I'm alive and about a third of the way to being settled, so updates will continue to be short and somewhat sporadic. That aside, have a chapter!
Mingling
Travail knew that Vongola was a big group, without a doubt the largest in the Italian Mafia. As such, there were a fair number of older, wealthier people high-up in the inner rankings who weren't bloodline but were quite used to having their opinions heard and, quite often, their orders followed.
Naturally, some of these were worried about an heir they had not only never met, but that internal rumor said was civilian. (Other rumors involved the Vindice's respect and giant animals. Since internal rumor also said that the Sun Arcobaleno had been hired as a tutor, the second part was not entirely unbelievable. The first, though, was patently ridiculous. What the majority of them didn't realize was that, ridiculous or not, it was true.)
It wasn't a surprise that a few of them approached some of the lower-ranking Varia to 'scout the mood', as it were, see if the Decimo candidate (of course Vongola proper couldn't keep a lid on where the Decimo was staying) was there because the Varia actually had some kind of regard for him or because the Nono had given an order.
The mutterings in the growing crowd ranged from incredulous to doubtful, but several Sora were winding effortlessly into the places with the darkest mutterings, making innocent-sounding inquiries that had the mutterers question their doubts.
(Jager skulking in the shadows near where Decimo was supposed to enter from, Bermuda on his shoulder, gave obvious credence to the Vindice having some kind of interest in the proceedings—and it was weird that Travail could recognize two of the Vindice, even if they were the two highest-ranking.)
Shī of the First Triad, well-known even in Italy, merely smiled and ignored the attempts to find out the reason for his presence, from carefully-steered conversation to one blatant question as to what he was doing there.
Kuro of the Sora fell in beside the Triads' leader, managing to further baffle spectators who knew of the somewhat unstable relations between Triads and Yakuza and only knowing Kuro was Japanese (therefore likely Yakuza).
(Best guard duty ever. Travail hadn't had this much entertainment on the job in years. He couldn't wait to see the reactions when everyone realized that not only were Shī and Kuro there for the exact same reason, but that they'd unified the Triads and Yakuza respectively, and quite happily handed them all over to Decimo—without initially knowing he had anything to do with Vongola, at that.)
There were no representatives from Korea, but considering the current state of Korean government and the fact that Travail wasn't entirely certain that the newly re-unified country even knew who their current ruler was, that was probably not just expected, but actively a good thing.
Still, just because there were allies (a few Triads' assassins were skulking the crowd, all but unnoticed in their easy mingling, and the mediating Sora strategically placed in case of emergency) and Vindice on their side was no reason to get complacent. Complacency was a quick ticket to Bad Things happening, and the capitals were usually warranted.
(Also, Decimo's family was here. A civilian woman and three children, one of whom was already targeted for kidnapping? Hostages were the absolute last thing that Travail wanted to see happen. If Decimo petrified a monster that even Xanxus had called 'Flame-proof' just for concussing his more violent Cloud, he didn't want to know what would happen if someone put Decimo's kids in danger. Because seeing him with them? They were his children, and his mother merely a young and doting grandmother-figure.)
xxxx
"You ready, Brat?"
Tsuna made a sound of irritation and rolled his shoulders, checking his range of motion with the custom-tailored suit he'd been semi-coerced into and checking that his mittens were tucked away in a pocket. (He didn't actually need them to use his Flames, but while they looked ridiculous when not charged on Sky Flame, they provided a much-appreciated layer of protection for his skin when they were. Which made doing things like punching holes in concrete or catching punches from idiots less bruising.)
Xanxus nodded in approval at the check, although he would be providing Varia security and the likelihood of Tsuna needing to defend himself with that and everything the Triads and Sora had added was astronomically low. Especially when he added in four Arcobaleno (not including Mammon) and whatever Lal Mirch had pulled from the CEDEF. (He was going to take Xanxus at his word when he said Vongola security was 'shit'. Arrogance bred laziness, and Vongola security probably had the idea that no one would dare. Which meant if someone did dare, they wouldn't be ready for it.)
Besides, Moeru was intent on being there. On the off-chance that someone did manage to get through security, Tsuna very much doubted they'd be able to land a hit.
"I guess," Tsuna sighed, "More paperwork." He'd become intimately familiar with paperwork. The worst part was that doing paperwork meant he wasn't having to deal with the multitude of ridiculous things his lovable crazies got up to, which made it a break. Something seemed wrong with that.
Xanxus laughed at him, "You're the one who volunteered, Brat. Could have waited another couple years; no one would've held it against you."
Tsuna huffed, "By then this mess would have gotten even worse. Ugh, why can't our elders clean up their own messes?"
"Because they're trash," Xanxus informed, as though that was an actual answer. "Come on, Brat. Show's about to start."
xxxx
Mukuro found himself in the disconcerting position of very much not liking the situation. Not that he should be misunderstood—he was fully capable of keeping his dear Tsunayoshi's Flames unnoticed amongst the crowd so long as the little Sky didn't feel the need to use said Flames, but the idea of so many possible enemies surrounding the Transcendent was...
Well. Mukuro found himself agreeing with Xanxus on the declared response to any threats. (To be fair, Mukuro often found himself agreeing with Xanxus' position of 'see threat, kill threat', but admitting such agreement in the man's hearing was reserved for when mocking could be inserted alongside.)
Still, considering Mukuro had sought out Tsunayoshi with the initial intent of possessing him and seeing him on Vongola's throne had his dislike of this introduction of the Decimo and 'temporary' inauguration a bit more stinging.
But Tsunayoshi was so genuine, so cleanly unbloodied despite his recognition of the positions he kept gathering and his recognition that not everyone could be saved.
Which was ironic, considering he'd gone so far to save Mukuro and those he cared about. (Lancia was still gone, but Mukuro would have felt his death, so the man was alive wherever he was.) Still, Birds and the Bloody Twins had been consigned back to the Vindice, as had the girl. Tsunayoshi didn't bother to ask for clemency on their behalf, and Mukuro wasn't sure whether that was because they had no real meaning to him or because they were beyond redemption.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know, either.
All that aside, Tsunayoshi was becoming immediate leader—however temporary—of Vongola. Mukuro had advocated that right up until it loomed so close, and he was suddenly having second thoughts.
None of them had need of the protection of Vongola's name—Tsunayoshi's Sora and Triads (Tsunayoshi could call the unified assassin groups Shī's all he wanted; they all knew who Shī answered to) would have rendered that moot even without the Vindice's support. As it was, he had all three, plus Korea which would no doubt fall into the same worshipful state all the other Eastern groups he'd amassed would.
And with all those thrones he'd taken, Vongola's was still bloodier, built with the bones of their enemies and forged in the blood of the forgotten dead.
While Mukuro had no doubt that his Sky could and would decimate that history, even if burning Vongola to the ground was the only answer, to see Tsunayoshi atop that tainted pedestal was... something he did not wish.
It was too late to change it now, though, and Tsunayoshi had already turned the bloodiest of Vongola's to his side, curbed their viciousness by curbing their leader's as easily as he'd soothed Mukuro's own.
(Ah, but they were all beasts beneath Tsunayoshi's gentle touch, lashing out in their pain until he took it away.)
And, oh, that throne was coveted and hated in turn by so many, and Tsunayoshi atop it would suddenly find himself in a proverbial sniper's sights. Mukuro had no time for morbid poetry, but he did not stand alone in defense of his Sky. Should hands be raised to harm, those hands would be severed with extreme prejudice... if not by Mukuro, then by one of the others.
For once, Mukuro found himself grateful for so many allies hidden in the crowd. They might have their work cut out for them, but Tsunayoshi would be safe.
xxxx