"Apprentice?"

The blue haired woman was apparently a Hunter- which explained her muscles- and she wanted to take him on as an apprentice. Sort of.

She tossed one leg over her other and plopped an arm behind her on the blue chair. Her face was set in a serious visage even as the rest of her body was relaxed. To Jasper she looked like a snake about to strike and it made him wary.

"Mhm." Her foot started bouncing in the air. "I can't accept you fully as a Gourmet Hunter yet because you can't taste your work but I can get you started on the basics of nen. And," her eyes narrowed on him and he leaned back on the bed warily. The door was open thankfully, because she was blocking the way to the window if he needed to flee, "in exchange you're going to accept my orders on your diet. If I give you a set time to eat, you eat. Got it?"

He felt like he didn't exactly have a choice.

Technically, we already know the basics of nen. I could teach you again.

Harry's random interruptions were getting less and less startling but that still didn't stop him from flinching. Menchi's sharp eye caught it but she didn't say anything, waiting for his response most likely. What Harry had said gave him some measure of relief, too. It meant he had options and options were always good. Despite Gon introducing her, he was very wary of the Gourmet Hunter, especially after he'd been left alone with her while the others went to do… stuff. Grab bags or… something. They weren't all that clear.

But this also meant he had no true reason to accept, right?

Well… Yes and no.

Jasper could feel his eyebrow twitch.

It would be good to have someone pushing us to eat. We can't… feel hunger right now. And multiple opinions and teachers never hurt.

Can't feel hungry?

It's something I would like to explain to… everyone. They've already seen the cause and I'm sure they'll have questions. Leorio did say there would be a sit down chat. I'm assuming it'll happen when they come back or when we start traveling.

He thumped his hand down on the bed in agitation. Of course, more things that were being hidden from him.

I'm not hiding it, Jasper. Just... waiting a bit to tell you.

He scoffed, turning his attention back to Menchi. She'd not moved an inch besides her bouncing foot. "Why should I accept?"

Her head tilted. "Besides the fact that you're actually at risk of dying due to malnutrition or refeeding syndrome? I can teach you a lot about nen. Though, considering you haven't asked what it is… you already know. Which begs the question of how much you know and if that Hatsu was yours."

"Hatsu?" he muttered questioningly before he could stop himself.

It was mine, Harry huffed.

"Heh. Guess you don't know everything. Wonder if it's that alter of yours…? Tch. Doesn't matter. In any case, you need a teacher and someone to keep an eye on you while you get some meat on your bones." She pulled herself from her lax slouch, sitting straight with her hands clenched on her knees. "I'm a harsh teacher. I don't care for whining, I don't care for half-assers. What I do care for is that you do what I say, when I say it. I'm picky with a quick temper and exacting standards. My training will hurt, it will push you to your limits. But… if you listen and if you try, you'll go from raw to full fledged Hunter material."

Before he could say anything there were footsteps pounding down the hallway. Menchi relaxed, her muscles shifting under skin fluidly as she leaned back in the chair kicking up her leg again.

Well, that one is rather intense, isn't she?

Jasper couldn't help but agree.

"Jaaaaass! I have all of your stuff," Gon announced as he skidded in through the doorway. He proudly held up two bags, a leather side bag and a small fabric pouch were set on top of a folded set of clothes. He held them like an offering and Jasper twisted so he could snatch them and set them on the bed in front of him. "You should get dressed so we can set out! We have to get to the airship!"

He glanced down at himself. A thick white shirt with a breast pocket and white pants that hung a bit on his hips. He looked at the folded clothes, then back at himself.

"These aren't mine?"

"Whoa! Look at all the white!"

"Would you stop squishing your face to the window?"

"But it's so pretty!"

"And your face is greasy!"

"Jasper," Blondie coughed in amusement, interrupting his distracted banter with Doctor Drab. "We really do need to talk. You have all of tomorrow to admire the flight."

"Ugh, fine." He peeled himself away from the sea of fluffy white clouds outside the window. With a sad huff, he meandered over to the chair Gon was sitting on and squashed himself in next to the boy. There was just something about being in close contact with Gon that was satisfying. It had been awkward at first, making his skin itchy, but the more Gon tackled him or hugged him or… well, the more touch he got, the more he craved. The brunette didn't seem at all averse to his clinging either so Jasper quite happily indulged in it.

Once he was comfortable (his legs thrown over Gon's, with Gon wrapping an arm around his shoulders), he stared expectantly at the others. The room they had bought was rather fancy, the only one that was large enough to accommodate their group on such short notice. Though, buying was a rather misleading term he'd learned, because a Hunter's License basically made most travel free. Which had been quite a revelation. He'd gone on a rant during the run to the ship about how much easier it would be to try and find his family.

That giddy floating feeling hadn't gone away at all and it had been hours.

Even now, staring at everyone else, he was in the best mood since… well, ever!

Leorio (who was now insisting upon using his actual name... but it was so much fun to tease and watch him go on a muttered rant when he called him Doctor Drab) was perched on the arm of the couch. It was a matching set to the chair, both of them some kind of soft red fabric that felt good under his fingers. The teenager- which he still had trouble believing and had said so to the tall brunette's face- had his hands stuffed in his pockets and was grumbling away with a sour look on his face. Kurapika (who was much less fun to tease with his nickname as he only got raised eyebrows) was tucked into the corner of the couch furthest from the aspiring doctor. His hands were clenched in his lap and he was watching everyone with a half-smile on his face.

Menchi was actually flitting around the room. He still hadn't agreed to be her student but apparently that didn't matter as she was stuck to him like glue. He hadn't talked to her since her announcement in that room and despite not really wanting to, he probably should in the near future especially if his good mood lasted.

Right now she was pacing in front of a large black box that was settled halfway into the wall of the airship. Underneath it was a gorgeous looking wooden cupboard with twisted metal handles. On either side of that were two large leafy plants that added a pretty spot of green to the creamy walls. Both chair and couch were facing Menchi but also each other so it made it easy for everyone to see everyone.

"Sooo… what are we gonna talk about," he prompted after a moment.

Leorio let out a slow breath, leaning back further so his legs were stretched out and more of his weight fell on the arm of the couch. One hand was removed from his pocket and he waved it in the air as if he didn't know what to say. But speak he did. "Right… we got sidetracked at the Hunter er, place? Hospital? Whatever. Just to clarify, we're going after Killua… who almost killed you. And you're fine with it?"

"Yes."

"Okay. That was... easy. Next topic. Your health." Menchi turned sharply at this, crossing her arms under her chest and watching intently. "There's a lot that should be said but I want you to be comfortable. I can talk about this alone with you or-"

"Right here is fine," Jasper hummed. He didn't really have anything to hide.

Leorio shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, his hand falling to pinch the bridge of his nose. He dropped his hand a moment later to settle on the couch as he looked at Jasper again. "I'm hoping, as crazy as this is going to make me sound, that your… head mate? Can explain. Things. Maybe?"

They did say they wanted to speak with me. Will you let me, Jasper?

Jasper shrugged, melting further into Gon until he felt that same strange sensation of being yanked backwards.

Harry reveled in the feeling of sturdy weight that came with sitting in the front seat. It was rather disconcerting spending so long stuffed in the back of someone's head. He had never wanted to know how Voldemort felt in his first year. In fact, he could have done without it entirely but he was here and there were things that needed to be done; protecting Jasper amongst them. It was also really nice that he didn't have the kid practically destroying his own mind to get back to the front whenever he had to take over to save both of them.

There was just something so fulfilling and soothing about being able to feel the pulse of blood traveling the body and… just feeling in general. Harry would never again take for granted the five senses.

He also knew why sensory deprivation and overload could be considered a form of torture.

"Hi, Harry!"

The voice was loud and in his ear- ringing; ringing that pounded through his head- and very much the same Gon that he'd met last night. "'llo."

He was jostled momentarily, making him open his eyes to gaze at the occupants. Seeing through the mindspace with the barrier in place was indescribably different; something close to tunnel vision that was a few seconds behind. Or maybe watching the memory of what Jasper was seeing a little after it was already happening. Then throw in sounds which were processed immediately and it was very difficult to pay attention at all times. Most often he blocked the current sounds and focused only on the memory sounds. Unfortunately, that could leave him behind if it were something important so when he truly wanted to pay attention he went without vision, focusing only on what others were saying. It was great practice for reading tonal inflections, at least.

Harry had always been good at reading body language… He'd just been getting a different kind of people practice.

Now that the seal had been broken and he was allowed free access to Jasper's senses in real time, it was a struggle to adjust to the change. Having practice in bodily form should help him. Maybe.

"That… that is very unnerving," Leorio admitted, staring at him with wide eyes. It was the first time Harry was getting to see him in person and despite Jasper's Drab moniker, the teenager was anything but. Leorio's skin was a tawny beige that mixed well with his darker eyes and hair but just describing them as dark didn't do them justice. His eyes practically sparkled with his emotions and his face was so openly honest that it made Harry homesick for the red and gold towers of Gryffindor. Though his ambitions and suit color lent him more towards the inquisitive minds of Ravenclaw, Harry thought the man would be right at home with him and the Gryffs.

Kurapika was quite the opposite. He had the ice cold beauty of a Slytherin Prince and a solid mask to go with it. He had seen the boy smile in Jasper's fractured memories, which softened his entire image, but right now, sitting there on the couch he looked as if he could have been carved from marble. With hair gold enough to woo a veela, soft supple pale pink skin, and eyes that changed color depending on the lighting; Kurapika was a gorgeous man and would only grow to be even more so. Thankfully, despite his calculating regal mask, the older teen was nothing like Malfoy and seemed to harbor a softer heart.

"You're the one that asked for me," he pointed out as he shifted to look over the last one in the room (besides his seat buddy). Menchi was staring at him with pursed lips, rocking side to side on her heels. Jasper had been right to notice her muscles because, wow, Harry had seen that physique only on his fellow quidditch players; most notably the Weasley twins. Her revealing clothes only brought more attention to the hard work she must have put into her body to achieve that state. It was almost incongruous with the pretty face that she had. Her cheek and jawbones could cut glass but everything else was soft enough to balance it out. And her hair was a sparkling blue that he could only ever find on a jewel. It was a pity she tied it up in such a strange fashion. Hair like that would frame her face and shoulders and mix her colors like a canvas art piece.

She blinked her teal eyes at him and Harry shifted his gaze back over to Leorio who was staring up at the ceiling with a bobbing throat. It was rather long and-

Well, he was getting lost in his admiration. He'd never really admired the beauty of the world around him until his jaunt trapped in a mindspace but… everything was just so solid around him, less mutable and fleeting. He didn't need to so desperately hold on to his sense of self as the world shook and sundered itself around him.

He shook his head a bit to knock himself back on track. These people, the ones that had cared for Jasper, had questions. And Harry had answers. He'd just have to be very careful with them. Last time Jasper hadn't been able to hear much, probably due to the newness of their transition but he wasn't sure how much he'd hear now… nor how much these bunch of new friends would keep from his younger charge.

"We did," Kurapika intoned quietly. "I suppose I'll start while Leorio pulls himself under control." He got a sharp look from the blue-suited man but nothing else. "Since we've never officially met, let me introduce myself. My name is Kurapika of the Kurta clan."

"A pleasure," Harry murmured in return. "I'm Harry. Just Harry."

Kurapika nodded, his eyes sharp and scanning the planes of their face. It was strange to be in a body not his own. He'd seen it a few times in reflections and really the only thing that could be considered the same was their hair and even then Jasper's was much darker; a pure black compared to Harry's own dark brown.

"How long have you been with Jasper?"

Gon shifted next to him, probably also curious about his answer. They hadn't discussed much last night, not anything of importance besides informing Jasper of the Hunter Exam adventures. "A very long time," he answered steadily, knowing it wasn't exactly what the blonde wanted to hear. "We've been separated until recently, though."

"I'm assuming it had to do with the exorcist," Menchi hummed, tapping a finger to her lips.

"Yes. Our nen... We had never had a reason to be separate before until we were sealed."

And that was all he said on that matter no matter how much Menchi tried prying more or Kurapika asked leading questions. Gon sat next to him the whole time, his fingers tapping a rhythm against his shoulder. It was a helpful and welcome distraction. Though he wondered at why the slightly taller boy asked nothing, he was extremely thankful for it. Gon had a childish enthusiasm and innocence just like Jasper and Harry didn't exactly want to pit himself against two of them.

"Ok, ok. You won't answer. We get it. Stop picking on the kid!" Harry's lips twitched into a smile at the vehement defense from Leorio. Definitely a Gryff, that one.

"I'm assuming you're ready to ask me questions then?"

Leorio looked a bit sheepish, his glasses glinting in the light from the bulb overhead. Outside it was already darkening though the clouds were still an ethereal sight. He wished he could take flight amongst them like he used to with his broom. Especially in a body that didn't require glasses. His heart twisted wistfully and for the first time since they had switched, he heard Jasper.

Why are you sad, Harry?

I'm not sad, he thought to the boy. I miss flying, is all.

He thought that Jasper would respond but Leorio cut in first. "Do you know how badly you were hurt?"

Ah. Of course, this would be the line of questioning for the doctor. "The particulars? Not really. I can't exactly look inside our body, after all. But it's fairly obvious when you're bleeding out from a giant hole in your chest."

Leorio looked chagrined but apparently he was determined to continue. "And before that?"

"You mean… during the exam? Yes. But healing in the state we were in was- difficult. Unless it would kill us there was little I could do." He shifted lower and turned his face so he could settle his ear against Gon's chest to hear his heartbeat. It was a steady rhythm that helped him focus on one thing instead of all the sensory input around him. He briefly wondered if it was normally this cold in an airship before refocusing on the conversation.

"And having lungs that were going to collapse due to the immense amount of blebs wasn't a worry for you?"

"Considering I don't know what a bleb is, I couldn't tell you," he responded dryly.

"A bleb is… On a lung it's an air pocket outside of your lungs. If it ruptures that's less space for your lungs to expand until they collapse," the man explained haltingly as he threw his hands up in the air. "And you had hundreds! On both lungs!"

"Had," he huffed, closing his eyes. "They probably went away when we were exorcised right?"

"Well, yes but-"

"Then why are you worried?"

"Because you had them in the first place! How did you even-"

"The Trick Tower, I'm assuming."

There was a sudden silence that seemed to weigh on the room physically. It made him crack an eye open to stare at everyone else. He hadn't even realized they had closed...

"I know you have some of Jasper's memories but how much do you remember," Kurapika asked softly, shifting forward so his elbows were on his knees and his chin was supported by his clasped hands.

Harry let a slow breath out from his nose and contemplated what to say. Jasper already knew that Harry had information he wanted, and these people were smart enough to pick up on what he wasn't saying. There shouldn't be any harm in telling them that he knew more but-

Even just thinking about it made his head spin and his heart clench in his chest. He didn't want them to question and pry, there would be plenty enough of that from Jasper.

Harry… you're breathing too fast.

He sucked in a breath and held it. "Everything," he croaked, then released his breath in a rush. Gon's arm tightened on his shoulders and his other arm came up to lock around his middle and tug him further onto the taller boy's lap. The increased contact made him shudder at the warmth of it until it seeped into his skin.

He didn't know how long he sat there in the quiet, soaking in the presence of a boy younger and taller than him. Eventually, when the sky had darkened noticeably he was able to lift his head and look at the gathered group of people again. "Any more questions?"

"What happened at the Tower," Gon questioned quietly.

At the same time Menchi asked, "How much nen training have you been through?"

"Hm. One at a time, I guess. The Tower… Are you sure you want to know?"

Gon nodded, his chin brushing the top of Harry's head. So, Harry sighed and sat straight again, back against the arm of the chair, grounding himself by running his fingers over the fabric of the couch again and again. He thought over what he knew of the group. Gon seemed rather loyal but he didn't know the boy's thoughts on killing. Kurapika would probably be okay with it but one never knew. Menchi was a Hunter… but she hunted ingredients. He wondered if it would hurt their chances to have a teacher. But, truly, the one he worried about was Leorio. The teen had a temper like Harry's and he didn't want to deal (or leave Jasper to deal) with an explosion right now.

… Safer to test the waters?

No… Perhaps just get it over with. Rip it off like a plaster.

"Alright. We ended up on a majority path with three people. In the end the man killed the woman and we killed the man." It still surprised him how casually he could talk about this now. He was more guilt ridden over the fact that there was no guilt. Harry had started losing pieces of himself here and the apathy over killing was one of the bigger pieces he had no idea how to get back. He wanted to be like his old self- nauseated, horrified over the thought of even hurting someone.

Survival first.

Then morals.

He tried not to think about it.

It was just… really disheartening if he thought about it too much.

"But we were stuck because the watches weren't working. So… we used what we had available and blasted the wall open. It was mostly accidental. But it was enough to create a poison that immediately started eating at us. I was able to get it out of our lungs enough that we could survive. The remnants created the rashes and blisters that you saw on our hands. I'm assuming that, just like our skin, it caused some lasting damage to our lungs. When we were cleansed I was able to do a blanket healing," he finished, wiggling his fingers and dragging the tips against the couch to feel the soft fibers dig under his nails.

The healing itself had been interesting. Having been completely freed from suppression, it basically had a minor celebration sprouting ghostly flowers and herbs everywhere. Every one that he could ever remember learning about, even some only specific to his old life, had burst into bloom around them (probably startling the exorcist and doctor) and the healing effects had kicked in immediately. He had no idea if it had affected anyone besides him and Jasper as he'd never tried to use his Hatsu on anyone else… but if it did they probably felt as fantastic as he did. It had also been such a large burst of power used that it knocked him right out alongside the already unconscious Jasper.

His wandering fingers were captured by Gon and Harry turned to the boy who looked uncharacteristically serious. His dark brows furrowed against his honey colored skin casting a darker shade over his sharp amber eyes. "I'm glad you're alive."

He gave a weak smile, ignoring the painful clench in his gut. "As to nen training," he turned his gaze back to the adults, mainly Menchi. "We had a teacher… He's dead. I know the basics and I created my Hatsu but… we haven't been trained at length. I could teach Jasper on my own and he'd probably prefer that but… it would be easier with help."

As much as he'd love to do it on his own, he couldn't see from the outside and he wasn't a master at nen. They would need training if they were going to survive a jaunt around the world. They were barely surviving on their own. And Harry was not so prideful that he wouldn't ask for help when he recognized it was needed. Also… the food thing was probably important too. Sacrificing the ability to feel hunger had not been one of his smarter ideas but he'd been desperate at the time.

Menchi looked him over for a moment before giving a sharp nod. And that was all the questions for the night. They had obviously noted his drooping and decided to wrap things up. As Leorio put it, 'they had plenty more time for questions later'.

As he curled on the chair in preparation to sleep, he watched Gon plop on the ground in front of them with a pillow and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He wouldn't protest, though. The boy could do what he wanted. His eyes slipped closed, allowing him to savor the feel of the soft cushions beneath him holding his weight evenly. Jasper would automatically switch back when they slept so for now he wanted to enjoy this. Even if being out for so long would exhaust him he was hoping that this could be done more in the future. Going back after experiencing all of this would be-

Painful. Freeing.

But… he would endure. He had no other choice now.

Harry, you love to fly above and through the clouds on your own power… Are you an angel?

He heard the question… wanted to laugh at it. But his mind had already drifted back into shadow and slumber.

AN: Whew! The first POV from Harry and we finally get more information!

Q&A: Drakality- Menchi is determined to make sure Jasper is not skin and bones forever so she's going to be around a while. How much magical experience do you think Harry has? ;)

The relationship between magic and nen is mutable. In some areas it comingles, in others it rejects, and in others it enhances. I'm hoping to slowly explain it over time! Thank you for your comment~! They give me life and inspiration!

Tetractys- Woohoo! Harry has some freedom now! ;) And yes, they do actually have separate Hatsu!

Shoutout to my guest reviewer! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!