I own nothing but my shoes and my laptop!
The window glass rested coolly against Kaia's cheeks. Outside, as the sun drifted light with a growing sort of energy, the sea reddened and sparkled beside the moon shaped island, splashing colors against the blackened, jagged bones of crashed ships. With a whimsical tilt on her lips, Kaia watched seagulls sink below a few speckled traces of clouds to land on broken masts. They made for a serene, peaceful sight. Sometimes, a person had to stop and marvel the world around them, lest they forget what they were doing there to begin with. Perhaps, like the sea, she drifted in colors. Or perhaps she burned like the sun, like that dream. Or perhaps, she thought, while pulling from the glass to stare at her teacher smoothly collecting fallen cards, she was just a little insane.
Kaia decided she didn't need to think about that.
In a patient but eager manner, Kaia dropped her legs from their crossed position, shaking the prickles and pins out of her ankles so she could stand from the hardwood bench. Since the airship had landed on a cemented dock not too far from the lighthouse, the contestants had received notice to leave, many being woken and ushered outside by a dozen or so Hunter assistants. A squeaking and loud yawn rippled from Neko's mouth, catching her attention. His little pink tongue curled with it as he stretched his paws forward on the red carpet, then he clipped his teeth together to shine brilliantly at her, an eagerness stronger than hers glistening in his marble brown eyes. Kaia liked brown eyes. She liked dogs, and she liked the color yellow, and she liked the carressive ache from sunlight through the window on her neck's sunburnt skin. Thing was, as she figured, she didn't really have a care for small dogs. So Neko's gleeful little march didn't quite appeal to her the way her old dogs' had.
She slapped her cheeks to ignore the thoughts, shook her head, and sauntered to the side of her teacher whilst he strutted down the hallways. Up by his chest his hands shuffled another set of cards. Kaia watched with no lack of amusement. The movements were something she wished herself to learn; a good thing too, since having him as her teacher would give her plenty opportunities to watch. And watching, she knew, would lead to learning.
"Sensei," she waited to continue until they'd stepped down the airship stairs, onto water-sprinkled pavement where the salty sea breeze lifted a chill that went straight through her dress. Hisoka, clearing a good dozen steps beyond the line of contestants bubbling out the airship, surveyed the long curve of white sanded beaches, the shipwrecks, and the big lighthouse tower they stood in front of. It was an older building with cracks along its greyness and a dozen circular windows. A bright, welcoming sort of building.
"You never finished asking your question, Kaia," Hisoka stated measuredly.
Kaia blinked twice before nodding. "Oh, yeah. What's your favorite color?"
Languidly he rolled his nails across his jawline. When it hit his chin, his hand curled closed, and he made to look at her. "What an interesting question. Are you sure you want to know?"
"Probably." Idly, while he debated an answer, she scanned the rows of contestants who'd finally made it out. Most took in the sight of the lighthouse, while a few others, like her now, surveyed the forestry lands behind the beaches. "Mine's yellow," Kaia offered, "if I'm supposed to say first."
"Yellow? How very bright of you. Something to do with happiness?"
"Nah, just looks nice." She shrugged and glanced at the lighthouse doors. They'd been edging open, and now an elderly looking couple were creeping out. They seemed like pleasant folks, wrinkled smiles on their chins. Kaia's gut twisted though, so she figured she didn't like them.
Hisoka chuckled quietly and Kaia shifted uneasily from one leg to the other. Nothing else slipped from his tongue though. Faintly deflating, but none deterred, she lifted a step closer on his right. Not close enough to touch, no, but close enough to smell the blood tinged cinnamon of him and feel his heat. It was a comforting sort of closeness, lined with an edginess that tugged at the knot in her belly, but because she hated being scared she was pushing to turn that fear into an appreciative sort of acceptance.
Not that she'd stop being afraid. If that came to be, well, she figured she'd get a whole lot deader than she was now.
"Welcome!" That elder woman clasped her hands in front of her, and the tilt of her head made her pale brown pigtails slide across her well-filled shoulders, which, liked the rest of her, looked soft and plushy. "My name is Banner. I'm the manager of this hotel. This," she lifted a darkened palm to the man, "is my husband, Genner."
His hands were clasped behind his back. He wore a little goatee that Kaia liked. "Nice to meet you all," he said, voice more bleak than baritone. A timid man, then.
One of the examinees marched forward. "Did I hear you say this was a hotel?" he asked. More of a demand than anything else. After a moment of staring at his back, Kaia pegged him to that bald ninja, Hanzo. She didn't quite like him either, but he wasn't awful.
"That's right," the man, Genner, agreed. "Part of this ship—" startled, Kaia stared around before noting the lighthouse was, indeed, part of a very large ship. "—has been converted into a hotel with all the amenities. In the past," here he closed his eyes with a prideful sort of look, "we've had the honor of hosting His Majesty, the King of Nebra. Also, this hotel is a favorite among celebrities of the continent who refer to it as the 'White Palace on the Ocean'."
While the elder spoke, Hanzo waltzed all the way up to him to tower. It was evident the ninja had no qualms using his immense height as a silent threat. "I didn't ask for a sales pitch," he said, conversationally. "You two are not the proctors, right?"
Genner tilted his head, not affected in the slightest. "Are we?" he asked his wife.
The wife smiled easily. "Yes, that's a very good question." Addressing the all of them, she said, "the Hunter Committee has given me a message to deliver to all of you applicants. 'To all who passed phase three, congratulations on a job well done! Phase Four will begin three days from now. Until then, please enjoy your short break on this island'."
Kaia itched at her mind until she remembered where this was from. She'd said it before and she'd say it again; she never had a good memory. But this little trip here, if she was correct, only happened in the old 1999 version of Hunter x Hunter. Weird, since it wasn't what her fanfiction'd done, but neither had the sushi been there, and what did you know? She'd cooked sushi. No matter.
She plopped into a crouch, bouncing with the movement on the balls of her feet. A good number of the contestants began muttering to themselves, a couple laughing. Leorio, not too far away, even eased into an eye-creasing smile while ruffling Gon's hair. A slap of jealousy struck her chest. Startled at its abruptness, and then amused, Kaia allowed it rest by her heart to figure where it came from. Leorio chuckled again, popping his arms on his hips to something Killua said, then spoke something else to Lorelei, who laughed back. Kaia's face remained carefully apathetic.
A glance revealed Hisoka's own amusement at her actions, potentially feelings, if he could see that far. She liked to think he did.
Kaia flashed her teeth, talking down the spurt of emotion until it had nothing left on her, where she stretched back up. "You ain't answered yet," she said.
"Oh my, aren't you stubborn." A little grin lifted his lips as he bent down, hovering close to her ear. Lowly, he whispered, "pink," and Kaia's eyes dilated at the closeness and the feel of breath on her ear.
"All right!" Leorio's voice, loud enough to hear now, caught her attention swifter than a piece of grass would a cat. The man sauntered toward the lighthouse, along with the main group and a few other contestants. "I'm gonna take a shower and get all cleaned and refreshed!"
Kaia leaned onto her heels. "'Wonder if I can shower, too. Needin' a bit of cleaning 'bout now. Ha, betcha my shoulder's already good to go." To emphasize, she flexed. Only a small string of pain lingered over her arm so, figuring it good, Kaia laughed.
"Just a minute," Banner lifted a hand placatedly, "please."
Leorio cracked his neck, but stopped to listen. "What is it?"
The woman smiled. "Here you have to pay in advance. Ten million jenny per person."
A collective pause littered the air. Kaia broke it with a quick, easy whistle before reaching to tap Hisoka's left hand, which hung by his hip. Thinking better of it a moment later, she instead just leaned closer to whisper, "meet back up with you later. Gonna get me some cash."
There were, she mused while swinging over the rail of the large ship, advantages to knowing the plot. Her legs folded softly beneath her when she hit the sand below. It was a cushioned landing designed to allow a quick spring back up, which she did, languid in listening to the waves until her feet carried her toward the bend of trees creeping out by the far corner of the island. If the plot stayed anything close to what she remembered, which looked fairly probable, all the examinees would be set loose on this island and the surrounding waters in hopes of finding some shiny, rich treasures to trade for a room. That said, Kaia came to the idea that it wouldn't be very long at all before many of the easy to find, easy to take, treasures got snagged. When that happened, the only items left would be to dive for.
She snorted. Coughed. Glanced at a nearby wreckage covered in seagulls, the waters on her left and the little sand-bugs crawling by her tennis-shoes. Snorted again.
"Dive, die, since I'm already dead, ha. Not really of a mind to get wet, though..." They were words spoken to herself, quiet over the softly lapping waves. Her eyes, a bottled sort of blue, not quite the color of the ocean nor that of the sky, drifted across the grounds again before returning to the lifts of palm trees by the far corner. Behind her, she heard a jolted shout, not at all unlike someone startled into movement.
She didn't glance back, just took off running 'long the trees for a nice, wide set shipwreck buried half deep by a clout of palms. Some broken woodwork lay scattered across the white, cool sands, along with a couple other shredded boats that Kaia didn't feel like investigating. The big one had her interest. As for why... Well, she didn't need a reason. Felt like it.
...Hey, Kaia, you up for a chat?
Kaia's pupils widened, then shrunk with notice, but she kept right on till reaching the ship, where her steps became wider and lighter, careful to avoid breaking through any rotten wood. Pulling herself over a half-shredded rail, she muttered, "yeah, here. Go for it. We been putting conversation off anyway."
What was...supposed to happen to me? In the end. Because something's been... What was supposed to happen?
Kaia stilled at a doorway. The top hung low and the sides were peeled, crippled clips of wood sticking out hazardously. The sun left a pale, tawny sort of light across the boards that contrasted sharply with almost fully black shadows that stretched farther than usual solely because of the early day. From the black, gloomy darkness inside, riddled only with the occasional sunlight hole from a break in the ship's planks, she could see only bare, toppled wood and a few bones scattered over the mess.
...Kaia? Can you... are you still there...? I've been reading your memories, and... Kaia? I'm...scared.
Ahh...frick. Runa was dying, then.
She took a slow breath, one of salty, clean air, and stepped inside. A hollow breeze took up her short, brown, nastily curly hair. Kaia sunk her gaze around the wood, digging through the dust with a hesitant sort of care that kept Neko from coming too close. For a while, she was quiet in her search for gold. Found a couple lost coins, a few silvers. Wasn't till she came upon a locked door set by a corner that she found anything of care.
No...answer...I guess...
"...Nah." This time, she huffed air through her teeth. The door didn't take much force to break through. Down below, where it lead, it was completely dark and Kaia, unfixedly, lit a match, then a stick of wood she wrapped with some cloth, then headed down. "You know," she murmured, eyes reflecting the fire and shine of the many gold treasures piled around, "I never liked the dark."
You've...said.
"I know. Figured I'd say again." Stabbing the stick into the wall like a torch, she set to the treasures, wrapping few around her neck and most inside her bag. "I'm uh," she hesitated on the words before just shaking her head. "Yup. Scared of the dark."
Runa didn't say anything so Kaia kept talking.
"Pretty scared of getting punched. And ants. Sensei's scary too. I get nervous when I gotta confront people. Hate being cold. Hate being hot. Yelling's scary. Had a bad dream about catching on fire. Don't like lots of physical contact. A little's fine, but a lot makes me want to be irritated. Being around the same people itches at me." She laughed, holding up a pretty red gem necklace, marveling at the way it glinted from the torch. "I'm bad at talking."
You seem to be doing fine right now.
"Sure. Most people are good at rambling, my friend. Ah, where was I going with this?" Kaia trailed off thoughtfully, tapping her chin. Eventually turned to a rubbing motion, as per usual, until she flashed a grin. "Oh yeah. I was gonna say, I don't got much to say. Sorry. Kay."
Is that supposed...to be...sympathy…? You're really...bad at it. Can't believe you're the one...replacing me. ...It's getting hard to...think...Kaia.
Kaia's eyes flicked at a clunk from up above. A sharp bark from Neko had her standing, shoving the last of the shiny things in her bag, though many were covered in a sticky grit, a couple with dried blood, that was anything but shiny. Kaia didn't care. Money was money and the boat didn't need them no more.
Whoever was up above started muttering to somebody else, who responded with a deep tone of voice. Kaia grabbed hold of her torch, looking up at the door. Half of a ladder offered a precarious way out. Unfortunately, it didn't appeal to her too much, so she locked the torch between her teeth and jumped for the edge. Cold, grimy, blistered fingers caught the hard wood and held while she pulled herself out. The strain made her shoulder burn something awful, causing her to flinch upon landing, hissing over the torch. Then the pain died down and she stood up, scanning the two men watching her with similarly cautious features.
Kaia took out the torch and shined her canines at the both of them. "Howdy. Must say, it's pretty dark in here, ain't it?" To add, she swung the torch hard enough to wipe out the fire. Now all she had was a stick. Sticks, she found, worked quite well for hitting, if need be. And with the way those men were studying the heavy chains and necklaces around her shoulders, hitting might be necessary.
But then the shorter man, who had a puffy red nose, tapped his friend on the arm. A bullet of sunlight caught on his wrist, blinding her from her spot in the shadows. "Don't do it," he said. "She's that creepy magician's student."
"All the more reason to take her down now, isn't it? The clown won't know this spit from any other." Of course, he'd used a different word, but Kaia didn't feel like acknowledging it. "Two birds with one stone. Taking out what'd turn into a threat later, and grabbing some gold for ourselves." The thicker one had some black in his teeth. Or perhaps it was just missing teeth, but at that time, Kaia didn't quite care. She leaned on her heels, nonchalant and easy while slipping her gaze to Neko, who watched her with perked ears and bright eyes.
Looking at the thicker man again, Kaia said, "are you guys perverts?" They spluttered for a moment and Kaia took that time to walk forward with hard, determined steps that masked the fumble in her gut. Her head cocked sideways as she neared. When it came to be about four feet, her grin went malicious and wild, her eyes stretching out in a heated sort of manner. "Don't care too much for perverts, mind ya. Hope you can excuse the question 'f I'm wrong."
Swiftly, the smaller man slid back, pulling the other with him while Kaia passed through the door. It would have been quite a tight fit if the men hadn't squished so far into the frame. Once in the sunlight, Kaia let herself laugh, since that was rather funny, and she was just a little stressed and just a little irritated and just a little confused, maybe, and it remained a little funny.
"H-hey!" The thick one grabbed her arm, the bad shoulder, and it hurt. Kaia, acknowledging the pain, made to look at him with a pleasant face but her teeth remained morphed in that bared, feral style.
"Mind lettin' go?" she asked quietly. He did, faltering. Kaia twirled her stick which, although charred at one end, was hard and wide at the other. Her eyes creased shut. "See, I was under the impression violence was bad." And then she let them open again, leaning one finger against her cheek. "But I've also been told there's to be exceptions..."
"No, no," the short man quickly shot in, grabbing his friend by the arms, "violence is bad. Our mistake."
And Kaia laughed more. And more. And more and more and more, like a windshield wiper during a dry day, or a barely wet rag going over the same spot on glass. It wasn't an appealing laugh. Kaia knew it. But it sounded funnier than the two men did, and she was still a little scared, so she kept laughing right over the side of the wreck.
Half way back to the main ship, she stopped, let her gaze fall flat and her features return to a normal mix of apathy and mild curiosity. "I wonder," she mused, "if that's how I'll always respond when scared. Gets the job done, I suppose, but still." She fisted her hand before stretching the fingers. "I'm a funny sort of wimp, aren't I?"
Her thoughts flashed to Runa before she flicked them away. Didn't help to think about what she couldn't do, or what she'd made wrong if she couldn't fix it. Then again, it didn't help to not think about it anyway.
Kaia shook her head, slapped her cheeks. That was wrong. Not thinking did a lot. Not thinking meant that she could keep moving and keep going, meant that there'd be nothing holding her back, and nothing there to stall when she needed to have motion. It meant a whole lot and it made things a whole lot easier, too. And, since Kaia liked simple things, and easier was simple, she'd just keep not thinking about such things.
Mind sufficiently made, Kaia let off a friendly smile and wave lean for the man approaching her from a nearby bunch of boats. Akihiko's pants were wet up to the knees and his hands had the darker lines of wet sand slithered over them, but based on the bronze statuette he held under one arm, she figured his trip to the sea'd been worth it.
For a short bit they walked without saying much to each other. Then, straight out of the blue, he stated, "when was the last time we met?
Kaia scratched her cheek, giving him a slow, lazy look. "This morning."
He scoffed but kept going. "I mean, before the Hunter's Exam."
"Oh." She thought back, remembered he'd said something about four years. But...hadn't he also said eight? And he'd last spoken to Taru two years back? Ah, she found herself confused. "When we did. I got a bad memory."
"Who are you?" From his height and the angle, he cast a long shadow over her that stretched to the palm trees. She gave him a quizzical stare and he met it evenly. "I am not an idiot."
"Oh. Well, that's no good." She stretched an arm, uneasily watching the trees on the other side. It occurred to her that he may be speaking of her...possession, yes, a possession...of Kaia. "What gave me away?"
"You bared your teeth when I bumped into you in the tunnel. No denial?"
"'Course not." She flashed a grin. "I ain't never kept it a secret either. Is just, nobody asked yet."
Akihiko ran his hand down his stubble thoughtfully. "I see. So? Who are you, miss stranger?"
"Kaia right now."
"You," he threw a darker glower that left a tightening in Kaia's chest, one she was, unfortunately, familiar with, "will answer."
Kaia's lips began to curl but she kept them from raising too high, choosing to lick at her teeth to focus. "Kaia," she said, "right now. I'm not Kaia, but I'm Kaia, if that makes any sense."
"...How long, then? And do be careful which words you use, miss stranger."
"If you're meanin' not to lie, ain't gotta worry about that. Don't like lying." She fiddled with a bracelet. By now, they'd reached the big ship. A set of stairs up wasn't too far off either, so she started for that, talking along the way, trying to cradle the stretch of fear she felt. "I woke up about thirteen?" she counted eight fingers. "No, fourteen days ago. I think? One or the other. Hard to remember when I'm dead."
He trailed after her with a fluent ease. "Then you are a ghost. Where is Kurisutaru's sister?"
Kaia bit out a violent grin, holding two fingers to her temple. "Up here. She's stuck up here, no way out and time's ticking hard. Say, what do you tell people who're dying?" She paused at the top of the stairs, looking down on him. He met her gaze sturdily.
"Can I persuade you to leave?"
Kaia frowned. "I don't think that'd go over too well."
A quizzical tilt pulled his eyebrows before he ran a hand through the black tangles in his bangs. He walked up to the same step she stood on, and her head had to stretch to see his face. "I meant," he said, lifting his chin, "can I persuade you to leave Kaia's body? If you need a different host, I'm certain it could be arranged."
Figures. Kaia rolled her shoulders, turned away, and trailed to the end of the very short line of examinees who'd also found treasures among the nearer ships. Now that she understood what Akihiko meant, she decided she should come up with an honest answer that could appease both their minds.
Akihiko followed her to the line, standing close behind her so they could continue talking in quieter tones that the others wouldn't be obliged to listen to. "Your answer?" he asked.
"Don't think there's much you can do," Kaia explained eventually. "I never purposefully possessed Kaia. Not too long ago she wasn't even a person to me, so like... I dunno, can't exactly leave what I never got myself in."
"That... I see, that's what you meant by 'waking up'." He hummed. "I suppose I could find an exorcist."
Her features bristled as her fear went a newer sort of wild. "Are you threatening me, Akihiko?"
The man wasn't the least bit phased. He rolled the statuette from hand to hand, pondering. "I wonder if someone else forced you to possess her body."
"Oh, yeah," Kaia, slowly, let herself relax, "I got a call right after saying I was in a test or something. Dunno why. Don't really care, either."
"You have no drive to remove yourself?"
"No sir."
"I see. Yet you know she is dying?" He shifted behind her, but she did nothing. Then, he asked, "were you this cold in your last life?"
The words gave Kaia pause. Cold? As in, cold hearted? Perhaps she was. She knew she was selfish. Perhaps they were the same thing, because a true selfishness could not be birthed unless the character did not care of another's well being, which of course, did indeed sound quite cold hearted. Kaia...didn't think she was, though. She liked doing things she liked doing. She wanted people she liked to be happy. She didn't quite care about another's social standing nor their standing at all, unless it dealt with her, but it wasn't that she was cold. She certainly felt things. She wasn't immune to emotions. She just chose whether to continue feeling them or not, to continue listening to their pull. But...she had stolen this body, she supposed, and thus had some owing to the person who'd used it before. Then again, that didn't really matter, since it was hers now and...
Oh.
She'd heard this before, hadn't she?
Something like... "But I know it doesn't matter to you. You don't care. You don't want to care. Since you're just...cold in the heart."
Kaia frowned, listening to the seagulls for a while. Banner's soft, layered voice was quick to determine that the man up front's little pot of gems wasn't worth as much as it had seemed simply because many were so cracked and broken from the harsh environment. He got a room though. A third class, and was allowed into the hotel. Kaia watched him go with tired eyes.
She took a step forward, sighing as the next man was scrutinized, before finally tilting her head back to say, "probably."
"I see." His face remained stern. "Then yes. I am threatening you."
Then it was her turn. She showed the woman, Banner, her necklaces along with all the golden chains and a few of the silver bracelets. The items in her bag remained in her bag though, for no reason other than her not needing a perfect room. Figuring she'd spend most her time with Hisoka, she'd only need a room to sleep in and that was pretty much it. For what she'd do with the golds, well, she could trade them for jenny later, after gaining understanding of this place's currency, and maybe buy herself...
No, wait, she didn't want to buy anything. She just wanted a lot of money. Money to...just have. Yes, because Kaia was selfish.
"Second class room for you. It's a double room, meaning you will have a roommate, but feel free to enjoy solitude for a while."
"Cool," she laughed heartily when she spoke, but what she felt wasn't amusement. "What time's food?"
"There will be lunch at noon and dinner at six pm. Anything else, my dear?"
"Do all the rooms have a shower?"
The woman offered a gentle, pleasant smile Kaia didn't care for. "Of course. There is also a room to treat injuries. We don't have a doctor with us, but I'm certain your friends would be willing to help bandage your shoulder."
"Neato, thanks." Kaia started for the lighthouse but stopped in favor of waiting for Akihiko. The man was gifted a B-class room as well—a different number from hers—and although he met her eyes when passing, he did not stall for further conversation. He simply up and strutted to the lighthouse, a confident, but frustrated feel to him. Kaia stared after him for a while. Her shoulder buzzed a bit of hurt.
"Shoot."
He'd never told her what to say to Runa.
She bit her lip. "Ah...shoot."
Well, no sense in worrying.
"Kaia!"
She turned sharp at Gon's call, catching sight of the tanned boy when he trudged up the stairs. He, and Killua. Between them they carried a large chest of goods. From that moment, it was easy to dismiss any frustration or irritation or thought at all, and Kaia took the chance eagerly.
"Wow, that looks expensive." She huffed a chuckle, which Gon joined in with a brighter, lighter laugh sounding more like a boyish giggle than anything else. Killua, on the other hand, just scanned her oddly before drifting a toothy half grin.
"Gon and I teamed up," he said. "so sorry, you're out of luck."
Kaia followed them over to the lines. "Really? I'm all sorts of unlucky today."
"Killua, what do you mean Kaia's out of luck?"
The blue eyed boy tossed a 'heh' over his shoulder. "You're probably waiting for somebody to drop extra gems or something, right? So you can feed off of it?"
"Killua," Gon reprimanded, "that's mean. ...Did you need help, Kaia?"
"I am..." Kaia scratched her neck, where her sunburn had edged into a small peel. "Amused. Yes, amused is the right word here."
Gon turned his head. "So..." he glanced at the sea spray, then the light house, then her. "Did you need help? Because me and Killua can give you some—"
"What? No we won't!"
"We can! Kaia's our friend and if she needs help—"
"Argh, Gon! I was joking! She probably already has a room, that's why she was up here!" He jerked his eyes towards her. "Right?"
Kaia pulled her key from her pocket. "Right-o, Chicken Smoothie."
They moved up when a contestant was denied a room. Then, Killua leaned back to say, "you called me that when we first met. What's it mean?"
"It," Kaia, completely honest and straightforward, answered an instinctive response she'd been told before, "I-T, is a two letter word to identify a something. Said something could have been referenced or be a person, or creature."
Gon laughed but Killua chose to scoff instead. "Fine. What does 'Chicken Smoothie' mean?"
"Oh." That made sense. "That's just a game I used to play."
"So why do you call me 'Chicken Smoothie?'"
"Hm, good question." Kaia paused, frowning, then reached to tap her chin. She used to call her younger sister 'Chicken Scratch', but that was a little different since the girl's handwriting had been an awful mess that Kaia liked poking fun at. For why she called Killua 'Chicken Smoothie'... Eventually she just shrugged it aside because thinking about it didn't help find any answers. "Dunno. No reason behind it that I can think of. I'll stop." She brightened, glancing behind. "Oh, hey, Pokkle."
"Oh, you again. Kaia, right?" The lean man weaved up the last few steps quickly before trotting over to her with a handful of plates. They were pretty, yellow aged plates that Kaia could picture old ladies hoarding. Kaia counted seven of them. On her other side, Gon and Killua viewed them skeptically.
"Are those worth anything?" Killua asked.
Pokkle, brown eyes rolling, lifted one up carefully. "These guys are antiques. I could probably sell the whole set for a billion. But since the rest were broken..." He put it back down and leaned on one hip. "Still, not all expensive things are made of gold, guys."
"That's so cool!" Gon said brightly. He jabbed Killua in the shoulder. "Hey, hey, do you think this chest is worth anything too?"
"I don't know. The stuff inside's pretty expensive though."
"Yeah, but what if we can offer the chest as well? I think somebody could use it for something..." The boy trailed off thoughtfully before saying, "a laundry hamper?"
Killua's stare went flat. "How's that supposed to sell?"
"I don't know."
"Stupid."
Pokkle chuckled, and Kaia listened with curious, interested ears. He had a nice laugh, she decided. Something like a...well, she couldn't exactly describe it, since she couldn't quite relate it to anything, but it sounded nice all the same. Longer rolling breaks, ones where his eyes, a pretty reddish brown, would crease at the corners.
She looked away, scratching at her neck before folding her hands in her pockets, unsure.
"Who's up next?" Genner asked. Kaia refocused on the now, coming to stand beside Killua. The boy opened the treasure chest in time with Gon, revealing an overflow of silvers, various lesser gems, some diamonds, and gold. Genner, enthusiastically, grabbed a ruby from the bunch, holding it to the sun.
Killua leered. "Whaddya think? This has gotta be worth at least ten billion!"
Genner abruptly frowned and he pulled the gem closer for inspection. After staying quiet for a moment, he adjusted his glasses and said, "it's worth no more than ten million jenny."
Killua dropped the chest. "Are you kidding me?"
"Well, you've got the gems all scratched," Genner explained, "because they were mixed with the diamonds. They need to be re-cut to be of any use."
Banner held out a key. "A second class cabin for you two as well."
The two gloomily splotched toward the lighthouse, grumbling as they went. Kaia twirled her key. Then, mirthed, watched the exchange with Pokkle and his plates.
"How unfortunate." Banner was the one speaking this time. She held the antiques with dainty, old hands. "If you had found all twelve plates in the set, it would have been worth at least nine million jenny. We'll give you a second class cabin." She handed him a key that didn't match Kaia's. He took it quickly though, nodding to them before coming up beside Kaia.
"Were you waiting for me?" He flashed a smug sort of grin that Kaia copied.
"'Course. Wanted ta see if we'd have the same room." She held her own key up then, puffing her cheeks. "Fortunately not, though. Guess I'll jus' have to wait for everybody else to pass to see my roomie."
He stared at her oddly before scratching at his pale brown, shoulder length hair. "Yeah. You know, because you hang around that magician guy, I kept thinking you'd be different."
"Really?" Kaia perked. They walked a short ways to the lighthouse, still chatting. She pulled her hair up like Hisoka's. "You thinkin' I was creepy?"
"Actually, yes." And then he got quiet, and Kaia got quiet, and then she felt awkward so she tilted onto her heels before rolling to her toes. The man must've felt the same sort of awkwardness, 'cause he edged toward the doors. "Well," he said, "I'm going to my room now."
"Oh, yeah."
"You should, uh, change your dress. It's really...bloody."
She glanced down. "Oh. Yeah. Probably."
The door slapped shut behind him. Kaia blinked at the metal before smiling and wheeling back around, marching toward the line, where she figured to study anyone gaining a second class cabin. Before she could make it there, she caught sight of a familiar face pulling up the stairs.
Kaia's smile grew. "Leorio!"
"Huh? Hey! Kaia! There you are. Look what I found." Leorio scurried up those last few steps. The whole time, he lugged a huge black chest with him, one that sounded heavy. When he started dragging it to her, she met him halfway, stopping before she hit 'cause somebody rammed into her shoulder.
Lorelei cast her an irritated scowl. "Oh. Sorry. Didn't see you."
"Whoa." Kaia, noticing the tension and not feeling up to keeping it, lifted her hands. "I didn't see me either."
"Hey, hey, guys," with a quick pull at her arm, Leorio drug her back to relaxed. "Instead of glaring at each other, look at what I found. It's..." He lifted open the top in a fabulous glory that showed four massive cannonballs. He gagged.
Kaia reached for one. "These look heavy." It was a bit of a struggle getting it out of the casing, but once it sat in her arms, she realized it wasn't that heavy at all. Perhaps she was just getting stronger? That sounded right. "Were you going to turn this in? Wonder how much it's worth."
"So now you're taking other people's stuff too?"
Kaia blinked quick and thrice, a mind of frustration pecking at her neck. "Yup. I'll put it back. My bad." She stared at Leorio for a moment, then at Lorelei; Kaia really didn't want to get irritated. She didn't want to allow herself to get irritated. Best to avoid it, then. "I need a shower," she said simply.
Leorio met her gaze. "So do I. But you stink a little more."
"Yup." She laughed, then, "see ya around, friend."
The inside of the lighthouse differed greatly from the out, something Kaia acknowledged immediately. For one, the air was a much thicker, wetter kind of warm; a sea tainted humid. The floors were a dark hardwood and had dents littered here and there, but were overall well taken care of. Much like the walls, which held paintings and soft pink interiors. The ceiling had hanging bulbous lights. Kaia didn't like it.
But, she mused while stepping quiet past the lines of rooms, she wasn't here to like it. She was just here to enjoy it. So she would.
A while of wandering lead her to the second class hallway, which on one side held all the rooms, and on the other, dozens of windows that'd been recently cleaned. They left a friendly, sunny mark all around. Kaia reached to copy the feeling. And, although it was just a little hard, just a little, she did.
Her room was a large one. Green carpet, green bed sheets. Both beds sat against the right wall, and between them was a vase with a dead daffodil. The far wall had two big square windows with pale curtains resting on each side, while on the left wall, there was another stand with a vase, this time with a living flower. Beside that was a door to what Kaia assumed to be a bathroom. A quick check proved that true. Nothing fancy, but it included a bathtub with a showerhead, and a clean toilet and a bar of soap by a white sink. Kaia walked back into the bedroom to the farthest bed.
Half way done with fishing out some yellow pants and similarly yellow shirt, the bedroom door squeaked open. Pleased, Kaia glanced up, welcoming words on her tongue. But the words curled and hesitated at the tip. Lorelei mirrored Kaia's surprise.
The other girl recovered first. "Kaia," she said curtly.
"Probably," was her response, and it startled the both of them.
Lorelei sighed. Crossed her arms. "I don't want to room with you."
"Thanks."
"And that's why. But...how about a temporary treaty?" She scratched her arm, shifting the green of her eyes around. "I don't remember this happening in the anime. I'm not sure what to expect."
Kaia hooked her clothes under one arm and straightened, now amused. "It was in the old version. Gonna be a big storm, if I remember right, and then we'll get to the other island where we's to fight each other. It'll get back on track pretty soon." To herself, she added, "I think."
Lorelei looked appalled, but then her features merged to one of hope. "You saw this? Wait, so you know who's rooming with who?"
"Probably."
"Do you or don't you?" She crossed her arms.
Kaia shrugged. "I do and I don't. Who you wanna know about? I can tell you what they used to be."
"Killua."
"He's with Gon." Kaia tilted her head. "I think Leorio changed rooms so he could talk to Kurapika, and Tonpa got stuck with Hisoka? Don't remember too well. Say," she swallowed her thoughts, "know what to say to people about to die?"
"...Excuse me?"
Kaia shrugged. "Just, you know. If not, that's cool. I'll figure something out."
Lorelei took a step back. "Are you...threatening me?"
"Oh," Kaia shook her head, "nah, no reason to. Just wondering is all."
"...I'm," Lorelei, cautious, pulled the door back open and eased out, keeping eye contact the whole way, "going to switch rooms now."
Kaia wasn't sure what to say when the door shut so she didn't say anything at all. Just locked herself in the bathroom, stripping off her clothes along the way. She turned the water on as hot as the knob would twist before peeling away her bandages. Since nobody was looking, she didn't grimace. Or flinch. Or really care much about the pain, since she didn't feel like she had to. She just stared at the still gaping hole in her arm and wondered why it hadn't healed yet. Her palm was fine. Why not her shoulder?
Maybe something to do with leaking her nen?
She dismissed the concern and stood up, but paused at her reflection in the slowly misting mirror. Still flat, glass blue eyes rimmed by the marks of sleeplessness and uncannily long lashes. Sunburnt cheeks. Wildly curly black-brown hair, made even darker with clumps of dried blood and the occasional jumble of sweat salt. Scabs and scrapes across her skin, down her neck to her collarbones that were starting to sink beneath shoulder muscles and child-like pecs. None of her fingernails were gold anymore. Kaia had liked them gold, but Kaia hadn't, so now Kaia didn't have them.
Because Kaia wasn't Kaia.
It was a weird thing, Kaia decided. When she showered, she made sure to not think about anything, just focus on the blistering heat pounding her back and the screech of fire from her injuries when they touched soap. The water hit her clear but drained away a very muddled, red color.
Kaia didn't care.
She didn't want to.
She didn't feel cold hearted.
That didn't matter.
Dressing herself after took short work. Bandages were found in a drawer by the sink, and they felt cooler, pleasant on her wounds that she'd picked at prodded at till no dirt or grime remained. Idly, while sliding some thick socks on, she wondered who her knew roomie would be, and whether or not she should call Kurisutaru again, and maybe if she should feed Neko more, since he was starting to look a little skinny and if he was following her, it was her responsibility to make sure he stayed alive.
But...the same could be said about Runa.
Kaia brushed her teeth. Ruffled her hair. Pulled at her sunburn, flashed her canines, and headed out the door, bundle of dirty clothes under one arm. Killua, who had just walked in, stared at her stupidly.
Kaia let herself smile. "Well, that's a relief. Here I was thinkin' I'd be stuck with a weirdo."
She supposed, as they started to chat, that if she wanted to avoid irritating things she'd just focus on happier ones. Like the living yellow daffodil, and her steadily growing muscles. The sky stayed blue from her view of the window. The trees a nice, friendly green. Killua was a good kid with an interesting way of talk that Kaia had been unsure of at first, but now enjoyed, and she didn't have a problem sitting cross legged beside him to converse. The occasional tap on the arm or shove of the ribs didn't bother her. He did need a shower though—something she mentioned more than once. Something he also, continuously, changed the subject on.
Finally, as the outsides were starting to get just a little warmer, with the haze of midday, Kaia leaned back across the bed and stretched, yawning loudly. "So we just gonna sit here all day or go do something?"
"Gon was going to show me how to fish. Wanna come?"
"Sure," she said, "I like fishing. Oh. Speaking of, who's he rooming with?"
Killua's face contorted. "Lorerei. She came over to us demanding to change rooms since her roommate was threatening to kill her or something."
"Oh." Kaia grinned. "Wonder who that was."
"So...fishing?"
"You need a shower."
"I'll take one later, sheesh, stop nagging me!" He stood up, brushing off his pants before moving around the bed for the door. He paused at the side. After waiting a second, in which she just stared at him blankly, sprawled on the bedside, he said, "well? You coming?"
Kaia hummed and picked at her fingernails. "Say, Killua, what do you..." she said, though she wasn't sure what she was supposed to ask. Well, it didn't really matter. They were just words.
"...What? Did you suddenly go dumb or something? What were you gonna ask?"
She looked at him again. "...Probably something stupid. Though," she sat up, "I think I'd rather just go fishing."