I WALK BESIDE YOU by FurryLesbianArmy Cover: Juno holds Haru in her arms and kisses her, in the middle of an empty stage, illuminated by a spotlight. Pg 1 Haru and Juno arrive at Juno's room. Juno: We're finally here, I can't wait any longer Haru and Juno kiss in a very tender way Juno sits on the bed, waiting for the show to start. Juno: And the backstage show is in session But Haru turns around and ignores the wolf, you can see a bit of anger on the rabbit's face. Juno: Haru? Something happens? You don't like my room? Haru explains the situation to Juno, who gets upset because she doesn't want to waste time. Haru: We said you were going to tell the whole story in this comic and I don't see that you're doing it, go ahead and start... Juno: what? But, it'll take me like 10 pages, I really want to do it to you, don't keep us waiting, don't keep them waiting, don't keep me waiting Haru: They will wait longer if you don't rush to tell our story and how all this came about, go ahead miss... Pg 2 Juno summarizes the story, which makes Haru upset. Juno: We did the play, I fell in love with Haru and here we are. End. Haru hits Juno on the head for summarizing the story too much. Haru: Don't be a motherfucker, tell the story well. Juno: OUCH! Juno starts to write on a piece of paper, the wolf has a bump on her head Juno: What I do for some sex Juno shows the paper that says "FLASHBACK" Juno: OK white snake, here I go again against my own *FLASHBACK* Juno and Haru are in the living room trying to figure out what to do for the play. Haru: Do you have any idea? Juno: I have one, but I don't know, it's very weird and it sounds very silly. Juno: (voiceover) It all started with the play, as everyone knows, it was a before and after for us Pg 3 Haru supports her future friend Haru: Cheer up, there are no dumb ideas, just dumb ones who don't believe in them Juno: Okay, I'll tell you Juno: (voiceover) I had a stupid idea, an idea that if I told someone, they would surely laugh at how stupid it sounds, I thought she would do that Juno is very insecure with her writing Juno: (voiceover) I was afraid to write it, I was afraid of being treated like a fool, unoriginal, of what others would say, I didn't trust myself Haru gives Juno a hug, while she gives him words of support Haru: I know what you're thinking, you're afraid of what others will think of your work, don't be afraid, just write what your heart says, let your imagination run wild, do what you want, without fear of what they say or think the others, that should not matter to you Juno: (voiceover) I never believed until that moment that someone like Haru could say those beautiful words, for the first time, I felt touched in my soul, it was as if my fear disappeared when I felt the warmth of her body around me Haru starts by giving story ideas, which Juno seems to like. Haru: How about we give it an unexpected twist? That the hypnotist or the old man is part of that cycle? Juno: I love it, we could add it Juno: (voiceover) When my ideas ran out, she shared hers with me. Between the 2 of us we wrote the play, it started as a simple sketch and became a "masterpiece" as it is appearing in the newspapers of the whole city Haru and Juno start talking and talking, laughing and having a good time together. Juno: (voiceover) From time to time, we would take a break and start talking about different things, first about boys, fashion, cell phones, then we talked about philosophies, religion, politics, science, culture, the meaning of life, manga and anime, we even talk if we think another girl is beautiful Pg 4 By accident, both girls hold hands, which makes both of them uncomfortable. Juno: (voiceover) As time progressed, the accidental brushes between us also, I think I may have accidentally held her hand about 10 times, maybe more. They both retract their hands to their chests, you can see that they are both very blushed Juno: (voiceover) We got more and more uncomfortable each time that happened, and that, just by holding hands, not to mention some surprising and unexpected encounters, once we ran into each other face to face and we didn't know how to react The girls give their manuscript to the teacher, it is seen that they are both nervous Juno: (voiceover) That nervousness that we felt between us, was overshadowed for a couple of days, the period that lasted from the delivery of our writing, until the final grade, during that time, as strange as it sounded, I did not speak with Haru Then we can see the happiness of both to see that her work was the best of all Juno: (voiceover) The day they gave us the grades and said that our work was the best of all, it was one of the happiest days of my life, happiness overflowed our faces, feeling that my ideas liked someone else besides me, it filled me with happiness, it filled me with joy, they made me feel that I was not so alone in this world, everything was happiness, until... To later see their bad surprise when they found out that they had to make a staging of their work, with them as protagonists Juno: (voiceover) The tension in the air turned from a breeze to a gust that hit us hard in the face while making fun of us because we couldn't hit back, we were too embarrassed to act, Haru told me that she was bad at acting and if she's bad...I'm worse Pg 5 Haru encourages Juno to do the play, raising her head. Juno: (voiceover) Honestly, I was going to quit, I had very little confidence in myself, I wasn't prepared to face so many people, and even less with me being the protagonist, but there was someone who took me by the head and told me otherwise. Haru: Quit being at the top? And fuck all your work that you worked hard for? No way! They will witness the best staging that their eyes have seen, something that lives up to our writing Both hire their friends to put together the play Juno: (voiceover) With our minds focused on the play, we had a lot to do, actors, backgrounds, rehearsals, music, etc. The choice of actors was very simple, our most experienced friends Legoshi: Sure, girls. Just tell me what to do Danny: I'm not good at acting, but I'll try Louis: Not that I want to do it, but I will * think * Despite not being the protagonist Kyuu: If you think you can convince me to participate in her damn play, then you are absolutely damn right Both put together the backgrounds of the work with the help of some of her friends from the Drama Club and Art Club Juno: (voiceover) Haru helped decorate the backgrounds, she had a better eye for artistic things, details, colors and such. The result was as expected, a background from the 20's, another one of doctor's office, another one of a cemetery, it's exactly how I dreamed it, every damn detail... it was definitely amazing Then both rehearse the lines for the play Juno: (voiceover) The rehearsals were fun, there were a lot of funny bloopers, sometimes we didn't get to the feeling, other times we were surprised by the interpretations of some, for example, Legoshi drunk? HAHAHAHAHA...It took a long time, but it was worth every second Haru: Julian, I will not repeat it again, either you straighten your life or I walk away from it once and for all, we promised a great life, but at this rate the only one who will have life will be me. Where is old Julian? The Julian whom I fell in love with? Juno: I don't understand, Victoria, it all started with a problem of my own but right now, it seems like I'm carrying a problem from almost 100 years ago, I need to understand why you feel so close to me Then they both meet those who help with the background music (reference to Dream Theater of the 90/00) 5 felines with instruments Juno: (voiceover) The music, a band created by some boys from the school offered to do the soundtrack, when I heard them I said: Music? CHECK!!! Pg 6 Lastly, everyone tries on their uniforms, including Juno, dressed as a handsome young man. Juno: (voiceover) Finally, the outfits, I was very surprised how everyone looked in their costumes, including me, I didn't know I looked so good in men's clothes... Haru asks Juno for her opinion on her ancient lady costume (the rabbit is not looking at Juno) Haru: Oh hey, Legoshi, what do you think of my outfit? Do I look good? Juno: (voiceover) Although I didn't know or expect that Haru... Juno is blushed by the rabbit's beauty. Juno: (voiceover) ...made me question my sexuality, I swear that a few seconds before I saw her dressed like that, I was straight Juno: Oh my! You look...look good! Juno quickly covers her face and pretends to write something down, Haru turns to look at Juno's outfit and is shocked. Haru: J-J-J-Juno?!?! Is that her?!?! Oh my god! Juno: (voiceover) I tried to cover my face as fast as possible, I was afraid to show my blushing face, I was so cowardly that I made Chuckie Finster look like Rambo Haru covers her blushing face with her ears. Haru: She is so...beautiful...and handsome Juno: (voiceover) At that point, I was disconnected from my own security, I didn't know who I was, I didn't know what I wanted, I didn't know anything about me...can there be someone as stupid as me? Pg 7 Past images are shown of how Haru and Juno argue with each other Juno: (voiceover) The turns that life takes, I hated Haru because I wanted to be with Legoshi and she hated me because of how toxic and stupid I acted to be with him, the feeling was mutual Then an image where they are just with their arms crossed, looking at opposite sides, ignoring their partner Juno: (voiceover) Over time, our hatred subsided, we still hated each other but we couldn't see or talk to each other, what's more even in the next panel I won't say anything in honor of that moment...SHIT! A 4th wall break within a 4th wall break? Must be 16 walls! Haru and Juno are looking at each other, still with some tension between them. The 2 girls start to smile at each other, as they talk Juno: (voiceover) And when we least knew it, we were friends, we tolerated each other, we talked to each other, we could see each other in the eye, I didn't understand The 2 girls are holding hands, walking together as if they were friends Juno: (voiceover) And in the blink of an eye, she and I became best friends, we told secrets to each other, we shared things, we went to the same place together, we met...but wait, there is more... Pg 8 Juno rehearses her line, along with Kyuu, while Haru watches them Juno: (voiceover) The final rehearsal before the staging was going great, none of them were out of tune and we were all up to the task, everything was in place Kyuu: Okay Nicholas! Calm down, breathe, exhale, breathe, exhale, follow the pendulum with your eyes, focus on it, let this undulating movement be a key to your subconscious where all you hear is my voice In Haru's pupils, hearts form. Haru imagines that she is hypnotizing Juno, sitting on the wolf's body, both of them completely naked. Haru: Now Nicholas, as soon as you wake up, you're going to have as much sex as you can with me, don't bother with the breaks, I just want to own your sexy naked body Haru dances with Legoshi, while Juno watches. Juno: (voiceover) Although, at the time of the scenes where Haru shared the stage with Legoshi or Louis, for some strange reason, I couldn't stop looking at my little bunny, my gaze was focused on her and nothing else but her Juno's pupils have hearts Juno: (voiceover) It was clearer than water, I had fallen in love with Haru, I couldn't help it anymore, I needed to be with her, if only I had written the story in a different way I... Juno imagines that she is dancing with Haru, instead of Legoshi, both dancing wearing a sling bikini (Juno) and a mini bikini (Haru). Juno: (voiceover) ...could take advantage of the situation to share the stage with her for longer than we had planned in the play, that at the end of the play, Victoria would still be alive, but because she fell in love with Nicholas and he decided not to return, she would dance with Nicholas , who would protect her from Edward, but it was too late and that fantasy would only live in my head Pg 9 The play was a success and everyone applauds our cast Juno: (voiceover) As you will remember, the play was a resounding success and everyone applauded us, the room was going to fall apart from the sound of clapping Juno takes Haru to a dark place. Juno: (voiceover) Everyone went to celebrate with alcohol, but I wanted to celebrate in another way... with my Haru Juno kisses Haru deeply in the darkness Juno: (voiceover) And in the midst of that gloom, we refute that trite and worn phrase of the novels: "Eyes that do not see, heart that does not feel." Because neither of us saw anything, but our hearts felt all the warmth of the other through that tender kiss we shared. The two hold hands as they walk together. Juno: (voiceover) And not only do we felt the heat, we felt happiness, we felt tranquility, we felt harmony between our heartbeats, we felt affection, we felt a connection through that fictitious red thread that everyone says, but above all... Do you remember the steps on Pg 7? Well this is the last step, Juno is lifting Haru in her arms as they share a French kiss Juno: (voiceover) We felt love. I felt all the love from my... from my... from my... OH FUCK YOU! I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT! I felt all the love from my girlfriend Pg 10 Juno finished telling the story and smiles at all the readers, with a lot of blush on her face. Juno: And that's our whole story, guys, thanks for listening without getting bored, with your permission... Juno turns to see her friend, with much lust Juno: Now... Juno is left with a poker face (reference to Legoshi poker face) Haru is completely naked, posing for the wolf. Haru: Now...our fun begins, Juno Haru sits on Juno's legs, her boobs are up to Juno's face, the wolf can't stop looking at her friend's boobs Juno: Since when are you naked? Haru: From the last panel on page 2