2025-11-11: Clean and Casual
- Log: Clean and Casual
- Cast: Myunghon Yeo, Shinobu Shimizu
- Where:
- OOC Date: November 11, 2025
- IC Date: August 09, 2012
- Summary: Myunghon invites Shinobu to help clean the Cardboard Dragon but ends up doing most of it themself in a fit of nervous panic. They work through their anxiety to start to talk about their new relationship.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon's been having a stressful couple of days, with the mission with Rin Sasaki not going particularly well -- they've come home to do their particular stretch of cleaning as they often do offscreen -- yes, miraculously, they're actually really fastidious with the place, even though it's a kind of laborious thing to do on their own... ... which is why they're not on their own!
Myunghon's asked if Shinobu's free to help with the cleaning, and suggested they could go for dinner for a treat. And... they also said they wanted to talk a bit more about -- about them, and where she'd like to go next. ... and then of course they immediately fretted the choice of 'hey wanna come clean the store AND talk about relationships'???
Doing garbage at this, Myunghon!!
So by the time Shinobu arrives, the place is mysteriously looking mostly spotless and Myunghon looks like they've gone through their entire gas tank and then some, panting a little as they climb down the new and improved non-treacherous stepladder (thanks to Shinobu), their hair tied back with a bandana and the jacket missing in favour of just rolling their sleeves up.
"Oh, welcome, Shinobu-ssi..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu is always free to help with chores, that's one thing that can be counted on. It's the one thing she she considers herself good at because it doesn't require so much 'hard thinking' as it does 'willingness to put the elbow grease in'. So, naturally, when Myunghon asked for her help in return for dinner and talking about Them, she naturally agrees.
But when she arrives...
...The place is already spotless...?
Shinobu offers Myunghon a raised eyebrow as she looks their way, shutting the door behind her.
"Thanks. Uhh... Did you get started without me?" She asks. "You didn't have to do all that..."
She takes another look. They look... super winded.
"...You doing alright?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon looks bashful and embarrassed by the time Shinobu enters, and starts packing away the stepladder with a little wince, dragging it back towards its typical corner. "I-- ah, I became nervous and had a lot of energy to burn and rather than sit and wait, I became a whirlwind of activity."
They take a deeper breath as they pull a nearby towel to wipe themself down, which is actually awkward when half your body is in bandages and also sweating is also not an activity that's particularly straightforward when SO MUCH OF YOUR SKIN is fucked up, actually, under those bandages. It's weird. Bodies are weird. Personas have it so easy.
"I haven't quite finished with the shelves yet... and there are some heavy items that I do need help with," Myunghon does admit. "How... how are you faring?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu starts to ask if they need help putting the stepladder away - but by the time she has, they already have it almost taken care of. They had a lot of nervous energy to burn, huh... Shinobu massages the back of her neck.
"...Yeah, I get what that's like." She admits sympathetically - but she nods, when they say there's still shelves and some heavy lifting to do. Shinobu cracks her knuckles and rolls her neck. "Alright, then lemme at 'em."
She starts toward the shelves, though pauses when they ask how she's doing.
"I'm doin' alright." Shinobu replies. She sounds like it, at least. "Just had a lot to think about, is all. ...How about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
It doesn't take long for the heavy boxes to be moved where they need to, and a short moment of elbow grease later, it's all done. "... ah-- the same, I suppose. Maybe not for all the same reasons. Our meeting with our ghosts certainly had me considering a lot," Myunghon means the Phantom Thieves, "And I had some thoughts to share regarding them... actually shared them with Shinjiro-ssi and nuna, before he left. And... and, well, there's us too, of course."
A pause, as they tilt their head and gestures towards the couch. "Do you want any tea and cookies? There's some leftover from the last batch. The least I can do."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
This is where Shinobu excels. Between the two of them, the boxes are soon where they need to be. Shinobu leans against the last one as Myunghon replies. They've been doing a lot of thinking too, huh... Well, that isn't too surprising.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about them, too." She replies - and nods. "Yeah. And us."
She steps away from the box, then, and nods.
"Sure, that'd be great." She confirms, moving to settle in on the couch.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"It's always so much easier to have you around," Myunghon sounds very pleased when Shinobu starts helping, mentally kicking themself into probably injuring themself exacerbating their wounded arms trying to move even remotely heavy boxes themself. "I do know I do not do enough rehab for my arms... but it is so, so very painful." Shinobu does agree to tea and cookies, so it's not long before they start the kettle...
Later on, they've moved to the couch again and put the AC on a cooler setting to make themselves a bit more comfortable. It's the checkerboard cookies again, but this time there's some star- and heart-shaped cookies to go with it.
"Do you want to start with them... or us?" A pause, as they twiddle their fingers gently.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"That's what I'm here for." Shinobu replies brightly, with a quick, one-armed flex. It's just a bit - it's not like you can see muscle through the sleeve of her jacket. She offers them a sympathetic look, now.
"I know, but it'll help. It's good for you, y'know? Lemme know if you need any help with that." She replies.
Settled into the couch, now, she takes one of the cookies, giving it a taste-test.
"Pretty good." She observes approvingly, before considering the question.
Start with them, or us...?
...It's... a very tricky question.
"...Sounds like you've already been thinking about our ghosts, so maybe them?" Shinobu considers.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Shinobu does a bit of a flex and Myunghon thinks they might just DIE. It's not whether or not they can see muscle, it's just TOO CUTE. They do offer help with rehab, though... "Y-yeah... I do think I do need to do it. I've already missed my windows... they say that you need to do it before your muscles heal the wrong way," they admit.
But Shinobu says the cookies are nice.
"Hmmm. I'm very glad," Myunghon does exhibit some nervousness in their body language still, as they natter, "I may start bargain-hunting for a stand mixer sometime, because that seems to be a tool that would let me do a lot that I do not have the upper-body strength..." Which does dovetail right back to rehab, does it...
"R-right, well... the thing with the ghosts is..." Myunghon hesitates further. About four stiff and palpably painful seconds pass.
"S-should I stop seeing Tsumugi?" is what they blurt out of their mouth instead, and then that's instantly followed up with flailing as they stammer, "W-wait, that's not-- I mean--" Oh, yeah, that was what was entirely on their brain this whole time, huh.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Yeah... You wanna do it early." Shinobu confirms with a nod. "I don't think it's too late, but... it gets harder and harder if you put it off too long."
She smiles, as Myunghon's glad the cookies turned out, and nods when they mention bargain-hunting.
"Good idea. I'll keep an ear out, too. If I hear about anyone looking to off-load one, I can send 'em your way." Shinobu offers.
Myunghon starts, then - and hesitates. Shinobu leans back. She doesn't mind giving them time to work through their thoughts, and when they finally get there -
"Wh- Uh..." Shinobu starts, taken completely by surprise as Myunghon blurts out that question. She... definitely didn't expect that, and for a moment wonders if they had just been accidentally talking past one another...
She massages the back of her neck as she works through her thoughts, having to mentally course correct. She hadn't really thought about it already - but the question has definitely been on their mind, even as they stammer to take it back.
"Do you... want to keep seeing them?" Shinobu asks, looking toward Myunghon. "'Cause, I mean... I still think they're pretty suspicious, but... I can't tell you who you can or can't see."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
All thoughts about rehab and stand mixers go out the window and thus Myunghon can put off their recovery longer. Why did they start with that question?!?!?! Shinobu's put on the back foot now too, as Myunghon positively shrinks to about ninety percent of their usual volume and hides behind their barely-tea to regain them several precious seconds of thinking-time.
Shinobu responds with a question in turn, though, and Myunghon pouts a bit. They did expect the question-in-turn, but perhaps they were hoping for something decisive. "W-well-- can you not? I know we spoke of--" A pause. "No, perhaps the place to start with is... you spoke of how you preferred a casual relationship, but I was not certain if that was what you still desired. That is... what I look for out of Tsumugi is not really... what I think makes me quite fond of you -- that sense of stability and support and the way you're always there when I really need someone to lean on..."
Wow. Words! Words are terrible and hard. They still feel like they're lost out at sea without a lighthouse or a sea chart. Take some deep breaths, Myunghon.
"... the more I think about it, the more I realise 'find one single person to fulfill all your needs for the rest of your life' sounds truly absurd."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Myunghon pouts and Shinobu offers them a brief apologetic look - but she doesn't take the question back. She listens, though, as they continue, working their way through their thoughts.
...She 'hm's to herself, folding her arms in front of her. ...Though she does look briefly sheepish when Myunghon recounts the things that make them fond of her.
"I mean... Yeah. I still dunno if I'm ready for something more... committed." Shinobu replies, a little awkward for a moment. There's still that fear, there - of finding that she's lost all interest once she's gotten in too deep to leave. "So, like... if you can find things in them that you need, I'm happy for you? I don't want to claim this is casual and then start dictating your life for you... that's not fair to you. ...Or to them, for that matter."
She shrugs, then - with a small laugh.
"...Yeah. I mean, I know it works for some people, and maybe there'll come a time when I want that, too... but from where I'm sitting right now, it's hard to imagine taking that step." She agrees.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon does settle for a little bit after, focusing on the thing they said that made Shinobu laugh -- that is to say, the immense seeming absurdity of being married once for your whole life and expecting that one person can fulfill all your needs forever. Or at least, that's the incredibly lofty goal in which traditional marriage seems to expect of people, and a lot of marriages sure seem to fall apart, as an outside observer.
"... and... that is all right," Myunghon finds themself able to at least pull at one thread from there. "When people said that it is better to take the shot and miss... mm, everything I have felt from that first night at your apartment up until now has been valuable for me. Everything from how I felt right after, to thinking that I still felt that way even after two weeks... then three weeks..."
There's a drawn inhale of breath, then a soft exhale. "And... perhaps that's the same way, here? I'm not looking for a contract and to slap a label of 'girlfriend' and everything that everyone assumes that comes with. And... certainly I'm all ears for what you'd like out of me too..."
But Shinobu is answering the question -- if they can find things in Tsumugi that they need, then she's happy for them. There's-- a soft chuckle as they lean to say, Merry-moding a touch, "... it's okay to get a little jealous, you know. ... but I understand."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu nods. She remembers them talking about that, being better to take the shot and miss... and she remembers the immense awkwardness after. That feeling still hurt.
Not looking for a contract and a label, huh... Shinobu nods again.
"'Ppreciate that, honestly. It's nice not to worry about, uh... expectations." She admits with a shrug. What she'd like out of them, though... "I think... so long as you're there when I need you, I'm good with whatever. But, that's never really been an issue."
She pauses for a moment.
"...And that goes both ways, of course - you need me, I'll be there. Even if you just need someone to complain to or lean on." She replies.
Myunghon Merry-modes a bit, then, and Shinobu laughs. Jealousy, huh...
"Well, if I do, that's my problem to get over. You can tell me I'm being an ass and remind me we had this talk, it's cool." She assures.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon sidles in just a bit closer, leaning their head to rest... ... against Shinobu's head, likely, because they are taller, even when they're both sitting. It's gonna take a bit of effort to land on her shoulder, they think to themself. "Could you have even imagined this happening a few months ago? It all does feel as if there was a storm of people entering my life. I've known you for longer but it still feels like I was drifting listlessly earlier in the year..."
Which is pretty true. Having the company they do now in their life seems to have improved Myunghon's ability to cope with the day to day significantly.
The way in which Shinobu points out it's her problem if she feels jealous has Myunghon blinking a little bit, as they laugh very gently. "... I do really like it when you get quite worked up," they point out. "Thank you... thank you for being in my life, Shinobu-ssi. I do appreciate it a lot."
And then they lean for a peck on the-- the cheek?? That's it?! They retract a little as they embarrassedly say, "... I just-- realised, um, well, what boundaries on the physical do you want..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Myunghon sidles in closer, leaning their head against hers. ...Shinobu had never really thought about the height difference between the two of them, but it really comes into contrast when they're like this, huh.
"No, not really." Shinobu admits with a small laugh. "We'd kind of just been going through the paces for a while... but things really started to shake up, huh?"
Her comment actually gets a small laugh out of Myunghon, and that gets a slight smile out of Shinobu in turn.
"You do? I always kind of worry I put people off... I'm not exactly, uh. Delicate. With anything." She admits. She can be pretty abrasive, in fact... But Myunghon thanks her, and that earnest appreciation takes her aback a bit. She looks sheepish, but not unhappy. "Uh... Thanks. I'm glad you're in mine, too."
Myunghon leans in for a peck on the cheek! They look embarrassed, but Shinobu offers them a smile in turn. They ask their question, then. What boundaries... Shinobu thinks on that for a moment.
"Nothing's really off the table for me..." Shinobu decides. "Just depends on what's comfortable for you. Don't rush into anything you're not ready for. So maybe... start slow?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Shinobu did say she likes tall, so Myunghon is at least glad for that. ... it does make them feel a bit awkward, but it isn't as if they can just sand off several centimetres of their feet away or anything!! And the tallness does, sometimes, come in useful for parsing.
"It really did. I almost feel like I have to thank Kaneshiro, but it sort of started before he even turned up on our doorstep..." Myunghon ruminates. Weren't they going to talk about the Phantom Thieves at some point...? ... they're too comfy now. Sorry, this is clearly a Social Linking scene, not a plot development scene!! Or at least, it was fighting between the two for a bit.
Shinobu expresses her fear of putting people off, though. "... and I'm often too delicate to really push people back, so that's a nice compliment, don't you think?" It's true that Shinobu hasn't really been abrasive around them, so perhaps they'll experience that differently, but the bashfulness is quite cute indeed.
As for physical boundaries, Shinobu decides that nothing's off the table -- just what's comfortable for them... "Y-yeah. I mean, it did end up being-- unexpected and a bit strange with Tsumugi--" They pause, as they start to interrogate that it does feel a bit weird to be talking about them like this.
"... ... I should probably do something about the third floor, huh..." Nice topic switch, Myunghon.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
It's true. Shinobu does like Tall. She did say she generally goes for the opposite of what she is...
Shinobu thinks on that and laughs, just a little.
"...Yeah. I don't wanna give that guy any more credit than I have to. The only thing he succeeded at was rallying all of us to kick his ass. Everything else was just us being us." Shinobu replies.
Myunghon says that while she's never delicate, they're often too delicate, and that gets a small laugh out of Shinobu.
"Yeah, guess so. It's a fine balance, huh?" She replies.
Myunghon says it was unexpected and a bit strange with Tsumugi - Shinobu could ask about that... except, they change the subject all of a sudden, so she lets it drop.
"...Yeah. That, uh. Might be a good idea." Shinobu admits. "I'll do what I can to help, and I'm sure we could rope in a few others."
She pauses and adds, but not unkindly,
"...Might need to call an exorcist or two, too."
This isn't directed at the Phantom Thieves or even Tsumugi - just, who knows how many unknown evils have begun to take root up there...