FIVE ⌘ Yotsuba and Running Away [Written?|Action]

[rollypolyclover]

[Otonashi left yesterday. That meant that now Yotsuba was stuck in a house with that loser Naoi. The fact he was really kind a little while back at the beach but now he's really mean again is more than a little confusing to the girl. Yuri is still here but right now all Yotsuba is thinking of is the bad stuff. Namely no more Otonashi and lots more stupid, mean Naoi.

What she does next seems like a brilliant idea! This will totally bring Otonashi back and make Naoi be nice again, and if it doesn't then oh well at least she's not living in the same house as him anymore.

This badly scrawled message appears on the journals:]



[Now then! If she's running away she needs lots of important things. For one her pink fluffy coat that Jack gave her to keep warm, a ton of food from the fridge, the viking helmet and fishing pole thing that Hiccup got her, the cicada plushie Otonashi left for her...

It isn't until she tries leaving the house with all her belongings that she realises this is a bad idea. So instead she settles on the coat and the plushie. Sacrifices have to be made if you're running away! Sadly these sacrifices also include her journal so she won't be replying to her little goodbye message.

Morning
This is a great idea! Running away from home is the best thing she's ever decided to do! Otonashi will be trying to find his way back now and Naoi is probably feeling really bad about pulling her hair and telling her to shut up all the time. Yuri is probably shouting at him for it too! Haha, yes, running away has solved everything! Yotsuba happily marches around the village with a big smile on her face, more than a little proud at how she thinks her plan is going.

Midday
Hungry... Why didn't she bring some food with her? Maybe she'll wander on over to Seventh Heaven and see if she can get some food from there, they make awesome pancakes after all. Or maybe the bakery! Or she could settle for staring at passers-by with big, open eyes until they give her something to eat. Screw taking candy from strangers she's hungry!!

Afternoon
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Now she's getting cold. And hungry again. And Otonashi hasn't come back and found her yet... She wants to go home. The problem is Yotsuba has wandered so far away from home by this point that she's in a part of the village she doesn't even recognise. Now she's lost, cold, hungry and really upset. How is she going to get home now?]

Waaaaaaaah!! Yotsuba wants to go home!! Wanna go hooome!!

Comments

[fleurdesel]

I am sorry your friend has gone, Yotsuba; that it has caused discord in your home. [She squeezes the little girl's hand as they walk, frowning. The comings and goings of the villagers must be especially trying for the children here. Yet another reason to loathe their minders.] You did not want to talk to anyone before leaving?

[rollypolyclover]

Yotsuba talked to Nowy and Yurippe, she was very nice! Nowy said 'shut up you brat' so Yotsuba didn't say anything else to him. [Naoi is kind of a bastard, and given Jack recently 'taught her' the word bastard that would be a good way to describe him.] What's discord mean?

[fleurdesel]

They are most likely very worried about you Yotsuba, even if they do not show it. [Never in her world would a run away child get anywhere but...here there were fewer people to mind them.]

Discord means...people are upset. Instead of things being nice and calm they are busy and loud and upsetting.

[rollypolyclover]

You really think so? ...Nowy said before that he doesn't want Yotsuba. [Seriously he was fine with her freezing to death when she first arrived. Yuri cares though!]

Ohhh, that's a good word, Yotsuba's house is full of discord right about now.

[fleurdesel]

I do. [Without knowing those Yotsuba lives with well, she can only hazard a guess but, who would let a child think they were unwanted?]

Most of the time it can be used to describe this place fairly well

[rollypolyclover]

... Mm. Okay then. [If a grown up is saying it she really can't say otherwise. Maybe despite everything Naoi is saying he likes her really or something.]

The village is really nice though, shops and stuff. And friends, lots of friends to play with on good days, even bad days when it's rainy and cloudy.

[fleurdesel]

If there is one thing that I do like about this village, it is the people you meet, and the friends you can make.

[Her closest friend in the village right now was a Jedi, she'd never have that kind of opportunity in her world. Shaking her head a bit at the thought Adele pauses once they reach the plaza.] Do you know which direction your home is from here petite?

[rollypolyclover]

Yeah, lots and lots of friends, more than back home.

[Pointing a little off to the side of the Brigade HQ towards the trees behind it.] Over there, through the trees and stuff. [Paths are for suckers.]

[fleurdesel]

You did not have many friends in your home?

[A blink, a look back down the way the child points.]

...Very well.

[Adele turns to the not-path indicated and starts making her way through, not at all deterred by the somewhat odd way Yotsuba traveled. She was five. It was somewhat expected.]

[rollypolyclover]

Yotsuba had Ena, Fuuka, Asagi, Jumbo... Tora, Miura, uhm... Mom from nextdoor, Miss Stake...

[And more, but those are the ones that she vividly remembers! So quite a few, she just has more here.]

Yotsuba goes through here all the time, it's like having a forest in the back yard! Gonna go cicada catching in the summer, so many trees for bugs to hide in.

[Not odd at all. If she can get to the plaza faster this way then she really saw no point in using the path. And without her dad around to tell her to stay on the places where she's meant to walk she's just gotten used to it.]

[fleurdesel]

That sounds like quite a few friends Yotsuba.

[While she found it odd the girl refers to herself in the third person, she's not going to ask. She simply leads hr through the thicket, keeping an eye out for roots or puddles; anything that would catch her or Yotsuba by the ankles and cause them to fall. It wasn't that difficult. Just tedious.]

Isn't most of the 'backyard' here a forest? The village is surrounded by woods.

[rollypolyclover]

Lots of friends back home, even more friends here! I miss them though, Yotsuba wants to ride bikes with Asagi again and drawn with Ena...

[And insinuate Fuuka is fat-- But that's not something she does purposely! If there are any puddles nearby then Yotsuba will splash in them or at least tap her foot in them as they walk by. Puddles are fun!]

Ohhh, that's right, there's a really big forest here. There wasn't a back yard at Yotsuba's house with daddy, just lots of buildings and neighbours!

[fleurdesel]

[Adele doesn't mind the splashing. Again, the girl was five, and as long as it didn't make either of them slip it wasn't a problem. Just a little further through the trees and she can almost see the path on the other side of this stretch of woods.]

So you lived in a city?

[rollypolyclover]

[Head tilt.]

Daddy and Yotsuba lived... In a neighbourhood.

[The way the buildings were set up meant there was little to no yard or anything around the house, despite the house being a good size for two people. Everything was sort of crammed together.]

We had neighbours on the... Left! And Jumbo could drive his truck right up to the house!

[fleurdesel]

Just one that did not have much room for a backyard.

[Adele never really lived in a suburban neighborhood, and while she's seen them she never understood the appeal. Living in an apartment left her feeling crowded, but houses crammed together, side by side, street by street? She would go mad.]

Why would Jumbo drive his truck up to the house?

[rollypolyclover]

So he could come visit and say hello and play with Yotsuba!

[Oh she misses Jumbo so much, the severe lack of piggy backs has been just awful.]

He would let Yotsuba ride in the back of his truck with Ena and it was really fun! You're not meant to stand up but Yotsuba did it anyway. Fell over, Yotsuba fell over in the truck!

[fleurdesel]

[That she couldn't help but laugh at, shaking her head at Yotsuba's exuberance.] And that is the best reason to drive up to a house.

And that is why you are not supposed to stand up in the back of a truck while it moves Yotsuba. At least you did not fall off the truck, I'm sure Jumbo would have been very sad if he knew you'd been hurt by his truck.

[rollypolyclover]

It is! Everyone should come and play with Yotsuba! [And she seriously means that, everyone should play with her because playing is fun and stuff.]

It was fun though! The wind was whooshing around me and Yotsuba felt like a bird! [And then she fell ever and bumped her head and no one was surprised.] If he was sad then Yotsuba would say 'sorry Jumbo' and he would say 'okay' and then Yotsuba would get a piggy back ride.

[fleurdesel]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I will have to visit so we can play in the future. [Another root, and- there she could see the edges of a house between the trees.]

If you learn to ride a bike, it can feel just the same; though you would need a helmet. And, is that your house, up there?

[rollypolyclover]

Really, you'll come play with Yotsuba?! Wow, wow wow wow! That's amazing, a nobel prize! Winner! [That's gotten her pretty excited. Play mates are the best.]

Yotsuba can ride a bike! [With training wheels.] Yotsuba picked it out all by myself, it was a good bike. Ohh, that's it, Yotsuba is home!

[fleurdesel]

Really, I will. I promise. [She doesn't know when, but she will make time for it. Spending an hour or two or ten around someone as young and energetic would be good for her.]

The next time you wish to feel like flying, try riding the bike first, yes? [She gives that tiny hand a gentle squeeze.] Do you want me to walk you the rest of the way in, or do you wish to go on by yourself?

[rollypolyclover]

You're cool Adele, we can play uhm... House! And pretend! [And probably a whole host of other things she can think up between now and whenever they play together.]

Okay!! Bike first, standing on trucks after. [Flapping her downy yellow wings wings a little in response!] It's okay, I've got this, Yotsuba is a big girl! [...] You can come too though!

[fleurdesel]

That sounds like it will be fun Yotsuba. [Actually living at playing house with a terrible husband would be much different than doing it with an enthused five year old.]

Of course you are, I never doubted it. But since you offered I will walk you to the door then. [Right through the last of the trees and it's a clear path to the door. A little out of the way from house 44, but she hadn't minded in the least.]

[rollypolyclover]

[Once they're clear from the trees, Yotsuba will wriggle her hand free and run off towards the house. She pats the door a few times before opening it, turning to wave to Adele.]

Look, made it home! Yotsuba ran to the door and you're walking to it, ahaha!

[fleurdesel]

[Adele lets the girl run when she wished, continuing to walk with her hands in her pockets. Once she's at the path to the front door she waves.]

You will not run away again, will you?