Archive of Our Own

        "Uh," said Watanuki, looking around the temple confused. Yes, it was still a temple. Inexplicably. "This isn't where I'm supposed to be," he muttered to himself. It was a habit of his he hadn't even noticed enough to try and break. "I'm supposed to take these copies over to the Master Scribe for checking. But my feet brought me here instead." Why exactly his feet felt that the trek through the town at mid-day was preferable to walking down the hallway Watanuki had no idea. No idea at all.

        "Don't worry," says a voice from the shadows. "It was inevitable."

        Watanuki jumped, and tried to find the source of the voice. Not in that corner, or that one - oh. There. Lounging in front of the Goddess' statue, and given those clothes -

        A high priestess.

        Watanuki thought a few choice words loudly enough they were practically spoken. He was an apprentice scribe, he knew many words.

        "What do you mean, inevitable?" he said, before his brain could catch up and tell his mouth what a really bad idea that was.

        "Unable to happen otherwise," said the high priestess. "According to the will of the gods, if you like."

        Oh. Well. That wasn't good. Watanuki was pretty sure. He was a religious enough person, there wasn't any trouble there - he might not be a priest or anything but he knew what the right things to do are, and he did them exactly as he ought - but he knew enough about stories with gods in to really not want to be part of one.

        "The gods don't want me to get my work in on time?" said the part of Watanuki's brain that reacts, not thinks. That part of his brain got him in trouble more than a little bit, and was quite possibly the reason he was still only an apprentice scribe, even at his age.

        The high priestess didn't seem to take offence, though, unlike most people. She just smiled at him. It wasn't entirely a reassuring smile.

        "What is your name, boy?" she asked.

        "Watanuki," said Watanuki. At this time of his life it didn't even occur to him that lying to a high priestess was even possible, let alone the done thing. Of course, at this time of his life all Watanuki knew about magic was what everyone knew about magic, he hadn't seen any personally, or any such thing.

        "Shall I see why the gods have brought you here, Watanuki?" asked the high priestess, smiling at him all the more.

        "Um," said Watanuki. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know, but at the same time he wasn't sure that not knowing would be, well, safe. The gods tended to be impatient with mortals that kept them waiting - or so the stories go. And even aside from that, he felt... strange. Like the world itself was pausing, waiting for his answer.

        "I suppose so," said Watanuki. If nothing else he'll be able to tell the Master Scribe exactly why his work wasn't on time. Even the Master Scribe knew better than to mess with the gods. Well. Probably, anyway.

        "Excellent choice," said the high priestess, leaning forwards.

        No matter how much he wanted to, Watanuki didn't run.