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Feb. 25th, 2006 03:49 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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kirei_dakaraTitle: Restitution
Rating: G
Summary: Yuuko knows that all things come with a price. She's just not ready to pay in full.
A/N: Holic crossover with Jigoku Shoujo.
--
She comes into the shop late one afternoon. Watanuki, busy scrubbing the porch floor, doesn’t notice her until she stops directly in front of him. She looks like a grade school girl, but there’s something about her—in her large glassy eyes maybe—that suggests she’s much, much older.
“I’m here to see Yuuko.”
Her voice is strangely harmonic and Watanuki shivers upon hearing it. There is a terrifying quality to the girl that cuts him to the bone and he’s suddenly certain that he must get out of her presence as quickly as he can or he might stop existing.
“She’s inside,” he says, dropping his rag and rushing to his feet. “I can go get her…”
“She knows I’m here,” the girl says indifferently. She sidesteps around him and drifts into the house, seemingly unaware that Watanuki has his back flat against the paper screen door. Once he can no longer feel her, Watanuki lets out a breath he doesn’t remember holding and slumps slightly. He hopes she leaves through another way.
--
“He was scared. Why?” The girl sits on the floor with Mokona in her lap. She is petting it with gentle curiosity, and Mokona is uncharacteristically silent under her ministrations.
“Watanuki is still new to everything,” Yuuko explains. She lies languidly on her pillow, but her eyes are sharp on her visitor. “And of course, you’re very intimidating.”
“Oh.” The girl pauses. “I’m here because your contract is up.”
“Is it already? My, how time flies.” Yuuko smiles—a knife edged smile. “Well, I have Maru and Moro, you can take your pick. That’s another hundred years, I believe.”
The girl blinks, considering this. Then she nods. “Yes.” She measures out a bit of red string that appears from nowhere into her hand and holds it out. Yuuko accepts it with both hands.
“It’s so short,” the witch complains.
“How many more times will you be able to split your soul?” a phantom voice replies. It is the voice of an old man and it scratches like straw. “As much as you try, you will not escape paying the full price.”
“I hardly need a lecture,” Yuuko says, her tone a bit sharper than she intends it to be, “on paying prices.”
“I’m only reminding you…”
“Wanyuudou,” the girl murmurs. The following silence is respectful, and Yuuko finds herself reassessing her visitor. It’s so easy to forget who she really is.
“The string is your contract to me,” the girl recites quietly. Yuuko’s heard the words before, many times, but she’ll hear them again. “I have fulfilled my part. When your time comes, you must fulfill yours.”
Yuuko bows her head. “I’ll send Maru with you.”
“Yes.” The girl carefully places Mokona onto the floor and stands. Just before she leaves, she looks at Yuuko with intense scrutiny. “Is dying really so bad?”
“No,” Yuuko answers simply. “It’s the part that comes after that’s hard.”
The girl makes an ‘ah’ sound and vanishes.
--
It is too hard to explain to Watanuki why Maru is gone, so Yuuko doesn’t. She only tells him it is hitsuzen, and she isn’t lying. She keeps the details to herself, but she isn’t lying. After all, the world is foreordained, and Yuuko’s life is not exempt. The proof is the mark on her chest that she keeps hidden with glamour.
Yuuko knows she and Clow will be together in the end.
Rating: G
Summary: Yuuko knows that all things come with a price. She's just not ready to pay in full.
A/N: Holic crossover with Jigoku Shoujo.
--
She comes into the shop late one afternoon. Watanuki, busy scrubbing the porch floor, doesn’t notice her until she stops directly in front of him. She looks like a grade school girl, but there’s something about her—in her large glassy eyes maybe—that suggests she’s much, much older.
“I’m here to see Yuuko.”
Her voice is strangely harmonic and Watanuki shivers upon hearing it. There is a terrifying quality to the girl that cuts him to the bone and he’s suddenly certain that he must get out of her presence as quickly as he can or he might stop existing.
“She’s inside,” he says, dropping his rag and rushing to his feet. “I can go get her…”
“She knows I’m here,” the girl says indifferently. She sidesteps around him and drifts into the house, seemingly unaware that Watanuki has his back flat against the paper screen door. Once he can no longer feel her, Watanuki lets out a breath he doesn’t remember holding and slumps slightly. He hopes she leaves through another way.
--
“He was scared. Why?” The girl sits on the floor with Mokona in her lap. She is petting it with gentle curiosity, and Mokona is uncharacteristically silent under her ministrations.
“Watanuki is still new to everything,” Yuuko explains. She lies languidly on her pillow, but her eyes are sharp on her visitor. “And of course, you’re very intimidating.”
“Oh.” The girl pauses. “I’m here because your contract is up.”
“Is it already? My, how time flies.” Yuuko smiles—a knife edged smile. “Well, I have Maru and Moro, you can take your pick. That’s another hundred years, I believe.”
The girl blinks, considering this. Then she nods. “Yes.” She measures out a bit of red string that appears from nowhere into her hand and holds it out. Yuuko accepts it with both hands.
“It’s so short,” the witch complains.
“How many more times will you be able to split your soul?” a phantom voice replies. It is the voice of an old man and it scratches like straw. “As much as you try, you will not escape paying the full price.”
“I hardly need a lecture,” Yuuko says, her tone a bit sharper than she intends it to be, “on paying prices.”
“I’m only reminding you…”
“Wanyuudou,” the girl murmurs. The following silence is respectful, and Yuuko finds herself reassessing her visitor. It’s so easy to forget who she really is.
“The string is your contract to me,” the girl recites quietly. Yuuko’s heard the words before, many times, but she’ll hear them again. “I have fulfilled my part. When your time comes, you must fulfill yours.”
Yuuko bows her head. “I’ll send Maru with you.”
“Yes.” The girl carefully places Mokona onto the floor and stands. Just before she leaves, she looks at Yuuko with intense scrutiny. “Is dying really so bad?”
“No,” Yuuko answers simply. “It’s the part that comes after that’s hard.”
The girl makes an ‘ah’ sound and vanishes.
--
It is too hard to explain to Watanuki why Maru is gone, so Yuuko doesn’t. She only tells him it is hitsuzen, and she isn’t lying. She keeps the details to herself, but she isn’t lying. After all, the world is foreordained, and Yuuko’s life is not exempt. The proof is the mark on her chest that she keeps hidden with glamour.
Yuuko knows she and Clow will be together in the end.
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