If You Could Read My Mind, Love
Posted on Wed Dec 6th, 2023 @ 11:02pm by Tadao Yoshikawa & Hatsune Izumi
1,108 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Lockdown
Location: Starbase Frontier- "Final Frontiers Bar & Grill," Deck 10
Timeline: Approximately 3 hours after "Caught Off Guard!"
Things were finally starting to quiet down now that initial shock of going into lockdown had worn off. The dining patrons had had their temperatures taken, and most all of them were coming back normal; the (very) small handful of them that were coming back with higher-than-normal body temperatures had reported very minor symptoms- a head cold here, a hangover there- but nothing that could be considered "infectious," per se. Of course, they'd volunteered to take all necessary precautions and isolate themselves on the far side of the room, but it was hardly necessary at that point; now that the initial fear of contagion had been dispelled, most everyone had settled into the waiting game as the station staff was likely working to resolve the issue.
Hatsune had been relocated to the back of the establishment, away from the other dining patrons and the strong emotions that had been emanating off of them when the quarantine protocols first went up. This had seemed to do the trick, as once she had eventually stopped crying, she was all tuckered out from her latest ordeal and was now sleeping peacefully on Tadao's lap, a makeshift blanket fashioned from a tablecloth draped over her to keep her warm.
Tadao, for his part, had been sitting there quietly, letting Hatsune get the rest she so desperately needed right now. He couldn't help but crack a smile as he gently cupped his hand to her cheek, taking great pains not to disturb her as he relished in the gentle warmth that radiated off of her.
Taking care of Hatsune, soothing her, had something of a euphoric effect for him. In all honesty, having children wouldn't be an imposition on his time, or his lifestyle, but rather an improvement. In his relatively short time knowing Hatsune, he had already started to look at things through her eyes, and he could now see where his life had been lacking.
"People are scared." Hatsune said. She kept her gaze low, trying to not look into anyones eyes as she spoke. "There are lots of people around who feel trapped. No one knows what is happening..."
Tadao blinked in surprise. "Y-you're awake, Sweetheart?"
Without opening her eyes Hatsune nodded. She had been drifting in and out of sleep, however the overwhelming emotions around her had been causing havoc in her mind. She opened both eyes and looked up at Tadao. "Whats going on?" she asked.
Tadao smiled, if only to assuage Hatsune's concerns. "I, uh... I wish I knew the answer to that, sweetheart; we're still trying to contact the people outside and figure out what's going on, but in any case, I'm sure that your Mummy will be working very hard to rescue us."
"Its scary" Hatsune stated. "There are lots of people, lots of thoughts. People feel trapped... People want to go home..." she sniffled as a few tears began to escape her eyes. "I want mummy..."
"Hatsune," Tadao whispered as he pulled Hatsune into a gentle embrace. "Your Mummy's a very strong-willed woman when it comes to the people she cares about, so I have no doubt in my mind that she's doing everything in her power to get us out of this mess."
Hatsune slowly opened her eyes and looked into his, they seemed to glisten and sparkle in the lights. "You are..." she thought for a brief moment. "Friends? With mummy?" she asked.
"I've known her for a long time," Tadao explained, gently stroking Hatsune's hair. "Long before you were even born, as a matter of fact."
Hatsune stared at him, cocking her head to one side. "So how come you haven't seen her in a long time?" She asked curiously.
"Sometimes, people just go in different directions with their lives," Tadao replied. "And it's not that we ever stopped liking each other- far from it- but it's more so that our lines of work meant that we couldn't get to see each other as often."
"You like mummy as a friend?" Hatsune asked. "But she didn't recognise you the other day, but you recognised her."
"Your mummy and I had different social circles growing up," Tadao stated simply. "I just happened to be more aware of her than she was of me.
"More.... aware..." Hatsune said as if reading him closely now. It was as if she was trying to probe his mind, her childish curiosity wanting to know more.
Suddenly a new announcement started to wail out across the entire station. "WARNING! Self Destruct Activated. WARNING! Self Destruct Activated...." the message then cut off.
"Self Destruct..." Hatsune said cocking her head to one side. "What does that mean?" she asked. She could feel an overwhelming sense of panic in the people around them.
"It means we gotta go, Sweetheart," Tadao replied as he scooped Hatsune up in his arms and made his way back out into the main dining area.
Outside, the room had descended into chaos, with patrons frantically hurling everything that wasn't bolted down- chairs, tables, even themselves- at the forcefield in a desperate attempt to escape.
"LET US OUT OF HERE!"
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
"Die?!" Hatsune said as she began to tremble. "Why are we going to die?" she asked a few tears starting to form in her eyes.
"Sh-sh-sh," Tadao hushed, pressing Hatsune close. "It's alright, Sweetheart; Mummy's going to find a way to get us out of here, I promise."
"I want mummy..." Hatsune sniffled as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I want mummy!".
"I have no doubt in my mind that your Mummy's going to pull through and save the day, but you just gotta be brave, Sweetheart," Tadao assured her, gently rocking backing and forth in a desperate attempt to assuage Hatsune's trepidation. It was actually kind of surreal, attempting to calm a crying child in the midst of all this hysteria.
"Look, I know it's scary, Hatsune- and, I'll be frank, I'm a little scared myself- but right now, we've gotta be brave together, for Mummy's sake; can you be brave, Hatsune?"
Hatsune tried to put on a brave face. She nodded through the tears. "I will try. For mummy. And... for you too..."
Tadao's heart practically melted at that.
"Then I'll be brave for you, too, Sweetheart," he pledged, gently running his hand down Hatsune's back.
Posting by (In Order Of Appearance)
Tadao Yoshikawa
Owner, "Final Frontiers Bar & Grill"
Hatsune Izumi
Civilian Child
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