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;

[ino]

[ Look, she knows enough dumb boys to warrant this being a train of thought. ]

Yeah, you know, like -- you could write a different name, or something silly like "Cupcake".

video;

[kotatsu]

Oh.

[ hm... ]

I think Cupcake is a cute name.

video;

[ino]

[ Well ... "Cupcake" would be a really cute nickname for her, but she was thinking more of like ... some big beefy guy drinking out of a Cupcake mug.

But. Now she knows what to get Nanako for Christmas, if she's still around ... ]

It is pretty cute, huh?

video;

[kotatsu]

Mhmm...

[ and then she giggles, ]

I think it'd be cute if you called Tadashi-san that too.

video;

[ino]

Hehe ... you think so? I guess it's kind of like "sweetie" or "honey", isn't it?

video;

[kotatsu]

Yeah, but it's extra special 'cause it's from you!

video;

[ino]

Well -- then I'm sure he'll appreciate it!

[ And honestly, she's not even lying. He'd probably be confused initially, but if she really wanted to call him Cupcake, he'd probably find it sweet. ]

And a mug, too -- once I can find one.

video;

[kotatsu]

Yeah! He seems like someone who'd drink a lot of coffee.

[ call it a gut feeling. ]

video;

[ino]

[ She laughs a little ]

He definitely is. He works very hard at what he does, so sometimes that means he's up very late and needs coffee.

video;

[kotatsu]

Oh...

[ what a nice guy. ]

My teacher said that you have to work hard, but you also have to get proper rest or you'll get sick.

video;

[ino]

Your teacher is right. But -- sometimes, he gets very absorbed in what he's working on and forgets that.

video;

[kotatsu]

Do you have to remind him to take breaks?

video;

[ino]

Sometimes. It's hard to pull him away when he's working so hard, but it's important to get food and sleep in there too!

video;

[kotatsu]

[ she makes a thoughtful sound, frowning a little in thought. ]

Maybe you could make him set an alarm? So he'll remember to take naps or something if he has a lot of homework to do.

[ nanako, this isn't school. ]