xxxHolic/Discworld, take 7
Dec. 18th, 2006 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rallamajoopOne final epilogue to conclude the xxxHolic/Discworld crossover series. (Pending any further unexpected bursts of inspiration, anyway. It feels pretty final though, and that's good enough for me at this stage.)
Title: Of Heroes and Sidekicks (aka, the one that is all![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rusalkaz’s fault)
Summary: In which the owner of the luggage turns out to have more in common with Watanuki than either had realised.
Spoilers: None, though, y'know, you might want to read the other parts first
Previous parts:
Part 1: Just Another Tuesday
Part 2: Binky
Part 3: A Death in the Family
Epilogue 1: The Luggage
Cripple Mr Onion (not a chronological part of the series, but part of the same crossover)
“It’s not that I like having it around,” said Rincewind gloomily, toeing the ground just hard enough to start the swing he was perched on moving back and forth in a sad sort of way, “but if I don’t find it it always finds me eventually. And it does keep my spare underwear clean. It sometimes eats things that are trying to eat me too.”
“It did that a few times while it was here,” Watanuki told him. It had tried to eat Himawari too, which had not been one of the better moments of Watanuki’s life, but he had come to accept that this had been a misunderstanding.
“Oh dear,” said Rincewind, sounding unsurprised. “Do you get a lot of monsters around here?”
“I’m afraid so. They never go away.”
“The giant kind with all the claws and teeth?”
“Mostly the floating, blobby kind with lots of eyes.”
“Ah. I always hated that kind. Er… you’re not going to get eaten when the luggage leaves, are you? Not that I can leave it here either way, but…” Rincewind’s expression implied that he’d feel a bit guilty about this if it happened, and would rather avoid it if it wouldn’t actually put him in too much danger to do so.
“No, no, it’ll be fine, there’s…” Watanuki supposed he might as well just admit it and get it over with. “There’s always Doumeki.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s… a bit like the luggage. He takes care of the monsters. But mostly, he just hangs around and eats a lot.”
“Ah,” said Rincewind knowingly. “A hero. I never did deal very well with heroes.”
“What part of that jerk is a hero?” Watanuki protested. “He’s not… he always… he never… Well, I am not the damsel in distress! I even have to save him sometimes!”
“There’s always ‘sidekick’,” suggested Rincewind.
“I’m not going to be his sidekick either! He can be my sidekick. I’m the one Yuuko always gives these jobs to. He just tags along. And sometimes there aren’t even any monsters.”
Rincewind looked wistful. “There are just never enough of those days, are there?”
Behind both of them, there was a roar - some distance away, but getting closer.
“Did you hear that?” said Watanuki.
“If I say ‘no’, it’s still going to try to eat us, isn’t it?”
“Almost definitely.”
“That friend of yours isn’t around is he?” Rincewind asked hopefully.
“He went home.”
“What about the luggage?”
“It’s back at Yuuko’s, it was having an eating contest with Mokona.” They’d been at it all morning – the luggage was turning out to be very competitive. Maru and Moro had been feeding them both everything Yuuko would let them use. Watanuki didn’t know where things the luggage ate went to, but from the sight of some of the things Mokona had been swallowing, he could only hope that Syaoran and co were somewhere with plenty of space.
There was another approaching roar. Watanuki sighed. “Race you back to the shop?”
Rincewind took a stance an Olympic runner would have been proud of. “I’d offer you a head start,” he said apologetically, “but I have this inbuilt survival instinct that just won’t let me.”
“That’s alright. I’m good at running. I get lots of practice,” Watanuki assured him.
DO YOU NEED SOMEONE TO SAY GO? A voice offered helpfully. There was a rustle and a clink as what looked like an hourglass that had been dragged screaming backwards through an Escher painting was produced and examined.
Watanuki considered the rapidly retreating back which was all that could now be seen of Rincewind. “Thanks, but I don’t think we do.”
JUST THOUGHT I’D OFFER.
There was no reply – everyone who might conceivably have done so was accelerating away far too fast.
***
By the time they got back to the shop, Mokona and the luggage had run out of things Yuuko would let them eat, but it was eventually agreed that the monster Rincewind and Watanuki had so helpfully lead home to the luggage’s waiting teeth had to be worth enough extra points that Mokona reluctantly admitted defeat.
And, six parts later, finally it concludes! This is, for the record, far more mileage than I ever expected to get from the idea back when I commented at the bottom of the first part that it seemed to want an epilogue or a sequel of some kind, although it’s quite satisfying to do a mental tally now and realise that in the process I’ve managed to cover the entire main xxxHolic cast (Watanuki, Yuuko, Doumeki, Himawari, with quick nods to Mokona, Maru and Moro, Clow Reed and even the Tsubasa crew), the entire Discworld Death family (Death, Binky, The Death of Rats, Quoth the Raven, Susan and even a little side mention of Albert), one of the Lancre witches, and even given some screentime to the original Discworld wizzard and the luggage he can never manage to lose. I’ve missed everyone from the Watch series, of course, but they’re not so big on the whole interdimensional travel thing, so I’m pretty happy to leave it at that.
So I think I’m done this time. Thank you all for reading - while I've said this before, if the early parts hadn't gotten such a great response, it probably never would have gotten half this long. ^_^
Title: Of Heroes and Sidekicks (aka, the one that is all
rusalkaz’s fault)Summary: In which the owner of the luggage turns out to have more in common with Watanuki than either had realised.
Spoilers: None, though, y'know, you might want to read the other parts first
Previous parts:
Part 1: Just Another Tuesday
Part 2: Binky
Part 3: A Death in the Family
Epilogue 1: The Luggage
Cripple Mr Onion (not a chronological part of the series, but part of the same crossover)
“It’s not that I like having it around,” said Rincewind gloomily, toeing the ground just hard enough to start the swing he was perched on moving back and forth in a sad sort of way, “but if I don’t find it it always finds me eventually. And it does keep my spare underwear clean. It sometimes eats things that are trying to eat me too.”
“It did that a few times while it was here,” Watanuki told him. It had tried to eat Himawari too, which had not been one of the better moments of Watanuki’s life, but he had come to accept that this had been a misunderstanding.
“Oh dear,” said Rincewind, sounding unsurprised. “Do you get a lot of monsters around here?”
“I’m afraid so. They never go away.”
“The giant kind with all the claws and teeth?”
“Mostly the floating, blobby kind with lots of eyes.”
“Ah. I always hated that kind. Er… you’re not going to get eaten when the luggage leaves, are you? Not that I can leave it here either way, but…” Rincewind’s expression implied that he’d feel a bit guilty about this if it happened, and would rather avoid it if it wouldn’t actually put him in too much danger to do so.
“No, no, it’ll be fine, there’s…” Watanuki supposed he might as well just admit it and get it over with. “There’s always Doumeki.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s… a bit like the luggage. He takes care of the monsters. But mostly, he just hangs around and eats a lot.”
“Ah,” said Rincewind knowingly. “A hero. I never did deal very well with heroes.”
“What part of that jerk is a hero?” Watanuki protested. “He’s not… he always… he never… Well, I am not the damsel in distress! I even have to save him sometimes!”
“There’s always ‘sidekick’,” suggested Rincewind.
“I’m not going to be his sidekick either! He can be my sidekick. I’m the one Yuuko always gives these jobs to. He just tags along. And sometimes there aren’t even any monsters.”
Rincewind looked wistful. “There are just never enough of those days, are there?”
Behind both of them, there was a roar - some distance away, but getting closer.
“Did you hear that?” said Watanuki.
“If I say ‘no’, it’s still going to try to eat us, isn’t it?”
“Almost definitely.”
“That friend of yours isn’t around is he?” Rincewind asked hopefully.
“He went home.”
“What about the luggage?”
“It’s back at Yuuko’s, it was having an eating contest with Mokona.” They’d been at it all morning – the luggage was turning out to be very competitive. Maru and Moro had been feeding them both everything Yuuko would let them use. Watanuki didn’t know where things the luggage ate went to, but from the sight of some of the things Mokona had been swallowing, he could only hope that Syaoran and co were somewhere with plenty of space.
There was another approaching roar. Watanuki sighed. “Race you back to the shop?”
Rincewind took a stance an Olympic runner would have been proud of. “I’d offer you a head start,” he said apologetically, “but I have this inbuilt survival instinct that just won’t let me.”
“That’s alright. I’m good at running. I get lots of practice,” Watanuki assured him.
DO YOU NEED SOMEONE TO SAY GO? A voice offered helpfully. There was a rustle and a clink as what looked like an hourglass that had been dragged screaming backwards through an Escher painting was produced and examined.
Watanuki considered the rapidly retreating back which was all that could now be seen of Rincewind. “Thanks, but I don’t think we do.”
JUST THOUGHT I’D OFFER.
There was no reply – everyone who might conceivably have done so was accelerating away far too fast.
***
By the time they got back to the shop, Mokona and the luggage had run out of things Yuuko would let them eat, but it was eventually agreed that the monster Rincewind and Watanuki had so helpfully lead home to the luggage’s waiting teeth had to be worth enough extra points that Mokona reluctantly admitted defeat.
And, six parts later, finally it concludes! This is, for the record, far more mileage than I ever expected to get from the idea back when I commented at the bottom of the first part that it seemed to want an epilogue or a sequel of some kind, although it’s quite satisfying to do a mental tally now and realise that in the process I’ve managed to cover the entire main xxxHolic cast (Watanuki, Yuuko, Doumeki, Himawari, with quick nods to Mokona, Maru and Moro, Clow Reed and even the Tsubasa crew), the entire Discworld Death family (Death, Binky, The Death of Rats, Quoth the Raven, Susan and even a little side mention of Albert), one of the Lancre witches, and even given some screentime to the original Discworld wizzard and the luggage he can never manage to lose. I’ve missed everyone from the Watch series, of course, but they’re not so big on the whole interdimensional travel thing, so I’m pretty happy to leave it at that.
So I think I’m done this time. Thank you all for reading - while I've said this before, if the early parts hadn't gotten such a great response, it probably never would have gotten half this long. ^_^
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 01:49 pm (UTC)ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE EPILOGUE. XDXD
Was that Death offering himself?
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:05 am (UTC)No no, just offering to say 'go'. Just because he's the anthropomorphic personification of death doesn't mean he can't be helpful when he gets the chance (not that Rincewind would ever have waited long enough, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?).
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 02:23 pm (UTC)He’s… a bit like the luggage.
*snort snort wahahahaha!* Watanuki dear!... *wipes tears* Just accept the 'hero' part, will ya? XD *remember a certain Dicworld hero with literally shining smile and dies* XD
“If I say ‘no’, it’s still going to try to eat us, isn’t it?”
Love love love! XD Of course Susan's ways won't work for them XD
JUST THOUGHT I’D OFFER.
Always the thoughtful and considerate, eh? *huggles dear old Death* XD
Aaaah xxxHolic and Discworld fit together so well, it must be hitsuzen or something lol It was a great trip! Thank you so much! :D *huuuuugs*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 02:34 pm (UTC)*remembers a certain Discworld hero with literally shining smile and dies*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:26 am (UTC)Really, I should thank you for giving me the idea for this last part - it's a much more satisfying place to end the series than after the previous one. <3 Feel free to throw ideas like this one my way any time!*
*Although not right now, because I still haven't finished the last one you inadvertently gave me. But any time after that.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:58 am (UTC)Oh right you said no new ideas for now, right? XDDD Sowwy! And thanks again! :D
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-29 10:56 am (UTC)Feel free to use and pimp them to anyother Discworld fans you may know.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-29 11:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:34 am (UTC)Yeah, there must have been a giant war between natural Doumeki-hate and not wanting to let someone else worry about him going on behind that one. I've really had so very much fun writing this series - and it's always fantastic to hear people have been having fun reading it too.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:40 pm (UTC)Thanks for sharing!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 01:50 am (UTC)Be careful what you wish for - you know how much those things can cost you. ^_~ But I think this time I really am just about done with this series. This feels like a pretty good place to end it, and even this monster had to run out of new material eventually. ^^;
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 05:50 am (UTC)Eh, you'll find another series to cross Holic with, I'm sure.
Damn plot bunnies just have a very bad habit of planting ideas, don't they?
no subject
Date: 2007-04-05 05:42 pm (UTC)Discworld. xXxHolic.
THE WORLD IS PERFECT
no subject
Date: 2007-04-06 01:05 pm (UTC)ameliapeabody on lj, just too lazy to log in...
Date: 2008-07-12 06:32 am (UTC)[“I’m not going to be his sidekick either! He can be my sidekick. I’m the one Yuuko always gives these jobs to. He just tags along. And sometimes there aren’t even any monsters.”
Rincewind looked wistful. “There are just never enough of those days, are there?”]
SNORT. Excuse me, I need to go clean orange juice off my computer keyboard...