If Only for a Moment ☓ You and Her

Wasteland Maidens

Guyyyyss. Thank you so much for over 1k reads and over 50 votes. I love y'all. Omg.

It'd been about half a year since Adachi had plunged the world into a legendary cesspool. The investigation team had failed in their final mission to stop Ameno-Sagiri from shrouding the world in fog - just barely escaping with their lives - and now every waking moment was a battle for survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The glasses still functioned, if a little less effectively in such thick fog. This, you all were thankful for. You have to take your victories where you can, these days.

"Find anything useful?"

You try to hide the way your cheeks redden guiltily at the question. You'd been zoning out when you should've been scavenging.

"Not yet, Naoto-kun; sorry."

"Don't apologize. Supply has been dwindling for a while, I'm sure the others can hold out for a few more hours."

You glance her way, still crouched in a far corner of Junes's old grocery department. She's searching shelves for something that hasn't gone bad yet. Non-perishables are getting harder and harder to find, but her sharp eyes have managed to spot out a few good finds so far.

Her old school uniform is dingy from months of wear-and-tear. She wears the jacket around her waist, now, and her dirty button-down spreads open where it has lost its three top buttons. She's pushed her sleeves up to her elbows, revealing the smooth pale skin of her arms.

Her trusty hat remains; and under it her dark hair has been shorn a little closer to her head to prevent heat exhaustion and tangles. Everyone moves around a lot more these days - you've all had to change a bit to accommodate a more active lifestyle.

Despite everything, she still manages to take your breath away.

Ugh. So not the time, self. You scold inwardly and shake your head as if to rid yourself of your lovesick thoughts. You stand and get back to searching through the aisles.

"You good here? I'm gonna try to find some scrap in furniture. Maybe some shelves or somethin' I can break apart so Chie-senpai can finish boarding up the windows." Naoto glances at you from between the shelves, an absent look in her eyes.

She nods. "Go on..." Her voice is almost like an afterthought. You wonder what has her so somber, but then figure that's a stupid question to ask in your current situation.

You wish you could cheer her up somehow.

Instead, with nothing encouraging to say, you turn and head deeper into the abandoned department store.

Junes is quiet, but still you can feel the presence of shadows clustered about the many floors. You sense Naoto, too - a bright glow amongst the gloom and muck. You focus on her, feeling warmer for it even as you trail farther away.

Your persona is a fighter, sure, but it's got a sort of secondary sensory ability. You aren't nearly as effective as Rise, but it works well enough when you need to split into groups and scavenge.

Luckily for you, the furniture section is deserted for now. There are a few meandering shadows nearby, but as long as you stay quiet you're sure you'll be safe. None of them are within eyeshot, at least.