beautifully hand-painted, and the moment Lizzy saw it displayed at the window of a shop at the maul, she knew that it would look wonderful on Junko! She knew that of all people, her soulmate would appreciate the dress the most.

The hug was met with a squeak and an eagerly returned hug, nuzzling her face into the ghoul's cheek with a wide grin. Hugs! Yay hugs! She was actually very glad to see Lizzy now that her mild panic from a few minutes ago had passed. Lizzy didn't see anything! Nothing at all. And Junko hoped her flushed face was all the ghoul would see; she adored the ghoul and everything about her and would gladly share almost any experience with her but...her ah..'private time' with Seiji was not one she was just going to go around telling the whole world about. Though now her face was one of mild worry. Did...did Seiji ever tell the other boils...? Oh dear. Shaking her head she forced the worries away and released her friend, smiling excitedly and clapping her hands as Lizzy congratulated her. "Hi! Haha! I'm so sorry you didn't win, Lizzy. I was rooting for you." She really did feel bad. Had Junko been able to vote the ghoul in front of her would have had it...albeit a very biased vote but a vote nonetheless. But the box! It was for her! Squealing with excitement she took the box and held it like it was the most cherished thing in the world in that moment. A present! For her! Like the robe from Seiji's parents! Oooooh she was so excited!

At Lizzy's suggestion she open it Junko nodded excitedly and turned to sit on the edge of her bed, carefully untying the ribbon her friend had made on the box. It was a pretty ribbon! She didn't want to wreck it. But it was what was inside the box that had her gasping in surprise. It..it was a dress! A different dress! Certainly a major style change in comparison to her usual kimonos but...but it was so gorgeous! She was almost in awe as she daintily picked up the dress and held it up against her body, using one hand on the bodice to keep it pressed up. The painting! And the cut! And the style and just...the thought! Lizzy thought of her! She sniffed and wiped at her eyes a moment. It..it was sleepies. Yes. She'd just woken up from a nap after all, right? That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"Thank you, Lizzy!" Junko squealed, bouncing on her toes a bit. "Can I try it on? I wanna try it on..!" She only asked because she wasn't sure about Lizzy's level of comfort when it came to other ghouls undressing in the same room as her. Frankly? Junko didn't care if it was just another ghoul. She'd grown desensitized to it.

"Oh, that's quite alright," She smiled sheepishly, blushing a little; Junko was rooting for her? That made her really glad, even if she did not win the elections, "Jericho would make a good treasurer though, I'm sure..." She had faith in the dragon, at least! She had heard that the obstacle course set up by him during the Student Council-held event had been a success.

Lizzy watched in anticipation as Junko opened the box, giggling at the way she was so careful in undoing the ribbon. She held her breath when the dress was revealed, but it seemed like she had no need to worry, seeing how delighted Junko looked as the dress was removed from the box - that was the reaction she had been hoping for! Unable to contain her happiness, she grinned, "Of course you may! I'm just glad that you like it!" She didn't mind ghouls changing in front of her as long as it was in a private place and not... Well, not somewhere public where others might see.

How silly of Lizzy to think for even a moment Junko wouldn't like her gift. Junko genuinely loved any gift she was given as long as it was clear there was obvious thought and care behind it. She was being so spoiled lately! She both loved it and had no idea what to do. But at Lizzy's words of assurance that she didn't mind Junko changing in front if her she squealed softly with delight and gingerly put the dress down. She did turn around so her back was to Lizzy for sake of modesty...though there was something..strange about her obi now that she was working on untying it. It didn't match her current outfit at all. And the bow was so messily done, like she had gotten dressed in a hurry. Weird. When had Junko been in a hurry to look presentable...? The obi was folded neatly and set down on her bed, followed by the kimono itself. She hadn't put a light kimono on the layer underneath as she usually did? Stranger! The skirt came next before Junko went about figuring out how the dress was out on, unzipping the back of it and stepping into it. Perfect! It didn't mess with her hair at all!

There was a slight issue with deciding whether to keep her bra on or not but after a moment of thought she realized it would be tacky to have bra straps sticking out even if she was just trying on the dress for her friend for now, but she had no bras to work with the cut of the front of the dress! That was okay, she'd deal with it. Smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of the skirt of the dress Junko finally turned back to her friend with a wide smile. This was admittedly an odd situation for Junko; usually other people were trying on clothes for her, not the other way around. "What do you think?" Junko asked as she did a slow turn for her friend, grinning from ear to ear. "I like it! It's...very different but sooo pretty! And I should get used to wearing clothes outside of kimonos if I want to blend in with the humans later to properly scare them, huh?" It would seem Junko had already figured out what her method of scaring would need to be upon graduating the academy and joining the other adults of Halloween in scaring humans.

The ghoul bounced excitedly on her toes, looking down at herself with wide eyes. She felt so..pretty! Huh? What were these slits in the side? "It has pockets?! That is so cool! I've never had pockets before!" Junko laughed, slipping her hands into the pockets. Ohhhh this was so fun! Junko hurried over to throw her arms around Lizzy in a tight hug, her head on the ghoul's shoulder and nuzzling her cheek against the demon's. "Thank you so much, Lizzy! I love it!"

Suddenly Junko seemed to have a thought. Letting go of her friend to look around until she spotted her phone on her dresser, moving over to grab it and offer it to Lizzy. "Can we take a picture? I want to show Seiji! He'll be so surprised!" Considering the last time she wore a dress that wasn't a kimono had been prom he would definitely be surprised to see her in this new dress. She adjusted the top a moment so it was more comfortable and not threatening to fall down. There! All better. She hoped Lizzy accepted the phone, stepping back so she'd be in full view of the eyephone's camera if she did. "Should I pose, you think?" Junko mused, turning partly to one side. Maybe? To be cute?

Lizzy looked away for a bit as Junko changed, feeling that it might be rude for her to stare even though both of them were clearly fine with the idea of changing in front of other ghouls. A moment later, she looked back with a smile, a faint blush on her cheeks as she grinned, giving her a thumbs up, "You look gorgeous! Ahhh, it suits you so well, Junko!" She couldn't help but feel proud of her own dress-picking skills.

"You think? Do humans wear dresses often?" She mused out loud, tapping a finger against her chin thoughtfully; she wondered what the fashion scene in the human world must be like, or if it wasn't a big deal to them, "I just think you should wear more dresses because they look really good on you!" She nodded, as if to agree with herself, giggling when she found herself embraced in a hug.

"You are very welcome!" She giggled again, Junko's excitement and happiness rather contagious as she wrapped her arms around the ghoul to return the hug. The phone was taken with a grin and a nod, "Sure!" After all, if she found herself a new dress, she would totally take a photo to show Mac! Holding up the phone, she positioned it so as to capture both Junko and the dress on the screen, "I think you should pose! I bet Seiji would love that!" Another giggle escaped her lips, making it difficult to keep the phone steady.

"I don't see why they wouldn't...could probably ask Professor Savage how humans like to dress, huh?" Junko was turning her hips side to side, watching the way the skirt moved and twirled. So awesome! Junko couldn't help but giggle and twirl for a minute, just unable to get over how exciting it was to get a brand new dress. And such a gorgeous one! It was simple but so pretty! She loved that! But what kind of shoes could she wear with this? Her sandals wouldn't be a good match. And accessories! She owned no jewelry...but she did have a lot of hair ornaments! Maybe she should just decorate her hair as she always did? Oh! But this was far too much preparation for a simple picture! All Junko wanted to do was show him she got a pretty new dress different from the rest of her wardrobe! He never saw her in pretty dresses like this.

Lizzy was right though. She should pose. Seiji would like it! But...what kind of pose should she do? What kind of pose would he like? Unfortunately the first one she thought of had her blushing. No, she would not be posing like that. That was bad. Something simple? She put one hand on her own shoulder and rest the other one in front of her against her thigh after making sure the skirt was neatly positioned. She then kicked up one leg and smiled. "Like this, maybe?" Please oh please take the picture quick! She didn't have the best balance! But this was cute, right? Cute, simple. Adorable. He'd like this. Though really she had a feeling he'd just be looking at the fact that this dress showed cleavage. Sigh. Boils.

Her foot was dropped once the picture was taken and she sighed with relief, brushing her hair back over her shoulders and walking back to Lizzy to peer over her shoulder. Junko rest her chin on the ghoul's shoulder as she looked down at the screen, smiling softly. She really did look pretty, huh? "Do you think he'll like that one? Or maybe I should try another one..how would you do it for Mac?" Glowing green eyes turned up from the eyePhone screen to Lizzy's face beside her. It was very nice having more friends who also had boilfriends! Even if...she didn't especially like Mac. She had yet to see him being anything but a jerk. But her friend saw something in that boil and she'd just suck it up and pretend to approve of him until he actually redeemed himself and earned her approval. It would make Lizzy happy as long as she was none the wiser.

"That's a good idea!" She nodded with a grin, "Maybe she could teach us how to blend in better!" That was under human studies right? She wasn't sure who else to approach regarding such an issue, but it sounded like knowledge that would help them in the long run.

"I like that!" She grinned when Junko made a pose, snapping a photo quickly and holding the phone up for her when she walked over. The chin rested on her shoulder tickled her a little, and she giggled, "I bet Seiji would love it! I dare him not to!" She said it in a half-joking, half-teasing manner, although the mention of Mac made her cheeks flush; while they had been together a while, nobody else - other than Tess, who was worried that Mac would do something unsavory to her - had really referred to the reaper as her boilfriend before... It was nice.

She smiled, a little sheepishly, as she giggled, her eyes rolling to the side to look at her friend, "Probably something like how you did it... Or I would probably just sit down and have a photo taken that way." It was more natural, after all!

"Ah, by the way, how are things between you and Seiji?" She couldn't resist moving the topic to the second reason why she came down today, although she hoped she wasn't being too obvious about it, "You've been together for... Quite some time, right?" She was sure she saw them at the Scarentine Party together, although they could have just been friends then, like herself and Jericho.

"That'd be great! We're learning how to scare humans right? We should learn as much as we can! Fashion is totally an important part of that!" How else would the more human-looking residents of Halloween blend with the human world? Gaining their trust so they could lure them into a false sense of security until BAM! They ran screaming! Ohhhh now she was so excited! They totally had to ask Savage about this! It was important!

Lizzy's teasing earned her yet another blush. Junko had a feeling Seiji would never dislike a picture of her...unless it was a bad one. Or something to that effect. "I wish I could remember where he told me he was going earlier. He left shortly before you came over." She sighed and shrugged, taking the phone from her friend. She added a cute message along with the picture and sent it off, grinning excitedly toward her friend. Oooh? Now Lizzy was blushing? How cute! Why was she blushing now? "We should take a picture of you too and find out what he thinks. You in something just as pretty and new as this dress! I'm sure he'll like it!"

The next set of questions threw her off. She wasn't expecting them, not by a long shot. Okay maybe the how are you doing thing but not the how long have you been together thing. Her face softened nonetheless as she nodded, her excited grin fading into a shy little smile as she rubbed at the back of her neck. "We're doing...very well. Thank you for asking!" That was the easy part. She was in love with who she felt was the most amazing boil in the world. As for how long they'd been together? Junko stepped away from Lizzy to sit at the edge of her bed, counting off the weeks..no, months they had been together. Eight. Eight months time. Wow...that long? That was amazing! She blushed even more. "Since Scarentine's..soooo...about eight months! I can't believe he's been with me that long..tolerated me that long...he's incredible." She fell quiet after that. Yes, Seiji was incredible. Amazing. Patient. Cool figuratively and literally, and on top of that he was romantic and...so very attractive to her. Junko suddenly cleared her throat.

"Ah! But..you and Mac! You're doing well, I hope?" He better be treating her right! Damn Mac.

”Oh, he did? Awww, too bad... Or he could see you in your new dress for himself!” She must had missed the boil on her way here! Then again, the Monster dorm was huge; they must had missed each other because they were using different corridors or something... It was a real shame though, seeing how she had not spoken to Seiji since the last field trip.

"Y-you think?” She looked shy all of a sudden, the blush on her cheeks darkening as she looked down at her feet; Mac did like the new get-up her mother had designed for her, although now that she had a better understanding on how boils think - also thanks to Mac - she had a feeling that he only liked it that much because it was so, uh, breezy.

She beamed, glad to hear that Seiji and Junko were still going strong after so many months as a couple. There was that little part of her who wondered if they ever got into fights or arguments, but then again, she was sure that every couple had their own problems... Which led her to her next question.

"Well... Since you've been together for 8 months now..." She looked bashful as she averted her gaze, "Which, uh, base are you and Seiji at right now...? I-I mean! I-if y-you don't m-mind sharing with m-me!" She raised both her hands up, not about to force Junko into giving her an answer.

Junko smiled and nodded. She hoped he liked the dress, but she had a feeling she could be wearing a burlap sack and Seiji would say she looked beautiful. He said she looked beautiful when her hair was a mess, he said she looked beautiful when she was flustered, he said she looked beautiful...all the time. She blushed, rubbing at her cheek when she thought about this. While it was probably an unnecessary thing to do now that he knew what was waiting for him Junko would have to see to it she called him up to come back and visit her. Oh! He could take her out on a spontaneous date in her pretty new dress! That'd be fun, right? Ohhhh, wait. That reminded her. "He could! He probably will...I have an idea though! I promised we'd go on a double-date when you got a boilfriend, remember?" Junko would keep the promise. Maybe the double-date would be Mac's redemption. "I'll wear this dress! Though..I don't have shoes that match it." She lifted a leg enough to get a look at her bare foot, pouting her lips. Sandals? No...this was not a dress one wore sandals with. But she didn't know how to walk in anything else. Cute flat shoes, maybe? She could do that... "Can we go shoe shopping?" Junko looked up at Lizzy as she asked this. She'd gotten her allowance from her parents with the letter from her mother that was tucked away and hidden from all prying eyes, even Seiji's. She could finally buy things! Not many things, but she could spare a few seeds for cute new shoes.

As Lizzy suddenly blushed more Junko raised a brow and tilted her head. Part of her hair even lifted like a curious dog's ear. "Well...yes? He likes you, right? I'm sure he loves seeing you in pretty clothes, right?" He just had to! Maybe when they went shoe shopping they could also look for a new dress for Lizzy after! That'd be fun! She'd never been dress shopping with a friend before. She made kimonos for almost all of her friends, made outfits for Seiji, made a long line of dresses for Riley, and dresses and kimonos for herself..but she never shopped. The prospect actually made Junko giddy! She was still excited about it even as Lizzy began to act weirder and weirder, refusing to look at her and having trouble with words. Yes? What about their time together? Junko perked a bit, smiling and watching her friend expectantly until the question finally reached her ears.

Wh..which...base?

Junko's eyes widened and her face flushed red, clearing her throat and wringing her fingers together. Why was she asking that?! "B-base? Ah...ha...I do-don't know what you mean!" It wasn't entirely untrue. Junko didn't actually have a good grasp on what each 'base' terminology meant aside from first base and...home. Those were the only two she knew for sure. Junko stood then, beginning to pace around the room; she'd done this with Seiji when she had been unsure how to talk to him about the upcoming field trip. "W-well I...um...well, you see..I.." Junko bit down on her bottom lip and suddenly found she couldn't look at Lizzy. Hell, she couldn't look at her minipets as they watched their owner pace around from inside their playpen. Sayuri was curled around her whip and sleeping, the only reason she hadn't barked her head off when Lizzy arrived. "I love him a lot..." Junko said quietly, scratching at her cheek and finally looking Lizzy's way. "And he's..really good at making me feel...wanted." She blushed more. Wanted was putting it lightly. The boil often implied he needed her, emotionally and physically. "We've...um..." She clenched her fists and cleared her throat again, refusing to look at Lizzy again. This was so embarrassing! "You won't tell anyone?" That was what she was most nervous about. She wasn't exactly ashamed or embarrassed, but she was paranoid word would get around and professors would hear of it. She didn't want to get in trouble.

"You did! Or rather, we did!" She giggled, remembering that little promise they had made; at the time, she really never thought that she would get a boilfriend within the year, let alone a few months after that meeting! Her gaze dropped to Junko's feet before looking up again, giving her a grin, 'I love shopping! We could go to the maul and see if we can get you a pair of matching shoes!" The idea of shopping with her soulmate made her excited; sure, she had gone shopping with others before, but it would be the first time with Junko!

'I'm sure he does," She smiled, blushing again, not used to talking about Mac as her boilfriend. It was nice though, to be able to talk like this. Junko's reaction to her question, however, caused her to blink, tilting her head; she didn't want to explain what a base was! That and she was pretty sure Junko knew what she meant - that pacing, the stammering... She was about to point that out when the ghoul answered her question... Kind of anyway.

"Aww... Wanted?" She thought back to, uh, that incident with Mac and blushed, giving a nod; she could sort of understand what she meant by that, unless she was misinterpreting somehow. Eyeing Junko for a moment, she then nodded, "I won't. Promise." And she had always kept her promises.

Junko was still blushing as she nodded. "Yes, wanted. Sometimes he even makes it sound like he needs me. It's really nice to feel desired and see someone look at you the way he looks at me sometimes." She honestly couldn't believe she was saying any of this. Really? She was seriously telling Lizzy any of this?! Apparently she was. The ghoul swallowed hard and nodded her head as Lizzy promised she wouldn't tell a soul. What she was saying? It stayed in this room. She still couldn't believe she was saying any of this to anyone. How could she even begin to explain this? To start from the beginning or get to the point? Ugh!

"Well, you see...we um..a fee months ago I got um, shall we say, curious? But then..we um..." She poked he ops of her index fingers together and bit down on her lip. "We've gone all the way.." She finally spat out, eyes closed tightly and face as red as a tomato. She kept her voice low as if speaking too loudly would tip everyone in the dorm off and her door would be pounded with angry teachers and protective friends. She didn't think she could handle that. "Why, Lizzy...?" Did this have anything to do with Mac?

"I see..." She was trying her best to process the information; didn't Mac say that too? That she made him want, need her? But then, he had never said that before that particular incident! What if he only said what he did because he was desperate to weaken her resolve? She liked him - a lot - but she didn't want to make it a relationship where 'love' meant 'sex'. She rubbed her temples, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself; she was thinking too hard. She was sure she was thinking too hard.

She listened as Junko went on, her eyes widening, her mouth opening to speak - except no words came out. Quickly, she closed her mouth, taking time to think about what to say; she was surprised! Of all people, Junko seemed like the kind with a mindset like hers! Then again...

"I can... Kind of understand, uh, being curious..." Her blush deepened in color as she looked away as well, "But why did you make the decision to go all the way...? I mean... He made you feel loved, wanted, needed... What made you so sure that he was the one for you?" She was curious... Maybe if she asked Junko for her reason, it would help her sort out her own feelings regarding this issue. At Junko's question, she paused, shuffling her feet.

"Uh, well... That is..." She looked away, and then back at Junko, "I just wanted the opinion of someone in a long-term relationship... I'm just so..." Flinging herself at the ghoul, Lizzy wrapped her arms around her, searching for comfort, laying her head on her shoulder as she closed her eyes, "So, so confused right now!"

The look on Lizzy's face had her frowning. Maybe she shouldn't have told her. She'd rendered Lizzy, her chatty friend who always seemed to have something to say, speechless. Maybe this was a bad idea. The silence from the other ghoul felt so heavy, Junko's heart was pounding in her chest with worry and anxiety as she waited for Lizzy to say something. Anything. Subject change? Maybe it was time for a subject change, yes. But the only one Junko could think of was shoes or clothes! What had happened to her fantastic talent to switch a topic to something more pleasant when she was uncomfortable? It seemed she wasn't so good at that anymore now that she'd been trying to get better at taking issues head on instead of hiding from them like some scared child. Ugh. Thankfully Lizzy finally found a few words to say, and while they were still unsure it was better than complete silence from her friend. She even sighed with relief. Though her question was..a really good one. Junko paused a moment. Well...she knew why she did but putting it into words? "Well, you see..it's not like we went straight...you know." Was it weird that Junko could easily say it to Seiji but not to one of her friends? And Lizzy at that? "But...see...we've been through a lot together, you know? The Mistress says I'm just being swept up in having a boilfriend for the first time but," Junko shrugged. "I'd like to think it's more than that. I trust Seiji. He's always giving up on things he likes just to make me happy. And he's always making things about me without me even asking. And he's really sweet, and caring, and kind..even though outwardly he tries to come off as some big tough guy." Junko giggled at that and grinned a little. His little facade had been going on the decline lately, at least from what Junko was seeing; the ghoul didn't know what he was like when she wasn't around. "I think in the end what really made up my mind was that he makes me want to be a stronger person. I can't see myself without him. And it was like..we were bonding in a new way. It felt really nice. It still feels really nice. Like I'm the most important thing in his life..a-and not just because we're doing that! Nono. I know we don't have to be doing that kind of thing to feel that way. Honestly I like the quiet times more! His parents got him these paints and...nevermind. It's a silly story." She was blushing again, but her gaze drifted to where her eyePhone lay now. There were pictures on there. Very cherished pictures.

"The one? Ah..." How did she know? Junko looked away from the phone to look at Lizzy again. "I don't know! But..hm...it just..feels right? I don't think you want to hear the details on how he makes me feel?" Nothing weird or inappropriate. Just little things like the racing of her heart and the heat on her cheeks, and the way she always seemed to just feel so...incapable of coherent thought merely by his presence. "We're still young, Lizzy. I don't know if we can know for sure. But I'd like to hope I'm right with this!" Optimism! Optimism was key. Yes. But why did Lizzy want to know these things?

Lizzy surprised her again, but this time it was with her sudden despair. Wh-what? The ghoul stumbled back a bit as Lizzy suddenly came at her with a hug, catching her own footing with a bit of arm flailing and stumbling until she felt her wardrobe behind her. Her arms went around Lizzy and gently pat her back and pet her hair, eyes wide and hair raised. What was wrong?! "Confused? Why? What's wrong, Lizzy?" Unfortunately her immediate thought process was Mac did something. She frowned and tilted her head to rest it against Lizzy's, petting her hair still. "Do you want to sit down and talk about it..?" The talk about it part was going to happen whether Lizzy wanted to or not, it was the sitting down part Junko was really asking about.

She quickly decided that she liked listening to Junko talk about Seiji; the way she spoke of him brought a smile to her lips despite how she was feeling at the moment. While some of her experiences mirrored her friend's, she couldn't help but feel a little envious of how sure Junko seemed to be about her feelings, which was more than what could be said for her at the moment, with all the doubts swirling about in her head... Without even listening to Seiji's side of the story, she could tell that the two were very much working to keep their relationship going. Then again, they had been together for a whole eight months! Eight months ago, she had only just met Mac and he made her cry on their very first meeting.

Nodding at her question, she proceeded to take a seat at the edge of her bed, still holding onto Junko; she came here with the intention of talking anyway! It was just difficult to have to vocalize most of her thoughts.

"Mac is... Really thoughtful," She nodded, relaxing and smiling as she thought about her boilfriend, "At times, he doesn't think things through, and can be really mean with his words and actions. However, more often than not, he has the best intentions when dealing with people he considers his friends despite what he might say or do... He is also really a good person deep inside," Really, really deep inside, for some people, "He's honest with me and while I seem to frustrate him a lot, he still tries to be patient with me despite it not really being in his nature to be patient... And I can tell that he really does care about me, and is sensitive towards my emotions... Or tries to be, anyway." She giggled, smiling fondly as she twirled a lock of hair around a finger idly; she could go on all day, just listing down his admirable qualities...

"I'm a horrible person," She muttered suddenly, her shoulders slumping as she sighed, "He tries so hard, and yet I... I..." She sighed again, rubbing her temples before looking up at Junko, "I think I said some really hurtful things to him because I was being insecure and bitter about certain things... I apologized, but I still feel awful! I mean, I feel like he's 'the one' but like you said, we're still young and it's hard to tell with these things... So..." She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, "So I don't think I'm ready to go beyond, uh, third base. Not while we're in school, anyway... But it feels like I'm letting him down or something... And then, there is that other issue - I find it hard to tell him that I... Uh..." She looked embarrassed, averting her gaze, "That I love him."

Honestly if given the opportunity Junko could probably go on and on about Seiji-related things for endless hours unless someone stopped her. Any envy Lizzy held toward her Junko was left blissfully unaware of, instead just sighing happily and looking to her eyePhone when it began to vibrate on her dresser. She had a text! From who? She couldn't see it from here. She'd look later. For now Lizzy was her priority. Speaking of, Junko followed her to the bed and sat down beside her, patting her back and looking down to her with concern. Something was really bothering her! But what? What could have happened that had her so confused? She stayed quiet to let Lizzy talk, though there was clear disbelief on her face. Thoughtful? She had yet to see it. The mean part yes. The good intentions, the good person, the nice guy...she had yet to see that. She knew nice boils and to Junko Mac was not a nice boil. The day Junko finally saw it she would accept him, but not a day sooner. "Oh, Lizzy...i-it's okay! I frustrate Seiji all the time! Especially before..ah...heh. Though even after that I frustrated him a little bit, I think." Junko gave her an assuring smile. It'd be okay, Lizzy! No relationship was perfect! Even her own! She liked to pretend it was, but it wasn't. Perfection was impossible.

Suddenly Lizzy was calling herself a horrible person and Junko's eyes widened. Huh?! What?! No! That was impossible! Junko gasped. "Lizzy? Nonono. You're not a horrible person. No way. Why would you think that?" Junko hugged her tightly and rocked a bit with her friend, rubbing her back comfortingly. Noooo! Wait, insecure and bitter? That sounded familiar..oh! Oh! She could say this! Junko sighed and held Lizzy out at arm's length, her hands on the ghoul's shoulder and a small frown on her lips. "Lizzy..I've said a lot of mean things to Seiji. I've been jealous, possessive, paranoid and even shouted misdirected anger at him. Fights? They happen...after open house I found out he..had a history with Aislin. The new banshee ghoul who enrolled shortly after that? The ScreeJay from prom? He used to have feelings for her. And I got jealous and worried he would leave me for her. And then after the last field trip we had I locked myself in my room for three days, and I didn't even text him. He was so hurt, and it was all my fault. Even recently...we were fighting about the field trip coming up. This was when the new year started. And I...I blew up on him. I said such mean and hurtful things. I honestly thought he was going to break up with me after that." It'd hurt so much to see him walk away. The tone of his voice, his words, they'd been justifiably cold. The very memory of the fight made her chest tighten with anxiety and she did her best to force away the memory as he hands began to tremble. She didn't like admitting that even she and Seiji had their occasional problem but there it was. They weren't a perfect fairytale couple like Lizzy had been imagining them to be. She let go of Lizzy to lightly smooth out the skirt of her new dress. Junko had never told anyone about any of her fights with Seiji. Luckily there were very, very few.

"There's nothing wrong with not being comfortable with it. Heck, there's nothing wrong with not even being comfortable with third base. O-or even second! If you're uncomfortable you shouldn't force yourself to do it. It'll only make you unhappy...and...Mac should respect that." Junko nodded to herself. "If he can't, then he doesn't deserve you. You're an amazing person, Lizzy. Don't let yourself or anyone else let you believe otherwise." She paused as Lizzy looked away from her and finally admitted the biggest issue she had. Oh? She giggled softly and reached over to pat her hand. "Wanna know how Seiji finally told me he loved me? He kept going..'I lo--' a bunch. And he kept changing it to like. I...I didn't like it...so we were watching a movie and we kept making references to it in comparison to us and...it took forever to drag the words out of him. It was easy for me to say it after he said it, but he seemed to have a very hard time admitting it. Like...I dunno, like it scared him to admit he was in love?" She shrugged, unsure if that was actually the reason for this. All Junko knew was it had taken a lot of work to get him to tell her he loved her but now he said it all the time, and he clearly meant it every time. "Lizzy...you're one of my best friends. I hate seeing you unhappy, it's so not...you." She gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. "If Mac really cares about you he'll respect that you have boundaries. It was three months before I let Seiji touch me, and even longer before we went any further than that. It's not like it's even necessary, either! I actually just like being with him! Cuddling, watching a movie, talking...if we had never gone that far at all it wouldn't be the end of the world." Not that she regretted it. No way did Junko regret it! Just...well...cuddling was really awesome.