『 Dying of Asphyxiation was seriously not my goal in life. 』
Neither was meeting a Governor of the Afterlife and getting sent to another world for a second chance at life.
Drew was assaulted by a group of men for reasons she didn't understand. Drown...
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62. Rat
Vongola
"Russo-san!"
Takeshi had just gotten out of a bath. A towel around his neck, Takeshi called out to Russo from the other end of the hall. Running over, Takeshi gave him a grin.
"Hey!" he greeted, as if he would a close friend.
Russo instinctively smiled back. "Hey," a polite greeting, "I trust your training is going well?"
"Nope!" an immediate reply, "Against the kid, it's absolutely one-sided!"
His laugh was contagious, so Russo could only laugh back in response. "It's alright, don't fret too much." Russo gave Takeshi a pat on the shoulder. "You're gonna get there soon."
His choice of wording didn't seem to strike Takeshi as strange. Takeshi had dismissed it, and Russo smiled, contented that he was subtle enough.
"That aside," Takeshi chuckled awkwardly, "Russo-san, I've heard from Hibari that you're close with the Rei from this era. How's the Rei in this era?"
Russo seemed to stop at the name. His smile melted into a neutral poker face, and his eyes turned away from Takeshi as if he was now uninteresting.
"...Rei?" he questioned, "I'm not exactly close to him. We just happened to be in the same line of work, that's all."
Takeshi seemed hesitant now. Russo's complete change in demeanor was very worrying. Did Takeshi say something wrong? Strange? Inappropriate?
But Takeshi decided to press on. "Same line of work?" he inquired.
"We're both Information Brokers, if you understand the term." Russo chuckled awkwardly. "Other than that, I honestly don't know much about him."
Mainly because neither of us trusted the other, Russo secretly thought. Ever since he first met the strange agent known as 'Rei', he had erected strong barriers and walls between their relationship. And the other seemed to do the same.
They may have acted otherwise, but in truth they felt incredibly unnerved by each others' presence.
"He's pretty secretive with me. Well, I don't really tell him much either, but we've just worked together once or twice. We barely even know each other's talents and flaws. We work together pretty well for some reason, but we've never really talked outside of work."
Russo didn't really like the fact that this was all true from his heart. He was a man that lied as easily as he breathed, so speaking the truth was a bit difficult. As an information broker, it was strange for him to not know something.
"I see..." Takeshi was understanding this time. Hanging his head a little guiltily, he smiled a sadder smile, "Sorry for bothering you."
Russo knew the smile was a sign that he's disappointed the boy. But he wasn't supposed to feel compassion for him. Takeshi was only nearly an acquaintance to him, and that was the only holster of their relationship. There was really no room for such touchy relations. No time, either.
"Hey," Russo spoke up again. He looked up-- a glance in his eyes that looked the tad bit... menacing? to Takeshi. A smile on his face that, although looked exactly the same as the smile from before-- it just looked so, so much more evil now.
"I'm not so sure how Rei was ten years ago, but you have to know he's probably not like that in this era." Russo's smile made him seem like a crafty Cheshire cat-- and Takeshi felt himself shiver, cold sweat creeping down his neck, and Takeshi gulped.
"Pardon a rude assumption, but I'm very sure a charming, cheerful guy like you wouldn't have 'the Dirty Rat of the Varia' as your best friend, eh?"
Russo had said that so, so casually, it took Takeshi a very long moment to process. And when he did, his eyes widened.
"See ya, then." Russo quickly excused himself, turning back around and walking away.
"Wait, what do you mean by--"
-
Varia
"Where's Rei-chan?" Lussuria peeked into the living room, finding Belphegor and Fran loafing around, one with a game console and the other with a wire puzzle.
"Dunno," mumbled Belphegor. "Maybe he's sleeping outside with the rats."
"He actually is," Fran mumbled monotonously, "Doing his Guard Dog duties, or something."
"Guard cat, you mean?" Belphegor suggested.
"Guard Rat?" Fran tried again.
"Outside?" Lussuria sounded mortified, "Why didn't you stop him, it's cold out today!"
"His Box Animal is creepy." Fran spoke up.
"His usage is disgusting." Belphegor added.
"Oh, how I wish both of you were in tune in every other aspect." Lussuria sighs, "Oh, Rei-chan's gonna catch a cold out there!"
And so, Lussuria rushes out.
-
Rei lies down at the highest branch of the tallest tree within the grounds of the Varia mansion. His eyes closed, his arms a pillow for his head, a light snore in the air-- by some miraculous possibility, he seemed to actually be sleeping.
On a tree as tall as skyscrapers, he was sleeping. Peacefully, even.
The fluffy hood of his Varia coat up and over his head, he snuggles against the tree branch, getting comfortable and trying to catch some rest--
"Mii, Miii!"
One small grey mouse scurries up the tree, expertly climbing up branch after branch after branch, screeches getting louder as it made its way toward the brunet--
And finally, when it reached where the brunet was-- it crawled all over Rei to get to his face-- then the rodent ran up and down and in circles all over the face.
Rei rouses awake, stretching and yawning before pulling himself up and rubbing his eyes.
The grey mouse settles on the brunet's shoulder.
"What is it, Mimi?" Rei asked.
"Mii, Miii!"
"I don't speak mouse, Mimi." Rei yawned, still half-awake.
Irritated, the mouse opens its tiny jaws and landed a sharp bite on Rei's cheek.
"OW!"
-
A large CHOMP in the face seemed to finally wake Rei up.
"Mii, Miii!!"
"Alright, since there's two 'Mii's... Southward?" Rei was awake now, standing up on the branch and turning towards a certain direction.
He was downwind, so the breeze blew like a gust, blowing his hood down and scattering his hair around-- he takes one deep breath, taking in the smell of the forest.
Raising his right hand, the grey mouse climbs over, scampering toward his fingers-- and pausing at the ring on his middle finger.
Rei cracks into a smile, and the ring lights up. The ring flickers, a bright, purple flame dancing before the purple-eyed mouse.
"Go," he commanded
Emerging from under his sleeves, a flood of grey rodents poured out and scattered and scurried away in every direction.
