/jp/ - Otaku Culture

The interior of Marisa's borrowed workshop was rather cramped and since she didn't let you clean up in here it was getting rather dusty in certain places over the past week or so since she set everything up. The room was warm on account of her magically powered room heater that looked suspiciously like a model from the outside world that she insisted she bought from the kappa and the body heat from the two of you, you sat across a scuffed waist high table with books in the both of your hands as you studied. Silence prevailed in the room with only the occasional clicking of the heating elements going on and off periodically as it fought to keep the room a comfortable temperature despite the freezing cold that liked to try creeping in through the largely uninsulated walls. The room was stuffed with a motley collection of items some with clear purpose and some you suspected she brought in just because she liked the way it looked, all of it arranged around a cluttered work station covered in alchemical ingredients, tools of the trade, and magical devices in various states of dissemble as well on the opposing wall of the station was a large bookshelf with some of the shelves covered with other ingredients and devices whoes functions and uses you couldn't grasp. The good lighting that brightened up the room well came from a single bright standing lamp that illuminated the room well and seemed to be controlled by input from the black and white mage with a simple flick of the wrist which you suspected wasn't actually needed.
Not for the first time you were impressed by the studious nature of the blonde witch that you'd never get if you only knew her as the reckless girl she presents herself as. You were honored that you were one of the few people that actually knew this side of the straightforward and brash yet somewhat whimsical witch and noted that on the times you've been able to visit her house it was cluttered with even more materials, books, and devices that you knew were all read and experimented on. The blonde and white witch sat upon her practically made padded wooden chair with the black tea you've previously provided sitting in a western style cup infront of her, a pair of reading glasses rested on the gentle curve of her nose as her sharp blue eyes focused on the knowledge in front of her. You noted that every now and then her braid would fall onto her face which seemed to bother her slightly as she always reset it only for the cycle to repeat again as she moved subtly shifting about slightly as she read, her eyes never breaking contact with the words on the page and you couldn't help but have your gaze transfixed onto her whenever you looked up from your own reading material.
Being with Marisa like this seemed to let you truly relax it seemed, with Reimu even when you were simply resting together or enjoying a meal you always seemed to be set slightly on edge as an ingrained response that you couldn't quite shake from the past 3 years of hell you went through. However this was never an issue with the girl in front of you, you've seen her mad for sure but it was always a "normal" kind of rage that dissipated itself and even at worst wasn't overly sadistic. You couldn't help another gaze after finishing the latest chapter of the book you held that went over the basics of the elements and what they are in nature and once again you found yourself enchanted by the enchantress in front of you as she sat with her legs crossed as the winter hardened black dress she usually wore somehow accented her form despite its increased bagginess but perhaps that was your thoughts only because you still remember the night you shared together.
You remembered your vows however and dispelled those thoughts from your mind and any stirring thoughts and feelings of love in you died as you remembered the lot you made for yourself as the weight of your fate replaced the hope you felt and a part of you cursed yourself for letting your heart of letting yourself taste those feelings again. You placed the bookmark in your learning materials and closed it softly, you were almost through with it but in more ways then one you needed a break. That action caught Marisa's attention and she looked up from her book, barely halfway through but the material in it was undoubtedly denser and you heard her voice ring out lacking the usual teasing aspects and levity "need a break anon-kun? I need to rest my eyes so lets get out the snacks". She closed the book after marking it with a dog ear and took off her reading glasses placing them both on the table in front of her carefully as if the book would fall apart. With some rummaging worryingly close to the alchemical ingredients she told you were dangerous and to be avoided she pulled out a simple box and placed it on the table, and with the usual attitude returning she smiled brightly "Here, I got these from the village last time I went out since I thought they'd go great with your tea, try them!"