EIGHT ⌘ Yotsuba and Rainy Days [Video|Action]

[rollypolyclover]

When someone is sad you can say you're sorry to them because no one wants to see someone who's sad.

[This is one of the big lessons Yotsuba has learnt this week, sort of. A lot of people have been going home, a lot of her friends have been upset and have told her sorry time and time again even though they haven't done anything wrong. When you smash a window or break something, sure, you can say you're sorry then. It turns out you can say sorry for lots of other reasons too.]

Yotsuba is sorry! Everyone stop being sad, I said sorry. Sorry! Sorryyy!!

[Were it not for a gust of wind picking up and blowing against her window she would have kept repeating herself until she was told to stop or, miracle of miracles, everyone suddenly decided to be happy. Luckily Yotsuba is easily distracted by the bad weather.]



Whoah, awesome! The wind and rain is awesome!! There's rain on the window right now! Isn't that right Mister Cicada!?

[She turns to talk to the plush toy of a cicada in her room. In her mind he's quite the conversationalist and seems to agree, yes, the wind and rain are pretty awesome. Yotsuba nods in response.]

Exactly!! It's awesome! There are going to be lots of puddles to splash in, but we have to wear galoshes. Then we'll be invincible!!

[Wait, what was she talking about again? It was kind of important wasn't it? Uhhh... Damn, it's gone. The thought has passed.]

Sorry, Yotsuba forgot. Leave a message and Yotsuba will get back when Yotsuba remembers, beep!

[With her little message done she's heading outside into the rain wearing her coat and boots to splash around and have fun. If you're out braving the bad weather today you might be able to see Yotsuba running around with her arms up getting completely soaked, not that she seems to mind in the slightest.]

Comments

[ video ]

[herotypical]

[ here might be a slightly sad soul. ]

Sorry? Honey -- Yotsuba. What on earth are you actually apologizing for, anyway?

[ video ]

[rollypolyclover]

I don't know. But when someone is sad you say sorry and it makes them better.

[She's pretty much saying it for the sake of it, though she has good intentions.]

[ video ]

[herotypical]

...It's that easy, huh?

[ video ]

[rollypolyclover]

Yeah! When friends go home or someone doesn't want to play you say sorry and it's okay. [...] Right?

[ video ]

[herotypical]

Right. Right, Yotsuba. I can't imagine you being any righter.

[ action ]

[greenjacketed]

[ oh child. you just jumped into that puddle right in front of him and got his greatcoat all muddy.

the major frowns. only not really. it's like a fake-frown. ]

Oi. Little rapscallion. [ he's not all that upset. sharpe doesn't mind the muck. but he does wonder whether you've got a parent who'll mind doing your laundry when you're playing is done. ]

[ action ]

[rollypolyclover]

[What on earth is a rapscallion. Sounds like something Beat might come out with.]

Rap? [...] Yo yo yo, that's whack!

[Jumping into another nearby puddle and sending out another wave of dirty rainwater, yeah!]

[ action ]

[greenjacketed]

[ he stoically accepts another onslaught. ]

...Pardon, lassie?

[ action ]

[rollypolyclover]

[This guy talks funny.] You talk funny! [Apparently she needed to point this out.]

I'm not lassie, I'm Yotsuba! Do you like puddles too?!

[ action ]

[greenjacketed]

I find I have no feelings either way on the things, Miss, uh, Yot...suba.

[ action ]

[allseeingdeath]

[ Braving the bad weather is what all the kids do. It all turned for the worse so fast, Shiki had no time to make it home before she was soaked. Holding her red jacket above her head in some attempt to keep dry, he made her way through the village, when a little green clover-headed girl caught her eye. ]

...What are you doing out here, Yotsuba?

[ action ]

[rollypolyclover]

Playing! [Duh. What else would she be doing out in the rain.] And doing this!

[She takes a deep breath and throws her arms out as wide as she can manage.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

[ action ]

[allseeingdeath]

[ Shiki just gave her a blank stare, still holding her jacket above her head. There was a moment's pause as she held her arms up higher, before... ]

Aaaaaaaaaah.

[ action ]

[rollypolyclover]

[Suddenly Yotsuba's eyes light up wide.]

That's it, like that! Like that!!

[This time she crouches down before springing up with her arms out again.]

LOUDER! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

[ action ]

[allseeingdeath]

[ She held her arms up even higher. ]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! [ Still not as enthusiastic as Yotsuba's, but, she was getting there. ]

Why are we doing this?

[voice]

[wise_maiden]

... You're up very early, Yotsuba.

[Not that it's surprising, to Raine; the five year old has a remarkable amount of energy. And she's hardly had a chance to check in with her lately, due to her mission and then later circumstances. And here she was preparing to leave again.

It couldn't hurt to check in.]

That's certainly a lot of apologizing.

[voice]

[rollypolyclover]

Yotsuba is early today, like a bird.

[It happens sometimes. She gets up early, walks around the house and annoys people until they wake up too. Sometimes she does a handstand on them whilst they sleep. That's just how she rolls.]

You need to say sorry lots and lots, or Elicia and Rei and everyone else won't be happy.

[voice]

[wise_maiden]

They're going through difficult times right now. It's very nice of you to try and cheer up others, when you can.

[voice]

[rollypolyclover]

Yeah, that's a good thing, Yotsuba is trying hard to cheer people up so they get happy again. Did you say sorry too? You should say sorry Raine, make them happy. If you don't then Yotsuba will be mad with rage.

[Yup, mad with rage. So you better do what she says! ... Though come from a five year old it doesn't sound the least bit threatening at all.]

[voice]

[wise_maiden]

You don't have to worry about that. Besides, getting angry will take up far too much of your energy.

[written]

[abidinglaw]

Miss Yotsuba. Greetings.
My name is Admiral James Norrington, and I have been chosen to be your correspondent for this duration. I am given to understand that you are exactly the sort of child who one might expect to be rather excited by the prospect of acquiring a 'pen pal'. I also understand that you are of an age at which concentrating on your reading and writing comprehension can only be of benefit. As such, I have at length decided to accept the imposition.

-Regards,
Admiral James Norrington.

[written]

[rollypolyclover]

[Oh gosh, words. Time to brush up on those reading skills. This is a pretty big step up from picture books. But hey, she's had treasure island read to her, she can manage this!

... It's a good thing this is written, otherwise she might have recognised him as 'that guy who's a stranger and wants to steal my candy from last year'.

Brace yourself Norrington, she's going to attempt to write back. Those handwriting lessons from Sherlock are about to pay off.]

HELLO

I am Yotsuba. I am 5. I am vrey very excited. What is C O M P R E H E N S I O N?

[Even a message this small takes some time for her to write up, especially the part where she copied down 'comprehension' one letter at a time, checking that she had got every part of the word down correctly as she went.]

[written]

[abidinglaw]

[Two things immediately endear this girl to the otherwise stoic admiral. Firstly, while he cannot abide idleness in children, it is clear from the strike-out that Yotsuba is putting a great deal of effort into this miniature missive. With that said it is not the strike-out itself that pleases him so much as the second attempt, and its success. Second, her frank statement of excitement indicates that she has no instinct for deception. This may be a snap judgement, but it is enough to draw him. He will watch for further confirmation.]

Comprehension may be thought of as your capacity, or your power, to understand. In reading and writing it carries the expectation that you identify and reproduce words accurately, and with an eye for their meaning and context. Congratulations on spelling the word correctly. Comprehension. I imagine it was a formidable challenge.

[written]

[rollypolyclover]

IT WAS HARD

[It's probably the longest word she has yet to have spelt, even if it's all spread out and written in capitals. What's more she isn't going to remember that definition any time soon, but maybe with it now written here in her journal she can eventually learn what it means.

But first she's going to need to know what some of those other long words mean.]

C A P A C I T Y
R E R O P D U C E
FOR M ID ABLE
I dont know. What are-

[There's an arrow pointing from the end of are towards the three words she wrote down. Something she just learnt right now is some longer words are made up of smaller words she actually recognises! Like 'cap' and 'city'.]

[written]

[abidinglaw]

C A P A C I T Y - How much can it hold?
R E R O P D U C E - Make a copy.
FOR M ID ABLE - A worthy enemy.

[It has been so long since he has had to speak to someone so young. Longer still since he has had to write to anyone below the age of twenty.]