Ok, hear me out, but the Phanom Thief girls hanging out together and being there for one another in a girlfriend group.
How to wash blood out of bedding sheets
How to wash blood out of clothes
How to google something without sounding like a serial killer
Futaba slammed her laptop shut in frustration, turning around to view her empty bed again. The blood, thankfully, had not gotten into the mattress. But it did soil her underwear. And pajama pants. And sheets.
Because she knew that she was going to have to ask for help, probably from Sojiro, and she really didn’t want to. This was a GIRL thing if the source of her blood was anything to go by. And as much as she trusted Sojiro, this was not something she wanted to gross him out with. She remembered the Bra Incident all too well. Besides, Sojiro was busy anyway, running the cafe and junk.
But she definitely needed help with this. Last time she trusted Google on something related to her health, she ended up running to Sojiro in tears, thinking she was going to die.
Futaba started mentally making a list of names as she carried off her sheets to the washing machine. Ann would certainly be the most casual about it, maybe too much for her liking. Makoto would be caring and empathetic, but Futaba held her too high in respect. She didn’t want to embarrass herself like that and make herself look dumb or weak. Haru would probably relate the most, but that might make things awkward for everyone. No, scratch that, it’s going to be embarrassing for everyone no matter what.
She really didn’t want to ask any of her Phantom Thief friends for help, but...she really didn’t have a choice. It was either them, who all would’ve had experience with this, Sojiro, who she didn’t want to bother with the knowledge of what was happening, saving herself the embarrassment of the conversation, or a boy, who would make this excessively embarrassing, one way or another.
It was in times like these Futaba wished that she hadn’t accidentally driven away some of Sojiro’s lady friends. One of them would have been able to help with these kinds of things.
Huffing exhaustedly, Futaba pulled out her phone and started typing, still in disbelief as to the fact she needed to do this.
Haru: Need anything from the store?
Futaba: For...my laundry?
Haru: Say no more, I’ll be right over.
Makoto: Aren’t you the lucky one.
Futaba: Why, is that normal?
Ann: I can feel the cramps just from thinking about them.
Ann: Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.
Haru: I’ll bring ice cream.
Haru: Ice cream always helps.
Futaba: I’ll take your word on that.
Some minutes later, the women all met up in front of the Sakura residence, each carrying a plastic bag full of something. “Futaba-chan? We’re here.”, Haru called out after ringing the doorbell. “It’s open!”, a familiar young voice called out from inside. Futaba was not going to go out in public in this kind of a mess. No siree.
The three women took off their shoes and stepped inside, setting their store bags on the table in the hall. They made it a few steps down the hall before seeing the red-faced ginger, looking down in embarrassment. Ann had no hesitation in pulling her into a tight hug. “It sucks.”, Sakura mumbled, getting a sympathetic nod from the group. “I know. I know. Every month I smite whoever’s responsible for it.”, Takamaki remarked, looking up. The retort got a chuckle from their younger, who followed with “Think I may join you.”
“So, what’s all this?”, Futaba asked, finally noticing the bags. “Just a few things we knew you’d need.”, Makoto answered as Futaba pulled them out and inspected them. Pads, tampons, pain relief medicine, and ice cream. “Th-Thank you. I’m sorry for bothering you all about this, I know it’s super weird and awkward--”, Futaba started apologizing, quickly putting the contents back in the bags and taking them. “Don’t worry. I’m just happy you trusted someone enough to ask for help.”, Makoto interrupted with a kind smile.
“Yeah, that makes you better than me. I tried to hide it out of denial and ended up getting a lecture from the middle school nurse, who I’d never seen before. Not the person I’d wanna talk about it with.”, Ann recalled aloud as Sakura moved to the bathroom. Nijima nodded in understanding. “I ended up stealing one of Sae’s tampons, hoping to figure out how to use it. That...was not one of my best days.”, she admitted, cheeks flushing in secondhand embarrassment.
“My caretakers found me trying to wash the blood off my clothes. They practically dragged me to my father’s office, demanding to learn where it came from. They really didn’t like the answer.”, Haru remembered, giggling slightly at the memory of their expressions. They cringed at each other’s memories, before laughing at how awful they were. “Well, it was either you or Sojiro. And I learned last time that he was not the greatest option on ‘girl stuff’ topics. Like, I know he means well, but it’s so humiliating. He’s my dad, I can’t talk to him about this weird stuff! It’d gross him out!”, Futaba defended as she returned.
“Hey, us Phantom Thief girlfriends stick together.”, Ann encouraged with a smile that was almost physically impossible for Futaba not to echo. “Yeah. Ok.”
“Alright, so the store I went to only sold gallon-sized ice cream, so now we have too much.”, Haru brought up, looking back at the carton she had bought. “Oh man, that’s a shame.”, Makoto remarked, already knowing what she was implying. “Yeah. It’s also a shame that I found more of those chick-flicks that Ann just can’t get enough of.”, Futaba joined in, already moving to the shelves. “Hey! You cried last time too!”, she defended, taking her seat on the couch. “I’ll get the tea ready.”, Haru announced, already moving to the kitchen. “Speaking of tea, I’ve got some.”, Makoto thought aloud, recalling some things she overheard in the school hallways. “Well don’t just leave us here in anticipation! Spill.”, Futaba excitedly demanded.
And that was the story of how Sojiro found the women of the Phantom Thieves cuddled under two of Futaba’s blankets, eating ice cream and drinking tea while watching rom-com movies.