We just got a letter! Wonder who it's from? (Just kidding, it's a box)interdimensional exchange program,
Ah, right on timeâ mucking with timespace usually ensures that your package gets where and when it needs to be. Itâs banged up, as seems to be the usual, but itâs lovingly adorned with matsu-themed washi tape just for giggles.
Inside are a few giftsâ six color coded bath sets, some (also color coded) concert souvenir hand towels, a few good handfuls of candy and individually packaged cookies that havenât been thought of yet in their timeline, and seven little envelopes. One for each brother, and one labelled ââ¤đđOther mom & dadđđđâ
If all goes well, they should fall into their usual order when read.
âHey, Osomatsu! Osomatsu hereâ donât freak out!! Seriously, itâs us!! Well, all six of you. From another world. I know, itâs trippy. Our 60s counterparts were easy to accept it, open minds and transcendental whatever whatever. So! I know what you guys are thinking. Psst. Your turn, Karamachu. Make niichan proud!â
âDonât call me that, aniki. How can this be, you may ask! How can our souls, lovely as they are, manage to be replicated? The truth? We havenât a clue either! ⨠Karamatsu, believe me when I say, sinful man to guilt guy, that the versions of you over here are a bit more used to dealing with commercial tie-ins. đ Choromatsu, take it away!â
âWhat you know of the pop slash idol âmachineâ has advanced past what you may know. Totoko finally achieved her idol dreams, and eventually took us along for the ride! (So sweet, right???) Thankfully, unlike many people in a similar position, weâre allowed some degree of freedom, both as a person and artist. See Ichimatsu for more details.â
âYeah, itâs all fluff and filler and schmaltz, but things are shitty, you know? Weâre here to be stupid mindless entertainment. To be honest, itâs not the worst. Somehow, weâve accidentally made everyone think weâre charming. You should know for a fact that thatâs hard as hell. Jyuushimatsu?â
âWe do what we can! As long as people are happy and listening, thatâs good, right? I know you guys might be worried about your rock star cred, but itâs good, I promise! Weâre not you!! Well, uh. We are. Aaaaah, this is confusing, right? But! This confusing thing means we have different images! Go, Tâžtty!!!â
âYou guys have more of an earthy vibe! Youâre natural, boisterous, rowdy. And your fans donât freak out as bad as ours when youâre in public with hot people! Meanwhile, weâre all squeaky clean and sugar sweet, and⌠we make sure to be very clear about being the loser virgin nerds we are. Other mom and dad, your turn! Love you!đâ
On Matsuyo and Matsuzoâs letter, thereâs a little bit from all six.
âYou handle dark chocolate, weâll take white. Iâm not gonna make dirty jokes. To (y)our parents, at least. The theme: opposites!â
âYour concept: dark and sinful. Indulgent, luxurious, late to rise and easy to be tempted.â
âWeâll be the opposite! Crisp and clean, perky in the mornings, sweet to a fault. Itâs a lie, but we can fake it for 30 second slot.â
âPick a song that you think suits the whole dark chocolate vibe. Weâll pick ours. The clash should hopefully be godawful, and thatâs half the point.â
âThe costumes wonât be that bad! Our people made sure they were soft and stretchy, not too costumey. More like 'hey! Hereâs a shirt, pants, jangly bits, blahblahblah!ââ
âWe put in this good word for you (and negotiated your pay for it too~), so weâre counting on you!â
Right underneath are some rather flashy signatures, because their basic handwriting isnât as fun as, say, cat or rabbit shapes. The signatures are odd, but in the letters? From Jyuushimatsuâs oversized oversized chicken scratch, to Tottyâs girly, bouncy lettering, to Choromatsuâs almost typeface-like exactitude, thatâs their handwriting to a t.
The boys scramble through the presents, fussing over the toiletries (âFor when we get a real bath!â, cheers Choromatsu), and oohing over some of the unfamiliar snack material. Then they find the notes.
Osomatsu reads the one addressed to him, then glares at his brothers. âThis some sort of joke? Which one of you forged my handwriting?â
âI donât think itâs a joke, Osomatsu-niisan.â Choromatsu reaches into the package again. Tucked into the side of the box is a rolled-up something or other. Upon unrolling, the boys witness... the whiteness. The six of them, but clean cut, twinkly, and dressed in well pressed white uniforms, each with a badge, a sash, and a big fluffy accent in their favorite colors (in pastel, but still.) The contrast theme immediately becomes clearer.
These bizarro boyband versions of them were dressed up as angels. Their own costumes included horns, wings, and tails that'd blend right into their hair and clothes.
âAlternate dimension opposites from the FUTURE. Whoa. Better call ScullyâŚ.â Jyushimatsu is stunned. And thrilled. âAnd⌠does this make us the cooler ones?â
âBy default, Iâd say, if theyâre all NKOTB on usâŚ.â Ichimatsu snorts.
Meanwhile, Choromatsuâs a little swept up. âTotoko would do that for us? Sheâs so sweet! So cute!â
âOUR Totoko wouldnât. She doesnât even e-mail.â Osomatsu grumps, but then cheers up a moment later. âBut maybe after she sees us in thisâŚ.â
âLet hope rise anew, my brother!â Karamatsu grips his shoulder. âAnd let us get into our devilish gear, shall we?â