/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45668313
"All aside from the rest of the SDM residents and the Amanojaku duo are present it seems. Although Yukari plays these allegiances close to the chest, so it's anyone's guess but hers who'll be here in the end." I explained.

At the mention of Seija and Goro her tongue clicked. "So the broker and his pet oni will be here as well? I suppose I should count myself lucky they're still in the field. It's enough that I have to deal with the one crazed oni and a stir-crazy monkey."

Ironically, Konngara, the menacingly-looking oni, was the least troublesome of all our guests. Her demands were simple and to-the-point, mainly sword polish and whet stones. I appreciated that kind of single-mindedness.

"Shall I let you know when they arrive then?" I asked.

She waved. "Yes, but don't bring them to my room. I'll meet them at my leisure. No need to bother people who're actually working." Yachie commanded, shooting a glance through the walls at her monkey comrade, who was no doubt doing something to annoy her.

We said our good-byes and I made for the storehouse to see how the kappa had done, but as I did, I noticed a small, crude-looking gecko scampering up the walls. The HSE's environment was carefully controlled, even flies had trouble entering this place, so why...

Upon spotting me the thing moved in a crazed fashion and leaped for my face, smacking straight into it, throwing me a little off-balance. The gecko then unfolded itself into what looked like a letter.

'Dearest Takane, I just wanted to let you know Seija and I will be on our way to the HSE soon for final preparations. Please, if at all possible, see that you provision some writing materials for myself and some literature for Seija, preferably fictional tales. Best Dealings, Goro'

With two fingers I waved the paper and squinted at it. A remnant of a grudge of some sort seemed to be present in it, but had dissipated, presumably when the paper gecko had slapped me in the face. Cursed, autonomously delivered letters? Not bad Goro, although a little on the volatile end.

Then the letters began to change, shifting and mutating into a new form.

'Takane, I figured out the trick you pulled with the encoded pamphlets, but with my own spin. Keine has told me she'll support your efforts, she has a vested interest in the children, don't let Yukari know. I've also floated an offer to Yuuka, who's kinder then she lets on, so good luck there.'

Yuuka?! The girl rumored to sometimes go out wearing all white because she'll stain it red with her opponent's blood? Taking care of children? I mean, she was a gardener and gentle with flowers, but kids aren't plants, well I guess some will be half that but still...

'For Kogasa, I'll leave her to you. See the list of intersections and alleys you can find her at in the village below. She's more savvy then you've been lead to believe, so don't con her.'

Damn. I had hoped Goro could take care of that girl instead. I'm not good at the softer types, they seem easy, but have to be woo'd over time without a strong pull, and he has a prior with her.

'P.S. Forgive me for this private matter: but please also provision some more Youkai sealing ropes. Seija has been getting cocky lately and I have to teach her a lesson. Will also be useful for defense purposes.'

Ah, you know, this man would be the type to hold a ledger with a straight face until he had a chance to pay it all back. I had ordered some sealing tools to make traps, barricades, and the like, so I could just siphon off those or grab some supplies I'd given to Anon for more... eccentric customers. Maybe I should offer Goro some of Anon's techniques in exchange for some services.

I tossed the letter into a nearby potted plant and let the forest qi consume the parchment, leaving no trace of the message.

It'd be snowing soon, so it was about time for me to snag myself an umbrella.

---
Ah, feels so good to write Takane again.

>>45020008
(4/5)
“It still feels intimate, that much hasn’t changed. Physically it’s all over the place, sometimes It’s like the feeling you get when you lose your balance and it’s exciting and the rest of the time, I feel like I’m just moving my body like some heavy exercise.” He exhales.
“Before I, well, maybe you don’t want to hear about that.” He speaks.
“I do.” I say, placing my hand on his thigh.
Instantly I felt the urge to retract my hand, apologizes, and change the subject. It wasn’t because I wanted to be more intimate, some part of me just wanted to know more then the part that wanted to save face.
“Well, I suppose it’ll be easier to explain if I go back to before my marriage. Back then I was just a kid with wonder lust who wanted to see everything in the world. And I was also horny as hell and it was difficult remaining celibate since Gensokyou has so many beautiful women, but I saved it for the bridal bed since I thought it would be difficult for whoever I was with if I had uh, past relations.” He nodded awkwardly.
“Hmm, that problem never really occurred to me, although I suppose it’s reassuring if your partner has only been with you that way.” I remark.
“That’s basically it. And I was pretty smug after I met Reimu and when we got more serious she asked ‘you’ve never slept with a Youkai have you?’” he chuckled.
“After we were wed, it was something special when she gave herself to me. Everyone else saw her as the terrifying, effortless Youkai slayer, but she clung to me and felt so soft and fragile I was worried I’d break her. Ah, you’ll excuse me if I omit the more sensitive stuff, unless uh, it will help?” He explained.
“The broad strokes are fine.” I told him.
“We were like that for a long time, made a lot of our friends sick of us actually. We tried to hold ourselves back for decencies sake as much as possible, but there’d be times when at drinking parties she’d start tugging at my arm or, more embarrassing, I’d try massaging her a little more sensually when she had a hard day and I still wanted it.” He Exhaled.
“And sometimes I think she liked it like that” I can hear him whisper under his breath.
“When she started, well, the abuse, all that pretty much stopped cold. I wanted it, sure, but I didn’t want to force anything on her… ah, oh hell.” He says, a little exasperated. “I wasn’t trying to be courteous; I was just afraid to ask her. Even before she hit me, she became so cold, and I couldn’t have taken it if she had that same glare when we’d be together. Ah, Gods.” He said, wiping his eyes with his hands.
A part of me wants him to stop, I’m not ready for these answers. The part that needs to know is larger.
“One time I tried, put my hand on her waist while we were going to the bedroom, she just looked at me and said: ‘not like that’ and she pulled my hand off. I didn’t know what I did wrong and when I asked her, she didn’t say anything. Was I bothering her? Did she come to hate the way I looked? Maybe I’d failed in some other responsibility?” He scratched the rubbed the back of his head. His breathing was becoming heavier.
“I never figured it out, and no matter what I did or said things didn’t improve. I asked some people, in the utmost confidence, where I was going wrong. They told me I was doing everything right and that girl just has some problem in her head. That just made it worse! Like, I’m not culpable for any of it? I made a ‘good enough’ effort so I get to feel absolved? I was her husband, I should’ve known, shouldn’t have been so helpless, just a ghost in my own home.” He shook his head.
“After the hitting and drinking started to become more then ‘outbursts’ and ‘accidents’ she started to become more possessive. Not like before where she just wanted my exclusive company, no, she wanted control and that’s when she forced me into it.”
I grab his trembling hand.
“I know it’s weird for the guy to say this but, at some point I was just sick of it. Seeing her drunk and crazed made it feel so wrong, it made it hurt worse than the beatings. And then Hana, oh God, my little girl.” He spoke.
“I tried so hard to spare her of that. She knew about the yelling and the hitting, which I could do nothing about, but I reasoned, if I just said yes to Reimu and kept it quiet then she wouldn’t have to know the worst of it. And the worst part? I think she knew anyway, oh God, my little girl!” He bawled.
I grab his arm and pull close. I shouldn’t ask, it wasn’t my right to know, this was a family matter, all this is pushed away by a singular fact: he shouldered all this alone.
“Was Hana a product of rape?”