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[reviewstarlight]

"Hi there! You've reached Nana Daiba. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave a message or text me and I'll get back to you."

Comments

[artistinexile]

Good evening, Banana.

I was informed by Madamoiselle Florbelle that you may benefit from a status update.

I am fine. Are you?

[reviewstarlight]

Oh! That's really nice of Justine to tell you that.

But yeah, I'm fine. That last week was really rough, so I've been worried about everybody!

[artistinexile]

Indeed.

I am led to believe it was an exceptionally cruel and, paradoxically, exceptionally mundane for the people living here.

I will be conducting interviews and presenting my findings to the responsible party's warden. Do you wish to add insights of your own?

[reviewstarlight]

Yeah. It...says a lot about the Barge that a lot of people's responses to this have been something like 'oh, this is totally normal' or 'just another day on the Barge' or something like that.

Hanna didn't mean to do this. We're friends, I know he wouldn't intentionally harm everybody like this. What I'm worried about is the fact that we're on a ship where people react to something so horribly traumatizing with what's basically a shrug.

It's...not right.

[artistinexile]

Indeed.

I have noticed some wardens have volunteered their mind healing and therapeutic abilities.

[reviewstarlight]

My temporary warden has, Dr. Sheehan.

I don't really know how to feel about him. He gave me Lettuce-chan, which I'm super happy with and I'm super thankful for. And he talked about something he did back home that I was super impressed by. But I don't know...a lot of the times when you're talking with him, it's like he's looking for you to say something or waiting for a specific answer.

I really think he means well! But...well, it's probably a bad sign that I've got to say things like 'I think he means well' in the first place, huh?

[artistinexile]

Perhaps.

I would suggest instead you look into Will Graham. I found him to be extremely empathetic in surprising ways. He has also been an inmate, so he will have some experience in that realm as well.

Who is Lettuce-chan?

[reviewstarlight]

[ Oh, she's not going to talk to any of them. Talking to a psychiatrist? Talking about herself? Nuh-uh. As far as Nana's concerned, she can push this down and keep going just as she does everything else. All she needs to do is keep being her bright and cheery banana. Nothing else.

Besides, there's a more important matter at stake. ]

Lettuce is my new pet! I figured I was gonna be here for a while, so I might as well ask Sheehan for a pet. I haven't ever had one before, but this place is supposed to be about new experiences, so why not! Hold on a moment, let me get him!

[ Nana leaves the camera for a moment. When she returns, she holds up a goddamn frog to the camera lens. ]

Isn't he the cutest thing imaginable?

[artistinexile]

[He raises his eyebrow. Now Thrawn knows why Justine was constructing a frog for Nana]

Indeed.

[reviewstarlight]

Do you want to meet him in person? He's got an enclosure in my room!

[artistinexile]

I would, yes.

[reviewstarlight]

Then come over to my room! He just woke up so he's at his cutest.

[artistinexile]

Acknowledged.

[Thrawn turns his communicator off and stands from his desk. Nana never told him her cabin, but she didn't need to: Thrawn has an outline of the deck and its floors on his questis. He walks with it, and before long comes up on Nana's door, knocking]

[reviewstarlight]

[ When Nana opens the door, she has a frog in her hand. She's holding him carefully, like someone who's read up on how to handle frogs and knows exactly what she's doing. And she is vibrating with happiness. Nana loves this frog. And really, everybody else should love this frog as well. ]

Here's Lettuce! Lettuce, meet Thrawn. Thrawn, meet Lettuce.

[ The frog ribbits. ]

[artistinexile]

[Thrawn stands in one of his two usual poses of observation, hands studiously placed behind his back. Out of courtesy, he leans forward slightly to examine the frog]

A pleasure, Lettuce.

[reviewstarlight]

[ Lettuce makes a little ribbit noise. ]

Isn't he the cutest thing in the world? I never had any pets growing up. We moved around too much for things like that. But I'm probably gonna be here for a while, so why not take advantage of that and have the pet I've always dreamed of?

[artistinexile]

Indeed.

He is amphibious in nature. May I examine his enclosure?

[reviewstarlight]

Of course! [ Nana steps inside to show Thrawn the enclosure, as well as to put Lettuce back in it. And it's a deluxe frog enclosure. There's some water, some greenery, things to hop and climb, a thermometer, and plenty of leaves and branches. It's also a little big. Nana's moved it so that it's in front of the spare bed in her room, but it does take up space.

And now that Thrawn gets a better look at Nana's room, he can see that it was designed for her to share with someone. There are two beds, two desks, two dressers. One side is neat and tidy, with a row of books lined up perfectly on the desk. The other side is a bit messier: the bed is hastily made, there are frog plushies on the bed, the desk has a few papers scattered on it, photographs hang from the wall near the desk. It's pretty obvious which side is Nana's. ]

It's a pretty good enclosure, if I can say so. I've been a fan of frogs for ages and I wrote down a detailed list for Sheehan to ask the Admiral!

[artistinexile]

Far from 'pretty good.' I see no flaws in its design. Well done.

[High praise indeed from Thrawn, currently checking temperature. He'll have to do more studying into optimal frog conditions but the little guy seems happy enough]

I wonder at the status of your room. Are you anticipating the arrival of a roommate?

[reviewstarlight]

Nope. I lived in a dorm room back home—I was at a boarding school. I guess the Admiral just recreated the room as is, even though there's nobody else living here.

[artistinexile]

Indeed.

So you understand you have the entire room to yourself. Not simply 'your' half of it.

[reviewstarlight]

I do. But...well, if my roommate shows up, she's obviously going to want to room with me. It makes sense to keep everything the way it is.

[ It is quickly becoming apparent that Nana doesn't exactly adapt well to change. ]

[artistinexile]

You believe that's a likely scenario?

[reviewstarlight]

I do. It seems like it's either one of two ways here. You're either the only person from your world or you're one of five people from your world. Besides, I could see some of my friends offering to sign up as wardens. It's not completely impossible that my roommate wouldn't do something like that.

[artistinexile]

And they would be issued their own room.