I will grow my own trees while you follow the moon

[thesettingsun]

it's a john/shuji catchall post

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[vitis]

[ gives shuji a look like great. fantastic. ]

C'mon. I got three younger siblings, remember.

[ so how bad could it be!! he's going to try to enter again, pushing at the door a little to make this known. if that doesn't work, plan b is literally picking shuji up and setting him aside. ]

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji's strong enough to hold the door closed. Unfortunately, he isn't heavy to match his strength, so John can indeed pick him up and move him out of the way.]

Hey, that's cheating-

[The room, now that John has a proper look at it, is about as bad as Shuji implied.

His closet is stuffed to the brim, and from there fancy clothes radiate outwards into the rest of room. His bed is entirely covered, so much so that Shuji had to guess where it actually was in this chaos.

On the bright side, it's colorful.]

[vitis]

[ yeah it sort of looks like the mall exploded in his room. john gawks for a solid moment, eyes tracing over not only where his bed should be, but several of his belongings that might also be covered (he did have a side table, it looks like half his desk has been swallowed. ]

[ how the hell does shuji have this many clothes. his brain has shortcircuited. with a little shake of his head to clear that, ]

—Okay. Well.

[ that's.. that. the clothes look.. comfy, at least. ]

I'm enlistin' you in helpin' me get this a bit organized, y'know.

[thesettingsun]

I'll take responsibility.

[Even if this is technically Retrospec's fault and not Shuji's, they aren't going to help clean up.]

Do you have somewhere else we can store these...?

[Because there's just no way they can be organized and neat in this tiny room.]

[vitis]

... We could put some of it in the living room. I'll run it by my roomie that it's temporary.

[ he doesn't think said mysterious npc roomie will have an issue with that, so long as the clothes aren't just like. in a pile. john scratches his chin, considering this mess. ]

Under the bed. Got room in a few kitchen cabinets.... [ it's. something. john moves forward to pick up an article of clothing -- looks like a vest of some sort? it's nice enough that, putting it over his knee as he folds it, that he has to stare at it a moment. ]

[thesettingsun]

[If you stop to look at every piece of clothing you're never going to get anything clean, John.

As Shuji is carefully scooping up one of his kimono - it's a little too wrinkly but he won't get upset about that while John's around - he notices John staring.]

Do you like that one?

[vitis]

... I guess?

[ ah, he feels embarrassed at being called out (no, john, shuji wasn't calling anyone out, he was curious). regardless, he feels his cheek tint pink. really, his mind had been doing somersaults about money and fashion and other things he doesn't need to vocalize.

he stares down at, smoothing a palm over it as he finishes crisply folding it. ]

It's a nice material. I don't really have an eye for this sorta stuff.

[thesettingsun]

Well, if you're going to be wearing my clothes anyway... Why don't I have you try on a few outfits? You might like how you look in some of them.

If nothing else, it'll get them off the floor.

[But he's hoping John will like them.]

[vitis]

[ LOOKS UNSURE but he smiles, that's harmless enough. ]

[ he sets the vest into the beginnings of a neater pile. ]

'Kay. And what will you recommend, then, O' God of Fashion?

[thesettingsun]

[While sorting out clothes and taking a look around the... top layer...]

Have you ever worn a yukata?

[vitis]

Yukata?

[ it's not a word john can immediately translate, so he shakes his head. ]

Don't think so.

[thesettingsun]

Then we'll start with that!

[Shuji picks up a purple yukata ensemble from the floor - thankfully all the pieces have stayed together - and holds it out to John.]

Here. Cotton undergarment goes on first, cross the yukata - the purple thing - left side over right side, tie the sash around the waist in a bow to secure it and you're golden.

[He remembered to specify which side to cross it over so John doesn't look like a dead person! ...Not which side the bow should be tied on so he doesn't look like a hooker, but it's something.]

[vitis]

[ john... follows and nods along, for the most part. it's simple. he's not exactly shy in front of shuji in the private quarters of their bedroom, so he shrugs the cape off (!!!! which results in a very excited grin from john, that this is possible), loosening the tie and shrugging the ... well, the remainder of it the top off, it is quite the outfit. that gets set aside for now.

he pulls the cotton undergarment on, pulls the yukata over his shoulders. ]

Sorry - which way was it...?

[ and cue making a motion to cross it over the wrong way, woops. ]

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji's attempting to get more clothes picked up and folded neatly - he can always check John out later, he tells himself. But hearing John mumble about which way-]

Left over right.

[john does not get to be a corpse today]

[vitis]

[ ah, there we go. john then ties the sash (in the back, yes), though the bow probably looks like it could use some work. then completed, he grins and spreads his arms wide. ]

How do I look...?

[ he personally has no idea how he looks; there's no mirror in this room, the shared bathroom having to be entered into from the living room. ]

[thesettingsun]

[There's a little work that could be done straightening things out, yes, but-]

Handsome as hell.

[Shuji is extremely gay and biased, but John really does look good in that.]

[vitis]

[ shuji is extremely biased. recognizing this, john reaches forward to... not ruffle his hair, but ok, dropping a few inches lower to pinch his cheek. ]

Well, thanks. There a special occasion for wearin' these? Or is it.. just somethin' comfy? [ he doesn't think he's seen shuji wearing this too often, is all. ]

[thesettingsun]

[He almost wishes John had messed with his hair, that's a little less embarrassing.]

They're traditional summer clothes in Japan, or bathrobes in certain areas. So both? I don't wear them often when I go out, just around the house.

[It's pretty visably Not Western, and Shuji has a complicated relationship with his heritage.]

[vitis]

Oh.

[ makes sense. if this were his pile of clothes, and not shuji's, he'd feel more inclined to just flop back into it and call it a day. ]

Well, it is awfully comfy. Almost makes me wanna invest in a fluffy robe for myself.

[ "almost," that is money. and john's fairly good at lounging no matter what he's wearing. ]

[thesettingsun]

Mine fit you well enough. [This whole situation would be worse if their clothes didn't fit.] If you want, you can borrow one of mine.

[Borrow indefinitely.]

[vitis]

Really? [ even if he's technically borrowing one now... ] I'd like that, thank you.

[ he doesn't catch the implied "indefinitely," but shuji gets a grateful smile all the same. ]

Was there somethin' else you wanted to dress me up in? I might just change back into this afterwards.

[thesettingsun]

[John just gets a sunny smile at his thanks - of course he'd let John borrow whatever he wanted.]

Maybe something a little more Western...?

[Shuji picks out a few pieces, tie included, and offers them.] I'm sure you can put this on without guidance.

[vitis]

[ this one he can manage more easily. it's a very nice outfit - one john has to make sure that all the cuffs are in place, the vest's straight, the collar's properly lined up with the tie. once that's been assembled, john brings up his hand to rub at the back of his neck. ]

Well - the reds are nice, I'd reckon.

[thesettingsun]

[oh no he's hot

That's not news to Shuji, not by a long shot, but seeing him dressed up like this...]

You're gorgeous, take me now.

[He's only a little bit joking.]

[vitis]

[ is this the power of clothing over shuji? apparently. ]

[ even if shuji's usually open in praising him, it's something about the abruptness (and openness, he thinks) of that statement that flusters him just a touch... settling a hand over his shoulder, john leans forward to leave a slow, sensual kiss to shuji's mouth. ]