Summary: What if Chrollo had succeeded in bringing his sister to him. What if he had been the one to raise her, how would Sinthe's view points on life change? An alternate time line for my story Garden of Shadows.

Author's Note: Greetings all my lovelies! This story is an alternate time line that shows the events of Hunter X Hunter from the eyes of my OC, Absinthe Joelle, if her brother, Chrollo, had managed to bring her to live with him. A bit of a warning, because of the difference in her upbringing, some things, like small parts of her personality, will change, but her love interest will remain the same. So everyone, please enjoy and review. I love praise, constructive criticism is welcome, but please do not flame me. Please and thank you! I do not own Hunter X Hunter.

Chapter 1 Old Memories

The night was cool, a breeze bellowing in from the open deck door to roll over her body. She had long ago pulled her blanket up around her ears, snuggling under the cover she remembered having as a child. To her, the same smells were still effused in the feather down blanket.

Absinthe Joelle, preferably known as Sinthe, had missed her home. At the age of twelve, she had just returned home after being abandoned in the dumping town known as Meteor City. Six years worth of fighting, running, and searching...that was what she had to go through, just to make it back to her mountain top village where her clan resided.

Upon returning, her mother had welcomed her with open arms, gifting her with a scarf of many colors and brightly chiming bells, that she had spent six years working on. Sinthe had fallen into her mother's arms, so grateful to find that, despite being pressured to abandon her, her mother still loved her. They had planned to leave together come the next dawn.

And thus, Sinthe was now snuggled into the same bed she had had when she was smaller, surrounded by the blankets and pillows that her mother had hand sewn for her, the crisp, mountain air spilling in from her deck door. After so many years of looking over her shoulder, of continuing to walk and trek through rain, sleet, and snow despite how bone tired and sore she was, Sinthe was so tired that, when she laid her head on her pillow, she became dead to the world, not noticing a single thing about the house around her.

So when she was suddenly dragged from her sleep, her senses were groggy as she pushed herself up in bed, her dazed eyes looking around the dark room. She saw the dark figure striding across her room from her deck door, moments before her mind finally registered it. Sinthe went scrambling from her bed, trying to get to her feet, to fight, but her feet got tangled in the blankets and she went down. He reached her before she could get to her feet, quickly grabbing her and covering her mouth and nose with a cloth.

Sinthe figured out what it was just before she lost consciousness, and let out a scream.

Hoping and praying that her mother had heard her, Sinthe went limp.

When next she awoke, she could hear voices speaking and found herself nestled in the middle of a bed that was far too big to be her own. Groaning at the grogginess that still blanketed her mind, Sinthe sat up, looking around the dark room. There was nothing to tell her where she was; nothing on the walls, no windows to look out of, nothing.

Tossing back the covers, Sinthe pushed herself up, swinging her legs off the bed. For a moment the room swung out of focus, making her press a hand to her head, fighting to focus once more. When all it did was have her scrambling to find a trashcan, knocking into a night stand with a lamp on it, she groaned.

She found a trashcan, bending over it as her stomach decided to empty itself. Distantly, she heard the door open, the lights in the room flipping on as the voices she had first heard upon waking, got louder. Whoever it was, was entering the room.

"I told you he shouldn't have used that drug. She's sick as a dog now." came a female voice she didn't recognize.

If she wasn't busy throwing up, she might have jumped away from the presence that was suddenly kneeling at her side. Gentle hands reached out, sweeping her hair back so that it wasn't in the line of fire any longer. Another person dropped into a crouch on her other side, a hand coming to her back to rub it softly.

"Given her training, it was possibly the only thing that would work on her. Joelles are known for their training in building up immunity to most poisons and toxins. It had to be a strong drug to knock her out." came another voice.

This one was male, the statements made in a what-can-you-do kind of tone. Sinthe was liking her situation less and less by the second. More so, since she hated throwing up. Everyone did, of course, but Sinthe did especially because it made her want to cry for many reasons. The first and foremost being that it left her in a weakened state. How was she suppose to defend herself when she was weak kneed from having just puked up all of her energy supply? The second being that, in the last six years where food was rare, it had become a precious commodity. To throw it up, was such a waste...a waste she couldn't afford to make.

She didn't think she had to add in the fact that it was hard to breathe between gagging and puking.

When her stomach was finally empty, all she could do was remain over the trash can, trying to even her breathing, a bad taste in her mouth. She heard a man, the one who had been rubbing her back, order someone to bring a bottle of water. Next thing she knew, there was an ice cold bottle of water being held in front of her. She wanted to take it, really she did, but her training told her she'd be a fool to. Sinthe shook her head when the water as pressed closer to her.

"Come on now, Absinthe. After all of that, you need something to drink. It's not poisoned." the man told her.

Like she was really going to believe that after it had pretty much been guaranteed that they were the ones responsible for the man who had come into her room. Her mother would have a fit if she could see her now...

Her mother!

"Mother...where's my mother?" Sinthe demanded.

There was a pause, and then the water bottle retreated. Sinthe turned her head, looking up at the man who had offered it. He was young, black haired with dark eyes. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before, almost as if it was in a dream. There was even a St. Peter's cross on his forehead. In a true display of her twelve year old self, she had the sudden urge to poke the cross, but was able to contain herself.

"Absinthe, do you know who I am?" he asked.

Sinthe shook her head, though she didn't see what that had to do with the question she asked. She simply wanted to know where her mother was. Better yet, where was she?

"My name is Chrollo Lucilfer. Let me ask you a question. Do you know your father?" he asked.

Sinthe shook her head again. Her mother had told her very little about her father. Only that he had been incredibly charming and that Sinthe had gained only two physical traits from him; her nose and the four point star birthmark on her back.

"Do you know anything about him?" the man, Chrollo asked.

"Only that my mother said he was charming and that I have two physical traits of his." Sinthe replied.

She couldn't help replying. She didn't sense any hostility from him or any of the other people she could feel in the room and at the door. And she definitely couldn't see any ill intent in his eyes. He honestly didn't mean her any harm despite the method he had used to get her there. She watched as he nodded, a small smile curling his lips.

"That's right. Your nose, for one. It's very much like his. And you have a birthmark like him, too, right? A four point star on your back?"

One blink, then two. Sinthe stared at him, her muddled brain taking a moment to process the fact that he knew about her birthmark. Once she had, she found herself to be stumped. How did he know of such a thing? Only one person had ever seen the mark and that was her mother. Sinthe had always been pretty careful about keeping identifying marks, like her eyes and her birthmark, and even the brand of her clan's symbol on her stomach, hidden.

But this couldn't be just some lucky guess, either. He was perfectly aware of the mark's existence. Almost as if he had seen it himself.

"How do you know about that?" she asked.

"Because, Absinthe, you're father...is my father."

Sinthe really wanted to call him a liar, she honestly did, but she could see no lie in his eyes. She tried to bite her tongue on her next comment, but it came tumbling out of her mouth before she could shut her lips on it.

"Are you drunk?"

She heard a few laughs behind her, but didn't bother turning to look at the others. Chrollo didn't seem upset with the remark. In fact, he actually appeared amused.

"No, I'm not." he told her.

"High? Delusional? Off your rocker?"

To each one, Chrollo shook his head. This put a frown on her face as she eased herself back to sit on her butt,, a leg tucked to either side of herself. Her head tilted to one side, her ridiculously long, salmon pink hair, shifting to fall over one super thin shoulder. Her mismatched eyes, one of melted gold and the other of a powder blue-purple, searched his face intently, one eyebrow rocketing up.

"You're serious." she stated finally.

"I am. I will even prove it, if you wish. A DNA test would not be a problem." he told her.

"Obviously I'll insist on proof. I'm a Joelle, after all. We don't trust easily...if ever." Sinthe replied.

"Understandably."

"You were the one that sent that man after me...why?" Sinthe asked.

"To bring you to me. I had attempted to come and get you myself...six years ago. But you were gone." Chrollo told her.

Six years ago...that would have been about the time her mother had dropped her off in Meteor City.

"I spent a little time in the world outside my village." Sinthe replied, in a guarded manner.

"Your mother abandoned you."

Sinthe twisted, turning to look up at a young man with a pleasant enough smile on his face. One hand was propped on his hip as he looked down at her. Sinthe's mouth twisted slightly at his words.

"My mother did what she had to. My grandfather gave her a choice. It was either abandon me or he would kill me. She knew I could fend for myself." Sinthe retorted.

"Shalnark, don't upset her." Chrollo told the man.

The man, Shalnark, with his pleasant smile, simply shrugged his shoulders. Sinthe frowned at the man, setting her unsettling, mismatched gaze on him as he retreated to the doorway.

"Absinthe."

Sinthe's head turned back towards Chrollo, the frown still in place.

"Don't call me that. I prefer Sinthe." she told him.

"You're name is perfectly beautiful the way it is. It is, after all, a reference to the wormwood plant, Artemisia Absinthium and Artemisia is another name for an ancient goddess, Artemis, who was a goddess of hunt. Fitting for someone of the Joelle blood." Chrollo replied.

"You're wrong. My mother named me Absinthe after the alcoholic drink she favored on special days. It's not exactly the most flattering of references. I prefer Sinthe."

Chrollo smiled as he looked at her. What he did next had her hanging her head as she heaved a sigh.

"Absinthe."

"Ugh...you're incorrigible, aren't you?" Sinthe demanded.

"I merely believe you should make use of a beautiful name."

Sinthe stared at him. Out of all of the thoughts that ran through her head, only one came through clear as day. This guy was really weird. And just her luck, too. If he was telling the truth and he really was her brother, than it was just her luck that she would end up with a strange guy as her brother.

"I give up, I'm done." Sinthe flopped back onto her back. "I don't feel good, my head is still spinning, and the day seems to just get weirder and weirder."

There were more chuckles, but Sinthe didn't pay them attention. It was a lot to take in for a twelve year old who had just been drugged and taken to gods only knew where.

"You didn't answer my question. Why did you want him to bring me here?" Sinthe asked.

"We're family. You deserve to live with family who care, somewhere where every stare directed your way, isn't a death glare." Chrollo replied.

Sinthe pushed herself up, looking at him once more. Was he trying to imply that he wanted to take care of her? To give her a home and somewhere to belong? Somewhere where she wouldn't constantly be scrambling around trying to find food?

"My mother and I were planning to leave in the morning, to find somewhere away from my clan to live together, in peace. And with that comment, I return to my original question...where is my mother?" Sinthe asked.

Chrollo's eyes closed for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out the best way to tell her what he needed to tell her. Sinthe waited patiently, though a bad feeling had begun to settle in the pti of her stomach. Then his eyes opened and he uttered two sentences that changed her life, and her view points on life, for the rest of her life.

"I'm sorry, she's dead. She was killed by one of your clan mates."

-0-0-0-0-

Sinthe awoke from the dream with a jolt.

It was the same dream, the same memory, playing over in her head. It had been the same way for the last five years. Now and then, in her dreams, she would relive the memory of the day her brother, Chrollo, had saved her from a nasty plan set in motion by her clan mates and had brought her to live with him. It was just a thing she had to live with.

Pushing herself up in bed, Sinthe ran a hand through her tangle mess of salmon pink hair. It was getting ridiculously thick again and would probably need another cut. She would have to see if she could get Pakunoda to cut it for her. Glancing around the airy, brightly lit room that she claimed at her own, Sinthe realized she had over slept. It was now far past her usual wake up time.

"He probably thinks I'm in a coma by now." Sinthe remarked with a smile as she tossed her blanket aside.

Hopping out of bed, Sinthe crossed the room to the closet. Grabbing clothes, she went to shower. A quick shower and then she would go find him. She ended up doing a little dance in the cold water until it heated up and made her shower quick, snatching up a towel on a hook when she finished and stepped out of the shower. Standing before the floor to ceiling mirror, she toweled herself dry, stopping briefly to peer at the two marks on her stomach. To the left side of her belly button, was the brand of her clan: a circle with two hearts, one upside down and one right side up with the two lines and dot of the character for "shi" in the center. To the right of her belly button, was the single tattoo she had.

A twelve legged spider.

It was much like those of every member of her brother's gang, the Phantom Troupe. There was only one difference between hers and their's. Where their tattoos had a number in the center of the spider's back, her merely had a heart. The reason being because her friends among the Troupe, referred to her as the Spider's Heart. Some even joked that she was a bleeding heart at that.

Chrollo didn't seem to mind.

Dressing quickly, Sinthe left her room as she finger combed her hair. Since the day her brother had taken her in after her mother's death, Sinthe had lived beside him and did everything with him. Training, fighting, stealing...there was only one thing she wouldn't do, only one thing that Chrollo never asked of her; killing.

Unlike the official members of the Troupe, Sinthe had never killed a single person in her life. She was uncomfortable with the mere thought of killing someone and Chrollo never wished to upset her. The point, though, was that she normally did everything with her brother. He was even the one who helped her to develop her two nen abilities; Garden of Shadows and Siren's Song. Since both of them were Specialists, a rare thing for two siblings, he knew exactly what to do to help her.

Though he rarely had need of her using either and truth be told, Sinthe was pretty sure that her ability to read others by looking them in the eye, had to be a third nen ability. No one could easily read another person's thoughts by looking them in the eye. Sinthe could read their thoughts and feelings with one simple glance. She was sure it was another ability and had dubbed it, Ghost Eyes.

That ability got more use than Garden of Shadows or Siren's Song put together.

It was handy for sniffing out liars.

Bounding down the stairs to the first floor of the house, Sinthe opened the door to the kitchen/dining room. Where she had expected to find her brother, she found him with Shalnark and Pakunoda.

"Oh! Hey Shal, Paku. I didn't expect you two to be here." Sinthe greeted, as she approached the table.

The two smiled at her as Sinthe bent to greet her brother with a chaste kiss on the temple. Chrollo reached up, patting her head.

"It's been a while, Sin. What have you been up to?" Shalnark asked.

While Chrollo had insisted, from day one, on calling her Absinthe, most of the Troupe members simply referred to her as Sin or Sinthe. Something she was grateful for. She wasn't all too fond of the name Absinthe.

"Oh, the same as always." Sinthe replied moving on past them to the kitchen area.

"So causing trouble, huh."

Sinthe turned and stuck her tongue out at Shalnark who chuckled in reply to the childish display. Sinthe turned back to the fridge, opening it to peer inside at her choices for breakfast.

"What are you two doing there?" Sinthe asked. "Have you ate yet? I can make us all something."

"That sounds wonderful." Pakunoda told her, getting a smile from Sinthe.

If truth was to be told, Sinthe was well aware that she was a bit on the spoiled side. While most of the world feared the members of the Phantom Troupe, Sinthe simply knew them as family and as the sort-of princess of the Troupe, they doted on her. Especially her brother.

After years of practice cooking for the members of the Troupe, it didn't take her long to whip up something, setting the plates out before the three before she took a seat between Chrollo and Pakunoda.

"So, you never answered me. What are you two doing here?" Sinthe asked.

"Still as direct as always, huh?" Shalnark asked.

"She knows what she wants." Chrollo replied, amused.

"Right, and right now, I want to know the answer to my question." Sinthe said in agreement.

The three smiled before Chrollo turned to his food, answering her question for her.

"They were informing me that Hisoka is going to take the Hunter exam this year." he told her.

"Hunter exam?" Sinthe asked, before turning her eyes to Shalnark. "Hey, Shal, you have a Hunter's license, too, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's actually pretty handy." Shalnark replied.

Sinthe thought this over for a moment, tapping the end of her fork against her lips. Finally her eyes turned towards her brother.

"Chrollo, what would you think about me getting a license?" she asked.

Chrollo turned his eyes towards her, taking in her expression. She seemed serious enough to him. She was honestly interested in taking the exam. It didn't hurt having another member among them that could access information and places that only Hunters could.

"I believe it would be simple for someone like you, Absinthe. If you truly wish to take the exam, I can arrange for you to go with Hisoka." he told her.

Sinthe's face lit up with a smile. Not that she really expected him to deny her. As long as it was within reason, Chrollo didn't deny her a thing. It could easily go to her head if she let it. That being said, she didn't let it go to her head. While they were more than content to spoil her senseless, Sinthe knew she still needed to retain her sense of independence in the group. She still needed to take care of herself.

A little difficult when Chrollo wanted to do everything for her.

"Thanks. Before that, though," Sinthe turned her eyes to Pakunoda. "Paku, could you cut my hair again? It's getting a little too thick again."

Pakunoda reached out to stroke her head, giving her a smile. She pulled out a few strands, looking them over.

"Of course. Would you like to try a shorter look this time" Pakunoda asked.

"No. I like the longer hair. It's just too thick for me right now." Sinthe replied.

"I like the longer hair, too." Chrollo spoke up.

"Of course you do. You like anything I like, Brother."

Chrollo smiled lightly at his sister as she wrinkled her nose at him. He turned his eyes to Pakunoda and Shalnark then, giving them their orders.

"Pakunoda, you can go ahead and help Absinthe, if you want. Shalnark, get in touch with Hisoka." Chrollo ordered.

The two nodded. Finishing their food, Pakunoda and Sinthe retreated to Sinthe's room. Once they were gone, Shalnark turned to Chrollo.

"You're really going to trust Hisoka enough to send Sin with him?" Shalnark asked.

"Absinthe, despite still being young, is strong and more than capable of taking care of herself. You've seen her grow and develop her abilities over the years. Even with Hisoka, I do not worry. If he means her any harm, she will know upon first glance." Chrollo replied, fully confident in his sister's power.

"You're right about that. Her ability to read others always manages to work out for her. It's impossible to lie to her." Shalnark said, with a grin.

With that said, Shalnark pulled out his cellphone and dialed Hisoka's number. Hisoka answered on the second ring and Shalnark passed on the message that Chrollo wanted to see him. Of course, Chrollo didn't like the idea of bringing Hisoka to the house where Sinthe spent most of her time. Instead, he had Shalnark tell him to meet them elsewhere. Hisoka assured Shalnark that he could be there before the day was out, but that it had to be quick so he could get back in time for the Hunter exam.

Shalnark was just hanging up when Sinthe and Pakunoda returned. There was no noticeable difference in Sinthe's hair, but as her brother(one that actually paid close attention) Chrollo could tell that it looked thinner, and a little shorter.

"Were you just talking to Hisoka?" Sinthe asked.

"He was. Go get your things ready, Absinthe. We're going to meet Hisoka." Chrollo told her.

Sinthe's face broke out into a smile. She didn't leave Meteor City much. Of course, she did when Chrollo did...most of the time, but there were times when he would leave her behind. After all, Meteor City was their home and it was about the safest place for her most of the time.

Not to mention that there were jobs that Chrollo didn't like taking her on.

One such job had been the slaughter of the Kuruta clan and the collection of their Scarlet Eyes, which the Phantom Troupe later sold. Since Sinthe was against killing and really hated the practice of collecting and selling parts of human beings, Chrollo had thought it better not to tell her what they were doing on their job. She had found out later on, of course, and she hadn't been pleased with him. It had taken Chrollo two months to get her to talk to him again.

Excusing herself, Sinthe vanished back off to her bedroom. The three watched her go before Pakunoda turned to Chrollo.

"Where are you meeting Hisoka?" Pakunoda asked.

"It's an abandoned cafe in a city about four hours from here." Shalnark told her.

"Are you going to go alone?" Pakunoda asked.

"No. Shalnark will go with us." Chrollo replied.

Whether Pakunoda thought the whole thing was an good idea or not, she didn't say anything. They all worried about Sinthe. To all of them, she was like a little sister. Admittedly, a few of them probably treated her more like a child than they should, despite the fact that she was seventeen and had all the skill and abilities of a pro Hunter. If Sinthe noticed and cared, she didn't say anything.

A few moments later, Sinthe came back into the room, now carrying a bag slung over one shoulder and the multi colored scarf that her mother had made for her. It was the single thing she had left of her mother and she always wore it when she left Meteor City.

"Ready." she declared.

Smiling to himself, Chrollo got to his feet. Leaving Pakunoda behind, Shalnark joined them on their journey. Every time Sinthe left Meteor City, she remembered the first time she had ever been to the place. When she had been about five or six, her mother, after being forced to do so, had abandoned her in the city, leaving her to fend for herself. Since birth, when her grandfather, the head of the Joelle clan, had first seen her eyes with it's right eye of molten gold and it's left eye of powder blue-purple, she had been deemed a curse, demon possessed and her clan had tried many ways to be rid of her.

Finally, her grandfather had given her mother a choice. Either she could abandon Sinthe somewhere far away where it was unlikely for her to ever find her way back, or he would kill Sinthe. Her mother, trusting that Sinthe had enough training under her belt, had chosen the former. Sinthe remembered well the fear she had felt when she had awoken in the city. She had been scared, confused, and alone.

But in truth...she hadn't been alone.

For six months, she ran about Meteor City, trying to salvage whatever she would need to locate her way home. During that time, unknown to her until six years later, Chrollo had been helping her. Because she was so slippery and would vanish almost as soon as she was found, he lost track of her a lot, but when he would find her, he would help her. In a way, the way he helped, but backed off, had made her stronger, more independent. By the time she had returned to her village, her mother had been killed, and she had been brought back to Chrollo, Sinthe had learned to fend for herself.

Something she really needed if she was going to survive jobs with the Phantom Troupe.

But her thoughts were digressing.

The point was, every time she left Meteor City, she was reminded of the first time she had ventured beyond the city after her mother had abandoned her. She remembered the awe and the fear. The world was vast and she had not known where to go or where to start. Even now, after spending six years wandering the world, she still had not seen all that there was to see.

So, sitting in the back seat of the car that Shalnark had lifted from some poor unsuspecting couple, she was glued to the window, watching the scenery pass. Chrollo glanced into the rear view mirror, watching as she stared at the passing land. It always amused him to see how eager she was to take in all she possibly could.

Sinthe turned then, turning her eyes from her window to Shalnark, who was driving.

"Hey, Shalnark, tell me, how difficult was the exam when you took it?" Sinthe asked.

"Honestly, it was a little too easy. I don't think you'll have any difficulty." Shalnark told her.

"What kind of people were there?" Sinthe asked.

"All sorts. They come from all over the world. Some take the exam over and over again. There was one guy there, when I went that had taken the exam over twenty times." Shalnark told her.

"Really? That many? He must not be much of a fighter then. Even if you don't have physical strength, after that many times, you should be able to figure out how to get by." Sinthe remarked, thoughtfully.

"Just focus on yourself and don't let anyone try anything with you." Chrollo told her.

"You worry too much, my dear brother." Sinthe said, leaning forward until she was leaning between the front seats. She met Chrollo's eyes and smiled. "I can take care of myself. You raised me to be able to, after all."

She was sure that he didn't have to worry about her. While, yes, she hadn't known Hisoka as long as she had known some of the others, she wasn't really worried about him. He would be too preoccupied finding himself a worthy opponent to obsess over. It seemed about all he cared about. Which would work in her favor. If he was too busy doing that, then she wouldn't have to worry about him interfering with her during the exam.

She hoped, at least.

-0-0-0-0-

When they arrived at the cafe, Hisoka was already waiting. Sinthe took in her new surroundings while Chrollo and Shalnark greeted Hisoka. Hisoka grinned as he looked past them to where Sinthe was leaning over a crumbling counter top to see if there was anything that had been left behind in the shelves under the counter.

"It's rare to see you bring Sin to a meeting." Hisoka remarked to Chrollo.

"We are here to discuss something involving her." Shalnark replied.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Hisoka asked.

"I want to take the Hunter Exam this year."

All three turned towards Sinthe who had found a partially broken, miniature tea set under the counter. She was currently picking through the decorative teacups to find those that had escaped being broken. Finding two, she held them up, smiling at the swirling red designs on the sides.

"Interesting." Hisoka remarked. "And that has what to do with me?"

"I wanted to ask if you would take Absinthe with you since you are taking the Hunter Exam as well." Chrollo said.

Hisoka's eyes turned to Sinthe as she joined them, two small teacups in her hands. She gave him a smile, refusing to shift under his gaze as most people would do. He eyed her for a moment, as if considering the pros and cons of having her with him. Finally, he raised one shoulder in a shrug.

"I don't mind." he said finally.

Sinthe heaved a relieved sigh. She highly doubted that Chrollo would have been alright with her going if he couldn't send her with one of the Troupe members and that could have seriously hampered with her chances of going.

"Great! Can you take these home and put them on my dresser?" Sinthe asked, turning to her brother.

She handed him the teacups, making him raise them to look at them. She was always finding little things like those all over the place. He agreed, laying his free hand on top of her head before turning to look at Hisoka. The silent look he gave Hisoka was clear enough. He was warning Hisoka to keep an eye out for his sister even though Sinthe was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Hisoka grinned back at him, but he knew, at least where Sinthe was concerned, that it was best not to poke this bear.

Besides, Sinthe was just as capable of defending herself as her brother was. Having been raised by Chrollo, she had all his cleverness and sneakiness, just with a different set of nen abilities at her disposal. Abilities that were, in part, still a mystery to him. The only one he really knew about, one that could very well not be a nen ability, was her Ghost Eyes and that ability alone would be a challenge for him to overcome. So he wouldn't poke either of them just yet.

Yet.

Hisoka gave Chrollo the tiniest of nods.

With that agreement, Chrollo turned to his sister, ruffling her hair with affection. Sinthe playfully swatted his hand away, putting a smile on his face.

"Best of luck, Sin." Shalnark told her.

"Thanks."

Chrollo stooped, letting Sinthe place a kiss on his cheek before he and Shalnark turned to leave, Chrollo bidding his sister goodbye. Sinthe waved to the two. When they were gone, Hisoka turned towards her, grinning like a cat that caught the canary. He opened his mouth to say something but Sinthe held up a finger to stop him. She turned to him and gave him a pleasant enough smile.

"Any vulgar comments and I'll have Machi sew your mouth shut. Touch me in any way I deem questionable, and I'll personally snap your arm off. We good?" she asked.

Hisoka chuckled. He didn't take it in a bad way. In fact, he found it rather adorable and amusing because of the simple fact...she would do as she threatened. Or, at least try. It only made him like her more, not that she appreciated his advances.

"Understood." he told her.

"Good. Then let's get a move on."

Working with Sinthe would be an interesting experience, he had to admit. It would give him a close up look at how she operated. He was looking forward to it.

It was going to be an interesting exam.

END

Kyandi: Personally, I would be both scared and excited to work with Hisoka.

Sinthe: Why?

Kyandi: Well, for one, Hisoka's homicidal tendencies, scare the crap out of me.

Sinthe: Understandable.

Kyandi: For two...come on, who wouldn't want to work with a guy that's all about having a fun time?

Sinthe: The only issue with that, is that Hisoka's definition of "fun" is different than most people's.

Kyandi: Good point. That aside, this chapter was just a little..."teaser". I'll be putting up more chapters soon.

Sinthe: She's hoping to have this time line at least half way caught up with the other by New Year's.

Kyandi: Yep. So, everyone have a good holiday, enjoy, and review.

Sinthe: We will return soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye