come out of hiding, i'm right here beside you

[barehands]

[A while after the execution has ended, everyone will find a simple note slipped under their door.]

If you don't want to be alone after everything that's happening, some of us will be in the dining room. Even if you decide not to come, please remember that you aren't alone here.

[The note isn't signed, but the handwriting is feminine and neat.

For anyone who decides to come, there's a good array of food laid out on the table. There are some small and simple cakes, cookies, and pastries, a healthy amount of okonomiyaki, okayu, and other Japanese dishes (with a focus on rice and eggs), along with curry. In addition, there are pancakes, and a large pot of soup. It looks like a few people collaborated to make enough food for everyone here.

Just like the meal they shared together earlier in the week, the candles from the storage room lend a more peaceful light than the fluorescent lights above.]

Comments

[heritrix]

[Rin eyes the plate he's making for himself, as she stands over in a corner here working at a bowl of rice.]

Homesick?

[The word sounds harsh to her ears, overly loud in this blanket of cotton quiet, but she mean it to do so. She was hoping to sound gentle.]

[relieable]

[hm? Osomatsu looks up and over to where the voice came from, and he sees a girl he recognizes from the trial. the one that found the shoe. ah, man. so many kids here]

Little bit. [he admits, once he's filled his plate. well, it's not completely full. he avoided some foods that might make him sick right now. and he meanders over towards her] That was pretty rough.

[heritrix]

That's putting it lightly. [Rin brushes back her hair.] I knew it had to be bad, from the first moment we spoke to the Transmitter, but that wasn't what I expected.

[relieable]

[a grimace, but he nods]

I don't... I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that! Y'think it's gonna be like this the whole time we're here?

[heritrix]

[Without missing a beat, and grave seriousness:]

If it happens again, almost definitely.

[relieable]

[yiiiiikes. now he has even less of an appetite]

...Guess it's better to be prepared, anyway. [a beat, and then he looks up] So, uh. Where ya from?

[heritrix]

[Sorry about that, Osomatsu. But this is a good subject change.]

Fuyuki, Japan. [She offers, with a little smile.] You?

[relieable]

[he's been doing a lot of subject changes lately! this one seems like a good one. and besides, he gets to learn about someone else who is from Japan! he's not quiiiite sure where Fuyuki is, but that's okay, Osomatsu's not that bright anyway, so he just assumes that he doesn't know because he didn't pay attention in school]

I'm from Japan too! From a little place called Akatsuka Ward.

[heritrix]

[It's definitely that, and not that Fuyuki is a non-existent fictional city. Please study more, Osomatsu-san.]

Akatsuka?

[She tilts her head, trying to recall if she's ever heard of that before. Oh, she thinks she heard of an Akatsuka Gardens, once.]

The name is charming. Do you like it there?

[relieable]

[heh! charming, huh? he supposes it is, in its own way]

Oh, yeah! It's pretty fun, gotta lot of [weird] interesting people. [including his family]

[heritrix]

[It has the word "red" in its etymology, so it sounds like her kind of place!]

I don't think I've ever been to a small place like that. I always wondered what it might be like to live in one.

[relieable]

[Osomatsu likes red too!]

Yeah, it's one of those places where ya know almost everyone. I mean, it's still pretty big, but I've been everywhere.

[heritrix]

Oh yeah? So where are the best spots to have fun?

[relieable]

Depends on your kinda fun. I spend a lot of time at the... uh. The video store. [renting AVs] But you've got bars and clubs, a couple nice parks, an aquarium, lots of shopping centers, an outdoor market. My brother goes to the gym, and is part of a go club, but those don't really sound like fun to me.

[heritrix]

I guess that means we can't work out together.

[But she's just teasing, grinning as she works out imaginary plans on the ceiling.]

You're right, a lot of those places sound like they'd make for a great day out. If they're open at the same time, you could make a date starting at the outdoor market for a freshly made picnic in the park, and end it off at the aquarium.

[She's not old enough for a bar, obviously.]

[relieable]

[AH. . . why is she bringing up dates? is... is she interested in him? don't do it, Rin-chan!]

W-well! I dunno about that! But if you think those all sound like good date ideas, you're probably right!

[heritrix]

[But the face he makes might be funny!!]

When it comes to this, I'm always right. [She puts a hand on her hip and puffs up with pride.] I'm so good at planning dates, there's no hard feelings when I inevitably turn the guy I'm with down for a second at the end of the day. Even when they're disappointed they leave with a smile on their face.

[relieable]

???]

So you're... an expert dumper?

[heritrix]

Do you mean that as a compliment or an insult?

[relieable]

[uhhh...]

Both?

[heritrix]

[Okay, she's actually going to laugh.]

At least you're honest.

[relieable]

[that's good! he meant it as a joke, anyway! he looks down at his food, wondering why he got so much. it's not like he wants to eat it anyway.

then back up to her]

My name's Osomatsu! Osomatsu Matsuno!

[heritrix]

[She's got about half a bowl left of rice on her end here, and his introduction catches her mid-bite.]

Mmph. [Mouth full, she holds up a finger as if to say "one second". After finishing chewing, she sets the bowl down and smiles.]

Rin Tohsaka.

[relieable]

[hehe! cute. Osomatsu waits patiently. nice, he's slowly meeting everyone! it's kind of morbid to think about, but he doesn't know how long he's going to be around these people. so might as well get to know them while he can.

and the name Rin Tohsaka is easy enough to remember, not like Naa-chan's, or Kyu-chan's names... those are weird]

Nice to meet you! Even though we're in this place! If you need anything, you can come to me, all right? I'm not that strong, or smart, but I'll try to help you out!

1/2

[heritrix]

[Wha— He really is honest. Rin apparently wasn't expecting a response as effortlessly endearing as that, because she flushes, suddenly gun-shy.]