Yotsuba!&...

[sunflowerfairy]

Characters: Yotsuba Koiwai and you!
Setting: The meadow, the mailroom, and most of anywhere else.
Format: I'm starting in prose, but I'll match you.
Summary: A catch-all post for the Individuation event.
Warnings: Other than a crying Yotsuba, I can't think of anything right now.

At first, the shadows following her had been a little scary, mostly because Yotsuba didn't know where they came from or why they were following her. But it was kind of fun to have them follow her around, like they were all playing one huge game of follow the leader! So, she didn't mind them following her into the mailroom and laughed a little as she looked inside her mailbox..and pulled out a photo of her Daddy hugging her, Jumbo next to them, and the family next door-Ena, Fuka, Asagi, and their Mommy-surrounding them in the background. Surprised and happy, Yotsuba's eyes shined as she looked at the photograph before showing it to the shadows.

"Look! They're all here! Daddy and Jumbo and Fuka and-"

"Those aren't them. That's a lie, Yotsuba." That voiced surprised her, not because it came from one of the shadows, but because it sounded like Jumbo! "It's not! And why do you sound like Jumbo?! It's a good photo-oh.." As she spoke, Yotsuba kept looking at the photograph, just to make sure that it wasn't a lie..but slowly, it changed so that it showed her in a dying wasteland with her family and friends dead all around her.

"No..everything's gonna be fixed..and I'm not alone.."

Here, Yotsuba could be found sitting here with her sketchbook, crayons and Little Yoba, trying to draw what she thought was going to be the actual future. However, she didn't look very happy, and while she did make an honest attempt at it, it was very hard to draw when the souls of the people you loved kept belittling you. Eventually, while they were still there, Yotsuba mostly just hugged Little Yoba and weakly spoke to Daddy and Jumbo, who kept telling her that they didn't love her, that if Daddy hadn't adopted her, he might have been saved, and that Enoch, Diarmuid, and everyone else was going to break their promise and leave her too, all alone in the horrible place she saw.

This..was way too much for her to handle. Eventually, despite a few optimistic comments to the shadows and asking them why they hated her now, Yotsuba just started crying on Little Yoba and talking to her dolly. "Yotsuba doesn't even know what adopted is..do you know, Little Yoba?"

Yotsuba had a tendency to run around and explore, and this wouldn't change that..but she would be looking for Enoch, answers..and silence. She's pretty much free to bump into your characters, even though she'll be more tired than usual, and even though her collar will slowly become lighter, though Yotsuba herself won't notice until someone else points it out.

Comments

Nope. orz

[brbtalkingtogod]

The archangel looked down at her in silence, allowing her to hug his legs. She could have told him to kneel for a proper hug but if she wanted one like this...

"Yotsuba's daddy and a friend?" Hate her? All of these shadows were just saying the same just as other people, weren't they? Lucifel put a hand on her head to pet it. "That's not true, I'm sure that Yotsuba's daddy and everyone she knows love her."

"To think that you can comfort this child so easily... You never even touch me when I couldn't bear the painful burden of an immortal anymore and needed comfort the most."

[sunflowerfairy]

Well, an actual hug would have been even better, but Yotsuba wasn't of the habit of asking people to bend down for hugs. Yotsuba didn't know what the other shadows were saying-for all she knew, some of them might have been really nice-but the pat on her head managed to break her out of her daze a little bit. It was comforting, but it also opened up the option of a five-year-old weeping on his expensive jeans.

"But..if he does..then why does he keep saying he doesn't, Luci?! That having Little Yoba would be better than Yotsuba.."

[brbtalkingtogod]

If his jeans could take it that he was actually sweating on them, then they could take her tears as well, bless them. But Lucifel wasn't in the mood to care much about them in the first place.

But how to explain the malicious speeches to her?

"Hmm... what if he got bewitched?" It wasn't much but maybe if she thought that the people she liked have been put under a spell then it might not get to her that bad.

"Telling half-truths to others has been always something you did. But telling lies is a new one. Sinking even lower and lower Luci."

[sunflowerfairy]

People had been trying to tell her that what she was seeing and hearing wasn't real, or that the souls were just illusions. However, no one had tried to tell her that the souls were bewitched. Not that she knew what the word meant.

"I don't know..what's bewitched?"

[brbtalkingtogod]

It wasn't a lie. It was a theory that he told Yotsuba. The chances are high that it could be proven wrong, and it was most likely a wrong guess that much he knew, but perhaps this was what Yotsuba needed to hear.

"That if someone uses magic on another person to do evil things. Maybe this happened to Yotsuba's father and her friends."

[sunflowerfairy]

It might have been what she needed to hear..but if Lucifel got this theory wrong, Yotsuba would be upset and the Archangel would finally learn what Tohko felt like when she really screwed up with her deductions.

"Oh! So..the bad people might have hurt them so that they're saying what they don't wanna?"

"That's a lie, Yotsuba. I'm telling you the truth right now: I hate you."

While those sentences made Yotsuba flinch and frown, she didn't cry. Maybe Lucifel was right. There were lots of bad people here! Maybe they had just tricked them!

[brbtalkingtogod]

For the time being it was the only thing he could come up with to make her feel better. They all were being blamed by them and who knows if this wasn't a game of Jason.

"It's possible. But who are the bad people Yotsuba is speaking of?"

Lucifel eventually decided to kneel down so they would be the same eye level. Bad people could be... well, quite a lot of people, so he was a little curious.

"It was probably that curiosity of yours that had us killed, brother."

[sunflowerfairy]

Since Jason seemed to be just as surprised as they were-and on babysitting duties right now-this probably had nothing to do with him.

"Oh..the Administratlors! Jason and the others! Zo and Dax are nice though..oh..Dax is dead now though."

Yotsuba would let go of Lucifel as he knelt down, only to give him a proper hug when she could. As she did so, Shadow Jumbo spoke up.

"It's a shame that we couldn't find someone like that sooner to dump her on. Then you would have had less work and we might have been saved." "That's true, but you know how I was back them. I was much too nice."

[brbtalkingtogod]

Then this is probably wishful thinking or an unknown third party is involved.

"Ah, I see. Zo is really nice, isn't he?" Dax... be can't say much about him since his end came too soon after his own arrival here.

And yes, he should have expected to be hugged the moment he decided to get down.

[sunflowerfairy]

Or another part of Ruana sending the ghosts back at them.

"He is..and there are a lot of nice people here too! That's what Enoch said.."

"He's lying though, Yotsuba. After all, you're not nice."

..While Yotsuba wouldn't comment on her Daddy's words, she would hug Lucifel a little tighter.

[brbtalkingtogod]

They will probably find out about that soon enough. Even though it will take some time for that to happen. When Yotsuba spoke of Enoch his lips formed into a small smile.

"He's right with that." Even though Enoch tries to see the good in everyone. As she hugged him tighter Lucifel stared at her for a moment before he returned her hug. It was strange, being hugged didn't feel as odd anymore, but this just did. Perhaps he has gotten used to it by now.

"How odd that you approve of what this other self of mine says and does. Haven't you always thought of me as pain? You sound so glad about him being alive and me not."

[sunflowerfairy]

For once, Yotsuba's shadows were being pretty quiet, as if plotting their next move, but Yotsuba smiled at the hug and..tried to rest her head on the Archangel's shoulder. While she wasn't physically tired, she could be doing a little better mentally.

"He is! You're nice, Luci, and so's Enoch and Edgeworth and Romeo and Diarmuid and Cecil and Aradia. But..if the bad people are using a spell, how can we break it?"

[brbtalkingtogod]

He patted her back a little, hoping that it would make her feel a bit better.

"I don't know how... not yet that is."

[sunflowerfairy]

It did, and Yotsuba copied the action and patted him on the back with both hands..but it seemed that her father had decided to speak up again.

"If he likes you so much, he can be your new Daddy, Yotsuba. I don't want a brat like you anymore."

..That really stung, but Yotsuba bit her lip and tried to stay calm as she spoke.

"Not yet? When will you then?"

Pfffff, at least he wouldn't have Nephilim kids. XDD

[brbtalkingtogod]

That was... precious, considering how small she is compared to him. But it looked like Lucifel knew how to comfort someone better than he would have when he first came to the Tower.

"I can't tell for sure... but we will try our very best."

"The very best you did was to sentence us to death, Luci."

The world might die of diabetes instead of too much fire though. xD;;

[sunflowerfairy]

Which was good, since Yotsuba probably wouldn't have taken well to an Angel that couldn't accept hugs well.

"Okay. Yotsuba will try too! How can I help?!"

Nor a flood. But Lucifel is more the big brother type than a father. XDDD

[brbtalkingtogod]

She could thank Enoch for that. And the Tower for making Lucifel tangible.

"Hmm... Yotsuba could help by being brave. Like a hero. Or rather a heroine."

That's true..not that Yotsuba would really mind another honorary big brother. xD;;

[sunflowerfairy]

Sadly, she had no idea that the Tower and Enoch had played such a big part in getting Lucifel used to hugs, but if she had known, she would have thanked Enoch. And the good Administrators, if she ever met them.

"I will..but what else can Yotsuba do?"

"Nothing. After all, you are a useless little brat."

He wouldn't even know how to explain that be became "a father". XDDD

[brbtalkingtogod]

Lucifel probably wouldn't tell her that any time soon either. When asked what else she could do he thought about it for a moment.

"Believe in us." That was probably something that Enoch may say. "That's the best way Yotsuba can help. Actually... that makes Yotsuba a support like me."

"You have never been a good support. You broke your promise to me."

"I found this girl without a Daddy and decided to be her new Daddy." xD; Yotsuba might not mind so-

[sunflowerfairy]

[ooc: much if someone explained to her that they really couldn't save her Daddy.]

"Yotsuba can do that..but you have a lot of tricks Luci! And you're an Angel! If I'm a support like you, how can Yotsuba get those?"

"You can't. He's just messing with you, Yotsuba. After all, you killed me and your Daddy by just existing with us, so you'd be a terrible support."

"She picked me to be her new daddy."

[brbtalkingtogod]

He smiled down at Yotsuba, but it was a tired smile.

"Yotsuba just needs to be herself. Supporting others doesn't mean being able to do tricks only."

"He reads me lots of stories, even if he does't cook curry!" I can't tell whether this is cute or-

[sunflowerfairy]

[ooc: really sad. ><;]

Yostuba looked pretty puzzled at that comment. When she had mentioned tricks, it had been because she thought that someone who supported someone else would be able to do a lot more with them.

"Oh..I know. But you can do a lot more with them, right?"

Neither can I. ;_;

[brbtalkingtogod]

"Sure, knowing a few can be useful, but sometimes you need other things to support someone."

That's something he had been learning step by step. Faster than he would have wanted to but what could he say... he learned from it.

"You're one to speak."

*pats* Bittersweet then? ><;;

[sunflowerfairy]

"Like what?"

For better or worse, Yotsuba had taken the ability to comfortably hug people and look at the best of things for granted. She didn't think that what she had was something that Lucifel had trouble with sometimes.

Let's agree on cute, theres too much sad and bittersweet here.

[brbtalkingtogod]

"Like..." Okay, she is a child and it would be better to say that. Even if it hurt his pride. Not a lot but admitting something like that stung a little.

"Hugs. Yotsuba gives better hugs than I can. Giving good hugs is an art that has to be mastered and Yotsuba has done so already."

There. He said it. The archangel admitted not being able to do something well. Yet. He knows that eventually he would have to, given all the times he got hugged now. But that might be enough to keep her from doing too reckless things.

"Are done with pulling that poor child's leg, brother?"