/jp/ - Otaku Culture

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It was a cold night, but knitted clothes kept me, Chen—hi!—and Mr. Anon warm and cozy. Clouds obstructed the moonlight, and although I could see well in the dark, Mr. Anon couldn't, so we got a fancy flashlight—a mini Ms. Okuu inside a tube! Wow!—and left the shrine, waving to Ran, who stayed behind to cook dinner.

"So," Mr. Anon started, holding my hand and guiding us to the forest, the flashlight illuminating the way, our heavy boots crushing fallen sticks and dead foliage. "What friend are we playing with tonight?"

My smile grows, looking forward in the darkness, tails bobbing as I think. There are many friends we have been accompanying recently, and I really just want to see everyone… But that'd be too straining for Mr. Anon, wouldn't it? So, as we jump over a small pebble hole in the ground, I decide, "Flan!"

"Ho? Flan? Hm…" There was something weird in Mr. Anon's face, like anxiety—but it vanished as fast as it came, his adventurous smile returning. "Okay—let's go see Flan!" And so he was running, my cat ears perking and blood rushing, following him and laughing. Mr. Anon is a bit slow to dodge the obstacles under the cover of the night, but that's from a youkai's point of view—and if he were to fall, I'd be there in a second to catch him!

I think he knows that.

We soon reach Flan's tree, Mr. Anon pulling me out from the ground and placing me on his shoulders—yeah, I can fly… but being carried around is so fun!—followed by the flashlight in his mouth and then climbing the tree with trained quickness, my arms loosely holding him.

Not like I'm gonna fall.

As we reach the thicker layer of branches, Mr. Anon stops and flashes mini Ms. Okuu around and—wow! "Flan's web is shining like gold!" I point, eyes wide with wonder.

I can hear his smile as he says, "Beautiful, isn't it?" He keeps the light on the glistening web, climbing the rest of the way up to a stable tree branch with much more careful movements—it's a 30ft fall. "Flan's a…" He stops, looking at me expectantly.

"Trichonephila clavata~" I purr, raising my chin with pride as he smiles and nods, finally stabilizing and letting me down. "The book Ms. Suzu got me makes it so much easier to remember names!"

"Oh, remember to thank her a lot when she visits again, 'kay? So…" Carefully, we approach the spider web, the gold shining brighter than my earring. So pretty~oh, and there's Flan! She threads around her web, eight legs as big as my hand, her red and gold coloration resembling the origin of her name—though this Flan is much calmer and likes to be watched, but no touching! "Notice something weird about Flan?"

Huh? I gaze a bit closer, Flan looking at me with all her freaky eyes, her not getting aggressive filling me with warmth—though… Wait a second; she's looking around more than usual. "She… looks like she's searching for something. What is she searching for, Mr. Anon?" His smile falters a bit, flashing the light around as if he were also looking for something.

"Flan is searching for a mate."

"A mate?"

"It's fall, so she needs to find a mate and have babies before winter comes." My eyes light up like fireworks. Babies?! I love babies! They're always so cuddly~ "Though it looks like she's out of luck for tonight, no males in sight… She still has a lot of time, so it shouldn't matter too much."

"Is she in a hurry?" I ask, watching as Mr. Anon moves a bit to a more comfortable position while also spreading his weight.

"Flan there must have her babies before winter, so she can pass on her genes," he sighs, apparently not knowing how to form whatever he's going to say next— "… Or she'll die without fulfilling her purpose."

I frown, tails stopping. Huh? "Flan will die…" I look at the golden web and Flan, the spider still searching for a mate. She's so young—not even a year old— "… Why?"

"That's the cycle of life of beings with such a short lifespan," he smiles awkwardly, free hand landing on my head and brushing my ears. "She has her children and does everything to protect them until her last breath. Then, during spring, the eggs hatch, and it all starts again—it may look sad, I know—" apparently he read my mind, my lungs deflating. "—but I'll say it's a joy. Having Hana, for example, gave me such purpose at a point in my life I was feeling so lost… I couldn't be happier that time."

"… It's always like this?" He looked at me, puzzled. “You’ll die…?”

He gasps quietly, but then pats my head, smiling. I feel like crying. "Don't worry about that, Chen… Death is what gives short lives like mine meaning. To know my days are numbered… That's why I love exploring, playing, and teaching you—doing all that makes me assured I'm not wasting my time in this world!"

I've heard those words before…

I look at Flan—oh, there's a smaller spider by her! Mr. Anon loudly laughs at my surprise. "Oh, I was wrong: looks like she found herself a mate—let's give them some privacy."

And, as Mr. Anon descends the tree, I cling to him like never before.