/jp/ - Otaku Culture

"Just...Make sure you learn all of this stuff before you accept any weird employment offers, please. I don't want anything weird happening only after you accept the offer." I told Reimu that I would make sure to learn all I possibly could prior to accepting any offers. Obviously, I'd even decline it if it involved not seeing Yamame regularly. "Phew." Reimu breathed out deeply. "Okay, I feel a bit better. Let's just, um, go to Eientei before you tell me something else worrying." I waited until Reimu got to her feet, then casually mentioned that I might be going to a youkai gathering. The only sound was her gohei clattering to the floor. "You're - What?"

Briefly, after Reimu had picked up her gohei and as we walked, I recounted my conversation with Kagerou, and my previous conversation with Wakasagihime, about the Grassroots Youkai Network and, somewhat briefly, my desire to try and introduce Yamame to it. I didn't want to force her or anything like that, but I wanted her to get to know some people outside of her family and work obligations, and this seemed like a good idea. Reimu stared at me speechlessly for a moment, then shook her head. "Yes, I suppose that's very...You. Next week? That's, uh...Ooh, that'll be a bit close to the new moon. It'll be dark. Very dark. Are they planning to have lights?" I was more surprised that Reimu hadn't immediately shot down the idea. "Oh, I'm sure I can't stop you. And I'm also sure that you'll be at least reasonably indestructible with that peach inside you. Plus, anyone hurting you is going to get Yamame's wrath, aren't they?" I...supposed that was true. I hadn't really thought of it that way. "Like I keep telling you, just be careful, please. Kagerou's nice enough, I suppose, and Wakasagihime is docile, so I don't think you'll be in too much danger." I ignored the 'I hope' she mumbled under her breath.

Eventually, though still a little too soon in my opinion, we were at Eientei. I wasn't entirely ready to be here, if I was being honest with myself, but I was able to draw some comfort from the fact that Reimu was with me. Unconsciously, I found myself taking her hand, if only for some comfort, as I stared at the entrance to Eientei's clinic, which was darker inside compared to the brightness of the day, lending the whole thing a slightly sinister vibe. Unlike before, there were rabbits milling around outside and inside, some just small animals and some full youkai. After a few moments, I spotted - Or rather, heard, and then spotted - a rabbit I recognized.

"I mean, you can't pound mochi with those weak arms~ The sight of my mallet gets- Oh, my, my, my, what's this?" Tewi Inaba cut her singing short as she rounded the corner and spot us. "If it isn't he who got experimented on and she whole got me to crush my boss's head!"

"Tewi." Reimu muttered, though she didn’t sound too upset. I wondered if that was because she’d been able to work with Tewi during the Eientei Investigation rather than against her like with Reisen. "Is Eirin in?" She seemed a little stiff.

"When isn't she in?" Tewi replied lazily. "Yeah, yeah...Don't worry, either. She's still a bit high-strung, but she's definitely not the complete psycho she was a couple weeks ago." That was a relief, at least, and I relaxed slightly. "Don't think she's busy right now, either. Well, not that busy. C'mon, c'mon~" She said the last part in a slightly singsong-like voice, then beckoned Reimu and I into Eientei.

Behind a counter just inside the clinic was Reisen. "Welcome to Eientei, what can I-" It sounded like a speech she'd given several times before, but Reisen did naturally sound pretty uninterested and bored when humans were involved, so I couldn't say for sure. "Oh. It's you." That was starting to become a nickname for me, I remarked. "What do you want?" She hadn't sounded particularly welcoming before, but she was downright frosty now. "Here to attack us again?"

"Oh, shut it, you dumb bootlicker." Tewi lazily replied, waving a hand dismissively. "We're seeing Eirin." She beckoned Reimu and I to follow with her other hand, and while Reisen looked furious, she didn't stop us. Once we were a few hallways away and hopefully out of earshot, Tewi continued. "She's still mad at me for killing Eirin, like killing her even means anything..."

"Only youkai could talk like that." Reimu muttered to me. Or Hourai Immortals, I whispered back. "Yeah, but they're basically youkai anyway, so..." Tewi coughed, purposely and loudly to shut us up. "Oh, uh, no offense." Even I could tell that was a lie, but Tewi didn't look like she cared much. “I mean, you did kill her boss, right? She’s probably got a point.” Tewi looked over her shoulder at us, frowned, but didn’t say anything. Still, I found myself glancing over my shoulder every few seconds. Even though I could see daylight through the slats up at the top of the walls to let air circulate, Eientei felt a little gloomy and it reminded me uncomfortably of my bad dreams.