riverviewlogs | how to win friends and influence NEETs [CLOSED]

who: Ichimatsu Matsuno and Aoba Seragaki
what: Aoba runs into a familiar face with an unfamiliar demeanor. In other words, he runs into Ichimatsu.
when: Sometime in September...
where: Petting zoo!
warnings: None anticipated, will update in subject lines if necessary!

[ It's getting cooler, day by day.

Foliage is already beginning to change color. At least those that Aoba can recognize. One such plant he didn't recognize had started transforming from a gold color to a vibrant green in patches. He supposes it's native to this world or brought in from another. Whatever the cause, the seasons were changing again and he's happy to throw on more layers compared to the sticky, sultry heat of summer.

He has some time off work and little else to do with his day, and craving the comfort he had with Ren, Aoba decides to get his fix from the petting zoo. There are all manner of animals foreign and familiar that he can touch, hoping to distance himself from missing his Allmate. It never really does the trick, but it serves as a wonderfully cute distraction.

After purchasing a ticket, he moves alone through the light crowd of people in pairs or small groups. Picking his way through the exhibits to listen to explanations of the origins of a particular species or to watch their young be fed via bottle or by hand.

It's then that he sees a familiar face and heads towards it. It occurs to him that this might... be Osomatsu? Surely not Karamatsu, given the lack of obvious cosmetic use. ]

Um... excuse me? [ Don't mind the light tug on your sleeve, Ichimatsu. Or mind, and he'll have to explain himself. ]

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Didn't want me to think what? Just because you know my brothers doesn't mean you know me. I don't wanna talk about it, so drop it already.

[He stalks a few paces away to another animal, but doesn't entirely turn away from Aoba. He's not completely telling him to leave, he's just... Well, being Ichimatsu.]

[ He jumps, suddenly defensive but his argument lacks any strength, all footing is shaky to the point of crumbling even before he finishes his sentence, leaving him wavering uncertainly. Isn't he supposed to be acting reassuring? Instead he's just fucking this whole thing up. He shouldn't have said anything! ]

I didn't mean...! [ Except... no, he really has him there. Aoba drops his arms and pushes them into his pockets. ]

You're right. [ His voice is small as he bobs his head in his direction. ] I shouldn't stick my nose into other people's business.

I'm sorry.

[He huffs, shoving his hands into his own pockets as well, hunching his shoulders up around his ears.]

Whatever. It's a mistake a lot of people make.

[ ...He's not sure it's a mistake. In fact, he feels very strongly against it. ]

I'm also sorry... because if you've had to deal with people being that indifferent towards you, that's cruel.

[ Especially with how often he's heard Eluvio tossed around, and knowing what he knows now. Are people really being so silent about that awful place? ]

I hate that kind of person. So don't expect me to be so callous, especially since you're the brother of my best friend.

[He grunts.]

I'd rather be treated indifferently than have a strange claim to know me and barge into my personal life.

[...Ichimatsu, that's just mean.]

[ GAH. S-so harsh...?! ]

Y-yeah, that's... fair.

[ Aoba can kind of relate in a way, if he looks at it from a different angle. When he doesn't want to talk about something embarrassing, he gets really flustered when someone tries to drag it out of him. He rubs his elbow uncomfortably and then bows again, hands at his sides. ]

...I'm sorry I gave you such a bad impression. It's rude of me to presume. [ It's uncomfortable being this formal, but he feels like he really screwed up somewhere! He should really go. ] E-excuse me.

[He bristles, turning away finally and gritting his teeth.]

I'm not telling you to leave, if you don't want to.

[This fucking tsundere piece of shit.]

[ Haaaah, this tension is really unnerving. Can Aoba white-knuckle his way through this? Let's find out. ]

I just... thought I'd put you off.

[ Embarrassment seems to creep into every corner of his body until he just wants to go home and hide himself away for a little while, maybe talk to Ren. Ah, but he's not here so that just makes it a little worse.

It takes him a little bit to think of something to say to try to lighten the mood. ]

...Is there an animal here you like the most?

[He shrugs lightly, because he had put him off, but Ichimatsu was used to being uncomfortable. Plus he didn't really want to hear it from Osomatsu or Karamatsu later that he'd told off their weirdly invasive blue twink friend. He ponders the question a while, shifting his weight idly from foot to foot, and finally just shrugs his shoulders again.]

I like cats most, but I generally prefer any animal over people.

[ That's... actually kind of surprising. Not the part where he prefers animals over people since that pretty much lines up with his interaction with him in general. Sure, he knows there are rabbits and goats and some other stuff he can't identify here. But are there actually cats in this petting zoo? Aoba blinks at him, interested. ]

...You have cats here? Real, living cats?

Edited 2017-11-09 03:15 (UTC)

...ah, not here, no. Cats... aren't really big on being confined? I have one that's my own, though.

[He's realizing he slightly misunderstood the question.]

[ Aoba blinks with genuine surprise. Sure, he's had experience with Allmates, but cats seem... okay. But it's the large cats and other predators that set him on edge. In short, Aoba looks nervous and unsettled at the mention of unconfined felines. He immediately recalls the size of that black lion with his huge head and glossy black fur and his breathing instantly catches in his throat.

He doesn't like those kinds of Allmate. He doesn't want to think about them. They terrify him. Aoba shakes slightly and throws off the mental image. ]

Yeah... that makes sense. You don't have anything... larger, right?

I like the smaller felines better. Domestic ones, I mean.

[Sometime, Aoba, Ichimatsu will introduce you to ESP Kitty. He is small and harmless, unless you're bothered by truths spoken when you lie. He snickers faintly, shaking his head.]

Nah. Up until Eluvio, I didn't even consider him mine-- I feed a bunch of strays, at home, and he was one of them. But... he's followed me two separate places now, so I guess he's mine.

[He's not quite smiling, but there's definitely fondness in his tone. Ichimatsu fucking loves his son, okay.]

[ Oh no, that's really tender-hearted? Feeding strays... caring for a cat despite Eluvio being such a bad place... and his expression just softened a little. Just what kind of person is Ichimatsu, anyway? ]

So you two have been through a lot together, huh?

It's the same with me and Ren.

[A really fucking emotionally constipated one, Aoba. He shrugs lightly, and then looks up.]

Ren?

My Allmate. He's an older model, he's a dark blue Japanese Spitz.

[ Aoba holds his hands out, demonstrating just about how small his favorite little bundle of fur is. ]

Whenever I'm feeling sad, I'd hold him and he'd ask if I was alright. When I lied he'd point out my heart rate or something else to prove me wrong. Even though he's small, he has a really deep voice. It's cute.

Your... I'm sorry, did you say he talks?

[You lost him at Allmate, but especially "older model" and "really deep voice". Even if the notion of an animal calling an emotional fit out sounds an awful lot like ESP Kitty, and he shouldn't (and isn't, really) be confused by one talking, it's confused him.]

how to win friends and influence NEETs [CLOSED]

then you're barking up the wrong matsu my friend

STARES INTO THE MIDDLE DISTANCE

(':

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