/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45412458 (2/2)
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An idea is nothing without someone to execute it.

Aya listens as Tetsu talks about the Blood Pools, rapidly writing down every word and elaborating questions just as fast, Tetsu—laid back on her spork—lazily answering… And cats, of course. We switched our meeting point to Mayohiga since Chen was concerned with the wellbeing of the felines that live here—or so Ran told us. My theory is that she forgot Mayohiga's existence until recently.

It's fun to tease her about it~

—A gap opens just ahead and, with a big smile, I catch Chen in a hug, the bakeneko flying to me as fast as Aya late for duty, followed by a tired Ran. "Hi, Ms. Reimu! Look, look—Yamame taught me how to brioche! It's kinda weird; it's like holding pastry!" Chen shows me two little hand-knitted cushions she was carrying: one with cat ears on top of it, the other of reds and white; both amateurishly made and comfortably doughy to the touch—I glance at Ran handling a blue one to Toutetsu, who laughed out loud with the malformed goat head in the center. Aya sighed, holding hers with faked joy—a pitch-black… chicken with white eyes adorned the center of her black-and-white cushion.

Ran sat on her golden one with grace, the other two flocking to her—she raised a brow at me; I gestured at Chen, and Ran nodded, starting without us. "You make me so jealous, Chen~… Why is she 'Yamame' and I 'Ms. Reimu'?" I say playfully, appreciating the Hakurei yin-yang in the center of my cushion.

"Sorry, it's a habit!… Did you like it, Reimu?"

"I loved it~" It melts my heart to see desire for approval in those eyes, and I pat her head, a radiant smile blossoming and illuminating the night—also attracting some cats to nestle on us. "I suppose you knitted Anon one too?" I retake my meditation pose, knees resting on my new cushion, Chen tails swaying. In the background, I hear Aya's saying 'party'. Ran pleasantly hums; Toutetsu asks about cake.

"Ya! I made him a green one with a four-leafed clover on it, since he likes both so much—he said it was nostalgic~—and, oh, he also said to tell you, ah-ham." She softly clears her throat and tries to mimic Anon's voice. The moment she begins, my strangled laugh scares the cats. "'Don't hold the needles too hard, Reimu. That’s a bad habit. You'll pierce your fingertips', c'mon, Reimu, that's beginner's stuff—Mr. Anon taught me that day one!" My laugh instantly dies, and I groan.

Ugh… Knitting is so different from swinging a gohei; that's wild and violent; the more strength put behind each swing, the better. Knitting is methodical, an art of patience whose results are much prettier than blood splatters or whimpers.

That's why I asked Chen to teach me how to knit.

I have swung the gohei my entire life; it was the first thing I remember doing—Danmaku is much better than getting squashed by a giant ball…—Looking at where ONLY knowing that brought me…

Learning something different should be good, right?

I doubt I can learn how to be as good of a seamstress as Chen or Anon on such short notice, but I'm not intending to do so. I just want to be good enough to make something meaningful for Hana—something she can look at and know was made with love; maybe wear it, cherish it… or just tear it and stomp the rags. It’s her choice what she makes out of it—but if she considers it, even for a moment… it'll be enough.

"So, have you got your needles on you?" I ignore the barely concealed excitement in Chen's face as I pull Anon's old spare needles from their hiding spot in the red bow in my head, Chen smiling and shifting to a more comfortable position. The cats ignore us yet keep meowing for affection frequently. "Good~a seamstress without her needles might as well be naked!" She purred as she said that, voice proud and tails going from side to side as if under catnip, and I huffed with amusement… I wonder if I should give Chen catnip someday.

… Maybe not with Ran around. Her lectures are worse than Kasen’s…

I laughed at the thought as my lessons started.

They were… confusing at best, unintelligible anytime else, but with some help from a whispering Gap near my ear hidden from view, I managed to pick up a lot of knitting know-hows before the end of the meeting, flying home with a big smile on my face and determination burning in my mind, holding the yarns Ran kindly gave me as I left—three for training, but the fourth and fifth… I'd need to be blind to not see the sheer quality of them. I couldn't resist and hugged her, Toutetsu laughing and Aya's quick on taking pictures; Ran hugging back with a thin smile… after gapping away the film roll off Aya's camera, of course.

Chen looked so happy it hurts.

Now, sitting on my new cushion by my kotatsu, two needles in my hands and the first crash course done, I knit with a smile.

Anon made Hana a brooch with love…

I got a dirty green rag, wrapped it around her neck and called it a day. Hana absolutely loved it…

… I wonder if she'll love a handmade, fine replacement.