Delicate Love

Shiori never told Penny that she was pro, or a boxer, because she was neither of those. Shiori was on edge at the moment because of Penny's situation and general tiredness, so the way Penny asked about her apartment came across as very rude and upset her more than it should have. "The police might give ya emergency housin' soon," she grumbled, going over to her tiny kitchen that was really just a stove placed precariously by a window. "Ya can leave then."

"Friends help friends," Shiori said simply, kicking her over a couple of times to get it to work. This place was falling apart. No wonder Shiori was so tiny and grubby when she lived in such squalor. It was a marvel she wasn't always sick. "Hungry?" she asked Penny over her shoulder. The brief glimpse of Penny's smile made almost all of Shiori's anger dissipate.

Shiori was so caught up with throwing some ingredients together in an attempt at looking like she could cook, that at first she didn't recognise what Penny had said. "W-wassat?" she asked, turning to face Penny properly. Had she just asked if she had a boyfriend? A girlfriend? That seemed so bold and out of character for Penny, maybe having her house broken into was only just beginning to shake her up. "Uhh, no," she mumbled. "Not right now."

Shiori decided to try and be humorous, but as ever her humour was self-deprecating and a little sad. "As if anyone'd wanna date me," she said, shaking her head. "Uhh, anyway, I'm just makin'... Omelette rice." It was the easiest fancy-ish dish she knew how to make, containing a good amount of carbs and protein, and it tasted really good. Shiori just hoped that Penny wasn't familiar with Japanese cuisine, or she'd know that omuraisu was for kids...

Shiori was carrying over two plates of food, but she slowed down when Penny started stumbling over her words. What was she talking about? Luckily for Penny, Shiori was super dense and didn't feel any of Penny's awkward tension. "Dunno what I like," she admitted to Penny, as she sat down on the ground in front of a surprisingly clean coffee table. She produced two pairs of chopsticks, and used her own to split open the omelette on top of the pile of rice, making it spill its shiny golden contents all over. It smelled delicious.

More luck for Penny, because Shiori had one clean fork in her apartment, which she handed to Penny after watching her struggle adorably. It made her loosen up and smile again. "Uh huh," she acknowledged Penny's question. "Never been interested in no one. Well, I had a boyfriend for a while but... That was different."

So Penny liked girls? It made sense, guys sucked, but girls also sucked. Shiori didn't really get this whole attraction thing. Though, the subject changed again after a few seconds, so Shiori went along with the cutlery talk. "Usin' chopsticks is like usin' a pen," she said. "Ya never forget how once ya learn." She demonstrated by deftly picking up a chunk of eggy rice and eating it.

"If I can learn then a smartypants like you can learn too, Penny," Shiori joked. They ate their food, all the while Shiori taught her how to use chopsticks. The girl was clumsy and fumbled her hands, but she was smart enough to understand how it worked by the time they had finished their meal. Shiori went to watch the dishes in cold water. There was still all kinds of shouting sounds and disarray all around the building. This wasn't a comfortable or happy place to be.

"Nuh uh," Shiori refused, taking Penny's plate and washing it for her in the sink. She had a very minimalist approach to splashing water and dashing soap. These were luxuries after all. "B-but thanks for offerin'." She continued to do all of the preparations, including making up a futon for Penny next to her own. These were plush by comparison to the rest of the apartment. "Must be tired."

They'd already brushed their teeth and freshened up a little at this point, but now they had the tricky task of putting on pyjamas. Shiori's apartment was all one room, so they'd just have to turn their backs to one another. Shiori shyly turned away and began to undress, praying that Penny didn't take a peek or she'd see her scrawny, ugly, bruised body.

"Y-y'alright?" Shiori asked Penny worriedly, but she didn't turn around. That sigh had sounded unusual, was it from pain or relief of some kind? Shiori didn't understand. She shimmied off her bra, which was an old and worn sports bra, and put on her pyjamas - a large t-shirt, just like Penny.

"Oh, uh... Right." Shiori didn't know that feeling at all, for obvious reasons. The two turned around finally and looked at one another. Oh... Penny was wearing a big t-shirt too. Shiori's eyes naturally fell to Penny's chest and she blushed hard. Blushed at how filthy she was for looking, but also because Penny's figure was beautiful. Her frumpy clothes hid it, mostly, but the oversized shirt clung in all the right places and made her look most feminine. Shiori averted her eyes and forced a smile, pointing to her big t-shirt. "S-same."

Penny could see basically all of Shiori too, though the shirt was larger by comparison and she was smaller, so less was visible. "Y-yeah, been a long day," she agreed to the plan of sleeping. The noises had quietened down a bit now, but the ominous whispering and shuffling coming from one side, and the... 'Coupling' sounds from the other were arguable worse. With gritted teeth, Shiori got onto her futon and pulled the blanket over herself.