/jp/ - Otaku Culture

With a noise akin to a bubble popping in reverse, I heard Hearn's footsteps. I whipped my head around to catch the sight of a tear in reality, neatly tied off with two bows at the end. Hearn stepped out of it, and within I could see more bloodshot eyes, before it winked out of existence like it was never there. "Well, here we are. My shikigami tells me that she divined a sixty three point four percent chance that you, Miss Kurodani, wouldn't abstain. You're doing well to beat the odds." Yamame looked away and nodded, her jaw tense. "Now then, shall we get to the point?" Hearn slid into a seat opposite us. "I have some questions that require answers. First and foremost: How is my Shrine Maiden?"

For a moment, I considered asking her why she didn't just go and ask her herself, instead of going to the lengths she was going to and kidnapping two other people. Then, I reconsidered. She clearly had ulterior motives, and if the way that Reimu had laughed herself silly upon Hearn's last talk with me was any indication, she was used to being overly dramatic and theatrical in accomplishing those motives. So, taking a page from myself on my last visit, I leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and told her that Reimu was doing just fine. "Is that right? Could you explain, then, why she seems to be spending so much time somewhere that I cannot divine, not to mention coming to the underground so much? Why are those aliens in Eientei still locked up tight, even when flu season is fast approaching? This is Reimu's duty, you know." That had been something I'd never considered, but it was actually something of a concern. I remembered a time, a long while in the past, when nearly the entire village had become ill, and nothing seemed to be resolving the problem, until Reimu had come around brandishing a shard of what looked to be an old pot, claiming that she had sealed the curse god that was making us all sick. This time, there'd be no quick salvation coming, and if Doctor Yagokoro was still in the state she was currently in, nowhere to go.

And I knew that Reimu had been busy dealing with me, and as of the last few days, Lady Kasen and Ibaraki-douji's arm. But, I wasn't sure I wanted to tell Hearn about Lady Kasen's problems. They were not for her to know about unless Lady Kasen said so, or the arm said so, because I had to consider her opinions too. Instead of answering anything that could give away Lady Kasen, I decided to say that Eientei was a complicated topic, and Reimu was working hard on resolving it. "Hm. So you say. You are very confident in her ability to resolve things, aren't you?" I had no reason not to be, after all. It wouldn't be very good of me to have so little faith in my elder sister's skills, would it? I kept that private, and instead said that Reimu had decided that things needed to be sorted out properly before anyone went storming into Eientei. "My, my, how very uncharacteristic of her. Is this your influence? Well, I can't say I much approved of Reimu's...lax approach to incident resolution, but I would very much like this issue to be sorted sooner rather than later." I told her that I wanted that just as much as she did. "Oh, you have no idea. Still, I appreciate the enthusiasm."

Before either of us could say anything else, the door on the other side swung open, and that woman I had seen stepped out. She was wearing clothing similar to those I had seen Hearn in on my first kidnapping, with a white shirt not dissimilar to Yamame's black shirt, a dark blazer and long, slim trousers not entirely unlike my own. Her shoes were sleek, with metal toecaps and a curious pattern across the top. I looked up at her for a moment, then the dots in my head finally connected. It was her. That nine-tailed fox who had approached me at the Hakurei Shrine and asked to see Reimu while she was ill. Her tails and ears were invisible, and I wondered if that was because foxes, which she must have been, were uncommon out here. She was holding three plates, one in each hand and the third balanced in the crook of her arm, and she was moving as if it all meant nothing at all. I'd have been too nervous to walk so smoothly if I'd been carrying that much food. She placed two plates in front of Yamame and I, and the third plate in front of Hearn, who's smug smile grew wider. Again, the meat on Hearn's plate had just slightly different textures to the meat on mine and Yamame's plates, and I tried not to think about it. The fox stepped back, her eyes sharp, but giving away no expression, nodded once, then spun on her heel and exited the room. "So reliable, isn't she?" Hearn remarked as the door swung shut behind her. "Even if she finds the heat disagreeable, she is still willing to serve at my request."

>>44570062
>spider cuddles
Spider will only end up causing him further trauma.
She's a youkai, and not even one even remotely compatible with humans. She's not a human-turned-youkai or even one whose nature isn't entirely incompatible with humanity; she's a t̶s̶u̶k̶u̶m̶o̶g̶a̶m̶i̵ ̵ tsuchigumo, a truly monstrous entity whose character is entirely hostile towards humanity. I firmly believe that even Yuuka is more capable of a healthy relationship than Yameme.
This is not something that can be fixed, it's a fundamental part of her. One day, Anon will come home, only to find his spider wife surrounded by the dried-up husks of their children, upon which the only thing she can respond which is to say: "I am sorry, it's in my nature".

Hungry hungry blondes