Chapter Text
A golden cat with a thick black stripe along its spine watched the two newcomers, yellow eyes unblinking. The cat, along with the fluffy brown dog whose back it was perched on, was a common sight in the village. The dog trotted along behind the newcomers, jostling the cat with its bounding gate.
"Tsukki, that dog has a cat on its back," one of the newcomers noticed, pausing and staring at the animals. The cat's ears twitched in irritation. Then it slid from the dog's back, transforming into a short human with blond hair, dark roots showing at the top of his head.
"He's just a local familiar. Ignore him," the other newcomer replied. The cat-turned-human approached the newcomers.
"I'm Kenma," he said quietly. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I'm Tsukishima, an independent mage," one of them answered. "This is my familiar, Yamaguchi."
"We're not here to cause trouble or anything," the freckled newcomer added earnestly. Kenma eyed them, expression almost disinterested.
"Inuoka," he said. The dog he'd been perched on in his cat form wagged its tail to show it was paying attention. "Tell Kuroo I'll bring them." The dog - undoubtedly another familiar - barked, then bolted down the street. "Follow me, please." Without waiting for a response, Kenma started walking. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi hesitated, and he turned back as though sensing their reservation. "I really don't want to make you. But I will if I have to." He kept walking, and this time, they followed.
Kenma led them to a small Guild Hall tucked between a tavern and a weapons shop. When they stepped inside, they found themselves in an open room with comfortable-looking furniture. An information board took up all of one wall, and there was a short, light-haired man standing in front of it, accompanied by a very tall, thin, silver-haired teenager. The dog from before was bouncing around the short man, tail whipping back and forth. Kenma ignored the trio by the information board, heading to where a man with wild black hair falling into his face was lounging on a couch. The black haired man pulled himself up so he was leaning against the arm of the couch, and Kenma sat at the other end, curling his legs beneath him in a rather catlike manner.
"Tsukishima, huh?" The man's lips curled in amusement as he eyed the newcomers. "You didn't give Kenma any trouble, did you?" Tsukishima frowned, unsure who this was supposed to be. He'd expected to be led to the Guildmaster, but this man had a laid-back air about him, very different from the aura surrounding the Moonlit Shadows Guildmaster. There was no way this smirking, messy-haired man was the Guildmaster here, right? "I'm Kuroo, the Nekoma Guildmaster. Have a seat, and we'll talk." Apparently there was a way. Tsukishima made a disgruntled noise in his throat, but sat on the couch facing the one Kuroo and Kenma were on. Yamaguchi sat beside him, watching the Nekoma mage and familiar nervously. "Calm down, we don't attack injured people," Kuroo sighed, glancing meaningfully at Yamaguchi, who flinched. Tsukishima scowled.
"Kuroo," Kenma murmured. The mage grinned at his familiar and leaned over to ruffle his hair, earning himself an annoyed look.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm focusing," Kuroo assured him before turning back to Tsukishima. "You told Kenma you're an independent mage, but I thought the Tsukishima light mages were all associated with Moonlit Shadows. The surviving ones, anyway," he added slyly. Tsukishima tensed, eyes narrowing.
"What do you want?" the light mage demanded.
"Information, connections, and someone to whip the new guy into shape," Kuroo answered easily. Kenma made a face, scrunching his nose in distaste. "But from you, specifically? I want to know why you aren't with Moonlit Shadows anymore."
"That's none of your business," Tsukishima snapped. He started to get up, but stopped as he realized the trio from the information board and the pair on the couch were all staring at him, their gazes almost feral in their intensity.
"Everything is our business," Kuroo informed him, his manner suddenly not so laid-back. "So you're going to tell us what you know about Moonlit Shadows, and why you left, and anything else that might be interesting. We won't ask so nicely again." Yamaguchi trembled, and Tsukishima rested a hand on his familiar's knee to calm him.
"I thought you said you wouldn't attack injured people," the light mage reminded the Guildmaster.
"Oh, we wouldn't. But you're not injured, so you're fair game. And if your familiar tried to protect you, he'd become fair game, too, despite his injuries," Kuroo replied, his voice soft despite the threat in his words. There was a moment of silence as Tsukishima met the Guildmaster's gaze steadily, weighing the risk of just grabbing Yamaguchi and running.
"Don't," Kenma said quietly, his voice barely audible, but capturing the light mage's attention. Tsukishima glanced from Guildmaster to familiar, then to the trio by the board.
"Fine. I left Moonlit Shadows because I didn't want to be involved in the war they're planning against Karasuno and Aoba Josei," he said.
"I thought Iwaizumi took out enough of their mages when he saved Oikawa's hide that they wouldn't try anything any time soon," Kuroo murmured.
"Well, having Windswept on their side seems to have given the Guildmaster his confidence back," Tsukishima replied, shrugging.
"What does Windswept want with Ushijima?" the Nekoma Guildmaster frowned. "No, wait. Let me guess. Ushijima takes Moonlit Shadows and wipes out Karasuno, and then Michimiya and Windswept will help get rid of Aoba Josei. Does anyone else know about this?"
"A nosy flock of crows and a weird fire mage with striped hair," Tsukishima answered, deciding that he might as well just tell them everything considering how much he'd already said.
"Bokuto and Ukai know? Karasuno and Aoba Josei are already being warned, then," Kuroo mused. "Then we have a little time to decide."
"To decide?" Tsukishima repeated. "Decide what?" Kuroo smirked, relaxing into his initial laid-back posture, as though the tension had completely left the situation.
"Why, to decided what to do with the two of you, of course."