Oct 15, 2008 04:13
NAME: Yuuko Ichihara
AGE: Unknown
BIRTHDAY: Unknown
HEIGHT: Roughly six feet
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Long black hair, red brown eyes
FANDOM: xxxHOLiC (crosses over with Tsubasa)
TIMELINE PERIOD: The end of volume 12
Yuuko Ichihara’s origins are unknown (Yuuko Ichihara is in fact an assumed name). She owns a little shop in Japan where people can go to get their wishes granted, but always at a price. Her shop has wards on the gates, and only those who need to can enter. She has also been called the space-time witch, and her symbol is the butterfly.
Yuuko is very fond of liquor and food, and is constantly making Watanuki (her employee) cook for her, and fetch eki-kyabe to help with her hangovers. She also has him clean out her “treasure room”, which is full of odd or mysterious items, most of which she received as payment for some sort of service. Although she seems very strange at first, she is very wise and knowledgeable about spirits and magic. She is well known in the magical world, and has connections to the fox-spirits and Clow Reed. Customers at her shop include an ame-warashi and a group of karasu tengu.
One day, visitors appear out of the sky. First is Syaoran, holding an unconscious Sakura. He is followed by Fai and Kurogane. Yuuko sends them on their journey to recover Sakura’s memories, and gives them Mokona Modoki, a creature she created with the help of Clow Reed. She herself keeps Mokona’s twin, and the Mokonas allow her to communicate with Syaoran’s group. She is also monitoring and occasionally assisting the spiritual journey of her employee Kimihiro Watanuki and his friends Shizuka Doumeki and Hinawari Kunogi. Although Watanuki often finds working for her frustrating, she also acts as his friend and mentor, offering advice, usually in the form of cryptic messages.
Although she doesn’t often show it, Yuuko is burdened by the knowledge of what will come. However, she cannot interfere unless someone wishes for it. She is something of a philosopher, saying that everything is hitsuzen (Japanese word meaning fate or destiny).
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