[Video]

[selfishworld]

[A tiny girl, no more than five or six or so, stares down at the Dreamberry. She has reddish-brown hair and grey eyes, and a frown on her face.]

[... However, the call comes through as 'Tsukasa'.]

Mother? Mother, where are you? Did father leave me somewhere again?

[She looks around, frown deepening.]

Mother? Where are you? You didn't leave for

Comments

[insorrow]

[For a moment Ken just stares at the Dreamberry screen, then seems to shake himself. He blinks.

[Okay, this is... well. He doesn't know Tsukasa at all, but there are some things he just can't ignore. This - for several reasons - would be very much one of them.]

Hey, are you all right?

[insorrow]

I see... that's good, then. And it must be cooler by the fountain, with the water. As long as you're not uncomfortable.

[selfishworld]

I'm okay.

[She goes quiet again, just watching the fountain.]

[insorrow]

if you're sure, then.

[Ken smiles at her again, but it can't really disguise the anxiety in his eyes. Something's wrong here, and he doesn't really understand what - he just wishes it wasn't, and wishes he could help.]

Did the man with the scarf say how long he'd be?

[selfishworld]

[She shakes her head, and pulls her knees into her chest.]

No. But I can wait. I have to wait for Father sometimes.

[insorrow]

Well, I'm sure he'll be as fast as he can. I don't know him very well but he seems a nice guy.

[Yes, something is very definitely wrong here. Careful, Hidaka.]

Your dad's... he's busy a lot?

[selfishworld]

He seems busy. Once I had to wait for three hours before Mother came and picked me up instead.

[insorrow]

Three hours? [What, at your age?] That's... you weren't waiting anywhere dangerous, were you?

[selfishworld]

No... it was just in a cafe...

[She doesn't see what's wrong with this. It's how it's always been.]

[insorrow]

[And that, to Ken, is the most worrying thing of all.]

As long as there was someone looking after you. You shouldn't have to be by yourself like that.

[How do you tell a five-year-old 'I think I'd like to punch your dad? You don't, of course. But that doesn't stop Ken feeling it.]

[selfishworld]

I can take care of myself...

[insorrow]

[Ken hesitates for a moment before replying.]

Yeah, but you shouldn't have to. People should take care of themselves because they want to, not because they gotta.

[selfishworld]

I'm a big girl...

[She doesn't sound so convinced.]

[insorrow]

I can tell. [He smiles; he means it.] But nobody's so big they should have to do that. Even grown-ups don't like having to be by themselves all the time. I know I don't.

[selfishworld]

Mother's with me sometimes...

And Father means well, I know he does. He's just... he's just busy...

[insorrow]

Yeah... well, dads can be like that sometimes. [Not that he really thinks it's a good enough excuse. Meaning well just isn't enough.]

Your mom sounds nice.