Voice; Request

[singlefaith]

[Ran's not sure she's comfortable with being seen for this one, as it's a subject that's touching a little deeply for her, so for the moment she just sticks to voice.]

[She pulls in a soft breath.]

I . . . need some help.

I know a lot of you have met Conan-kun. He's been here for a while. There's another girl here from my world now too -- Ai-chan. If you haven't met them yet, I hope you get to soon.

What I need help with . . . They're both seven. They're both smart -- really smart -- for their age, but. They're both seven. And not fighters. The train doesn't seem to discriminate about who it takes, and yet the missions that it sends us on are dangerous.

[A pause, wrestling with her words.]

I need them both to be safe. This past time Sera-chan and I were able to be with them. But what happens if we're not able to do that? How does their safety get guaranteed?

I need a better guarantee. Please help me figure out how to keep two kids safe so I can get them back home? I'm teaching both some simpler self-defense, and that will help, but . . . I already know it's not enough.

Comments

[singlefaith]

[She has to think how to reply that doesn't delve too deeply; Conan was so close-mouthed about it that she can only think that it's something that embarrasses him.]

He hasn't been sleeping well . . . He's had a lot of bad dreams.

[That much is safe, isn't it? A lot of people have bad dreams, after all.]

I think he doesn't want to go to sleep.

[luckydragonsfoot]

[AH!

THAT'S A FAMILIAR SPOT,] ...Not sleepin's gonna make it worse, take it from me, [he eventually says to that, expression now quite grim.] ...Mnhhh...maybe I could offer 'm Kaseri t' borrow f'r a night, 'f tha's th' issue.

She's good f'r tha'.

[Means he'll have to deal with nightmares but....well hopefully he won't wake up screaming. It's fine. Kids need it more anyway.]

[singlefaith]

[He seems like a very kind person. Not everyone would get so invested in this or put such feeling into things, and Ran both appreciates and is warming to it -- visible in her deciding to go ahead and put on the video at last. He doesn't seem like he's going to judge her anxiety or fear.]

Who's Kaseri?

[luckydragonsfoot]

Oh! Tha's easy!

[One moment and....he holds THIS to the screen. It is perhaps, the smallest pony baby ever seen.] She's m' ponyta! Got her while I was in Galar, in th' world I was at last. Not uh, not my world but...

Anyway point is, she calms folks down jus' by so much 's bein' there. Great f'r nightmares 'n such, [he adds, not quite clarifying on how he knows that for sure. It's fine he'll be fine.]

[singlefaith]

[Honestly, Ran doesn't question why or how he knows that, because it seems like something that could be gleaned just from day-to-day interaction. After all, everyone feels upset or down sometimes, even on milder levels.]

[Also: DISTRACTED BY CUTE, TINY, RAINBOW HORSE. Ran has immediately and visibly brightened, leaning closer to the screen. If sparkly anime eyes were a real life thing, that would totally be her expression.]

Ah, she's so cute!! How is she so small??

[Not a criticism. If anything, Ran seems delighted by it.]

[Also, this all brings a whole new meaning to "emotional support pony."]

[luckydragonsfoot]

Heheheeee~ What c'n I say, she was born tha' way!

Won' get any bigger too- pokemon where I was 'evolve', instead 'f growin'...an' from what I c'n tell, she can' do tha' here. F'r th' best honestly, she'd be...well. Horse size if she did tha'.

[Kaseri for her part is sniffing and snuffling at the screen before figuring out what it is, and giving a happy whinny at it. She doesn't know what's going on, but she suspects she's the star of the show right now!] Anyway, she sleeps on my cot all th' time, so it probably wouldn' be too hard t' convince her t' hang out w' th' kid f'r a while!

[singlefaith]

[So. Cute.]

I'd like to meet her too sometime if I could? [A small laugh, because it does sound awkward to say afterwards, even if it's meant:] And you too.

I'm Ran, by the way. I don't think we ever exchanged names.

[luckydragonsfoot]

Heh! Sure! [It's fine he's used to the preference...] Small train ain' it? Bound t' run int' each other soon enough!

And uh, 's Jonouchi!

[singlefaith]

It's nice to meet you. [She's definitely smiling -- looks like he's cheered her up a bit during this conversation.] Let me know when it's a good time to come see you and Kaseri?

[luckydragonsfoot]

Sure thing! 'till then, righ'?

[Good to see he cheered her up too!]