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[English] Weekend in London #1.2
Dec. 28th, 2004 12:11 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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aqueoustransmissionTitle: City of blinding lights
Chapter: 1 (part 2)
Fandoms: XXXHOLiC/Card Captor Sakura
( Previous part )
"Are you willing to pay the price?" said the witch to the lady, in perfect English.
"Yes, I am. But please, let me see it first, in order to make sure it's the real thing."
Yuuko opened her handbag, and took a little box out. She opened it, and the woman could see an old, red ribbon inside. Her heart sunk and her eyes widened.
"You were telling the truth indeed, then I'll pay you whatever you want. How much is it?"
"No, I don't accept money, madam. I want to exchange the ribbon for that pearl necklace." She pointed at the woman's cleavage.
"I cannot give that to you, it's a part of my family's heritage. It's been passed on for generations!"
"I know, that's why it's so valuable. Sorry, take it or leave it. You'll have to decide what do you want to possess the most: the ribbon or the jewelry."
"... Very well, you win, Ms. Ichihara." She rose her hands until the back of her neck.
~~~~~
When the travelers walked down the street, the one carrying the heavy luggage demanded to know what had happened at the house a few minutes ago. Kimihiro had good marks in English at school, but his knowledge was too basic to understand oral conversations. All he knew was that the man who went to Yuuko's shop was her husband.
"I mean, why in hell that lady gave you such an expensive necklace to get a stupid ribbon, anyway? I think you took advantage of her, Yuuko-san!"
"It wasn't. That ribbon was the last gift her dear mother gave to her. It was her precious treasure after she passed away. But she lost it years ago, and her deepest desire was to find it again. That's more precious to her than an ancient necklace, don't you think?"
"Well, if you put it that way..." he sighed. "By the way, does this mean the job is done?"
"It's done!"
"Then... we brought these bags and suitcases for nothing?!"
"Don't be mad, Watanuki dear," she grinned as he fumed of anger. "I told you we were going to stay for two days, because that's what I planned from the beginning. It's been such a long time since I've been in London... And we needed some vacations, you see."
"I know I do, but you always act like you're on eternal holidays," he murmured.
"I heard that! I DO work a lot."
"Drinking sake at home is not work. I bet you want to stay in order to drink British alcohol."
"That's not true, I also want to do some shopping," she replied. "Don't be silly, this city is so exotic and versatile you can do whatever you want."
"I want some whisky!" Mokona exclaimed.
"So, where are we going to stay? Are you charging me the hotel bills in my debt, by any chance?"
"No, no. A friend of mine is going to pick us up and hosting us for free. Or that's what she said, at least. She's cool, she's Japanese like us, so you won't have to worry over the language."
"Won't we be abusing her hospitality?"
"Relax, boy, and let's go back to Holland Park to wait for her."
"Your suitcases are heavy, you know that? No, of course you don't, you've never carried them!"
~~~~~
Forty-five minutes had passed, and there was no sight of Yuuko's friend.
"Are you sure she's coming?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Is that her?"
"No, she's not, her hair is not brown."
"Is she really reliable?"
"I guess," Yuuko shrugged.
"What do you mean with that?" Watanuki was getting anxious.
"Well, actually, I've never met her in my life."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
"She's an Internet buddy, so it's a platonic kind of friendship."
"I. Cannot. Believe. You."
"She's going to come. Really. Don't get mad."
"You're trusting a perfect stranger!! Evidently, she's not gonna c..."
"Are you Yuuko-san, right?" A feminine voice said.
They turned around. A woman in her late twenties was getting out of a beige car. She was rather attractive, with long, reddish hair, wearing a black and white outfit and heels. She took her sunglasses off, and glanced at them with amusement. Watanuki blushed, and she smiled at him before she tended her hand towards Yuuko. Yuuko returned the greeting.
"I'm so sorry I'm this late. I got lost and confused the way, and ended up at Kensington Gardens." Watanuki asked himself how someone could get lost in the city they lived in, but he restrained to say it aloud. "Anyway, my name is Kaho Mizuki, pleased to meet you at last."
"Same wise. This is Mokona Modoki..."
"Hello!"
"My, aren't you the cutest thing! You have the same color scheme than a creature I know."
"A creature? And you can you see Mokona?"
"Yeah, she can, she's witch as well... and this dummy is Kimihiro Watanuki, my loyal servant."
"Hey, I'm not your servant, I'm just your employee! Ah..." he bowed, "nice to meet you, Mizuki-san."
Kaho laughed, but she was not mocking him like Yuuko used to do. It was more like a warm snicker.
~~~~~
They put the suitcases at the back seat, and Watanuki went with them. Yuuko and Mokona sat next to Kaho. Kimihiro was amazed to see the steering wheel and driving direction were similar to Japan.
"Where are we going?" asked Yuuko.
"Well, I currently live in a rented studio apartment next to Campus, as I'm doing a master in Math Education there, so I can't take you there. I spend my weekend over my boyfriend's, so you're staying there."
"And he's okay with that?" Kimihiro wanted to know.
"He didn't object at all," she grinned. "Watanuki-kun, may I ask you something?"
"Y-yes!"
"You can see spirits, can't you?"
"How did...? Did Yuuko...? But you didn't need to...?"
"Don't fret. I can see them, too, and I can also sense people with that kind of powers. You know? Your powers, your solitary aura, and your explosive personality... you remind me of someone I used to date. I met him when he was more or less the same age you are."
"Oh..."
"But physically, you don't look like him at all. You look more like..." she stopped, and shook her head. "Nevermind, I'm talking too much."
"Huh?"
She was a pretty person, he concluded, but rather ambiguous and secretive as well.
Chapter: 1 (part 2)
Fandoms: XXXHOLiC/Card Captor Sakura
( Previous part )
"Are you willing to pay the price?" said the witch to the lady, in perfect English.
"Yes, I am. But please, let me see it first, in order to make sure it's the real thing."
Yuuko opened her handbag, and took a little box out. She opened it, and the woman could see an old, red ribbon inside. Her heart sunk and her eyes widened.
"You were telling the truth indeed, then I'll pay you whatever you want. How much is it?"
"No, I don't accept money, madam. I want to exchange the ribbon for that pearl necklace." She pointed at the woman's cleavage.
"I cannot give that to you, it's a part of my family's heritage. It's been passed on for generations!"
"I know, that's why it's so valuable. Sorry, take it or leave it. You'll have to decide what do you want to possess the most: the ribbon or the jewelry."
"... Very well, you win, Ms. Ichihara." She rose her hands until the back of her neck.
~~~~~
When the travelers walked down the street, the one carrying the heavy luggage demanded to know what had happened at the house a few minutes ago. Kimihiro had good marks in English at school, but his knowledge was too basic to understand oral conversations. All he knew was that the man who went to Yuuko's shop was her husband.
"I mean, why in hell that lady gave you such an expensive necklace to get a stupid ribbon, anyway? I think you took advantage of her, Yuuko-san!"
"It wasn't. That ribbon was the last gift her dear mother gave to her. It was her precious treasure after she passed away. But she lost it years ago, and her deepest desire was to find it again. That's more precious to her than an ancient necklace, don't you think?"
"Well, if you put it that way..." he sighed. "By the way, does this mean the job is done?"
"It's done!"
"Then... we brought these bags and suitcases for nothing?!"
"Don't be mad, Watanuki dear," she grinned as he fumed of anger. "I told you we were going to stay for two days, because that's what I planned from the beginning. It's been such a long time since I've been in London... And we needed some vacations, you see."
"I know I do, but you always act like you're on eternal holidays," he murmured.
"I heard that! I DO work a lot."
"Drinking sake at home is not work. I bet you want to stay in order to drink British alcohol."
"That's not true, I also want to do some shopping," she replied. "Don't be silly, this city is so exotic and versatile you can do whatever you want."
"I want some whisky!" Mokona exclaimed.
"So, where are we going to stay? Are you charging me the hotel bills in my debt, by any chance?"
"No, no. A friend of mine is going to pick us up and hosting us for free. Or that's what she said, at least. She's cool, she's Japanese like us, so you won't have to worry over the language."
"Won't we be abusing her hospitality?"
"Relax, boy, and let's go back to Holland Park to wait for her."
"Your suitcases are heavy, you know that? No, of course you don't, you've never carried them!"
~~~~~
Forty-five minutes had passed, and there was no sight of Yuuko's friend.
"Are you sure she's coming?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Is that her?"
"No, she's not, her hair is not brown."
"Is she really reliable?"
"I guess," Yuuko shrugged.
"What do you mean with that?" Watanuki was getting anxious.
"Well, actually, I've never met her in my life."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
"She's an Internet buddy, so it's a platonic kind of friendship."
"I. Cannot. Believe. You."
"She's going to come. Really. Don't get mad."
"You're trusting a perfect stranger!! Evidently, she's not gonna c..."
"Are you Yuuko-san, right?" A feminine voice said.
They turned around. A woman in her late twenties was getting out of a beige car. She was rather attractive, with long, reddish hair, wearing a black and white outfit and heels. She took her sunglasses off, and glanced at them with amusement. Watanuki blushed, and she smiled at him before she tended her hand towards Yuuko. Yuuko returned the greeting.
"I'm so sorry I'm this late. I got lost and confused the way, and ended up at Kensington Gardens." Watanuki asked himself how someone could get lost in the city they lived in, but he restrained to say it aloud. "Anyway, my name is Kaho Mizuki, pleased to meet you at last."
"Same wise. This is Mokona Modoki..."
"Hello!"
"My, aren't you the cutest thing! You have the same color scheme than a creature I know."
"A creature? And you can you see Mokona?"
"Yeah, she can, she's witch as well... and this dummy is Kimihiro Watanuki, my loyal servant."
"Hey, I'm not your servant, I'm just your employee! Ah..." he bowed, "nice to meet you, Mizuki-san."
Kaho laughed, but she was not mocking him like Yuuko used to do. It was more like a warm snicker.
~~~~~
They put the suitcases at the back seat, and Watanuki went with them. Yuuko and Mokona sat next to Kaho. Kimihiro was amazed to see the steering wheel and driving direction were similar to Japan.
"Where are we going?" asked Yuuko.
"Well, I currently live in a rented studio apartment next to Campus, as I'm doing a master in Math Education there, so I can't take you there. I spend my weekend over my boyfriend's, so you're staying there."
"And he's okay with that?" Kimihiro wanted to know.
"He didn't object at all," she grinned. "Watanuki-kun, may I ask you something?"
"Y-yes!"
"You can see spirits, can't you?"
"How did...? Did Yuuko...? But you didn't need to...?"
"Don't fret. I can see them, too, and I can also sense people with that kind of powers. You know? Your powers, your solitary aura, and your explosive personality... you remind me of someone I used to date. I met him when he was more or less the same age you are."
"Oh..."
"But physically, you don't look like him at all. You look more like..." she stopped, and shook her head. "Nevermind, I'm talking too much."
"Huh?"
She was a pretty person, he concluded, but rather ambiguous and secretive as well.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-28 01:57 am (UTC)BAWAHAHAHAHA!
"*you remind me of someone I used to date. I met him when he was more or less the same age you are.""*
You know, I think I'll wait for a while to publish my Xxxholic/CCs fic (that only shares a meeting under different circunstances and place but between the same characters...), because I'm having WAY too much fun with your London plotbunny. Seriously, it rocks in so many levels.... I can't wait to finally see the THE meeting. I'm loving so far how everyone is brilliantly in-character... and, maybe because I've been reading you enough to catch all the in-jokes, I can't stop squeeing when Kaho starts talking about Watanuki.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-28 11:07 am (UTC)Glad you're having fun. I also am. Wait the next installment for extra special crack.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 01:04 am (UTC)Loved Kaho's comments! And the color scheme mention reminded me that Spinel, Ruby and Larg are all going to be on the same place. Oh dear.
Oh, and Watanuki and Touya? They should start a support group. Guys Who See Dead People And Have To Deal With Drunk Wizards or something...
He didn't object at all
Why do I feel he didn't know WHO her friend was? >_< I mean, if he did, he must be suicidal...
no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 07:34 am (UTC)Now his clairvoyant powers suck, remember? If he still had them, he'd run away to Ireland for the weekend.