/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Keine's power never ceases to amaze me.

One would expect the people you just almost burned to death to be hostile, yet here we are, gossiping in the living room after eating a hearty yakitori dinner I cooked; experience forgotten and only knowing it happened… Well, Gensokyan cultural mores post-violence are very soft, anyway.

A lot was discussed between Keine and Goro, especially something about childcare institutions. I didn't hear much; busy playing with Aki, Mochi and Seija—the latter who decided to try her hand at playing with a baby, full of bravado and tenacity… Then Kuramochi began crying, and she was panicking. It was very funny—, though Keine seemed interested, she postponed her involvement, hands full with recovering her job and cleaning her reputation, fiercingly stating she'd be there to help when all was figured out.

There was also the 'replacing a sage' thing. Keine looked weirdly at Goro, then said that if a sage needs to be replaced, it means they've died, meaning there isn’t a ‘Gensokyo’ remaining to govern.

He seemed thoughtful after that one.

Conversations turned more lighthearted as afternoon turned evening. "It's commendable, Sensei—to adopt. Knowing some will be growing already with loving parents is very nice." He fondly looks at Aki, who was curiously focusing on a random spot on the roof. By my crossed legs and laid on his belly on a blanket wide spread on the ground was Kuramochi, mischievous blue eyes on the lazy dog, wings still. "But I wonder: how's being a parent like, Sensei?"

Keine pauses at the question, smiling as she rests her chin on top of Aki's soft, pinkish hair. "Well… It's a responsibility above anything you can ever imagine. But also hope to guide you in your darkest moments. It’s wonderful." Goro hums, sinking a bit on the couch as if unsatisfied with the answer. Keine giggles a little. "Someday I may tell you how I first met these two. Then everything will make sense~" She pauses again, kissing Aki's scalp gently, sharp eyes on the cursed bracelet. "Until then, why not exercise it a bit?" She gets up and approaches Goro, the latter curious, then tense as bamboo as Keine kneels by him, bringing Aki to his arms.

"No, Sensei! I cannot; there could be side effects I still don't know and—" He shows the bracelet, desperate to not have the baby in his arms. Seija is looking at everything with an agape mouth, still as a monolith, hands joined together, and, if I'd guess, throat dry. I'm also tense, but it's Keine doing this; she must have a plan… She picks up one of the towels we'd put on our shoulders when nurturing the twins after feeding them and puts it over the bracelet arm. Oh. Goro looks shocked. "B-But, Sensei, it might not be enough—"

The baby was in his arms.

Goro struggles, jumping a bit to get the bracelet as far as possible from Aki, and I swear I could hear his frantic heartbeat.

What followed was silence thick as honey, Aki's legs gently supported on his belly, his arms all trembling, breathing held… Then he looked Aki in the eyes, breathing slowly released, arms steadying. "… I'm doing it, Sensei."

"Yes, you are. Aki seems very calm, doesn't she?" He wide-eyed nods, shifting to a more comfortable position. Seija watches as if her eyes were cameras. Keine smiles, hands beneath her chin. "Careful with her wings—they're on the sensitive side."

"Like this…?" He moves his forearms, not touching Aki's wings anymore. Keine hums. "Hey, Aki Kamishirasawa. Nice weather, huh…? N-Name's Goro. A pleasure."

Aki giggles. Goro laughs in disbelief.

My heart full, I reach for Kura—all my body tenses up, cold spreading as I don’t see him by my side, instead munching his closed fist… cuddling with the fucking dog! The hound seemed to not care. "Mochi!" I rush to him, trying to get him away from the darn thing, but he holds onto the dog’s thick-fat, giggling, wings swaying lovingly. "Geez, I take my eye a second away from you, and you cuddle with a mighty beast?!"

"That's a cool baby right there." Seija comments with faked placidity as she approaches, struggling to keep her eyes off Goro, who is still being instructed by Keine on how to handle a tiny and fragile baby. "Man, it's always like this; we go around, he just HAS to stop and talk and do weird things with whomever he sees… It's hard having a wife, heh." She jokes, though it falls flat, eyes big, seeming as if she had just had a great revelation.

I know exactly what she's feeling…

"… First time seeing the person you love holding a baby?" She glances at me, then at Goro and Keine, the latter teaching the first Aki's favorite funny faces. Aki was sweetly giggling.

She nods slowly.

… I went through the exact same recently, after all.

Mochi mumbles, climbing on top of the hound, wings flapping a bit. Seija huffed. "Okay! Not losing again—second round, little man!" With those passionate words, Seija began joyously playing with Mochi and the dog. He doesn't cry now.

The dog, though, seems even more tired.