Author's Notes: Man, it has been a struggle making my deadlines due to how strenuous life has been and recently my allergies have kicked in and been hitting me like a bloody wrecking ball. But I wasn't too late this time, thankfully. I actually managed to crunch half this chapter in relatively within two days.

As usual, RoF is still one hundred percent un-beta'd. Still seeking someone willing to take on the challenge, but meeting crunch times isn't exactly expected.

Summery: Kurapika rescinds into his own thoughts over everything that has happened, though has found solace where he has least expected it. Gon, Killua and Leorio have an emotional call with their blond friend. Chrollo makes an unexpected visit.


A soft, caressing wind aerated through the nearby open window, its gentle brush dusting over the sleeping figure that lay surrounded by the copious bundles of blankets he had interwoven around him, shifting slightly to the assonance of the birds that were perched just outside which indicated it was morning. Groaning in turbulence, he extricated himself from the protective cocoon which he had sought comfort in and found himself sitting on the side of the bed soon thereafter. Eyes were heavily lidded, riddled with dark, puffy splotches, indicating the lack of proper sleep for an extended length of time, though the vibrancy of serene ceruleans still retained their semblance of life energy. Attempting to steady himself, Kurapika poised both hands at his temples, attempting to dispel the slight growing ache he was still feeling. For him, the sensation as if he had been tromped did not aid in how he was currently feeling.

Far too long he hadn't gotten the proper rest he needed; even though his slumber last night was virtually idyll with a lack of distressing dreams, the amount wasn't sufficient enough for a full recovery. Yet, he was far better off than he had been in weeks.

Breathing in deeply and steadying himself, the bond lifted and ambled into the bathroom, clearly predisposed for a long, and needed to shower. He cast a perusing glance at the roses which sat elegantly within their glass vase as he went past, snorting cynically then closing the door to the small room.

After relieving himself and denuding his sleepwear, he carefully slipped into the porcelain basin, circumventing the mirror in attempt to forego seeing his own reflection. Just the very idealism of seeing his own constrained features, especially his eyes, just the way they would return with a heated, heavy arbitrary gaze wasn't something he needed, nor wanted. To see himself in the current state he was in, the very notion only caused him to twitch in dysphoria.

Shaking his head he inclined over and flipped the water on, expelling a laden sign and revealing in the temporary appeal of the water brushing over his delicate, pale skin as rivulets fell off his golden tresses and trailed down his lithe body. The blond groaned again, letting the water massage into his still tired and expended muscles. Melting into the sensation, his mind began to meander.

Kurapika still couldn't quite comprehend everything he had been forced to endure the last few grueling weeks, his mind reeling from the continued, unrelenting onslaught of his errant and shifting emotions. None of which made any sense to him. His dreams. His failures. His mixed, flummoxed feelings. Then there were the mysterious gifts. Their sudden appearance and how consequential they were on a more personal level. Ones that seemed to appeal to his nature. The blond Kurta had his suspicions on their origin - for him of all people; it was just too unlikely to be fortuitous that some complete stranger had taken a liking to him. But the very aspect of said items is what lead him towards the fusillading questions that he was unfortunately, riddled with.

The biggest thing which stood out eminently was the roses. The remembrance of the ruby colored blooms flitted through his mind and Kurapika sniffed in disdain; such a thing was only given to someone as a profession of love, often handed to those who felt strongly for one another that would silently speak their affirmation of devotion and loyalty. How such an idea could even be a feasible thing in regards to himself, that someone - or rather, a particular person who had seemed to rather enjoy dodging him rather habitually lately could harbor feelings of that caliber for him only made Kurapika more afflicted. It just wasn't possible that someone as cold and callous such as him was capable of expressing that level of emotions.

Or was it?

"There is just no way!" The Kurta suddenly blurted out, hissing indignantly through bared teeth. "Just what the fuck is that bastard doing to me?"

Leaning back against the wall, he felt no closer to achieving his goals and left with more questions than he had in answers.

It was poignant, making him grief stricken with his current circumstance, unable to sort out everything he had been made to wallow through, leaving him devoid and hollow. Especially with the notion that if his suspicions bade true, then the absolute worst person in the world was harboring the very last thing for him that Kurapika wanted to think about.

Envisioning that monster ever exhibiting love and compassion for another human being was so implausible it made the blond laugh bitterly; whatever that man was playing at, Kurapika wasn't going to allow the most notorious thief ever to have the repletion of reeling him in.

Briefly rescinding in his thoughts, the young Kurta finished washing when he realized his extended time in the shower while lost within himself allowed the water to turn frigid and he fleetly got out.

After toweling off, he schlepped back into the bedroom to retrieve his luggage, delving into the modest sized suitcase and retrieved a simple, unadorned white t-shirt and a pair faded, etiolated blue jeans.

Kurapika grunted as he tugged the shirt on over his head, the strain in his arms still apparent from the exertion of his previous night's caper, the stiffness that riddled his frame only reminded him of what he had grievously suffered through. The blond hadn't realized exactly the ambit of his situation. He had been so caught up in all his presages that he neglected to heed his own personal needs.

Resigning, the guileful Kurta decided that he should scrounge up something to eat, deciding that the nourishment would help abade his slowly ailing health. Closing his eyes momentarily in attempt to still the slight nausea he was experiencing, the blond readily composed himself and exited the small bedroom, emerging out into a decorous sitting room and reached over to pluck the room service menu off its surface.

After excogitating over the vast amounts of items and options to choose from, Kurapika settled on Chicken Florentine with a small salad on the side for lunch. After calling the order in, the Kurta wasted time dragging himself into the bantam sized kitchenette to where the coffee maker sat and prepared himself a cup of much needed caffeine. Perhaps the influx of that in conjunction with a decent meal would allow the blond to actually cerebrate properly.

Once the maker finished brewing and he filled his cup with the steaming liquid, he added cream and mild sugar, and then made his way back into the bedroom to grab the book he had found as one of the gifts left behind for him. Taking a sip from the mug, he reached over to pick up the book when something glossy and colorful caught his attention.

Letting a slender hand linger over the object, Kurapika drew it into his fist, blue eyes wasting no time looking the item over. He frowned, realizing it was that stone he had found, the very same one of which had given him a sense of amenity which subsequently allowed him to find peace and sanctity while in slumber. He didn't quite understand exactly want the allure about the stone was, but every time he held it - as he was now, for reasons unknown all his emotional turbulence began to wane, leaving him feel more complacent then he had felt prior. Kurapika sighed heavily, still in complete disbelief to anything that he was dealing with but didn't refute the stone as it kept him from feeling all the pain and misery that he had been harrowed by. Coiling his fingers tightly around the stone, the young blond snapped up the book and resided in the living room, settling into one of the soft armchairs that sat in the center of the room and across from an oak wood coffee table.

Reading, he figured, may add some reprieve from his daunting circumstances, allowing him to forget - even if only momentarily, from all the enormities wreaking havoc in his life. One thing Kurapika wanted was to escape.

He knew that he had to keep diligence with his objective regarding Chrollo Lucifer, but for now, just for this very moment, he wanted to relax. Kurapika's mind had been forced to endure so much and he really had no clue how much more abuse he could really take.

There had been lapses in his pursuits before; this wouldn't be the first time over the course of the last month since he had been dealing with his problem while in Patalor that he had deferred from his exploits to rest and recoup. Such wouldn't be any different now.

Licking his lips thoughtfully, his hand traced over the etchings within the leather cover once more, taking in the wording and images that were crafted so elegantly into the volume, though the edges were worn which definitely indicated that it was very, very old. Kurapika still mused over how he was inevitably this lucky to come into possession a book this rare, all considering the lack of resources to see one, much less hold it.

He began to thumb carefully along its pages, yellow tingeing its once white, pristine surface as he found himself starting to get immersed into the content which it beheld, slowly losing himself within its vast wealth of knowledge before a robust knock came at the door.

Respiring, Kurapika charily put the book aside and lifted up from his seat and over to the door, answering it without hesitation.

Immediately he realized that the meal he had ordered was sitting outside his door ferried by hotel staff and he instantly bid the person thank you before promptly pulling the cart inside.

"Suppose I should really attempt to eat something." He murmured concurringly, lifting the rather heavily polished tray off the cart to place it on the small table that sat off to the right side of the room. Settling the intricate dishes onto the thick, wooden table, Kurapika reposed into the seat after pulling it out from beneath.

Almost adroitly, slender fingers encircled the handle which resided upon the top of the silver domed lid and removed it, setting it aside. Once his eyes lay upon the succulent looking meal which sat before him, he reluctantly had to agree that this was something he really needed. For so long prior he hadn't taken the necessary recourse, constantly eating perfunctorily, usually skipping meals or just eating on the go, which he attributed were more than likely adding to the cause of his recently debilitating health. Kurapika had been so hard pressed on retaining his abiding focusing on keeping a firm lock on the leader of the Geneiryodan that practically everything else was falling below the line of becoming secondary.

In retrospect, his attention towards the man who had left him with so little left of value in the world was becoming the focal point of unmitigated obsession.

It wasn't good on any account, though it was the forefront of Kurapika's mind which only furthered to solidify the fact that he was beyond invested. But the blond didn't have anyone around him to help keep him in check or to gauge and maintain his level of acuity, which was only adverse to his situation. Wistfully, he knew such was the path he chose, and did so without contrition.

Casting aside his rather circuitous thoughts, the blond Kurta focused on the meal before him but was finicky as he picked at it, finding that he wasn't as indulgent with the fact that even though the food tasted rather amazing, he just didn't house the mindset to enjoy something as delicious as it was despite the circumstances. He practically ate out of necessity, not on account that having a good meal should have been a welcomed distraction from the predicaments that had become the center of his entire life.

After wheedling himself to down about three quarters of the plate, Kurapika found he just couldn't endure another bite, the taste which began dedicate, became vapid. Dismayed, he arose to clean up, storing what little was left within the small refrigerator that the room held, opting to make himself a cup of warm tea and deplane into the armchair for a few hours of reading.

Once the weary blond fixed the warm brew into an inordinate cup and seized the leather bound book, his small body descended haphazardly upon the velvety cushions, feeling the slight dull throb that still lambasted his muscles, though Kurapika grunted instantly from the lancination that flared then dulled, just barely registering the tenderness that the entirety of his body was experiencing. He sighed, steeling his being just long enough to repatriation himself before laying the book upon his lap and opening its cover, letting himself soon get immersed inside its mesmerizing lexicon.

It was profound and intriguing; the enriching material gave him such a vast source of knowledge as he learned of the extent of histories that lay shrouded in mystery regarding the societies and civilizations that existed long before his own time. Especially the myth of how exactly Nen transubstantiated from an ancient source of energy that it was said humans were able to draw from that could be used to bend and control at will. What even captivated Kurapika's attention further was the chronicle of gruesome, twisted creatures' bore of shade and penumbra, filled with vile and wicked malevolence, often depicting hideous abominations derived of human likeness with animal heads or gruesome, sinister winged beasts that would haunt the skies. He was even taken aback by the depictions of large hounds that were said to be so deadly and infernal their saliva was considered so potent; it was able to kill a fully grown person in mere hours.

Kurapika was fixated - it was beyond comprehension that such a vast world such as this, one so sophisticated, so intricate, yet was laid completely enmeshed in perdurable conflict, warring factions that ravished and brought destruction to so many nations while fending off an invariable iniquitous force that was pestilent, riddling chaos, disease and corruption in its wake even existed. The blond Kurta couldn't believe what his eyes beheld; even as his lissome fingers gingerly slid over the pages, it was undoubted that he was benetted, not realizing he had spent nearly the last few hours completely lost within the enamoring material that for so long, gripped his attention.

It was those very same eyes that had become unfocused from practically ogling the pages for the lengthy consecutive amount of time he had and morosely set the book aside, deciding to stretch his stiff legs.

Even as he had realized once the long shadows cast within the room had indicated, hours had crept by; the sky had began to slowly turn an opulent shade of purple mixed with splashes of oranges, yellows and reds, Kurapika settled on relinquishing to getting himself dinner before calling his magnanimous friends, the very same who have always been there for him, even when the young Kurta had not always been at his best. Why he ever thought such wonderful people ever deserved an ingrate such as himself, he didn't think he'd ever know.

So much he had done - the impertinent acts committed; refractory, flagitious, nonsensical and downright cretinous, it was a true wonder that they had stuck by him for so long. There were times he knew he definitely wasn't in the correct state of mind and more often than not, settled on doing things he knew was not in the best interests of his friends, much less, himself. It was even during those moments where situations escalated in becoming internecine on such a grand scale, Kurapika had really thought that he was the sole proprietor in sealing all their fates. It was always the reason why he had swore he would never allow anyone close to him, for it was only seen as a rudimentary weakness. Everyone who ever entered his life it seemed became nothing but intermediate while he waged war with his own demons, with himself. They always became collateral damage. Yet, he couldn't ever bring himself, or even find the heart to sever the bonds, even if they were truly considered a setback. When it boiled down to the nitty gritty, they were all he really had left within this ruthless world.

A sharp jab that reverberated through caused him jolted him back to his senses and the young blond Kurta realized he had been retaining a breath that only agonized his lungs before releasing the air that was causing his chest to constrict, feeling that his own mind had began reeling once again.

Murmuring to himself, Kurapika ratiocinated that he had been thinking too hard, his mind wandering as he just continuously spun his wheels and was ending up in the same rut over and over again. How he kept ending up in these types of deplorable situations the blond figured was relatively done by his own hand. The more and more he pushed to keep walking down the same dangerous path that he so inherently chose, the greater the residuum would be. Yet, in spite of such bifurcations, Kurapika couldn't seem to change is course of action.

Or was it just indisposition ?

Change. It was one of his greatest fears that caused him to practically shun anything that imperiled the chances of altering his own profligate standards. In reality, he only propagated within the same vicious cycle.

In the end, if such wasn't going to change, it would ultimately be his downfall.

It was a very precarious gambit indeed, one that the Kurta placed way too much trust in, and with an outcome that would become absolute. Irreparable and irreversible.

Apathy was really a very strong and powerful emotion. One that if Kurapika didn't break the bonds on would only cause him to see the world and everything in it through phlegmatic eyes.

Without much discernment, that small stone he had found such an affinity towards he realized was betwixt his fingers again, that same veneer of comfort making him feel a little less luxated. Still unable to capiche the reasons for why the stone brought about such a sensation, he still couldn't help but feel some sort of alluring pull by it. Even with as mysterious as its origins much less its purpose for the time being, mattered not. His eyes drew over the surface, in taking such pulchritude, still enthralled by how elegant it really was.

Where exactly did you come from?

Kurapika had asked himself a few times that very same question, yet he was no closer to the answer then when he originally started at. As much as the stone did in diminishing his careworn mind, it wasn't exactly enough to stop the squall that constantly plagued his thoughts. Though as much as he wasn't sure why, he did even without fully admitting it that he was grateful for the stone, for at least he had some peace of mind when he kept it with him. For a few seconds, his hand clasped around the smooth object, eyes slipping shut as the Kurta breathed in deeply, letting the wash of calm bid over him before gently sliding the stone back into the pocket of his pants.

Temporarily abrogating his dissension in favor of finally scrounging up some food, Kurapika plucked the menu up off the coffee table and quickly scanned the contents. After a few lingering minutes, he settled on something as simple as a nice leafy salad and a hearty bowl of soup. In the same fluid motion, he picked up the hotel phone and called in room service before deciding to retire back to the living room once more. But this time, as opposed to settling on the huge armchair he was sitting in prior, the blond decidedly sprawled out on the plush sofa, book back in his delicate hands once more.

He would inundate himself once again within the enthralling descriptions of the book's alluring pages. It was at the moment where Kurapika found the greatest form of solace. At least while he read, he didn't have to think about his inconclusive emotions, which for him if such was only interim it was still a welcomed reprieve.

§§§§§§

Serene. That was the one word which transversed through his mind as he sat cross-legged upon the chair which was poised at one of the grand bay windows within his suite, strong fingers curled around a ceramic cup that held dark, heated liquid as he graciously took a sip. For quite some time he sat there, observing the one thing that had been the quintessence of his attention, watching as the very object of his desires was flitting studiously about the spacious hotel room they were staying at, obvious from the posture and body language, it was safe to assume the person in question was in part, unsettled.

Chrollo had his suspicions on exactly why the blond was acting practically erratic - he knew for certain that his gifts had indeed, been received and that such as far as he can tell, hadn't entirely been refuted. But such was only mere conjecture as he was only able to see so far into the young hunter's room from his standpoint, having been lucky enough to procure a room from the grand hotel just across the street from where the blond was staying, the suite he was renting aligned perfectly, which gave a direct line of sight right into the Kurta's own room.

The older man sat at such a angle that he could espy the boy without interception, even once the younger had capitulated to the plush chair with a book in hand; the very same Chrollo had realized was the one he had left behind for the boy to find, he couldn't help but relish in just how radiant he looked. Just the way the reflective glow of the midday sun held against that golden crop of hair, it made him appear as something palatial, something akin to heavenly. Even while the sun continued to slowly dip as the hours progressed, that resplendence the younger man exuded around him formed the appearance of a halo. The Ryodan head bit his lip; something on such an illustrious scale as which the blond held only seemed to choate the raven-head that much more. For him, the slowly arising attraction day by day was becoming great, even while he sat back straining with patience to little by little evoke the reactions and outcomes he was hoping for, it still wasn't to say such was easy to manage.

However, Chrollo didn't controvert that he did indeed, rather luxuriate in watching the blond move about his hotel room; it was intriguing, yet bewitching watching as the boy went about his daily activities, even in light of the fact it was one of those infrequent occurrences where the pertinacious hunter didn't actually take the time to seek the older man out. Such didn't nettle him, quite to the contrary, the thief knew rest was essential, even if it was satiating knowing that blond was so desperate in staying close to him, that the oppugnancy he generated caused the boy some formal distress, Chrollo still harbored some concern for the boy's health.

While he didn't fully comprehend the magnitude of his concern, at the basic level the man knew that if Kurapika's welfare was to debilitate, the younger would only dilute, and further mar the worth he held. Not only that, the thought of the Kurta faltering to avertable illness disquieted him. From his observation spot, he was able to tell that at least the boy was taking time to see to his basic needs, something that had sat in the back of Chrollo's mind for some time. Though, he was glad to note that such was being done.

It was definitely atypical of him to exhibit care for anyone outside his Spiders, but the ever present lingering pull that the Kurta had upon him had stirred some relative changes in him as of late. One's that the raven-haired man never thought he would ever find himself ever conforming to.

As difficult as such was to openly confess to, one thing Chrollo easily regarded was the fact that, even if the reasons weren't as clear as he would have liked them to be, one thing he knew was for certain was that his feelings towards the prestigious hunter, the that very special blond who, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it straight forward, was causing him to become further and further inveigled by. It was by that very notion alone that Chrollo knew he was slowly becoming entangled inside of his very own web and being held captive by the very same person of whom he had long since in essence, captured himself. This in reality he didn't try to expostulate against.

By God, Kurapika was beautiful.

Even as the thought flicked through his mind, it didn't warrant a change in his heart. There was a time, practically at the beginning of this little excursion he would have never envisaged or even considered something like this, much less enacted on it, but his once baleful outlook had bled into something much more tangible, some more emotive. The expectation of such a notion only assured that all his efforts were in part, for his benefit, but where the oddity arose which danced slowly through his conscious, such became evident, even contrived that it too, was also for the blond's benefit as well.

He raised an eyebrow at the notion, questioning the words as they echoed in his mind, but as strange as it seemed, thinking of someone else for once aside himself only felt like the right thing to do. Moreover, if he really wanted to continue instituting that connection of trust, then being selfish would only in the end, be counterproductive. Undermining everything he had accomplished thus far, well perish the thought. It most definitely wasn't something that Chrollo wanted to even think of.

Those dark eyes once again returned to the window as the light had started to wane, paving its way into evening. Colors splashed in intermingled and hybridized variants of flowing oranges, reds and yellows canvassed the sky, the introspective array gripping and appealing, as if an artist's paintbrush had swept across the clouds in a fantastical display. Such encompassed the seraphic blond and the luminosity only made him look that much more graceful and elegant. Once again just the refined nature of something so innate the boy held caused Chrollo's heart to stop for nearly a beat.

Damn his emotions were running rampant once again and he was finding that he didn't really care anymore.

Something caught his attention that struck him suddenly and inclining forward, Chrollo realized that the young Kurta held something glossy within his spindly fingers, flecks of gold twinned with yellow and gold in the shape of a heart and he soon found himself grinning.

It seemed that the hunter had taken a liking to more than just one of his precious gifts - this completely grasped the older man's focus as he caught the momentary turn of the boy's head and the contemplative look in those invigorating blue eyes of his. For the ephemeral amount of time he was able to get a good look at the Kurta's flawless visage was enough for him to conclude that the little stone was falling completely into play as it was supposed to. What infinitesimal energy he was able to permeate into the object it seemed was just enough to induce an effect upon the blond's mentality. This thoroughly pleased him.

Its primary function, well he surmised that Kurapika had yet to decipher that. Judging from the way he toyed and clutched the stone, how punctilious it sat within that slender hand and the way it appeared his eyes swept over its smooth and sheen surface only spoke of a fondness that the boy held for it. This was something that furthered Chrollo's faith that all his plans were moving forward according to how constructed them, allowing him little room for error, though he was disbelieving that such would even end up being the case. So far, all he had carefully articulated was going over impeccably and to him, there wasn't a cause for very much concern. Just as his feelings were altering the longer this played out, he was confident such was practically the same for the Kurta. Even if the boy would more than likely need more coaxing and assurance that the direction he was being guided down would be the envoy to something cogent, something prosperous, Chrollo was a patient man. As difficult as it was retaining hold on his dissolute emotions, the constant reminder that something good was surely to come of all his efforts was enough to keep him tied down in his place. Once he was sure that Kurapika had shifted enough from his inveterate pedestal would be the moment when he would act, commencing the final steps of his project and draw the very thing he had been avid on for so long.

Chrollo had settled on with continuing operations as he had been normally doing. Bit by bit he let his ambitions grow, adding new and lively incentives for his pretty little Kurta, each one another step down the path he now walked that soon, with the right amount of cogency, would find the blond following right behind him on. The only thing that stood obstruent was the boy's displaced hate, which was an entirely separate matter altogether. However, given enough time and with the right nurturing, even that could be liberated. Nothing was perduring.

Trust . The one factor of which would could make or break everything. Yes, he would continue to found that bridge; to prove his worth and that the blond could safely entrust his faith in the older man was at the top of his list of goals. Without any of that, well, he knew exactly where this would go.

Those dark, rooted eyes found their way back to the boy once more, having noticed he resumed immersing himself within the confines of the book, his face obscured by his curtain of golden tresses, the only other thing visible besides the tanned parchment pages that were being leafed through.

Inwardly, Chrollo felt confident enough that he could proceed forward with the next step in his course of action. One of which he hoped would be enough to impel the blond to question his motives, further. So far he had been successful in instilling enough ambiguity, now it was time to engender curiosity, give cause to the young hunter reason to seek him out further, to evince on the interests Chrollo had made physically known. He was ready to show Kurapika just how deeply invested he was, no matter the cost. He had already conceded to the fact he was becoming increasingly attracted to the Kurta, and in more ways than one, the very which had him in a vice almost on a daily basis. Now was the time to show just how committed he really was.

Motioning away from the window and from the view of the boy, the Geneiryodan leader strode over to the plush chair which sat astride a rather sizable couch and sat, broad hand sweeping over a large, yet, thin red box that housed the next instrument in his quest to win the blond's heart. Tips dusted the edges of the cover, knowing that what was encased inside would more than likely find itself on par with a deeper, emotional connection with the intractable young man, something he was sure would instantly profess his intentions once the Kurta realized exactly what was inside. Setting the box carefully back down upon the small table which sat astride his perch, Chrollo picked back up the mug he had been drinking from and drained the remaining contents of which it held, finding that he was becoming more lost within his own nomadic thoughts. For days now to a fault he had been restless, his mind constantly preoccupied on the very thing that gripped him so tightly now. Even his sleep had been invaded by visions of a future where things were much, much different; ones that involved an entire scenario of which he had only believed would be achieved in some absurd fantasy. But now, now things were panning out to be much different. What felt so distant, so impassable and dubious was becoming legitimate. It gave Chrollo the reliance he needed, and the necessary fortification to assemble the exact motive in his advancement. He just had to be patient, regardless of how crucial or onerous the situation may seem. Backing down was not an option.

Content with his next recourse, the raven-haired man decided it was best to go get a rather nice meal, considering that after all that things were proceeding on and quite nicely. It was the least he deserved for all his efforts. Perhaps tonight he would sleep soundly, knowing that tomorrow may very well, bring about a much anticipated and radical change.

§§§§§§

Once he finished his dinner and cleaned up the dishes, Kurapika had taken up residence in the armchair once again, his cell phone sitting between twitching fingers as he had sat for extensive minutes debating on calling Leorio - he knew that it had been a while since his last update and he had strenuously promised to retain a regular check in schedule, but with everything that had transpired lately, it made for keeping updates rather difficult. Such wasn't to say he didn't feel censurable for not being more adamant as he had, but there was always something trammel him with maintaining punctuality, which wasn't to say Leorio wasn't practically guilty of himself. But that relatively was no excuse.

There was no avoiding the issue that much the blond was aware of - he was going to have to call them sooner or later. It was just the fact that Kurapika didn't want to have to deal with arguing with his aspiring doctor friend and the fact remained that he couldn't simply abdicate in being the responsible party; as well as a respectable friend and checking in with the older man, even if it meant dealing with Leorio's boisterous and contentious nature.

He flipped the phone around between his hands once more before tapping the address book and scrolling through the short list of contacts, finding Leorio's number. Thumb hung steadily over the send button before finally hitting it after several long, drawn out moments. It rang for what felt like an eternity before that versant voice came over the speaker. "Kurapika?" For a moment the blond sighed; it was still good to hear his friend's voice.

"Yeah, how is it going?" He finally added, feeling a bit tepid.

"You know it has been a while again Kurapika, what gives? You swore the last time you would be more attentive with checking in."

The austral note to rise off Leorio's voice was enough to cause Kurapika to blink, "Yes, I know I did Leorio, but this mission has been relatively... Taxing to say the least and there have been far too many times where daily tracking has become rather... Cumbersome."

"Cumbersome? You still haven't handled the situation to the fullest extent? Seriously Kurapika, we were beginning to think you wouldn't ever call!"

The young Kurta fell into a momentary lapse of silence; the chiding in the other man's tone caused him to chasten knowing that his actions again as of late had been less than optimal, falling into the category of errable, something that the blond knew he couldn't entirely fault his friend on. As much as it pained the young hunter to distress those whom shown so much care for him, to be acting as if it beheld no value, it made Kurapika feel culpable. "It's a rather... Delicate situation. One that cannot be rushed. I have my reasons for why it is taking the extensive amount of time that it has."

He could hear the exasperation resound through the line and knew that Leorio was indeed, stymied. It was just something that as much as it pained him to admit, just couldn't be bolstered. "Kurapika..." The other man's words came practically strained - it was easy to tell his friend wasn't contending very well, if at all, "You do realize that we are all still highly uncertain of this? As much as we support you, it still is enervating that you are still chasing after him of all people. I still think that bastard is just leading you around by the nose!"

It was becoming increasingly difficult not to feel inherent antipathy; just like he had always done maltreatment of anyone and everyone whom he had ever allowed to slip into his life and here he was the process of history ingeminating itself. Why did this always seem to happen to him? "Leorio I understand your concern, I really do, but as I have stated this countless times I need to do this for myself. No matter the circumstances or the amount of time it takes." The Kurta cringed at the sound of the treble of his own voice - just the fractious response he gave was enough to make Kurapika think twice, "I am sorry." He quickly atoned.

"Don't be." The lambasted and aggrieved words hit the blond and hard, just knowing that it was all invoked by his own doing, by his own megalomania was enough to bring about a sense of self castigation. He hated this, hated feeling this way and committing to such inattentive acts left that left him feeling cold. Just the way his friend was acting...

Loud, vociferous sounds broke Kurapika from his listless trance, "Hey old man! What did we tell you about being so crass?" Killua. Of course it wasn't beyond the ingenious youth to step in when things got disorderly. "Hand that over!" There was a quick sound of static over the line before a much younger voice echoed into the blond's ears, "Kurapika?" The question came, though along with relief despite he could still hear Leorio's blustering in the background. "Also don't worry about him; he's been crowing about you chasing after the Spider's leader since he last spoke to you. He's just being a hothead as usual."

He had to suppress a slight chuckle at the convivial jabbing by the young Zoldyck before his ethos returned to his previous state, "It's good to hear your voice." Kurapika finally exhaled sharply, not realizing that his chest had constricted in the process, "How are you and Gon?"

He had to suppress a slight chuckle at the convivial jabbing by young Zoldyck before his ethos returned to his previous state, "It's good to hear your voice." Kurapika finally exhaled sharply, not realizing that his chest had constricted in the process, "How are you and Gon?"

There was an instant of laconism before Killua's speech came over the phone, "The same as usual, though we had continued our search for a copy of Greed Island in case Bretta decides to not wait for us before pushing the candidate players into entering the game."

The matter-of-fact tone in the young boy's tone was enough bring a flash of acknowledgement through the blond's effete mind, "I see." Kurapika started out slowly; aptly curious as to why they would delay in their pursuits for the Kurta's own sake. That was always something else that weighted in the back of his mind - being the hinge that would serve as nothing but a driving spike to wedge into everyone else's aspirations, including his friends. The very sentiment only made him feel even more embittered. "Is Gon with you?" Of course he would be; Kurapika knew it was a rather discernible fact as the cheerful and vivacious boy was never far from Killua. The two were just highly inseparable.

"Yeah he's here. Been waiting to talk to you as well." The static resumed over the line for a second time before that buoyant, jaunty voice of the most zealous person he had ever known finally called to his ears, which in itself, aside from just hearing from his other two friends, was a welcomed abeyance from everything he had recently been through. As much as it stung down into the reaches of his heart that his decisions had to a fault, adversely affected and strained the boundaries of their friendship with him, how allegiant they have been through all his exploits only made the blond hunter smile.

"Kurapika!" Gon's clamorous yet titillated voice was the next to come over the line, which only piqued the Kurta's slightly circuitous attention, "It's been a long time! How have you been! You okay, right?" It didn't take long for the spiky-haired youth's tone to waste no time faltering to one that was more serious, more unambiguous; clearly Gon was just as concerned for their friend's health as the other two were. "We've been worried about you, especially knowing you've been chasing the leader of the Spiders around."

It was indeed, questions that he knew were ones in coming - all three of them had not been thrilled with his decisions or too ebullient in his indefatigability regarding the maintaining of his pursuing of Chrollo Lucifer. Against even his own better judgment, Kurapika committed to this very act of aberration. Still, there was simply no turning back now. He had way too much invested in his mission and so many questions he lacked answers to. Then there was the problem regarding his abrupt change in emotions as of late. The fact that he had been having a physical and now a mental attraction to the one being in this world that he would he could never objectify such a situation with. And yet...

Everything he had concocted around his own heart to ward off such intendments were beginning to crumble and leaving behind the effectuation of pacifying his own ire.

Kurapika was terrified, but by the same token, emboldened. How he could even feel this way only added to the causatums he was dealing with.

Sighing, he snapped from his musings, not wishing to cause further worry to his friends who were still on the phone, "Yes it has, please forgive me for my continued lapses in communication. I've been well," The blond was always amicable, especially around Gon. The boy's light hearted nature never ceased to jaunt away, even if momentarily, any negativity. Kurapika never understood how he was ever so lucky, "I do apologize for making you worry; things have been going decently on my end. I have maintained my pursuits of the Geneiryodan leader. Though I do understand such has been occuring over a rather extensive period, but I cannot be hasty with such a thing. Also, he has not given me any reason to enact... Yet."

"Really? Someone as terrible as he is hasn't done anything crazy enough for you to enact?" The perplexity in the boy's words accentuated the fact that he seemed more in wonderment. Or was it incogitability? Kurapika wasn't certain. But Gon sounded almost disappointed. "I would have thought you would have confronted him by now."

Even if the young, energetic hunter was encouraging, there was still a very set of particular steps the blond had delineated that he would follow in order of handling the situation as efficiently and precisely as possible. Granted it was starting to draw out, much to Kurapika's dismay, but one thing he had started to learn was patience. Without it he would only become derelict.

"So far, no. Which I am just as amazed by. Aside the few times the bastard managed to evade me, nothing much else that is eventful is noteworthy."

Mendacity. It was so easy to do, yet the mental repercussions; it was another thing that Kurapika hated doing. It was against his moral character, but the last thing he wanted to do was engraft worry. If he divulged the full extent of what he had been enduring, more than likely it would only spur them to come after him, which would only complicate matters more than they already were.

He would chide himself later for such an atrocity - for now he had to keep the veil of simplicity if they were to remain as nonpartisan as possible.

"However," The Kurta decided to tout de suite on the subject, knowing it would only lead to more questions should it be allowed to continue, "How is your search in locating your father coming along? Also, Killua mentioned that you had continued scouring for a copy of the game apparently Ging created?"

"Yeah, Killua and I decided that we should concoct a backup plan just in case the one we have set up with Bretta were to fall through. But he seemed understanding when we told him that we had to hold off until we were certain you were okay."

It was exactly what he didn't want to here. While he eulogized their efforts and was eternally beholden for all their compassion and concern, the last thing he wanted was for Gon, for any of them to circumlocute from their own personal goals. Especially for his sake. "Don't worry Gon, I am perfectly fine. It would make me happy if you would actually focus on finding your father. Don't stop just because of me."

The young Kurta could hear the click of Gon's tongue as the boy prepared to retort, which he instantly defused, "I will also have none of it Gon, and believe me. I really want you and Killua to resume your search. Trust me, I will be alright." Kurapika knew that one way to interject his impetuous friend from just rushing in headlong after him was to lay it all down, simply and firmly. The honey-eyed hunter was one that would always precipitate into a situation without planning. Which the blond noted sounded uncannily similar.

"Aw, but I am worried that if we leave now something may happen to you while we are away." Kurapika should have known Gon would attempt to push the envelope, but withal, he wasn't surprised. He could hear the disappointment edge the boy's tense voice.

Again there was a bit of ruckus in the background; obvious by the caterwauling from Leorio, it caused him wince, pulling the phone away from his ear. The amalgamating of their voices was boisterous enough that he could hear them clearly without the phone close to his face. Kurapika groaned at the puerile act; just like his friends to do something as ridiculous as this. However, he couldn't help but chuckle at their bewilderment. Killua's voice returning to the line after everything finally settled brought back the blond's attention, "Kurapika, Gon told me what you had relayed to him - just being certain in your confidence that you will be fine. It's not like we don't have faith in your abilities or anything, but just want to make sure that you can get along without us. Even as much as I dislike saying that."

"Don't worry Killua; I am very confident I will be just fine."

There was another intermission before the silver-haired boy spoke up again, "Leorio wants to talk to you one more time. I'm going to hand him the phone before he continues repining."

Kurapika mentally steeled himself against the incoming onslaught.

"What the hell, Kurapika?! You can't just go and send us away like that! What if you need us?" Yes, he knew it; the barrage was expected, moreover knowing Leorio's temperament.

"Calm down Leorio! I will be just fine. Do you not have any faith in my abilities? I would have thought you had more confidence in me then that." Loud rumbling indicated that Kurapika had struck a nerve, countering exactly the implications which the older man was presupposing, "Besides, you have your own pursuits that you should be focused on. You should really go back to med school, Leorio, and I won't take no for an answer," For the auspicious blond, placing priorities where they needed to be was the at the top of his list, even if such came off as contradicting wherein his own circumstances lie, "The next time I see you, I hope that is after you've officially become a doctor."

Reinforcing the vocation of others as opposed to seeing those worry about his own was something that Kurapika always found equanimity in. Such was his nature to want others to persevere whereupon; his own life was constantly brewing in entropy. Regardless, it's was something he took comfort in.

"Kurapika," The oldest of their group began, but the blond was quick to cut him off. "I said no, Leorio! Please. Take care of yourself and continue to aspire. The next time we see each other things will be much different."

"Alright," Leorio conceded, not bothering to conceal his dejection, "Just please take care of yourself as well. Don't go dying on us!"

"Don't worry, I won't give in so easily," He resuscitated, instilling consolation once again. "Till we meet again." Was the last thing he spoke before letting the line go dead and he stared at the blank screen of the phone before abjuring for the night. Kurapika was mentally exhausted and had practically enough for one day.

§§§§§§

Cast within the moon's opalescent glow, he strode forward towards the sleeping figure, a gentle wind flourishing the curtains of the window of which he made entrance from as his dark, cinereal eyes swept over the peaceful countenance of the boy. Shadows had cast heavily over his face, yet that didn't stop Chrollo from admiring the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. Even as the blond slumbered on, looking so angelic, so transcendent, the renowned thief couldn't tear his gaze away. Just the way the pearl light cast its own stretch over those aurulent tresses, how it emphasized the effulgence, the perfect luster that it held, such caused the breath to hitch in Chrollo's throat. Something calcined deep within and that ache he had felt so long ago, recrudesced.

Perfect, pronounced lips, soft looking, pale and immaculate skin framed by those that gorgeous crop of hair; the older man itched to card his fingers through the delicate locks, but refrained. Everything about the succulent Kurta, all his beauty, the purity he held, the frangible shape to his effeminate body that was still powerful, just the way his eyes would focus with that indeterminate gaze, but would become oh so refined and splendiferous when they turned that incandescent scarlet, just the mere thought of it made Chrollo become even more enticed then he had been before.

Everything that made the boy who he was, from the first time he encountered this phantom of his past to the present as he stood over the slumbering embodiment of the very avenger that sought his own demise was now the focal point of his desires. Never had Chrollo ever thought that such like this would come to pass. Yet, here he was, yearning for the one thing he that was akin to the forbidden fruit. Kurapika was everything he could have ever wanted, the very last in the world that was just as precious as that of fragile glass, and despite being a practical living artifact, the blond was unique in his own way. But it went beyond even that. The clutch it had on him, just the indirect way the precious Kurta caused his heart to palpitate from his sheer alacrity alone was enough to enamor the capacitated leader of the Geneiryodan.

It was surreal. So hypnotic. So calmative. Chrollo still didn't quite contemplate exactly what it was about the blond that drew him in the way he had, but one thing's for certain, the feeling it gave, the change in pace it held was something he wasn't appetent in letting go of. He quite enjoyed these newfound sensations.

Letting his attention wander over the boy's concealed frame, eyes landed on something shining beneath the moonlight as it washed over the other and took notice that within his open hand sat that very same stone of which Chrollo had attributed the blond had taken a relative shining to. Instantly the remembrance of it caused a smile to spawn upon his lips. Circumspectly, he gently and imperceptibly closed the Kurta's lithe fingers around the stone before stepping back and agilely sweeping the bangs away from the boy's face. A breath hitched again within Chrollo's throat and he had to occlude himself. Just touching the young hunter rose sentiments in him that wasn't as profound as before. It was difficult as is resisting the urge just to pull the blond into his arms and never let go. Snorting, the older man stepped back towards the open window, allowing one last glance at the beautiful Kurta before bracing himself upon the sill of the window frame, "Soon Kurapika, soon." He whispered and was gone as quickly as he appeared.


After Thoughts: As you can see, there are subtleties that are beginning to become more apparent as the story progresses. Of course, Chrollo's feelings are altering a little more seamlessly then Kurapika's but his are changing, just a little more coarsely. However, the next chapter will have some events that will give the story a little more of a jolt.