/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45630290
'It's a trick' my mind tells me. He was playing to my interests, trying to sway me to his side just like Yukari would. He was right though, I could see it, all kinds of children and their families visiting my fields and seeing the beauty and terrible magnificence of my garden, even the flowers themselves, the one's that perked up despite the cold, expressed delight at the prospect. Perhaps even Anon and Hana would come and sit on a blanket to gaze out upon the field, with a few green-haired children in tow...

But look at who I'm talking to. A juvenile Amanojaku, who, unlike me, earned the title of most hated creature in Gensokyo and a young human who was far to enthused by this situation. They were just kids. Just kids...

"If, after all this, you two are still standing, I'll listen to what you have to say." I told them.

Goro beamed at me, a truly thankful expression, Seija melerly shrugged.

"Now please take your leave Seija, I have something else to discuss with Goro in private." I told her.

Seija reeled herself back and launched herself upright. Tapping the dog's neck, the pup rose from it's rest and began to follow her as she left. "Just remember floral woman, when we clash, you may have your own reasons, but I've got two big ones that're both more important then your ancient meddling with 'harmony' or whatever." She stated, holding up two fingers for emphasis, taking one last look at Goro, and walking away.

"So what is this 'private matter' you wished to ask me?" I continued.

Goro storked his chin, as if he was unsure about what to say next. "How do you look so cool and beautiful?"

"P-pardon?" I asked, surprised at the sudden and seemingly vapid question.

"Well, it just seems like there's a hierarchy of cool in Gensokyo and your somewhere close to the top of it, if not the summit. I'm just worried, entering a fight with people on the level of sages, that I'm not looking the part. Seija's a born rebel, but I'm more used to fighting at the negotiation table is all."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. 'Ask that horrible woman you work for' would be my deflection, but so help me if I was going to let her hold this over on me. And what if Hana asked the same thing? I needed practice playing the role of a senior. What was that nonsense that Wiggle had once told me?

"When it comes to your identity in Danmaku and fighting, it all has to do with confidence in your self image." I said, crossing my legs to the other side.

"Self image?" he asked.

"Yes. A Pansy doesn't regard it's siblings or surroundings when choosing a color so why should I?"

"Ah, a floral metaphor, as expected of Yuuka-Sensei." He said, jotting the message down on a note pad.

If I saw this in a newspaper later, I was going to kill him and Aya in the order of whoever I found first.

"Well that should help me be a good role model for my future children, they're bound to be a bit strange after all." He said, as he started pulling some papers out of his robe and folding them.

"You're actually with that Youkai, romantically? And you have plans to... have kids?" I asked.

He looked up at me, somewhat surprised. "Well, yes. Sorry, wasn't it obvious?"

That raised so many awful inquires I couldn't even begin to fathom a response. "Please just make sure you don't raise a family in a broken home." I managed to say.

"Ha, I'm already pretty broken you know. Speaking of..." He wrote some sigils on the folded piece of paper and tossed it in the air. Crudely, it began to flutter, circling around above the flowers, until after much struggling, the little paper butterfly found itself in front of me.

Against my better judgement, I put out the back of my hand for it to land, upon which the cursed thing gingerly set itself upon and spread it's wings slowly out and in, before unfolding into a flyer.

It read: 'Yamawaro Child Care Services(working title). Love kids? Want to raise the future of Gensokyo and foster a new generation at a competitive salary? Set your own hours? Become a mother to all of Gensokyo today!'

Me? A child care worker? I looked up to Goro, who had made himself ready to leave.

"Contrary to my poignant questions, It's not my job to punish you or anyone else. It'll be our children's responsibility to measure whether or not we did our best." He said as he departed from my field.