/jp/ - Otaku Culture

Oh, of course. Marisa definitely would try that sort of thing, I thought to myself. "While your ability to breathe is a concern, it is not my main concern. I am more concerned about your safety down there, especially as I now think that it would affect Reimu if you were hurt." I had been right, then. She did have some level of interest in Reimu beyond the Hakurei Orb. She cared about whether or not she'd be upset if I was hurt.

"Aw, c'mon, Lady Tamatsukuri!" Kisami piped up, making me jump. I'd almost forgotten she was there. "We'll be fine for a short trip!" She threw her arms around me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder. I could only imagine that she'd made use of her ability to fly to accomplish that, because I was still taller than she was. "I'll keep him safe. My dear little sister would kill me, you, that girl down there, and probably half of Gensokyo if I let anything happen to him." That was...A very dramatic response. I resolved to do my best to not die any time soon. "So...You really don't have that card?"

"Honestly now, I'm trying to do you a favour..." Lady Tamatsukuri shook her head in exasperation. "Normally, I'd attack you just to get you out of here because if you're anything like Reimu, you're too foolhardy not to try and barge deeper in regardless. Alas, you've caught me at a bad time, and I've far too many valuable Izanagi Objects on me to be fighting off two idiots."

"Hey!" Kisami shouted crossly. Given that her head was still resting on my shoulder, it made me flinch. "Oh, er, sorry." She let me go and stepped away after awkwardly patting me on the shoulder. "I'm perfectly capable of handling that oomukade, thank you!" I looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. An oomukade was something I'd once heard of in Miss Kamishirasawa's history class. A giant centipede, feared by most and hated by all. Something to despise and stay far away from if it could not be killed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure she'll say I can just take whatever gold, silver, or whatever else she's stacked up down there with me. She's only interested in those dragon gems."

And there I was, with a great big weak spot to things that were hated by everyone else. Perhaps, I thought, it would be better if I didn't go down there, since I was almost certain that I'd end up trying to befriend her. Maybe she really didn't deserve the hatred she got? It sounded like she was mining away and not hurting anyone, after all. I opened my mouth, but Lady Tamatsukuri had cut me off. "After dealing with Reimu, I can see why you two consider yourself family. You really are just as foolhardy. You're thinking about going down there and talking to her, aren't you?" My mouth shut with an audible clack and Lady Tamatsukuri shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know why I even try..." I frowned even more than I usually did. "Look, just let Miss Kurodani here go down and get the materials in your stead. Mining sites are dangerous even if they don't contain dangerous oomukade, and it takes a very exceptional kind of human to weather that storm." She eyed me. "One who can defend themselves."

I coughed. Lady Tamatsukuri tilted her head, watching me. I tried opening my mouth, then coughed again. Kisami tried looking at me with some concern, but seemed at a loss to help. Finally, I choked out the question of what was happening to me. "I told you, didn't I? The mine's an anoxic environment. Even just here, the oxygen levels are already half of what they are on the surface." I tried to breathe in deeply and felt like there was a very heavy weight on my chest. "Now, then. Back to the surface, hmm?" I couldn't say I was entirely pleased about the way the whole encounter had gone, but at least Kisami would be able to go and find the materials. This was really no place for humans to be, and my hope that a solution would present itself didn't seem to be working out.

I heard Kisami say something to Lady Tamatsukuri, and then I felt her help me back toward the exit of the tunnels. Each step put more air back into my lungs and I breathed in deeply, sighing in relief. We weren't at the point where I could see the surface yet, but Kisami stopped me and sighed. "I'm really sorry." She told me, and I smiled weakly, saying that it wasn't her fault. I should probably have thought a little harder about a way to get into the mine considering I'd known that I wouldn't be able to breathe. I could have asked Reimu, or Marisa, or Tenshi. Just...Someone. "Ah..." Kisami sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair. "Okay, it looks like we have no choice. I'll go down and pick up a bunch of metals that we can work with, then I'll meet you back up here. Okay?"

>>44278230
Finally a genuine grandmahu