2025-09-18: Falser Than Vows Made in Wine
- Log: Falser Than Vows Made in Wine
- Cast: Shinobu Shimizu, Remi Ryuuja
- Where: Diner, Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru
- OOC Date: September 18, 2025
- IC Date: Friday, July 13, 2012 (Lunchtime)
- Summary: Shinobu and Remi chance to meet each other in a diner. Remi joins Shinobu, and they discuss the ongoing situation with Myunghon, before the discussion turns to the strained interpersonal situation between Myunghon and Shinobu.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
It's a Friday afternoon - lunch time. When you live in Hirasaka, or just visit it frequently, you get used to the fact that most of the places look kind of shady - the nicer joints don't last long if they don't have the power to back it up. You learn quickly which places are good and which aren't worth your time, and which ones you have to approach in just the right way.
And today, Shinobu's selected for dinner a diner just off Hirasaka's main road. The food here is good - as long as you can get on the chef's good side. He's big on respect. Shinobu has ordered her meal and settles into her booth with her tonkatsu set and drink.
She's at a window seat, so anyone passing by might be able to spot a familiar face.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
It might not be much of a secret to know that Remi is used to a certain amount of luxury and status. She doesn't talk about it, but it might be evident in her mannerisms or the way she casually interjects French into her Japanese.
She does not currently have that same wealth and status, which has been... let's say, an adjustment. This means, among other things, she does not know what video games or trading card games are.
It also means she is still getting used to the idea of a 'diner'. And moreover, a diner in Hirasaka.
But she is braving one today, and she steps inside with a certain amount of uncertainty, looking around to get the lay of the land. But she spots a familiar face... "Shimizu-san? Well, imagine running into you here."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu looks up from her meal... and sure enough, it's Remi. She looks just a bit out of place here...
"Don't worry, she's with me." Shinobu asides to the chef. Vouching for her should at least ensure that she gets good treatment.
"Same to you, Ryuuga. ...How've you been? Your, uh, arm doing alright?" Shinobu asks.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi is doing her best to keep an open mind, but... yes. She definitely looks out of place. But Shinobu quickly covers for her, and Remi pauses for just a moment, looking between Shinobu and the chef, taking both of their temperatures, in a manner of speaking.
It's a bit unusual, but Remi assumes Shinobu had a good reason.
She flashes the chef a smile, and then gives Shinobu a curious look. "Well-- if you insist, dear." And so... she sits right at Shinobu's table with her.
It's not like she can be 'with' Shinobu and go sit at a completely different table, now is it?
"Mmm. It is... recovering. Thankfully not a serious injury, though it is still dreadful to look at. How are you recovering from the experience? And how did Myunghon seem, when they stayed with you?" It's a casually-asked question, but she's observing Shinobu carefully.
Something happened, and she'd like to know what.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
The chef is definitely suspicious of Remi... but the fact that Shinobu is willing to vouch for her does seem to mean a great deal. He gets back to work - and if Remi makes an order, he'll be willing to take it.
"It's fine." Shinobu assures, and then Remi joins her at her table. She listens as she explains, nodding with a slight frown.
"...Yeah, that sounds about right. Hope it doesn't take too much longer. Still, I'm glad you had the reaction time to get in there. I dunno if we would've been able to drag two people outta there." Shinobu replies. She says it flippantly, but she was worried for So-young there, too.
She shakes her head.
"Doing alright, or at least as alright as you can expect. Heavy stuff." Shinobu replies, on the subject of how she's doing. And as for Myunghon... Shinobu massages her neck awkwardly for a moment as she figures what exactly she can say. "Well... you can probably guess. Still pretty shaken. I mean, I can't blame 'em."
She shakes her head. ...It seems safe to tell her that much.
"They told you about that?" She asks, after a second. She didn't realise Remi had heard about them staying at her place.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi will make an order... though she'll probably ask Shinobu for a recommendation.
"Thank you." Remi carefully works her left arm a little bit. "A deep muscle contusion... I was fortunate there was no bone damage or anything worse... it should be a matter of weeks, and perhaps some physical therapy, depending."
"Yes, well... that offer did make his intent rather plain, did he not?" Remi is trying to downplay her own reaction time, just a tad. "Yes, that would have been rather dreadful... I just wish we could have gotten Seki-san out of there, as well..." Remi sighs and shakes her head.
Remi nods. "If you would like someone to talk with, please let me know, oui?" (Remi slipping into random French probably isn't helping your image.) AS for Myunghon, Remi sighs. "That is quite understndable... I find myself terribly concerned, nonetheless."
"In passing, dear... It wouldn't do not to be vested in my friend's recovery, would it? I offered them a place to stay for a night, but I know they have many friends wishing to support them." She sighs dramatically as she picks up a menu to look it over. "I trust everything went well?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu grimaces sympathetically.
"Yeah, I'd say you got off lucky, in that case. Glad it wasn't worse." She replies with a shake of her head.
"Hmm... Maybe." Shinobu replies. She's fine with pulling back from it - it was a tense situation, and sometimes people move quicker than they expect. Tsubasa, though... Shinobu grimaces again. "...Yeah, me too. They seem about as alright as you can expect after, but... Still wish it didn't have to happen at all. ...Wish they didn't have to see that kind of thing at all."
She shakes her head, before looking back toward Remi.
"I'm fine, myself, but... Thanks." She replies, and nods. "...Yeah. I'm sure they'd be happy if you checked in on them."
In passing, huh. Shinobu nods.
"...Yeah, they really do." She says fondly for a moment... and then Remi asks if everything went well. Shinobu shrugs. Her attention turns briefly away from Remi and toward her food.
"Well... Y'know. Just about, I guess. Just two friends hanging out." She replies.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi signs and nods. "Yes... though I daresay that kind of thing isn't good for anyone to witness... I am thankful it didn't turn out worse, as you said."
"I'm glad you're doing well... and yes, I am doing my best to keep in touch with Myunghon."
Remi looks over her menu at Shinobu looking away from her at the food. "Just about?" Remi puts the menu down and leans forward, lowering her voice a little. "... anything you'd like to talk about?"
Translation: 'I know something happened and I want to know what.'
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"That's for sure." Shinobu mutters, shaking her head. "I could do without that kind of thing in the future."
Shinobu nods, as Remi says she's glad she's doing well, and keeping in touch with Myunghon. Remi seems to catch onto something, though, and asks if there's anything she wants to talk about.
...Damn. She caught on.
"Not really." Shinobu replies - and it comes out a bit sharper than she means to. She frowns at herself, and doubles back. "...Sorry. If they haven't told you about it, it's not my place to say. It's nothing bad, I promise, just... personal."
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
"Hopefully someone will do something about this 'Ishiba'..." Not that Remi has much hope for that.
... not without extrajudicial means, at least, but that's a conversation for another time.
Remi watches Shinobu quietly for a moment, like she doesn't believe the 'Not really.' When Shinobu doubles back, Remi gives a little nod and a quiet, "Mmhmm" to herself.
"They haven't told me in specific terms..." She picks up the menu again, looking it over. "I have... shall we say, an educated guess, but rest assured. If you choose to confide in me, I will keep anything you say in the strictest confidence. If not... I will go on thinking what I will."
Then, nonchalantly, she asks, "What would you recommend?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Yeah. Hopefully." Shinobu agrees. ...She's not sure what even can be done. Something needs to be, but...
Well, it's something to think about.
"An 'educated guess', huh." Shinobu repeats with a slight frown - but Remi promises to keep anything in the strictest confidence. Shinobu thinks about it -
- but she's thrown just a bit off her groove when Remi asks for recommendations.
"Uh -" Shinobu starts. "The karaage's good. I've got the tonkatsu set, that's my usual go-to... If you ask for the special you never know what you're gonna get, but it's usually something good."
She frowns, then.
"So. This stays between us. And if you want to tell Myunghon I told you about, that's fine, too, since it concerns them." Shinobu says. "But yeah. They stayed over for a bit. And we talked, and they confessed that they were attracted to me. ...But I had to turn 'em down, and things've been a little awkward since then."
She looks at her food again.
"...I'm still worried I hurt them. I dunno if there was anything I could've said to make it easier, though."
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
"An educated guess," confirms Remi. She's patiently revieing the menu, though she does (inadvertently) throw a curveball.
"Mmhmm, I see... Perhaps I will try the special, to see what the chef would like to show off."
But Remi puts down the menu to listen when Shinobu shares... and she gives a slow nod. "That was my guess, yes," she says softly. But Awkward... "Mm. I see."
"Well, I cannot say for certain what Myunghon thinks..." Oh she has a hint, given how Myunghon was behaving in the shop the other day. "... so instead, let us focus on you. How have you been handling this awkwardness?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
She'd guessed that, huh. How has she been handling it... Shinobu leans back.
"I've mostly been trying to go about business as usual. I don't wanna, like... walk on eggshells and treat them like they're fragile." Shinobu replies. "So, just... enduring it, I guess."
She hasn't been doing the best job of that, as the fact that this conversation is even happening can be attested to. But she's been trying.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi did have the advantage of Myunghon expressing they were interested in Sh8inobu... but Remi will nt repeat that here.
Business as usual... and not treating Myunghon as fragile.
Enduring it.
Remi gives Shinobu an appraising look. "Mmm... I see. Stiff upper lip and all that, yes? How do you feel about Myunghon confessing? Either then or now?" Earlier, she was fishing (just a little), for something she suspected. Now, however, she is doing her best to understand, to see if she can support someone who has been supportive of her friend.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
How does she feel...? Shinobu frowns, massaging the back of her neck. She didn't really expect Remi to start digging so deeply.
"Surprised and kind of flattered, mostly." Shinobu replies. "I mean... being open, I'm no stranger to casual relationships, but someone who actually knows me still looking at me and going, 'yeah, I want that'? Just... didn't expect it, and I dunno how to handle it."
She shrugs.
"...Just keep doing what I've been doing, I guess."
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Sorry, Shinobu. Remi still has a bit of a socialite's gossiper in her. Though at least now her motivations are more altruistic.
'Surprised and kind of flattered, mostly.' Remi's eyebrows lift for just a moment, and she suppresses a small smile. That seems to her like a good reaction, but what Shinobu says next...
... Ah. There is the difficulty.
"I see..." Remi considers that for a moment. She, admittedly, doesn't know Shinobu that well. "... so it would be better if Myunghon knew you less well, then?"
Remi nods. "Well, I have no doubt of your ability to endure this awkwardness, dear, if that is what you want."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"...Yeah." Shinobu replies with a nod and a frown, leaning back in her seat a little. "At least that way... we wouldn't have to worry as much about hurting each other when it's time to end it."
She looks down for a moment, then back up.
"...Thanks. I think." She replies.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
"Mmm. Yes, I suppose that the best place to start a relationship is by looking to the end of it. Better to eschew the fetters of the heart completely, then, to escape a future certainty."
Remi is silent for a moment, eyes half closed as if searching her memory for something. Finally, she says, "... I pray you, do not fall in love with me. For I am falser than vows made in wine."
Remi just smiles at the thanks. "You are quite welcome, dear." That doesn't sound... entirely sincere. But it doesn't sound cruel, necessarily.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu frowns. She can't tell if Remi means that, or if it's a jab at her... But either way, it does make her think back to what Myunghon said when she met with them again afterward. About taking the chance again if the opportunity arose, no matter the outcome...
...Which outlook is the right one for her...? She frowns, and finishes off her drink before looking back toward Remi.
"...Well, at least you're up front about it. More than can be said for most people." Shinobu comments with a smirk. "...But I'll keep that in mind."
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi wouldn't consider it a jab... but yes, there might be a little bit of mirth in her eyes. She is definitely putting a little bit of her theatrical flare into her words, which might be a hint how she really intends them to be taken.
Not to mention quoting Shakespeare.
She does smile, though. "I find I have less time and patience for indirectness these days. I would not presume to offer unsolicited advice--" except for the fact that she kind of already did "--but I have precious few friends these days, and I find myself wanting to look after those that matter to them."
She picks up her menu. "I won't tell Myunghon what we discussed. If you want to talk further, I would be more than amenable. But do pardon me a moment, I should go place an order." She stands up and goes to place an order.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Fair enough. I don't like dancing around things, either." Shinobu replies with a smirk. She prefers to be direct, more often than not. She nods, too. "...Yeah. Can't blame you there."
But Remi says she won't tell Myunghon, and Shinobu nods - and again when she says she'll go place an order.
"Make sure to thank 'im when you're done. That's worth bonus points." Shinobu adds - and then, sits back, to finish off the rest of her own meal and think back on the conversation.