/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>44810775
>>44810750
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I look at the Moon with frowning eyes, back against the brick wall. It's a quiet night and, the only sources of light are the fireflies flying above the Misty Lake just ahead and the lights in the mansion behind me, the moonlight weak. I keep looking at the moon: there's this weird Ki in the air, a flow of energy I'd only felt during wars...

I cross my arms, suddenly feeling chilly for no reason.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The voice by my side should've put me immediately in fight mode. I was alone, and the voice wasn't Sakuya's. Someone approached me without me noticing. Yet... I didn't feel like raising fists or Danmaku. I looked at the person with calm eyes, arms still crossed. Blonde and as tall as me, wearing black and gold, patterns that unlocked deep memories in my mind, hands hidden in her sleeves put together; a noble posture. I almost instinctively bowed my head. "Dear, sorry if I scared you, I was just feeling a bit bored and wanted someone to talk to. I am Junko."

"It's okay... My name is Hong Meiling."

It really is not okay. This Junko's ki is unlike anything I've ever felt before. The closest thing I can think of is the oceans I used to train on when I was younger. Its waves placid and would flow with rhyme, with patience, and it was a great surface to train ki control... Yet, the more ki I poured into my body and concentration, the more the oceans' true energy became clear to me: pure and unadulterated wrathful chaos.

If it so desired it could consume the land and the people for eternity, destroy empires like it's nothing.

It's like staring down a force of nature.

"Hong Meiling?" She tasted my name. "It's a beautiful name. Can you tell me about yourself, Hong Meiling?"

"Eh...? Well, there's not much interesting about me, I'm not that strong with Danmaku and... Am just the gatekeeper--"

"I disagree. To me, the most mundane and often overlooked flowers will one day decorate Heaven itself." It was all said with a plain smile, her perfect posture never changing, and I couldn't help but slightly blush with such words. Mouth a line and eyes wide, I looked back at the moon, now tense and scrambling things about me that'd sound remotely intriguing. Junko's smile never died out.

"I, uh... When I was young and still in training, I used to write a lot of poetry?" I don't know why I thought that was the best thing to bring up, but I have the feeling she enjoys poetry. "I traveled around and wrote about the things I'd see and do, the people I met, and so on."

"That's lovely, dear. I love poetry," I felt proud, for some reason. "I have never traveled much, so deep in responsibilities. This beautiful world is a surprising existence by itself, and I know each step to each direction, to me, will always be met with a new thing to learn and understand," she smiled with something otherworldly, closing her eyes for a moment before turning back to me. "Tell me about your steps, would you?"

"Sure!" It came out faster than I anticipated, and Junko giggled. I felt red like a tomato. "Let's see... Um..." I started thinking, the appeasement of my mind focusing on Junko's weird ki by accident. A memory popped into my mind, "There was this woman a long, long time ago back in my homeland, and her tale is of tragedy. She had black hair and was so very beautiful her brightness cast a light around her, and the contrast got her the name of 'Dark Lady', and death reigned where she walked. Her first marriage was with a minister of Music, and their child was Bofeng, a man with sins uncountable to the point his heart turned to that of a pig. He was killed for that. Her second child was named Boshi, a man with sins uncountable to the point his heart turned to that of a wolf---"

"Which was refused to be seen, and then killed so that the ruin of the dynasty at the hands of creatures wouldn't be brought forth," Junko's voice had lost its peaceful tone, and her eyes, like the ocean, showed rage only tsunamis could pack. "The Dark Lady then sought vengeance for her sons, and she killed anyone in her path, her choices forcing her forever to bear hatred and rage that'd never fade. She had become incarnated death, and there's nothing more she wishes to than to die."

I... I really didn't know what to say.

"That's not... how the story goes." Yet, that was probably the worst thing to say.

Junko stared at me for a moment, her red eyes speaking of unspeakable deeds, but it soon died down and gave way to a soft red, like those of roses, not flowing flames.

"Oh, I think I've read a bootleg version, then. Silly me." She giggled a little, but I was still feeling uneasy. "Well, thank you for entertaining this old lady."

"H-Huh?... Oh, sure!"

"This was a nice conversation, Hong Meiling. I wonder if we'll ever see each other again."

I was going to answer, but she wasn't there anymore. My eyes went back to the moon and arms uncrossed, the chill gone.

... Junko was her name. Better not forget it.