I wonder what life will be like for Chihiro when she gets older.


Sometimes, occasionally, very very occasionally, Chihiro thinks she will snap and combust spontaneously thus taking out everybody within a hundred mile range if she encounters one more snarky, demanding, irritating bastard who probably didn't speak a single lick of Japanese but as this was her summer job that her mother and father had got for her so she had to stay and not lose her temper and in proxy not lose her parent's face -

But there.

She was thinking too much.

So she smiled, a sweet demure 18-year old Japanese girl who was far too monkey-faced to be called pretty in the traditional sense and spoke through gritted teeth, "How may I help you, Sir?" It was, a rather good accent, she thought. The black-haired one looked back at her, tipped his shades back and said in laconic, perfect Japanese, "I would prefer a room."

...

Ah.

She coughed, smiled weakly, tried to regain her composure, grinded her teeth again. Never was she going to accept any job that her parents had got for her. "Really? There are some available rooms on the third, fifth and uh -" She glanced at the computer. "Sixth floor." She looked at the two people standing in front of her. The one who had irritated her so much was now standing at an angle, smirking hugely while the other, blonder, bluer-eyed man was looking slightly panicky. "... I suppose you would like a room with double beds?"

The dark-haired man leaned forward, placing his elbows on the reception. She leaned back immediately, fingering the purple rope she had looped around her wrist. It was, she figured, a lucky charm. She didn't know why. Somehow, against all odds, even when she thought she had lost the thing, it always came back. Anyways, it was good enough to be warranted as a lucky charm. He looked down, following her gaze. From what she could see of his forehead, he frowned. Then, he jerked back, snatching his elbows away. Ha.

Blue-eyed, blond-haired guest coughed awkwardly, and then spoke up. "Yes, we would indeed prefer double beds -"

"Oh no, we won't." Black-haired irritant cut in. "We'd like a normal room -"

"We will not." The blond-haired snapped, face colouring. "I will certainly not."

"Yes, we will, and we shall, so -" He made to lean against the receptionist counter again, then frowned and moved away slightly when Chihiro planted her left wrist on the desk. "If you won't mind, miss, I'd rather get a room instead of -" And here he broke off into rattling, incomprehensible English. Chihiro pasted on the biggest fake smile she could muster, which wasn't really very big.

"Twin beds?" She said. Besides, blond-haired was so much nicer than dark-haired, though the implications... She felt red heat burning up her neck and face. Well. It was not as though she had not read yaoi before. It was not her business. It was not her business. But - And it was pretty weird, the way they were not carrying any luggage. She determinedly avoided looking at dark-haired. He was smirking when she started blushing. He most decidedly wasn't now. "We do have a free room with twin beds."

"Yes, dear. We shall take it." Blond-haired snatched up the card she placed on the counter, promptly looked horrified at his impoliteness, dropped the card again. "Thank you very much, miss. We shall appreciate it." He then picked the card up with more gentleness, spun around on his foot even though he wasn't a really slim man, per se, mused Chihiro. He then spoke in English towards black-haired, who was currently sulking a few feet away from blond-haired.

At a couple more sentences, black-haired made to follow, then stopped, raised a hand at blond-haired who raised his eyebrows and said something which Chihiro couldn't catch and English was supposed to be among her best subjects- "Miss, may I ask you something?" She frowned, looked at black-haired. She remembered herself. "Uh, yes?"

"Who gave you that bracelet thingy?" He jabbed a finger towards her lucky charm, wrinkling his forehead in slight distaste.

"Oh -" She looked down at it. Funny how she was unable to remember. But then, it was just a purple bracelet charm. "I... To be honest, I'm not very sure."

"Really now?" He was looking at her from behind his shades, staring directly into her eyes, she was sure of it, and she couldn't stand that unseen, forceful glare, so she brought her head down, looking at the polished wood of the counter -

Her pretty, purple bracelet charm sparkled.

Or glinted.

Trick of light, of sorts.

- and she looked up, staring straight into those hidden eyes, those hidden forceful, eyes, and she said, "Yes."

Dark-haired straightened, tugged his tie, made an odd jerky motion that might or may not have been a salute. "Ah. I see. One of those things, I sssee. Well then, see you, miss, take care of yourself and all that guff -" And he strode off, languid and graceful and poised, full of grace that only came with serpents -

Chihiro winced slightly, and rubbed her slightly sweating forehead with her left palm. Of all the impolite, rude questions. She half-opened her eyes, and looked at the pretty, purple bracelet charm. "One of what things? Goodness, I can't even remember who gave you to me..." She fingered the charm gently. It doubled up as a hair tie, and only acted as a charm when moonlighting.

"Whoever it was. I owe them, mm?"


Crowley threw open the door.

"Angel -"

"Crowley dear, I really do think you can do better than asking her flat-out, you do know how proper courtesy is valued here -"

"Ah, now. She can't even remember who gave her that thing."

Aziraphale paused, midway through unpacking a very large, tartan suitcase that had somehow appeared in the room. "She cannot?"

Crowley nodded with grim satisfaction. "Yup. Nada. Zip. Zilch."

Aziraphale shrugged, then continued with his unpacking.

"And why would you want to know, dear? It was most likely given by some..." He paused for a minute. "Hmm. Guardian god from this area. This area is full of them." His pale face darkened slightly. "Well. Was."

"Aren't you supposed to be happier?" Crowley was now stretched full-length on the bed, yawning. "What, more creatures of another faith being stamped out, yada yadda yadda, more opportunities to con..." He stilled.

"Yes. Well. If I do remember correctly, there was once a bath. Very wonderful, quaint place. They remember your name for ages."

"... Oh yes. Yubaba?"

"Precisely, that's her name. I cannot feel the bath around here anymore, you know..."

"Where was it?"

"Around. Hm. A forest a few miles from here..."

"Maybe you can bring me there?"

"How can you know her name and not know the bath? They were practically synonymous..."

"Angel, the old witch is famous for her sideline in information of a sensitive matter."

"Ah. I am not sure if I want to know about it, even if it seems very interesting..."

"Whatever. Bath? Tomorrow?" The enormous grin on Crowley's face was too wide.

"I -" Aziraphale caught Crowley's eyes. "Well, I suppose I must -"

"You will." Crowley smiled, a huge shit-eating smile. "You know you want to."

And because there were no appropriate answers to such utter rudeness, Aziraphale did not bother to reply. He just blushed. And that, was enough of an answer.


end.