/jp/ - Otaku Culture

There was a foraging spot only a 30 minutes walk from the base of the foothill the shrine was nestled on and where the youkai that would become a fortunate recipient of your flesh lurked. The wind was chilling but you didn't mind it really even as your feet and hands chilled more and more due to your unwillingness to waste the good winter gear on your last walk. You didn't mind this light chill either as you knew that it wouldn't be much compared to what you'd feel before you reached the sanzu river and just to reinforce those thoughts the dagger you kept in the inner pocket of your thick winter yukuta tapped against your chest with each step along with the bundle of coins for Komachi's fare.
Snow crunched under your lightly wrapped feet and the small walk did wonders to clear your mind of petty thoughts and let you focus on the matter at hand. It would be a simple chore and upon thinking of what you were about to do you were slightly surprised to learn that now that you were you thought no more of your last actions in the same way that you did of doing the laundry or cleaning the tub, it was truly just a chore to you at this point. For the first time in a long while you felt something approaching excitement that wasn't just a bodily response like when you let Reimu indulge her passion with your body and it put a spring in your step.
You approached the foraging spot which naturally attracted more then just the humans of the shrines, naturally it also attracted increasingly large game a chance which the local youkai didn't waste at all and if you looked closely you could see scraps of bone from both herbivore and carnivores. Soon enough the rare edibles that could nicely supplement a diet came into view and despite not seeing any other life you knew that the youkai wouldn't be far and only in a half slumber at best as it scanned for prey. As you pulled out your dagger you noted that luckly the local fairies were likely off huddled up in the warmth of their treehouse and didn't take the time to heckle you by making you lose your way.
You took the dagger and gripped the familiar handle tightly, you wondered about how to do this a couple of times and decided to do the tried and true method of a long slit leading from your wrist down your forearm. You debated slicing open your neck but without a clear line of sight you thought that not only would it be more risky but a small part of you didn't want to ruin your yukuta on the off chance it could be salvaged, besides although you didn't think you'd appear as you were on the Sanzu you didn't want to frighten Komachi if you did!
The dagger felt cold on your skin like the blade was made of ice and with a final bit of resolve you plunged it into your warm and yielding flesh. You knew despite the sharp pain that it wouldn't be over yet and despite seeing a shadow coming from the air fly across the ground you pulled the dagger towards you in one quick action and felt the terrible pain of your flesh parting. You could swear you heard a shout coming from above but you didn't pay it any mind as finally for the first time in over 4 months or so you felt truly happy and that feeling blew away the last few months of dreary gray that clouded your vision and soul.
You held your gashed open arm out slightly with the sleeve rolled up to your shoulder as you took in color for the first time in a long time it seemed to you and the world started swimming not too long after. A blur of red and white seemed to strike the ground and shout as it ran over to you but you could feel nothing but a definite joy even as the back of your mind registered the panicked miko's presense. You felt the sensation of a pair of hands on you but it didn't make you react as for the first time in a long while a genuine smile came to your face as you passed out from the loss of your crimson life's blood.
For the second time in a quarter of a year you awoke in a brightly lit room, once again you hoped it was the shores of the Sanzu river that greeted your tired soul but as you tried to move you felt entirely restrained as your eyes adjusted to the lights shining in your face. Not only did you feel weak much like last time but you couldn't even move your arms or legs, you fought the heaviness of your limbs as you lifted your head and in disappointment you realized that your arm that you slit open was bandaged thickly but as well it was held down by a large and thick leather strap along with your other arm and legs! You held your calm as you glanced around the room and with sorrow you realized you back at Eientei and the happiness that you once enjoyed as the blood drained from your arm was replaced by a familiar gray emotion as the color faded from your eyes as well and you fell back letting the bed you were on support your heavy and sluggish body.
A blur of red and white appeared in the corner of your vision but you didn't turn your head to greet her and the only thing you could say was a weak, "why?"

MIKO MIKO NURSE! MIKO MIKO NURSE!

NAMAMUGI NAMAGOME MIKO MIKO NURSE!