"I have something to ask you," Hisoka replied, tracing small circles on Vividus' stomach with his finger.
Playing with Hisoka's Fuschia locks, she would hum in response, raising an eyebrow towards the Jester. "What do you wish to ask?"
Hisoka hesitated for a moment before speaking; he knew that the Kurta woman was reserved when it came to her own thoughts. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the moment with the platinum blonde. However, regardless of not wanting to ruin the moment, in a way he wanted at least one of his questions answered that's been lingering on his mind for a while now.
"I want to ask many things, however, if I do; I don't think I'll be able to hold back when it comes to my words."
Rolling her eyes, she would let out a small sigh and no longer cuddled the Jester. Instead, she would gently push him off her and now laid by his side, looking at him with her full attention. Hisoka's golden yellow eyes peered into her own Hazel-grey ones.
"What do you want to know?" She asked, giving him the chance to speak his mind.
By her short response, Hisoka was taken back by how she's giving him permission to let him speak. Usually, Vividus isn't the type to let him know more about her than he already does. From the time he's known her, she would try her best to keep her goals and feelings to herself. But the fact that she was willing to let him ask questions was definitely a huge step between the two of them. He wasn't exactly sure why she was letting him in in terms of emotions, but he couldn't help but grin to himself. Seeing how there's finally progress with the woman.
Not letting this opportunity slide, he started to talk.
"It's been nearly two months since I last saw you, Vivi-chan." He started, "I never took you as a woman who would be a part of a team, let alone quickly working alongside the Chairmen. So what I'm fairly curious about, is why did you accept this mission in the first place?"
Vividus stopped playing with Hisoka's hair. Taking it as a sign, he would prop himself up with his elbows and hover slightly over the Kurta woman. As his golden hues connected with her Hazel-Grey ones, he frowned lightly to see that her unreadable expression is once again present. However, by the look of her eyes, he knew that he struck a nerve. But he couldn't predict how she was going to act out.
"What are you implying Hisoka?"
At this point, Hisoka was now hovering over Vividus's body completely. He was now on his arms and knees with the woman underneath him. His eyes sparkle with curiosity and wonder as he simply just wanted to know more about the woman.
"I feel there is so much more than you are letting on."
So with that, he continued.
"From just simply observing in the shadows, you have been through a lot. You even managed to reunite with your brother at the Hunters Exams out of all places! But here you are, a mercenary, working against an underground organization while working as an undercover agent." He said, "I know the eyes of your brethren are involved, but I think you have other objectives in mind."
For all of the years he has known the woman, every action she has performed has always captivated his attention. Everything she does now no longer views her as potential prey, but rather for a completely different reason; he just can't seem to put his finger on it.
His only presumption is that if Vividus ever disappeared from his life, he would certainly feel the displeasure of losing her. That being the case, he is not about to let Vividus escape his grasp.
"So for that; I'd hate for anything to happen to you, sweetheart," he said, noting the woman's eyes widened in shock a bit at his words, giving himself a small reminder of the nightmares he's been having regarding the woman below him. "So can you please be a sweetie and let me know what exactly is going on in your head?"
At this point, it was a simple stare-down between the two of them. Vividus furrowed her eyebrows together as she studied Hisoka, trying to figure out what he was feeling and what his motivation was. Although his expression is equally difficult to read as her own, Hisoka's expression makes it difficult to decipher whether the woman is joking with him, or if the words he said truly mean what they say.
It may even be both.
Letting out a small sigh, she turned her gaze to the side, breaking eye contact with the Jester as it looked like he had won the stare-off against the man. Staring out the window, she tried to articulate her thoughts to herself.
"You're right, Esther is my main contact for hopefully getting the information I need to get the eyes of my brethren back" she replied, "As you already know, she has a pair, but I am unsure where they are. Once I locate them or find out where she hides them, I can then use that information to hopefully find the rest. She is also a flesh collector herself, so I took advantage of it."
While speaking, her eyes now flashed scarlet;
"Using my status as not only Floor Master, but as a survivor of the Kurta Clan, I let Hizashi use his own resources and "leak" information about me and my Aqua-Control abilities to the Dragurs. This attracted Esther's interest.
"So you set yourself up as bait?" Hisoka whistled in amusement.
"I did indeed," she answered.
"But why is the madwoman so fascinated with you?" Hisoka questioned, intrigued by her logic, "Even if it's just a pair of eyes, why would you go to such lengths for that?"
Hearing that comment, she was slightly irritated by his words but tried to remain cool. "Why does Esther show interest in me? I have no idea, nor do I care, but I feel responsible for the carnage that was wrecked on my family and people. Whether the intention is revenge or to put my family to rest...it is the least I can do. Collecting the last remaining eyes would be my final mission before I can finally be at peace with myself and hopefully make amends with Kura-chan..."
The Jester noticed that something had snapped inside of her, and Vividus propped her back up and turned Hisoka over. Landing on top of him, with her hips straddling against his own, he had no need to hover over her. Being taken aback by her sudden aggressive action; he felt more shocked by her actions. Hisoka couldn't calmly resist the excitement coursing through his body. Especially how the Kurta woman didn't always exhibit such dominance.
"Hisoka, you always keep your eyes on the prize. You love power above every other emotion. You never crave revenge. All you want is to face strong opponents," Vividus drank bluntly, "So honestly, it's a situation you will never understand."
The words sent Hisoka into a sudden flash of memory of his mother and grandmother, their beaming faces suddenly breaking like glass. His frown became angrier when he heard her say those words. Talking with the platinum blonde was starting to jog his memory, especially one that changed him profoundly. Even though she has no idea what Hisoka feels, he couldn't blame her due to her lack of knowledge about his past.
But in the end, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
At one point in his life, he experienced revenge and succeeded. But she does not know this, so in a sense, he has an understanding of her feelings quite well. He turned into a psychopath and lost everyone he held dear, while Vividus somehow managed to hold onto her moral compass and retain at least one member of her family who remained alive; even if it was just one.
"It's strange to think, I do know how revenge feels," he chuckled darkly, "How it happened is different, but the results are the same."
"What do you mean?" She asked, stunned by his words.
"The people you wish to kill will die, however, I hope you understand that obtaining your goal; people you hold dear to you will also die if you don't play your cards right," Hisoka said darkly, with a sinister smirk across his lips. "It's just a matter of being able to maintain your sanity. Because I know I lost mine after I achieved what I wanted."
The Jester heard Hisoka say those words, and he finally understood what the woman felt. Chuckling to himself, he leaned up from the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling Vividus close to him and held her there. In spite of his sudden touchy response, Vividus maintained a strong demeanour, letting her scarlet eyes hypnotize him in an instant as it showed her powerful self and not backing down. Trying to prevent his intimate actions from having an effect on her to maintain her power and ascendancy. While his excitement was heightened by her breath tickling his face, he tried to contain it while shivers ran down his spine.
"Vivi-chan, are you ready to sacrifice everything for your goals, even if it means losing a part of yourself?"
Her head gently nodded, and she put her hand on Hisoka's shoulders, pressing her forehead to his, and maintaining eye contact with the Jester. As a woman of her word, she wanted Hisoka to know that she really meant it; make her declaration clear.
"Anything Hisoka," she replied softly, "even if it kills me."
"Good," the fuchsia-haired man responded, feeling encouraged by her response, "so I'll be there for you every step of the way and see that you accomplish your goals."
No longer pressing her forehead against his, she asked, "Why are you so adamant about helping me?"
Unhooking one of his hands from her waist, he would raise his hand up and gently cup the side of her cheek. Using his thumb to graze lightly against her soft pink lips as he said;
"You never fail to disappoint me. As long as you don't become boring, I will always stand by you."
After the encounter, neither Hisoka nor Vividus talked about what happened.
Once their talk was over, Vividus quickly left his room and left to get ready. Hisoka still had to meet with Gaia to arrange the outfit for the mission. When she acquired the clothes she needed for the mission from Gaia, she looked in the mirror to ensure that the outfit she was wearing was presentable. She soon donned a pair of gold stud earrings created by Kuuki.
According to the blonde man, he incorporated his own nen into the studs to use it as an electronic communications device. As long as it is worn, everyone wearing the earrings will be able to communicate in their minds. However, the moment it is removed, the communication will cease.
To hide her neck's bruise, she decided to wear a snug turtleneck top paired with a beige trenchcoat. To match, she wore dark navy pants and brown ankle boots to add the finishing touches. The woman did not want the other Elementos to lose their temper on Hisoka, especially Gaia. As she twirled in the mirror, she let out a small sigh and rubbed her neck in annoyance.
"Dressing up like this is such work," Vividus mused to herself. "I miss my old clothes..."
Then, eyeing herself one last time, she grabbed a pair of circle-shaped sunglasses, placed them on the top of her head. Soon grabbing her luggage and began to walk towards the docking bay.
She knows many things need to be done once the air blimp lands. Particularly when Vividus and team elements are set to invade Eden in a week. During that time, she needed to gather as much information as possible to not only take down the pharmaceutical company but ensure that Esther and the Draugrs were exposed. Particularly the White Garden Project and saving Tobias and other children involved in the Nen-Beast experimentation.
The mission has taken her undercover for so long, so she is eager to complete it and make sure none of her efforts go to waste. So much is at stake and so many questions need to be answered. She made sure that the mission wouldn't be compromised even though she was undercover for more than a month, hoping to save innocent children who were also involved. Now that the finish line is near, she is confident that all will fall into place.
It won't be long before she can close this chapter and move forward.
When the airship started to come down into the land, that was the sign she needed to get moving. Grabbing hold of her luggage, she grabbed the handle and began walking down the corridors toward the entrance, meeting up with a certain Jester to go over to the first destination.
While hearing her heel tap against the floor, and the wheels rolling, she felt an almost anxious sense of self-doubt, as if everything could go wrong at this mission. She knows that lives will be lost and is fully aware that blood will be shed, however, the one thing she is unsure of is how she will handle losing those close to her throughout this mission. Especially those she built a close relationship with these past two months.
Since she already lost her family, she isn't sure if she can handle losing anyone else.
Her attention was drawn to an unfamiliar figure, perched against the wall at the airship's exit, playing with a deck of black cards as his eyes were closed. Blinking a couple of times, Vividus was taken aback and soon realized it was Hisoka.
Hisoka was no longer wearing his usual Jester outfit. Instead, he wore a red dress shirt with a black vest. Along one side of the vest, there was a pink diamond pattern that fitted his figure perfectly. Along with dress pants and clean dress shoes, he wore his hair down, which brought out his jawline. On one earlobe he wore gold stud earrings, one side featuring a heart, the other a star. Which is surprisingly sufficient for the man. Hisoka hadn't worn his face paint for a while but the look still maintained his Jester identity. This outfit gave an impression that Gaia may have been involved in some way and it made him stand out in a subtle way.
Even if she does not want to admit it, Hisoka looks like a handsome stud.
While she is still trying to take in Hisoka's current appearance, she notices that her cheeks are now dusty with red. The more time she spent with Hisoka, the more attractive the crazy clown was becoming to her. Biting her cheek, she felt her handshake as she gripped tightly onto her luggage handle.
Hearing the shuffling of cards halt, she turned towards the man standing before her. Now noticing his golden hues were now looking at her, his lips curled into a smirk. As he raised his body, he no longer leant against the wall and put the deck of cards in his pocket. Instead, he placed his hands on his hips as he eyed the woman up and down, smirking even more as if to show his delight at seeing her.
Hisoka teased, "You look lovely as always, Vivi-chan."
"S-Shut up," she said, strolling closer to him. "You're just being flirtatious."
Hisoka would playfully place his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt by his words. "What a cold woman you are~!"
Rolling her eyes, she'd now stand next to the entrance of the airship, listening to the sound of the ship's shaking when it finally landed on the ground. As she was about to reply back. She felt a sudden connection in her mind hearing a familiar voice calling out.
"Are you ready?" Hizashi's voice echoed in their minds. Now Kuuki's nen earrings are taking effect and working perfectly.
With a snicker, Hisoka looked over at Vividus, his lips curling into his signature grin. Licking his dry lips as he believed that he would finally be able to fight strong opponents. For the Jester, he felt like this is the moment he's been waiting for. Feeling excited as he finally gets to have fun.
"More than ever~!" Hisoka chimed.
"Good," Then Hizashi replied, "How about you kiddo? I know this mission will not be easy for you. Your last chance to back down is now."
After Hizashi asked for a final confirmation, Hisoka felt the air become cold and dark. When he looked down at the small figure, he couldn't help but smile, feeling her powerful presence radiating power and determination. Looking over to Vividus's smaller frame, Hisoka noted she was silent. Seeing her close her eyes, she would place her circular shades on and move forward.
"You already know what I'm going to say, Hizashi," Vividus responded smoothly. "We've worked hard to achieve this. So I'll see it through till the very end."
As the door began to open, the Jester watched her slowly open her eyes as they became scarlet once more. He could see her emotions starting to show and felt her ren hit him hard.
Hard enough for his excitement to spread out across his body as if adrenaline were coursing through him. Pleasure coursing through his veins as he gets to feel her thirst for power once more.
One of the Kurta Clan Survivors, Vividus, accepts the fact that blood will have to be shed during this mission. And that memory alone made Hisoka Morow look forward to seeing the platinum-blonde he has coveted for years;
At last to witness her shed blood in action.
Her trench coat riding behind her as well as her hair flying into the wind as the silver portholes of the ship opened. The wind blew against their clothes gently as the silver doors started to part.
As she placed her sunglasses on her face, she proceeded to move forward. Seeing Hisoka take a glance at the platinum-blonde, he couldn't help but grin even more as he saw her eyes twinkle underneath the black circular sunglasses. The unbridled emotions of her made Hisoka even more envious.
With her scarlet eyes meeting his golden hues, she would nod her head towards Hisoka, signalling that it was finally time to depart for the mission. Without hesitation, he started to follow her from behind, looking forward to seeing how everything would soon fall into place.
"Good," Hizashi replied. "Therefore, may the White Garden Project commence. May the odds be in your favour."
Author's Note:
THE ARC IS FINALLY KICKING OFF AFTER SO LONG. This is going to be so much fun to write. After I'm done writing this Arc the storyline will finally follow the original plot of the show.
If all goes well, I'm hoping to wrap up this Arc between 10-12 chapters.
Also, I made a Twitter account if you're interested!
It is: NezuVIX
I was thinking of using that account to update artwork and even chapter previews.
If you folks want me to make an Insta as well, let me know!
Otherwise thank you all so much for reading.
Until the next chapter, please stay safe during this pandemic 3
Take care,
Nezu