badfic_manor | [In person] Just a bit of sulking.

Would it really? Mankind is a hardy species... like cockroaches really. Should something horrendous happen to the majority of the population, god forbid, think about it, all the sinister ties of the world would crumble as their followers work on rebuilding their culture. The need for survival would take prec-

[He lets out a chuckle as he catches himself beginning on his ramble]

Ah, you'll have to pardon my rambling about nonsense. It's just an idle fantasy I thought up as a child. I suppose it still bares more weight then I thought.

[For a moment, there's a bit-off almost-chuckle as the first image to mind is Shiki.]

Sorry - I think in some ways I'm both more idealistic and more cynical - and I've known someone here who's lived through the scenario of "large-scale devastation and loss of life, previous society collapsing". [Yes, he sees your agenda there, and considers what he's heard and pieced together about Toshima about as good as a windshield on a fly for that train of thought.]

People are, well, people, with a great deal of potential for good or ill; stripping ties of society away and putting them under pressure only seems to push them to make sharper and starker decisions which side they'll err on and amplify it - even in a "survival situation" where one would think people would at least err on enlightened self interest towards a greater common threat, there's still that scattering between the people who prove the better of themselves, the ones that aren't quite up to the challenge for some reason, and the ones who're looking for ways to use and abuse those around them for profit, however short-sighted. Destroy the evils of one society, and as much as there will be good showing in surviving, there'll also be new evils growing out of whatever scrapes out of the ruins.

[Ah, dear Saguru, with a smaller population it is so much easier for an all powerful leader like Mukuro to squash all evils that emerge from the ruins]

You're right, my friend, you're right. Please forgive my foolish rant, as I said it was merely something I dreamed up as a child. An odd fantasy, I know, but under the circumstances it was rather appropriate.

Oh, it's quite alright. [After all, it was most enlightening, and gave him a pretty good idea of your motives, however twisted they've become.] It's one of the most natural basic responses to being hurt - wanting to do something to end it, and then wanting to prevent it from ever happening again... and hardly an instinct that can't lead to quite a bit of good depending on what's done with it.

After all, I was the one who set on becoming a detective when I was still a small child, to do something about the evils of the world.

Ah, you were a lucky one then, to be able to choose your goals.

[He taps his lip with his finger thoughtfully a few times]

You know, I think I'll tell you a secret, my good friend. However, I would rather it not become public knowledge.

[To be quite honest he doesn't care, this is merely to give Saguru a false sense of trust or power. Perhaps feeling comfortable enough to reveal more about himself... such as those fascinating scars...]

[Born and bred to it where other things didn't even come up as a possibility, but that's not something that bothers him; and there is an "in spite of" there, as his father's ... well, STILL trying to at least shove him onto a more "normal" path, if not out of the profession. Subjects for another time and someone Saguru would halfway trust, however!]

I think "holding other people's secrets" is part of the definition of my existence, lately. [A sarcastically put truth - and don't think you're going to pry out of him what he knows on others. He figures you're probably working on playing him, but doesn't particularly care right now; anything you say gives him more to work with on figuring out what he's dealing with.]

[Mukuro reaches up and brushes his bangs away from his right eye, then allows his gloved fingers to linger on his cheekbone for a moment.]

My "condition" wasn't one I was born with. I'm sure a bright man such as yourself can infer the rest yourself.

[He flips his ~~hair back and forth~~ hand knocking his bangs into their previous placement]

[Well, that confirms that from some of the between-the-lines of what he's said so far...]

Quite easily, yes. And honestly, the ones responsible earned whatever retribution they've hopefully gotten. [Mass genocide he may want no part of, and he may be working in a profession where the angle of "arrest and serving trial" is preferred, but ... well, that doesn't mean he's against people who'd experiment on children being removed from the gene pool/any chance of them doing any further.]

Kufufufufu

[Mukuro throws his head back and just laughs. There had been nothing so satisfying as watching the life bleed out from his "family"]

Oh, I can assure you, they all got what they had coming for quite a long time! One of the children went mad, you see. Killed every single member of the family with his bare hands. He was a quiet one too. Never screamed, it was most peculiar. Myself and two other managed to escape, I do not know about the boy though, we fled before he was finished you see.

[Laced with lies of course, but who would believe someone built as thin as Mukuro could massacre an entire Famiglia as a child? Especially if they didn't know the full extent of his powers]

[And another thing to file away; 'do not know about' indeed. Saguru would bet his pocketwatch that it'd been Mukuro himself.]

Peculiar indeed, but then, even a child that's pushed or determined can accomplish quite a great deal.

Well, he was a bit older then I, and who's to tell what sort of experiments they did on him? I never got a good look at what exactly it was he was doing, I was having trouble seeing as you can imagine.

[Mildly true, his powers had gone a bit out of control the day he finally ended the Estraneo Famiglia... he couldn't even tell the difference between his own illusions and reality]

.... but I could hear it, and I'll never forget the smell. Like a handful of new coins. Of course I didn't know what coins were at the time, but the entire experience was something I'll never forget.

[A twisted smirk plays across his face and he rests his head on his hand contently]

I can't say I found it unpleasant either. [He rather enjoyed it actually] I suppose that makes me rather ill in the head doesn't it?

I imagine anything that would mean getting out of a situation that bad would be expected to not register as unpleasant. [And honestly, he'd say that it would be where you went from there that'd be the "ill in the head" part, but, well, handling with care.]

You're words are such a comfort, my friend. And I suppose you're right, I'm sure the other two I fled with feel no different.

[Hence their ungodly loyalty to him]

I suppose that is one of the downfalls of being here. I do rather miss those two despite their incessant squabbling.

Are there many others from your world here that you've noticed?

The Author seems to show preferences for some places over others - if yours is one of those, then they may yet turn up.

[Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, he's not sure.]

I've spotted a three: Gokudera Hayato, Ryohei Sasagawa and Belphegor. None of which I would like to associate myself with. I'm not quite fond of the mafia as you can surly understand.

[He lets out a sigh and shakes his head a bit]

Unfortunately I am obligated to "aide" the first two. Something of a bargain I made back in my world, to ensure the safety of two friends of mine. To be on the safe side I suppose I must follow through with my bargain even here, though since death isn't permanent I don't see the need.

[Translation: I hate them but they're under my protection... ~~but I'll probably let them die anyway~~]

I have my own history with organized crime - I can quite understand a dislike of them. [He's quite happy that his dealings with the one Italian family were minimal, and that's not even getting into the group that is responsible for his dismal estimate of his own life expectancy.]

[That puts a new angle on the politics, here.] I've met Belphegor and Gokudera - the latter only briefly, and the former quite regrettably. [And he sees no reason to hide the moment of distaste - if anything, it's possibly something to give a little leverage in his favor.]

As impermanent as death is, so long as they seem inclined to hold their side of the bargain - well, if they think there's a lack of faith on the other side, they might reconsider. [As much as he doesn't deal with them much, he does know the basics of how internal politics work.]

Ah yeas, Belphegor, I didn't spend a great amount of time outside enough to interact properly with the little wretch, but my intelligence told me all I needed to know. He's not worth anybody's time.

As for the Vongola brats, also not worth anyone's time. At least not the present two. Hopefully my lack of presence isn't noticed on the other side. My two comrades would be in quite a bit of danger should Vendice catch up with them. As well as my dear Chrome... if I am lucky then no time has passed since my disappearance. If I am less lucky then my disappearance has been felt but the Vongola are still keeping up their side of the bargain and providing refuge for my comrades and medical aide for my little Chrome. If I am unlucky then my disappearance has been felt and the dear girl has perished... I very much hope that is not the case. She is such a sweet girl...

Unfortunately, I seem to have caught his interest. [Doesn't he sound SO THRILLED?]

[He does pause to think for a moment-] We don't have much reliable to go on for what happens at home, but it seems like the people who've been sent back and forth were sent back to when they had been taken from, but then, things like people's memories in those cases aren't reliable, so I can't speak with confidence...

[He frowns.] Medical aid? How bad is her situation?

Oh? If he causes you trouble do not hesitate to call for me. [he can't have anyone harming his pawns] I can assure you, we will come to an understanding quite quickly.

She's missing several vital organs in her stomach. Her parents abandoned her in the hospital, where I stumbled upon her while she was asleep. Ever since I have kept her alive on my powers alone. Though I cannot feel her through the barrier. It's rather troubling.

Thank you - that will be most helpful. [As much as it might be swallowing the spider to catch the fly...]

....

It never ceases to amaze me what "parents" will do - she's lucky to have you. [There's a thoughtful pause...] I know an acquaintance of mine had mentioned - she has a close mental link with her "siblings"; she'd said that she couldn't feel them at all, until one of them showed up, and even then, they can't sense the other two.

It would be a pleasure, honestly. He's from the Varia, a vile familgia a branch off of the Vongola. They plotted a little coupe de tat, I was taken here after I did my part in putting them down, per my obligations to the Vongola.

[Is this Mukuro just spewing information about the Vongola at you? Why yes it is. He hates them all.]

Yes, that sounds identical to my situation with Chrome. Distance has never been an issue before, [He WAS in a basement prison in Italy while she was out and about in Japan...] however without my powers to sustain her I fear the worse. Her own skills, I fear, are not enough to keep her alive.

[Information is information; he can fact-check later around what he can glean about Mukuro's agenda and where Mukuro might be less than honest.]

Depending on when everyone is from, that would explain some of the bickering I've seen him have with Gokudera.

[He does think for a minute...] Speaking of - we do have a few instances of people from different points in their "timelines" where the one that's from "later" doesn't remember the other having been missing. We could only hope that's indicative of how this place works.

[Have fun getting them to talk on the matter.]

Yes, I believe the two were pitted against each other. The Varia boy won on a technicality from what I heard.

[He smiles and puts his hand to his chest in a relieved gesture.]

That certainly is a relief to hear. It would be tragic should something happen to the poor girl after finally getting her life back in order.

[If you call being at Mukuro's beck and call for body snatching having your life back in order...]

[In person] Just a bit of sulking.

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