2025-10-07: Forever is a Lightbulb Ago
- Log: Forever is a Lightbulb Ago
- Cast: Myunghon Yeo, Shinobu Shimizu
- Where: Cardboard Dragon, Hirasaka Ward
- OOC Date: October 07, 2025
- IC Date: July 22, 2012
- Summary: Shinobu saves Myunghon from a nasty fall from a failing stepladder, but things get heavy and awkward between them once more.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon's returned to Sumaru before the end of the day after meeting Hazuki and Fuuka, which was a pleasant and unexpected moment, and done their interview, which didn't turn out to be too pivotal... they really hope Tamaki can support them in this investigation to the Kirijo Group. When they got home, though, they found the light above flickering, and after trying to bear with it for half an hour, they've ended up becoming very frustrated with it, as it's giving them a headache...
And thus, when Shinobu enters, they find Myunghon in the middle of climbing up a rusted, flimsy-looking stepladder, with a box containing a replacement bulb propped ontop of their slung arm. This looks... precarious already... and they don't look like they're having a good time, trying to reach overhead with their one good arm, wincing a little. They've always had to rely on Shinobu and Remi to lift even moderate-weight things for them to put on the top shelves, but a lightbulb is basically weightless... is their logic.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
The past few days have been pretty busy for Shinobu, with a few big jobs keeping her schedule full. Today, though, she's free of that - and elects to use her free time to drop by the Cardboard Dragon and see how things have been going in her absence.
...And the timing is good, too, because when she steps through the door, she finds Myunghon atop a precarious stepladder, reaching for the lightbulb. ...The worst possible scenario is already playing out in her head, so the moment she sees it she's already moving toward them.
"Hey, boss - do you, uh, need a little help with that?" Shinobu asks.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon looks a little startled to see Shinobu at the door, and then pauses as they actively consider it, but then quietly pouts to lightly protest, "Come now, Shinobu-ssi, surely I can replace a lightbulb by myself...?" They turn back towards the lightbulb and reach for it, and then a rapid succession of events takes place:
1) old lightbulbs are HOT when touched and it hasn't been that long since it's been in full heat and
"Ow!" Myunghon yelps at the same time, jerking their hand back and jolting hard enough that the poor A-frame on its last legs creaks one last time and
2) CRACK
The stepladder collapses in on itself and Myunghon's eye widens as gravity rapidly asserts itself on them--
"Aah--"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Myunghon is a little startled - and that startles Shinobu, too, because she worries that they're going to topple over.
"Uhh... maybe, but -" Shinobu starts, watching them reach out. She's familiar with those lightbulbs. She knows how hot they can be, but she doesn't know how long it's been off for or if it's had time to cool down -
- and the answer to that seems to be 'not long enough' because they yelp, recoil back, and the stepladder collapses. Shinobu races forward instinctively as they fall, moving to catch them before they hit the ground.
"Are you alright?" Shinobu asks, looking down at them with concern.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon doesn't immediately answer because they don't even realise what's happened for a good ten or so seconds; their vision of reality's still a little doubled as they suddenly realise they didn't just hit their spine hard against the ground, and instead are being held by-- by--
oh
"Um..." Myunghon quietly bites their lip as they realise how close they are to Shinobu, thoroughly embarrassed in the moment. ... they sure aren't pulling away anytime soon though, no matter how much they might be protesting inside. "That was close..." they say in a small, bashful voice.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu is met by an 'um' - and that's when she realises their situation, too. In her hurry to catch them, she hadn't really considered about what would happen after.
"Uh...." Shinobu starts awkwardly. "...Yeah. Scared me for a second, there. I was gonna say, those bulbs get pretty hot... Are you good to stand up, d'you think?"
She looks back to the stepladder - in part as a distraction.
"...I don't think I'm gonna be able to put that back together. We're gonna have to get a replacement." Shinobu suggests.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon does wince a little as they waggle their fingers -- they'd managed to avoid burning them, but they're a little bit tender right now. Are they able to stand up on their own? It takes them, perhaps a kind of shame guiltily creeping up inside of them as they take a few moments too long to answer, "Y-yes, I should be able to..."
Then they drop one leg at a time, somewhat shakily placing their hand on Shinobu's shoulder. It's still a little disorienting in the same way of standing up too fast, but they manage to not kip over, which is a good sign. Their cheeks are still coloured, as they pointedly try to not make eye contact with those nice green eyes of Shinobu's. Now that they've stepped away, their mind is still reeling back to that moment of being caught and carried and how much they wanted to just stay in that moment a bit longer...
"The better that it broke without anyone being -- hurt, I suppose," Myunghon does allow themself to be distracted by the poor stepladder eating it as well. Thank you, stepladder, for sacrificing yourself for the purpose of a romantic cliche.
Myunghon stands still there for about five seconds, realising how distracted they are and how further thoughts aren't coming through.
"Ddddo... do you want a cookie! I baked more cookies," Myunghon stammers uselessly, flustered.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu watches them carefully to make sure they're actually able to stand. They says that they should... But Shinobu stays close, making sure they have something present for balance so they don't fall over - and once she's sure that they're up and stable again does she step away, nodding to herself.
"Yeah, that's true..." Shinobu agrees. It could have gone a lot worse. It's a good thing she was here...
...even if it's lead to a now awkward air in the Cardboard Dragon. There's silence - which is then broken as Myunghon stammers something out.
"Uh... Yeah, sure." Shinobu agrees with a nod, massaging the back of her neck. "You've been baking more? How's that, uh... been going for you?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
She's so nice, thinks Myunghon, at the level of care Shinobu does display for them as they try to get themself back in a position where they're not going to be at risk of a fainting spell or anything. Kind, and caring, and strong and dependable and reliable and-- aah, please, stop having these thoughts, Myunghon, it can't be... it's not meant to be...
Myunghon tries to not make it look too obvious they're still having these thoughts (how would they make it more obvious that they are??), stepping gently towards the kitchenette. "Um... Remi lent me some tools which made it a little easier. Baking one-handed is still difficult... I still have to brace the mixing bowl against my thighs and chest and everything, and some other actions are still beyond me." A pause. "I'm not sure I can use a knife safely."
A pause, as they put on an extra-warm smile to say, "But! I find that baking does make sense to me. It's been intriguing to see the chemical reaction of sucrose turning from a solid at room temperature to a liquid, for instance! And that led to me becoming curious about the different types of sugar compounds, and that the composition of common pantry sugar is! How fascinating it is that something that has been culturally labelled as 'sugar' has such a violent past, and not at all naturally-occurring in nature in the way we think of--!"
KOALA MARCH -- Even we, as glucose itself, know you are deflecting.
why the koalas gotta judge
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
If Shinobu catches any hints of the thoughts running through Myunghon's head right now, she politely pretends not to notice them. It's better that way, for everyone... so instead she follows them into the kitchenette, looking over everything they're working with.
"Oh yeah? I can see how that'd make it easier." Shinobu considers... and then winces. "Uh, yeah, probably better to hold off on anything sharp..."
She can already see the potential for disaster, there. But Myunghon enthuses on baking and its intricacies, and Shinobu -
...Well, to her credit, she does try to follow.
"Wow, uh -" Shinobu starts. "You've thought a lot about this, huh...? I'm glad you've found something that works out for you."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon does enter that moment where they realise they've been infodumping for a while and then gets self-conscious about it, and then "... and thus as heat is applied, the brown colour of caramel is produced by the polymer of caramelans, caraemelens *and* caramelins--" into a sharp pause and an awkward little laugh that trails off. They can't even twiddle their thumbs at the moment.
Stopping their mouth from running has the obvious effect of leaving them in awkward silence, however, as they glance around nervously for something else to leap onto to continue to fill the silence. Challenge her to Innocent Cog again? Ask her if they'd be up for another job? Heavens they've probably just turned her off further by forgetting their mask and getting hyperexcited about caramelisation of sugar of all things, they've already decided for themself.
WAIT
Right, the actual cookie. They embarrassedly reach for the minifridge which was supposed to only have drinks for customers and takes out the actual cookie they started with and completely forgot about, which has a small plastic food container, and they hand it gently to Shinobu. The cookies are kinda misshapen in the way someone with only one hand makes them, but they are perfectly fine cookies...
"I, um..." Myunghon does pause, after. "... I did talk to a few more people. ... and she also mentioned being in an open relationship, and preferring it casual. ... I didn't have any idea that so many people preferred it that way."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Caramelans, caramelens, and caramelins...? If Shinobu didn't know any better, she'd assume they were just talking about caramel-themed aliens or something... but it must be a real thing, from how seriously they're taking the topic.
"I didn't realise it went that in-depth..." She remarks, surprised. ...And then they're left with that awkward silence. Should she say something...?
But Myunghon remembers why they're here, bringing the container out of the fridge. Shinobu accepts it, taking one before handing it back.
It's a little misshapen... but Shinobu prefers it this way. That's proof it was made by a human hand. She takes a bite - and then looks up.
"...This is pretty good. You've been getting good at this." She says. Myunghon pauses, and starts - and Shinobu has to do a quick mental reset.
"Uh... yeah." Shinobu replies with a nod, massaging the back of her neck. She finishes off the cookie. "Some people need different things in their lives, you know? Sometimes they just need that boost, or that's just what they're most comfortable with... It's just... kind of down to how the individual feels."
+ooc it is a real thing and i was also like 'this sounds fake as hell you just changed one vowel'
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon internally winces as they watch Shinobu have to mentally reset and reach the back of her neck again, which they've become hypersensitive to as a marker for discomfort, they think, as they reach their hand to their neckline, which is their own nervous tick. But they at least have to confess, "I just want to create things that other people can enjoy... even if I can't enjoy them myself, I've always wished to do that." And that much is, at least, true. Even if they realise that it's an uphill struggle with what they have and how they're limited.
They'll take the quiet triumph of Shinobu enjoying their cookies, though. They still have no idea when at some point they'll make something completely alien that they can't really quality-test themself.
Shinobu does eventually answer them, though. "I'm... well, I suppose... is that more the kind of thing you're looking for? The last time we spoke about it, I felt as if I put you in a position of doubt." They hesitate as Reiko's words about how much Shinobu sells herself short come to mind. "Oh-- this is not me trying to angle for... er--" And then they're tripping over their words again. "You'd mentioned casual relationships before as well, I'm just trying to understand better... intimacy really was something I had convinced myself I didn't..." don't say deserve "... that is, I'm merely-- catching up."
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Myunghon explains that they want to create things other people can enjoy, even if they can't enjoy it themself. Shinobu nods, offering them a small smile.
"Hey, I think that's a good goal. It feels nice to be able to make something anyway, right?" She replies.
Myunghon elaborates, then - and a complicated frown crosses Shinobu's face. She thinks it over, leaning against the wall of the kitchenette with her arms folded in front of her.
"It's not-" She starts. "It's not like it's the only thing I want, but..."
She hesitates - and shakes her head as they clarify.
"No, no, it's okay, I get it." She assures. She frowns - and nods quietly. Catching up, huh... "Yeah, it's, uh - there's a lot to keep in mind. Honestly, even when it's 'casual', that doesn't make it simple. There's always going to be a chance things get messy."
She looks up to the ceiling for a moment.
"It's just... easier for me. I still want to... be close with people, you know, so it's just... easier when there's already an understanding that it isn't going to last." Shinobu explains. "...Sorry, does that make sense?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
It is a good goal. In their life up until now, they feel they've only been able to take away, not create. The domain of the corporate is the domain of breathlessly pretending like you're creating value, while only being a leech of a vampire that takes and takes away until there's no life to be had anywhere they're pointed at. A life for fifteen bucks...
While Shinobu leans, they've ended up on the same counter, perhaps idly becoming self conscious of their height differences again -- and how nice it is to momentarily feel like they can forget that when being carried. ... stupid. But Shinobu points out that it's not the only thing she wants, and even when it's casual... it's not simple. It can always get messy.
Myunghon sucks in a breath, and then says, "Yes, I do know that now first hand," in perhaps too blunt a manner, before they get anxious again and stammers, "I mean-- not between us, the... the other... disaster." Wow, you can't even refer to Tsumugi by name, Myunghon? Disaster Kujaku. Peacock Disaster.
Shinobu still wants to be close to people. ... that's something they particularly understand, with what they've been reminded as of late. It's just... easier, when there's an understanding it won't last. Myunghon feels their heart beat as they feel words coming to their throat. Their head gets light again, something they've pondered since the first night Shinobu's explained how they 'lose interest'.
'What if I said it was okay to discard me later?'
...
...
That the phrase entered their mind and is ready on their throat in *that* form, at least, gives them pause, as they realise that that's not really what they want after all, and they're just seeking to hurt themself again. "... it makes... perfect sense, yes," Myunghon is suddenly really quiet, since they've just tanked their own mood in the space of five seconds, further bringing that hand to their neck as they tuck inwards into themself.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
That blunt response gets a wince from Shinobu - but they quickly correct that they weren't talking about what happened between them, but instead, the other disaster.
"Oh... Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense." Shinobu replies with a nod. She already knows what that's referring to without even having to ask. "It's, uh. It can be a lot to deal with."
She looks toward them. She can't sense the words running through their head as they think about it. She nods, as they confirm that it makes perfect sense.
...She goes quiet, as the mood in the room generally becomes heavy.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon lets out a trembling sigh, unable to stand the thickness of the tension in the room. Would it be just like this forever? It's their fault. They shouldn't have ever taken the shot. It's as they feared would happen -- their relationship's changed forever for the worse. "I haven't even spoken with Tsumugi about that night again... I still find myself wondering what it means, and only knowing how they feel about relationships second hand only makes it worse," they bring up, if only to have anything to cut through that awkwardness.
"'You didn't call me,' is something you hear needy people say in media..." Myunghon murmurs, as they pull away from that kitchenette. "... I'm sorry. It used to be so nice, between us, I could behave something like... like comfortable, around you. I was always so afraid that it would change something forever between us and now it has and... it is all my fault." And they feel like another cry but they don't really want to inflict that on Shinobu after they fell apart in the bathroom.
"Um-- would you mind helping me dispose of the ladder? It's a bit heavy for me alone," they do request, before sighing. "I'm... mm. No, nevermind... you can take the rest of the cookies if you'd like, Shinobu-ssi. There are some things I need to pack up upstairs."
That was a very transparent lie, they think, as they move towards the door, at this point not really willing to reveal their face at this point to Shinobu.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
They got secondhand information, huh... A part of Shinobu wants to suggest that they talk to them - but if it were that easy, they wouldn't be in this situation. If it were that easy, the room wouldn't feel so awkward.
They apologize and Shinobu winces. They say it's all their fault that things changed so much... This has... really hurt them. She keeps thinking about it - running it through her head... What can she, should she, have done differently...? ...First things first, she decides to address the practicals.
"...Yeah. I can help you with that, don't worry." Shinobu confirms with a nod, about the step ladder. "I can make a few recommendations for the new one, too."
They say there are things they need to pack up upstairs. Shinobu hesitates.
...She can tell it's a transparent lie. For a moment, she's willing to accept that, but...
"...If you want to be alone for a bit, that's alright." Shinobu starts. "But before I go... it's not all your fault, alright? I'm to blame, too. I... probably could've handled it, and all of this, a lot better."
She hesitates for a moment before continuing.
"...You don't have to take it all on yourself. We'll... figure things out, at some point." Shinobu says. "This doesn't have to be forever."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon pauses at the threshold to the door, their hand placed on it. But Shinobu speaks up, and points out that if they need to be alone for a bit, that's all right. ... so they did notice it was a lie. Shinobu can see their hand curl slightly against the door.
But Shinobu doesn't accept that it's all their fault -- she's to blame too. She wants to refute that. What did Shinobu do wrong? Wanting the relationships to remain casual, and open, that's a valid way to feel... it wasn't as if she asked Myunghon to have these feelings. Why should she take the blame for how they feel? That feels irrational. Is it? But she clarifies that it's in the handling that things could've been done better...
...
But there's a resolve from her to figure things out. At some point. "... mm," they nod, and they turn for a moment, and they've started sobbing. "... I'll, I'll see you later, Shinobu-ssi." Then they open the door and step out to head to the third floor. They've really become such a crybaby, and they don't like it one bit.
This doesn't have to be forever...
Rationally they would know the heart does heal, over time. That people do feel differently over time, and that things that feel intense right now fade into nothingness. ... they crave being in that time rather than now, though. It does feel like forever right now.