/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46662945
Hope exists

>>45705436

Those memories of pain and torment were storming through her head as she as she sat there, the animalistic back of her brain screaming at her to run. She wanted to cut her losses and leave before anything could happen, before their true faces come out from behind their masks and the nightmare she lives continues in earnest; a nightmare with a different location, new faces, but the same outcome. The logical side of her head knew that it was impossible, that those assembled would never hurt her like Mother and… Mama have; that voice was small and drowned out by her rapid breathing.

Clenching her tingling hands, she fought off the feelings of dizziness and lightheadedness even as they threatened to consume the last vestiges of her rational mind. The silence stretched onwards, Sanae removed her arm from Hana's shoulder and with that a warmth that Hana didn't know she needed receded. She knew it wasn't malicious as well as she knew the silence was merely temporary. None of that mattered as she paled, her rapid breathing was making her light headed.

Interrupting the perceived tension was Dolly and a small squad of dolls, they carried a plain brown paper sack which they held proudly to Hana. Sanae grabbed the bag and held it up to Hana’s mouth letting the air she breathed normalize and despite her rapid breath her racing heart subsided. The tingling in her arms vanished and a sense of normality reasserted itself into Hana’s beleaguered body. She was tired now, tired of this all and tired of today; she wanted to collapse onto her bed back home and fall asleep just to forget for a few hours the pain she went through.

Dolly sat on her lap, the little thing no bigger than her forearm struggled to lift her hand and place herself under it, like a pet desperate for attention. Dolly held her hand on her head, and carried the weight until Hana stroked her hair with stubborn effort. It calmed her somewhat, but it was like a bandage over a gushing wound that a talisman alone just couldn’t stop. Still, it was effective enough, despite the sound of the paper bag crinkling periodically in what was practical silence she could get her wits again.

Soft looks of worry and forced smiles painted the faces of the women that surrounded her, a gentle voice came out of the ether. One she didn’t recognize from the tone itself until she turned her head, Mima spoke with an uncharacteristically gentle tone and face that couldn’t help but express worry, “Feeling better now, Hana-san? You were just a good bit too pale for a second”

Nodding, Hana lowered the paper bag from her mouth, having taken it from Sanae at some point. She stroked Dolly carefully, the affectionate little doll accepted her clumsy pets as Hana spoke up in a low voice barely above a whisper, “I’m feeling better, thank you …”

The silence was threatening to drag on, but a sharp glance from Mima as she looked around at the assembled prompted a response from one of the assembled. Yuuka had gracefully taken the paper bag from her hand and placed it on the stout table before speaking, “You had no fault in what happened here Hana, nor before that… You- You were misled, yes. It may not have been clear to you, but you have indeed been… toyed with…” A scowl appeared on her face, her eyes were like poison and it frightened Hana who shrank back, “That Yukari was- Is many things but, her nature has taken a horrible turn for the worse, she’s nothing more th-!“

A hand found itself on Yuuka’s head, Sanae hid some of the nervousness on her face as she stopped Yuuka in her tracks, giving her a look that spoke enough to get Yuuka to halt her words. She cleared her throat and the violence promised in her face receded like the snow under the sun.

Sanae spoke up now, “Hana-chan, nobody saw this coming. Least of all were you in the wrong for wanting to see the good in someone and trust them. Yukari-san, she… you’re right, she wasn’t someone known for doing things with such malicious means. You are never wrong for wanting to bridge the hearts of others and bring peace, it is your job and the job of your family to bring balance, and such a way like you’ve chosen is to be admired. Regardless- regardless if the one causing trouble is a sage that’s forgotten herself”