/jp/ - Otaku Culture

(unrelated snippet, 1/1)
—
It's Sunday, my day off, and I'm spending it well.

Sitting on the veranda, I smiled at the faint, zesty breeze, the cold of winter gone. Many sweaters, gloves, socks, and scarves were knitted to repel it—even covers for Ran's many tails—but I am glad Spring has come, and so is Chen, a bright smile on her face as she forages the yard of the fake shrine for yams. Promptly, I make a mental note to put 'remedies for potential parasites and bacterium' on my list; always better to be safe than sorry.

Ran by my side had a laser focus on the notebook in her hands, fox ears free of the usual hat and gown replaced by comfortable clothing to fit the weather, more akin to Chen's own dress. She fixed her reading glasses and smiled, giving me a glance. "Need something, Anon?"

"How's it going... that?" I peeked at the mathematical mumbo-jumbo spanning multiple pages.

Her face developed into a smug. "'That', is going very well. Though," she massaged her neck with a frown. Noticing a catalyst for my talents, I got up and behind her—always careful to not step on the tails—and started a light neck massage. Nothing fancy, but if her satisfied smile was something to go by, it was highly prized. What more can a man wish for than to be truly appreciated?

"HEY! LOOK, LOOK!" Chen's voice echoed as she stood up, her tails swinging back and forth, a big tuber in her hands covered in dirt and tiny ground inhabitants. On her face, a radiant smile. "I found one!"

Ran calmly applauded. "Good job, Chen!"

Me, however, "The best forager in the land! I'll cook that for us! So proud of you, Chen!" I showered her with compliments, her cheeks and chest stuffed and red, the other hand scratching her nape. Ran gave me the side-eye, "What? Positive reinforcement goes a long way."

She huffed wordlessly and gestured with her head. I giggled; what a softie.

I was about to restart the massage, Chen running up to us and—

Then the ceiling exploded. One second peace, the next the entire building trembled, Chen and I stumbling over as Ran got up with her eyes wide. Debris fell from the ceiling covered by a cloud of smoke, and, looking up, I had full vision of this—wait, why am I running towards it? I should be running inside the shrine like Reimu always told me to do when an attack was going—

Oh.

I was running towards Chen on the ground. Chen's stronger than me, much stronger, and can fight and protect herself...

Yet I unconsciously ran up to her with my heart pounding in my ears, caught her in my arms, and held her tight as if to preserve my own life, the debris flying over us with promises of dea—

Beams of light turned them into dust. Balls of Danmaku circled Ran, a spell card burning in between her fingers.

We exchanged one glance, and it felt like an entire conversation. I ran back to the veranda, hiding behind her protective nine tails and assessing Chen: dirty and disheveled, but generally okay. Her eyes were broad, though.

"Are you okay, Chen?" I asked. She barely managed to nod.

Feeling relief and breathing in and out hard, ready to run at any moment, I looked beyond the mighty shield that was Ran's back to the hole in the ceiling, expecting to see a menacing foe or monster—to break Yukari's barrier with such violence and—

"Gee, why such a bothersome barrier?!" The voice had the same pitch as that of a fairy. Shrill and sweet. What in the world?

Then, out of the cloud of smoke and dressed in one of the most ornate dresses I've ever seen, came a harmless-looking fairy, looking around as if searching for something. Her blue eyes landed on us, Ran's hold on the spell card wavering as surprise painted her complexion. "OH! Found you three!"

"Ugh, it's Lily." Ran let out a sigh as the spell card faded, her sleeves joining together. The fairy flew up to us and, with a hand inside a basket filled with colorful—

She stopped and...

Threw confetti all over the three of us, "Haru desu-yo!"

"Thanks for announcing that, Lily," Ran said with a tired note. The fairy, Lily, giggled and waved again.

"My pleasure! Next spring, though, be in a place of easier access, please!"

"You could've used the front door..." But the fairy was already on her way out through the hole in the ceiling, singing to herself and deaf to the kitsune's words. As we three watched that, Chen, always the curious soul, picked up one of the confetti on her hair...

... And tried to put it in her mouth, "No! Chen, no, no!" I was quick in action.

Ran sighed.

A gap opened by the door, and Yukari left it with her eyes wide and a spell card in hand, death imprinted on her face. She looked around the destroyed front yard, then at Ran, who had a tired look, and then at me chasing Chen to stop her from eating the confetti...

Then she looked at the hole in the ceiling. She approached with a look demanding answers; "Lily White." That was all the fox said.

Yukari sighed, "... I'll get it fixed soon." She left without another word.