2025-09-30: To Be Loved Without Fear
- Log: To Be Loved Without Fear
- Cast: Yanagi Nagisa, Myunghon Yeo
- Where: Peacock Silk, Shimokitazawa
- OOC Date: September 30, 2025
- IC Date: July 19, 2012
- Summary: Yanagi's commission for Myunghon, the Koala Pin, is ready! Myunghon also has a gift about them, and the two talk quite a lot about shared hobbies: fashion, jewelcrafting, injury, and even relationships.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Peacock Silk, as a business, is a strange one at times. It's frequently empty save for one employee at a time. How does that business model work? It just does.
Yanagi, today, is the one employee who's here. Part of the reason for that is because Myunghon gave her a call to let her know they're coming to pick up the koala pin she made for them--it's been ready for a short while now, and she has it laying in a velveteen box at her station.
She's sitting at her station, too, crafting a different piece of jewelry. This one is a take on her usual hair pins--a two-piece diadem with a chain that runs around the back of the head. It's gold and green jade, crafted to look like a Greek laurel. The chain is the hard part; she's squeezing each link in one by one with a pair of professional grade tweezers.
There's jade in the hair clips she's currently wearing too, sleek and rectangular and striped in various shades of green; an off-the-shoulder plaid teal blouse tucks into the ruffles of a long white skirt. Pink slippers cover her feet, and gold anklets beaded with rose quartz halo them. They match the necklaces she's wearing, too.
She hums cheerfully to herself as she works, along with a radio nearby playing classical music. It's slow, difficult work, but she truly enjoys it. Since Peacock Silk is open for business, the front door, which is actually a side door, is open for anyone to just walk through.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon walks through the door gently, minding their step. The sound of classical music soon fills the air. "Yanagi?" they call, before it's quite clear where the jewelcrafter is -- at her typical station. Today... Myunghon is not in one of their usual monochrome suits. They're dressed in a nice chocolate-coloured ruffle button-down blouse, with a black ribbon tie, with a white inverted-pleat A-line skirt that somewhat matches the colour of Yanagi's own. Black leggings and white Mary Janes cover the ensemble -- the clothes aren't brand new, Yanagi can note, but they're very fastidiously kept and pressed as is usually the case with Myunghon... and very well tailored, finished off with a white coat draped around their shoulders in the fashion they normally wear their coats.
The coat, too, is fastidiously kept, a remarkable effort given they live in Tokyo and the grime and bustle of city life tends to first claim smudges on white garments. It's very clearly tailored to their size and clings in a way that the new coat Tsumugi tailored for them does, too.
Myunghon looks rather fatigued, their right arm still in a sling as they enter, but they still wear a gentle smile. There's a white leather messenger bag with burnished clasps and a cream-coloured strap at their left shoulder. "Good afternoon, Yanagi. I hope you're well today. My apologies for being slightly late."
Their eye is on the pin she's making at the moment -- there's no immediate comment, but it's clear they enjoy watching her work.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yanagi doesn't respond to Myunghon at first--not because she's ignoring them, but because she's so absorbed in her work that their voice doesn't register at first. It's only as they continue that she startles and looks up, right around when they're apologizing for being late.
"Oh! Myunghon, you're already here!" she says, smiling brilliantly back. (It seems like the 'lateness' wasn't even noticed.) "That brown is an unusual look for you. I like it! A lot of people don't dare mix it with black, but it's really just a different shade of orange. You're moving away from monochromes~ But with this pin! You're permitted to wear red again!!" She nods decisively, then carefully sets her current project to one side, into a long box set aside for it. Myunghon will be able to get a good look at the links and 'leaves' from there.
She picks up the velveteen box next. "Tada!" she declares, holding it out to them. "The koala tie pin you commissioned! Please let me know if you'd like me to make any adjustments!"
As planned, it's a silver koala-shaped pin that clings to the side of a tie as if climbing up it; the pin that holds it there is crafted to not be seen from the front. Its eyes, ears, and nose are set with sodalite, a brilliantly blue stone with flashes of black and gray and white. The body of the koala is textured, with slight ridges and grooves for its body to add texture not just to the stone but to the metal.
Its little paw clutches hold of a long, silver chain. That chain connects it to a second pin for a breast pocket--and this one looks like a simple but similarly textured branch of eucalyptus, its three leaves likewise done in sodalite. The overall effect could but that the koala is trying to drag it closer, or that it's trying to climb for it, depending on how it's worn.
"The chain work was quite difficult, but it inspired me to start this piece I was just working on," Yanagi says cheerfully. "Chains are exciting, aren't they? They bind you, but they also beg to be broken! And silver is quite easy to break, so please do keep that in mind!"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Yanagi's burst of enthusiasm seems infectious to Myunghon, as their smile grows just a bit -- they compliment them on their outfit, and they tilt their head. "It is true, there isn't a smidgen of red on me. I suppose I have passed the challenge? I have not worn this in some time, but coming here comes make me feel nostalgic." They watch the project be set to one side, with those links and 'leaves', each of them coming together to form a laurel.
"I admire your work. The little leaves on that laurel looks quite challenging," Myunghon comments, before looking towards the Koala Pin they've commissioned as Yanagi reveals it for them. The glint in their eye shines brighter as they gently holds it up to the narest light, a light flush coming over their pale features. "Ara... it's very attractive. When you were describing sodalite, I wasn't quite sure how it would look, even with the examples you texted me... but it is quite charming. And the branch could paint different stories..."
They waste no time, affixing it to the collar buttonhole, then to their blouse, with just a bit of difficulty given that they're one-handed at the moment. "I knew we compared it to black the last time, but this works too, do you think so?"
Yanagi warns that the chains are quite fragile... but it's her observation that chains are exciting -- they bind you, but also beg to be broken. That seems to distract Myunghon gently. "Yes... I-- do believe so. But thank you once more, Yanagi. This is wonderful." And it undoubtedly has cognitive power too, atop that. Will it translate to durability in the cognitive world? That remains to be seen, but they'll be careful with it nonetheless.
"I have a gift for you as well, in truth."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"You have!" Passed the challenge, that is. Brown is a shade of orange rather than red, so it counts! "Is that an old outfit, then?" They're well-kept, but telltale signs of wear and tear indicate that, even without Yanagi asking. She's just curious just how old it is.
"Thank you! The basic shape of the leaf isn't that hard, but the detailing can be quite tricky... Linking the chain links can be tedious too, but it's so important to get it done right." She watches Myunghon take in the koala chain pin with pleasure, smile growing as color rises in Myunghon's pale cheeks. "It isn't what you'd expect for this sort of piece, and that really makes it stand out, don't you think?"
After all, it has an almost starry, space-like effect, which is a different choice for a branch and an animal. But after all, Australia is the home of the Dreaming...
She of course has noticed Myunghon's arm in the sling. She doesn't ask about it. If they want to share, they will do so. "I do think so," she replies, of the silver and blue on brown. "It's the combination of Heaven and Earth!"
When Myunghon thanks her again, she beams. "You're very welcome! I'm so glad you like it. I look forward to lots of trades to come!"
A gift, though... That's unexpected. She tilts her head, lead grey eyes blinking wide. "Oh? What is it?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"Yes, from a few years back, when I was in university," Myunghon explains, though their voice is a little faraway when they do so. "I was part of a small group of LaForet dreamers, but we managed to open our own shop in the basement amidst some of the EGL designers we adored, some four years back... it was popular for a little bit, though we eventually were shuffled out due to rising rent prices and moved to Daikanyama, though Shimokitazawa was our first choice."
They look around and take the shop in and admits: "Seeing the Peacock Silk has brought not a small amount of memories back. Unfortunately, the shop eventually closed earlier this year, in the winter. I wasn't even there, at the time..."
But listening to Yanagi's craft does please Myunghon more than ruminating on the past. "Especially at the scale that you're working on... larger chains are difficult enough, but the chains you're working on with this pin and that one both are quite small. Do you have a trick?"
There is a nod of agreement as they say, "It almost embodies a constellation. I have always enjoyed the lights in the skies, and against the black coat Tsumugi tailored for me, it might just look like that." A combination of Heaven and Earth, as Yanagi describes it, with Myunghon nodding in assent. Though their mentioning of Tsumugi does make them pause, as they ask a bit hesitantly: "How is... Tsumugi doing?"
A gift, though! Myunghon does unclasp their bag and places a square piece of supernaturally-charged pyrite, placed in a translucent case, down on the countertop when Yanagi asks what they've brought, grey eyes meeting each other for a moment. "This. I thought you might appreciate it, given your metalworking."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Four years? My, that's an entire lifetime ago!" Yanagi pauses a beat; then she bursts into giggles. "Just kidding~!"
But other than her little joke, Yanagi listens to Myunghon. It's interesting, and a bit bittersweet, to see them get so nostalgic for their own group of friends and their own shop. They were shuffled out due to rising prices... "If only you'd been Persona Users back then," she says sympathetically.
Which might imply a lot about how Peacock Silk stays in business, especially in a neighborhood like Shimokita.
"So that's why you're so fashionable yourself," she adds. "That struck me right away, the first day we met here. You had such a stand-out style." Not just the angora, but the bloodied bandages. Yanagi may have banned Myunghon from red for a time, but it really is striking on them.
Does she have a trick, though? Yanagi raises both hands and smiles. "I have very, very skinny fingers," she replies solemnly, undercut by the sparkle in her eyes.
The loupe set to one side of her station no doubt helps too.
"It's really about your tools, though," she adds, looking over at the tweezers. "The smaller you can get, and the better you can manipulate them, the finer detail work you can do. At this size, you can't use a soldering iron or it'll ruin the entire piece, so you have to do it by hand."
Yanagi glows as Myunghon compares the koala pin to a constellation. "Yes! I love sodalite for that reason. Larimar is similarly wonderful--that looks more like a shallow sea or a cloudy sky." She made that Mayan bust for Pernelle's debut piece from larimar, in fact.
"Hmm? Tsumugi's doing as well as always!" Yanagi tilts her head, noting that slight hesitation. "Why do you ask?"
The bag unclasps; Myunghon presents a chunk of charged pyrite from an Atelier. "Oooh! Oh, this is a fine piece of fool's gold!" she declares. She puts on the loupe at this point and raises the pyrite to inspect it. "And it positively tingles with magic... Thank you, Myunghon! I'm sure to find an excellent use for this!" she enthuses.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon doesn't particularly disagree. That is a lifetime ago. University, then corporate life, then The Mihoing, and then their draw into the life of the Baengnyong as an untested leader of crime... most people would call that multiple lifetimes, even. "Ara. I feel like I've just understood a little of the Silk's means to stay afloat," Myunghon is able to be a little jovial about that. Pernelle said it was the others who was in charge of the paperwork and finances, and they wonder who it might be -- Yanagi? Or perhaps Saika... or Tsumugi themself...
"I'm afraid those styles are the brainchild of our clothing designer, Mei Arisugawa... but she fell with Apathy Syndrome last last year," Myunghon quietly says. "I was more the doll she dressed up, in her own words," they can't help but chuckle, even if it's tinged with a bit of sorrow.
The trick is their skinny fingers, and Myunghon's eye widens as they flex their fingers gently. "Ah, I feel that that is something else we share, at least." They have done little card tricks when showing the Skill Cards to Yanagi, so there is at least some measure of dexterity within their fingers, though they're taken by the sparkle in Yanagi's eyes. There really is something lovely about the brightness and bursts of laughter she goes into.
But Yanagi also explains that it's about tools -- and there's a quiet nod as they look down upon the tweezers, and no doubt, magnifying aids and perhaps small vises to ensure they're held in place. "Chains *are* interesting. One would look at the koala and branch as the centerpiece, but the chains do serve to bind it all together, does it not?" Yanagi's illustration of how she views different minerals is vivid -- a shallow sea, or a cloudy sky. "I didn't even imagine metaphors like that, but you're absolutely right..."
But Tsumugi?
Myunghon pauses for a moment, hesitating further. "Oh. No... I-- merely wished to ask, that's all. They visited me again one night." There's a sudden knot of terror, as Yanagi apparently is unaware -- what was it about 'competition' that Yanagi said and what it might mean? Have they done something untoward? If word was let out, would this ruin this pleasant conversation? They'd hate to be hated...
Fortunately, the fool's gold distracts for the time being. "I look forward to seeing what you might design out of this," Myunghon chuckles faintly. "I don't particularly need another piece at present, given how nice the Koala Pin is... but I'd love to see what becomes of it. Your craft's exciting to me."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Definitely not Yanagi. But that's something for Myunghon to learn later. Right now, Yanagi just gives them a mischievous little giggle as her eyes scrunch shut.
It turns out, though, that Myunghon's old fashions were made by another. At first, she's sympathetic for the fate of Mei Arisugawa, with a quiet little, "I see." But then Myunghon says that her words for them were 'the doll she dressed up,' and Yanagi's eyes narrow despite Myunghon's sad little laugh. Her tone isn't hostile, but it has a certain coolness as she notes, "She sounds like an unpleasant person."
Fortunately or unfortunately, she doesn't linger on that--at least, as long as Myunghon doesn't. She brightens when they note the similarity of their hands. "Yes! I think you could make some very fine detail work if you wanted to learn, Myunghon." She stretches out her hands as if to invite them to clasp them. Yanagi doesn't expect them to actually do so, but it'll be a very pleasant surprise if they do. She'll pull them back soon enough, anyway.
"Both the sky and the sea are beautiful, but isn't it wonderful that it's possible to depict them in a piece of jewelry, too? Even a relatively fragile stone like larimar can hold the ephemerality of water and wind for such a long time!" Practically an eternity by comparison--but is there any helping that the sea and sky are eternally mutable?
"Oh, I see," Yanagi replies conversationally, of Tsumugi. "Yes, they mentioned going off to see you one day. They're quite interested in you, you know. Oh!" Yanagi leans forward suddenly in a pounce-like motion that doesn't actually carry her away from her desk. "Myunghon! Is there anyone you'd like to get revenge on?! Tsumugi and I are looking for someone like that! It doesn't have to be you personally who wants revenge--referring us to someone who does would be enough!"
Flowers all but bloom over her head when Myunghon calls her craft exciting. "Thank you! It's exciting to me, too! It's such a thrill to carve a gemstone into something new. I'm a fan of amethyst in particular--that's my birthstone! Did you know that amethyst was once considered a precious stone along with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds? But then large deposits in Brazil were discovered, and their sudden ubiquity drove down their price and demoted them to semi-precious. It's a little sad, but not really, because it means I can carve all the amethyst I like for pocket change!"
She beams again, even as she carefully picks out a box for the Atelier pyrite and tucks it away. "As for this one, I'll have to give careful thought on what to craft it into. It's a precious gift from Myunghon, so maybe I'll make something outside my usual...!"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon pauses as the brightness seems to shut a little in Yanagi, hypersensitive to these changes as they tend to be -- they virtually always exist mortified that they'll say something that will suddenly turn people against them, after all. But it's not Myunghon that they have an issue with, but Mei. "... she was a handful at times. Never malicious, but, we did end up parting on bad terms... and then I never had a chance to apologise or make amends."
Fortunately, they don't linger long on that -- the topic of chains is so much more interesting, after all, when spoken about materially, not metaphorically, ho ho ho.
"Do you truly think so? I often think of my hands as quite shaky, but I imagine there are tools to aid with that... I have often been sad I don't have basic repair skills for my clothing and jewelry myself," Myunghon muses, as-- Yanagi's hand moves forward, as if they could clasp hands together for a moment. In a rare moment despite herself, Myunghon does reach forward-- the ends of their digits touching gently. Myunghon's fingers are indeed slender, and rather skinny and damaged underneath the bandages -- but there's enough that's intact that they still feel happy to not obscure from the world.
"And not just the bright blue skies, I imagine. Surely there are other stones that depict the beauty of a twilight sky, or a sunrise, with how vibrant gemstones can be," Myunghon ponders, as they start to imagine what other stones might fit or evoke that mood.
But Yanagi does confirm that Tsumugi's QUITE interested in them -- and then, pounce! Myunghon can't evade letting out a surprised little pip, bumping against the counter gently as Yanagi leans forward, but doesn't leave her desk. What comes next is surely a very random sequitur, but-- one that's quite familiar with them. Their expression dies down a little, quizzical for just a moment longer...
"Now... that sounds an awful lot like a Revenge Request," Myunghon points out. "Are you carrying out such a task on behalf of the webmaster? Regardless... while there have been people who... well, are responsible for the state I am in at present, I would not say I wish *revenge* on them..."
They place their finger, the glint in their eye disappearing for a moment, darkening. "There are other fates that suit my style better." It lasts only a few moments, though, because Myunghon really can't aim for the top to save their life. "But-- Tsumugi said that themself...?"
There's something like a concerned, confused look in their face for a moment, that flush from earlier still not quite all gone. Fortunately, Yanagi's allowed them to switch topics and listen to her speak all about birthstones. "Mmm... true, for one such as you, who finds beauty in the stones themself, that a stone has suddenly become common is also something to celebrate, is it not? But-- are the birthstones by month? What is May's birthstone, Yanagi?"
Now they're curious, even as Yanagi goes to tuck the pyrite away and they chuckle ever so gently. "I've never given much thought to some of the cognitive curiousities we often find, but that you all here can turn them into such unusual and wonderful items has me much more considerate of what we retrieve."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
It's certainly not Myunghon that Yanagi takes issue with. That's yet more clear when she replies, "Considering one of the foremost memories you have of her is how she spoke of you as her plaything, I doubt you're worse off for it."
No doubt it's more complicated than that, and perhaps it's not as bad as she's taking it. All the same, that's the immediate impression Yanagi has of Mei, and she is not shy about sharing it.
The topic moves on, and Yanagi's brightness returns, though. "You did those card tricks, didn't you? I know there are tools to help with that! For all my own health issues, I've never had trouble with my hands, though, so I'm afraid I don't know anything offhand... But I'm sure they exist. The hands are the second-most used part of the human body!"
Myunghon's fingertips brush against her own. Yanagi's eyes widen, and then she gives them a warm smile. She holds out her hands as long as Myunghon is willing to maintain that touch, only retreating once they do. "Yes," she says of stones that imitate nature. "Some of them don't show that kind of beauty until after they've been cut and polished--most, even, I'd say. And there's way to manipulate stones to heighten that illusion, too. It's so thrilling to bring out a gem's true charm that way..."
A Revenge Request! So Myunghon knows of it--but then, of course they would. Yanagi nods emphatically. "Because it is!" she replies. "I'm not, but I'm very interested in finding out how they work! But I don't have anyone I want revenge on, and neither does Tsumugi, and a request like that ought to count for something, don't you think? So we'd like to help encourage someone to make that request and see how it pans out!"
Her sparkly gaze dims--but does not go out--when Myunghon mentions those who've contributed to their current state, but... "Yes. I'm much the same way," she says softly. "Mmm... It's difficult, isn't it? I think most Persona Users wouldn't have need of such a site. If I did want revenge on someone, I'd simply get it myself." She shakes her head. "Well, if you don't know any, that's fine. I'll simply keep searching."
Other fates... Yanagi goes silent for a moment, watching their eye darken. But: "Yes. Tsumugi loves interesting people." There's a lot that could imply, but... for what it's worth, there's no resentment or jealousy there. It's a clear statement of fact.
"Yes!" she says of birthstones. "Some months have multiple birthstones--it's really about what a jeweler wants to promote. But for May, that's straightforwardly emerald! I take it that's when your birthday is?" She smiles, tilting her head. "Mine is February 19." And, with a particular vibrance: "I turned twenty this year!"
It's a lovely thing to hear that Peacock Silk's existence is making Myunghon more mindful of the cognitive detritus they pick up from dungeons. "Aw...! Then thank you for your consideration, Myunghon!"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon doesn't seem to immediately leap to explaining that that's not the case with regards to how Mei treats them -- which perhaps, that silence speaks volumes about what is it that bothered them about their relationship when they last argued. Even Myunghon is reeling a little, thinking that there was more behind that, better things, but... sometimes you just say something hurtful and never get the chance to ever mend it.
But Yanagi's discomfort is noted, and Yanagi speaks of how despite her health issues, she didn't have issues with her hands. While their hands are still touching--
"Mine are actually quite weak, because of extensive injury... I much can't lift anything above my head, even light things, for starters, and I've lost quite a bit of squeezing power," they motion very gently. "But they stayed nimble, so I can still play with card tricks and such. It was a way to do a bit of exercise with them. You likely saw how I rely more on the coat in supernatural spaces."
Unfortunately, Myunghon only does have one hand available right now, immobilised as the other is, but they seem content enough to have hand contact -- it doesn't feel unpleasant, and it seems to please Yanagi in turn. That warm smile is nice, much more than the colder look when Mei was mentioned. It makes them wonder if they had a bad experience with a controlling person.
The paranoid opsec part of them does warn Myunghon that this is a disadvantage in a fight, divulging this, if it ever comes to it -- but surely they won't ever come to blows with the members of the Peacock Silk, even though their means can be quite underhanded...?
"I admit I haven't given it much thought, but there truly are a wonderful number of interesting formations, either cut or natural, are there not? Geodes and hopper crystals, just to name a few... you've rekindled my interest, that's for certain. What would you say is your favourite, if you had to pick one -- the amethyst?"
Yanagi is very honest about being curious how the Revenge Request website works. "I see. I have some idea as to who's behind it, but they're very secretive... though I suppose back in Sumaru, the website has taken a backseat to the sensation of the Joker Killer at present, which is rather related." There's something of a surprise in Myunghon at how... earnest Yanagi's curiousity seems to be -- not one of seeming malice, just a seeming plain curiousity, like they're as curious about how a Revenge Request works as how, say, a watch ticks and keeps track of time.
Tsumugi loves interesting people. "I see... I'll have to keep that in mind. They had much to say about freedoms that I find quite compelling... each meeting we've had, I think I'm pulled further into their gravity. There is a magnetism about them, is there not?"
Yanagi shares her birthday, however, and Myunghon smiles quietly. "May the twenty-third. I've only been twenty-three for a few months now." An emerald, is it? "I confess I haven't thought much about emeralds..."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Hmmm... Only somewhat. There were a lot of people there that day to pay attention to. But yes, I did notice the coat much more than anything else," Yanagi muses. "I see... So it's not that you lack dexterity, the problem is a lack of strength... That's definitely a problem. Hmmm... I've done a lot of hand and wrist exercises over the ages. They're easier to keep up with than... other things. I wonder if rehabilitation would be useful for you...?" She gazes off into the distance for a moment... and then shrugs. "But that's only if you want to. And you know your body best."
She does not offer any information about any experiences she might have had with controlling people. The past is an illusion, and the future may never come. It's best to focus on the here and now.
Talking of jewels revives her enthusiasm, as always. "Yes! The amethyst is very near and dear to my heart. But my white whale... is the diamond!! At a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond! Carving them is notoriously difficult--I'm polishing my skills every day," pun... intended...?? "in order to become skilled enough to carve one myself!" She clasps her hands to her now-rosy cheeks. "And once I can...! Then I'll create my life's work at last!"
Honesty is Yanagi's policy! She may not say everything she's about, but she's always 100% sincere about the things she says, for good or ill. She didn't hold back about her opinion of Mei even when it was clear that Myunghon misses her. "Mhm, so I've noticed," she says of the Joker Killer--but then pauses when she says they're related. "Do you mean that literally? Or just that they're similar?"
Talking about Tsumugi and freedom makes that warmth returns to her smile, and then some--it's the delicate heat of one in love. "There is," she agrees. "I fell for them the same way."
...
...does that mean she acknowledges that Myunghon might have feelings for them too, or...
She nods and mentally notes Myunghon's birthday--of course it would have already passed, if they were born in May, so no surprise there. But... so they don't have any strong feelings about emeralds, huh... "Do you have a favorite gemstone?" she wonders. "Though if you'd like to know more about emeralds, I'd be happy to share!"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"I've..." Myunghon starts, as Yanagi speaks of rehabilitation. "I've been neglecting that for some time, I'm afraid," they accompany the admission that they've been putting off their rehab with a soft chuckle, slightly embarrassed. "It was quite painful to even do simple raises, and I don't do well in medical environments, and that turned into fights with the nurses and staff... they said I'd never regain everything, and that made me question what the point was," A pause, as they shrug in turn as well with that smile. Yanagi did give them an out, saying that that's only if they want to, after all!
And they don't. Even if it's kind of destructive to their body.
But it's not the amethyst that's nearest and dearest -- it's the diamond! "Oh, yes! I'd learnt from this from, ah... well, medicine again. They said that they lace the edges of scalpels and other important cutting tools with diamonds, do they not, because of their hardness?" Myunghon remarks, but then becomes very curious indeed. "What kind of tool would you need in the jewelcrafting space to cut one? I'm not familiar with that at all, but... I see, that does sound like quite the goal to reach. I hope you have the opportunity to someday. I certainly would love to see it."
Does Myunghon say they're related? "... I'm not going to confirm it, because I only have a working hypothesis, but I do think the Revenge Request and the Joker Killer come from very close sources. But they are undeniably similar. Either way, I don't particularly trust them -- because I know there is conspiracy behind the Joker Killer, and undoubtedly they plan to use those who've used the Joker Killer to their own ends, such as blackmail, I imagine."
The truth will be much, much stranger.
But...
Yanagi fell for Tsumugi the same way. "Ah--" Myunghon is a little taken aback by that. "You-- I mean, I didn't wish to presume, but..." They cup their hand gently. "... to be quite honest, I wasn't certain how to take it. Tsumugi didn't seem the kind to be interested in a long-term relationship, if I might be blunt..." Now they're wondering if the hollowness they felt within themself was their own anxieties and fears, or if there was something more. The answer can indeed still be 'both', however.
Do they have a favourite gemstone?
"... goodness, well, right now, I suppose I'd have to say this koala pin," Myunghon answers a little cheekily. "But I have not thought much of it to have an answer for you..."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"It is painful, often," Yanagi says with understanding. She falls silent as they continue, though... Fights with nurses and staff, and...
'They said I'd never regain everything, and that made me question what the point was.'
"..."
But Yanagi leaves that one be. It's not like Myunghon is complaining, and she understands that question far too well to criticize them for making it.
"As you say, I'd need diamond-tipped tools. There's actually quite a few specialized tools and techniques, which can potentially shift depending on the cut--it's hardly impossible to do by hand, as diamond cutting has existed as a practice for centuries, but there are a lot of steps to it. First there's planning what sort of cut best suits the stone, then there's marking what needs to be done for that cut, then you need to cleave or saw away the parts you don't need, then you brute the girdle so it's round, then you polish it, and at least you do the final inspection. It sounds simple but it's actually quite intensive." She giggles quietly. "When I do it, I'll be sure to let you know so you can see. I hope I can carve not just one but many, many diamonds...!"
It makes sense that Myunghon won't confirm it; if they don't actually know for certain, there's nothing to confirm. Yanagi does nod at their analysis, though. "They are," undeniably similar, that is. The mention of a conspiracy gets her eyes to hood, and she brings a hand up to her chin in thought. "Blackmail... If it were only that, that would be so petty."
Which does not actually rule it out as a possibility. For now, she smiles at Myunghon's observation of Tsumugi and long-term relationships. "They aren't," she replies. "That's what I like about them. When I'm gone, they won't grieve--they'll simply move on."
She says that very matter-of-fact, without any sentimentality. The only thing that might be more jarring is what she says next, which is, "...So if you're worrying about me, you really don't need to. Saika sleeps with them too sometimes."
Apparently that's what she meant by 'competition'!!
She giggles at Myunghon's 'favorite.' "My! Well, sodalite is a very underappreciated stone, so I'm delighted to hear you like it so much! But in that case, I invite you to think about it going forward. And if you find any emeralds anywhere and bring them to me, I'll be sure to make you something dazzling to show them off!"
For now, though, Yanagi scoots away from her desk, then picks up the polished walking stick that hangs on its side. "I'm parched, though. I'm going to get a drink before I continue with this chain. Since you're here, would you like one too, Myunghon?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon does feel like Yanagi likely does quite understand -- it may be different parts of their body, but the frustration and desperation and mounting despair in how difficult it is to even feel like regaining a small modicum of control over what's lost can let one slip particularly badly. But Myunghon does remember Yanagi mentioning Mr. Tomi... was his healing really that miraculous?
"Wow," is Myunghon's honest appraisal as Yanagi speaks of how many different diamond-cutting tools they are. They can scarce imagine it -- and it might honestly look more mundane once seen, since they've seen scalpels before and it's not like they're jewel-encrusted like Diamond weapons in video games, but they can fantasise a little. "True, for a many-faceted diamond, planning all the cuts to maintain the shape that you wish to end at is as large as actually performing the cuts..." They certainly don't think it's as simple as that.
But Yanagi offers to let them watch, and Myunghon nods. "Please! I'm always pleased to see you at your craft."
Yanagi calls blackmail a petty goal, and Myunghon certainly doesn't contradict her. "I feel as if there are no shortage of petty, short-minded men to fight at times. They hold all the power, and yet they have nothing but shallow ambition..." A pause, as Tsumugi's words start to reflect upon them again. They're the ones that hold true power. They should make them realise that...
But-- Yanagi confirms many other things plain, as she often does -- and Myunghon looks... surprised is perhaps not the word, but like something has suddenly made sense about what it is Yanagi likes about such an open relationship. "... that is freeing, in a way, is it not?" It comes back to freedom, again, but then Yanagi double-strikes them with the fact that Tsumugi also sleeps with Saika sometimes.
Oh.
Oh you can just see this baby adult who's only really feeling out intimacy for the first time really truly realise what they've gotten themselves into.
"... I--I see... I'm quite embarrassed now... though I imagine you would say I should not be."
Yanagi invites them to think about what gemstone they might like for next time, and Myunghon nods as they turn towards the exit when they also ask if they'd like a drink. "I was thinking of some tea, myself, yes. That would be lovely. You know the area better than I do, please, lead the way."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
With the power of rumors, anything can be miraculous! But that might need to be a conversation for another day...
Yanagi gives them a now-grim nod as they muse on men with all the power and shallow ambition. "And despite the shallowness of it all, they don't hesitate to crush others into mulch to fertilize it, without any appreciation or understanding of the cost they force onto others--nor any willingness to shoulder any of it themselves." Yanagi smiles sweetly--but there is a diamond edge to it. "I have nothing but contempt for such people."
Freeing. "Yes," she agrees, her demeanor gentling. "To love and be loved without fearing the inevitable loss to come is the greatest freedom I have known."
...Of course, then she giggles at Myunghon's embarrassment. "Ah, you're so cute! <3 I feel like I shouldn't be saying that about someone older than me, and yet it remains true."
For now, though, it's time for something to drink! And Yanagi will lead Myunghon to...
...the upstairs kitchen??
...well, that is the logical place to go... It'll be a fine place to drink tea and rest either way. Myunghon will be free to see themself out once they're done, too.