What if Terazuma didn’t tell Muraki not to drink anything Watari offered him…?
The Path to the King of Practical Jokers, Professor Watari
“All right!” Watari begins rummaging through a few stacks of paper. “I know it’s here…I just got it yester…okay, here we go. No, that’s not it…Sit, sit. There’s a chair under that pile of books, you can just put those on the ground…wah, my potion…wait just a moment please, I need to add something…”
Muraki looks around the lab. His attention falls upon a carelessly unlocked glass case, filled to the brim with absently labeled bottles. He studies the potions lined up in the case curiously. None of the bottles are labeled with anything more than a date.
“What’s this?” Muraki gestures toward the multi-colored bottles.
“Eh?” Watari is titrating a solution into another solution. His inattention causes him to add one drop too many, causing his potion to turn a murky green color. “WAH! Ruined! Noooooooo!”
“Ah, my apologies.” Muraki says absently, without really meaning it.
“That’s all right,” Watari says, as he sniffles, staring at the now vile green concoction. He pouts for a moment before remembering Muraki’s question.
“Oh right, your question…those are my previous experiments,” Watari says sadly.
“What are you experimenting with?” Muraki asks.
“A potion to change…er…actually, I’m testing different flavors.” Watari says, a little gleam coming into his eyes. “Want to help me taste something?”
“All right.” Muraki shrugs. Even as a human, no amount of poison could hurt him seriously, and he doesn’t think that as a Shinigami, it could be worse.
Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?
Watari gleefully rummages through his potion cabinet for a moment, before pulling out a bottle. It’s pink and fizzes happily when Watari shakes it. Watari finds a clean beaker and pours out a measure.
“All right, let’s try this one.” Watari hands the beaker to Muraki.
“What’s it supposed to taste like?” Muraki asks, swirling the liquid around. It continues fizzing.
“That’s for you to tell me,” Watari replies, and then, “You’re the control study.”
“Ah, right.” Muraki shrugs, and downs the potion in one shot.
Spicy!
Is it possible to kill a Shinigami?
Really. Is it possible? Because the urge to kill is definitely upon me.
“This isn’t funny.” I say through gritted teeth. My voice is ridiculously high, coming out in an undignified squeak.
“Awwww! Muraki-chan’s blushing!” Wakaba looms down, crouching before me. Suddenly, I’m trapped in her arms.
It…it’s a huggle. I’ve only heard of such things.
How incredibly degrading.
“Ah!” I exclaim unintentionally, as she gives me a big squeeze, my arms flailing about. Around me, the other Shinigami snicker.
“Well, it’s a good thing someone kept those kid’s clothes,” Tatsumi stifles a smile behind his hand. “Otherwise we’d have had a naked Muraki on our hands.”
Terazuma laughs. “Hey kid,” he says, looking down at me. “Better watch where those hands of yours are going if you don’t want to get a thumping.” He leans down to ruffle my hair playfully as Wakaba lets me go.
He ruffled. My hair.
“This is too degrading!” I brush at my hair with my hands. “You’re cruel!” My normally calm demeanor is completely shattered.
“Not really. You want me to thwap you instead?” Terazuma looks down, amused.
“N…no.” I pout. Pout. I’m pouting. This is…this is insane. I’ve gone insane. My body’s that of a child. I’m wearing a little white t-shirt with a picture of a gray bunny on the front, and white shorts. They’re…really short.
And the bunny is very cute. Oh god.
Stupid potion. No snuzzle poopyhead potion!
Wait, that’s not how I think. What in the world…
“You really should have known better than to interrupt Watari when he’s experimenting,” Tatsumi says coolly. “If you manage to catch him at the right time it can be very hazardous to your health.” Tatsumi pauses, adjusting his glasses. “And dignity.”
“I didn’t know.” Tears are now coming into my eyes. Tears! I feel a sniffle coming on.
A moment later, the door opens. I can’t see around these desks to know who’s here, but I can hear Watari’s voice. And that of two girls.
“Hey, you think I’m cruel?” Terazuma grins down at me. “Well, guess what kid, your luck’s about to change.”
“What are you…” I manage to get out, before he picks me up, hooking his hands under my arms and plopping me down on the bare desktop.
“Yuma, Saya…this is Muraki. He’ll be working with us from now on.” Tatsumi says with a smile, reaching out to pat me on the head.
“WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”
“KAWAIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!”
It’s quite possibly the most chilling thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Oh gods, they’re coming right for me.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”