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mtxref_ficAuthor's Note: Written for fic_promptly's Yami no Matsuei/Sandman, Tsuzuki and Death, "Death's other kingdom" ("The Hollow Men"- T.S. Eliot)
Tsuzuki didn't remember seeing her in the office before, the pretty, pale girl with the spiky black hair, clad in a black Gothic lolita-style gown with a silver cross with a loop at the top, worn on a chain around her slim neck. She seemed new here, and yet, she looked around her with an air of familiarity.
"Hey there, you new here?" he asked, giving her a friendly grin.
She returned the grin with a smile, her eyes, with the odd, swirly black makeup at the corners crinkling in a friendly way. "Nope, I've been here before: I drop in to check on things from time to time, see how it's going here," she said. "It's been a long time since I was here last, and I hate to be a stranger."
He blinked. He'd sensed something about her, something gently dark, like a warm summer night, but powerful, the way summer nights sometimes bring thunderstorms. "Oh... I'm sorry, I thought you were a new case worker, or maybe a mortal who'd been brought here for protection."
"You're close: sometimes I visit the mortal world to remind myself what this is all about," she says. "Things like hot dogs and park benches and feeding the pigeons."
He realized then just what, let alone who she was, and he got down on his knees, head bowed. "You'll have to forgive me, your ladyship, I didn't know."
She put her soft, warm little hand on his shoulder, nudging him to get up. "Aw, come on: there's no need for that," she said. "You're embarrassing me."
He looked up into her face as best as he could when she was looking away modestly. "Sorry, I didn't want to offend you by being so casual. I get in trouble a lot for that."
"But that's what makes you so cute and why you're really so good at what you do," she said. "You're at ease with people and you help them feel safe." She held out a hand to him. "Come on, stand up, silly."
Now it was his turn to blush and look away modestly as he took her hand and stood up. "And I can see why everything winds up having a thing for you: you're as cute as a puppy."
"Oh, I do my best: I meet people on the worst day in their existence and I just want them to feel at ease," he said.
"And from what I've seen, you're doing a great job of that," she said.
"You sure? Tatsumi's always on my case, about how slow I am getting my paperwork filed, or because I spend too much money on meals."
She frowned, angered, but the way her nose crinkled up made her look adorable. "Oooh, I'm gonna have a talk with him about that: if you ask me, you need a raise for the work that you do."
"Really? Thanks!" he said, grinning. "Helps to have friends in high places, I guess."
"I think I need to come here more often and shake things up..."
Tsuzuki didn't remember seeing her in the office before, the pretty, pale girl with the spiky black hair, clad in a black Gothic lolita-style gown with a silver cross with a loop at the top, worn on a chain around her slim neck. She seemed new here, and yet, she looked around her with an air of familiarity.
"Hey there, you new here?" he asked, giving her a friendly grin.
She returned the grin with a smile, her eyes, with the odd, swirly black makeup at the corners crinkling in a friendly way. "Nope, I've been here before: I drop in to check on things from time to time, see how it's going here," she said. "It's been a long time since I was here last, and I hate to be a stranger."
He blinked. He'd sensed something about her, something gently dark, like a warm summer night, but powerful, the way summer nights sometimes bring thunderstorms. "Oh... I'm sorry, I thought you were a new case worker, or maybe a mortal who'd been brought here for protection."
"You're close: sometimes I visit the mortal world to remind myself what this is all about," she says. "Things like hot dogs and park benches and feeding the pigeons."
He realized then just what, let alone who she was, and he got down on his knees, head bowed. "You'll have to forgive me, your ladyship, I didn't know."
She put her soft, warm little hand on his shoulder, nudging him to get up. "Aw, come on: there's no need for that," she said. "You're embarrassing me."
He looked up into her face as best as he could when she was looking away modestly. "Sorry, I didn't want to offend you by being so casual. I get in trouble a lot for that."
"But that's what makes you so cute and why you're really so good at what you do," she said. "You're at ease with people and you help them feel safe." She held out a hand to him. "Come on, stand up, silly."
Now it was his turn to blush and look away modestly as he took her hand and stood up. "And I can see why everything winds up having a thing for you: you're as cute as a puppy."
"Oh, I do my best: I meet people on the worst day in their existence and I just want them to feel at ease," he said.
"And from what I've seen, you're doing a great job of that," she said.
"You sure? Tatsumi's always on my case, about how slow I am getting my paperwork filed, or because I spend too much money on meals."
She frowned, angered, but the way her nose crinkled up made her look adorable. "Oooh, I'm gonna have a talk with him about that: if you ask me, you need a raise for the work that you do."
"Really? Thanks!" he said, grinning. "Helps to have friends in high places, I guess."
"I think I need to come here more often and shake things up..."
