kur(sed)ta

                The awkwardness was palpable. Killua didn’t have to look to tell the blonde felt it, too. Whether it was from the question clinging to the air overhead or the unfailing ticks as the clock counted down the hours until go-time, he didn’t know. Out of the corner of his eye, Killua saw Kurapika fidget with the gold hem. He ignored it. 

Outside, the sounds of tires scudding across the asphalt three stories below with the passing vehicles was answered only by the distant rolling of thunder. A few flashes turned the dimly-lit room into a photo booth. Killua folded his legs casually, one over the other, and studied the opposite wall. It was a cheap room, with walls decorated vaguely with the ugliest wallpaper Killua had laid eyes on. It was stained and jutted out in places, pieces half-rolled out from the humidity. He supposed at one time it had been blue. Apart from the hideous walls, nothing else stood apart from the room. There was only a bed, a three-legged nightstand held in place by a phone book, a generic lamp, and an outlet. It was both his room and Gon’s because six billion jenny wasn’t about to fall out of the sky. He idly wondered whether he’d spent a little too much time around the penny-pinching med student for his own good.

The question brought Kurapika a sidelong glance. Killua’s eyebrows frowned skeptically. He hadn’t expected that kind of question, but, then again, he didn’t really know what he was expecting to begin with. The next words eased his expression.

                    ❛ Oh, that. It just, sort of, happened, I guess. Heard it was difficult, so I figured I’d give it a shot, see how things went. ❜

the distant thrums of thunder had Kurapika flinching subtly, yet he hid it with another rub of his thumb over his robe. his anxiety for the upcoming plan made every noise push him on edge, on his toes, his hair standing on end. he breathed in deeply through his nose, letting it out softly through his mouth.

the musty smell of the room comforted him. it was a nostalgic smell. it reminded him of family homes after the rain, the hallways of older buildings in his lost village. he breathes in deeply once more, thinking about the air filling his lungs. another rumble of thunder brings him back to the present, and he finds himself looking into those earnest blue eyes.

the response he got wasn’t unexpected. he supposed Killua was the sort to seek out difficult situations, to challenge himself. he had spoken of it before. 

     “ is that so . . . a good reason, the hunter exam was rather difficult. “

the kurta’s mind wanders to those days in which he had first met the three males that have become part of his life, to the days before his knuckles were bruised and there were permanent bags beneath his eyes. while it had been tenuous at the time, the memories allowed him to smile now. they were fond MEMORIES.

     “ you know why i came to the hunter exam already . . . i am reaping the plans i have sown. “ 

the blonde eyes settle upon the worn floor, curling his toes with a sigh. he could feel himself slowly easing more to this situation, to their surroundings. he was with a friend, with someone he could trust. he allowed a bit of himself to be bared.

     “ do you regret it, taking the exam ? i mean . . . i don’t regret it, per say, but sometimes i have to wonder if things would have gone differently, if i weren’t so . . . “

he struggles, searching for the word before finally adding,

    “Pathetic.”

“Well, yes and no. My job requires I spend time in the field, and it’s much more convenient to catch fish than carry excessive food around, which also makes you a target for wild animals…”

It’s irrelevant what it is he does, so Kite trails off before he bores the stranger – which certainly wouldn’t clear the already awkward air around them. He can tell that the man is confused that he’s fishing in the cold, but he feels no need to explain himself on that front either.

Instead he once again turns back to the matter at hand. “There’s no need for you to tell me the nature of your job,” Kite says, “and I can tell you have no intention of elaborating. But your private business doesn’t concern me.” He stands then, retracting the fishing pole to place in the bag by his side. “However, I’m more than willing to lend assistance to your search.” For one, he’s dreadfully bored. That aside, he experiences no great discomfort talking to this person, which probably means helping him won’t harm his own job in any way.

“My name is Kite,” he adds as an afterthought. “I’m under contract to study rare and unknown species in this forest. But I can spare some time to help you.” A pause. “However, I’ll need a bit more information. If that makes you uneasy, then by all means you can refuse the offer.”

so, someone who is aware of the ways of the wilderness. the fishing rod still brought wisps of thoughts into his head. it all reminded him too much of that BOY clad in green. the kurta’s fingers wander to the chains upon his hand, the only part of his nen he has not bothered to hide. it was good to show he wasn’t unarmed, despite the odd choice of his weaponry. his eyes glance to the other man momentarily before returning to the lake.

     “ you are free to assist me in my job, i have no need to keep the identities of these thieves a secret, merely the privacy of my employers. “

with that Kurapika turns to face the thin man with a small bow of his head, more out of habit of greeting than true politeness.

     “ i am Kurapika. i work for a family organization, as of the moment. “

he reaches into his suit jacket breast pocket, opening up a folded photo. he offers it to the other man.

     “ it is blurry due to their exploitation of the security camera blind spots, but even a group of men shouldn’t be able to carry such a large artifact very far. “

with that, Kurapika pauses for a moment to think before opening his hand and letting his Dowsing Chain drop.

I would love to sell your eyes but the rest of you is pretty useless Kurta.

“You’re a Nen user?” She didn’t even need to ask to know what type he was, his aura said it all. It came at her like a truck (and she knows what that feels like).  “And… A specialist? No… I’m wrong… You’re a conjurer… I can feel it… It feels rough… But at the same time it has the same pressure as a specialist.”

Instinctively the girl jumped back towards the wall, eyes darting for a quick escape. If needed, she’d SCALE the walls and run. Her hand reached for the dagger STRAPPED to her thigh hidden underneath her frilled skirt, though her hand retracted upon hearing he wouldn’t hurt her. It’s not like she cared if he did or didn’t, it would just cause him an unnecessary amount of blood on his hands.

Her senses were VERY sensitive to aura so feeling his sudden use of Nen just caused her senses to SPIKE, an immediate pounding in her chest. Her body tingled due to how close she was to his aura; even though she wasn’t standing close to him, she could FEEL exactly how much strength it took for him to use such an ability. It wasn’t something pleasant, there was something about it that felt… Unnatural. It wasn’t at all like her rival’s Nen, this was far different in dynamics, as if there were an extensive PAIN that was placed into learning it. She felt a tad bit SUFFOCATED even though she was standing a few feet away from him.

“My eyes are like this because I was involved in an accident. I was temporarily blinded and when I learned Nen my eyes healed though the color stayed the same…”

Why is he asking..? Clan… Wait… She was starting to put the pieces together, though she wasn’t confident in her assumption. There’s NO way he could be apart of the Kurta clan… Everyone died… Including the people who passed through the town during the incident. She never knew WHO was the cause of their demise but she was certain that there were no SURVIVORS. There’s no way he was truly apart of the lost clan.

“I’ll say this now before you cause me any major soreness for tomorrow, I can’t die. No matter how many times you hit me with whatever kinky chain abilities you have, it won’t work so please don’t try, I have work tomorrow and I’d prefer it if you didn’t slice me up, tie me, shoot me, stab me, or any other way you may try and kill me.”

She had no reason to LIE when her story about her eyes was nothing special except for a mere inattentive pervert who accidentally spilled piping hot tar on her eyes, BLINDING her for weeks before she learned Nen.

the kurta watches as the girl cowers from his being, her eyes wide, small chest heaving with what he could only guess would be fear. she reminded him of a cornered bird, caged. he feels his throat close in misplaced sadness. when had he become such a fear-inducing person ?

upon her observation of his nen he flinches, as if struck. this nen, the power he had sought so recklessly. he pushes the thought out of his head, merely nodding tersely in confirmation.

     “ yes, you are correct. i am a NEN user. as are you, i believe. “

he draws his hand back, if only slightly. her wide red-eyes gave him visions of what his friends, his family might have appeared if he had been there, among his clan, on that faithful day. did they have similar expressions as they were slaughtered like farm animals ?

upon hearing her explanation he finally lowers his hand, letting his chains dangle loosely near his side. he feels something inside of him fall, some cold heavy weight drop straight into his stomach.

as relieved as he was to hear such an answer, he couldn’t help but feel it. that familiar feeling, something he thought he would have forgotten after counting the members of his deceased clan.

 disappointment.

     “ i see. if you are not involved, then i will not get you involved. “

he speaks in a staccato, and he feels his throat close again, this time to stop a sob ( whether of relief or sorrow, he didn’t know ).

     “ i . . . apologize, for snapping at you. “

( kisses. )     kurapika’s favorite place to give kisses is on the forehead and cheeks. his favorite place to receive kisses is on his eyelids and nose. his kisses are soft and light, just pecks.

( hugs. )     on hugs, he naturally will place his arms around the other’s hips. otherwise, he will place his arms around the shoulders. he enjoys resting his chin upon either one’s head or the shoulders.

He finds himself meeting Kurapika’s glare evenly, and he attributes it to an almost mythical fear, as though looking away would render him cursed - by no means does he consider captivation as a motive.

At the accusation, he waves his hands, desperate to clear his name. “Not at all,” he says, knowing well that the comments are teasing. “You’re just a little more cultured than I am. What do you drink now? Something classy, right? Say you drink the finest wine, know the brand and age you prefer; I’ll drink anything that bubbles. We’ve got different tastes, that’s all.”

He blathers on and stops himself before spewing something really insulting; it’s a close call. He’s always been the one to fill silences, but around Kurapika now, he fears his voice will drown out all else.

Clutching his tie as though it were a string of pearls, Leorio frowns. “You want me to replace this classic look? Over my dead body.” He places unnecessary emphasis on the words, feigning (at least partly) offense, and completely disregards the comment that suggests he will stuff himself to the point of expansion. Kurapika’s right, of course, but Leorio won’t grant him the satisfaction of knowing that.

When Kurapika takes his offered arm, Leorio straightens unnaturally, becoming rigid with surprise. Kurapika must be in a pleasant mood to play along with his antics. Rather than question it, Leorio folds a hand over Kurapika’s to secure his hold, patting and nodding in approval. “Someone’s gotta do it,” he says, flashing a grin. “Might as well be me. No one else could do it better.”

the young man merely chortles, amused at the string of words that leave Leorio’s lips. he was not offended by his statements, no, but it was always such fun to hear Leorio speak. comforting, almost, that rough voice covering up a HEART of GOLD, someone who follows his antics, this selfish man’s pretending. 

     “ someone as intelligent as you should know that a family doctor should have more than one suit. we can just get one that looks like this one if you are that worried on getting a similar one, as pointless as that would be. “

kurapika retorts with a matter-of-fact tone, pointedly ignoring the warmth that covers his own hand. he purses his thin lips and hums thoughtfully, eyes instinctively observing the sidewalk around them. the sidewalk was a-bustle with activity, ladies in office suits and men carrying suit coats returning from their day jobs. the lamp-lights flickered on above them, the orange tinted sky surrendering to the oncoming darkness of night.

it was all so ... peaceful. kurapika let his shoulders relax as he let out a sigh, imagining his breath to be wisps of worries and stress. a sudden surge of sentimentality washed over him, and he looked gratefully at his friend.

    “ never change, Leorio, i’m not sure how well i could handle it if you weren’t this silly. “

upon realizing that the bespectacled man could take that the wrong way, the blonde then clarifies with a wane smile,

     “ what i mean, i’m glad that you’re still this silly despite everything that’s happened, and that you still are my friend despite how terrible i’ve been. i just wanted to let you know. “

as the restaurant comes into view he quirks a single brow.

“Is it? There are some species of fish that only favor cooler weather, after all.”

Kite had sensed the other’s presence before he had entered the clearing, but he hadn’t detected hostile intent, which had put his mind at least slightly more at ease. In fact, now turning to look at the younger man, he notes there’s not much range of emotion he can read at all; clearly the stranger has great practice keeping his composure. But those who can hide the depth of their abilities tend to be the most dangerous, so he knows he must remain wary as ever until he is certain there’s no direct threat.

His gaze flicks down to the other’s fingers, taking brief note of the chains adorning them. Most likely they are some type of Nen weapon, and more importantly something Kite wishes to stay far away from. If the man makes any sudden movements, he will defend himself accordingly.

Looking back up to meet the stranger’s eyes, he considers the question for a moment. “I haven’t sensed anything,” Kite says apologetically, “because I haven’t moved from this spot for quite a while.” Though his En could stretch quite a distance from his body, he has no reason to exert himself with its range when there’s no immediate danger. “Why are you looking for these people?”

the kurta walked closer to the lake edge, no immediate sense of urgency in his current task present on his mind. this was merely a petty group of thieves, and could easily be caught through simple tactics. instead, he brought his interests to this strange man fishing next to the lake. his face remains calm, but his posture is alert, using In to conceal his nen. 

there was no need to lose his cautiousness, no average man would be fishing in this forest in this weather.

he keeps a respectable distance from the other male, looking across the peaceful lake, the cloudy weather reflecting off the water, the only disturbance in its mirror-like surface the ripples of the bobbing float. 

     “ the reason i am looking for those people is for my job. “

he states this simply and softly, carefully not revealing any more information than need be. he glances to the man.

              Killua cast a questioning eye at the blonde. His fingers curled over the edges of the handheld controller, thumb smoothing the surface at the crease. Kurapika had a lot on his mind. He could tell that much, even without looking. He noted, too, how the pools of golden light from his window had now crawled the entire length of the floor and were nestled at the foot of the opposite wall. They ebbed in and out, vanishing under the girth of the passing clouds. 

A push of a button shut off the game. It was a piece of junk, a relic with half the price tag of a soda can. The thing was only worth the small bit of fun it offered in the between hours. With the mission brewing at their front door, it was best to tame any unwanted anxieties, so it only made sense for Killua to oblige him. A couple of questions was no headache, but Killua had a feeling there was more to it than that. He had a hunch he’d regret answering.

Still, he placed the handheld game on the blanket beside him and gave Kurapika a small nod. His face was unreadable.

                       ❛ Sure, come in. Make yourself at home. ❜

Kurapika gives a small nod of thanks as he steps carefully in, his tread light, a strange pang of guilt ringing emptily in his stomach as he glances at those OBSERVANT blue eyes. he ignores it, sitting on the bed next to his younger friend, mindful to keep a good amount of distance between them. 

his discomfort is tangible, and it was no secret that he was worried of the upcoming events. slim fingers ran over for the fifteenth time that hour over the worn hem of his robe, the area balding from the constant touch. grey eyes look over the sparsely decorated room, eyes settling for moment upon that beaten up game system before resting back on his hands. his fingers stilled.

     “ what drew you to the hunter exam ? i’m sure you have stated this before, and i apologize if you need repeat yourself, however ... “

his voice trails off, his fingers beginning to move again. he tugs lightly at a loose thread. he would have to mend it at some later date.

kurapika suffers from a case of ptsd and anxiety. when he was younger and before he knew how to handle his anxiety, he would have attacks upon reminders of his clan and the spiders that destroyed it. while he has learned to manage his anxiety at an older age, he can still suffer slight cases of recurrences.

hair:   blonde | brown | black | red | ginger | grey/white | multi-color | other

body type:   skinny | slender | slim | built | curvy | athletic | muscular

skin:   pale | light | fair | freckled | tan | olive | medium | dark | discolored (bruises)

gender:   male | female | trans | cis | no gender | agender | demiboy | demigirl | other

sexuality:   heterosexual | homosexual | bisexual | pansexual | asexual | demisexual | other

orientation:   heteroromantic | homoromantic | biromantic | panromantic | aromantic | demiromantic | other

species:   human | undead/vampire | shapeshifter | demon | angel | witch/wizard/sorcerer | incubus/succubus | other

education:  high school  | college | university | higher education | other

living situation: lives alone | lives with parents/guardian | lives with significant other | lives with a friend | lives with siblings | drifter | dorming | homeless

parents/guardian:  mom | aunt | dad | adoptive | foster | grandparents | family friend | orphan

relationship:  single | crushing | dating | engaged | married | separated | it’s complicated

i’ve been:  in love | hurt | sick | abused | killed

i have a(n):  learning disorder | personality disorder | mental disorder | anxiety disorder | eating disorder | substance-related disorder | n/a

things i’ve done before:    drank alcohol | smoked | done drugs | stolen | self-harmed | starved myself | had sex | had a threesome | gotten into a fist fight | gone to the hospital | been arrested | gone to jail (juvie) | used a fake id | gone to a rave | killed someone

positive traits:  affectionate | adventurous | athletic | brave | careful | charming | confident | creative | determined | fearless | generous | honest | humorous | intelligent | loyal | modest | patient | selfless

negative traits:  aggressive | bossy | cynical | envious | fearful | greedy | gullible | jealous | impatient | impulsive | insecure | irresponsible | possessive | sarcastic | self-conscious | selfish | unstable

Tagged by: @papercuts-and-assassination ( thank you so much !! )