/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45575866
“What the fuck do you mean ‘Did it?’! I’m here, aren’t I?! I’m not dead! This isn’t the Sanzu River and if this is Hell I’m definitely not learning any lessons!” Rage boiled inside Anon, heated by his fear. Reimu murdering him and taking her life after… It never happened. It could never happen. Not after Hana was born!

“Was Hana born?” The girl’s smile faded away as she asked an impossible question.

“Of course she was! Hana’s real, she exists — I remember her! I can’t doubt that for a second!” This dreary rock was one thing-if he could call it a ‘thing’- but he definitely remembered Hana. His daughter that never left his side.

“Look again.” With that simple command, Anon couldn’t help but focus on another petal as it turned to thread and tangled with the human.
----
Anon was sitting outside of a small cafe. A real hole-in-the-wall. A dainty umbrella was fixed in the middle of a table set for two. He turned away from the seat across from him to see where his guest was arriving from. As he turned back, she made her appearance. Her red ribbon, purple dress, flowing blonde hair and bonnet made her the picture of elegance. The only shadow of a doubt that could be cast on her mien was the manner in which she was closing her own parasol, unaware that her location would clash with her normal accessories.

“You’ve arrived right on time, as usual. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you today, Lady Yakumo?”

“Right to the point, are we? You must learn to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life. I hear the coffee is divine.” As if scheduled, a blonde waitress wearing a large, poofy cap brought out two cups for the pair. Anon thought she seemed familiar, but dismissed the thought. He was here for Yukari.

“You made a reservation again? Someday I’ll have to find out how many people you’re connected to. You truly do treat me better than I deserve.” Anon brought the rim of the cup to his lips, taking a sip of the hot drink. It went down smooth, left no acidic aftertaste and had a strong taste without being too bitter. “You heard right. This is the best I’ve ever had.” Anon extended an arm across the table, which Yukari reciprocated.

“You silver-tongued devil, I think a little mystery is just fine. It maintains the aura of wonder that makes life interesting.” She began to caress his arm, a glint in her eye belying her composed exterior. “Speaking of making life… How do you feel about children?”
----
Once again, Anon was left dumbfounded as a remarkably similar lifetime entered and exited his being. As he looked at the bouquet, he could see their petals more clearly without having to live them. In one, his darling Hana came home before Yukari could kidnap him, tearfully returning to the Hakurei Shrine as she begged her mother to protect him from the dreadful Sage. In another, the schoolteacher Keine had refused to listen to reason. Instead of leaving amicably, she bound Anon and took advantage of him, feeding him something strange and taking him over and over. Yet another thread showed his friend Marisa leaning quietly on with him in the Magic Forest, two children playing in front of them. They shared the same wedding band.

“Why are you showing me these… these lies! What do they have to do with anything if they aren’t even real?”
The girl turned her back to Anon, facing the great gray obelisk. “The tree is full of branches. Nothing but splitting paths that twist, turn, and sometimes collide with other branches. So to do those petals, showing what can and could be. Though they grow and shrink, each petal appearing and disappearing on a whim, they still exist, real or not. And in this Solstice space, you can see what could have been, what can be, what wasn’t, what wouldn’t.”

“Why? Why show any of this to me? I can’t fathom any of this! You said the ‘Solstice’, but that hasn’t even happened yet! I know Gensokyo can be weird, but this isn’t-it doesn’t- none of this makes sense!”

The girl appeared by Anon’s side, taking his hand in her own. She led him back to the edge of the rock they stood on. A little ways off, a shimmering, solid circle appeared below the slab.

“There is a unique opportunity for you that cannot wait for the real Solstice to occur. That portal will lead you away from Gensokyo. Away from your prison. It is a hole between borders and reality that connects perfectly between nowhere and your-where. You have a choice. Leave Gensokyo now or wait for the Winter Solstice.”