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;

[kotatsu]

Yeah! I'm in lab support. Are you on the Three Twins too?

video;

[ino]

[ She clasps her hands together excitedly ]

Oh, awesome! I'm the captain for the Three Twins!

video; 1/2

[kotatsu]

You're the captain?

[ oh my god she's been talking to the captain of her ship this whole time and she didn't know. ]

video;

[kotatsu]

[ does she salute? is that a thing you do in space?

well, regardless, she bows and adopts a serious look on her face. ]

I'll do my best in lab! Please let me know if I do anything wrong.

video;

[ino]

[ Aww. Nanakoooo! Ino smiles back reassuringly ]

Hey, don't worry. I'm sure you'll be a great lab support! You seem like you'd be a very good nurse, Nanako-chan.

video;

[kotatsu]

[ she blushes at the compliment. ino seems so nice, she doesn't want to let her down. ): ]

I've never taken care of anyone before... but I'll do my best to learn.

video;

[ino]

As long as that's the way you feel, I'm sure you'll be just fine.

If you have any questions, my boyfriend is also lab support on a different ship. His name's Tadashi -- I'm sure he'd be happy to help you figure out what's what in the lab.

video;

[kotatsu]

[ okay, there's a lot of things to address here, but first of all: ]

Y-You have a... boyfriend?

[ the last word is hushed, not because she thinks it's bad or anything, but with the way dojima is nanako never imagined ever getting a boyfriend. sure, she wants to marry souji when she grows up, but that's a while from now. she's heard rumors that some of the middle schoolers are already dating. ]

video;

[ino]

[ That gets a little laugh ]

Yes, I do.

video;

[kotatsu]

What's it like? Is he nice to you? Do you guys eat dinner together? Do you have a coffee mug with his name on it?

[ gomen, ino, it's 20 questions time. ]

video;

[ino]

[ Those ... are a lot of very odd questions. Well, maybe not the first two, but ... she'll work her way backwards to those ]

I don't have a coffee mug with his name on it, no. Sometimes we do eat dinner together. He's very nice to me, and -- it's like having a really great friend who you can tell anything to or do anything with, without feeling silly or strange.

[ That's the most PG way she can put it, anyways. ]

video;

[kotatsu]

[ she listens intently and takes a moment to process it, trying to remember what her parents were like before chisato died. she definitely remembers dojima being happy, and the thought of ino being happy makes her happy too. lack of personalized coffee mugs aside. ]

But a boyfriend is more than just a great friend, right? Doesn't it mean you love each other? I mean, not that you don't love your friends, but... my teacher said there's different kinds of love. The way Dad loved Mom is different from the way Big Bro loves me, or the way I love Big Bro's friends.

video;

[ino]

[ She blinks ... looking off to the side with a small smile for a moment, before she answers. ]

... Well, yes. The way I feel about him is different than how I feel about my friends in that way. But if you're going to spend that much time with somebody, it's important that you get along just as well as you would with a friend, don't you think?

video; 1/2

[kotatsu]

That's true.

[ it's probably not as good if they didn't like each other. she wonders if her parents were good friends too.

she misses her mother a lot. ]

video;

[kotatsu]

[ oh, but wait -- ]

Is Tadashi-san on the same ship as us?

video;

[ino]

No, he's on the Bishop. His younger brother lives there with him. But he comes to visit sometimes, or I go to see him.

video;

[kotatsu]

Does his younger brother like you too?

video;

[ino]

He's like a brother to me, too. I think it's safe to say we're a lot like family.

video;

[kotatsu]

If you're like family, then you have to exchange mugs! That's what we did when Big Bro moved in with us.

video;

[ino]

Eh?

I didn't know it was that important ...

video;

[kotatsu]

Dad says it means we're all family! And families help each other.

video;

[ino]

Is that right ...

Well, I'm not sure when we might find a place that makes something like that, but I'll do my best.

video;

[kotatsu]

Um, I remember back home, they make these cups that have a clear plastic on the outside. You can write the person's name on a piece of paper and put it in the slot! Once it's closed, the paper won't get wet or anything if you wash it.

video;

[ino]

Eh, really? That seems handy ...

Though, I could see that being a really easy way to prank somebody, too.

video;

[kotatsu]

Pranking?

[ man, this was not the angle she was going for. ]