Did I just update with an 8.5k chapter? Yes.
Could I have split it in half? Boy did I try.
"Hey? Miss?"
Tomoe jumps in surprise, almost throwing her violin at whoever had snuck up on her. She'd already closed her eyes and got into position against the edge of the ship, violin balanced safely on her shoulder. No one really came near her whenever she looked like she was doing anything. In fact, no one went near anyone on this damn boat unless it was to stir up trouble.
Saying she hadn't expected to be scared senseless by a short call is an understatement.
Tomoe casts her gaze left and right, frantically looking for the source of the voice. Everyone beside her is keeping to themselves, not even looking at her—which only leaves in front. She looks out towards the window the captain stands behind, watching the horizon with glazed eyes. Her sights travel lower and lower, searching and searching, until finally it stops.
Spiked black hair. Not unlike the style worn by the man in the suit, but definitely wilder and thicker. Connected to the hair, she finds as she looks further down, is a young face with a large smile aimed right at her. Tomoe blinks in surprise, trying her best to remember if she'd seen this child before.
Green clothes, a fishing pole, and a look to him that screams "energetic bundle of fun". Yes, she's certain she's seen him.
He grins at her and leans forward, hands balanced on his crossed ankles. "Do you know a lot of songs?" he asks.
For what reason? she almost asks, but the violin suddenly feels heavy on her shoulder. Of course, she thinks. He means the violin.
Tomoe smiles back at him, sinking down until she's sitting as well. From this height, they seem to be almost eye-level with each other. She wouldn't be surprised if he's only a few inches shorter than her, or even the same height.
"I was about to practice a bit," she tells him. His grin grows and his eyes light up. She swears she can see them shining like stars, amber orbs stuck on her like she's just told him the greatest news in the world. Tomoe can't help but laugh a bit; he's almost as bad at hiding his excitement as she is. "I get nervous when people watch, though."
His mouth drops into a gape, forming a perfect oval at the statement. "How come? Do you think you're bad?"
She shakes her head. "I'm just silly," she says.
The boy hums and nods in understanding, almost as though her vague answer is as clear as day. He doesn't look bothered by this, and resumes his smiling when she lowers the violin onto her lap.
Tomoe points to him with her bow. She waves it around like a wand, watching as his eyes follow it curiously. "Do you do a lot of fishing?" she asks him.
He nods enthusiastically. "I had to catch a fish on the island to take the exam!" he proclaims. Tomoe hums at him with mild interest.
"That sounds easy," she says. Granted, she's never caught a fish in her life. But if so many people were hauling them in back at Whale Island, it couldn't be that hard, right? "How big was the fish? Did you get to eat it?"
The boy rolls onto his side and rises to his feet. He's got that giddy smile on his face as he moves with quick jerks of his legs, practically bouncing around with each step. He slides his backpack off of his shoulders and rolls it towards Tomoe, letting it rest just by her feet. She stares down at it in bewilderment; what's she meant to do with this bag? This yellow, sort of gaudy-looking bag?
A short hum breaks her out of her confusion, just in time for her to witness the boy leaping down the steps and heading towards the other side of the ship. He keeps looking back at her every few steps, almost as though he might be worried she'll steal from him. He walks and walks, even passing the captain's window, before he finally stops at the top step at the ship's stern.
"This big!" he shouts to her. She can just barely hear him clearly over the waves and seagulls, but boy is she surprised when she realises he's answering her question. Tomoe springs to her feet and screeches in excitement. A chorus of groans is heard around her, but she ignores them as she launches herself towards the railing.
"From the bag to you!?" she yells back. She's smiling just as widely as he is now, overcome with a pride over such an amazing feat. No wonder they let him leave for the exam just for catching a fish—he caught a monster!
He nods and starts running back to her, fishing pole held above his head in an attempt to avoid hitting anyone with it. "That's amazing!" Tomoe goes on. "It's gotta be three— No, four times bigger than us at the least!"
"It's bigger than everyone I know on the island," he remarks. It's the most innocent thing she's ever heard—please, little boy, Tomoe already said it's bigger than the two of them—and it just makes her heart flutter with even more pride. Gosh, she wishes she was that age again.
"No wonder they let you take the exam for catching it," Tomoe marvels. She hops over to his side as he quickly pushes his back beside hers, nestling it safely against the stem. "You're gonna kill it for sure!"
"You think so?" he gasps.
Tomoe nods wildly. Her hair almost catches in her mouth at the movement. "I know it."
Her faith in him seems to have solidified her in his good books. The boy is quick to whisk up his bag and her violin, telling her that the weather will change soon and that he wants to explore before it does; he invites her with him, and she agrees.
Tomoe never really got any opportunities to spend time with her younger siblings, now that she thinks about it. She wonders if exploring the estate with them would've been like leading this bundle of energy around the Kaijinmaru; Kayo would be almost the same age as the boy, she thinks, and as far as she knows Kayo is just as boisterous as Tomoe had been at that age.
It's pretty fun looking around with him. He must not have been on a boat before, because he looks at everything with a sense of wonder and awe. It's pretty refreshing to see after four days of being ignored, bet on, and practically challenged to a fight by others. They sneak into the kitchen and manage to steal a few carrots from the supply crate, just barely avoiding the cook as he moves around with a beheaded fish cradled in his arms. They move on to the crew's quarters, an area Tomoe hadn't seen yet, and immediately she complains about them having bunks while the applicants get hammocks. The crewmembers lounging about within break out into a sweat and frantically begin making their beds, sweeping the floor, doing anything remotely close to a chore; Tomoe can't help but smirk at the sight.
Once they arrive in the applicants' quarters, they sit down on her hammock and munch away on their carrots. They still haven't introduced themselves yet, too caught up in the fun of exploring the ship; she doesn't really care, though. She still doesn't know the name of her hammock-mate (hammock-mate? Bunkmate? Significant annoyance?) or the man leering into his magazines, and she doesn't expect them to throw their introductions at her on a silver platter.
Instead of introducing themselves, the first thing they do is just ask anything but for their names.
"How long have you been on the ship?" the boy asks once he finishes his carrot. Tomoe's still munching on hers, halfway done with it—not that having a mouth full of half-chewed food will stop her from talking.
"About four days?" she muses around the bits of carrot. "I got picked up from Havenby, which is a long way from here."
He gawks at her. "You're really determined if Havenby is far away."
She nods. "I was supposed to take it next year, actually." Tomoe leans closer to him and drops her voice to a whisper shortly after swallowing the carrot mush. "I got impatient and decided to take it early, though."
He giggles—actually giggles—at her statement. "Did your family want you to wait till you were older?"
"Sort of. My family makes it a tradition to take the exam when we're eighteen." She kicks out at the air absently, taking another bite of her carrot. "I've wanted to do it since I was twelve, though, so I couldn't wait much longer."
"So that means you're seventeen?"
Tomoe nods. A confused look passes by him for a second, replaced by furrowed brows and a hand grasping his chin. He tilts his head in thought, looking her up and down.
"What?" she blurts out.
"You don't look seventeen. You're small."
She huffs out her cheeks in offense, but he's not exactly wrong. The kid's, what, twelve? And she's not much taller than him—spiked hair included. That doesn't stop her from defending her case, though. "I'll have you know I'm the second-tallest out of my siblings!" she boasts. "And I'm the middle child."
He blinks up at her. "Who's the tallest?"
"My big brother. He helped me get on the ship and take the exam while everyone else was asleep."
"Whoa... He sounds cool." The boy starts kicking his legs out like she is, mimicking her like a younger sibling would their elder. "Does he play the violin too?"
"No." Tomoe picks up her knapsack from the floor and pulls the violin case out. She hasn't exactly pulled out her violin to play for him yet, and she figures she can pluck at the strings at the very least until she finds the confidence to play for him willingly. As she unclasps the case, she recalls, "I'm pretty sure he plays the piano. I always hear him playing from my room and teaching our little brother. He's a lot better with music than I am, actually—even composed and original song for Mama's birthday one year."
There's that twinkle in his eyes again, jaw dropped in awe at the news he's hearing. It's not that remarkable, being able to play an instrument; maybe there isn't much music on Whale Island? Or maybe this boy in particular never took to it like the Folkvar family has? It feels nice, though, being looked at like she's accomplished so much despite knowing so little.
She plucks at the strings just as the door to the quarters opens. A flood of applicants breaks through the doorway, some of them covered in a thin layer of water and others dry as a bone. She catches sight of the blond and his book as he deftly avoids brushing shoulders with anyone, unsurprised at his lack of even accidental contact as he remains one of the dry few. He meets her eye for just a moment, casting a quick glance at the boy as well, and then settles into his hammock without a word.
His book is out within seconds, opened at the last page he'd finished at.
"Oh!" The boy bounces on the hammock. The movement almost throws Tomoe off, but she manages to hold on by leaning back a little and throwing her legs out. The only downside is that she almost kicks the blond in the rib with the action. "I forgot to introduce myself!"
Tomoe shrugs, plucking at the strings just a little bit more loudly. She wonders if she can get a rise out of the blond for once, now that she knows it's their last night until they reach Dolle Harbour. "It's okay," she tells the boy. "I only know the name of one person—and it's not my hammock-mate over there. I'm Tomoe, by the way."
"My name's Gon!" the boy announces. Tomoe smiles down at him. It's actually a pretty decent name; easy to remember, and quick enough to say that it almost fits his hasty movements. "Tomoe sounds like a really pretty name."
She laughs once, out loud, and waves a hand at him. The dumbest smile is on her face as she looks away, hoping to hide her blush. Back when her skin wasn't so pale, it was easy to hide even the smallest hints of embarrassment—except around her ears. Now she may as well be an open book.
"Pshaw," she blurts out. "I don't know what Mama was thinking when she named me. I'm pretty sure she just didn't know if I was going to be a boy or a girl and just went with it. Nothing pretty."
"She must've really liked the name if she kept it in the end," Gon tries.
She rubs at her cheeks, willing away her blush in the hopes she can try change the subject. Her face only feels warmer and warmer with the effort. A small chuckle—just barely above a breathy laugh—reaches her ears. Tomoe's eyes dart towards the blond's hammock in alarm. His book is still in his hands, index finger tucked between the current and next page, and everything looks to be its usual appearance of indifference—save for the single grey eye watching them and the slight curl of an amused mouth.
Tomoe blushes even harder, embarrassed beyond belief despite herself, which prompts Gon to start laughing at the sight of her. As soon as she'd caught sight of the blond's gaze, it flickers away and returns to its passive expression. He turns a page in his book and resumes reading, almost as though he'd never even eavesdropped.
She furiously plucks at the violin strings as she turns her attention back to Gon. She may as well attempt to recover, though the amount of good trying to regain her composure will do won't be a lot. "H—Hey," she tries weakly, "do you know where Havenby is, now that I think about it?"
Gon shakes his head once.
"If I can find a map, I'll show you! It's a really nice place with lots of trees—well, where my family lives is where most of the trees are. It gets pretty during autumn."
"It sounds like a nice place," Gon says. "Are you gonna go back when you finish the exam?"
Now that's a question that makes her freeze altogether. Her fingers hover above the violin strings hesitantly as she considers her answer, uncertain as to what she should say. Conrad had practically asked the same thing, though it was more focused on her family than her home, but Tomoe doesn't know if she can just say to this young boy that she doesn't expect to live that long. What if she upsets him? What if it pushes him away because of awkwardness like Conrad? Worst of all, what if he pities her?
She clears her throat and rests her hand against the violin entirely. There's always a half-truth she could tell.
"Were you on Whale Island all your life, Gon?" she asks softly.
Gon looks at her with a confused blink, but he nods nonetheless. "Well, I've been in Havenby all my life," she explains. "Specifically with my family, in our home. I love them dearly, don't get me wrong, but I really don't know if I should go back if I pass. I don't know if I'll be able to."
"How come?" Gon actually looks a little worried. Maybe she should've just told a complete lie instead of putting in some of the truth.
Tomoe shrugs. "Once you get a taste of the world beyond the horizon you grew up with, you can't stay away. At least that's what Masao says whenever he tells me about his travels," she adds with a small smile.
Gon seems to take the words to heart, almost as though he knows what Masao had meant. Tomoe wonders if he has a family member who's said something similar to him, or if travelling has been a big dream for Gon alongside taking the exam. Whatever it is, she doesn't get time to ask; Gon whisks up his bag and announces that he's going to go find a spot to wait the storm over and hang around.
Barely even a second passes before the boat lurches to the side at the impact of a wave, confirming Gon's announcement of a storm. Tomoe almost drops her violin, barely saving it in time as she falls off of her hammock and slides under the blond's. Nothing looks to be broken once the ship rights itself, though crawling out from under the blond may have cracked her pride a little.
"Sheesh," she grumbles to herself. "There goes any hope of practicing while I wait the storm out."
A small hum of agreement comes from above her, and for a moment she thinks her ears are playing tricks on her. Still on all fours and crawling to her knapsack, Tomoe turns to look at the blond with wide eyes. He doesn't look to have moved or even looked in her direction, turning a page in his book as he scans over the words silently.
Maybe she just imagined it, she thinks. There's no way he'd be able to just agree with her despite never actually participating in small talk with her. It's laughable.
But also curious.
Tomoe scrunches up her nose as she carefully puts her violin back in its case. She wonders if she can get him to talk to her by saying something he'll agree with—like how it'll be hard to stay on their feet if they get up during the storm. She wonders if she can get him to say something other than one sentence or comment on her being sick. She wonders if he even has any other books to loan out.
She doesn't investigate; instead, Tomoe finds a different way to entertain herself.
She never noticed how free of chipped wood the floor of their quarters is. She also never noticed how easily the material of her sweater glides along the wood without catching, like socks on tiles. The storm gets a lot more fun once she does notice, though.
The violent lurches of the ship last long enough to propel Tomoe along the floor with ease. Laying on her back, legs tucked to her chest and shoes by her knapsack, she slides around like a puck and practically crashes into other applicants having a hard time keeping down their lunches. It's quite fun, actually; normally she'd have to be pushed around by someone, or be the one doing the pushing, but the ship may as well be doing all the work for her.
She slides past Conrad's hammock and waves to him. He waves back, amused by the sight of her and having apparently set aside her remarks from days before. The tattooed man is with him, looking as though he's gotten over losing his bet as well.
The ship lurches again, and this time she's gliding back towards the blond. She lets out a short cackle as she starts to slow down, ready to do her best to annoy him and make a swift getaway. Why bother trying to make conversation when she can just kick him from under the hammock? She almost slides to a halt beneath him, ready to kick out one of her feet, when the ship leans even further in its current direction.
Tomoe panics, arms flailing about as her cackles turn into squeaks of surprise, and then she's crashing into the far wall with an almighty groan.
The crunch of an apple comes from beside her. She looks up to see who it is, surprised that anyone is able to stomach food with the way the ship is moving; her curiosity quickly turns to disdain, however, when she recognises the bent glasses on the man's face.
He's watching her with a glare as he chews his apple slowly, almost like he expects her to kick out at him suddenly. It's not a bad idea, but she doesn't exactly feel like getting thrown overboard by him if she pisses him off. The blond, maybe she can outrun. This guy? Not with her small legs.
Instead of provoking him, Tomoe tries for a direct approach. She points at the apple in his hand and then her bare foot, proposing, "I'll bet you twenty Jenny that I can kick your apple into someone's face."
His cheeks puff out angrily. "Like hell!" he growls. Tomoe groans loudly as the ship lurches once more, and then she's sliding away from him with a glare.
Her journey of sliding ends back at her hammock. Her back aches as she sits up and her knees creak as she stretches out her legs, but the experience had still been worth it. This is probably the most fun she's had in years, and it was a simple slide along the floor—why not ignore the back pain and enjoy it for what it was?
As she sits up, she notes that the blond has almost finished his book. There's got to be at least a dozen, maybe a few more pages left in the book. And then he'll be forced to talk to her with full sentences!
Deciding to get a head start, Tomoe stretches her arms above her head and tries to get his attention with a groan. "Everyone gets to gamble except me," she whines.
A flip of a page. Less than a dozen—give or take—to go. "You're seventeen," he reminds her, though his tone is lacking care. If anything, it feels like he's reminding an idiot of the obvious.
Tomoe glares at him. "That's beside the point," she says. "If people make bets on me, I should be able to make bets on them. It's only fair."
He lets out a quiet hum. It's not one of agreement—more like a "whatever you say" kind of hum. Dubious, she thinks the word is.
All throughout the area she can hear moaning. She'd been so caught up by her own fun that she hadn't noticed it before—it looks like almost no one can handle the ship's swaying or the storm. Even Conrad, on his nineteenth trip, looks a little worse for wear as he dangles half-out of his hammock. The last sway must have been hard on everyone. She wonders if Gon's alright.
She rises to her feet in an attempt to rid herself of the ache in her knees. As she stretches, she hears the creak of the door opening. One of the crew, or even the captain, must be checking to make sure everyone is alright.
A laugh breaks through the crowd's groaning, breathy and having a distinct slur to it as a voice berates half of the applicants. Tomoe rolls her eyes and reaches for her knapsack, hoping to check and see that her violin isn't damaged from the storm. She can hear Gon's voice vaguely coming from somewhere further in the area, talking about a herb and water coming soon. It brings a short sense of relief to know that he sounds like he's doing okay.
It seems like some of the applicants may not be well enough to take the exam once they reach Dolle Harbour. Seasickness is one thing, but an absolute assault on the stomach and sense of direction is another. Tomoe may as well consider herself lucky that she doesn't get sick in the stomach easily.
The voice that had berated the applicants rings out again, this time addressing a few people while he yells above everyone else.
"Green boy, Freckles, Blondie, and Glasses," he shouts. Tomoe thinks he may have meant someone else when he says Freckles, but she finds herself corrected when she looks to the door and points to herself in confusion. The captain is the one calling to them, and he doesn't look like he wants to ask them for tea. "Yes, I mean you, you twerp. All of you, come with me to the bridge."
Well, the trip was fun while it lasted. It's not like she'll get far by swimming if they kick her off now. Honestly, she actually more disappointed that Gon seems to be getting into trouble as well.
They all file out the door behind the captain—Tomoe, Gon, the blond and the man in the suit—and are led to the bridge in silence. She carries her shoes in her hands, too lazy to put them back on her feet, and stretches her toes out with each step she takes. Masao had said that the exam was tough, even before it starts; maybe this is what he meant by it? Piss someone off and you get kicked off?
She's getting ahead of herself, she thinks as they enter the bridge. They're lined up in front of a map pinned to the wall, the captain regarding them as one of the crew members—Katsuo, she thinks his name is—holds a clipboard in his hands.
The captain doesn't waste time getting to the point.
"First," he declares, "tell me your names."
Gon is quick to raise his hand, right between the tall man and the blond, and introduce himself. The blond follows suit without question—Kurapika, he calls himself—and the tall man grunts out his name as though he doesn't want anyone to know—Leorio, he declares rudely. Tomoe goes last, saying just her name out of uncertainty. This is a really weird way to kick people off of the ship.
Katsuo is writing down their names on the clipboard hurriedly as the captain continues, "Why do you want to be Hunters?"
Maybe he's not kicking them off? It's a bit of an odd question to ask if you want to kick someone off a ship.
Leorio is the first to answer, though he isn't the first to answer the question. He points at the captain wildly and glares from behind his glasses. "If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!" he snaps.
The captain glares back at him. "Just answer the question!"
She debates answering just to ease the tension. It couldn't hurt to say that she's wanted to be a Hunter since she was twelve, and that now was her best chance to try. Maybe she could even say that she wants to follow Folkvar tradition, since everyone else has done it before her.
Instead, though, it's Gon who jumps in to calm the atmosphere.
"My dad's a Hunter," he declares. That calm smile is on his face as he says this. The captain blinks at him in surprise, though Tomoe can't tell if it's because he answered so readily or not. "I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so much."
It's Tomoe's turn to stare at him in awe, amazed at the new piece of information she's learning about Gon. All of a sudden it makes sense why he's just as excited as she is to take the exam—someone else before him inspired him to do it. Not to mention he caught a gigantic fish just to see why his dad wanted to become a Hunter! That's dedication right there.
"Hey, kid!"
Her admiration soon turns to exasperation once Leorio speaks up again, this time yelling at Gon. The man really doesn't know how to shut up once he starts, she thinks.
"You're not supposed to answer his question," Leorio tells Gon. Gon turns to face him, taking a stand against the tall man as he demands to know why he can't answer the question. Tomoe peeks around Kurapika with a grin, silently cheering the boy on as he argues with Leorio.
Leorio pokes at Gon's forehead and declares that he doesn't want to say why he wants to be a Hunter. Kurapika doesn't seem to want to add anything to the conversation, content with staying silent like usual, but Tomoe definitely has a lot to say if that's the only reason for Leorio to be so rude.
She strides past Kurapika and wedges herself between Gon and Leorio, ready to shove the man away if he gets in her face.
"Why should the rest of us stay silent in order for you to keep your reason secret?" she demands. "You can just say nothing regardless of what we do if you're that adamant."
Annoyance flashes in Leorio's eyes. "Why, you—"
"I agree with Leorio."
All three of them jump in surprise at the sound of the voice. For a second Tomoe doesn't recognise it, but once that soft tone clicks into place she almost feels her heart sink. Kurapika, why side with this man?
Leorio starts yelling at him—something about being respectful because Kurapika is younger—but Kurapika just ignores him. Part of Tomoe wants to laugh out loud at Leorio, mocking him for getting the same treatment she has for the past few days, but another part of her demands she stay silent. There's got to be a reason why Kurapika would just agree with a man like Leorio.
"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie," Kurapika goes on. He barely makes eye contact with the rest of them, directing his response to the captain. "However, it's quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said," he adds, this time in a solemn tone, "if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer."
His hand goes to his chest, hovering over his heart as his gaze leaves the captain. Tomoe watches him with a frown. He's right about using lies being shameful, but unlike Kurapika's deepest secrets, Tomoe can't help but rely on lies to avoid pity. Whatever it is he wants to do by becoming a Hunter will be leagues away from her own reasons. Tomoe has no doubt that if she lies now, as well, her approval with Kurapika will fall lower than it already is.
But she still can't bring herself to be truthful when someone as young as Gon is with them. It was hard enough being twelve and learning that you wouldn't live as long as your siblings—she can imagine how hard it would be for a twelve-year-old to hear that their friend won't live another year.
The captain looks over Kurapika once, processing his answer, and then his eyes dart to Tomoe. She jumps in surprise, backing away from Leorio.
"What about you, twerp?" he huffs. "You refuse to answer the question too?"
May as well support Gon and stand her ground against Leorio with this one. She just hopes her lie is believable enough.
Tomoe scratches her cheek nervously and looks at the floor, just near the captain's feet. "W—Well, it's tradition in my family to take the exam to test our abilities," she mumbles. "We use the exam as a self assessment, but we don't go far enough to become Hunters. So I guess my reason is that I don't really want to be one—I just want to know if I've joined my siblings in the family business."
He doesn't say anything for a good few seconds; not even a hum escapes him. Tomoe dares a peek up at the captain's face, wondering if he believes her. Maybe he's considering her and Gon's answers? Maybe he's trying to figure out what to do with Kurapika and Leorio?
The captain pulls at his coat and reaches within. The faintest rustling of paper is heard, even over the rain pelting the window, and then Tomoe is met with the sight of the letter Masao had given her upon her arrival. The top of it looks to be torn open, a corner of the letter poking out from the envelope.
"Your family takes the exam at eighteen," the captain tells her. "I doubt the Head of the Folkvar Estate would let you leave a year early."
Her throat practically closes up at the statement. Crap, what did Masao say in that letter? Did he spill everything—tell the captain she's dying? Or did he leave it vague enough to only hint it at? She should've read it before she gave it to the captain. She should've known Masao would try to baby her, even from an ocean away.
The captain calls out to Katsuo. The sailor jumps in surprise, almost dropping his clipboard. "Tell the examination board we have three more dropouts," the captain orders. He takes a deep inhale through his pipe as soon as he says it, and exhales just as the dropouts in question realise what he means.
Leorio's bravado crumbles away as his eyebrows rise to his hairline. "What do you mean?" he says quietly.
If her throat had closed up before, it's become nonexistent now. Tomoe stares at the captain in shock and horror, shoulders slumping as her jaw drops. She answered his question; why is he labelling her a dropout? Is it because she lied?
Katsuo is busily writing on the clipboard while the captain blinks slowly at Leorio. "You haven't figured it out yet?" The captain doesn't look exasperated, but he doesn't look amused either. "The Hunter Examination has already begun."
The reactions happen all at once. Kurapika and Leorio gawk at the captain and show their shock, and for a moment Tomoe thinks she might be doing the same. Her hands are shaking, probably out of concern, but her cheeks hurt like a huge strain is being put on her face. She feels like she can breathe again, only for the constricting sensation to move on to her chest—each heartbeat is hard and fast, almost as though the muscle is trying to break free of her ribcage.
It isn't till Leorio snaps at her that she realises her reaction isn't the same as theirs. She's not cautious or shocked; her lips are tugged up into a large grin, teeth bared and eyes wide, and her hands are shaking with that same excitement she'd felt arriving at Whale Island.
The exam has already started. She's taking it right now. This is the greatest news she's heard all day.
The ship rocks at the impact of another wave. Only the crew members seem to find trouble staying upright.
"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky," the captain explains. Tomoe can feel a small squeak weeding its way up her throat. "The examiners don't have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us—" he gestures to his crew and himself "—to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on the ship had to withdraw."
No wonder they were called up. Still, it's a shame Conrad hadn't made it this time.
"If they can't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words," he says loudly, "you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you. So think carefully before you answer my question."
Tomoe wastes no time correcting herself. This is the pre-exam exam! She's got to be a little bit more honest, if he knows something because of Masao!
She steps forward and raises her hand. The grin is still on her face, and she hopes he doesn't think of her as a joke for smiling at a time like this. "I want to correct my answer," she announces. The captain just stares at her, waiting for her to continue. Leorio and Kurapika don't bother cutting in, remaining silent in their own spots. "Mortality is my reason for wanting to take the exam. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't really want to be a Hunter, and I really have wanted to take the exam because of my family.
"Recent events in the Folkvar household prompted me to take it early. Only my brother and I know I'm taking it, and I have no doubt we'll both be disowned for going against our family's wishes. But you see, captain, I could die in a week, a month, a year. Maybe even tomorrow. I don't have time to wait until I'm eighteen. So I figure I should at least do something I'm proud of before that happens, right?"
She's still smiling by the end of her explanation, but the unmistakable feeling of anxiety is in her chest now. She's being as honest as she can be without outright saying she's a dead girl walking, and it's her only hope to change the captain's mind.
The captain doesn't give her much of a response, though he does put the letter back in his coat. He looks to Leorio and Kurapika, then, and demands, "And you two?"
There's a short beat of silence before one of them speaks up. Tomoe is surprised to see that it's Kurapika who had gone first, his usual silence making her believe that he would wait till last to speak.
Her smile drops the moment he speaks. "I am the last survivor of the Kurta clan," he begins. The rest of his explanation falls on deaf ears for Tomoe, her eyes glued to him in horror.
Back when Ayaka had taken the Hunter exam, she'd held a great interest in exploring and learning about isolated clans and villages. She would study day and night with Hibiki about languages and cultures, often practicing the customs of the clans at their own dinner table to make sure she got it right. Ayaka had even gone as far as hassling Hibiki to see if a clan would be interested in having her stay for a month or so to learn from them, to become an ally with them.
The massacre of the Kurta clan hadn't gone unheard of in their home. Ayaka's plan had been to speak with the elders of the clan and ask to stay with them for a time once she came back from the Hunter exam; if all had gone well, she would have even explored other clans they knew of and befriended them as well. Hibiki had even exchanged a few letters with one of the residents of the clan, usually for the benefit of teaching Ayaka without endangering the clan before they trusted the family. Even while she was kept in her room and forbidden from doing anything strenuous, Tomoe would hear about Ayaka's excitement of meeting the clan when she came home.
They'd been massacred while Ayaka was taking the exam, though they never found this out until after she came home. The first thing Ayaka did when she came back was pack her bags and set off to find the clan, see if everything was okay. Letters had stopped coming shortly after she'd left for the exam, and Hibiki was too busy taking care of Kayo and Takeo to leave and investigate. Ayaka was home only a matter of weeks later, hysterical, and it was then that Hibiki forbade the rest of her children from talking about the Kurta clan.
Tomoe never learned much about the Kurta clan—she only knew that they had trouble living alongside people outside of their village—and at the time it didn't really bother her that they were gone. They weren't her business, and while it was a shame that the entire clan had been wiped out, it still didn't impact her the way it did Hibiki and Ayaka. Now, though, seeing the sole survivor of that clan, she's beginning to rethink her initial reaction to the massacre.
He's been all alone for four years, the last of his people and the last of his family. Seeing his clan killed in such a way would have affected him more than it had Ayaka, left him unable to move on for years to come. You don't move on from your entire family dying over the course of a night easily—Ayaka is proof of that, and she still hasn't recovered from the sight despite hardly knowing the Kurta clan.
Kurapika isn't talking anymore, but Tomoe still can't stop herself from staring. Someone else is talking—she think it might be Leorio—but she can't say for sure. She's too caught up in thinking about how lonely Kurapika must have been. Part of her wonders if things would've been different if Ayaka had arrived at the clan earlier, if she'd seen him on his own. Part of her wonders if she should write home and reassure Ayaka that they're not all gone.
Kurapika looks over towards Leorio—and pauses when he catches sight of Tomoe staring at him. His brows quirk downwards for a second, almost in annoyance, and she's quick to turn her gaze away and pretend she hadn't just spent the last few minutes staring. There's a smug expression on Leorio's face, she finds, and she wonders if he's just said something that only he could be proud of.
"That's got to be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurapika announces. He's no longer looking at the man, instead putting up his own version of smugness: Absolute calm and a refusal to look at anyone as equal.
Leorio snaps back at him pretty quickly, and it's only now that Tomoe realises he's still going on about being treated with respect. Of course, Kurapika ignores him again.
"Places accessible only to Hunters," he lists. "Information otherwise unobtainable. Actions otherwise impossible. There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."
As Kurapika lists off these things, Leorio pushes past Gon and Tomoe. He's turning red in the face, looking about ready to sock Kurapika in the jaw if he forgets to call him Mr. Leorio one more time. Just as it looks as though steam is rising from his face, Gon jumps up high in front of Leorio's face and waves joyfully at him.
"Hey!" he cuts in, big smile on his face. "Why do you want to be a Hunter, Mr. Leorio?"
All at once the anger melts away, and Tomoe can't even hold back the sigh of relief that wheezes out of her. Leorio smirks, glad the attention is on him now, and stands up straight.
With a grin, he tells Gon, "I'll make it short: I want money."
Ah. That makes a lot of sense. Tomoe knows that being a Hunter can get you a lot of well paying jobs. Honestly, she thinks her family would be even more well known and rich if they'd all gone on to become Hunters.
Almost as though reliving his wildest dreams Leorio goes on, "Money can buy you anything! A big house; a nice car; good liquor!" He looks out a whoop at that last one, mimicking taking a shot of alcohol.
Tomoe can think of better things to spend money on—like a horse and insurance, maybe even some nice food. No, actually, definitely some nice food. If she had all of her allowance with her she'd be avoiding all types of bitter food until it ran out.
"Money can't buy you class, Leorio," Kurapika announces. Leorio breaks out of his daydreaming with an annoyed glare, and Tomoe can hardly hold in the snort of a laugh bubbling up her throat. She sinks into a squat and covers her mouth with her hands, shoulders shaking at the insult. Kurapika's right—she's living proof of that much—but the timing of his insult was just superb.
For a moment she thinks that Leorio will throw an insult back, continue their little spat, but instead he turns to face Kurapika with a glare. "Three times," he mutters. Leorio nods to the door, and says a little more clearly, "Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now."
He's walking to the door as Kurapika turns and demands he takes his statement back. Tomoe jumps to her feet in alarm, cutting Kurapika off mid-sentence with her own shout.
To say something so careless and heartless—she can't let him get away with being so cruel. It's what Ayaka would do, at least.
"You're going too far, Leorio," she shouts at him. "How can you just say that so carelessly? On what world is respect more important than a person's life and family?"
Leorio doesn't even stop to give her an answer, opening the door and skulking out with his hands in his pockets. Kurapika is shaking with anger behind her. He clicks his tongue and runs out after the taller man, ignoring the captain's protests for them to stop.
This is a mess. All they had to do was answer questions in order to take the exam, but now they're fighting to the death because Kurapika won't call Leorio Mr. Leorio? It's so dumb, but she can't exactly talk; she constantly challenged her mother whenever the woman would send her to her room, either by throwing one of her bells at her like a gauntlet or by declaring that her pride is on the line. But at least those never rose to this length—killing each other.
There's a slight tug on her sweater vest. Tomoe looks to her left, and spots Gon watching her with curious eyes.
"Do you think you can find Havenby on the map behind us?" he asks quietly. Tomoe blinks, confused. Why does he want to know at a time like this?
Regardless of why, she can't help but give him a weak smile and nod. "Sure," she says. It doesn't take long to find—Havenby is on one of the smaller islands on the map—and as soon as she points to the boot-shaped pair of islands towards the bottom of the map, Gon lets out a small sound of excitement.
She almost tries to find Whale Island for comparison, but is stopped when she hears one of the crew members call for the captain in a panic. Gon and Tomoe turn curiously in their direction—and then Tomoe is backing up against the wall in surprise.
It looks like a tornado made entirely of water, losing shape just as quickly as it picks up even more water. It sways like the ship does, but it looks to have more control than the Kaijinmaru has managed. She hears the crew member at the wheel calls it a waterspout, and he announces that the ship will sink if the two collide.
That doesn't sound fun.
Immediately the crew is assembling and getting ready to avoid the waterspout, and Gon and Tomoe are about ready to do the same. As Gon runs out to help, Tomoe calls out to him that she'll try get Leorio and Kurapika to help before she joins him. The captain takes the wheel while the rest of the crew files out. Tomoe pulls at the ribbon tucked under her collar, smoothly undoing its bow, and scoops her hair up into a ponytail as she runs out.
Rain hits her hard in the face, almost blinding her and making her slip on the floor. She wishes she'd put on her shoes, but there's no time to fix that problem now. Sailors pull at the ropes of the sails, lowering them as fast as they can—but it's not fast enough. She searches for the two males frantically, almost contemplating forgetting them, until finally she sees them just a short distance away from the mainsail. Kurapika is armed with what looks to be two wooden, stick-shaped weapons, while Leorio stands with his hands in his pockets and glares at the blond.
Tomoe runs over, almost slipping as she comes to a stop between them, and does her best to shout to them over the rain and the wind. Water crashes onto the ship, almost pushing her off of her feet.
"There's no time for a fight now!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. "The whole ship will go sink if we don't get the sails down!"
Leorio draws a pocketknife from his jacket, demanding Tomoe get out of the way. She scowls at him, but it soon falls away when she turns for Kurapika. The waterspout is right behind the blond, so close to the ship that it's almost laughable. There's no point in convincing them when they refuse to back down.
A scream rings out from the crew, followed by Gon calling for Katsuo. Alarmed, Tomoe turns on her heel and tries to see what's wrong. Just as she's about to step away from the two applicants, a body crashes into her. For a second she thinks she may be able to steady the two of them—keep them from falling overboard and get back to the mainsail—but the lack of wood beneath her feet soon pushes that hope out of her mind. She feels weightless and she and Katsuo are flung overboard, her attempt to grab the rail failing as Kurapika and Leorio run after them. She feels almost bitter that they choose now to put aside their fight.
Katsuo clings to her while she keeps one arm around him, the other reaching out towards the ship. They've got to throw something out to catch them if they end up in the water, right? She's not sure how well she'd be able to keep the two of them afloat, struggling enough in calm waters just to doggy paddle.
Kurapika and Leorio are dangling from the rail, watching in mixtures of horror and disappointment, and for a brief second she wonders if this counts as Masao getting to say "I told you so". She should've just left Kurapika and Leorio to their fight. At least then she might have been able to catch Katsuo without falling off with him.
A flurry of green crosses her vision, and then all of a sudden two hands are clamping down on her wrist. Tomoe panics at the contact, instinctively tightens her grip on Katsuo, and then the next thing she knows she's submerged.
It feels like an eternity before she's pulled up and given a gulp of air, held in a pseudo hug by her saviour in an attempt to keep her above the water. Bit by bit they're pulled back onto the ship, until finally Tomoe and Katsuo are thrown back on board with Gon hovering over them. Crew members are crowding around them, almost suffocating them as they try to cough up whatever water they'd swallowed; just over their heads she can see the waterspout disappearing into the distance, the ship finally able to clear its path and escape the storm.
God, this is exhausting. But at least she's not dead yet.