/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45421309
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fph7VdlSuUc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNG8Ac3Zz8g
they're really pretty spiders

Lady Kasen looked over at Raki, who didn't even seem to need any words to understand her meaning. Together, acting as if they were mirrored, they both grabbed one of Suika's horns, lifted her straight off the ground, then burst forward. They dropped into the water as if wasn't even there, ran for the balcony, and both hurled Suika forward at the same moment, sending the screaming oni into the distance like a shot, so fast that Yuugi, who'd been watching the whole thing with a bemused look barely managed to get out of the way, and the backlash from the throw was enough to send Yamame and I tumbling over in the water. I grabbed hold of her, just in case a flailing limb hit her. After a moment, I managed to get my head up just enough to see Suika, still hurtling through the air, smash into the keystone in the centre of the largest hot spring. For a moment, all I could do was stare.

Then, I heard the echoing crack, and I saw the huge fracture begin to run up the keystone. It didn't break in half, but it was clearly close to going. Even from our vantage point, I could hear the shouting and excited cheers from down in the springs, and it was carrying up to where we were very easily. "Huh." Yamame muttered, sounding a little amazed. "I guess that's one way to deal with it." She got to her feet, her earlier embarrassment forgotten, and joined Raki and Lady Kasen at the balcony, staring down at the keystone. After a moment, I got up to join them. "I wonder if Satori's pets will feel a little left out now?" I looked down at her and snorted.

"Partner, I feel an immense desire to beat a small oni up." Lady Kasen announced, her hands on her hips. "Probably slam her face-first into the ground a few times. How about you?"

"Why, I do believe that I am experiencing the same desire, partner." Raki replied, a wide grin spreading on her face. "Just like old times, huh? Remember when we uprooted that tree on Mt. Ooe and used Suika for batting practice?" She turned to us. "Miss Kurodani, we'll be off for now."

"We're calling her Yamame now, partner." Lady Kasen interjected. "After our talk, I've come to realise that she's a rather lovely girl." I looked over at Yamame, who appeared to be blushing a little, and it made me want to hug her half to death. "Anyway, Yamame, take care of him." She nodded at me, and I opened my mouth in confusion. "He'll be gobbled up by Raki here if you don't." That got me to blush a little too, and Lady Kasen slapped her bandaged arm down on my shoulder. "And you," She looked me deep in the eye, "Take care of her, too. At the end of the day, most of us are looking for someone we can share our happiness with." She slung her arm around Raki's shoulder, and the two of them headed off toward the changing rooms. "It just so happens," She called back to Yamame and I, "We're both going to feel really happy beating Suika into a fine pulp!"

Yuugi, who was still floating out a short distance from the balcony, looked over at us. As she did so, I happened to grab Yamame's hand and pull her closer to me, and I saw Yuugi falter, then spin around violently and launch herself away into the distance again. Some things never changed. Shaking my head and sighing, I stumbled back through the water and sat back down, Yamame following me. I could hear Lady Kasen and Raki in the changing rooms, arguing about who's clothes were who's. I hadn't actually considered that before, but they both had very similar outfits, so I supposed that it made more sense than I thought.

I stretched my legs out, and next to me, Yamame did the same. We both simply sat there, staring blankly off into the distance. "I thought hot springs were supposed to make you feel relaxed." She finally said to me, sounding about as drained as I'd ever heard her. "I just feel tired." After a few moments, I told her that I felt exactly the same. It had been a rather intense several days. Eientei, Lady Kasen's senkai, and now here. After a moment of silence, Yamame shuffled over to me and set about wrapping herself around my side. This had the effect of trapping my arm between her legs and pressing her chest against me, and I started to wonder if there were supposed to be some more etiquette rules about performing...certain activities in the springs. Either way, it was hardly anything I hadn't seen before, at least when it came to Yamame.

"Did you set all of that up?" I had no idea what she was talking about. "Your dear spider. Being all...nice. We had a good talk." I shook my head. I'd asked Yamame to try, but I hadn't told her to do anything specific. "Huh. Okay, well, maybe she's not quite as bad as I thought." Progress. That was nice to see. "Still not sure I like you sticking around in the dark down here, though. You need some sunlight." I told her that I'd be back on the surface soon, since I still needed to see Lady Kasen, not to mention whatever was going on in Eientei. "Yeah, we...don't really know. Kind of running out of options that aren't just a head=on assault, too." She scratched at her head. "Kasen, though. I wanted to talk to you about her." I asked if she was still getting weird ideas about Reimu and I. "Er, probably. I don't think anyone but me knows about your eight-legged infatuation." I'd probably need to do something about that. "No, but that wasn't what I meant. I think she's...going to do something stupid." I thought about Lady Kasen's recent behaviour. The pensive looks, the way she'd been uncharacteristically quiet, and especially that she'd been carrying around that box all across the dojo. "She's been asking me for...some certain materials. Asking me to be ready for something. I don't like it, and I have a feeling I know what she's planning."

I suspected that Reimu knew that Lady Kasen was an oni, and she probably knew that I knew, but she didn't say anything to confirm it and I didn't respond with anything. "She likes you, you know. She gets someone to do all the training stuff with and she doesn't have to lecture you about the Shrine Maiden business. I think you should talk to her. I'll be there too, but she's too used to disagreeing with me. She might actually take heed if it's from you." I didn't say anything, but I had a sneaking suspicion that the stupid thing she was about to do had to do with the oni arm, and that...may have been my fault. I'd put her mind onto it and I'd suggested that the arm might have been lonely, or wanted to know how the body was doing. Either way, I nodded and told Reimu that I'd try to be there soon. "Well, I'd better be off before those idiot fairies behind the Shrine try and make another pass at my sake." She surprised me by going for a hug on her own initiative, and I slowly returned it. "Take care of yourself. You are eating, right?" I nodded, then grumbled in annoyance when Reimu frowned and messed with my hair. "Okay, come back to the Shrine soon." I repeated that I would, and she finally relented, taking slightly to the air and shooting off down the tunnels. Somehow, she wouldn't hit anything, despite the lack of visibility.

I turned and headed back to Yamame's home, where she and Nai were discussing the wood that we had just cut. "Ah, there you are. I thought we'd lost you for a minute." Yamame told me, spreading her arms wide. "Nai here was just telling me that you did a rather good job cutting the wood. Perhaps I'll have to reward you." That sounded promising. Or possibly ominous. "Nai, would you mind going and cleaning yourself up? You're tracking sawdust all over my floorboards." She was, and I already felt the urge to clean up.

"Oh, er, sorry, Big Sister. I'll go and...yeah." Nai nodded awkwardly, then she too disappeared from sight. I stepped inside the house and, without really thinking, found a brush to sweep the sawdust out into the yard.

"Well, I think this all went rather excellently." Yamame told me smugly. "Neither Hakurei or I got into a fight, you got some work done, Nai seems...happier, and I get to bill Yuugi Hoshiguma for some more work. All's well that ends well." I shrugged and told her that I was happy nothing had gone wrong, but I still wanted Reimu and her to get along, not simply refrain from fighting. "It takes time." Yamame told me sternly. "Forcing it will just make it harder." I understood that, but still.

"Now, not to sound pushy, but your clothes are a little dirty, so let's start by getting you out of them. Then you can reward me for not fighting your elder sister." Yamame smiled widely as she slipped her hands under my turtleneck. "And I'll reward you for cutting that wood so well."

And several hours later, I decided that not passing out was a reward by itself.

Nai ran off almost immediately, so fast that it was more like a blur. I stared after her, amazed at how much respect she seemed to hold for Yamame. "Ah, she'll get over it. I believe hers was one of the last webs you crashed through when you dropped down on us." I remarked that she had now dropped down on me twice, so really I was the one who should have been upset. "Hm, only twice? I'll have to fix that, won't I?" She stepped closer, and I tilted my head up to expose my neck. I already knew what was about to happen. I felt her breath on my neck for a moment, followed by the light pressure of her teeth against my skin. Her arms encircled my waist, and I swallowed as, for a split second, I thought I could feel her tongue. "My, your pulse is rather strong here." Yamame said, laying her ear against my jugular. "Were you frightened?" She asked, teasingly. She lingered for a moment, then finally stepped back. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
I resisted the urge to rub my neck. I had wanted some thicker clothes, but more importantly, I had just wanted to see her. I decided to ask if she was much of a seamstress, first. For all I knew, she couldn't do it regardless. "Clothes? What kind of web-weaver would I be if I couldn't?" I tilted my head. "...My sisters, I suppose. They're awfully good at construction, but leave a lot to be desired with the more delicate arts." I slowly asked her what she could make. "Oh, more dresses than you could shake a gohei at. I...imagine that's not what you want, is it? Unless it is...?" I shook my head and dryly told her that I was not in need of dresses for myself. "Thought not." She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Well, there's not much use in standing out here, is there?" She turned and raised her arm down the tunnel. "Shall we?" I agreed, and before I could blink, she was beside me and interlocking our arms. Happily, she led me down the tunnels, and I noticed with some annoyance that I'd been going entirely in the wrong direction. "So, what is it you're looking for?"
I was living on the mountain, I said. It was colder up there, not to mention the coming Autumn, so I was wondering if she could make something a little more suitable to the weather. "You humans, you're all so fragile to the weather, aren't you? Of course, I can make you something that'll blow you away. You'll never find anything this good in your village." I then quietly told her that I had no way of paying. "Ah...Hm. I think I can find a suitable payment for you, Mr. Homewrecker." That sounded ominous, yet I didn't feel like running at all.
I started to recognize where I was. This was the more cavernous spot of the tunnel. There, I saw a stack of wooden planks. There was the storage for the firewood. And here, I saw Yamame's home. It was a strangely normal looking building. I'd seen it the first time I'd been here, but I'd mostly been thinking about why I wasn't being bitten to death to focus on it. It didn't even look too far off from the buidlings in the village, though I spotted no sliding doors. Instead, the doors swung open on hinges. "Reinforced with webbing, you see." Yamame said to me. "Far sturdier than anything a human could build." The house was at least two floors, and I could see windows, which I thought to be somewhat strange for an underground home. I mentioned it to Yamame, who clicked her tongue with some annoyance. "Such high standards. Yes, I put windows on my own home. Is the concept of aesthetic beyond you?" I shook my head and apologised. "Hm. Well, you're forgiven. For now. Now, would you like to step inside, or keep offering your critique?" I didn't hesitate to say that I would step inside.
Yamame fiddled with the door and it swung open. She stepped inside. "Hang on, let me just..." Her voice came from inside, and then I watched the interior light up. "There, much better. I know how much you humans struggle to see in the dark." She took my hand and began pulling me inside. "Now, let's see what I can do for you."
So, into the spider's den I went. I hoped that Yamame's payment wasn't anything too ridiculous. I could barely afford to lose anything as it was.

>>40795134
Perhaps I should give her the french kiss of friendship, just to make sure

>>31303059