A/N: I know I have so many other stories to update. But I promise I am getting more updates for them finished. I'm just having trouble with them at the moment. But for now, I've started this little number. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think. And you can blame the plot on a weird dream I had.

I frowned at my surroundings as the other applicants for the hunter exams milled about. I could only sense a few nen signatures in this underground room. I continued to walk as my mismatched eyes observed everything around me. And then I made a fool of myself. I tripped over my own feet and wound up bouncing right off of someone's back. I landed on my ass unceremoniously, with a surprised squeak. "Oh... I am such a klutz." I whimpered as I rubbed my nose. "I'm sorry about that. I really didn't mean..." I trailed off as I looked up at the firm wall of flesh that had bounced me off. There stood a very intimidating man.

His bright red hair was gelled up in a shocking style, he had a tear and a star painted separately onto his cheeks, and strange clothing revealing the card suits and a strange band that looked ribbed strangely. His golden eyes held an ounce of amusement, and his lips quirked in a very intimidating smirk.

"I didn't mean to run into you. Beg your pardon." I squeaked timidly. I started to try to lift myself to my feet, only to have a hand offered to me.

"You seem more worse for wear than I do. Though, it's nice to meet such a polite little mouse~!" His teasing tone caused my childish looking face to redden. If I'm a mouse, you're a snake. I accepted his hand in an awkward manner and he tugged me to my feet.

"Thank you." I mumbled timidly as I dusted off my hide cloak. "I'm not normally this clumsy. I am Akiko."

"Hisoka." The flame haired magician answered. His eyes never let up their intensity as he continued to eye me up and down.

I could feel my nerves getting the best of me as I realized that had it been any other male, I would have assumed that he was checking me out. But I felt with him, it was more like he was sizing me up as prey of one type or another. Whatever he saw he liked, and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. But I felt wary of the look in his eye. Like a predator that had found a new prey.

"Those eyes of yours are very interesting~. Unique!" He mused. My eyes were mismatched with my left being an emerald and the other being virtually the same except for a vivid brown splotch that took up a fourth of my iris on the lower right portion. I didn't find them all that interesting. Matched with my deep crimson hued hair and pale skin, my eyes looked quite boring in my opinion. All of me did, really. I was at a loss for words, so I did what I always did when I was nervous with someone. Offer candy.

"Gum?" I held out a package of Bungee Gum to the scary magician man. His creepy smirk turned into a more pleased grin.

"My, what a sweet little mouse~!" He chuckled as he accepted my offering. Instead of actually chewing it, however, he set it in his pocket. "See you later~!" He walked away with a careless wave in my direction. The tension I had been unaware of, that had built up in my body, dissipated at his leisurely retreating form.

I readjusted my cloak that covered me from neck to ankles, making me look much thicker than I was due to all the inner pockets that had odds and ends stuffed in them. "Hello! Another new face!" I looked up at the face of a round, middle-aged man in a blue jumpsuit.

"Yes. And you are?" I knew not all the other examinees would be friendly. And not everyone was as they appeared.

"Ah! The name's Tonpa!" He grinned invitingly.

"Akiko." My mouth was pressed into a thin line. I didn't like this guy. It wasn't long before three new arrivals entered the underground exam room. As they tried to greet everyone, the others immediately dismissed their presence.

My eyes slid back to the round man attempting something. "I'll be going now." I strode toward the new applicants. But, of course, Tonpa made a point of reaching there first, so I decided to observe everyone from a higher elevation. I took a quick leap into the air, suspending myself upside down from the ceiling. The nen surged in my feet acted as adhesive to keep me attached to the ceiling. Tonpa seemed to be telling the newcomers about other wanna-be hunters.

My attention began to wane from the newcomers as I noticed the magician, Hisoka just standing around. He seemed to be looking at something in his hand. Until he was jostled slightly by someone who didn't bother apologizing. I watched as his nen flared slightly. It was so quick, I almost didn't see it happen. The man's arms were off, and he had decided to conjure petals to make it look like he had turned the fool's arms into petals. It was a crafty trick, if not a bit twisted. I couldn't keep the amusement hidden as I clapped as quietly as possible. But he heard me. Of course he heard me.

Hisoka looked up to meet my eyes and smirked. I felt a deep blush bloom across my face, and immediately discharged my nen, so that I would be dropped into the crowd and less likely to be found.

I continued to amble through the crowded room, until I felt his presence behind me. "Did the little mouse like my trick~?" His odd voice immediately caused me to stiffen. I could almost swear his voice had a lewd quality to it. I felt a hand on my head slowly sifting through my waist length tresses.

"It was... ingenuitive." I tried to keep my voice from shaking. I had never felt so meek before. What was it about him that made me feel like prey?

"Thank you~! You really are a sweet mouse." There was that feeling of lewdness again. So much heat crept up into my face, that I was half afraid I was glowing red. My hand reached up to comb my bangs into my eyes in embarrassment.

I was saved from answering by a strange sound followed by the lifting of one of the walls. A strange man with lilac hair and a thin curly mustache, but no mouth stood at the other side. "The window for any other exam entrees has closed."