001 Yotsuba & Castles

[clovertails]

[If you walk into the castle lobby, and look closely in one of the corners, you might be able to see a sleeping bag with a small, green-haired child nestled in it. She's sleeping peacefully, with the occasional mumble, a bit of drool coming out the side of her mouth.]

Trick or treat... trick or treat.... oh, hello! I want takoyaki.... with mayo... and chili sauce. Thank you...

[Wake this poor kid up!]

Comments

[clovertails]

[TEARS CAN'T SAVE YOU FROM CRYING CHILDRENNN

She allows herself to be hugged and just darts her eyes around the lobby, still crying, and she says between tears and snot bubbles]

Can I be a knight instead? Or a c-cook.... I like food.... I'm a castle cook....

[birdorcage]

[It does occur to her that something is off, aside from the crying child in her arms. When she's anxious, tears seem to appear. She's incredibly anxious right now because WHAT DOES SHE DO, but there's nothing but clear air around them. Weird.]

You can be anything you want. Do you want to see the kitchen? It's amazing.

[clovertails]

[Sniffling, Yotsuba nods, still disoriented but at least with Elizabeth, there's a person there that she can touch. It's a little comforting!

She puts her chin on Elizabeth's shoulder, sniffing a huge snot bubble probably right next to her ear. Sorry.]

Onee-chan smells nice. Is my Daddy in the kitchen?

[birdorcage]

[Ew.

Elizabeth rests her hand on Yostuba's back. She really wishes she had more experience with children. This is tough.]

He isn't, no. But don't worry, your daddy is just fine.

[clovertails]

[You're doing a good job Liz don't worry ;_; Seriously though Yotsuba's a little all cried-out and exhausted, so she won't wail anymore.

Luckily she has fast coping skills.]

He is? How do you know? Did he tell you? Is he hiding from me to trick me like at the festival because he wanted to teach me to not get lost from him? Except this time I didn't do anything wrong because I was camping and I woke up here. Ah! Sleeping bag!

[She breaks herself away from Elizabeth to reach down and pull her sleeping bag up around her and zips it up, so only her face is visible]

I'm a caterpillar!

[birdorcage]

I know because I got separated from someone, too. That's what the people here said. I was told it's possible for him to show up soon, so I bet it's the same for both of us.

[Or something like that. Someone said they had been here for years before someone they knew showed up. That's... not a very pleasant thought.]

Or are you a turtle?

[clovertails]

Oooh....

[She looks at Elizabeth a little sadly? Because it's not like Elizabeth is a kid or anything but the fact that she got separated from someone that could be important to her is pretty bad :(]

Did we do something bad? Daddy told me not to lie anymore so I don't do that....

[She gets down on the floor on her stomach, still cocooned in her sleeping bag]

This is a turtle! [She flips so she's on her back] This is an upside-down turtle!

[birdorcage]

We didn't do anything bad, Yostuba. This is a very special place.

[... that maybe sometimes is terrible. No one's really told her about the horrors, yet, but they keep HINTING at something bad. Grr.]

Careful! Turtles get stuck on their backs, you know.

[clovertails]

Special? More special than the udon restaurant? [You're in a fucking castle Yotsuba seriously tho]

I'm not like any other turtle... I'm a super-powered turtle. See? [She rolls around, making robot noises, and finally stands upright]

Now I'm a carrot.

[birdorcage]

You're talented! I wish I could go from a turtle to a carrot.

[No, not really, but have the enthusiasm anyway. She offers Yostuba her hand again.]

Come on, let's see the kitchen. But--[she takes her hand back!] then again, maybe we shouldn't. If you're a carrot, that is.

[clovertails]

Well, you can! If you're a superhero, you can. That's just what happens!

[Looks shocked when Elizabeth takes her hand away, and she looks fiercely determined!] I'm not a carrot anymore! That wasn't my true form!

[She shimmies out of her sleeping bag, and does a "cool" pose.]

I'm normal again!

[birdorcage]

Good! Now we can go to the kitchen without worrying about you landing in a stew.

[clovertails]

Okay! That won't ever happen, no worries, no worries!

Hey, Onee-chan... [She... doesn't remember Elizabeth's name. It's gonna take her a while, haha] What's your favourite food? Do you like croquette? Or corn soup? What about beef tongue?

[birdorcage]

I... hmm! I don't think I've had any of those things. [This child is so talkative! But she supposes it's only natural. She tilts her head at her.] I like a lot of food, but I've been fond of sweet things, lately. Like cotton candy. [IT'S LIKE PINK FLUFFY CLOUDS OF CRACK oh god she can wish for all the cotton candy she wants okay Elizabeth don't get distracted.]

What does oh-knee-chan mean? [Japanese words are strange on her tongue :( ]

[clovertails]

Aaa?! None of them?! No beef tongue? That's... The best! But also, so is curry. Did you have curry before? [Blah blah blah. She takes Elizabeth's hand, ready to go to the kitchen! Her sleeping bag is in her other hand, and she'll drag it along behind her.]

Cotton candy? Is it cotton or candy? You can eat it? [What about toilet potatoes, Elizabeth? Or cereal from fallen enemies' bodies?]

Onee-chan is... An onee-chan! [Points at Elizabeth for emphasis, as if that explains everything] Old!

[birdorcage]

[Before she can answer Yostuba's barrage of questions, she registers what she just said. OLD...]

Old? I'm not old! I'm twenty! [She puffs her cheeks a little. Mostly for play, though.]

[clovertails]

Twenty is old! But you're not as old as my grandma, though. She has wrinkles all over her face like this! [She scrunches up her face, and gets cute little wrinkles around her eyes and mouth and forehead. Actually she looks kinda creepy lol]

[birdorcage]

[She can't really be offended because Yotsuba is so cute, so as they enter the kitchen, she pats the girl's head.]

I bet you're glad you're not old, hmm?