Disclaimer: I certainly don't own Hunter X Hunter :D
AN: This is for Papilio Ageha's Wallflower OC contest! I had a lot of fun writing it because it's different, but it is a little rushed because of school starting in a few days and a last minute rush XD I really loved writing it though, so thank you very much for hosting such an interesting competition, Papilio Ageha !
Just a note, the phrase 'pushing up the daisies' being another way of saying dead and buried, which I found kinda funny for Illumi. I also didn't mean for that flower coincidence (Daisy, Bryony, kind of relating to wallflower XD)
I hope you enjoy the story, and I'm sorry if it's confusing! Please forgive me XD
I've never wanted anything but to be a florist! I would take over my family's shop and live out the rest of my days in that small shop with the sweet on the surface, fertilizer underneath smell. It was a little smelly at times, but I love flowers!
But one day, mum and dad told me the flower shop had to go, and the only way to get it back was money, which we didn't have a lot of. I knew this because dad was always moaning about it.
Luckily, my grandpa once told me about hunters, and how it could be used for lots and lots of money!
So I entered the hunter exam with my favourite pair of shears, a pocket full of seeds and not much idea of what to expect. Mum and dad didn't like it, because I was young and I just had my fourteenth birthday! But I knew I was sturdy, my mum named me after a weed, because she knew I could be tough! Bryony Mason wouldn't be trampled down easy!
Mum always said it was hard for people to notice me because I was short, but when people walk into you even when they're looking at you, you learn that it's almost a talent, how very presence less I am. I love it!
I passed the hard, running exam by hanging onto someone's back when I got tired. Like mum said, I was short and light, and if they were strong, sometimes they didn't even care!
I passed the food part of the exam by doing the exact same thing, and I got to eat my own delicious egg too! But the blimp almost left me behind, and I had to throw my shears at the piloting window to get their attention. I still don't think they know or remember who I am.
I thought I was finished on the tower, because I couldn't find my way down, and everyone was gone and I was getting scared…but I saw some vines growing down the side that I knew were sturdy, and slowly climbed down them. The scary giant birds didn't notice me because I hid…well, that's putting it nicely. I slipped and thought I was going to die, but I landed in a nearby bush, thankfully not on my shears, but I spent most of the rest of the day and next morning picking up all the seeds that fell out of my pocket, and trying to yank the shears out of the mouth of a weird scaly creature that tried to eat them.
And then tried to eat me.
But I guess it's alright, because it was in the next part that I met someone who was so, so, so weird that I think he needed someone so, so, so normal like me to balance him out.
"I don't want to steal anyone's badge…" I sighed, walking deeper into the forest. "But I have to, our flower shop!" I cried to no one in particular, pouting and swinging my arms. Suddenly, a group of people ran past me, a mister in a purple sweater, and a blonde boy in odd blue and gold clothes. As usual, they payed me no attention, but I couldn't help but yell angrily when the mister kicked a flower out of the dirt. They both turned around, but I had already hidden behind a tree shyly, my brown hair and brown eyes never attracted much attention, and since we were in the green brown surroundings, I blended in even better.
"Who…?" the blonde boy peered around, but the mister took off again and eventually I couldn't see or hear either of them anymore. I ran up to the daisy, carefully scooping it up in my hands with the dirt, holding it in my cupped hands.
"It's okay Ms. Daisy, we'll find you a better new home!" I cooed to it, running towards the nearest source of open sunlight available, instead of placing it back in the dappled light. I had a soft spot for the daisy, it was common, simple, and easily overlooked for the more beautiful, fragrant flowers. Easily dismissed, unnoticed…I felt I could sympathise with it more than any other flower. It never had the spotlight, and was often ignored. I finally reached a nice plain, walking around a bit and looking for nice, soft soil to plant the flower in. After a while, I saw a perfect patch of soft, beautiful soil. It looked like it was just waiting for something to be planted there. I plopped down, letting my legs stretch out in front of me and smoothing out the dirt. I patted the daisy into the ground gently, happily watching it sway in the wind. For a moment, I was even more determined to finish this exam. As long as I could get the shop back and live full of moments like this, I could be happy for the rest of my life. Which I thought was going to be ended abruptly when the earth beneath me started to move.
Earthquake?
"Um…" I spoke hesitantly as I slowly rose up off the ground, unsure as to what was happening exactly. I looked down, seeing the daisy nestled in the dirt, but underneath the dirt…there was a person?! I quietly peered around my legs, down at the ground which was very far away, and the person whose shoulders I was sitting on. I kept my hands hovering around the daisy on his head, just in case it tipped when he moved his head free of the dirt. He had long hair, and I didn't remember seeing him around much, but then again, I'm sure a lot of people didn't know who I was.
Maybe if I'm quiet, he won't notice me!
"What are you doing?" he asked, tipping his head back to look at me. He had very dark, black coloured eyes that scared me a tiny bit.
"Ah!" I squealed, almost falling off his shoulders but managing to stay on and catch the tilting daisy. "Um, hello? I-I didn't know you already…occupied that space, mister!" I cried hastily, shocked at being talked to for the first time in a while.
"I was sleeping." He looked forward again. "It hasn't been long…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-I mean, if you could just let me down I'll find another place to plant this, I really am sorry to interrupt your sleep…in the ground…like most normal people…" I trailed off awkwardly, before realising something and cracking a big grin. "Mister, you're kinda like a flower!"
"Really?" he looked at the hole he had risen out of, now idly dusting dirt off his shoulders. I imagine he'd be quite a sight, with a girl and a flower on his head.
"Oh, but I should…get down now-"
"What are you doing?" he asked abruptly.
"I'm going to plant this?" I flinched a little at his cold tone. Maybe that's just how he always sounded?
"Oh. How about over there," he suggested, pointing at a patch of ground.
"Sure! But, should I get down?" I asked hesitantly, leaning over to stare at him. He shrugged, making my entire body go up and then down.
"You're barely noticeable, it doesn't matter. I'm bored." He strode over to the patch, his steps quiet and soft, making the ride more like a floating platform. It was kinda fun. He held his arm out, and I took the cue to slide down it, jumping down and running over to the soil. I finally gave the daisy a nice, peaceful resting place and clapped.
"Yay! It has a home now!" I said gleefully.
"Why do you care about it that much? It's just a flower. It will die eventually," he commented.
"Everything dies eventually! No need to speed that process up, right mister…?" I trailed off because I didn't know his name. "What is your name, mister?"
All of a sudden, he dropped to his knees and turned to stare at me, and I stifled an 'eek!', trying not to step back. His intent eyes seemed to be mildly calculating, and I didn't know where to look. After a moment of silence, he blinked and stood up again.
"Illumi." I let out a sigh at his words, glad he had finally talked.
"My name's Bryony! It's nice to meetcha!" I said brightly, just a tiny little bit glad to finally make a friend, because while being ignored was all well and nice, sometimes it got a little lonely. "My name is a plant too! Albeit a weed, but…!" There was an awkward silence and I scratched my cheek.
"…I'm going to sleep. You can be a flower." Illumi gestured to the hole in the ground he just rose out of.
I…what…is he serious?
"Um, well, actually, I can't! I have to steal someone's badge!" I frowned, a little down. A sharp yet soft noise of soil being dug into suddenly filled the air and in a flash, Illumi had jumped into another hole, placing a badge right outside the edge of it.
"You can take that one. If you're lucky, it will be your target," he murmured, peeking out of the hole.
"I can't take it, I mean you-" I immediately waved my hands in protest.
"It's an extra, I don't need it. Good night," he said before sinking into the ground. I blinked for a moment before kneeling beside the badge. I ducked my head a little in thanks, smiling at the pile of sunken dirt. My smile widened as I thanked Lady Luck for the badge.
That's all the points I need.
"Thank you, Illumi!"
So I followed this eccentric man around, for some illogical reason…just because he was interesting, I guess. I later realised he was really disguised as the clacking, weird, needle guy. He was so weird. I don't think he minded me, and clacked when we weren't alone. I showed him flowers…and he showed me his scary needles. Sometimes he scared me, and never smiled, or did anything really emotive…but I couldn't forget that he helped me regardless, even when I disturbed his sleep. He even helped me with my flower! I just couldn't see him as a bad guy.
I think what really made me feel attached to the weird, long black haired, black eyed, sometimes needle filled and clacking person was his simple, shrug accompanied acts of kindness. Though the word kindness didn't seem to fit him well. I think uncaring was better.
So being put up against him in the final round seemed to be another lovely ray of light being sent down from Lady Luck. After a pause, with me standing there with my shears and the rest of the participants staring at me in utter confusion because they had no idea I had ever been there, Illumi turned to the judge and a clacking noise filled the room. It was a forfeit.
I was free to return and get our flower shop back after I received my hunter license, completely thanks to the help of Illumi. Before I left, I gave him a business card and a daisy, telling him to visit with a little blush. At the time, I didn't really understand the meaning of his parting words. He had ducked down to the fourteen year old me, scrutinizing me like the time he had told me his name. He nodded after a moment and I almost flinched as he raised his hand.
"When you're older," he had said seriously, patting my head. I sincerely hoped, with all of my being that Illumi would come visit, and I could somehow repay him.
He didn't come for a long time. Mum and dad were astonished I came back alive, and with a license, but delighted nonetheless. After we got the shop back, I got old enough to run the shop by myself, and without even realising it, decorated the entrance with daisies. Every day I hoped to see him, but it slowly diminished over time. Why would he waste time on a little brat like me? He had clearly taken pity on the little girl who had no idea what she was doing. The crush I had on him would die over time, I would marry the boy next door and keep my flower shop open, giving it to my children.
That's all I ever wanted. Become a florist.
I managed to convince myself of that fact for three years, after the first year of naïve hopes. On my eighteenth birthday, I opened the shop like usual, my parents staying at the back of the shop to tend the tiller and rest while I tended to the flowers. They offered to work for the day and give me a day off, but I didn't mind. After all, it was what I wanted, just to be a florist.
I wiped sweat from my forehead and my hands on my green apron, tucking loose hair from my side brown pony tail behind my ear.
Eighteen…huh? Four years…
I shook my head. That was a long time ago, the time for me to forget about it was long overdue. The sun beat down on me and I lugged the pots and soil bags around the shop, smiling at the customers and doing as I did every day.
"We didn't give you a present for your birthday! What do you want, Bree?" my mother asked. My dad smiled eagerly along with her.
"I…I have all I want already!" I smiled, pulling the second last row of daisies into the store. The sun was setting, and I could feel the tiredness seeping in.
"Bree?" my dad asked gently, perhaps sensing my hesitance. "Are you sure?"
I don't know what happened, maybe it was because I was holding the last connection I felt I had with Illumi, or I was just tired, but I ducked down onto my tippy toes, cradling the flower pot with the daisy in it close to my chest, keeping the shears I kept dangling by my side. Slow tears started to drip down my face, and I held in a few scary wracking sobs. I wanted to be a florist, but I also wanted see Illumi, just once more, even if he didn't like me, because why else wouldn't he come to visit…?
"Bree!" I heard my dad call, but my mum shushed him, and not before long, their voices disappeared. I had told my mum what happened, with great enthusiasm, but Illumi never came and my mum eventually just became convinced I made him up to help me get through the traumatising exam.
"Illumi…" I sniffed into the flower, the stupid, plain flower that no one would ever remember! I angrily stood up, throwing the pot in a big fit of fury. I wiped at the uncontrollable tears pouring down my face, jumping when I heard a sudden crash. I looked up slowly, and my tears stopped abruptly when I was greeted with the image of a long black haired man, looking just a little older than I remembered, looking up at the broken bits of the pot at his feet, dirt on his shoulders and finally at the daisy sitting atop of his head. I burst out laughing, clutching at my stomach while the tears of sadness became tears of laughter.
"What was that for?" he asked, brushing the dirt off.
"For not coming to visit for four years!" I growled finally after the laughter.
"I didn't have an opportunity. Anyway, I told you I would when you were older." He retrieved the daisy from on top of his head and looked at it.
"Illumi! I had the biggest crush on you, you didn't have to wait that long to visit!" I cried indignantly, wiping away excess tears, pointing an accusing finger.
"Do you still?" he shook his head to get the final bits of soil out of his hair, walking a little closer.
"Wha-" A full blown flush hit my cheeks and I clutched my shears close in front of me. "Y-you can't just…I…" I hid behind my shears, face red and very warm. "Yes…"
"Then it's fine, isn't it?" Illumi pushed down the shears and I flinched. "It's supposed to go here, right?" And so the weird man put the daisy on top of my head, and in one swift go, easily picked me up. I almost shrieked when I realised I was now much higher off the ground, or more specifically, on his shoulders. "Let's go plant it," he said as he walked as quietly and as floaty like he did the first time, walking aimlessly down the now dark path. I began to protest, but then smiled, feeling for the daisy on top of my head, sticking up like an antenna. A happy flush hit my cheeks and I chuckled, leaning down and wrapping my arms around what was probably his head.
"Thank you, Illumi!"
AN: I haven't watched HXH for a while, and can't remember exactly Illumi's behaviour, so I'm really sorry if he's OOC! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the short story, and thanks for reading :D!