tabularasa_rp | [open] watch what happens next

[Cole has never seen a structure like this one before. It's enormous, and there's so much glass, he's not sure how it holds together. It must be familiar to someone though, if it appeared here. He's only here to take a look at it because it's new.]

[The lobby is pretty distracting, but he doesn't make it far down the first hallway of doors before he's run into someone else... sort of. They seem preoccupied faceplanting against a door, and groaning. That's usually not good. Are they hurt?]

Are you all right?

[He almost jumps hearing a new voice, but instead, he looks to face the boy talking to him - it's a reasonable question, after all. He bites his lip.]

...Yes?

No. No. Probably not.

It's, ah, probably no big deal to a stranger, though, so, um...no worries.

[He smiles a little. It's forced, at best.]

[It's pretty rare for people to admit to him that they're not all right, for many reasons. Of course, normally he doesn't have to ask to know if something is wrong. He's still adjusting to doing this in a more "human" fashion.]

[He shuffles closer, watching him.]

What's wrong? Maybe I can help.

[It's a bit of an odd experience for him, too, admitting he's functionally not very okay to a stranger. He heaves out a little sigh.]

It's...really nothing important.

Just, um. This'll be my first time living alone. So it's a little unnatural to me. I have a pretty big family, and I haven't lived apart from them my entire life, so now that I don't have a choice...it's weird.

I was kind of imposing on a guy I met here before, because he's been nice enough to kinda humor having me as a friend, but I can't force my presence around him too too much.

[He listens intently. So he doesn't want to live alone, and misses his family... he can't reunite him with his family, but there are other things he can try.]

Have you asked your friend if he wants to live with you?

[A number of people here seem to be lonely in one way or another since they're far from home, so maybe that could help both of them...?]

Oh, ah...he's already got a room. He lives at a cafe-slash-bar. In the attic.

I've got a few other friends, but I really don't wanna impose, y'know?

[He likes the sound of living with someone else, but...making friends and them trusting you enough to do that is complicated.]

Oh. Your friend is Ren.

[He would have known who he was talking about already, normally... and he'd have some idea of what Ren thinks of this person. He tries not to focus on that, though. He just has to work with what he does know.]

I think he would want to help you, if you asked. Even if it's not him that stays with you.

[It might be better that way, really. Ren seems like someone who understands people in ways that he doesn't. How else can he help...?]

Tell me about them? Your family.

Yeah! That's him! He's my best friend here!

[...He nods.]

I bet he would, too. But he seems to shoulder a lot onto himself. I don't want to push him into shouldering more since I'm trying to get him to open up and take things easier...

[He doesn't even have to really think when it comes to his family.]

Well, there's my mom, my dad, and then my five little brothers. There's six of us altogether, born at the same time, and we're all identical. We're sextuplets! I'm the oldes, though, so...I'm the big important one. My big thing is basically being the oldest.

[He doesn't really have much else.]

I've been with them my whole life, and with a family like that, I never had to get lonely!

...Until now.

[He has had trouble getting Ren to speak to him about his own feelings or problems, so that makes sense...]

[He gets momentarily distracted by something he said.]

Being the oldest makes you important?

Of course it does! If you're the oldest, you're the responsible one by default! [He is not.] You have a bunch of little siblings that look up to you, so it's like you're the leader by default. It's super important! Being the oldest - chonan - is perhaps one of the biggest responsibilities you could ever have. [Nodnodnod.]

[So that's how that is, for him. Good to know.]

What are your brothers like?

[Sorry if that's asking a lot while they're just standing in a hallway.]

That's a complicated question....

[It would be to most people, but Osomatsu is always happy to talk about his little brothers.]

Ahhh, well...Karamatsu is the second oldest. Blue hoodie. Thinks he's the coolest guy ever, but he's mostly just a painful narcissist. He's got a good heart, though, and pretty much would do anything if asked, just because he's that kinda guy.

Choromatsu is the third, green. He's smart, but he thinks he's smarter than he is. But he also kinda knows that, so his self-awareness is Rising. He wants to be responsible, but he isn't. Still, I think he's pretty likely to be successful...someday.

Ichimatsu is the fourth. Purple. Quiet. Kinda scary if you don't know him well, because he has the aura of a Doll of Darkness, but he's got a glass heart deep down. He loves animals, especially cats. I think he's probably smarter than Choromatsu? But no one will ever say that.

Jyushimatsu is the fifth. Yellow! The energetic one. He loves baseball! And anything weird, really. He kinda gets all the wonder outta life...he's a little weird, but he's really lovable anyway. He's great at making people laugh, and also with taking care of little kids.

And then there's Todomatsu, sixth, the youngest, and pink. He's the sly one. He's kind of conniving and tricky and if he's angry he's a massive Dry Monster who doesn't hold back, but he cares about everyone deep down. He's also a little pampered, but sometimes he understands me best.

...So I love all of them. For different reasons, each.

[How convenient that they're all color coded. Cole listens quietly as he describes all of them. It's not quite the same as hearing it directly from his mind, but it's more detail than he usually gets by asking questions. Now for the most important question of all-]

What is a hoodie?

[He pauses. And then he laughs a little.]

It's, um. This.

[He runs a hand down the front of his own hoodie that he's wearing. Ta-da.]

[Oh.]

Is it called that because it has a hood?

[Real observant, this one.]

[He could ask more questions. What they like, what reminds him of them, what reminds him of home, but... if only there was some way to bring his brothers to him, or take him home. Maybe finding answers is still the best thing he can do for him and everyone here. Not that he can't try to help in other ways, too.]

[So, for now...]

How old are you?

...Y...es? Yes.

[He blinks, unsure where this is going.]

24.

Edited 2020-08-14 21:57 (UTC)

[Thank you for indulging his extremely obvious question.]

[24, duly noted. He nods slightly. That should be enough for him to try and- oh, wait.]

I know your brothers' names now, but what's yours?

[No problem, it was kinda funny.]

Um...Osomatsu? Osomatsu Matsuno.

And you?

...What are these questions for, exactly?

[Osomatsu Matsuno. He and his brothers all have very similar names, don't they.]

I'm Cole.

[As for what his questions are for,]

So I can help.

[Look, when you have six baby boys at the same time, the creative name juice tends to wane.]

Cole, okay...

...Uh. Help how?

You miss your family, and you don't want to live alone. Maybe I can help. I want to.

[That still doesn't specify How, exactly, but he's still working that out.]

O...kay. I appreciate y'wantin' to help someone y'just met, buddy, but I dunno how...just kinda feels like an inevitability, unless you can find my little brothers somehow.

[Well, at least he seems to mean well.]

I don't think I can do that. [Not unless he finds a way that everyone can go home if they want to. That's a work in progress.] But I'll do what I can.

[What does that mean? It is a mystery, as he apparently decided that's the end of the conversation and is wandering away.]

Yeah, thought not....wait, what does that mean???? Cole???

[But it's too late.
He's just dumbfounded now as he's left alone.]

[open] watch what happens next

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