Hisoka let out a frustrated sigh, his fingers waving in the air as he aimed them at a nearby tree trunk. He was chewing a stick of his gum for over an hour, trying to imagine the texture and color it had in his mouth as he practiced his developing Nen. He wasn't even twenty yet, but he was starting to get the hang of his new technique that he had created no more than a day ago.
He kept aiming at the tree, forming the shape of his Bungee Gum in his head while simultaneously trying to release the Nen from his fingertips. It had already happened a few times, but the string of aura only lasted for a few measly seconds before disappearing, and other times it didn't even reach the tree, let alone stick to the bark long enough to work.
He finally decided to take the break he had been needing, the magician sitting down on a clump of grass that itched his legs under the fabric of his pants. He was hungry, and it didn't help matters that his gum was losing its flavor. He had money, but he didn't have the energy to make the trip into the next town for food or a place to stay for the night. He would much rather find edible food in the forest and sleep in a hole like that weird Zoldyck kid often did when they were together.
The heat wasn't making it any easier on him, either. He was located in the opening of the forest and there wasn't any shade nearby unless he rested underneath the tree he was using for target practice. It was some time past noon and the sun was beating down, the sweat perched on Hisoka's brow dripping down his face.
Hisoka ran his fingers through his bangs to alleviate some of the perspiration that was clinging to the red strands when he suddenly pictured his Bungee Gum in perfect clarity, the thought triggering his Nen in response.
A rubbery stickiness glued Hisoka's hand to his forehead, his fingers glowing pink as they clung to his sweaty bangs with unrenowned strength. The Nen was flawless; it had both the properties of rubber and gum, just as he imagined it would have. The only problem was that he made it too well.
He pulled his hand and tried to detach it, but it stuck like gum and his struggling made it pull his hair along with it. His Nen could stretch far enough for Hisoka to put some distance between his fingers and his head, though his bangs were still tangled with the sticky aura much like real gum.
"You've got to be kidding me," Hisoka muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue in distaste. The longer he tried to free himself, the worse off he was with his ability. It only clumped up more of his hair and covered his entire hand now instead of his fingers. He laid down on the grass in defeat, squinting up at the sun that was mocking him through the clouds.
He laid motionless for half an hour before he felt his energy drain from the long use of his aura mixed with his growing appetite. After an hour and a half, his Bungee Gum began to waver before it disappeared completely, the teenager exhausted from using almost all of it up on an empty stomach.
He sat up from his spot and groaned, cautious of his now free hand that combed his hair back from his sweaty forehead. He vowed to be more careful next time and decided to do something about the bangs that hung over his eyes. Maybe he would gel it back from now on, in case another mishap like that would ever happen again.