Warnings: This fic is rated for language and occasional adult content. Familiarity with Hunter x Hunter and its nen concepts are necessary.
Author's Notes: I use the Hunter's Guide spellings for the characters' names (see my bio page for details), and my characters are based on the comic, not the animated series, so Kurapika does not have blue/green eyes in my fics. This fic takes place a few months after Yorkshin and ignores most of the Greed Island storyline and beyond. Basically, an AU fic. I'd also like to point out that Lynlyn inspired me to begin writing this. Thanks, Lynlyn!
Standard disclaimers apply...
Hunt for the Intangible - Chapter 4
Matiy was not in a good mood. But she plastered a smile on her face and walked up the few steps leading to the back door of the store. Both the bookstore and the cafe opened at 9 AM, but Weirna, the woman who managed the cafe, was there every morning at 8 AM to sign for the delivery of baked goods and to get the cafe in working order. For her first day on the job, Matiy had been asked to arrive at 8 AM as well so that she could be trained.
I'm going to severely hurt Syar and Dancho when this is through...
"Good morning, Matiy," the plump woman said. She handed Matiy a black apron. "Are you excited about your first day?"
"Thrilled." Matiy showed her teeth. She heard a truck pull up as she accepted the apron.
"Oh, perfect timing, as always. Come, you can meet the driver."
Ten minutes later, Matiy's mood was even worse, as the driver had continually tried to hit on her. She glared at the register as Weirna showed her how to work it.
"Any questions?"
"No," she said, then looked across the store as she heard the front doors being unlocked. Her eyes narrowed as a familiar-looking blonde stepped through the doors, then turned and locked them again. The Chain Guy... From Phalcnothdk's memories, she had gathered that he was a ruthless, calculating, brilliant adversary. She had to make a conscious effort not to tense as he approached.
"Good morning, Weirna," he said cheerfully before making eye contact with Matiy. "I assume you're Matiy? Welcome. I'm Curarpikt." He held out his right hand. No chains. She hesitated before taking his hand.
"Did you have breakfast? Do you want a muffin?" Weirna asked.
"No, thanks. I might come for a coffee later, though." He looked at Matiy again. "You'll enjoy working with Weirna. She's great at taking care of others." Weirna smiled in response. The blond glanced at his watch and made a slight face. "I need to get ready. Have a good first day." He smiled at the two women once more before walking away.
Matiy relaxed. She'd felt a little unnerved at how different he seemed from Phalcnothdk's memories. Weirna, misinterpreting the action, grinned. "He's cute, isn't he? He's the new manager. He's really competent and knowledgeable, despite his age. He's done wonders for the store in his short time here."
"He's new, too, huh? Where's he from?" Matiy asked. She wondered what the Chain Guy was tellling others about himself.
"Oh, I don't know. He's friendly enough, but he's rather private." She looked like she wanted to say more. "But he's a really nice kid, very polite, sweet. And you can't help but trust him."
Matiy raised an eyebrow. The Chain Guy is sweet?
Weirna was grinning at her again. "What?" Matiy asked.
"Maybe you could get to know him better," the older woman said. "You two would make a cute couple."
Matiy groaned inwardly. I am so going to hurt those idiots!
Matiy's shift ended at 1:30 PM, several hours before the Chain Guy's. He had been busy during her fifteen-minute break, so she needed a reason to spend some extra time in the store to talk with him. But Matiy was not a big fan of reading... Why couldn't Chzzck be doing this? Matiy growled softly as she took off her apron. She scanned the store and saw the Chain Guy behind the counter, talking on the phone. With a resigned sigh, she walked across the store.
The boy set down the phone as she reached the counter. He gave Matiy a warm smile. "Are you done for the day?" he inquired. Matiy nodded. "How was your first day?"
Annoying as hell. "Fine. Thanks for asking." She stared at the Chain Guy, uncertain of how to continue.
"Did you need something?" he inquired politely.
"Um, yeah, I was hoping you could recommend a book," she said quickly. "Weirna said that you're really knowledgeable."
"That's kind of her," he said. "What are you interested in?"
Combat. "Um..."
"Well, were you looking for fiction or non-fiction?"
"I... uh..." she paused, looking more closely at the blonde. Oh... She finally placed what had seemed so odd to her. In Phalcnothdk's memories, the Chain Guy had black eyes! But the eyes upon her now were hazel. He was hiding his Crimson Eyes! And without the dark eyes showing nothing but coldness and fury, the Chain Guy could actually be called beautiful. The planes of his face were smooth, not angular and hairy like many young men entering adulthood, with pale skin that probably did not tan easily. And his eyes were framed by long lashes. Matiy was not particularly vain about her own beauty, but she felt a perverse annoyance at the fact that the Chain Guy could probably compete with her.
The blond inclined his head slightly. "Is there something wrong with my eyes?" he asked curiously.
Matiy blinked. "Oh, um... you have lovely eyes," she said hurriedly, then berated herself for not coming up with a better line. Damnit, I'm no better at this than Chzzck would be!
The boy blushed slightly. "Thank you." He paused. "So, fiction or non-fiction?"
"Um, how about fiction?"
"Mystery, action, romance, fantasy..."
"Action?" Matiy suggested. "Preferably with a great villain?"
The Chain Guy grinned. "You like bad guys? Okay, come this way. I can show you a few good books." He stepped around the counter and gestured for Matiy to follow.
Matiy watched as the boy scanned a shelf and pulled out a small stack of books. Her eyes kept wandering to his right hand. A morbid fascination had her almost wishing she could see the chains materialized. How could such a harmless-looking boy, mere years out of childhood, create such a lethal and effective weapon? His hatred of the Ryodan had to have been extreme, as well as his discipline, if what Chzzck had said about the training required of materializing nen-users was correct. The young woman had added that it would have been even more difficult to learn to create something as detailed and intricate as chains.
"These two involve war, this one espionage," the Chain Guy's voice intruded into her thoughts, "and these two involve thievery."
Action and thievery? Might not be that bad... "Which of these two is better?"
"They're both good." The Chain Guy looked at the two books in question. "Would you prefer a male or female protagonist?"
"Doesn't matter. What about the villain, though? Do either of them have a female villain?"
The Chain Guy handed her one of the books, raising one eyebrow slightly. "Are you looking for a role model?" he smiled.
"Maybe."
Several minutes later, Matiy left the store with a legitimate purchase. She passed a trash can and hesitated, briefly considering throwing the book away. If she were to read it, though, she would have a reason to talk with the Chain Guy later. I should make Chzzck read it and tell me about it... Matiy growled internally before tucking the book into her coat pocket and continuing on.
I guess I should read it. It'll be interesting to see what sort of book the Chain Guy chose for me.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Syarnorke asked, a huge grin on his face. Matiy had to fight the urge to forcefully remove it.
"Absolutely lovely," she responded, her smile and tone saccharine. "I spent the day coming up with various ways of causing you severe pain and bodily harm. I'll have to share them with you sometime." Syarnorke laughed.
"How'd what go? Where've you been?" Chzzck asked from the carpeted floor. The Ryodan had rented an apartment so that Matiy would have an address that could be confirmed, but no one could be bothered to get furniture.
"Her first day on the job," Nobunaga said. "Remember? At the bookstore?"
Matiy flopped down on the floor. "Nobunaga, you should know better than to use the word 'remember' when you're speaking to Chzzck." Which was the main reason that Matiy was the one stuck with the unenviable job of serving coffee and baked goods several hours a day...
Chzzck shrugged, accustomed by now to such comments, and returned to the book she'd been reading. Matiy watched her for a moment before pulling out the book she had purchased earlier. She turned it over in her hand several times, staring at it.
"It's a book, Matiy. It's not going to bite," Nobunaga finally said.
Chzzck looked up. "You're going to read?" she asked curiously.
Matiy lifted her head, preparing a biting comment, when the front door opened. Quwrof entered. He nodded to the group and sat on the floor with his back against a wall.
"Well?" he inquired, looking at Matiy.
"I didn't kill anyone, and I bought a book," the young woman responded. "You can call it a productive day or not, depending on your perspective." Matiy herself was of the mind that she had wasted her day so far, even with the ideas she had developed for torturing Syarnorke, and Quwrof, too, if she could get away with it.
Quwrof held out his hand and accepted the book from Matiy. "A book, huh?" He glanced at the cover and quirked his brow before returning the book to the young woman. "Good choice."
"Well, I needed a reason to talk with the Chain Guy."
"And?"
"I have to say, Dancho, it was bizarre. He's nothing like the guy in Phalc's memories. He seemed... harmless." Quwrof raised an eyebrow at Matiy. She hesitated. "Okay, well, I could sense the potential of his nen, but he's doing nothing with it."
"Of course not," Syarnorke said. "He probably doesn't even know he's emitting aura."
"If he has so much potential..." Chzzck began slowly.
"It's not 'if.' We've seen what he can do. We know he is, was, could be..." Syarnorke shook his head, annoying himself with the syntax, "a very powerful nen-user."
"If he has so much potential," Chzzck repeated at the same tempo, ignoring the interruption, "wouldn't it be useful to the Ryodan to have him join and train him to suit our purpose?"
The other members stared at the young woman, mouths hanging open. "That's actually not a bad idea," Syarnorke finally said, trying to get over the fact that Chzzck had come up with it. "Very wicked."
Nobunaga erupted in rage, hand on the hilt of his sword. "There is no way that the Chain Guy is going to join us! He killed Wberer! He's the enemy!" He sputtered furiously, glaring at Chzzck for daring to mention such an idea.
Matiy snorted. "You're one to talk, Nobunaga. Weren't you the one who kept trying to recruit the Chain Guy's little friends?"
Nobunaga turned on the young woman, mouth open to protest. He stopped, shut his mouth, opened it again, then closed it sheepishly. "...That's different," he mumbled, hand going to the back of his head. Matiy rolled her eyes.
"Nobunaga does have a valid point," Quwrof said. "The idea had crossed my mind... but the original plan was to get Curarpikt to remember us so we can properly avenge Wberer."
"So, on with the plan, then," Syarnorke said energetically, standing in one motion. "I've located someone who can help us with the nurse-the-Chain-Guy-back-to-health plan, so I might be gone for a couple of days."
"You're leaving now?" Matiy asked.
The young man flashed her a charming smile. "Yes. I stuck around till now because I wanted to see how frazzled you looked after your first day serving people."
Matiy tried to trip him as he walked past her. He turned, gave her a quick bow, then left the apartment.
"Where are Phynkss and Heytun?" Quwrof suddenly asked.
The others exchanged looks. "Oh, they're exploring," Nobunaga said with a sheepish grin.
The leader narrowed his eyes slightly. "No trouble, guys. I don't want you drawing unnecessary attention to yourselves." He looked specifically at Nobunaga. "I mean it. Absolutely no trouble."
"We know, Dancho, you've already told us that," Nobunaga snorted. "They were just tired of hanging around here all day."
"They can return to Ryusei City at any time."
"And miss the chance to see the Chain Guy die?" Nobunaga asked, feigning horror. "Don't forget, Dancho, as soon as he remembers, he's mine!"
Quwrof made a noncommittal sound in his throat.
"Assuming he does remember," Chzzck added calmly.
Quwrof was fortunate that Curarpikt was a naturally private person, because it also meant that he didn't pry into Quwrof's business and showed little curiosity about the man's life. Still, Quwrof did occasionally find himself having to make up details of his life on the spot as certain questions came up in the natural flow of daily conversation. So far, he had concocted the life of a wealthy business owner who traveled for both business and pleasure, often combining both, and as a result, was familiar with many parts of the world. This "fact" was one of the few that greatly interested Curarpikt, and the boy would ask about places Quwrof had visited, curious about indigenous people and local customs. It was at these times that Quwrof occasionally had to make up a tale about his interactions with the locals, since, in reality, most of his interactions tended to end abruptly and violently for the other party...
So Quwrof would tell the boy embellished versions of his travels, minus the gore, occasionally inserting a Ryodan member or two in his tales. And Curarpikt turned out to be a great listener. It had never really occurred to the Ryodan leader that his interactions with the Ryodan often did not go beyond giving orders. But then, other than killing and stealing, he didn't necessarily share a lot of interests with the others. Syarnorke shared his intellect, but his interests leaned more towards the technological. He, like Curarpikt, seemed to know something about everything, but Syarnorke wasn't necessarily interested in the things he researched. Chzzck was a bright girl, but her poor retention interfered with her intelligence and with conversations. Actually, no one in the Ryodan lacked intelligence, although they might seem to occasionally lack judgment... But they never really sat around chatting, usually going their separate ways after each mission.
A smile found its way onto Quwrof's lips as he imagined the Ryodan sitting down to tea, discussing the latest gossip.
"Something amusing?" Curarpikt asked. He was finishing up the dinner dishes so he waved a sudsy hand in front of Quwrof's face.
"Oh, my mind was just wandering," the man responded, pushing away from the counter he was leaning against.
"Well, don't let it wander too far, or you might not get it back," the boy responded with a slight smile. "Then where would we be, with neither of us knowing who we are?"
Quwrof walked to the sofa and sat down, watching Curarpikt out of one eye. He had to admit that he was impressed with how well the boy was dealing with his situation, even making jokes about it. He mused over Chzzck's earlier comment. It might be useful to have Curarpikt as a Ryodan member. He'd dismissed the idea when he'd initially thought of it because there were so many ways that things could go wrong. What if the boy somehow regained his memory while with the Ryodan? Assuming that they had succeeded in turning him into a nen-user worthy of the Ryodan, that would make him a dangerous foe the moment he remembered his hatred... Was it worth the risk? Not to mention the chaos that would ensue, courtesy of a few of the members... Maybe he could just steal the boy's ability at that point? But with his memory back, it would not be easy for Quwrof to fulfil his nen requirements to steal the ability.
Curarpikt dried off his hands and started to walk to the bedroom to get his coat for his evening walk.
"Curarpikt," Quwrof began almost hesitantly.
The boy stopped and turned towards the man.
"What do you imagine your life was like before?"
Curarpikt sighed. "I try not to. It'd just frustrate me."
"But you have wondered if you weren't some sort of criminal." This wasn't a question, since Quwrof knew that Curarpikt feared that his past wasn't one to be proud of.
The boy didn't respond, merely staring at Quwrof.
"Let's say, hypothetically, that you were a... thief. Would you hate yourself then?"
After a moment, Curarpikt joined Quwrof on the sofa, sensing a longer conversation. "I guess it would depend on the reasons behind my thievery... Honestly, though, I wouldn't be too pleased with myself."
Quwrof nodded. He'd expected that the boy's moral convictions wouldn't change that easily. "And what if you'd killed someone?"
The boy remained silent for a long time. "I don't know. Once again, it would depend on the reason. Was I defending myself? Or someone else? Was it a ruthless criminal who had escaped the law?" He gave the man a long look. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I'm wondering about what is best," Quwrof said. "If you never regained your memory, would you be content working in a bookstore for the rest of your life?"
Curarpikt's eyes widened slightly. "Rest of my life?" he echoed. "That's a long time to consider. A lot of things could happen in a lifetime." His eyes went to the bag of books he'd brought back from the store that day. "For now, I guess I'm content with the way things are. Mundane, but peaceful."
"Another hypothetical question then." Quwrof considered how to phrase his question. "What if you learned that you were indeed a killer and a thief? Would you end this lifestyle and go back to the old?"
The boy's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to depress me? Why would I willingly 'go back' to a life of crime if just imagining it upsets me?" His brows furrowed. "Unless my memories affect my basic personality. Which I highly doubt."
"Good point," Quwrof said. He now knew for certain that the boy would not willingly turn to the Ryodan's lifestyle. But what if he was somehow tricked into it? No, the boy was not stupid...
This would require some thought and possible discussion with the other members.
As she neared the store, Matiy could see the Chain Guy putting up a poster on one of the glass doors. He raised one hand to acknowledge her, then opened the door as she approached.
"Good morning," he said, locking the door again after she entered.
"Morning," the young woman responded. "A book signing, huh?" She nodded towards the poster.
"Yes, next week," the Chain Guy said. "The cafe will probably be busy that day."
Ugh. "That's good," Matiy smiled. She would have to hope that she was back in Ryusei City by then.
"He writes historical fiction. Some of it involves war and espionage. You might like it," the blond said. "A little gory, though."
"You've read them?" The young man nodded. Matiy regarded him with interest. "You really like books, huh?" She was just slightly impressed that he was familiar with so many of them.
The Chain Guy's smile was distant. "They're reliable company."
"Not a big fan of people?"
"What?" The Chain Guy's brows drew together slightly. "I don't know about that..." he said hesitantly. He appeared to be trying to remember something. He sighed. "We should get ready. It's almost 9."
"... Sure." Matiy made her way towards the cafe. She greeted Weirna and put on her apron. She could see the Chain Guy talking with one of the salespeople.
From what she had seen of him the day before, he was friendly, and the staff and customers seemed to like him. Weirna had made it clear that business had visibly improved with his arrival at the store. So the boy was resilient, functioning well, extremely well, despite his missing past. Matiy had also learned that no one seemed to know of his memory loss, so the Chain Guy was good at deception...
Of course, the Ryodan already knew that, from the Yorkshin fiasco when he had managed to make off with their leader, right under their noses. And had managed to convince Phalcnothdk that he would sacrifice his friends to kill the Genei Ryodan leader.
As far as Matiy was concerned, the boy was dangerous. Or, would be again with his memory recovered. Her instincts also told her that should it happen, things would change drastically within the Ryodan. And her instincts were never wrong. She'd even been right about those two kids having something to do with the Chain Guy. Hell, they'd ended up being friends and accomplices of the Chain Guy!
... She never did get around to telling Nobunaga, "I told you so."
Still, Chzzck did have a point. Aside from the morality thing, the Chain Guy was perfect Ryodan material. Powerful, cunning, intelligent, devious, determined, loyal... the list could go on. Matiy, too, had known Wbererguin from the beginning of the Ryodan's existence, but she also accepted that death happened in the line of duty. Wberer made his choice and died honorably. And he wasn't the first Ryodan member to be killed. Hyskoa had killed the former Number 4 almost three years ago. And a Zaoldyeck had killed Chzzck's predecessor shortly before that. Yet both men still lived, not pursued by the Ryodan.
Well, Matiy would happily kill Hyskoa, given the opportunity...
But she didn't feel the same way about the Chain Guy. Perhaps it was because she felt a measure of respect for the boy.
Of course, it wasn't up to her whether he lived or died.
"Can't keep your eyes off of him?" Weirna's teasing voice brought Matiy's thoughts back to the cafe.
"I wasn't staring!" she denied. The older woman simply chuckled. Still, Matiy made it a point to avoid looking into the main part of the store for the rest of the morning.
A little after 1PM, though, shortly before her shift would end, the Chain Guy wandered over to the cafe without his apron.
"You're actually taking time for lunch today?" Weirna asked. "You really don't eat enough," she said disapprovingly.
"I always have breakfast," the boy insisted. Then added guiltily, "Well, almost always. I just occasionally forget to have lunch..."
"Occasionally," the woman snorted, hands on her plump hips. "So, what'll it be?"
"A coffee," he leaned down and looked into the glass, "and one of those sandwiches." The woman nodded and gestured for him to sit down.
The Chain Guy sat at the table near the window. Moments later, Weirna set his order on the table, along with two tarts.
"What are these?" the boy asked curiously. "I didn't order these."
"You don't eat enough," Weirna repeated firmly. "Try it. The delivery guy said it's a new recipe. Pumpkin." She turned to Matiy who was watching from behind the register, cringing slightly at the mention of the delivery guy. "Matiy, why don't you call it a day since you end soon anyway. I want you to try this new tart, too." She patted the other chair at the small table. "You can keep the manager company."
Matiy wanted to groan. You busybody, gossipy, matchmaking...! She glared at the woman as they passed each other. Weirna just chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll clock you out at the right time."
"Do you mind?" Matiy asked resignedly as she sat down.
"Not at all," the young man responded. He handed her the tart and a paper napkin. Matiy was curious if he had any suspicions about Weirna's less-than-innocent intentions.
They ate in silence for awhile, the Chain Guy's eyes going to the scene outside, and Matiy's surreptitiously going to the young man beside her. He was obviously not the talkative sort, which the young woman could appreciate. Men who talked too much were an annoyance.
Once again, Matiy's thoughts turned to his memory loss. She wondered what it was like to not remember anything about oneself. She wondered what he was feeling. And she wondered what he was thinking at this moment as he looked out the window.
He sighed softly, then turned back to face her, eyebrows rising minutely as he noticed Matiy's scrutiny. "How's the tart?" he inquired.
She had to think about it for a moment as she hadn't been paying attention to the taste. "It's good," she said. He smiled. "Why the sigh?" she asked as he sipped his coffee.
The Chain Guy blinked in surprise, not expecting to have been heard. "...I was wondering about the people passing by. About their lives." His eyes went to the window again. "So many people. So many different thoughts and experiences..." his voice trailed off.
Matiy thought that she heard a hint of longing in his words. She couldn't very well tell him that she knew of his condition... "Are you wishing for someone else's life?" she asked instead, curious about his response.
He turned away from the window, hazel eyes half-lidded. "... Something like that," he responded. He tilted his head slightly and smiled. "Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for the life I have now."
"But you're missing something," Matiy pressed.
Surprisingly, the boy started chuckling. It escalated to laughter, and the boy had to wipe a tear from his eye. Matiy stared at him, perplexed. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's just..." He stopped, considering his words. "I'm sorry. I can't explain."
"Can't, or won't."
The Chain Guy looked apologetic. "Won't."
Well, he's honest. She wasn't certain how good a trait that was for the Genei Ryodan... But then, the boy was capable of being cunning as well. "You're a strange kid, you know that?" she asked.
He looked mildly offended. "Kid? You don't look that much older than me."
She smiled. Thanks to the use of ten, many nen-users looked much younger than their actual age. "Yeah, well, how old are you, then?" she challenged. Would he lie and make up a number?
The boy opened his mouth to respond, then paused, looking slightly dismayed. "...I can't answer that."
"Can't or won't."
"...Can't." She had expected that. She vaguely recalled Syarnorke mentioning something about the Kuruta tribe being strongly against lies and dishonesty. Which explained why some of his responses were frustratingly ambiguous...
Matiy gave him an inquiring look. Then she nodded. "Okay, I'm not going to ask," she said. She wasn't going to rush things. She couldn't let the Chain Guy become suspicious.
The young man gave her a weak, relieved smile. "Thanks."
"But I still think you're a strange kid," Matiy added wickedly.