towerofanimus | Yotsuba!&...

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.

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At that, Yotsuba just looked even more confused, and she shook her head a little as she spoke. "Oh..but they are! It's Daddy's and Jumbo's souls! They don't have bodies, but they still have that.."

"And we would have more if you weren't accepted."

"I don't know you, or them, but I doubt they would look like that if they really were their souls."

"But..that's all that's left of them, so that has to be what it is! Enoch and Diarmuid and everyone was looking for them and now we've found them.."

"But you won't be able to help us. This is all that's left of us, and everyone's been lying to you, Yotsuba. You've been a bad girl to go along with their lies. We can't be fixed." The voice of Shadow Jumbo finally got Yotsuba to start crying, even though she wiped her eyes as she did so in an attempt to stop and held the picture she had away from her face.

"...!"

Veronica stood up, producing a sword form nowhere, she pointed it at the shadows.

"Leave her alone already! I don't know what you're telling her, but I'll have none of it!"

Yotsuba had no idea where this girl had managed to get a sword, but there was no way she was going to let anyone hurt her Daddy, even if he didn't love her anymore, and even if she was blubbering. Quickly, she tried to get between the shadows and Veronica and loaded her sling, ready to throw if she had to.

"No!! Don't kill Daddy and Jumbo! Please don't!" She was, of course, forgetting that they couldn't be touched by people or objects, but she wasn't in any state to be thinking logically.

She freezes as Yotsuba jumps in the way. Of all the things she could kill, children weren't one of them. Her arm stays up though, pointed at the shadows.

"But they're not your "Daddy" or "Jumbo". They're just tricking you!"

"She's lying, you know." "We're not fake. This is all that's left of us, Yotsuba. We won't be able to catch cicadas together again..but I didn't want to play with you again anyway." While her Daddy's and Jumbo's voices hurt, Yotsuba stayed her ground, and quickly wiped her eyes free, trying not to cry again.

"No..they say you're lying, and Daddy wouldn't lie to me! He's a good person! I love him and Jumbo remembers catching cicadas!"

Veronica fidgets, torn between protecting the girl, and doing something she didn't want to.

"Your daddy is probably a very good person, my daddy was too. Do you think he would really say any of the things he's saying now?"

Yotsuba kept up on standing right where she was, even though she did look confused and conflicted about this whole thing.

"He is..and he is saying those things..Yotsuba just doesn't know why!"

"It's because you were saved and I wasn't. If you hadn't been so close to me, I might not be like this."

..Was it really all her fault then? It sounded like it, and the thought got Yotsuba to start crying again, but she didn't move. After all, if it was her fault, then she had to do better and be a good girl and save Daddy, if she could. Maybe there was a way that even Daddy didn't know about.

Veronica shivered with anger, preparing to leap forward and slice the shadow into pieces. But... she couldn't, the kid was in the way, and Veronica couldn't do anything right now.

Her sword lowered to the ground. She frowned.

"I'm sorry, truly. I don't want to hurt anyone."

She sword disappears up her cloak and Veronica starts walking away.

"But be careful, alright. And if they keep saying mean things to you, go get help."

Besides, even if Yotsuba hadn't been in the way, her sword would have just gone through the shadow. They couldn't be killed. After all, they were already supposed to be dead.

Thankfully though, the shadows remained silent as Veronica spoke and as Yotsuba put her stone back in her ammo pouch.

"Yotsuba will..and it's okay..but apologize to Daddy and Jumbo too, okay?!"

She stared hard at Yotsuba, then turning her attention to the shadows. Her shoulders shook for a moment before sagging.

"I'm sorry."

She turned as quickly as she could and dashed away. Sometimes kids have to learn, right?

They would..but it would be pretty hard for Yotsuba to understand this whole thing, especially since the whole truth about these shadows was rather murky.

But she tried to smile a little at the lady as she left before looking back to the picture in her hand. As she did so, Shadow Daddy spoke.

"How does it feel to be the only one that survived properly"

"..Fine..but you survived too, Daddy. You and Jumbo both did."

And so, the little girl would wander out of the mailroom, speaking with her shadows and trying to remain calm.

Yotsuba!&...

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