Chapter Text
"...then let's go over the contract, Mr Fitzgerald."
Manager's voice carried through the halls as he stepped outside the room he and the leader of the guild was discussing before his feet began moving towards another room
"And perhaps..." he said, eyeing the members that are now fixing their postures in the hall before turning back to his path with stern and unsurprised look in his face. "Your colleagues would enjoy going around the casino while we do so."
"Maybe, perchance."
Other man followed him, his proud smile widened in victory as he followed after him to finalise their deal.
he looks like he just won big in lottery... but everyone in the casino is either like that or come from deep money even i can't erease...
"He is letting us roam free now?"
Words pushed past the farmer's lips as he was glaring back of the two figures disappeared into the room with the door shutting loudly behind them. He was blonde like the taller man. But his whole outfit screamed farmer and the straw hat wasn't helping either
A farmer? So is he those subtle riches too? Or maybe he is here by coincidence... doesn't look or act like a rich.
"Seems like it."
Woman hummed with indifference in her voice. Red hair tied to two braids behind her. She moved without even glancing at her coworkers, towards the crowded area of the flying casino. "Im taking the word on it before he changes his mind anyway."
she... looks like she wants to be away from others. Mr sigma said they aren't traffickers, so maybe an argument? Could be an inside drama?.. out of all, she looks she has the elegance of rich, but lacks the actual practical demeanour of it...
"Ehh, i agree on Lucy on that. They basically told us to roam around freely, who are we to refuse this offer?"
After her another male followed. Ginger and open shirt. A wide smile was across his face as he snickered with amusement.
His movement was followed by rest of his colleagues who semi agreed to his words, or didn't want to argue more. Everyone except an old man stood behind. A long white beard running down to his chest as he watched them with understanding eyes
"I'll be staying here till Mr Fitzgerald gets out. Till then, take care all of you."
He holds the elements of a gentleman. He could pass as a noble man in the past. He is defiently rich. Old money on that too, or a money he grow and got educated alongside.
"But..."
His eyes faltered on their analysis on the old 'gentleman' as he deemed. Snapping back up to the walking away group with unreadable look in them as he leaned closer to the crack between the two doors of the closet
"...that guy..."
Taking in the sight of the ginger hair he could select between the other peoples' heads, his eyes ever so widened.
His chest suddenly growing like a giant concrete block had fallen on it. A warm feeling sipping through his bones like his vein had burst inside his body made him halter for a single moment. Just before the group disappeared from the sight
no wait-!
...
What..
That felt weird...
Yet..
"He looked like a cat..."
"Woah! This place got some serious money raining down on them all the time."
Mark's voice carried through so little. The crowd around him was like a starved monster, each sound from them was eating and drowning any sound sof air he let out while walking around the gambling masses of people.
"...you can say that."
"EEEECK-!?!?"
For a sudden moment, the whole one second period of silence that followed after his scream had seemed longer to him.
He had jumped to the side, hitting his back to a chair when he heard him. This guy had managed to get close to him enough to stood beside him, damn he was getting rusty!
"..did I said something wrong-?"
"You can't just pop out of thin air beside people-!!"
Other male didn't move or said something when Mark held up an accusing finger to him. He just stood there, blinking slowly before pointing to himself
"...I don't have a bell to ring."
"T-thats- what are you on????"
"Ground..?"
"THATS NOT WHAT I MEANT"
"Sorry for the scare again, mister twain."
The man, shota as he told Mark after their absolutely not scary first encounter, spoke with a blankness that seemed artificial while holding another ice pack to him. As a respond, mark just groaned and grabbed back of his hips again
"Just call me mark... the whole mister thing is already odd."
Mark said, a sigh leaving his lips. Slowly he turned his eyes back to shota, looking him up and down, taking in his appereance swiftly moment. He was shorter than him, dark hair that was coloured at the ends of it. He doesn't look like an assassin. Nor someone with any background of violence.. weird. I should really gather myself together.
"Its what we call the customers in the casino. Even if i try to follow it, I'd keep slipping."
Shota's words were devoid of emotion again. Like a rephrased sentence he perfected by repeating it kver and over again till no emotion or thought was left in it.
"...so... you are a worker in the casino?"
"...more like a lottery ticket, but yes."
This reply just bought shota an eyebrow raise. Ginger man moved to lean down closer to the height of the other. Who just blinked at the action but made no protest or move against it.
"Like a lottery ticket??"
"Yes, like a lottery ticket." Shota nodded and bowed his head with practised and perfected ease. Gradually turning his foggy eyes back to meet Mark's. "I had overheard you and your colleagues talk. So i thought i could guide all of you... but came to the casino after my work, I couldn't find any of you but managed to spot you, miste-... mark"
"..."
"..."
"You know you are way too straightforward for meeting someone the first time right?"
Slowly blinking, the waiter pointed at himself with a lost expression on his face again. Yet this time he looked much more like an awkward puppy than a lifeless foggy doll
"Is.. it a bad thing-?"
"...not necessarily. But please cut the suddenly appearing thing."
Mark sighed, a hand clasping infront of him as he finally felt his heart fully relaxed in his ribcage. That scare is not something he is ready to experience again anytime soon
At least shota looked like he understood the main point. Nodded his head in agreement to Mark's words, however it was followed by him looking away and fidgeting with ends of his uniform
"I thought it would be a good chat starter. Sometimes guests likes jokes."
I had seen a man do it to other people in the television before. He had funny clothes and I have my uniform, but the main action was the same... wasn't it?
A long moment of silence stretched between them like a train before finally mark broke the silence while looking down at shota with a tiny smile on his face
"Do you have any friends?"
"No."
"I can see why"