/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45572537 (2/3)
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The snow was dense, yet we agreed on doing the deed on that same spot, though with a lack of fireflies now. Anon went to put Dolly to sleep as I approached the frozen pond, undressing the burdening tabard and dress slowly, face of past tears and abhorrent conclusions, tails bushy as my hand, unconsciously, reached for my exposed back. Scars of whipping remain, even though I can erase them with a simple Gap… Nails gently trailed them and deep inside, a familiar fire, displayed minutes ago to Anon, burned again.

I despise this place. Its existence; its control; its consequences. It destroyed the innocence of my Chen, putting her on a threading rope she doesn't know she's upon; it revealed the worst of Gensokyo and brought it forth with anticipation, letting the abominable orchid of sin bloom…

It destroyed an innocent man.

… And I was there to witness everything.

To fight against oppressing monsters and get results, you can’t rely on whimsical words or dreams—the deeper the abyss, the deeper you need to dig to cut the evil by its root…

Understanding came at a snail’s pace, neglected and deflected, but I cannot turn my face away anymore: I'm a slave and bent time and time again as to keep my knife of betrayal hidden. I watched; I guided; I remained quiet when hearing tortured screams, and I'm here now, choosing to follow the chains of what once I thought family instead of rebelling… That worm of long ago returned, and it was nauseating—

—soft hands landed on my shoulders from behind, tails halting before softening, naturally entangling with the man’s body. He was nude too. "My sins still haven't caught up to me…" That fated meeting of me and a lost Reimu came back to mind, so did the words I had said to Anon later that day. "… When will they, Anon?"

"There's no answer for that…" He repeats, strong body against mine, arms enveloping my neck to watch together the cold glory of the night—as expected, warmth spreads, swiftly dispelling the frigidness. I take a breath of relief, guilt of a thousand years coming to the forefront. Oh, how I wish to have whisked that little Reimu into my arms, nurtured her as my daughter and given her a future full of fondness and care. A true life for a child. So many problems, sins, and regrets could've met their demises with such a simple choice, one I doubt Yukari would argue against, finding it enjoyable to watch me juggle services and child care.

Being a slave guaranteed me and the world nothing more than suffering…

… Her order mingles inside my chest, instigating me to destroy this illusion of placidity and quench the thirst between my legs. One movement, and I'd have in between my hands the talisman, and in the next, her house of cards would come crashing down…

Yet, to do it now is to give Yukari time to think, plan, get away, and hunt with vengeance my Chen.

Without her surrounded by Gensokyo's most powerful, this backstab shall amount to nothing.

One of Anon's hands caught my chin, turning my face to his. His eyes were benevolent, probably having felt the strain of thought corroding the surface of my body—a clash of mind, desire, and outer control—though, in such eyes, the night silenced, and his words meant my world. "But an answer I can give you, Ran, is that to ponder sins and follow a path of regret, of striving to change and do good…" What shone in his eyes was two sides of the same coin: a past tainted with horror, of a woman he loved turned monster, a woman everyone thought lost… Then, hope, because though love has faded away, that woman is still standing and trying her hardest to do better. "It's the best anyone can do." His smile grows, eyes serene. "… I'm proud of you."

I-I… stared, wide-eyed.

… Because he had done it again. Heart pounding, I turned to face him directly, gently picking up one of his hands on mine as if sacred, planting a soft kiss on his palm: That slithering worm just withered and died, not having the chance to settle or create roots…

Utterly slain by compassion infinite and wisdom never found in any book.

Truly, his words of that day come rushing back to me, and a smile of warmth pierces my battered face: In moments like these… It's good to have a friend~

"… Thank you, Anon~"

He giggles, touching our foreheads, nudity ignored. "Helping a friend comes at no cost—despite what Takane-san may say, ignore her words on THAT financial advice~" We snicker together, the moment perfect no matter how odd; everyone needs a friend. "… The day is coming." I calmly nod, eyes narrowing, expecting, heart frantic—his' closes, a moment of silence… Then they open: pure iron. "I'm leaving this place forever."

It's not a desire, a prayer. It's a truth.

My smile grows, looking deep into his exquisite eyes, a new burning in there sending shivers down my spine, warmth rising tenfold; and—

—moments later, my back grates against the rock, our bodies searing and moving in natural harmony, bathed by moonlit.

Yukari's order forgotten.