/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45422681 (40/?)

Hesitantly, Alice follows Anon out the back of the shrine. As soon as she crosses the threshold, she pauses, transfixed. The scene outside is almost otherworld, as the full moon illuminates the shrine’s pond and the flowers that give way to full bushes on the edges of the clearing. There’s a peaceful stillness to the place, a sense of detachment from all the worries out outside.

That stillness is of course broken by the flood of dolls entering the clearing to explore and play. Anon doesn’t seem to mind however as he leads Alice to sit on the edge of the pond. Looking over at her with a grin Anon asks, “Pretty nice, ey? The dolls like it at least.”

Alice once more looks over the little clearing with an appreciative smile, “It’s… wonderful. The kind of place where you could lose yourself in a book for hours. I just uh-”

Stealing a glance at Anon’s jacket she continues, “I should have brought something warmer.”

Anon blinks, asking, “Oh, you’re cold?” Before Alice could respond, he reached out and wrapped his arm (and therefore jacket) around Alice, bringing her in close.

Alice squeaks, her face burning bright as she feels Anon’s warmth. To make matters worse, her dolls all seem keenly interested in all this. She feels a fight or flight response forming, but… but she wants to stay in Anon’s arms. Forcing herself not to squirm, she stares directly at the pond, hoping to stay like this for as long as she can.

Seeing her plight, Anon asks, “Ah, I should have asked… are you fine with-?”

In a shriller voice than she intended, Alice replies, “YES!”

There’s a silence after that, starting awkwardly until it becomes more pleasant as Alice regains her composure. The dolls serve as an interesting distraction as they attempt to traverse the pond through various means. The most successful are the ones who just fly, but Alice can’t help but feel for the ones trying time and time again to stand on the lilypads. As for the ones trying to make boats, well… an A for effort and an F for execution.

Suddenly Anon breaks the silence with, “With the exception of Hana, this is what I miss the most. I suppose it’s not the sense of freedom because I still don’t have that, but the sense of not being trapped. It’s nice to just be able to not think about it for a while.”

Any response Alice could think of falls flat in her mind, eventually, he poses a non-sequitur, “Why do you do what you do? Why are you in Gensokyo.”

W-Why is she in Gensokyo? I-Is that a problem does he-no, there was no hostility in his tone, just curiosity. “I felt suffocated by my family. I love them all (even YuugenMagan) of course, but…”

Anon humms thinking about simpler times, “It felt stifling and you wanted to strike out for yourself?”

Alice nods, “Yeah, I felt… I felt like I’d always be in the shadow of my sisters and mother if I stayed in Makai.”

Anon interjects, “Makai? You came from a place called Makai? Were there…?”

Alice replies, “Demons? I suppose it depends on your definition. That’s one of those poorly defined magical catchall terms. I was created through magic by a renegade Goddess in an underworld she named Makai, so I suppose you could call me one.”

Anon rubs his chin, “Alice the demon… it doesn’t work. No offense, but you’re too gentle. I couldn’t imagine you terrorizing the realms of man to aid in your mother’s great rebellion.”

W-What’s that supposed to mean? She can be firm! She scolded Shanghai the time she knocked over a vase and-and how many times has she told Marisa that ‘this was it, I’m not helping you if you come begging again-’. Maybe he has a point. Rapidly shifting the subject, Alice says, “You have my apologies if you ever have to meet my mother, by the way. She can be… a bit much.”

Anon shrugs, “I feel like you warning me that the devil is a bit much is unnecessary. I’d say that’s a given for someone who created ‘Makai’. I mean what does she rule from Pandemonium or something?”

H-Huh? “How did you know?”

Anon blinks, “Is… is your mother literally Lucifer?”

Alice shakes her head, “I… don’t worry about it. My mother is a lot of things, just be ready if she ever comes to visit.”

Anon replies, “Noted, be ready for your mother to challenge me to a fiddling competition.”

Fiddling… what? Feeling heat rise in her cheeks once more she croaks out, “Please don’t… ‘fiddle’ my mom. What does that even...?”

Anon facepalms, “That’s not… don’t worry about it.”

Alice is more than happy to purge any thoughts about that… as she once more rests her head against Anon’s shoulder, still blissfully unaware of that fact.