/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46528190
Ran is the cutest!

>>45134796 (3/4—p1)
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"—Most spiders build their web somewhat close to the ground, so they can easily catch small prey—that is?"

"Small insects!" Chen promptly says, and Anon smiles, patting her head. I watch with a faraway look, sitting on the same tree branch they're squatting on, Chen guiding a massive spider around the backs of her hands like a treadmill. I don't normally like to come on their expeditions—my tails get filled with the weirdest things—but Anon asked me today. There are its perks: watching them from a distance is nice, but seeing their faces contort in happiness every time an arachnid climb onto their hands from so close is… Very nice. It helps with the feeling eating away my stomach. "But why most here build theirs so high in the trees?"

There's a pinch of sadness on Anon's face. "Well… Since it's a closed habitat without big predators and with only one water source—the pond—insects have to seek food sources away from the ground and the water, where ants and amphibians, respectively, dominate—which means spiders have to build their webs higher to catch more insects." Chen looks disheartened that the answer is 'they're locked here, so they have to adapt', and the hollowness behind Anon's eyes appears to grow—his eyes met mine, as if seeking them, and a light shines in there. "—but, even poor, caged animals—despite their circumstances…" He messes around the spider's web, his smile growing when he lifts a leaf and finds small, green balls covered in web. "—may find something to keep them going."

"Eggs…?" Chen whispers, face lighting like a candle, tails bopping—Anon nods. "Oooh, you gonna be a mama~!" She brought the spider close to her face, giggling.

"Well! Now that we have everything—eggs; structure and web pattern—can you tell me her family, genus, and species?" Chen paused, ears perking and eyes closing, murmuring what she thought was the answer… Then she was frowning and, quickly—but gently—she passed the spider onto a grinning Anon, saying:

"I'll go look at my book!" And flew off towards the shrine, leaving us two—three?—here. Anon laughed with taste… Our eyes soon met, and his smile grew.

"Something on my face?" I try to play dumb, hairs standing, but he sees through me. He does it better than anyone, after all…

"Why don't you come closer, and I have a better look at it?" His grin was enough moving force, and, despite the massive monster walking on his hand, I got closer, sitting by him. "Not close enough—" and so he kisses me, and I didn't resist laughing in joy—stealing two little pecks as we separated. "There—a big, silly smile. Now it's perfect… So, what happened?”

I gulped dry, the conversation with Takane-san popping back into my mind, especially about what'll happen if our plans come to fruiting. What may come next, what I may lose… From the beginning—receiving Chen from his arms—I intended to release him from this cursed place. But as time passed, things changed, got complicated, and, suddenly, love. Though intentions are the same, the purpose…

It scares me.

"Hey." He calls again, arm behind my neck— "… I think she likes you." He points down, and my pupils shrink and my body tenses up when I see the massive spider on my hands. "No, no—no panic, 'kay? Calm down, stay put… It's docile, and at the moment it doesn't feel threatened." I followed his commands like a gospel, controlling my breathing while juggling the confusion of why such a small animal sparked this reaction in me. "… New things are hard, aren't they? Picking a spider for the first time and not freaking out, not killing it—it's something not many people experience." I frown, taking my eyes off the spider clawing on my hands and locking on his. These words… "Are you afraid, Ran? Of what we did?"

What the—

… Oh. Of course, Takane would've talked about our conversation with him. Embarrassed and feeling my heart rise even more, I stutter, tense, then look at the spider on my hands… And nod. He nods back, still smiling, "I, Anon… I’m s—"

"Don't say it." His smile didn't falter. There was only confidence there. "You want to make an educated guess of what I had in mind during today's 'work hours'?" He giggles a bit. It's not funny. "… Today, I closed my eyes and felt your arms, whereas the past week I'd have closed my eyes and only felt the clients using me—today… I felt safe." I nodded, breathing in, trying to stay calm—but tears were already escaping me, scaring the spider, which quickly scattered back to Anon's hands.

I hate this place, I hate this place so much… For such an act of love to be transformed into a safe place, a small ember against a blizzard.

It shouldn't be like this. His hug anchored me down.

"I-I… am afraid where 'us' will lead to, that the things I'm doing… Are just not enough, and I've lost sight of what is important and—"

Anon stares at me. I feel naked.

… He laughs out loud. "Ha! And I thought you were the smart one!"

I stare, dumbfounded. What the—

—then, he kisses me.

What?!