01. video

[kotatsu]

Who: Nanako Dojima
Broadcast: video (fleetwide)
Action: Marsiva
When: Oct. 29th, before bedtime

[ it's late and nanako can't sleep. it's been hard to since she woke up on the hospitality deck, and she'd spent a lot of time wandering around to try and get her bearings. she was scared and confused (still is, if she's being honest with herself), but this isn't the tv world and there's no dark shadows waiting to grab her without a moment's notice. this is at least a little better than that.

but back to the present. there's a young girl on the video feed with dark circles around her eyes, but she tries a brief smile anyway. ]

Um... hello, my name is Nanako Dojima and I'm new here. I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner.

[ doesn't that introduction sound a little familiar? maybe. ]

I've read some of the stuff on this... [ internet? network? ] network? So, I kind of know what's going on. But I have a question and if you have time, maybe you can help me?

[ she takes a deeper breath, mustering up the courage to continue. ]

At school, I read a book about a brother and a sister who went to live with a family friend because their parents had to go to war. One day, when they were playing hide and seek, they found a closet in the attic that took them to a magical world where animals could talk. They stayed there for a long time, until they became grown ups. When they decided to back through the closet, they turned back into kids again and it's like they never left at all.

So, I was wondering if this is like the story I read. Will my Dad know that I'm not at home right now? When we find our way back, will it be like I never left? He's a detective and works really late most of the time, so I don't want him to worry about me.

But, um, thank you for listening... Oh! I was assigned to the SS Three Twins! It's nice to meet you and I'll do my best in lab support.

Comments

Video

[onlyanapple]

[Well, this is a sight for sore eyes. Crowley's tone is a lot more gentle than he uses with most people. She's special.]

Been a while, Nanako.

It'll be like you never left [probably] you've got nothing to worry about.

1/2 (not here)

[kotatsu]

[ another person who recognizes her, even though she doesn't remember meeting him. there were two already, allen and ino; nanako wonders how many more friends she's forgotten. ]

video

[kotatsu]

[ what is the right thing to say? both ino and allen weren't mad when she told them the truth, so maybe crowley won't be mad either. maybe he'll still want to be friends. ]

Okay, I'm glad Dad won't have to worry. Thank you for telling me.

[ did she used to call him crowley, or mister crowley? mister crowley sounds too formal, though.

anyway, it's always better to tell the truth, isn't it? so, gently, carefully: ]

Um... I'm sorry, I met you earlier, right? Ino told me that I met some people here from before, but I don't really remember meeting anyone. I'm sorry I forgot, but is it... okay if we start over?

video

[onlyanapple]

No problem, kiddo.

[At least he doesn't SOUND that upset.]

It's fine, Nanako. It's par for the course, forgetting. My name's Crowley.

video

[kotatsu]

It's nice to meet you again, Crowley.

[ it's good he doesn't sound upset, but it's clear that she's disappointed in herself. she's forgotten three friends already. this is unacceptable. ]

But friends don't forget friends. That's rude.

[ she's being so rude. ]

You have to tell me things about yourself, too! And this time, I'll write them all down so I'll have something to remind me if I ever forget.

video

[onlyanapple]

Not like you could help this one. Just how these places work.

[Someone, that's so her he hasn't realised how much he's missed her until now. ]

Okay, we can have a nice long chat, and you can get to know me again. I'll even try to make it not traumatising.

video

[kotatsu]

[ wait a goddamn second. ]

... Traumatizing?

[ is he joking? is he just teasing her? this is outrage. ]

video

[onlyanapple]

[Oops. This is what he gets for being his usual asshole self with someone who doesn't know he's actually harmless. Good job, demon. ]

I'm joking, Nanako.

video 1/2

[kotatsu]

[ she just frowns mightily at the screen for a moment. ]

video

[kotatsu]

[ but even that eventually turns into a smile. if they were friends before, nanako knows that crowley can't be that bad. ]

It wasn't funny.

[ but who said she can't give him a little shit for it. ]

video

[onlyanapple]

[It's always hard to tell if she's joshing him or not. She has that innocent face about her. ]


...No? Not even a little?

[He's trying to sound idle and dismissive. He's not worried. Nope. ]

video

[kotatsu]

[ she'll be great at poker. but she relents, smile turning bigger as she barely manages to hide her giggling behind her hand. ]

Okay, okay, maybe a little!

video

[onlyanapple]

[He gives a rueful chuckle at that. ]

Forgot how sneaky you could be, young lady. Top class, really.

video

[kotatsu]

[ heh. :> ]

Thank you!

[ she'd do a curtsy if she could, but alas. ]

So does that mean you know Ino and Allen too? They said that I was friends with them before.

video

[onlyanapple]

I do indeed. We all arrived together, spent a lot of time in the same place.

video

[kotatsu]

Where did you guys meet?

video

[onlyanapple]

Paradisa. It was a place a little like this, in the sense that it took you from your home, but it was also very different. It was a magical castle.

It's where we all know you from.

video 1/2

[kotatsu]

A magical castle...

[ that sort of sounds like fun. ]

Were we there for a long time? What was it like?

video

[kotatsu]

[ and after she thinks about it more: ]

What was... I like?

[ she doesn't remember being in the castle at all, and it's still a little jarring to hear about it. she wonders if she'd changed at all; was she still the same as she is now? ]

video

[onlyanapple]

We were. Years, in fact. And it was... something.

[Going to avoid talking about THAT to her as best he can. She doesn't need to know the horrors she faced there. If she's forgotten it, it's a blessing. ]

Good, decent. [He chuckles softly. ] Amazingly gutsy for your size.

video

[kotatsu]

Gutsy? Oh! I read about that in some manga while I was at the hospital... If you have guts, then you can get a cool frog t-shirt, or become the best bancho!

video

[onlyanapple]

[Someone, she is adorable. He won't admit it, of course, but she is.]

Then you'd have earned a few of those by now.

video

[kotatsu]

I think you have too!

video

[onlyanapple]

Does it come in a novelty tie? That's about as far as I'm willing to stretch with frog wear.

video

[kotatsu]

[ oh my god, a frog tie. that's so cute. ]

Yeah! And bow ties too!