Sometimes, just sometimes when Kuroko wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the palace he'd go to the city below. It was a huge city that stretched as far as the eye could see and it was one Kuroko only held fond memories of. Even now the hasty movement on the mainstreet cheered him up as all seemed to be moving with purpose. Something he often felt he was lacking. The streets were riddled with confetti and candy that hadn't been caught during the parade a few days ago. The parade had been for his father's birthday. The streetcleaners had done their best but Kuroko knew that the confetti would be lingering for at least one more week even with cleaning spells and elementalists helping. The banners had mostly been taken down but here and there were still a few hanging out of someone's window or store. Kuroko thought that the lingering atmosphere of the festivities was far more spectacular than the ball in the palace had been.
Above him the sky was filled with doves, ravens and even a few owls and eagles here and there. Each either carrying a message or returning from having done so. It filled him with desire to be one of the citizens. To have such connections. The people interacted freely with eachother here. Kuroko longed to experience the same. It was why he was now here. He left the mainstreet once he reached the armorstore. In the alley he was entering now was an orphanage. It was here that he spend most of his time out of the palace. He enjoyed their genuine wonder and amazement at the world. The way they remained bright even without a parent to love and cherish them. It was something he had never managed after his mother's death.
Most of the children were in the alley, running as they skirted around the people getting to work, forever laughing. The girl who was keeping an eye on them looked tired and wary. Likely waiting for a paper bomb to be thrown against one of the passerby's heads. The first one to notice him was one of the older kids.
"Tetsu!" he greeted. As one the rest of the children's head swung around to look for him. Small bodies threw themselves at him. Words and greeting were shouted, each kid trying to get his own piece in. A warm feeling bloomed in his chest. It was all worth it. He placed his hand on a few heads.
"Where have you been?" One finally managed to make himself heard over the others. When Kuroko opened his mouth to answer they immediately all fell silent. Like his words were gospel.
"I've been busy with my lessons." Before any of them could ask what kind of lessons he offered.
"Want to see some magic?" Shouts of excitement and agreement followed. One of the kids ran inside. Kuroko waited.
The kid came back and presented him a chair. Kuroko smiled at him and sat down. He leaned forwards, both his hands fists and then, finger by finger, he unfurled them. Blue butterflies flew from his hand. The kids ooh'ed and aah'ed, trying to catch the flying wonders and running after them when they escaped. The few children who hadn't ran of stared at him beseechingly. Kuroko already knew what they wanted. Gently he instructed them on how to create the butterflies themselves. When one of the older kids managed to make his own bright orange butterfly appear Kuroko left them to it, knowing they would help each other. Magic like this cost almost nothing.
The girl who had been leaning against the door of the orphanage smiled gratefully at him. He returned the expression before entering the orphanage. It didn't take long before he found himself standing in the kitchen next to the matron.
She was making preparations for dinner with a few of the teenagers helping her out.
"What new trick did you learn those brats this time? I swear by the gods, if you taught them another one of those prank bombs, I'll..."
Kuroko shrugged at her. "Nothing destructive I promise, just how to conjure light butterflies."
She frowned worriedly at him. "Nothing illegal I hope? The guards are cracking down hard on most magic these days. "
Kuroko shook his head. "They're just pretty lights. The guards won't mention it."
"Good, good." She said distractedly as she waved one of the younger teens away from an over boiling pot. While she chastised the girl for not having put a wooden spoon on top Kuroko spelled the mess away. When the matron noticed she seemed a bit flabbergasted.
"But, the water...?" She questioned, looking around the kitchen. The oldest boy nodded his head towards Kuroko.
"He took care of it, Sasa."
"Oh. Well, thanks, I suppose. " After that there wasn't anymore conversation. Kuroko mostly sat at the table now and then preventing some cooking disasters with a twitch of his fingers. It made him wonder how Sasa normally coped without the help of magic. When dinner was finished he helped setting the table in the dining room before going out to collect the children. Except for the blue butterflies there were now also orange, purple and red examples. Only one of the kids he had explained it to hadn't gotten it yet. The other three were rallied around her, pointing out helpful tips. After another second or two a green butterfly crawled from her palm. For a moment it seemed like it wasn't going to fly but then it spread it's wing and took to the skies. The girl face lightened up and before she could even think to cheer out her success she was buried under a pile of hugging bodies who were all equally excited for her.
"Well done." All four kids looked up at him before a grin spread as one across their faces.
"Thanks!" One of the kids answered his smile now so wide it must have hurt.
Kuroko told them to head inside for dinner was finished. It took a bit longer to collect the other kids but a few minutes later found them all in the dining room. He was just about to sit down himself when he heard the matron questioning where someone named Mukuro was. One of the kids answered that he hadn't left his room today. When he heard Sasa sigh tiredly at that answer he offered to go and get the child. She thanked him and explained that Mukuro's room was on the third floor, the last door on the right hallway.
When he opened said door he was surprised to find the room dark, curtains closed. The air smelled stale and old. He wondered when the window had last been opened. There was no child in the room. There was a spider though.
He blinked and shook the illusion of. While the room was still quite dark, the air was fresh now. A small child was seated on the bed. His hair was dark, night blue and his eyes likely would have been the same if not for the one red eye. A rune seemed to be carved into it. Apprehension rose in him. Such magic was painful and costing in sacrifice. He wondered who had the coldheartedness to do it to a child.
"You must be Mukuro." He spoke, tone soft.
"Kufufu, and who might you be?" the boy chuckled with a voice low .
"Tetsuya. The children here call me Tetsu. I'd tell you to do the same but I suspect you're no longer a child, are you?" He didn't give out his full name, knowing the risk that came associated with it, the realization that would dawn.
"I would say I'm different from the children here, kufufu." There was something about the kid that made Kuroko think that this orphanage with all it's happiness and brightness was a bad fit for Mukuro. Like he'd thrive better in an environment were people knew about suffering. Knew about the filth that walked the earth, covered it. It wasn't just orphanage that was a bad fit for Mukuro. It were children in themselves that were a bad fit for the boy.
Someone who had seen the worst of humanity and couldn't bear to see the best of it day after day. It inspired paranoia. Kuroko could understand. The children here were refreshing after all of the palace politics but they were also painful for they told a tale of what could have been.
"Well, then why don't I adopt you?"
The child looked at him shrewdly. Kuroko didn't like that look on a child's face. It was too close to his own at that age. The distrust of others.
'Tetsuya is in the corner, under a hastily woven but strong illusion from his mom. Crimson fluid is spreading to his little corner of the room and he makes himself even smaller, desperately not wanting it to touch him. It reaches all the same. '
The child let out a cold chuckle. "Kufufufu, I'll accept your help for now."
He saw it, Kuroko realized. Kuroko laughed softly."You're a tad like me, aren't you?"
Before the boy could react Kuroko proposed they head down to dinner. Afterwards Kuroko approached Sasa about adopting Mukuro. She was hesitant about it, told him there was something strange about the kid. A sad smile had been her answer.
When Kuroko left the orphanage that evening it was with a ward.
The belt swung down for the umpteenth time. Kuroko bit down on his already bitten through lip feeling the sweat drip down his face as the blood did down his back. The flesh of his back was probably torn to pieces by now. For a moment the lashes stopped and Kuroko prepared himself for the hit he knew would come. Hard. A foot connected violently with his stomach causing him fly with his back against the wall. For the first time that night he cried out. At last the beating had stopped. He looked up slowly, the first thing he saw being his father's face. It looked strange, scrunched up. He left the room. Alexandra entered the room. Her long blonde waves were pinned up. He saw the pity in her blue eyes. Normally he got along reasonably with her but he despised her when she looked at him like that. Her condition was little better than his. She might not be covered in injuries like him but emotionally there was little difference between them.
Alexandra tried to tend to his wounds, but he automatically shied away from her touch. A sigh escaped from her ruby red lips.
She used to be one of the armies greatest assets; a smart woman and one of the best sword fighters in the empire. Then the council wanted his father to pick a consort or wife. She was removed from the army. All because the council thought his father needed more children. The two of them got along quite well. However, there were times where he couldn't stem the bitter feeling that would rise at the knowledge that she was replacing his mother. His mother who had died because of the abuse.
"I'll go get the nurse."
Akashi looked at the emperor they had helped years ago and felt slightly …nauseous. The boy that they had made a contract with years ago hadn't been the most pure person on earth, but this person his soul was absolutely vile. He suddenly felt happy that they hadn't put a price on their help years ago and had decided to think it over and come for their reward later. The years had been kind to their contractor. He hadn't been a beautiful boy, but he had grown up to be a somewhat handsome man. Nowhere near their own beauty but then again he had yet to see a mortal who was.
After arguing for a few decades the group of demons still hadn't agreed on what they wanted as reward. Akashi had decided for them to go to human realm and see if there was anything worth having. Right now he was discussing their stay. Well, discussing…more demanding.
"I can't have your …kind going around the castle what are the nobles going to think of me?"
Akashi listened to the man's whining and decided to forego the asking and just take. He sent a look at Haizaki and Aomine. Aomine grinned while Haizaki just che'd. They both did what he asked though. Suddenly they were in front of the man's throne. Haizaki grabbed the man by the throat with his left hand and hefted him up while Aomine leaned closer to the man's face.
"I think you're misunderstanding something here. We're not asking if we can stay. We're saying that we're staying." Aomine said softly with a dangerous edge to his voice.
"Fine ,You can stay!" The man rasped out with trouble.
Akashi smiled.