AN: I just really love reviews. I've spent most of the day reading on protective! GoM and i feel all giddy inside. That being said, you should probably be expecting that. This story is also posted on AO3 for those who are interested.
PaigePad- it looks like a notebook, but whatever is written on it is copied over to another piece of paper. To send to a sheet of paper, write a matching symbol to PaigePad and desire connect multiple PaigePads, have the desire matching symbols carved on the inside of the cover. If you have multiple connected and only want to send to one person, write the symbol , then circle it twice.
Black Chalk tea- pretty much English breakfast tea. they the tea leaves always spell out predictions in the hands of a word weaver.
"Will he be alright now?" Akashi asked, watching the arctic eyed guest steadily slip into slumber.
"Most likely. Whatever he coughed up was making him sick. Should be better after a night's rest." Midorima responded. He flipped Passage Quarter and dropped the bag containing the soot-stone inside as soon as the portal opened. "Kise, did Momoi ask for anything else?"
"Nope, just the stone and more info if we thought it was important." Kise yawned into his hand.
" If that's it, then I'm gonna hit the sack. G'night" Aomine disappeared into the room on the far right, followed by Kise [AN:take what you will from that ;)] The purple-haired defense mage retreated in the den next to the front door. Midorima finished cleaning up the medical supplies before glancing one last time at the sleeping body on the mulberry settee.
"Be ready for another assignment tomorrow." Akashi informed before retiring himself
Next morning, sunrise…..
The burning sensation that once filled his chest was gone. He could feel the sunlight caressing his cheek and the bandages shifted marginally. Slowly, the pale and healing ex-captive pulled himself up with the help of the couch back. Flashbacks of the previous waved over him; curiosity and fear lingered as he looked around at his surroundings. This obliviously wasn't the woods, and the people from before were definitely not his kidnapper…
He leaned back against the arm of the settee with a wince. He stilled at the sound off foot steps on the hard wood flooring.
"Eh? Awake already? Akachin and Midochin will be happy." Murasakibara commented at the sight of the arctic-eyed guest. The earthbending barrier caster sat right next the guest on the settee, causing a small bounce. "..Um...excuse me…." the ex-captive said in a soft voice, bringing his knees to his chest.
The sound of a door clicking shut caught their attention."Good morning, Akachin."
"Good morning Atsushi." He replied, stopping at the sight of the two on the couch. "How are you feeling? You coughed up something obnoxious last night." Akashi said, setting himself in a fossil-gray love seat.
"I feel very odd, thank you. If you don't mind me asking, where am I, what happened?"
"You don't recall... Shintaro, our guest is having difficulties with his memory." The cleric heard most of the conversion since the crimson haired leader joined the pair. With his medical kit in hand, he enter the room and approached the very confused ex-captive.
"Good morning, I am Midorima Shintaro. Do you remember your name? Your arm, please." Midorima pulled a stool in front of his patient, sat down and held out his hand.
Looking back and forth between his medical examiner and the others, the cerulean haired patients reluctantly set his left bandage arm in the waiting hand. " My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Thank you taking care of me, Midorima-sensei."
"It's not a problem. Midorima is fine. Now explain your "oddness"." he unwrapped the buttermilk bandages and poked in certain areas of his forearm.
"During my time with Tanaka, he feed me a soup. I didn't realize whatever he put in until a couple days later. Ever since, I've had this feeling of hot embers in my chest. It's worse when I try to use magic. It was almost like hot needles pierced my skin. When i froze his arm, I really thought I was going to die from the pain. But now, it's gone." Kuroko trembled at the thought of it.
" I see. Arms up; I need to check your abdomen." Midorima instructed.
"How long has have you been with Koushi?" Akashi interjected, still scribbling the new information in a PaigePad.
"...I don't know for sure. Maybe since the start of the Wintcup season?" Kuroko answered.
" That was over a month ago." Midorima informed. " I believe it ended yesterday. You wounds are mending nicely; it helps that what you hacked up that cursed stone."
"Thank you, Midorima-san."
"Good morning~" Kise greeted, followed by a drowsy Aomine(AN:again, take what you will).
"Shorty's awake now?" Aomine joked, stifling a yawn. He felt a sudden chill up his spine and turned to see Kuroko staring at him, slightly miffed. "Holy shit" the blueberry- eyed warrior hid behind Kise, who was oblivious to Kuroko's cold stare.
" I'm glad everyone's up; now I can give you your next errand. Murasakibara and Shintaro; you two will be getting to know Serin's populace. Pick up on rumors of people of any class going missing during the Wintcups. Ryuota, you get familiar with the twists and turns of Serin, both legal and illegal. Aomine; know the where the Wintcup was being held and know it like the back of your hand. Any questions?" Akashi explained, sipping his Black Chalk tea.
"What about… uh...what's your name? Kise pointed towards Kuroko. "Kuroko Tetsuya, pardon my intrusion."
"He will stay here with me. I still have questions regarding Tanaka and whatever the cursed stone was. I'll also be organizing the information you send over via PaigePad. You all leave in an hour." Akashi replied.
AN: I cannot tell you how difficult was to write Kuroko's existence without using his identity. People really seem to enjoy this story, which makes me very happy. I think at the end of the story ( idk how we're gonna get there) I'll post some bonus stuff on tumblr and link it here somewhere. I have little draft drawings and flow charts to help keep things organized. im really tired rn thank you for reading and please leave a review