Miller quietly sat in the hospital room.
Tony had been rushed to a nearby hospital, and was still unconscious...
Sparky had been taken to a separate room to be patched up, but Miller was allowed to sit with his son...
The nurse walked in quietly, Sparky trailing her.
"Mr. Donma, I think its best if you leave." The nurse began. "Your son will be fine, I assure you."
Miller said nothing but got up and left with Sparky.
"...Son huh? That what you told them?" Asked Sparky as Miller began to drive Sparky Home
"It's not wrong." Miller replied quietly.
"I thought you were his caretaker." She commented.
"I'm both...biological father and the person assigned to care for him."
"He never calls you dad."
Sparky statement stung Miller a bit...he knew of his failure.
"That's a personal thing...I think. He's mad at me for what happened to his mom, and that I couldn't just erase his debt." Miller explained.
"Really-? Tony said he doesn't know who his dad is. Any memory he had is apparently fuzzy."
Miller's eyes widened at the statement.
"...Maybe it's a trauma thing then. He's seen me do some bad things...maybe his brain not making the connection between me, and his father is a good thing..." He assumed, semi-aware of some of dumb things the mortal mind did.
"Well, I think you should tell him." Sparky said with a tone of finality. Marking the end of the conversation.
The drive back was silent afterwards. Sparky tried to unpack the day's events, while Miller pay attention to the road...
Miller pulled up to Sparky's apartment and sat there.
After around a minute, he spoke.
"We're at your stop, Sparks-" Miller began.
"I know that." She said angrily. Cutting him off.
"...I want some dinner though, and I'd rather stay the night with you." Sparky looked at him.
"Fine. Whaddya want."
A few minutes later, Miller and Sparky were standing in a sub-sandwich place. Watching their food get made.
"Do you two want any drinks or cookies?" The worker asked as she rang up Miller.
"Yeah, two large soda's please." Sparky answered for him.
"I'm not a-" Miller started, but a gentle nudge from Sparky shut him up.
Miller paid the extra, then walked over to the soda fountain with their cups...
"I'm not a big fan of soda." Miller commented as Sparky began to fill the cups.
"More for me then." She replied simply.
"Fair enough."
The two left the store, and made it back to Miller's car...
"So...you want to stay with me-?" Miller mumbled to her.
Sparky nodded.
Miller sighed and began to drive away.
They pulled up to a slightly fancier apartment area, and Miller lead Sparky into his home...
Miller apartment was a lot more traditional Arcerian, most of the planet had fallen to modernization. But Miller's home was still filled with carefully made bamboo mats, and other more natural materials.
"Never took you as a traditional person..." Sparky commented.
"I respect the planet's history. Many higher-ranking Yakuza do..." Miller mumbled as he set up the low sitting table for the two's dinner.
"Why doesn't Tony live here?" Sparky asked, curious about his living condition.
"He did, as did his mother. But the clan leaders wished it not to happen. Better Tony lives at the casino to work..."
Sparky twitched at the mention of the clan leaders and decided to silently sit down instead.
Miller unpacked their food, and the two ate.
The next two days were quiet and slow, Miller tried to get the still unconscious Tony transported to a hospital which was closer to the casino, but he couldn't get permission...and so Miller and Sparky drove out there every day to see him.
Tony finally stirred on the 3rd day. Much to the joy of Sparky and Miller.
He stared at them with his only working eye, his other being replaced by the golden orb.
"...Then we brought you here. You've been out for a little over two days!" Sparky finished telling him about what happened...
Tony simply smiled, chuckling to himself.
Miller stared at him silently...something about him seemed so different. He was more confident; his voice tone had changed. Straying away from the young worker to a teenage swindler.
As the days continued, Tony didn't leave the hospital. They were insistent on running tests and deciding on what to do with Tony's eye, to which Miller had an idea.
Results were inconclusive, Tony's genetics hadn't been altered...but some of his brain, soul, and magical activity had. It was hard for the doctors to tell why, but the trio knew.
Unoki was finally awakened inside Tony.
Miller, with some help from Cora. Dug into some Ryoikian Mythology.
Unoki was the Ryoikain God of Luck, a large symbol to many. As Miller already knew.
But he had some confusing stories, many times being painted as a trickster god, and a nuisance.
He was the antagonists of many stories and poems, mostly in the form of a demonic dealmaker. A man who cheats for what he wants and goes against many rules...but does hold firm to a defined set of morals.
Miller had never seen such behavior out of Tony and decided to run his own tests.
Now that he was awake, Miller visited him more often and stayed for much longer...and began to play many styles of luck games.
Cards, dice, coin flips, and all other sorts of games which relied on luck...
Results showed Miller just how right he was, Tony hadn't cheated on any of them...in fact he barely won. Minus beating Miller 4 times straight in poker.
Sparky, though, had different research in mind.
She was tracking information on Severance. She wasn't letting this event go unnoticed, she wasn't letting her suffering, nor Tony and Miller's great acts. She needed proof to strike a hard blow to Severance's respectability...and she had herself a clever lead.
YOU ARE READING
Ryoiki: Demon of Greed (8)
FantasyA young boy struggles to pay off his debt to the Arcerian Yakuza, but when forces start closing in on him and his caregiver, with his caregiver offering him freedom should he help.
