One Day, When You’re Gone

[toilet_bound]

WHO: Hanako and Anyone Who Happens to Wander By
WHAT: Hanako can’t find Yashiro. He’s distressed ><
WHERE: Around the Huts
WHEN: Before the Third Crossing
WARNINGS Ghost boy is sad, probably some undiagnosed suicidal ideation and lots of feels, but will mark in subject headers as appropriate!

Hanako isn’t sure when it happened. Maybe it was in the middle of the day, when they had gone their separate ways and he trusted her to return. Maybe it was the middle of the night - they all stayed in the same hut (and Hanako had been somehow convinced to join, a feeling so foreign he didn’t have a word for it filling him) - but since he wasn’t used to sleeping, he gave her space. Maybe… maybe he blinked and she was nowhere to be found.

Yashiro was gone, and Hanako had never felt more lost.

He’d searched the communal hut, thinking maybe she had just fallen asleep somewhere outside of her bed (poor silly girl was prone to her own clumsiness too, and her kindness, so maybe she was in the kitchen?), until it became apparent she wasn’t. His search took him out to the mist-filled docks, and once he realized the boats were all accounted for, she couldn’t have gone anywhere. Several more hours of frantic searching… all for naught.

Hanako had returned to the safe area in a daze, wandering himself until, finally, the boy sat beneath the overhang of one of the hut’s roofs. His hair was a mess, his eyes hollow, and maybe you just find him sitting there by himself, lost in thought…

Comments

[urtitan]

[Frieda keeps a varied schedule in the marsh. She often stays with the others and takes part in communal endeavors, but also spends much time by herself, be in out in the swamp or in one of the remote huts, not seldom sleeping in one of the soft beds. Returning from such alone time, she sees Hanako sitting more quietly and morosely than is typical for the cheerful boy.]

Hanako, what's wrong?

[Something clearly is amiss! But there's no genuine concern in her voice just yet. Whatever troubles him may just be a small misfortune.]

[toilet_bound]

[It takes a minute for Hanako to realize he’s been spoken to, and when he does look at Frieda-

Oh, he’d forgotten what feeling lost had actually felt like. Eyes are windows to the soul, right? His are almost watery, though the boy is trying not to cry (because crying would mean accepting that she’s gone, right? He can’t accept that), and his voice comes out hesitant, afraid of her answer.]

Frieda, have you… seen Yashiro? Anywhere?

[urtitan]

[Oh, his sad eyes speak volumes. Just from looking at him she can tell that he must have searched for his (girl)friend all over the place already. She tries to recall where she last saw her.]

Hm... it was a while ago now that I last spoke with her. That was out in the marsh; she'd gotten lost. But I've definitely seen her afterwards - in the evenings, in the mornings...

[But did she see her this morning? Did she see her last night? With so many of them sleeping in the same building, she doesn't check on everyone individually.]

I'm sorry, Hanako, I don't think I can pinpoint it.

[toilet_bound]

[He’s definitely searched all over! There are little sprigs in his otherwise unorderly mess of hair, and his hands clench the hat that normally sits atop his head.]

Ah… yeah… that sounds like her. [His poor assistant, always getting lost and in trouble. The laugh he gives is weak and fraught with worry.] I… figured. I’ve looked everywhere. I thought… maybe she was just hiding from me…

[Like a game! Or maybe he had said something to upset her…? Hanako could never tell; he didn’t mean to upset her when he did, but Yashiro was just so prone to moods, you know?]

[urtitan]

If you'd like, we can look everywhere again together.

[She hasn't given up hope that they might still find Yashiro - who's to say that she and Hanako didn't just miss each other, what with the many winding paths? -, and if nothing else, at least his worried thoughts won't eat him alive if she's there to keep him from spiraling!]

[toilet_bound]

[It’s Hanako’s own hope - even if he should know better. Yashiro was most likely lost, deeper than he could find, but that idea was just something he couldn’t accept and…]

…if you don’t mind…

[His voice is small, hesitant, so much more a scared boy than he’s been so far.

A distraction, even if it ends up being meaningless, would be better than spiraling.]

[urtitan]

Of course I don't mind. Come, let's start by following the path--

[She breaks off, thinking again.]

Actually, let's split up and search both ways. Like that, we can be sure that she won't keep moving away from us in the other direction. If we do meet in the middle without having found her, we'll extend our search radius.

[It may not be the best plan in the world, but they'll be covering as much ground as they can between them and closing the most blatant gaps!]

[toilet_bound]

[Hanako follows quickly after, but upon their change of course-]

Right. You’re right. Just in case…

[It’s a lot better of a plan than Hanako can come up with at the moment. Even if the boy looks a little lost and unsure about searching again. Like he’s afraid of failing to find her for a second time.]

Meet back up in the middle, right? [Unless they found her. He prays they find Yashiro. Hanako attempts to give Frieda a smile before he turns around.

Back to the search then-]

[urtitan]

[Frieda is meticulous in her search, making sure to look into the water on both sides of the walkway - she really hopes not to find Yashiro drifting there, but the possibility of her having fallen in can't be dismissed. At least, she couldn't possibly drown anymore... or so Frieda hopes.

In the end, however, the child that approaches her on the wooden planks is Hanako, having covered his side of the trail, and the sight of his forlorn expression and slumping shoulders dismays her. Wanting to encourage him, she keeps her voice more upbeat than she really feels.]

Well! I suppose she really did wander off and got lost. We'll have to set out farther.

[Be it on foot, using the pathways leading away from the village, or by boat, she'll let that be his choice. On the upside, it never gets fully dark in this marsh... but on the downside, it never gets fully bright, either. The twilight will have to do.]

[toilet_bound]

[Hanako doesn’t feel much better once he’s conducted his own search… and came up with nothing. Again.

Where could Yashiro have gone?

The question rings around inside of him, amplifying the worry he already felt. The concern he normally tried to hide. He had made sure to keep an eye on her, to keep her from the potentially dangerous things here, and still she had turned up missing.

Frieda’s attempt at staying upbeat was appreciated, even if it did take a moment for the boy to decide what they should do next.]

The boats. That’s the only way I haven’t checked yet.

[They would be able to search some of the docks on the way there too. As they walked, Hanako kept an eye out for the familiar silhouette of his ashen-haired assistant. Even in the twilight, he would know her form anywhere.]

I didn’t think she would be able to take a boat. Not by herself. She’s so clumsy, and there would be no reason to.

[He’s saying more than he should, but talking somehow makes it easier to focus than letting the thoughts stay stuck in his head again.]

[urtitan]

[For what it's worth, Frieda's smile deepens a little as she imagines Yashiro, small, klutzy and easily distracted as she seems, trying to set off in a boat.]

You're right. That means, then, that we should follow the trails she might have taken.

[It's not at all advisable, in her opinion, to try and explore the marshes by maneuvering on foot across all the unstable little islands and through the shallows (and hidden depths) in between, but that seems to be the only route she might have gone... and Frieda wonders why. She doesn't want to bring it up to Hanako, but what if an animal scared or even chased her out there?]

[toilet_bound]

[It’s logical, better than sitting around, and he lets out a shaky breath.]

It would be better to follow that, though there is the possibility she fell in…

[He tries to sweep away the undercurrent of fear he feels at that. Need mentioned not letting your head go below the water, but didn’t say why and Hanako himself has been lucky enough to avoid that but…]

If she has, I’ll just have to pull her out.

[There’s a small amount of determination in his shaky smile at that. Right. There was still a chance of finding her that way too, so he would be extra vigilant!]

[urtitan]

That's right - if she fell in, we'll fish her back up!

[But what if she sank into the murky depths? What if one of the giant slugs swallowed her? She does her best to soothe her apprehension, but she stakes the boat slowly, giving them times to thoroughly scan both land and water. Alas, they see neither a small body floating at or below the surface, nor any footsteps in the muddy ground they pass by, and the only sound are those of the wildlife - frogs and insects and occasionally some of the stranger animals, hidden in the trees and the reeds.]

[toilet_bound]

[It started out optimistic enough! But the longer their search went without any clues, the more deflated Hanako seemed to become. As they rounded another tight-to-maneuver bend in the boat, the boy suddenly stopped rowing.]

We… aren’t going to be able to find her, are we?

[His voice was soft, on the verge of breaking. Resignation swirled with the lost feeling in his gaze.]

[urtitan]

[For a moment, Frieda pauses, struggling between conflicting impulses, but eventually, she exhales sadly. Hanako is too sharp-witted to be lulled into a sense of hope and faith by sweet yet empty assurances, so she won't try to coddle him.]

It looks like that, doesn't it? But try not to despair. Look at Makoto - he got lost all the way back in the desert and still made his way here safe and sound and in one piece.

[If it were Sunny, she's hug and console him, but with Hanako, she hesitiates... eventually, though, she at least put a hand on his shoulder and rubs it.]

Would you like to keep looking anyway?

[She can imagine that he'd go stir-crazy if he just sat idle, despite knowing how low their chance of finding Yashiro is.]

[toilet_bound]

[It was true - Hanako was about the only one of his previous group that might not be lulled into a false sense of security. Certainly not by dreams (he had been given that option, the fact that he could have stayed with her, and yet didn’t).

So Frieda’s words were simply a confirmation of what he already knew.]

That’s true… I might still see if our host can keep an eye out for her. [He’s pouting somewhat again, though for a completely different reason. He wanted to avoid asking the Ferryman for help, knowing that being ingratiated to a potential apparition was dangerous. But… Yashiro’s safety came above that.]

A-ah, no… I shouldn’t waste any more of your time. She’ll be back… I just have to wait for her until then.

[urtitan]

The Ferryman absolutely will look out for her.

[There's conviction in her words. Regardless of everything, she still trusts the Ferryman. Alas, Hanako's concern over being indebted to their guide doesn't register with her at all, seeing how looking out for the dead is the Ferryman's duty.]

I don't mind spending time with you, you know? So whether you'd like to keep searching, or go back and do something else, I'll gladly keep you company if you want it.

[He's not a bother! If he wants to be alone, though, she'll let him be.]

We can either continue or handwave the rest ^^ whichever works!

[toilet_bound]

[Alas, Hanako’s concerns were probably unfounded, but they came from his own experiences with the dead. It truly was hard to shake the habit!

Frieda’s words have him flushing somewhat with embarrassment, and the smile he gives her, while shy, is genuine.]

Thanks. That… would be nice. [He’s being honest! It’s probably best to not have him be alone again; he’ll just return to moping. Amber gaze drifts over the foggy waters again before he sighs.] As much as a part of me would want to keep searching… we need to be smart about it. And the further we go, the more likely we are to encounter something dangerous. For now… let’s head back.

[It wasn’t him giving up on Yashiro. He could always search again later. For now… a distraction might be nice. And who knows? Maybe when they return, Yashiro will have just wandered back on her own.]

🎀

[urtitan]

Alright. For now, let's head home.

[Another shoulder squeeze, and she helps him turn the boat around. Him being such a level-headed boy helps - it'd be harder on her to try and alleviate his distress if he were overwhelmed by it.

Maybe, she'll come up with at least some ideas of what they can do, such as setting up more torches to light the way home for Yashiro. In any case, she'll keep Hanako occupied.]

[marblenest]

Dankovsky usually avoided Hanako, kept an eye out on him, of course, but avoided small talk and conversation for the most part. Though his behavior today was most peculiar, and his appearance odd.

And this wouldn't do. Even if Hanako's fixture in his life often caused trouble he was still a child and therefore Dankovsky found himself approaching Hanako, coat pulled around his form.

"Someone's got a long face." He remarks, but there's not a trace of sarcasm in his voice. Not today.

Bless Dankovsky TT <3

[toilet_bound]

Hanako looked up at the man, a pout (and some annoyance) tainting his childlike features. He leaned further against the hut, feeling it shift a tad.

“I’m not feeling in the mood for it today.” Whether he means whatever verbal spar might come his way (even if Dankovsky’s remark wasn’t anywhere near goading) or something else is unclear.

When he speaks again, his voice is soft, worried. “I can’t find Yashiro.”