/jp/ - Otaku Culture

"...Come again?" Remi tilted her head and frowned slightly. "'Things that do not reside in the Dream World?' Not all of us can claim your genius, Patchy." She finally sat back in her chair and rested her chin on her hand again. "I have apologised for the burn injuries you suffered setting up the fire pit outdoors, have I not? I want you to trust me with your troubles."

The hand that had been burnt twitched. "Yes." Patchouli nodded slightly. "Yes, I shall explain. What do you know of the Hakurei Shrine Experience?" Remi might have been older than her by a factor of five, but her psychological development had halted when she was bitten. While she was incredibly wise in some aspects, she was still very immature in others. This, unfortunately, included matters of an... Intimate persuasion.

"The Hakurei Shrine... Experience?" Remi repeated with a frown. "I've heard of it, I think. Meiling mentioned it once, but it was only offhand. She seemed to want to give me something, but she'd faltered and hesitated so much that I gave up in the end." Yes, that made sense. Meiling had been holding a bag when she and Patchouli had quit the building after their last visit. She'd been very evasive about what exactly was inside the bag, but Patchouli was far from stupid. Even if she was, the embarrassment and slight guilt surrounding the gatekeeper was clear even without her spells. "This wouldn't have something to do with the matter that Yakumo's servants came to discuss, would it?" Trust Remi to cut to the point. Patchouli had declined to be involved in the overall unpleasant evening that had involved the servants of Yukari Yakumo gracing the mansion's gates. She'd taken a moment to get the feel of them, of course, but speaking to them? No, thank you. "The world moves even without our involvement, after all."

"Much as I'm sure you wished it only moved according to your whims. Yes, very astute, Remi. There is a building, located in the Human Village. It is a debauched place that you will not wish to go, but it interferes with my spells, so I had no choice but to investigate in person." Thankfully, Remi took her words at face value. The worst thing she could do is accidentally convince Remi to investigate by herself. The magic worked into those uniforms alone... Patchouli shook her head. "I believe there is a great storm brewing, and it is one that will change Gensokyo forever. Your Winter Solstice celebration...How are the plans coming along?"

"You're changing the topic rather suddenly, are you not?" Remi asked her with a raised eyebrow. "Much like every year, the plans are coming along fine. I've got Sakuya on it between her other duties." Much like every year, indeed. "I do not hold much truck with Yakumo, if that is your concern. Oh, her servants certainly know how to make a first impression, but one cannot forget to see the organ grinder for the monkeys." Some good news, at least. Patchouli had no desire to be part of whatever asinine catastrophe Yukari Yakumo had concocted aside from to ensure she and the mansion came through unscathed. "Tell me about the Hakurei Shrine Experience."

Patchouli stared at her teacup, still clutched in Remi's hand. After a pregnant pause, Remi sighed and offered it back to her. Patchouli snapped her fingers, and from the darkness of the library, Koakuma emerged. She took Patchouli's teacup, refilled it silently, nodded, and stepped back into the darkness. Patchouli was keeping an eye on her, and she knew that the little devil know it. No, she was not to sneak off to the Hakurei Shrine Experience until such a time that Patchouli had declared it safe. And considering the building...That was very unlikely. "It is not the building that I wish you to concern yourself with, Remi." Patchouli murmured, taking a sip of her tea. "The important thing is that I went there and I spent some time there." Remi opened her mouth and Patchouli snapped a finger at her. "No, I did not do whatever it is you are thinking." Remi's mouth shut with an audible click. "I went to investigate. Sakuya sent Meiling after me before long, and she joined me there. Some time later, we returned. That was the sum total of our time directly interacting with the building."

"So... What? What are you getting at, Patchy?" Remi took a sip of her own tea. "Ah. The servants of Yakumo - The amanojaku and her... What would the correct word be? Concubine? Stockholm Syndrome Sufferer? Slave. Let's go with slave. The amanojaku and her slave - They mentioned 'the HSE' in their time here. So, this building is the reason why I've been feeling the machinations of fate in the back of my mind like a guitar that has been too tightly wound."