/jp/ - Otaku Culture

The storm clouds were building up, but for the moment, they seemed content to hover beyond the valley, out past the mountains. I didn't know how long it would last, but I suspected that it was a coming typhoon, which meant that going outside would become unbearable for a while. I hoped the Shrine would be okay. Reimu was getting better with each day and had reached a point where she could walk around by herself again. After one particular moment of frustration, she had kicked me out of her room and left me to sit on the veranda for a while, and had only emerged later, soaked in sweat from exertion, but wearing her full Shrine Maiden uniform, including the bow and hair tubes. I could only surmise that she'd been dying to reclaim some independence and put the clothes on by herself, though it had made her so exhausted that she could barely move for the rest of the night, and then I'd had to help her get the clothes back off, so I wondered if there was much point in pushing herself so hard at all.

I heard footsteps across the veranda and turned my head. I felt rather pleased to see Lady Kasen, now back in her normal outfit, coming toward me. I hadn't seen her in days, and I'd been starting to wonder just what she could be up to, but she looked just the same as ever. "I'm glad to see that you're still here." She spoke. "Most would have turned tail when presented with a sick Shrine Maiden like this. How has she been?"

I shrugged and recounted the last few days, being careful to skimp on details when it came to sleeping arrangements and bed attire-or-lack-thereof. I didn't trust Lady Kasen to take those details in the greatest light.

Not that I was particularly sure how to take them at this point, either.

"So, she's getting better? That's good. I've spoken to Marisa; The Eientei investigation's been in something of a rut, and with the weather looking like this..." Lady Kasen looked out in the direction of the storm clouds. "Well, it might just continue to be halted." I saw that familiar look enter Lady Kasen's eye. "And while Reimu may be getting better, I don't want her injuring herself, so I'd still like you to remain here at the Shrine with her, if you're happy to."

I was more or less happy to, but at the same time, I'd been unable to get Reimu's words out of my mind, and I was starting to realise that I simply couldn't leave the situation to fester any longer. The longer it went, the more monstrous my mind built Yamame up to be, and the harder it would become to ever set foot out of the Shrine. I had to see her. I had to talk with her properly.

...I would have to make a decision, needs be.

But somehow, I suspected that Lady Kasen wouldn't much like that idea, so I simply smiled and nodded. "Excellent. I've been rather busy keeping some old friends too entertained to cause trouble, so I won't be able to hang around much, but I'm certain that you've got it all under control." Lady Kasen clapped me on the shoulder, and I staggered slightly. Her strength was a constant source of confusion to me. She may have been a hermit, but there was no way a regular ascetic could be that strong. I told her that we'd be fine on our own, so she really didn't need to stick around. She raised an eyebrow at that, but I detected an undercurrent of pride in her voice. "Is that so? Well, I certainly won't bother you. Reimu might take my head off!"

I decided not to say that for as healthy as she was getting, Reimu still wouldn't be taking anything's head off for at least a few more days. I could still see the tremors in her hand when she held something for any real period of time, and the way her legs shook just slightly as she got up from her seat. The illness had more or less worked its way out of her body now, but she was still suffering the after-effects. I'd almost be worried that Yamame had done something permanent, but I...hoped...that she'd had enough restraint for that. Lady Kasen nodded, looking around. "Where is Reimu, then?" I shrugged and said that she'd decided to rest more after attempting to sweep the Shrine's courtyard herself. She'd fallen just after managing to sweep the leaves up into a pile, which I attributed to her determination. Once I'd carried her inside, she'd rapidly decided that she was perfectly happy to sleep the rest of the day away. I was starting to get a little worried about the total lack of exercise she was getting, coupled with regular meals cooked by either myself, Marisa, or Aunn. I still thought Reimu was perhaps slightly too thin to be healthy, so maybe the time off from being the Hakurei Shrine Maiden would turn out to be good for her.

Lady Kasen seemed to be in a good mood the next morning. She asked if Reimu had come by, which was a little strange because I hadn't realised that Reimu's visit had been a planned thing. I suppose they must have arranged it at the Shrine, which I couldn't easily get to from halfway up a mountain, so I must have missed it. Once I confirmed that Reimu had shown up and taken me with her, Lady Kasen smiled and told me that I'd definitely be safe if I stayed with her. Specifically, she told me that "You'd be good with Reimu.", but I think that means the same thing. Maybe I should have paid more attention in Miss Kamishirasawa's classes, so I understood what people were saying better.
My ascetic training had focused on core strength and endurance today. This meant that I first stood under the waterfall that ran off of the peak that Lady Kasen's dojo sat on, then I stood in an awkward pose while balancing cups on my body. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and a little painful. I found that I ached all over by the time that Lady Kasen, who had disappeared to recite sutras, returned and told me that I was done. I silently breathed a sigh of relief and tried to stand up, only for my abdomen to give out and send me crashing back to the ground. "It takes some getting used to." Lady Kasen told me. "Keep up with it, and you'll be strong enough to endure Reimu before long." I asked her if Reimu was likely to hit me with her gohei that much. "Her wh- I mean, er, yes. As training, you know. I'm not expecting you to go all youkai and deserve an actual beating." I decided not to try asking for any more information. I felt like the more I knew about it, the more likely it was to actually happen. Best to stay happy and oblivious.
I decided not to tell Lady Kasen about Yamame. I was mostly in their good backs right now, but I was worried that if I revealed that a youkai was getting very touchy with me, Reimu might try and exterminate her. Yamame had proven to be incredibly lovely to me, and she didn't deserve being attacked. I'd probably have said the same about Miss Tenshi if everyone hadn't already known about her insisting that I be moved from the village. Both of them were good people.
Once I'd finally made it to my feet, I tried to stagger back toward the dojo to clean myself up. As I stepped forward, I suddenly realised that I wasn't on the ground anymore. I was instead on a strange, slanted surface. It took about as long for me to realise that I was suddenly on the roof of Lady Kasen's dojo as it did for me to pitch forward beyond the point of no return, and with a yell, I went rolling down the side of the roof. I imagine that my peach-enhanced physique was the thing that saved me, because after falling off the side entirely, I spent roughly a second in free-fall before I slammed into the hard ground on my back. I groaned and let my head fall back, while I stared at the sky, wondering what I’d done to deserve that. Within moments, I became aware of a presence, and I tiled my head back, seeing a pair of feet stood right by my head. They were connected to a long pair of legs which disappeared into a massive skirt. At this point, I scrambled to my feet.
A woman stood before me. She was tall and imposing, with red hair tied with four red spheres, two on either side of her head. I didn't notice much else of her outfit because it was at that point that I noticed what she held. In her left hand, the butt resting on the ground, she held a long pole. Attached to the end of this pole was, worryingly, a very sharp and very large, curved blade. There may have been many things that I didn't know, but I didn't need to ask any questions once I'd seen that. I stood in front of a Shinigami. Before me stood the person who ferries dead souls.
"Wait, you're not-" The Shinigami started to say, before another angry yell interrupted her. She whirled round, her scythe spinning through the air. I ducked involuntarily, because I was all but certain that no peach in the world could save me if a Shinigami lopped my head off.
"Komachi! Did you just teleport a human to my roof!? He can't fly, you idiot!" Lady Kasen came storming around the corner. I tried mumbling that I was okay but was summarily ignored. "You never think first, do you? Honestly, Komachi, it's a wonder you haven't been fired yet, if you're as careless with human spirits as you are with live ones! What if he'd rolled straight off the mountain? Do you want to explain that to Reimu? You're just-" Having already witnessed this happen to Reimu, I realised that this lecture might go on for a few minutes.