I just thought of writing this after reading a bunch of Soul Eater fanfiction and I started thinking on the beliefs about Death. Then of xxxHOLiC and how the dead and the other worlds work. And of my OC's position. And we have this story. There is no real reason for this story. It acts more of the process of thinking of certain people at a certain time. A "snapshot" scene so to speak. If you were expecting some kind of deep, complicated plot or deep philosophical thinking, this isn't really it (I personally don't see it as very in-depth of anything).

This is mostly a stand-alone story, with distant references to my Seasons Universe series. It was written more out of the need to clear my own mind about certain things concerning Shinigami than anything else really.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater or xxxHOLiC characters. I only own my OC

Warnings: Mentions of romance, some spoilers in xxxHOLiC (ch. 160-ish), Tsubasa Chronicles (ch. 200-ish) and Soul Eater (post-ch. 45)

Analysing Grim Reapers, Wish-Granters and Destruction Gods

"Ahh~ahh~… The tea is getting cold, ladies…"

"Ahhhh~… Yes, I know. To be honest, I've been spoiled. No offense to you, but I've had the very best of the best of culinary experiences and so I've become rather picky now. I do eat and drink everything from anyone, but for personal preference… If I have to chose, it's his cooking over everything else."

"Hmmm… Perfectly understandable, very much so." A slow slurp fills the room.

"But thank you for your hospitality and forgive the intrusion." Two burgundy-coloured, glove-clad hands lift the lukewarm cup of tea and take a quiet sip.

"The only think you drink is alcohol," the snarky-tone of voice sails from the albino-coloured girl, looking no older than 15. "And in actual fact, I do know for a fact that his cooking reminds you of the four-eyed dem-"

"Finishing that sentence will be very damaging to your health." A sharp glint and an evil smile is flashed, daring the girl to finish her sentence.

Smirking, she goes on to finish before being interrupted. "As I was saying, Kimi-chan's cooking is similar to that person's cooking. Either way, you're starting to sound like Shi-chan."

"Hmmm…Really now? As I recall, 'Shi-chan' doesn't really speak all that much unless necessary."

"There are many ways to communicate and Kimi-chan is an expert in 'Shi-chan speak'…"

"Kimi-chan? Shi-chan?" Getting interrupted again, only by the black-clad male with a skull mask instead, he makes an interjection away from the topic of teasing. "Who are these cute little girls?"

Both females spew out the tea they were sipping. Both decided quickly to end that topic after the interruption and wet their mouths before speaking again. Loud raucous laughter was forcibly emitted by the younger of the two; the laughter of the older of the two was more jubilant and more genuine.

Shinigami rarely had either of these two women in front of him, just having a tea party. The older woman brought two bottles of hanazake[1] and rice crackers. The younger girl brought homemade pastries for the occasion (Apparently, Kimi-chan was coerced into helping to make them; the excuse was due to his debt to the Witch. The girl thought he was prodded into helping her because the witch insinuated that his pastries were probably not good for consumption to a God of Death.). Silently looking at both of them over his teacup, he reminisces about the times he had met both of these women…

The Witch he had met a little before the incapacitation of Asura and his subsequent incarceration (if fastening his soul onto a city where he sealed Asura is considered incarceration…). Fascinating was a very weak word when describing the Witch. Her deep burgundy eyes practically sliced through him in their first meeting. Even wearing her traditional monochrome robes and the elaborate hair, the contrast between her night-coloured hair and her pale, almost white skin, had not made any impression on him except for her eyes. Her explanation about Asura, himself, and those he would train in his place (especially his son, Kid) was both eye-opening and worrying. But he doesn't have to worry as much as he did before, since he can tell that Shibusen will be fine and that his son is starting to understand his position as a shinigami (although, he had wished that Kid would not have to deal with such things until he was a bit older).

Though, he knows better it could have been a year ago or really any amount of time that the woman met him, since time and space travels rather differently between worlds. As of late, time-space has been completely distorted and even put much of his world at risk (the release of Asura was later considered a part of the pattern of the distortions, even if he knew for a fact that Medusa instigated it). However, she put some of his worries to rest, that everything was being done to prevent that person's wish from being granted. An interjection from the ex-Fire Goddess (although the "ex" part is now debatable considering her situation for just existing is considered a problem to some parties) pick on the actual wish itself and states that something will come from what He had done anyway, but it is never been stated that what compensation he accumulated would be equal to his wish.

Looking over the younger woman, he also remembers his first meeting of her. Although he had heard of her reputation and stories of her through his family and through rumour, it was quite different from what he had expected. Though, he realized later that taking into consideration for eons of eons of just wondering the worlds as a spirit, watching over one person and studying the worlds themselves and then gets reincarnated into the family that she practically founded in her previous life, a little personality change should have been expected.

However, calling her a "young woman" or even "little girl" really stretches the limit in defining the white-haired female. It was relative, her age, considering it's hard for Shinigami himself to consider this apparent young girl as an eons-old Goddess from a forgotten time and that she is way older than himself. That is considering that his very position as Death was once managed by the same girl and then passed on the responsibility to his family and compatriots when she started getting involved with that respectable young human Water God. Very long messy story there…

The golden-reddish (or blood red when agitated) eyes were much to old for his tastes, seen too much and knows much more than him, even with his own advanced age.

"It truly unnecessary for me to know everything that goes through your mind, Shin-chan."

Breaking out of his musing, Shinigami turns to face the object of his thoughts. The pale hair and now reddish eyes truly did not capture anything distinct about this woman (to him, she looks rather ordinary for a Goddess). Although, her body language and irritation showing in her eyes provided more than enough of what she is trying to say to him.

"Also, before I forget, Kimi-chan nor Shi-chan are girls. Both are attractive young men attracted to each other. I should also mention they are both only younger than the physical me by a year and a bit."

"Hmmm…Really now…"

"Yep. With Shizuka, since he dressed in girl's clothing because of Haruka, I termed him 'Shi-chan'. It helps to that I'm a girl who likes making pet names on occasion. Same with Kimihiro."

"But why 'Kimi-chan?'"

"I think only 'Syaoran-kun' and his family can call him by his first name, since they gave it to him. I'm pretty sure Shizuka calls him Kimi-chan on occasion just to provoke him; Kimihiro extremely hates it. Hiro doesn't sound right for him. So, Kimi-chan it is, from me."

"My, my. What a complicated answer."

"The easy answer is that I just wanted something simple. Better than 'Wata-chan' or 'hey you' from some people…"

"Hey! When I called him with 'chan' anywhere on his first or last name, he started keeping me from my precious liqueurs!"

"…You're going to destroy your liver one day…"

"Now you sound like him."

Sighing and slurping loudly on purpose to annoy the girl, he considers his position in Shibusen. He prays for his son's health and safety for the time being. The sins of the father should not be left to the children.

"You're thinking too loud again."

A tilt of the head. "I'm sorry."

"I know, but really…what happens, happens for a reason. It was neither a coincidence that Ashura went insane, nor was it something preventable. Something eventually would replace the void. It's the only way balance is persevered and allows the future to develop. And, and, and…

"Enough with ands! Sorry for the unnecessary speech. And just on the importance of names, calling him by his full name isn't very safe. Considering 'Syaoran's' relationship with him, I've taken on occasion using that name for both of them, if necessary. The name 'Watanuki' his more appropriate to call Kimi-chan constantly, because his given name is dangerous without prior knowledge to what power may be invoked for or used against him. Or more likely for both children."

At that point, both Death and the Witch looked down, knowingly of the consequences of such power. And indirectly, the power that all with influence cannot use directly for the sake of objectivity and for the sake of an unforeseen future. Though hope is faint, it does not fade from these powerful being's minds, because, for the sake of others and for the futures, they cannot make a mistake so far into this dangerous game.

As for our Hime[2], she walks up to the mirrors, showing everything and nothing in front of her.

She sees a Death God with the dark hood up, with his skull mask on the table, but the shadows preventing visibility to his face. A deep darkness seeps from his hood and through his cloak, preventing visibility of the male god's physique.

She sees a Wish-granter, dressed in a black suit (with a modest v-neckline at top and flaring lacy trims at the ends of her skirts, cuffs and top), in burgundy gloves (the only colour shown on her) and simple black pumps

D-E-A-T-H/W-I-T-C-H/G-O-D

At this point, a glimpse inside the minds of all the players should be considered appropriate, to fully appreciate their sentiments with everything that has happened as of the past several months (years, would be more accurate though). Of course, their thoughts are strictly though what has transpired at the story's very moment, rather than everything they have experienced (since it would take too long to completely describe without compromising everything else that is meant to happen).

Shinigami's own perspective and thoughts has already shaping his view of the events of all that exists. His own problems within his own domain are what are important in this story. His worries and his confidences with these two enigmatic women help organize his own thoughts, through (mostly) objective audiences. Though he cannot do anything directly to assist the meisters and other weapons, he can still influence an outcome from his position as a shinigami in charge of this world. Hopefully, it does not have a price that takes that which is important to him.

The Witch only can observe and not really interfere with Shinigami's domain, unless he wants to make a wish. Yes, mostly calm acceptance and a tint of sadness that some things are preventable; she does feel some sympathy for the Death God's problems. Not only Kishin Ashura loose in his world, he cannot prevent any disasters of madness with him practically prostrated in Death City. On top of that, a flare of power from his son, Death the Kid, is starting to make him uneasy. A young god missing, in trouble or dying and an angry, parental God of Death is not easy to pacify with superficial rational. She is the same, not able to interfere directly with Fei Wong Reed's plans and also not able to completely protect Watanuki on her own or Syaoran's group either. For both of them, they can only watch as those they treasure are left to their own devices for better or worse. A calm, but depressing acceptance.

As for The God, she has little thought of either the shinigami or the witch's worries, simply because it is considered a waste of her time and energy in something that you simply can't prevent because it is unfavourable. She looks forward to the growth of each individual both Yuuko and Shinigami-sama watches over, because she knows that you live for as long as you let yourself to do so. At the time of their death is what makes that person as much as whom they are before inevitability. A good person is a good person and will die a good person, only if they died doing something that his considered a normal good thing that they usually do. She sees all and does nothing, since one can only create happiness through their own means; a hard lesson she wishes to impress upon all.

NOTES:

[1] A variation of awamori, an alcoholic drink made from rice through distillation – Wikipedia

[2] It's up to your discretion to what this name means.

I went and re-wrote over and over this particular one-shot, simply because it never seemed to fit into anything related to what chapters I've based Yuuko and Shinigami-sama's thoughts. It ended up with a lot of their thoughts in a rather generalized manner, morso for Shinigami since I've never had a specific event, other than its post-Ashura release. Yuuko is mostly post-ch.200 in Tsubasa because it reveals both R-Syaoran and Watanuki's relationship, it's a given to how far the series spoilers go to understand where my story seems to fall into. I did interconnect a lot of the events, similar to how the TRC characters say that certain things happen because it is a part of a pattern of events that lead up to the situation you (the person) are, at present. I'm not completely happy with what it ended up to be, but I am happy that it retained most of what I intended to write on.

Thank you very much for reading.