Fortune Is Unpredictable And Mutable
“All rise for Judge Atsushi.”
Atsushi walked down the stands, his hand clenching as he walked, anger clearly simmering behind his BEAUTIFUL eyes. He was upset. This court case took a lot from him. He was invested in this grisly case. Images of Pokkle stirred in his mind. How dare he get a better funeral than Atsushi did! How dare Atsushi get no funeral at all! Atsushi sat in the judge’s seat. On his right were the tearful faces of Pokkle’s victim’s parents. His heart bled for them. He swallowed a lump of grief. How would the headmaster of the orphanage, the only father he’d ever known, feel in their position?
Atsushi had invited him, proud of himself. Atsushi turned to look at the end of the pew – the empty seat – the seat of his father. This time he couldn’t just swallow away his grief.
Sanji ran up to him, leaning over the stand. “Atsushi, I can understand why you would be upset with us about your missing fur – but you have to realise we were grieving because of your death. There was a child dying of pneumonia outside your old orphanage. I had your fur in my hand and I had to give it to that young boy, to save his life.”
Atsushi wasn’t sure what this ‘pneumonia’ was but it sounded serious.
“I’m glad my fur was used to help someone. It was the best thing you could have done with it. Tell me… did the boy live?” his eyes were tearful, and he reached out to touch Sanji’s shoulder.
Sanji bowed his head, shadows of his bangs covering his face. Atsushi took that to mean the unthinkable had happened.
“Oh.” He said, lowering his head.
Sanji was trying hard not to laugh. Atsushi was buying this. It was a story not even that moss haired idiot would have believed. How was this kid a judge when he was so unbelievably dumb?
Sanji turned, ready to head back to his seat. Just then the prosecuting lawyer walked in – Hisoka.
“Oh shit.” He muttered when he saw what the attorney was wearing.
Everyone fell silent. Hisoka strutted down the aisle, his entourage falling behind him: Illumi, Ging and Pariston, with Kalluto throwing confetti in front of him, like a flower boi. Resting on Hisoka’s shoulders and flowing down, nearly touching the floor, was a beautiful white fur coat. ATSUSHI’S WHITE FUR COAT!
“Sorry I’m late, my kittens,” Hisoka trilled with grandeur. With a flourish he showed off his whole outfit, slim suit with – de fur. “I couldn’t find my coat – but the wait was worth it, I’m sure.” He walked up the aisle between the seats, shoes clipping the floor. He got to his seat and looked up towards the judge.
The raw potential, power, thrummed through Hisoka’s chest, adrenaline making his heart flutter. The judge, a powerful young man, stared down at him from the stands. Judge Atsushi. Hisoka wondered if Atsushi would allow him to call him that in bed. He bit his lip and his tongue peeked out, licking them.
“Judge Atsushi,” Hisoka ran his hand down the white fur on his shoulders, “Let me stroke you like this fur.” He smirked, leaning forward.
Atsushi felt rage build inside him, he was having trouble keeping his cat tail and ears in. The realisation that Sanji had lied to him hit him almost as hard as Akutagawa’s punches with Rashomon. Atsushi was now committed to destroying Oxbridge University, he will bring them down.
Then he glanced over at the people watching in the pews- his beloved teachers, unlike his father, they were there, supporting him. They were his family, he couldn’t abandon them. Fukuzawa had been like a father to him. He couldn’t abandon them. Shanks, standing supportively; the Shanks who helped him realise not to be ashamed of his cat ears and tail, who encouraged him to feel comfortable in his own fur, petting him when he was down. Hawkeye, the music teacher played the triangle to him when he was down. They were family. Even Victor, the creepy aunt of the family, was there. He gave Atsushi a toothy grin, garbage stuck between his teeth.
The lawyer for the Oxbridge side was Luffy – not the bitch, but the boi. Atsushi’s heart welled with pride. The seven-year-old would certainly be an asset to the defence team.
Atsushi decided he would try his hardest to take a neutral stance on the court case. He shifted his papers and turned to his people.
Watching this court case unfold on the television was Lord Goo, holding a champagne flute.