twisted

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What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted.

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chapter eleven

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Me...Met...Meteor City...

The child had stopped its momentary crying to look at Kuroro, at the back of his mind he can remember a faint memory of the man with a cross tattoo.

Ryuuseigai.

Kurapika slowly turned her eyes from the child-ant to Kuroro whose back was still turned to her. His hand clutched the knife tight and prepared to strike the child whose eyes were pleading for what was to come. " You can still live as a human... Humanity is a vague concept."

The ant did not say anything back to her but only listened to her talk. " Humanity is not what you are but who you are..."

The chimera child did not say anything to Kurapika and resigned his head to the faith his brothers and sisters had chosen. He was resigned to death too. The child looked at the corpse of his only family, whose face, even as destorted and mutilated, had the smile he can remember from when they were human. They died swift and peacefully, he was grateful for this man who delivered Death as he had promised. And delivered well he did.

The child lifted his head to the woman who had been the first to show him kindness. He could see it in her eyes that she did not look at him as a monster but instead looked at him like a human, probably more so from the looks he had received even when he had a human face and body. Their acquaintance had only started a few moments ago and would forever remain as short but he was thankful for finally seeing humanity. The first and his last.

The child was ready and accepting. He turned his head at Kuroro, for the his salvation. His memory was probed and he remembered this man. The child gave him the biggest smile he could give, a gift worth not so much but what he only had. He lifted his head higher and bent it a little to expose his weakest spot. It didn't take a second for his vision to darken and it didn't hurt when he finally died.

I'm free

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The dead were burned near an empty clearing. The barren land was good for that task. Kurapika was sorry she couldn't send the children off in a better funeral. She knew they deserved at least that.

Their prosecutors be damned. Kurapika did not say anything to Kuroro when he only watched at the sidelines, leaning on a tree. He did not protest when she wanted to burn the ants. She knew she would give away their precise location and make it easier for their persecutors to find them, but he did not voice that out. And for her part, she did not pick any fight about his latest kill. She could sense his aura erupting around him. When he did look her way and caught her studying him, she didn't look away scowling and glaring like she would normally instead she motioned for him to come closer to pay respects for the dead.

Her eyes were back to their normal hues and she gave Kuroro a small twig of the purple hyacinth, Kuroro looked at the small blossoms and did not move to take it. Kurapika scowled at him, "It's respect for the dead."

They had different ways of mourning.

"We need to go, that fire would have alerted everybody to come here." Kurapika frowned at him and clutched the twig in her hand before putting it down the ground along with other wild flowers she had picked. She prayed a short silent prayer for the souls of the departed, her tribe had different prayers for different deaths. She did not know what prayer suited the deaths of the children. Murdered but at the same time their deaths were their salvation. She said the simplest but for her the most meaningful, the beauty of the words could only be said in their native tongue and she said it with all sincerity. She gave the the gift of knowing the language of her tribe. "Now is the best time to escape."

Kurapika thought about that too and relented. They took northwest from the direction, opposite side of the river they had just passed by. Kuroro killed the soldiers they had come across with. The soldiers were minced to shred and almost left nothing on their bones. That way Kurapika had nothing bury anymore.

Mid-hopping Kurapika stopped from one tree to another and asked Kuroro to where they were headed. Phinks and Franklin were waiting for them and they had less than two hours before the sun finally rises. The general direction to where they came from was off their current track. They haven't met any more soldiers, Kuroro looked at her and gave a smirk. "Where else?"

Ryuuseigai quickly popped into Kurapika's mind. She had figured that out too earlier when his demeanor turned a little off. She remembered Kuroro's words to the elder Tupig and the fact she buried deep down in her mind because it troubled her. She was troubled then about the idea that Kuroro protected the millions of Ryuuseigai citizens from the mafia and exploits like this. And that idea was intensified by the consequence of the chimera child.

He was good and bad rolled into one.

It turned her stomach to nuts that the children were being used as chimera ant soldiers. The children earlier had been one of the unlucky ones. She had seen a different way for the child to live. Gon told her about the ants Colt and Kite, the child could have lived the same life. Kuroro's perspective was very different compared to hers. He explained to her how it was better off dead. She didn't miss his reference to the children as it, instead of the he and she pronoun. They didn't talk afterwards and kept their thoughts to themselves.

Kuroro could already smell the pungent odor of Ryuuseigai. He did not waste anymore time dawdling around the area. He gave a short message to Franklin telling him to go take Phinks back to their base, he had a new mission with the Kuruta. Kuroro felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he guessed that Shalnark was calling him for any additional details. He got the vibrating thing from his pocket and answered, "Shal?"

Danchou... Franklin said the mission went well...? As expected, the duo had returned swiftly to the mansion. Shalnark's voice was slightly hesitant in probing his boss what was happening. He extra rarely asked Kuroro's motive and reasons, he did what was told of him, so asking their Danchou where he was or just hinting about it made him queasy. Days like this were moments where the young spider wished Pakunoda was still with them. As the previous right-hand of their Danchou, she was very capable in handling the taxing position. She also had a way with keeping the boys in line when they became too rowdy.

"It did." Kuroro was not one to rude people off, but by the tone of his voice Shalnark had decoded his Danchou's silent message. He sighed. He missed Pakunoda very, very much.

I'll handle them. Don't worry about it, Danchou. Shalnark whispered. He covered the mouthpiece of his phone and told somebody inside the room to tone it down a bit. A bit more shuffling, then he removed his hand from the phone and wished his Danchou good luck and asked about the other things he could do for Danchou.

Kuroro took pity in him and dismissed the boy before turning to look at his companion.

Her face was scrunched up in disgust and she had a far away look on her face. When he followed her line of vision, he saw the familiar outline of their now ruined base. The hole which Kurapika used to escape the demented clown was facing them and from their side he could see just how ruined their base was. The ruined church looked more eerie than before. It used to be a beautiful Gothic Church that many had admired. It didn't trouble him but he noted to take more precaution in leaving her alone. The last he left her on her own devices, she was battling with Hisoka. He wondered then whether they had another alliance formed. His thoughts were interrupted when Kurapika kicked a pebble in his direction. The stone hit his shin.

"I've been calling you for a while." Kurapika snapped at him. She did call him by his name multiple times, he was zoned out and out of character when he continued staring into the ruins. The ruins also reminded her about Hisoka. In his frenzied state, he had not questioned her gender or the female clothes he held in his hands. They didn't talk at all, Kurapika fought and retaliated every inch of destruction Hisoka made. She put up a fight that made Hisoka excited and at one point in there fight, Hisoka had whispered in her ear how he would love to break her. As if she'd let him, she scoffed. Kurapika made sure to crush his leg bone and collarbone for good measure and to make her point across that she did not appreciate being threatened. Although Hisoka would never tell it to anybody, he regretted whispering to the irritable Kuruta his thoughts. She was a spoilsport that did not appreciate his art.

"I have a lot on my mind." Kurapika did not want to know what those were. It didn't interest her or pique up her curiosity. She shrugged of his statement and asked where they would find the human dealers. Kuroro smiled at her inquiry. He liked how little inconvenience her mind gives him. She had an understanding where the cogs of his mind were gearing themselves unto. No, they wouldn't be finding a lot of people. They only needed to find one, he said.

"He was the one who told Hisoka we were coming." They didn't refer to the person by name. For Kurapika, the unpleasant man deserved to be punished. But death wouldn't be the answer to it. " He needs to be brought into the Association."

Kuroro liked her mind but not her morality. The little inconvenience her brain had given him was neutralized by the troubles her 'morality' had caused. They argued about it a lot, almost always, ninety five point five percent of their arguments stemmed from it, with her brain she had given him long lectures based on 'facts' and 'information'. He thwarted each one and gave her 'real' facts and information and until now that debate and argument still held no victor. Morality is a fickle, fickle thing. It varied among people and depended on a person's situation.

"No, he's not." He informed her. Kurapika had expected him to contest her. He didn't want to remind her how she had no right or whatsoever to even suggest on making him surrender Tupig to anybody since he was the authority and not the other way around. She knew it too and him saying it out loud would be a sting to her ego, so she kept her mouth shut and thought of ways around it. " Besides what we do is none of the Association's concern. Technically, we don't even exist."

"The association concerns itself to him when what he did is undoing what the late Chairman Netero had sacrificed himself for." She didn't expect him to understand the sacrifice the old queer man did. But she knew it well and she had a small but memorable interaction with Chairman Netero that would stay with her forever. Chairman Netero had given her the seventh pair of scarlet eyes she buried. A small brown parcel arrived on her doorstep one morning on her eighteenth birthday. She signed the box, dismissed the mailman and carefully placed the parcel on her breakfast nook, not knowing what the box contained she looked at it confused since her three friends were sleeping on her couch and futon. Aside from that, she doubted anybody would remember the day she turned eighteen. When she found out what it was, she cried while her eyes reflected the same bright hue of the pair of bottled eyes emitted. It had a messy handwriting to it, signed Chairman N.

"I heard about his deed," He heard it from Feitan on their rare days of talking. Feitan had shared what his ideas on torturing the ants were. For Feitan, the way the ant king died had been too peaceful for his tastes. He craved for more blood. " We handle this things on our own. The natives would even take his side once the Associations gets itself involved."

"That's ridiculous." It was the most absurd thing she heard all night.

"It's our way."

Ridiculous and strange but Kurapika grudgingly admitted she understood what he was on about. Thicker than family but thinner than strangers. The way of living of the Ryuuseigai citizens.

"Read these documents over." Kuroro handed her the air-tight wrapped papers which she opened gently. Kurapika carefully opened the wrap and started reading over. Kuroro sat next to her and pointed with a long finger tip the end of the document. The documents were a list of names. Kuroro lifted his finger and pointed to a name on the list, Kurapika could not pinpoint which name he wanted her to look at. He grabbed her hand and used it to point at the lone name of a girl.

"I'd appreciate it better if you stop instigating any body contact." Kurapika hissed out and snatched her hand away from him before looking over the name. Kuroro smirked, it had been a long time since he last taunted the girl. After their little escapade on the bridge he had not gotten any good opportunities to infuriate her.

"We did more than touching." Kurapika's ear was red much to his pleasure. "I even saw your leg. Wasn't there a law in your tribe that prohibited those things?"

It was a low blow to remind her of her fallen family. Kurapika's head perked up and narrowed themselves into dangerous slits. She wasn't angry about him bringing up her family, she was curious about something else."... How did you know about that?"

Kurapika saw how the question took Kuroro off guard and this time it was Kuroro whose mouth was in a tight line. Her heart beat erratically in her chest as it said something was wrong or rather Kuroro knew something that she didn't. Something very important.

"What do you think?" Kuroro gave her a dry smile.

"Humor me." She bit back. The papers started to get crumpled underneath her hands. Kuroro openly frowned at his subordinate, he did not appreciate being told what to do. He knew she sensed something ...off about his comment. He remained tight lip on it and instead opted to shrug it off. "That was one of our marriage laws."

Kuroro raised his eyebrow at her which seemed to infuriate her more.

"Tell me why you know about it." When Kuroro his mouth to speak, she hastily added, "And don't tell me, you read it somewhere, I know you didn't."

Kuroro smirked at her. "You are a presumptuous little girl."

"I am right." Kurapika gave a triumphant smirk.

"No you're not. But I won't spend my whole day arguing with you on that one." Kurapika frowned at him, but he let her. He had burst her bubble after all. "I was about to ask you what you are willing to give for the truthfulness of my answer."

"You're lying." Kurapika did not believe a word he said. She would never know whether whatever he tells her would be factual. He looked like a descent human being sometimes, on the rare days that he doesn't do anything Kurapika deemed as aggravating. Which were very, very few and seldom.

"I think you'll know when I am..." Kuroro took the documents off of Kurapika's hand and placed them back the air-tight plastic. "Or perhaps you'll never know."

Then he gave her a very infuriating, challenging smirk that made Kurapika want to wipe it of his face.

"Fine!" Kurapika seethed, without the papers on her hand, she had clenched her hands to fist to prevent herself from doing murder. "What do you want then?"

"A favor with no questions asked and performed a hundred and one percent of your abilities." Kurapika frowned at him. Her mind ran around and found large loopholes in it. He said it very fast to the point that it screamed to be branded as suspicious. SO, he did pick up that she had purposely toned down her skills to forty percent the whole time she was with them.

"I won't do any of them in sexual nature." She told him readily. He gave her a seductive smirk.

"Unless said otherwise." Kuroro taunted her with a smile, but Kurapika decided to be the better person and try for the first time to let it slide. He was only taunting her because she was rising to his bait. She reasoned to herself.

"You are doing a very poor job of seducing me." She blurted out without thinking, the comment was supposed to be derogatory but it came out wrong and...

"..."

"..."

"...Are you implying that you want to be seduced?"

"Wha...? N-NO!" Flustered, Kurapika stood up and delivered a very hard kick to Kuroro's face. He had been too wrapped up in his little game that he had not been able to duck and avoid or even prevent the painful slap/kick on the side of his face. "Now tell me the truth. And answer very truthfully."

Kuroro did not rub his cheek or even wipe away the blood dripping from his mouth where the side of his face took most of her leg brutality.

" I want your word that you'll do that favor." was all he said. Kurapika, still flustered at what he said scowled and spoke in what he can guess as cusses sponsored by the Kurutan language then agreed and promised and gave her word she'd do it to his satisfaction, whatever that maybe as long as it does not involve any sexual nature. When she stopped, he told her.

"I knew it from a friend."

"And whose friend is that?" She asked in disdain.

"His name was Menma."

"Was?"

"He's dead." He chose to entertain her silent questions and elaborated. He remembered the soft-hearted boy who was born to never be part of Ryuuseigai. He was simply too soft and vulnerable for their world. He never fit in and had the hardest time among them all. Where Ryuuseigai citizens were rough and calloused, Menma had been smooth and round. "He's dead... Killed."

Kuroro did not notice that his eyes slowly became cold and calculating to the point of withdrawal as he reminisced. Kurapika noticed it and her forehead furrowed when he started smiling cruelly.

"What happened to his murderer?" What happened to Menma was not murder. It was a massacre. But Kuroro did not tell her that, she wouldn't understand what happened. But instead he turned to look at her eyes and tell her straight.

Kuroro had a glint in his eye that made Kurapika suspicious and his smile turned very cruel, the cruelest she'd seen on his face so far. What he said next surprised her.

"They're almost all dead."

Kurapika paused as he told her about his friend. Menma. She heard that somewhere and the name rang in her mind. She tasted it at the tip of her tongue. Menma, Menma, Menma.

Oh, Kurapika squeaked in her mind. The book that was silently sandwiched between and hidden away in her room had that name above it. Her silent pity for Kuroro and the owner of the names childishly written on the cover made her uneasy. Menma had been killed. She bitterly sympathized with Kuroro, his friends must have been his family. Loosing the only people he'd consider as such would be very painful. She really sympathized with him then she wondered, if it was a sin for her to actually sympathize with a mass murderer whose conscience was non-existent.. He only lost that one person where as he killed too many to count. Didn't he think that the people he killed had people like him who would be affected by the death of their loved one?

Hate begets hate. She read that in Dino Hunter. It didn't surprise her that he retaliated.

Almost all dead.

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"He left town, just some nights ago." Tupig's light haired mistress told them. She offered them tea which Kuroro politely refused when from the corner of her eyes Kurapika had eyed the teapots and cups lying around. "..he.. he won't be coming back."

Kuroro raised his hand and gestured for her to elaborate. The young woman who actually just had a few years on Kurapika told them about how her 'husband' had fled and slapped money on the table and ordered for her to scram. She told them how she begged to be taken along with him and Tupig told her about his ultimatum.

"Did he tell you where he was going?"

"No..." The girl admitted. She fidgeted with the handle of her tea cup. She was a nervous wreck and the dark circles beneath her eyes was an indication how much little she had been doing this past days but worry and pray for Tupig to come back to her. She wasn't a help to the duo, for the past minutes she looked like she wanted to cry badly and the two bid their farewells. Kurapika and Kuroro started to rise from the table and leave when the girl ran after them, "But... I have an idea where he is."

"Where?" Kurapika could find Tupig all on her own and she believed Kuroro did too. But it was more convenient to narrow down the places where they need to look.

"He went to sea." When Kurapika and Kuroro looked at each other, the girl believed her two guests were not believing a word she said and started to get a little hysterical with the situation, "He.. packed clothes for sea! boots! He commissioned oars... I'm not lying."

"No, you're not." Kurapika gently told her.

"Don't.. don't kill him." The girl held Kurapika's hand. Her hand was thin and weary. Tupig did not take good care of the woman and Kurapika held her tongue not to tell the woman how better off she was without the man in her life. Her eyes were said and lonely and she was pleading with her to bring back her 'husband'. Kurapika did not make any promises.

The sea was a great place to hide. With technology not reaching every part of the ocean, it would take them some days to at least catch up with him. Plus, the ocean was vast. He had many corners of the world to hide in. Kuroro thought the same thing too when he opened his phone and dialed Shalnark to have Shizuku and himself travel towards the nearest coast where they can meet up.

They met the next day, Shalnark looked genuinely pleased to see them both doing well and waved high when he saw Kuroro and Kurapika heading towards them. Shizuku also offered one of her smiles. Out of the other spiders, Kurapika was neutral to the spectacled woman. Kurapika did not glare at her when they were finally up close. Shalnark saw what Kurapika was wearing, being the wise spider that he was, he didn't do what Phinks or Nobunaga would have done. He did not comment on the familiarity of the shirt but instead looked at Kurapika and smiled as if he didn't know anything. He was relieved when the intensity of her scowl was not at all that high and heated. Shalnark pretended that Kurapika had somewhat accepted him and tolerated his presence.

"Danchou." Shalnark and Shizuku greeted their boss who smiled at them. Without counting Kalluto, the two of them were the youngest spiders.

The four of them traveled light. Kurapika had bought a few of her supplies and placed them in a small satchel before boarding the ship. Shizuku accompanied her for the task, so far Kurapika glared at the girl when when she followed her around the area as per Danchou's orders but the girl was fazed and she had this faraway look on her face. She even suggested what clothes she thought would be sturdy, not that Kurapika needed the advice since the two of them would look like misplaced twins if she did.

They boarded the ship whose passengers were all brutal looking men. They walked inside and all eyes were trailed on them. Kurapika ignored their cat calls but didn't let it slide that somebody actually dared to touch her butt. The said man now sported a broken arm and a fractured wrist and was more or less hanging on for his dear life when Kurapika glared their way and scowled the same intensity she usually reserved for the spiders at all the men on board. Shizuku remained oblivious to what was happening and instead admired the sea gulls fluttering about. Everything happened in less than four seconds, that when Kuroro stepped out from the cabin, his brows lifted when he saw a burly man crouched on the ground. He wasn't surprised at all that the Kuruta was standing victorious but fuming in her own right.

Shalnark who just emerged from the Captain's cabin paused and let out an appreciative whistle. The two of them had only been gone for a minute to have a 'word' with the captain when they heard a swift thud. They didn't expect the Kuruta to be making friends that fast.

Kurapika walked over to a post and sat down. She gave the men one long glare for added measure before pulling out a book to read. Kuroro did not need to ask what the hell happened. He approached the girl and sat down not to far from her while Shalnark and Shizuku chatted animatedly. When the reached the two they sat down the space in between Kuroro and Kurapika.

"I've neutralized the other nen-users on the boat."

"Good," Kuroro praised, "how many?"

"Fourteen." Kuroro looked up and met the younger spider's stare. "They weren't average users."

"That many?" Kuroro pondered about it. The whole crew might have been hired by the same person who hired the nen users. He made it a mental note to check the basement and the other available hiding places for whatever treasure they had to deliver. Nobody hired that many skilled people just for show. And something struck his mind. Kuroro stood up from his position and went to where Shalnark pointed where the nen-users bundled themselves. The three remaining spiders didn't see him for the next hour or so and Kurapika took that time to explore the boat. Shalnark and Shizuku were talking about the latest release of manga their favorite mangaka. Shalnark whined to Shizuku how much he wished the mangaka would update regularly and not leave his very loyal fans hanging on the thread anymore. Shizuku whole-heartedly agreed and shared how agonizing the wait for the next chapter was. She even shared how Feitan had threatened to go kill and blackmail the author into updating more. Shalnark remembered too and praised Pakunoda for diffusing the situation and preventing Fei from doing anything rash. But now, Shalnark wondered how effective would Fei's blackmail be. He wanted to see the next chapter sooo badly.

Their very normal talk was still a puzzle to Kurapika who painted every one of them as murderers. She didn't really expect to overhear them talking about trivial things normal people would be talking about. If she replaced Shalnark and Shizuku with either Gon, Killua or Leorio, she could see herself chatting with them. Kurapika stood up from her post and walked over the board, down to the basement. She'd start from the lowest part of the boat and make her way up.

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Kuroro returned to his comrades to see one missing. Shizuku's head was supported by the post previously occupied by the Kuruta, she was sleeping soundly while Shalnark was engrossed on his phone playing another game. He stopped when he sensed his Danchou back from his little trip and smiled shyly while scratching the back of his head. "I thought she'd only take a minute."

"Don't worry about it." Kuroro walked over and sat beside Shalnark. Shalnark gave him a grin before returning back to his game. Kuroro's mood was definitely brighter after meeting with the nen wielders. While they were under Shalnark's nen and programmed to follow whatever he wanted, it was relatively easy taking the nen he liked. So far, he had three new conjuring abilities and two special ones. He didn't bother getting the others as they were all mediocre and simply unsuited to his lifestyle. The last one was a little like Pakunoda's Memory bomb. He now had an ability to read into people's past. Just a few glimpses and play overs. Not as strong as Pakunoda's but still helpful.

Kuroro decided to use the ability to the spiders with him and the thought was timed when Kurapika finally returned up the surface. He summoned his Bandit's book and started with Shalnark. Kurapika eyed him warily but watched as he unfolded his new talent. Shalnark momentarily dropped his phone and looked at Kuroro directly in the eye. In between Kuroro and Shalnark, Kurapika could see figures moving, she squinted her eyes to see what it was.

A young Shalnark ran towards a street, he was laughing about something as his playmates chased after him. He was careless as he stumbled over the garbage bins, he continued to run and run. The smile on his face never leaving him even after he scared his knee yet again. This time, he was not able to stand up when his foot was stuck in a barb wire. The wound looked painful but Shalnark only stopped smiling and frowned, he didn't cry and he doubted he knew how to. He tried freeing the stuck wire on his ankle one by one. It was a hard task for an eleven year old. The manipulation technique he had developed could not help him this time.

Shalnark sighed.

Shalnark looked up when he saw an older man crouch on the ground and free his foot for him. Shalnark stared wide eyed and in awe as the man made the pain go away like it was nothing. His foot felt like brand new after the wires were gone. He continued to stare at the man and memorize his black hair and black orbs. On this man's face was a cross tattoo on his shoulder and his mouth was turned up at the sides, smiling at him.

That was the start when Shalnark had started idolizing Kuroro Lucifer, his Danchou from that time up to now.

Kurapika felt everything as she looked at the scene unfold in front of her. Shalnark was a little flustered at having his memory probed but congratulated his Danchou on getting the ability. Shalnark laughed a little and said it reminded him a little of Pakunoda. Kuroro turned to look at Kurapika and probed her mind for a memory.

Kurapika's eyes became glazed as her memories removed itself and materialized in front of her mind. The ability made its viewers know and feel what the person felt while the memory happened. She could still feel the awe and idolization Shalnark felt for Danchou. She also felt the pain when his foot got stuck. The memory that Kuroro had taken from her was a simple one, nothing significant in her life. She remembered everything and felt her homesickness wash over as the familiar faces and sky showed itself.

'This are packed sandwiches...' A girl with long brown hair and equally brown eyes handed over to a young Kurapika and Pairo a woven basket filled with homemade sandwiches and hand squished orange juice mixed with pineapple chunks. Kurapika and Pairo peeked inside the basket and gave huge grins, appreciating the effort of Kurapika's older cousin in making them tasty snacks to last a day for one of their afternoon adventures. 'Don't wonder too much.'

Kurapika beamed at her cousin while Pairo only gave a shy smile in appreciation. She acted like a second parent to them, and 'scolded' them for their parents when their games became too rough and wild. They never took her seriously though. She was simply too nice to be strict.

'We won't be too long.' Kurapika promised. Pairo got the basket off of Kurapika's hand and offered to carry it. Kurapika had a tendency to get too excited to easily and it would be a waste if something happened to their snack. Kurapika's cousin looked relieved too that Pairo would be the one to carry her day long worth of cooking.

'Oh, I mean it, Kurapika.' The older girl tried to be stern but in the end gave a cheeky grin to the younger kids. She ruffled their heads lovingly before kneeling down to Kurapika's height and putting out her pinky finger for Kurapika to shake. She had no problems taming the young Pairo. Pairo was meek and obedient, he only became a problem when his loyalty to Kurapika is triggered then he becomes the counterpart of Kurapika's she-demon. 'Promise?'

'I promise, Ada-onee chan' Kurapika grinned and tucked her pinky against Ada's longer one. Their thumbs met in what they read from Dino Hunter as a pinky promise. Their pinky promise was supposed to have a chant that made one promise to swallow needles but the three deemed it too gory for their tastes. Ada was called away by their grandfather before she had a chance to see the kids off. Like Kurapika who had a sense of mischief and love for the outside world, Ada shared it too. Although her enthusiasm was not as strong as Kurapika's, she had it and for Kurapika's grandfather, the chieftain, who stood as Ada's father for the whole seventeen years of her life, it posed as a problem.

The memory stopped and the three of them were drawn back into the present.

The smiling, grinning little blond was a far cry from the glaring and scowling girl in front of them. Shalnark looked down on his phone and pretended he didn't see anything again. He never liked arguments and hat was to erupt looked like it was a full blown mind numbing debate.

"You should have taken a more useful ability." Kurapika said in distaste. But she was thankful that Kuroro did not stumble on her last meeting with Leorio. Contrary to what she said, the ability was very useful that would have exposed her knowledge. Kuroro gave her a patronizing look. "Teleportation would have been better than that."

"Teleportation is hard to come by this days." Kuroro closed his book. He tried using it on the sleeping Shizuku but as he discovered his ability is limited to conscious people. He stopped his probing for the day. The clear blue sky earlier, was replaced by thunder clouds and gray clouds. The sleeping Shizuku had woken up from the rain drops she felt. Kurapika frowned and remembered the last time she was on a boat, it had a storm too.

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A/n. Yey. This chapter is done! :D

I want to thank you people for all the love and support you have given me and this story. C: Your support means a lot and powers my pen to write. :D I am going to go back to my original chapter length of 7,000+ words, instead of the usual 5,000.. I'm not yet that used to write that long again so this chapter here is only about 6,000. A thousand words away from my initial goal but I will strive my best to make it as such preferably in the next chapter. :D

Somebody suggested I write my shout outs like this to make it an easier read. Hihi. Thank you I'oOoMoOo ! :D

Lady Storykeeper Hi Lady! :D Thank you! :D

Ayumika Hi Ayumika! :D Thank you! That shall be explained sometime in the near future, hihi. :D

SpadePirates4Eva HI Spades! :D I didn't intend it as such but so far, the pair do not have any romantic feelings yet. Just a call for some physical action (but not lust.. hihi) Thank you for reading! :D

MelonBerry – I have updated a day earlier. *wink wink* :D I hope you like it. :D

hitomi65 Thank you hitomi! :D:D

. .ribbons. Hihi, Thank you Pink! :D I'm glad you liked it!

LunaNymph Hi Luna! :D Thank you thank you for the pm! :D I am very happy you loved it! :D This chapter is longer than last and I am going to make it longer. :D You are the very first one to make the correct guess about it. Hihi :D

BabyBOOOOM Thank you! I thought that it was unfair for Kuroro and Kurapika to miss out on the Chimera ant action. :D

h x h Thank you h xh! :D

swordfairy HI Swordfairy! Thank you thank you! I am very happy that you had fun! :D :D :") You read my bio, hihi I'm glad you found that too! :DD

ANGGGGGGGGRYYYYY HI angry! :D Thank you very much with what you said. :D I agree whole heartedly with you and really thank you with what you said. :D:D

Guest Thank you too! :D I am very happy. Thank you! :D

I'oOoMoOo Hi again! Thank you! I read everything and summed it up to about three hours. XD hihi.

Nobody knows Hi Nobody! :D Menma is a boy and your guess is the most accurate. :D Thank you for cheering me up, it helped a lot! :D Homebound is not related to twisted but its like a parallel universe. Hihi. :D \(^.^)/ THANK YOU! :D

freddiethegoat. Hi Freddie! :D I am glad you think that way. :D Kuroro thinks that way about Kurapika because of plot relevancy. :D I'll go over the typos soon (I cringed when I see them. ^.^") I'm glad you found your answers on that chapter .Hihi, thank you! If you have any questions you can always ask them. :D:D

For those who read, reviewed, followed and favorited THANK YOU! THANK YOU! :D You people make me really, really happy! *insert big hearts*

[For this part, this is not meant for others. I would have pm-ed it and not rather not put it up here but I believe I need to say my piece in order to move on. ]

To Guest: I wrote this essay when I was fourteen for a speech class, I added some parts I know are necessary to make my point across.

why I write

I write because writing is an art. I paint with words, give life to my imagination through my narration. I might paint like an amatuer, but my product is what it is, an art. Critiques help me improve as a writer, I grow with the words and mature.

I write because I want to. I please myself and I hope others find beauty and pleasure in it. I am not the best but I do know my effort deserves respect. Every person is entitled to their opinion. I respect what you don't like. Nobody can please everybody.

I write because I make friends. Readers, reviewers, followers, subscribers are people who are part and shape my pen and more importantly my life. Every word, every feedback, every praise, every support, every smiley, every critique, every punctuation mark are things I look forward and find pleasure in. I am a writer, a student and a dreamer. But amongst those things, I am a human being with feelings and emotions.

I write because writing makes me happy. It keeps me company when I am down, shares my joy when I am up. Writing is an embrace of a loving person, I look forward to every second and every breath.

I write because writing is a part of me. Be it day or night, euphoric or glum, writing is my emotion. Writing is my friend. Calling me ugly and stupid won't get you anywhere. From my childhood, I am taught to ask about things I don't understand. I am open to critiques, questions and clarifications. My inbox is open for this.

Guest, I won't tell you what to do with your life. It is your own and not at all mine to dictate and decide but I do bid you a good life. [*any flames after this note shall be ignored.*]

That's all. C: