/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45756254
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She left me alone with Hana…

If I weren't a calm and reasonable person, I'd kill that blonde midget.

Tense and uncomfortable in my body, I close my eyes to gather strength to look at my daughter draped in Yukari's colors, grasping the insurmountable rage towards that viper and morphing it into calmness. An arduous process, but with rich payoff as I finally locked eyes with Hana, who stared as if I had grown a second head. A lot of meditation was put into bearing the weight of sins, but seeing the plain anxiety, fear in her eyes…

She's not here to forgive me; to talk to me. She's here seeking safety from another monster. It's the bare minimum I can give her.

… My eyes are drawn to the book in front of her, away from her clothes and the present, and I scratch my nape. “Oh, uh, sorry for leaving that there.” I pick up the book, Hana tense like a stick and focusing on each step I take, like a paranoid guard watching shadows. “A-Are you… hungry?”

She looks at me with confusion, and the scrutiny of her gaze is enough to almost make me squirm in place. “It's 2 a.m.”

“I could still prepare you something an—”

“I'm not hungry.” It comes fast, though just as fast comes the realization she might've been rude and, so, she pales.

She's probably awaiting a beating; sheer-cold scolding…

Like in the past…

… I pause, the process of letting go of anger as natural and simple as breathing, then nod, a surge of confidence blessing my veins. “Okay, Hana. Your bedroom is already cleaned, so no worries about dust or nasty insects.” Heart pounding anyway, I kept my eyes on her as I put the presents back in the bag, refraining from dodging those burning hazelnuts, perplexed wide-eyes feeling like a win, however tiny. “I'll put these in your room—but go take a bath and do your hygiene before going to bed.”

Disconcerted, she glared at the pond outside—snow falls gently, and the water looks biting cold—then back at me. “B-Bath? But it's—”

Deciding to make a show—because that's the spirit of Danmaku, isn't it?—I extend my arm in front of me in a pose similar to Kasen's when she would call one of her bird friends to perch on her arm, Hana watching befuddled…! Then, like a phoenix emerging from the ashes, a scarlet owl of fire rises from my skin, leaving a trail of ethereal shrieks in its wake. Hana gasps as the carmine light swallows up the slightly dim candlelight.

With a foot separating us to avoid frightening her further, I gently kneel next to Hana and make my intentions apparent by offering her my burning arm. In the dense silence, our gazes lock, and I resist the urge to let my emotions show—I feel weak in the knees and am on the verge of crying. My Hana didn't come here to lend me forgiveness or judgment; she has come here to seek safety and nothing more…

Nothing more…

However, just as her caution slashes like a sharp knife, this throbbing human heart sees the effulgence in her eyes, the wondrous curiosity, and pumps liquid happiness. A deserved sharp knife, painful anyway…

… But something moves Hana—curiosity? Absolution? Something else that I cannot even fathom?—and her hand, tiny compared to mine but strong anyway with many callouses, reaches forward, hesitating for a moment… before petting the owl of fire, the ethereal bird cooing and leaning to the caress.

My heart stops with the image—her big and shining eyes; a sweet smile of 'Am I doing it…? I'm doing it!', and I gladly imprinted its beauty on my mind…

Nothing more…

… I better not push my luck.

I stand up and point my arm toward the pond; the owl takes off, a ribbon of scarlet fire tying us together, then gracefully dives into the freezing water, fuming it and melting the surrounding snow. “… The water should feel similar to hot springs now and will last for an hour before I have to recover the fire. The wooden separation is in the shed, but leave your clothes on the shore, so I can wash and dry them, okay?”

Hana simply stared as if seeing me for the first time, making my heart rate skyrocket—she and her father are masters of that in different contexts; it's impressive—then, at her unscathed hand, following in a low tone, “T-Those flames… What are they?”

I paused; the question rather expected since I used them recklessly at the party, though I hardly had any time to formulate a good explanation. “Uh, you see… All of us Hakurei—I guess?—have a… ugh…” She stares intently, making it that much harder. “A power-up? Limit break? Something along those lines.” She stops but, miraculously, nods her head. “My first was 30 years ago when I got my floating ability during one of the weirdest incidents; it was with a small Youkai of Darkness… Although she was big at the time. Before me, your grandma’s po—”

“Grandma?! I have a grandma…?”

Oh, yeah, I never told her about my parents…

Looking into her eyes and feeling the book I was holding, I softly smiled. “Everyone has at least two, Hana, even you…” I giggle at her blush. “And one’s name was Minako.”