/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Lady Kasen blinked and lowered the finger that she'd raised without even thinking. "Oh. Er, what was my point?" I stared at her. "Oh, yes. Since you did the engagement ring, I presume you're planning on wedding rings too. As it happens, I can tell you that you likely don't want anything too extravagant for a wedding ring. Not that I expect it to get you robbed or anything like that - As a matter of fact, I'd pity the fool who tried to rob either of you - But rings in the Outside World - At least, in Japan - tend to be understated. Quality over flashiness. Consider taking that into your consideration." I slowly nodded, though Lady Kasen was starting to really go over my head.

"Alright, you'd best be off before she talks some more." Raki said loudly, snapping her fingers to get our attention. Houso raised his head for a moment, then lowered it again. "We'll see you soon, alright?"

We nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Kasen and Miss Raki!" Yamame said, bowing deeply. I followed suit, though neither of our pink-haired hosts looked all that comfortable with it. Perhaps it was an oni thing. Either way, as we left the room, I'm sure I heard Raki mutter a question about why Lady Kasen got to be a lady and she didn't. I wasn't really sure how that had happened, either. In my case, it was because Lady Kasen had trained me before Raki had been unsealed, but I wasn't sure how Yamame had ended up calling her by that name too.

Much like Kisami, I nearly tripped over an animal in the hallway. This time, it was Kume, the giant eagle that Lady Kasen had befriended, and the predecessor of Kanda. He squinted at me, then continued on down the corridor. I wondered if his wings couldn't handle flying much at his age. Lady Kasen had mentioned that he was old and starting to become unable to handle the physical strain of flying, after all. That was why Kanda had taken over. "So, er, do we want to talk about - About wedding rings?" Yamame asked me quietly. We pushed open the doors that led outside and stepped out into the much stronger daylight. I was sleepy again. A glance at Yamame told me that she was much the same. We'd stayed up for most of the night, then got a few hours of sleep when we'd staggered back home, then exhausted ourselves all over again...And then, just for fun, headed up the mountain.

Ki clearly felt just like we did, because she was lying on her back in the grassy area of the mountain peak, her limbs splayed out wide and a comfortable smile on her face. "Ki? You're getting rather comfortable, aren't you?" Yamame asked her loudly, nudging her with her shoe. The elder Kurodani cracked open a blue eye and frowned at us, before closing it again. "Even though you're in someone else's house." Yamame looked at me for confirmation, so I added that it was someone else's world entirely. "I hope you're not getting sick too. There's already been too many sick people lately, and I'll go crazy if there's any more."

"I know..." Ki mumbled, stretching thoroughly. Given the weather, I wasn't surprised to see that she'd undone several buttons of her shirt, and I could see her navel very clearly as she stretched. Rolling her eyes, Yamame crouched down and poked her in the stomach. With a direct hit, Ki suddenly launched upright. "Eugh! Yams, don't do that!" She almost shouted. "It feels so weird..." She continued. "Look, it's freezing cold out there, so I'm getting the most out of the sun while I can!" It wasn't exactly a bad idea. I leaned down and lifted Kisami to her feet, then asked her if she'd managed to speak to Yuugi. "Oh, er...Yes. It took a lot of reassurance that I wasn't going to follow through on any of those threats, and a couple reminders that she could probably pull me limb from limb like I was a rice cracker, but she's calmed down about me now." Well, that was probably good. "So, er, do we have to leave now? Maybe I should just ask Miss Kasen if I can stay for a bit. I don't want to go back to the cold just yet." I hadn't really thought about it, but I doubted that Lady Kasen would turn her down. "Just for a little bit! I don't want to get attacked by that tiger again..."

"He's not that bad." Yamame replied. She hadn't been jumped by Houso yet, but she'd seen it happen to me. Houso was rather sweet, actually. He just seemed to like surprisingly people by jumping on them like that, since he did it to me more or less every time he saw me. "Just, um, don't fight back, and he won't try and hurt you." She looked over at me. "Right?" I nodded. He was scarier in appearance than anything. Still, there were plenty more animals in Lady Kasen's senkai to be cautious about. Belatedly, I told Ki not to try and climb the neighbouring mountains, and if it was raining, to go inside immediately. "Um...Why?" She asked me, frowning. I scratched the back of my head.