2025-09-28: A Big Sister's Privilege
- Log: A Big Sister's Privilege
- Cast: So-young Park, Shinobu Shimizu
- Where: Sumaru City - Hirasaka Ward
- OOC Date: September 28, 2025
- IC Date: July 18, 2012
- Summary: So-young drags Shinobu out for skewers, to discuss recent goings-on with Myunghon and the Cardboard Dragon.
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
Bam--! is how So-young typically enters the Cardboard Dragon, though this time she's forewarned that someone might be sleeping there and actually chooses to just walk in normally so as not to blast a possibly quite traumatized person awake. Still, there's a heavy determination to her step, and her expression is already drawn into a deep-set frown, like she's expecting tension the moment she walks in--
--DOG. Aww who's a good girl? It's you! It's you! So-young absolutely does not care about decorum or the state of her clothes - despite the evening dress she's wearing she still kneels down to accept Lance bounding into her and almost knocking her over onto her ass.
Okay, well, she tries to maintain determination in the face of tension, but it's gotten a lot harder all of a sudden. Still, there is no sigh of relief here, even at the fact that Myunghon is absent and the awkwardness has been deferred, because this just means she gets to have an entirely different and just as awkward conversation.
Instead, she puts on her best smile. "How about some dinner?"
* * *
So-young has gotten pretty fond of this izakaya whenever she's in Sumaru. She tends to eat trendy in Tokyo, so it's a guilty pleasure to just relax and subsist on skewers for a night. She rattles off an order from memory, and slides into one of the booths with something of a sigh.
"... well, first, I may owe you an apology for any trouble you're encountering today. After the Atelier trip the tension bubbled over, and I think I may have chosen the wrong way to try to defuse it." There's a genuine frown on So-young's face, because she's still not really quite sure what happened. One moment they were ready to celebrate, the next Shinjiro was imploding and what she thought was lighthearted teasing and encouragement turned out to be the worst possible thing to say in the moment.
So-young rallies herself with an effort, and folds her arms. "... second, I have something to relay in confidence. This might sound extremely comical given the current situation, but we are trying to pull together to offer Myunghon our support." The conductor _very_ quickly pauses when the server shows up with her first round of skewers, because whatever she has to say, it seems like it absolutely cannot be something said out loud with other people to hear.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
To say last night was chaotic would be an understatement, but somehow, they've all survived. Work still calls, though - and at least for today it's at the Cardboard Dragon, so that Shinobu can stay close considering everything that's happened, happening, and might happen in the future.
Things are A Lot right now.
And as she's working, So-young arrives - making a beeline straight for Lance first and foremost. Shinobu can't blame her. And then So-young asks her for dinner. Shinobu hesitates for a second and then admits,
"Well... I guess I've been putting off my break for long enough."
And so, after getting business situated, she's there at the izakaya sitting next to So-young, putting in an order for a drink and skewers herself.
"...I thought I noticed somethin' in the air." Shinobu admits. "I thought it was just me - still kind of wound up from yesterday."
But So-young has something to relay in confidence. They're trying to offer Myunghon support, huh... Shinobu takes a skewer from her own order, considering it thoughtfully.
"...I don't know if I'm the best person for that right now." She admits. "But if you need me for whatever..."
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
Leaning back in her seat, So-young lets out the breath she's almost holding to count on her fingers. It's becoming clear that she's missing context, so she decides to simply run through what she does know. "... well, let's see. Shinjiro mentioned a 'Tsumugi' - someone who Myunghon respects a great deal? - and his concerns about them. Things quickly turned sour, and Myunghon ended up rather on the defensive. Not that I blame them, by the by. I didn't think Shinjiro would be quite that unfair when trying to press a point."
She doesn't go into her own side of the conversation yet, nor what actually happened with Tsumugi, and perhaps that's for the best right now given its subject matter. Instead, she leans in as the server disappears.
"Simply put, I have been told that our mother, a possible crime boss, tried to put a bullet into Myunghon for not fulfilling her duties," is how So-young eventually states her case, her voice held low and steady. That's not simply put at all????
Straightening up, she folds her arms and looks off to one side with an awkward frown. "... I am not supposed to know any of this. Shinjiro came to me and Mio a few days ago to let me know, and to ask me what the hell the deal with my mother was. All I could say was that this was all news to me. He has technically broken Myunghon's confidence by telling me, so it's not like I can ask about what happened directly, but at least I stopped the two of them from getting themselves killed by seeking vengeance."
Something feels off about the way that Shinobu hedges her stance, and So-young's brow flickers before her eyes narrow. "... please don't tell me something _else_ happened as well. Why do things just keep happening?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
So-young brings up how Shinjiro mentioned a 'Tsumugi', and a frown crosses her face.
"...Yeah, I know who that is. Tsumugi Kujaku, of Peacock Silk..." Shinobu explains. Shinjiro expressed concerns about them, and Myunghon ended up on the defensive... Yeah, that makes sense. "They're the one who encouraged Myunghon in the hospital after... you know."
She keeps it vague, just in case anyone's listening.
"So I can't blame him for being suspicious... but at the same time, I didn't realise just how terrified they were of hospitals. So I can't blame 'em for latching onto someone who gave them hope." Shinobu shakes her head.
The server disappears, then, and So-young explains something a bit more secretly. Their mother tried to have Myunghon killed. Shinobu's eyes open wide, and her empty skewer nearly falls out of her hand. It's own discipline that keeps her from shouting.
"The hell!? What's with moms lately...?" Shinobu hisses. What's next? Her own mother? ...She really hopes no one gives her any idea. "...Shit. No wonder - that explains a lot. Damn it..."
She's furious at herself for not noticing. She grips the skewer tightly, nearly snapping the thing from her grip strength. She thought they might still be on edge over Ishiba, but to face an assassination attempt from their own mother immediately after that...
No wonder they seemed so paranoid. If she'd known, she could've approached things a lot different.
...Or maybe she would've messed things up - she's never been the best at being sensitive. But So-young isn't supposed to know. Shinobu listens, frowning.
"...Well, that's good, at least." She says with a sigh - and then, she shakes her head.
"...Well, I can at least say it ain't that bad." She replies. "It's just - things are still kinda awkward between us. We had another talk that didn't exactly go great, either..."
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
So-young frowns quietly at that. Peacock Silk again. Myunghon already told her to visit in order to get some upgraded gear, but that advice was more business-like rather than anything personal so she didn't think much of it at the time. Quietly, she decides she really does need to go visit the place herself and see what's up. (This is ultimately how she will need a peacock and probably become best of extremely loud friends.)
She doesn't make a judgment call on whether to be suspicious or not; she simply doesn't have the context or the knowledge to do that, and just listens along to Shinobu's side of the story as she demolishes a line of chicken hearts one by one. "... I don't think I've ever known what's up with mother. I grew up essentially without her - only other people's expectations that I'd follow in her footsteps. Fuck that," she says, the swearword slipping out of her so suddenly it's like a sniper rifle shot with the effort she puts behind it.
Catching herself, So-young sips at her drink as she steadies herself. "Anyway. The two of them were talking about getting themselves killed in retribution - holy retribution in Mio's case, I suppose - but I pointed out that was probably the last thing that would help Myunghon feel better. So I simply resolved to spread the word and ensure they have support."
So-young Park is not a creature of great understanding. But she is a gossip-enjoyer, and some little bits of thought and observation are slowly starting to connect in her brain. Myunghon was worried because of 'a lapse of judgement', because 'Shinobu found them in the morning'. Oh, hell. Quick, brain, stop the mouth before--
"--wait, are you two meant to be dating? No, wait, you're definitely not," she immediately appends at the first glance at Shinobu's expression. "Messy-not dating. Right???" You can hear the question marks pile up behind each other, an exclamation mark not far behind.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu listens as So-young continues. She frowns thoughtfully. She grew up essentially without her mother, huh... She frowns slightly, at that thought. What was that like, she wonders...? She lets out a small laugh as So-young swears, taken by surprise by the sudden bite.
"...I'm with you there. To hell with anyone who tells you to follow after someone without givin' you any choice in the matter." She agrees. ...Even moreso, now, after the murder attempt.
She continues, then. Retribution, huh... Shinobu frowns, at that.
"...Good thing you were there. If someone actually died for them like that... I dunno if they'd ever actually recover." She replies, shaking her head. That seems like the kind of thing that might break them - or at the very least, send them spiraling down a darker path.
And then - So-young asks if they're supposed to be dating.
"Uh-" Shinobu starts, temporarily frozen in place. She doesn't know how to answer that one, or where to begin to address it... Messy-not dating... She sighs. "...I guess?? Whatever it is, messy's definitely the word for it."
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
Closing her eyes, So-young raises a glass to toast that sentiment, letting out a sigh. "Honestly, even before Shinjiro told me what happened, I could have believed it just from how our dinner went. I am used to my mother giving everyone a hard time, including me, but the way she laid into Myunghon... it was truly unwarranted," she allows herself a rare serious frown, her brow furrowed as anger flares in her eyes. "I can at least fight back a little on my own terms by standing my ground, but..."
She simply shakes her head. Whatever Shinobu can imagine off the back of that and the way Myunghon tends to retreat outside of a supernatural space, it's probably going to be fairly accurate.
"... anyway. That is most of the whole sordid story from my end, and you have also given me some much-needed background as to why Myunghon might have taken my encouragement the wrong way, so thank you for that," So-young is immune to being sheepish, but she does offer a rather wry smile. "... I will have to apologize. Some days I'm too flippant for my own good, even if I really don't mean to be."
She leans forwards in her seat, her eyebrows raised expectantly. Her eyes are almost sparkling. "So, having told you my side of the story..." she leads, rather obviously.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"...That bad, huh? That must've been awful. She don't have the right to do that to them, mom or not..." Shinobu mutters, shaking her head. She doesn't know what was said, but if So-young thinks that... "I've had some bad talks with my own mother, but she's never gone that far."
Her mind does race. She's missing some context - but she can certainly imagine what might've been said.
"...No problem." Shinobu replies, as So-young explains that she gave her some much-needed background. "...Yeah. I know what that's like."
She might not be flippant herself, but she does have a tendency to lead conversations aggressively.
And then.
"Uh." Shinobu starts. What is she expecting? To learn more about what happened...?
"It's, uh, not that exciting, really. I ran into 'em early in the morning when they weren't expecting anyone, then we had an awkward talk and I said some stuff that didn't come off the way I meant it, so we left off on kind of a tense note..." She explains, shaking her head.
For Myunghon's sake, she chooses not to mention that she walked in on them with only their outfit for a blanket, and that said talk then took place in a bathroom partially flooded with water and disinfectant.
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
"... suffice it to say that I was shocked, and I don't shock easily." That second part is kind of a lie, especially given some of her first interactions with the Dark Side of Sumaru, but she lets it be. At the very least, she thought she was bulletproof here in this version of reality. "It was honestly extremely awkward to be there. Like it was one big power play to remind me of the differences between us." She hesitates, and then takes a long swig. She doesn't like comparisons, nor thinking about them.
"Non non non!" she cries despairingly. Is she French now? Is this Remi's fault somehow, or is just-- her, because the only way she can think to despair in this situation is loudly and Frenchily. "I don't mean what happened in the last conversation, we have gone over far too much depressing stuff for a single dinner. I mean the messy not-dating, of course. You can't expect a big sister to get something like that dangled in front of her and not bite at it, can you?"
So-young has been a big sister for all of a month and change at this point, so the idea she might institutionally be able to speak for all of them is a bit rich, but she's never let that stop her.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Ugh." Shinobu mutters, shaking her head. "So it was supposed to be a 'lesson'. That's even worse. She shouldn't use the two of you as tools against each other."
So-young cries 'non non non!' and Shinobu looks her way, raising an eyebrow.
"'Non non non'?" She repeats, and then... "...Ah. That's what you meant."
She smirks, just slightly.
"...Heh. Yeah. I get that." She replies. She's a big sister herself, after all. Sometimes, being a part of that means deciding things arbitrarily.
"...But if you're looking for things that aren't depressing to talk about, I dunno if that's the tree you wanna go barking up, either." She says, shaking her head and taking a swig, herself.
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
"Well, that is my mother's stock in trade. She is very good at controlling the situation and only putting herself in situations where she will be in control. ... she booked out an entire restaurant for just the two of us. And I mean one of the extremely fancy restaurants, the ones that have their own gardens and everything. Honestly, I thought I was in a yakuza drama."
A beat, and she slumps.
"Actually, apparently I was all along. It's going to take some doing to get my head around that."
She sits up, though, and visibly brightens at Shinobu's answer. A huge, shit-eating smile crosses her face, and the only reason you can't call it a grin is because she's been trained as an actress and knows not to give the entire game away until the punchline is delivered.
"Well, there is an important distinction. I might be able to offer my advice or help, after all. Besides, I only meant things that are depressing _for me_," she adds with absolutely no remorse and a clear mischievous light in her eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Ugh." Shinobu repeats, shaking her head. So-young's description reminds her far too much of her own mother... though, again, she at least hasn't tried to put a bullet in her yet. "How much more obvious can you get that you're trying to make a point...?"
...So-young admits that she was apparently in a yakuza drama all along, and Shinobu sends her a sympathetic look.
"...Yeah. It sucks." She commisserates.
...At least her answer gets her to brighten, even if it's at her own expense. Shinobu snorts, with a small laugh.
"What, so it's okay if I'm the one spilling my guts?" She replies, with a shake of her head. She considers it for a moment with a thoughtful sip.
"...It's just... I dunno if I'm cut out for it. A serious relationship, I mean." She replies, shaking her head. "I've got a tendency to lose interest in things real quick and bail... But I don't want to hurt anyone I actually know with that. Especially a friend, and someone I work for."
She sighs, sitting back a little.
"...But I know it was hard for them to be able to admit being interested at all, so even just having to say no meant I ended up hurting them anyway." She says.
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
So-young beams as Shinobu cracks under her scrutiny. "That is also a big sister's privilege," she decides, before blinking as the other woman starts to launch into the tale. In no time at all, she's kind of sagged in her chair, frowning thoughtfully with a hand at her lips.
"Damn. It really was something like that, then," she sums up with a sigh. "I thought it might have been. I'm the last person who can really help in a situation like this, I suppose. I wouldn't say I'm scared of anything serious, but I'm also not exactly looking at present either, and I'm perfectly fine with casual in a way that I can clearly see Myunghon isn't."
Hmm. But Myunghon's clearly still hung up on the possibility, even through their-- rebound, or whatever that moment is. So-young feels dissatisfied calling it that, because something about it felt more emotional and messy and consequential that one word doesn't really sum it up.
Still... something makes her frown. "That is a little vague, though, isn't it? If we avoided doing things because of our tendencies we'd never get things done. While I can see where you're coming from, I would be careful about denying yourself too much based purely on a what-if." Of course, So-young can say this because she's never met a what-if that she can't just bull through and apologize later, and denying herself just isn't in her makeup. "If you have bridges to burn later, so be it."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu smirks, at that. She'll let her have it, even if she's the older one of the two. She listens, though, as she thinks about it. She's the last person who can help, huh... That makes sense - what she says isn't too surprising. And then she comments on how vague it is... and a wry smirk crosses Shinobu's face.
"...They said pretty much the same thing to me the day after." Shinobu replies. "...I didn't have a good response to them then, either. That's not wrong, but..."
She sighs, and takes another drink.
"...I'd be burning a lot more than bridges. There's a lot of other relationships caught up in it... and it'd make our work with the supernatural a lot harder, too." She replies. "...That's why I can't."
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
So-young settles back in her seat, her meddling quota apparently met as she cradles her glass in her hands and turns more thoughtful. "To think they'd go that far... I think it says something that they tried again even after getting shot down," she notes, apparently impressed if the tone of her voice is any indication. "I mean, your average big sister gets compared to demons and then spends the next day being hidden from, so it sounds like you're doing pretty well on that front."
She's not as sour as she could be, but she still sounds a little put out. It's not that affected, though, so much as she just likes poking fun at herself sometimes.
"Mm. No, I understand. There's a flutist who I'm pretty sure has a crush on me. It'd be fun to pursue her, but the gossip would be pretty intolerable, and we're not even getting into life or death situations." She perks up with a grin. "On the other hand, the adrenaline might help. A stupid idea or two never hurt anyone except for all the times it did."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"...Yeah. Couldn't have been easy to say." Shinobu agrees with a quiet nod. ...She raises an eyebrow, then. "...So that's what went down, huh? ...Yeah, when you put it like that... Still, rough that you're going through it."
...At least they aren't hiding from her. As far as she's noticed, anyway.
So-young explains how there's a flutist who probably has a crush on her. Shinobu laughs.
"The gossip is always the worst part of it. There are better ways of getting your adrenaline up. I'd sooner spend a night fighting monsters than subject myself to the gossip mill." She says, shaking her head and taking another drink.
<Pose Tracker> So-young Park has posed.
"No, no, I _meant_ fighting the monsters. Maybe to properly hash this out you should just talk to them in Mementos. They're so much more sure of themselves there," So-young nods as if this makes perfect sense. So-young, noooooo--