THE CRIMSON LOTTERY
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Just a disclaimer that I do not own the rights to any Hunter x Hunter character! This is merely a fan written sub-arc involving Hisoka and Illumi. Chronologically, it takes place during the same time as Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio were training to open the gates to the Zoldyck estate to rescue Killua (between approximately February 8th, 1999 to March 1st, 1999).
Also, as a content warning, my writing style is often gritty and broaches a wide variety of topics. There may be violence, gore, swearing, sexuality, rape, slavery, and other subjects included in my writing, so if any of these are triggers for you then do not proceed or proceed with caution.
March 26th, 2015 - Part 2 and Part 3 for Chapter 1 are COMING SOON!
March 29th, 2015 - After writing the next part to the story, I've decided to upload each part as their own little chapter. It's hard for people who have read Part 1 already to be notified when Part 2 is added to the document and each part already tells its own unique part of the story. :)
COVER IMAGE
"今すぐキミを壊したい... " ("Now, I want to brake the Kimi...")
by えち ("Echi")
BIG thank you to Haku for giving me the name of the artist!
CHAPTER ONE
"Risky Business"
It's all fun and games until someone loses their mind…
Never had it occurred to him, though, that he'd be the one sitting in the dimly lit room. His sanity, pleading for sanctuary with prayers consisting of needy, desperate noises mumbled through clenched teeth. Truth be told, it came as a bit of a shock to him that he had any mind left to lose at this point! Absurdities and sadistic delusions were familiar - welcome, even! Yet, rarely did they ever reach the fever pitch he felt that night. A mingled look of lust and cruel intentions crawled across his pale face, with golden eyes that belied the pleasure of every tingle that burst through his nerves.
"So. Many. New. Toys…", Hisoka sighed out each word breathlessly. He squirmed at the idea; arms hugging and nails digging into goose-pimpled flesh to contain himself. He gave a pleasured gasp when soft skin broke through to unleash his crimson bliss.
As a child, poverty stole from him the joy of experiencing Christmas morning. Most other children would wake up before the crack of dawn to peek at their presents. Likewise, Hisoka would also wake early on Christmas Day. Not to look for presents (of which there were always none), but rather to quietly steal a few jenny, before heading out to buy a pack of sweet bubblegum from the corner store. In this moment tonight, however, he suddenly imagined that this sensation must be what the other children - the luckier children - would have felt those mornings. He could tell it was the same, because of the frantic overload of temptation that bade him to tear into flesh, like wrapping paper, to unveil his new toy felt as primal as the need to possess something incredible… to own both their life and their future, then brake them like cheap plastic...
Truthfully, as far as he was concerned, the excitement of never fully knowing exactly what hid beneath the wrapping was what brought him the most joy. It was the wait… the tantalizing, little glimpses he'd catch of the prize… that was practically orgasmic!
"…I'll be patient, though," he promised his grinning reflection, pressing a sweat-drenched hand against the fogged window. "It's always better when the fruit is ripe."
There came a sudden knock at the door that shook him from his thoughts. Though he didn't flinch, his eyes still widened slightly. His late-night visitor might have been using Zetsu to hide their presence but, thanks to the almost robotic way in which they knocked, it did little to hide their identity. Slowly, his gaze shifted towards the reflection in the window of the door behind him. He bade the visitor to enter and was joined moments later by another young man.
The man entered the room gracefully and immediately sat down on the bed without uttering a single word. Though he exuded an air that was easily underestimated, due to the man's void expression, Hisoka knew it was in his best interest never to drop his guard. Still, curiosity was never a trait he found easy to deny himself the pleasure of, as the urge to stare was simply impossible to resist. Truthfully, he admired the man: a toned physique - no doubt achieved through years of rigorous and disciplined assassin's training. His ivory skin gave his rather lean face an appearance, that was all too eerily mask-like. High cheekbones caught in the single overhead light in the room, and cast a shadow. Yet, it was his eyes that captivated Hisoka the most. They were empty… looking into them was like staring into an pitch-black abyss. At this very moment, he came to realize they were currently peering at him patiently through a few stubborn strands of smooth, long, raven hair.
"Oh. Hello, Illumi. To what do I owe the pleasure?," he broke the silence and Illumi turned his face to fully stare.
"Hello, Hisoka. I've come with an unusual request to make of you." The response was rather flat.
"Hm? You do move fast," Hisoka chuckled playfully. "We haven't even had our first fight, yet!"
"Funny…"
"You think so?" he crooned, peeking at the man through long, graceful fingers. The palm of Hisoka's hand had been held against the cold window pane but was now pressed against his face and offering some relief against the breaking fever.
"M-hm. Honestly, though, you're not too far off." It was odd to see Illumi's typically static face grow into an inkling of a smile… chilling but somehow sort of sweet. Nonetheless, Hisoka was now genuinely intrigued! The man hadn't struck him as a naughty type…
"Really? Do tell!"
"A rather sensitive mission has been assigned to me. Now that the Hunter Exam is complete, I wonder if you might assist me with it?"
"Oh?" Hisoka wondered if it was odd that felt somewhat disappointed. "Well, that's not quite what I was hoping but I'll nibble. What's the mission?"
"Unfortunately, the requirement is that you must sign a confidentiality agreement before I can give you the details," Illumi rustled around in the front of his shirt and pulled out a slightly crumpled contract.
"Hmm… but that's not how I typically conduct my business…"
"Apologies, but I've simply been trained to cover my bases both physically and legally-speaking when it comes to handling sensitive information."
"Well, in that case, I suppose there's no harm in simply signing a non-disclosure. Who am I going to blab about it to anyway? First, though, what's in it for me?"
"Your payment will be 3 million jenny-"
"Pass," Hisoka quickly turned up his nose at the offer. "Money is of no interest to me."
"I figured as much," the look on Illumi's face was one of the few emotions he did know how to show: annoyance. "That is why I thought I'd throw something else in to sweeten it."
"I'm listening…"
"I've decided to also offer you a favour…"
"A favour? From you?!" He almost couldn't believe it!
"Correct. Once the mission is successful, you may ask me for this favour at any time."
Well! Now, that WAS tempting! A side mission was definitely not in his plan. In fact, his plan was to return to York New City immediately, but the potential usefulness of a favour from one of the famous Zoldyck assassins could be well worth the mild annoyance of losing time.
"Alright, but one more thing…"
"Certainly."
"Why can't you just do this mission on your own?"
Illumi paused but gave no visible indication of his thoughts. Instead he simply rose to his feet and walked methodically towards him: "Sign and I'll tell you. Signing it doesn't mean you have to accept the mission. You simply won't be allowed to discuss it."
Hisoka stood to face the man, who handed him the contract. He took it warily and began reading it carefully. Ultimately it was simply a standard confidentially agreement, with no hidden terms.
"Okay. This is acceptable," Hisoka smiled and reached for the pen Illumi offered. He signed it and quickly passed it back.
"Most excellent," though Illumi's expression remained stoic, he sounded quite pleased. "Now, then. Let's discuss the details..."
