Update: I've decided that the next arc after Break Away will be a series of interludes, which I have taken to uncreatively calling it the Interlude Arc. It should be in the next chapter or two, but that depends.

Chapter 4: Break Away IV

Lussuria had only been to his friend's house once before. Hadrian's house was fairly ordinary when it came to traditional houses in Italy: three rooms, two bathrooms, a single couch, and a coffee table in the living room. Even the faded wallpaper and floorboards weren't all that special to look at. As far as he knew, the only personalizations that existed were a small wooden shelf containing thick fantasy-themed books, a large, empty birdcage next to a perch, and a fully furnished kitchen that would've made a professional chef weep in envy.

After picking the lock, Lussuria stepped through the front door and into the living room just as Hadrian exited the bathroom. "Hari-chan~! Long time no see~! Your Sorella is-" The martial artist immediately choked on his words at what he had seen. "WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME IS THAT?!" The Varia Sun shrieked in horror now that he got a good look at what the teen in question had done to himself.

The last time Lussuria saw Hadrian, the teen didn't look any different than when he first met him. Emerald-green eyes hidden behind wire frame glasses, fair skin tone befitting of a foreigner from the United Kingdom, and a head full of messy jet-black hair. Now there is a dramatic difference between the Hadrian of last month and the Hadrian of now. Somehow, the former-Wizard's hair had grown out uncontrollably, making it resemble a massive black tumbleweed that barely fit through the bathroom door. Everything from the nose up was completely covered in dark tangled curls. Even though the teen had shoved his glasses approximately where his eyes should be, the flamboyant man couldn't help but wonder whether or not his friend retained his ability to see with all that hair covering his eyes.

Hadrian shrugged, the movement made the huge ball of hair consuming the upper half of his head jiggle precariously. "I met a guy with long hair, and I thought it might look good on me too."

He figured if his hair were to grow long enough, then it would be a step up from the rat's nest he'd always possessed for as long as he could remember. In reality, it only made his perpetual bedhead worse, even more so when you consider that Hadrian had the bright idea to dump a cup of liquified Cloud and Sun Flames directly onto his hair follicles.

"It...ah...didn't go as well as I thought," Hadrian admitted sheepishly.

"I'll say, dearie…" Lussuria gulped. "Are you trying to style your hair into, um, an afro?"

The former-Wizard sighed. "No… But I do want a change from my usual looks…Help?"

A large part of Hadrian's sudden urge to experiment with his appearance was because he wanted to completely shed his former identity as Harry James Potter once and for all.

As a child, he was "Freak" or "Boy". He was supposed to not exist, taught to never stray from the role he was given, to never question anything, and to take whatever was given to him without expecting anything more out of his worthless life.

As a Wizard, he was "Harry Potter". He was the spitting image of his father but with his mother's eyes, the living embodiment of Gryffindor ideals, an icon to every impressionable young Witch or Wizard, and the protector of peace and prosperity of the Wizarding World.

But now, he was "Hadrian Temperanza". His identity was a blank canvas, waiting to be formulated however he wished it to be. He could explore to his heart's content as well as discover parts of himself he was no longer forced to reject.

Lussuria stared at Hadrian's hair thoughtfully as he tried to visualize what he could do to salvage the situation. "Do you know where you keep your hair scissors?"

"Err...I have kitchen scissors?" Hadrian offered.

"..."

"..."

ʅ(°ヮ°)ʃ

In the end, Lussuria had to make due with what he had. He did his best to straighten out the hedge growing out of Hadrian's scalp before he would even think of touching a pair of scissors. The fashion-conscious man's plan was to keep Hadrian's hair long enough for the chaotic curls to become more like windswept waves and bangs to cover up the fading lightning scar that marred his friend's forehead.

While Lussuria did his magic as they chatted, the former-Wizard eventually asked the Sun Officer an interesting question. Lussuria's answer would not only expand Hadrian's horizons but also instill a thought-provoking concept that would change everything.

"Hey, Luss. I've been wondering about this for a while…" Hadrian hesitated, "...Have I been using the wrong pronouns for you all this time? You act like a woman even though you're a man. You even use feminine descriptions when referring to yourself. Does that mean you're a 'she' and not a 'he'? "

"On no, dearie, it's not as simple as that." The martial artist informed, "You see, I'm bigender, darling~! That means I am both a man and a woman, even if I do tend to lean more on the feminine side of the spectrum."

"I'm confused. What do you mean by spectrum?"

"Well, let me enlighten you on what gender identity is. Gender identity isn't tied to what kind of reproductive system you have. It's actually one of the most important parts of your individuality. It's how you see yourself and how you decide to express yourself. Contrary to what most might believe, it's not acting, or heavens forbid, performing. It's being. I could be in a ballgown, wear make-up, and put on a pair of heels, and that still won't make me any less of a man no matter how womanly I look from an outsider's perspective."

Hadrian fell silent for a few minutes as he took in Lussuria's words. "...How does that work? How did you know? How..." 'Tell me what I should do.' was the unspoken plea that the older man ignored for the teen's own good.

"Hari-chan, I discovered myself when I was just about your age. Maybe a little bit older." Lussuria went on, "Yet, for as long as I can remember, I've never felt fully comfortable as a man. All those hyper-masculine traits I'd been raised on had never sat well with me. Instead of pursuing and indulging in dominance and power, I was more comfortable with nurturing others instead, which is largely considered a feminine and perceived as a weak trait for a man to have. Finally, I came to realize that I could identify as both a man and a woman. After that, it was surprisingly easy for me to let go of the social expectations of gender that's been been with me since the day I was born. I don't have to give up one in order to be the other. Realizing that, Hari-chan, was one of the most important things that has ever happened to me. These things take time, and there's no rush because the experience varies from person to person."

Hadrian thought about what Lussuria had just said deeply.

As a child, the Dursleys would make it very clear that they were a strict and traditional household. Anything that was even remotely considered "abnormal" was forbidden under their roof. As far as the Dursleys knew, non-heteronormative individuals were as horrendous as the Witches and Wizards of the Magical World. Not right in the head. Sexual deviants. Abominations. Confused, disgusting, cursed, etc. Those were some of the many common phrases he'd heard over the years.

That reasoning was the very reason why he'd grown to loathe the word "freak" with a fervent passion. Mostly because he couldn't help but empathize with them more than he had realized. They were demeaned for something they couldn't help. For something they loved and wholeheartedly accepted about themselves yet others refused to do the same.

For most of his life, Harry Potter had been constantly stuck in a limbo of uncertainty about where he stood. He was biologically male, yet he wasn't allowed to show any sort of aggression or strength lest he be punished harshly if he so much as made a single sound of complaint. He wasn't supposed to be feminine, yet he would be rewarded with extra scraps of food and then be left alone for being meek and obedient. So the questions persisted:

Which category did Harry Potter fall under? And why did he have to chose between just those two? Why must he be limited to one over the other?

The Wizarding World certainly didn't give him any satisfactory answers, though it did offer a brand new insight adding on to his understanding of sexuality and gender. He had learned through Malfoy of all people that Witches and Wizards were far more liberal than their Muggle counterparts when it came to tolerance and acceptance. For the most part, any complaints about one's "tastes" were made in regards towards reproductive concerns. For the most part, any form of discussion and/or expression was to be kept secret from the public and reserved for within the privacy of one's home. However, there was a mandatory dominant-submissive binary that must be maintained no matter what form it may take. "Imbalanced dynamics" only added a far more effective invitation to be criticized and discouraged.

Disappointedly, that perspective only brought forth more questions than answers.

Looking back, Hadrian surmised that it was a carry-over from Wizards adopting societal expectations from Muggleborns who have grown up sheltered from anything that was not "normal" and "socially acceptable".

Hadrian's mental debate with himself was making his head spin. "Why does sex and gender have to be so complicated?" He absentmindedly murmured mostly to himself.

Lussuria shrugged, finally putting down the poultry shears he had been using. "Because they typically are? Hari-chan, trying to understand is one thing, but don't force yourself to conform to mine or anyone else's views. It's supposed to be what you and you alone make of it. Just do what feels naturally and makes you feel the happiest with yourself," the Sun Officer advised.

"What if I still don't know what it is that makes me happy to be myself?" Hadrian countered.

Lussuria smiled at him encouragingly. "It's called questioning, Hari-chan, and it's a step towards discovering the person that you are."

ʅ(°ヮ°)ʃ

The first time Belphegor met Hadrian Temperanza, Levi had been his partner for a mission, so the two of them took the opportunity to drop by the address Lussuria gave them. However, their first impression of the other teen was that he had guts enough to mouth off to Prince the Ripper and Lightning Strike Levi. The Storm Officer couldn't help but wonder if the other teen was suicidal or if the baby Cloud hadn't been fully aware of their identities at the time.

"I did not get up at five in the fucking morning to deal with your bloodlust. Dial it back a notch or ten and come back after a few hours when my brain stops stabbing itself." Levi never got the chance to react to the lack of respect given to him by the brazen teen before the door loudly slammed into his gobsmacked face.

Unable to resist the opportunity given to him, Belphegor quickly whipped out his phone and snapped a few photos of the Lightning's face. Mammon always paid a sizable reward for new blackmail fuel.

The second time Belphegor met Hadrian, it had been an ambush. The young Varia Storm figured that the best way to see if the former-Wizard had anything he could work with was to attack him out of nowhere. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it), Hadrian had something that proved himself worthy of the attentions of the Varia's Prince the Ripper.

Hadrian had naturally fast reflexes. Really fast reflexes. Quality reflexes.

The Storm Officer surmised that it was due to the other teen's background as a seeker as well as inheriting James Potter's impressive Quidditch skills, but there were other factors that contributed to Hadrian's ability. A "rough" childhood (to put it lightly) would have given the former-Wizard ample opportunity to "train" himself to react quickly.

After the ambush, Belphegor confirmed his findings shortly before things escalated into an intense mock fight that ended in the Storm's favor. While the green-eyed boy barely lasted a handful of minutes before being completely outclassed by the more experienced assassin, the exiled prince did notice that Hadrian could detect attacks faster than the average civilian. His body, at its present state, was unable to keep up with his mind, but combined with Squalo's sword fighting lessons and the right training to bring out his full potential, the other teen could become a force of nature.

To satisfy his curiosity, though mostly out of boredom, he half-heartedly tossed one of his knives in Hadrian's direction as the other boy was cooking in his kitchen, wanting to see how Hadrian would react. He figured it would give the dark-haired teen a scare or at least make Hadrian feel wary of Belphegor afterwards. Most people instinctively dodged incoming sharp objects, but not in the former-Wizard's case. Not even pausing in his cooking, he deftly snatched it out of the air. Instead of reacting with fear, Hadrian reacted with a Supremely Done With Your Shit™ gaze.

Intrigued, the blond teen kept throwing knife after knife at Hadrian. With each throw, the deadly blades flew faster and faster at the other teen's vitals, and every time, the black-haired teen easily caught them without so much as batting an eyelid.

"I hope you're not too attached to them because I'm going to keep these and not give them back," the former-Wizard drawled to the Storm after the 25th knife.

"Ushishishi. They're copies anyways. Now where's my sushi?" Belphegor demanded.

"Hope you like American," Hadrian replied cheerfully as he brought out a large serving tray carrying plates of Philadelphia rolls, spam musubi, California rolls, and Pink Lady rolls. Everything looked delicious and ready to eat, however, there was just one tiny problem. There wasn't a single gram of eel.

Earlier today, the Storm Officer had stopped to collect some high quality Japanese eel imported straight from the waters of East Asia. Belphegor had been craving sushi lately and Hadrian was the best cook he'd ever known. So he had brought it over to Hadrian's and asked (read: demanded) that Hadrian make sushi.

The blond glared at the other teen through his bangs as he came out of the kitchen with his own meal. "I brought you the eel for a reason, peasant. Now, where's my unagi?"

Hadrian merely raised an eyebrow as he sat down. "You have your lunch and I have mine."

A familiar savory scent of grilled meat wafted over towards Belphegor. His eyes fell down towards the bowl the dark-haired teen was about to take a bite out of. The bastard's lunch was a fucking unagi donburi (grilled eel rice bowl).

"Ka-ching!" The thoroughly pissed off Storm Officer threw about a dozen knives at Hadrian's vitals only to be blocked by the serving tray. The other teen in return proceeded to try and cave Belphegor's head in with said knife embedded tray. After that, things devolved into yet another intense sparring session.

Fifteen minutes later, the two teenagers calmed down enough to dig into their food (although the unadon had to be reheated after it went cold).

Halfway through their meal, Hadrian brought up something he had been contemplating since Belphegor first ambushed him. "I think I need armor or something. Something that would compensate for my weaknesses."

"Your greatest strengths are your agility and precision," the other teen pointed out and continued. "If we can build up your stamina to acceptable levels, you can, in theory, outlast your opponents and take them down by targeting their weak points. Downside is that your body is already predisposed towards low endurance, meaning your resistance towards damage is not good. Body armor would be your best bet. Problem is that it's going to weigh you down, and your mobility would be compromised."

"What if the armor is made of something lightweight? Like say, snakeskin?" Hadrian suggested.

Belphegor replied, "What is the peasant talking about?"

Hadrian briefly excused himself and went to his room. Minutes later, he came out carrying a large trunk in his arms. Setting it down on the floor, he opened it up and rifled through it for a few moments before he finally located the item he was looking for. What the green-eyed teen had pulled out made Belphegor's eyes widened large enough that his eye color could be clearly seen through his thick blond bangs. The sushi piece he had been chewing on fell out of his open mouth and onto his lap with a wet "plop".

"How…? What…?" Belphegor sputtered in shock. "WHERE IN THE GODS' NAME DID YOU GET A BASILISK SKIN?!"

Hadrian blinked at the Storm's exclamation before quickly becoming suspicious. "How'd you know this came from a Basilisk? What if this came from a crocodile or a really big boa?"

"Tch. As if some common reptile could measure up to the King of Serpents! I'd recognize a Basilisk anywhere." Belphegor scoffed as he snatched his napkin from the table to clean himself up. "Once a year, the royal family of Magical Prussia would receive the shedded skin of the House of Visconti's pet Basilisk. That thing is the reason why the Duchy of Milan's coat of arms has featured a giant snake since 1277."

"You're really a prince? And here I thought you were a dedicated roleplayer," the dark-haired teen cried out in mock surprise.

"Ka-ching! You should bow down to me, Lordling!" Belphegor spat out, subtly emphasizing the fact that Hadrian wasn't of royal blood compared to him. "I am the second prince of Magical Empire of Prussia. My kingdom's domain stretches from the edges of the Russian tundra to the coastline of Greece," the blond bragged with no small amount of arrogance.

However, that wasn't what caught the former-Wizard's attention. "M-Magical? You mean you're a Wizard-" Hadrian babbled as his anxiety levels skyrocketed.

"Squib," Belphegor interrupted Hadrian to correct the other teen. The correction made Hadrian relax a little...but not much. "Before you jump to conclusions, I already know that your real identity is Harry Potter. I won't ask how you're still alive even though you were declared to be dead by the British Ministry less than two years ago." The young Varia Officer then gave the former-Wizard a knowing look before adding, "But to be honest, what goes on in that backwards island is none of my business."

"...Just out of curiosity… Belphegor is your codename in the Varia, right? What's your real name?" Hadrian asked.

The teenaged Storm scoffed. "Way too many middle names and syllables for me to tell you. I doubt your British tongue could even pronounce it anyways."

The dark-haired teen hummed in acknowledgement as he went to his refrigerator to grab his pitcher of Rain-infused iced tea.

"So rumor has it that you killed a Basilisk when you were a First Year student. That's how you got the skin, right?" Belphegor brought up, completely changing the subject of the conversation. "What about the rest of Basilisk? Don't tell me you forgot about the rest of the carcass? The potion ingredients harvested from a Basilisk are worth a fortune, you know?"

"It was my Second Year, and I did have the rest of the carcass rendered." The former-Wizard corrected before adding, "I have heard that Basilisks make very rare and highly valuable raw materials, so before I left Britain I figured I could bribe the Goblins to get me far far away from the Wizarding World and keep people from forcing me to go back. I was more than right."

From an outsider's perspective, Hadrian might as well have overpaid in order to get a simple job done even if it barely put a dent in his overall inheritance. Discounting the Basilisk corpse, the Goblins were given the gold in his trust fund vault, copies of the books left behind by Salazar Slytherin hidden within the Chamber of Secrets, and all the shedded skin littered throughout the Chamber over the centuries. It was a once in a lifetime deal they couldn't pass up.

"Ushishishi, were they drooling when you showed them the carcass?" Belphegor smirked in bemusement as he returned to his meal.

Hadrian shook his head as he carefully folded the skin. "No, but Griphook stopped breathing, and their king, Ragnok almost passed out from shock. If you combine the skin from the carcass itself as well as the skin it has shed for the last thousand years, it was more than enough for to cover every Goblin warrior in Gringotts. They gave me this leftover skin as an 'incentive' to continue my patronage with them rather than transfer my assets over to the Monaciellos."

The Monaciellos were the Italian counterpart of the Goblins of British Wizarding World. These Magical Creatures resembled short and stout humanoids wearing a hooded robe. They weren't that much taller than a small human child. These benevolent fairies were the sole managers of Italy's Ullio Wizarding Bank, through which a Witch or Wizard could access their fortune by seeking them out in an abandoned church or monastery.

"Ushishishi. Leave it to the 'Chosen One' of England to be Varia Quality in achievements even if his skills are lacking," Belphegor drawled.

Hadrian frowned in confusion, "Varia Quality? What do you mean by that?"

The blond blinked. "...Are you really asking me that?"

"What? Is it some sort of slang or code I'm not aware of?"

"I thought Lussuria said you're aware of what goes on in the Mafia World."

"...I'm a civilian. I've probably been 'aware' for about six months give or take," Hadrian deadpanned.

Belphegor sighed and mentally prepared himself to play the knowledgeable senpai for his soon-to-be kohai. "Basically, the term, Varia Quality, refers to when an individual meets the basic requirements to be considered a possible recruit of the Varia. The requirements are as follows:

"One: you must be an assassin or, at the very least, have killed before (we are an organization of killers for hire after all).

"Two: you must possess Active Flames (that's a no brainer).

"Three: you must know a minimum of seven languages (we do get the occasional mission outside of Italy).

"Four: you have to be a genius in some form or another.

"And finally, you must swear your loyalty to the Boss," Belphegor finished explaining.

"So… In my case, requirements one and two are pretty much covered," Hadrian said, recalling Quirrel in his First Year. "Number three is a work in progress." He could knock off English and Italian as two out of the seven languages he needed to learn, but he was still unsure if he should include Latin. "As for number four, I don't think that applies to me, and the last requirement is put on hold indefinitely until I've at least met your Boss in person." He wanted to see whether or not this Xanxus person was someone Hadrian could follow for the rest of his life. The last thing he wanted was to be chained to a role he couldn't escape from this time around.

Belphegor snorted at the other teen's reasoning for number four. Technically, he had already met the requirement just by possessing Cloudy-Sky Flames, an extremely rare and virtually unheard of combination.

"Before we get even further off topic, Basilisk skin is a wise choice. Durable, impenetrable, and, if handled by the right tailor with the right skills, flexible, which will help a lot given your fighting style. There's only one in the Vongola who might take you up on it, but it'll take a while for us to reach him as he's been a recluse since Donna Ottavo's funeral," the Storm Officer explained as Hadrian returned to the table.

"Who?"

"Talbot."

ʅ(°ヮ°)ʃ

For years, Mundungus Fletcher had lead a life of petty crime. Ever since he had dropped out of Hogwarts, he'd made a living stealing treasures from unsuspecting Witches and Wizards and selling contraband items in Knockturn Alley. However, that all changed ever since the Second Wizarding War escalated after the death of the last Bloodless, Astoria Greengrass. His crimes also escalated as if in accordance to how desperate Albus was to win the war.

Rather than stealing people's valuables and pocket change, he was now trafficking something much more valuable…

Muggleborn Soulfire candidates.

Zhang San was Mundungus's current target. He was a British-Chinese teenager born from the union between an unnamed Irish father and a Chinese mother rumored to have criminal connections. He was abandoned by his own mother in his father's country when he was still a toddler and grew up under the foster system. To the perspective of Muggles, Mister San was just another pitiful boy struggling to find his place in the world. But to Albus Dumbledore, he was much more than that. His Soulfire Aspect was Emerald, the mark of a protector who wouldn't hesitate to defend at all costs.

It was disturbingly easy tracking down those who fit the necessary requirements like Zhang San. Male, young, born between the months of July and August, either a Muggle or descended from a Muggle, and most importantly, a high chance of Soulfire awakening.

Once taken via Apparation, they were dropped off in one of the many hidden rooms in Hogwarts that could only be accessed through the Headmaster's Office. There were only about a dozen spaces available to be filled at a time. The hidden rooms were fully furnished not unlike the school dorms and a House Elf or two was assigned to take care of the occupant's every need with strict orders to not be seen no matter what.

Understandably, the Soulfire candidates were resistant and/or unsure about their new roles. Everyday Albus would venture down to a Soulfire candidate to try to persuade them to fight for the Light's cause. For the most part, the candidate's stay could be as short as a few days or as long as almost an entire month. By the time they left as "recruits," they were more than willing to die for the greater good of the Light.

The recruits ranged from as young as thirteen to as old as twenty-one. Any younger and they wouldn't be able to utilize their Soulfire in duels. Any older and it would take time that they didn't have to try and convince them to join the Light's cause. After the first few attempts, the Order managed to figure out the appropriate age range for recruitment.

As he left with his payment for dropping off his target, he overheard Albus address himself to the young man, "Good morning, my boy. Would you like a lemon drop?"

Not a bad day's work for 200 Galleons.

ʅ(°ヮ°)ʃ

"Sir, we've confirmed that Sun Officer Lussuria, Rain Officer Squalo, and Storm Officer Belphegor have been regularly rendezvousing with civilian Hadrian Temperanza. Lightning Officer Levi and Mist Officer Mammon were also seen with Temperanza as well."

"And the boy's background check?"

"Mist Officer Mammon conducted it personally. I've confirmed that they investigated Temperanza thoroughly. He's as clean as the typical civilian. No affiliation to any of the Vongola's enemies nor the Famiglia's allies. Should we move to create an extermination order for Temperanza?"

"No. Leave them be. For now. Dismissed."

...

"So Xanxus's little group are so desperate that they've resorted to using a civilian to get rid of me? Well then, if they want everything their Sky had stood for to be destroyed so badly, I'll be more than happy to crush that mutt's hopes and dreams for them."

AN: I have a headcanon that Belphegor has secondary Cloud Flames. Just look at how many knives that boy uses! Where does he keep them all if he doesn't have Cloud Flames?!

Monaciello: In Naples, Italy, there is a legend about a small fairy whose name means "the little monk" in Neopolitean language that takes the form of a short, thick man dressed in a monk's robe and a large brimmed hat. They are said to haunt abandoned abbeys and monasteries and know the hidden underground passageways like the back of their hands. When they're not playing small pranks on people as many fairies do, they appear before people who cannot receive aid by human means. They would silently try to lure the human to them. If the human chooses to follow, they would lead people to hidden treasure, expecting no repayment for their good deed. Rumor has it that a Monaciello living in one's house can guarantee a sudden increase of good fortune. There's even a neat little saying describing this phenomenon: "Forse avrà il Monaciello in casa" (perhaps he has had the little Monk in his house).

Ullio Wizarding Bank: I figured that if "Gringotts" was taken from the word, "ingots," a piece of metal conveniently shaped for the purpose of shaping, remelting, or refining, why not I do the same? I went with "bullion," precious metals in the form of ingots or bars, and snipped away the ends so it sounds Italian-ish…

...I just Googled "Ullio" and found out it's a legit surname… More worldbuilding potential anyone?

Omake IV: I'm In Love With The Coco

"I do not have a drinking problem," Hadrian protested as he clutched his strawberry-banana milkshake protectively.

"You drink almost as much as Boss did only, instead of alcohol, it's fruity beverages made from Flame-fed fruits and vegetables," Lussuria pointed out.

"You know I have a medical condition that requires me to have a regular intake of Flames."

"That still doesn't mean that you can down twice your bodyweight in piña coladas on a daily basis! Last I checked, your condition isn't even that severe. At this rate, you're going to get Flame Drunk!"

"Flame Drunk? That's a thing?" The teen questioned before adding thoughtfully, "Does that mean if I start adding vodka to my mocktails, I can charge at people with the force of an overactive Cerberus puppy on an intruder?"

"Jesus Christ, no!" The martial artist gasped in shock. "Although the other day, you did almost rip out that poor guy's stomach when he tried to steal your thermos."

"It was mango green tea punch and Rain-infused." Hadrian defended himself and then grumbled, "Flame infused food items aren't cheap, you know. I paid good money for that mango."

"What about that one time you thought you could fly with Hedwig and tried to jump off a building?"

"You mean the blueberry mojito? In my defense, I didn't expect I would react to Mist Flames that way…" Hadrian briefly paused for a moment as he reviewed the incident in his head. "...Or maybe it was a weird allergic reaction to the blueberries?" The former-Wizard mumbled mostly to himself.

"That had Mist Flames?!" the martial artist shrieked in horror as the implications hit him hard in the face.

Normally, whenever Hadrian ingested Flames, his body exhibited a minor reaction to the presence of the foreign Flames in accordance to whatever type was introduced to his system. Up until that moment, Hadrian had only had Rain, Sun, and Cloud Flames. Rain made him feel calm and relaxed and Sun gave him a temporarily energy boost. Cloud Flames, however, made no noticable changes, possibly because it was one of his native Flames. So in theory, if Mist Flames were an equivalent to a hallucinogenic, then that might mean...

With lightning-fast reflexes, the older man grabbed hold of his young friend's shoulders and begged, "Hari-chan, sweetie, I beg of you. Promise your Sorella that you won't drink anything laced with Lightning and Storm without me to make sure there's no problem."

Hadrian raised a curious eyebrow. "Why? What's the worst that could happen?"

"NO!" Lussuria firmly objected.

The next day, Hadrian was fired for suspicions of drug usage as well as creating a massive disturbance at his workplace. After drinking a twelve ounce cup of blended Lightning-infused kiwis and Storm-infused strawberries, the young man proceeded to take over a nearby kitchen by force where he not only cleaned and sterilized everything from top to bottom, but he also cooked an amazing buffet style lunch for everyone. Apparently, the combination of the two Flames enhanced some lingering childhood compulsions Hadrian never knew he had until that incident.

Maybe he should've listened to Lussuria after all.

AN: Oh, Hadrian… you shouldn't have tempted fate by thinking "what's the worst that could happen?" Remember the fruit in chapter 2... Lussuria is now regretting his decision to introduce Hadrian to his new favorite drink.

Once again, thank you blackkat1325 for editing this for me. See ya next draft~!

Thank you all for reading this reboot~! Any and all reviews, favorites, and follows are appreciated~! ( v`o`)