Underground Party X Nothing Better to Do X Villains
Illumi opened the hotel suite door and his dark eyes glanced to the left, confirming his suspicions as he stepped inside. "Hisoka," he greeted.
The red-headed magician was reclining on a black leather couch, staring lazily in his direction. Illumi noted that Hisoka's bloodlust dipped dramatically with disappointment as the magician recognized him. "You were invited too, Illumi?" Hisoka asked, although the answer was obvious.
Illumi ignored the question. "There's no one else here," he commented as his eyes scanned the mostly vacant, expensively furnished suite. There was even a banquet table with lobster, crab, steak, tomato slices topped with cheese and basil, ice sculptures, unopened champagne bottles, lit tapering candles…
"Well, most of the Spiders are dead or in hiding," Hisoka said boredly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his trademark deck of cards. He drew the top card and stared at it. "And we're early. Your family isn't coming?"
"They thought the underground villain party would be stupid."
Hisoka glanced over at the black-haired assassin out of the corner of his eye, pausing with a red joker between his index and middle fingers. "And yet you're here, Illumi…"
"I had nothing better to do," Illumi replied casually, walking over to the couch. "It wasn't because I wanted to see you." He would never admit it to Hisoka, but he had been mildly curious to see who would show up. Seeing Hisoka hadn't surprised him; the magician wouldn't have missed an opportunity to size up worthy opponents.
The red-head pouted and drew another card from his deck. "So mean."
Because there weren't any chairs nearby, Illumi sat on the opposite end of the leather couch. "Want to play Goldfish?"
"Are we the only villains to show up?" Illumi asked aloud after two hours of Goldfish, Old Maid, Black Jack, Poker and Speed. What a waste. Although trouncing Hisoka at Poker had been amusing, the dark-haired Zaoldyeck was disappointed and annoyed that no one else had shown up.
Hisoka's already present frown deepened. "I hope not." He placed three face-down cards between them. "Three tens."
Illumi's eyes focused on the large amount of cards in the magician's hands. With so many cards to get rid of, it seemed more likely that Hisoka would be truthful. His expression gave Illlumi more evidence that the red-head wasn't lying—thinly veiled frustration, determination, and seriousness. Hisoka tended to be more candid when he was serious. Best not call bull.
However, the longer Illumi stayed silent, the more he noticed the magician's lip curling up and this unusual glint in his blue-gray eyes. Hisoka's frustration morphed into confidence and he smirked, "Are you going to play or continue admiring me?"
Something was up.
"Bullshit."
A wide, genuine smile spread on Hisoka's face and Illumi realized that he'd been deceived. The magician had sensed his own predictable pattern, and had used it to his advantage. As he picked up the three tens and added them to his hand, the Zaoldyeck wished that Killua was as quick at pattern recognition and deception as Hisoka.
Illumi was deciding between the truth or a lie and how to screw with the magician's confidence when the hotel suite door opened. He and Hisoka eagerly turned their heads, only to see a short, stocky older man with slicked back brown hair. The man – Tompa from the Hunter Exam, Illumi recalled – went pale when he saw them and stammered, "M-My bad. Wrong, uh, room."
"How disappointing," Hisoka sighed.
Illumi placed two Jacks and a Queen face-down. "Three Jacks," he said flatly, careful to keep any emotion from his tone and his expression. He kept his sitting posture stiff but somewhat relaxed in a confident manner. After a brief staring contest, the assassin saw Hisoka give up on reading him and stare down at the cards.
"Shit," he heard the magician swear under his breath.
Maybe the party hadn't been a complete waste, Illumi thought as he watched Hisoka squirm.
"Did you say something, Hisoka?" he asked pleasantly.