Chapter 35: Truth x Or x Dare

January 29, 1999

Levi wakes up to noises coming from outside the room. He rubs his eyes as he realises it's the troupe. He yawns and starts getting ready.

A few minutes later, he's outside in the surprisingly quiet living room-- at least, by the troupe's standards.

All the members are gathered together. They seem to be playing some sort of a game. Levi glances at the cards strewn around and walks over to Chrollo, who, as usual is sitting away from the rest, immersed in a book sitting open on his lap.

When Levi gets closer, with a small nod, he beckons him to sit on the armchair in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" Chrollo studies his tired face.

"Hm... better, I suppose..." Levi rubs his eyes again and yawns.

"Were you able to sleep well?"

"Mhm... I don't know why I'm still so sleepy..."

"Perhaps, it's because your body's healing which makes it use more aura as a result?" Chrollo suggests.

Levi nods. "Hm... Maybe."

"How about you have breakfast and return to-" A sudden burst of aura cuts his words short. He turns around to find a Phinks ready to murder a bemused Hisoka.

"YOU LITTLE-"

"What seems to be the matter here?" Chrollo raises an eyebrow and his aura retracts.

Phinks takes a deep breath. "This... this clown bastard cheated in the game!"

"Oh? Do you have sufficient proof?"

"Tch." Feitan snits. "No can win with no cheatings."

"Exactly! That clown definitely cheated!"

Chrollo sighs. "If that's all your proof then I'm afraid it's not enough."

"Damn you, clown bastard." Phinks murmurs and, scowling, sits back down.

"So, what game are we playing?" Shalnark cheerfully asks Hisoka.

"Hmm... Truth or Dare... better version~"

"Better version. What the hell, Hisoka?" Nobunaga snaps.

Hisoka ignores him and turns to Levi. "Would you like to play too, dear boy~ It's better than staring like that, don't you agree~"

Levi flushes and in turn, faces Chrollo. "May I, Chrollo-san?"

Chrollo smiles and nods. "Of course."

Levi beams and jumps down from the chair. Hisoka pats the place next to himself, but Franklin and Shalnark invite him to sit with them before he can go there.

"Hm... so, what is truth or dare?" Levi bounces on the couch with a big grin, swinging his legs back and forth.

Feitan glares. "Tsk. No acting like children."

"But I am a child!" Levi stick his tongue out at Feitan but settles down after that.

A few chuckle at that, but Hisoka's the most prominent.

"Oh~ it's a simple game~ We'll each get a chance to ask someone a question or to do something-- the person we ask gets to decide which one~"

"And... how is the person chosen?"

"Each of us can choose a playing card assigned to us~ whichever card the person draws, chooses the person they can ask~"

"Well, that's basic truth or dare. What about the better version?" Nobunaga frowns.

"Hm~ I was getting to that~ Whatever we ask the person to do or answer, we'll have to do or answer the same thing ot question~"

"Weird." Feitan mumbles.

"I like it!" Shizuku exclaims. "It sounds interesting."

"Heh! This might be the only time I'll find myself agreeing with something Hisoka suggests." Uvogin muses.

And so, they begin. After much, confusion, Hisoka ends up giving Levi the seven of hearts, because, afterall, "He's seven years old and such a sweet heart~"

Some sigh at that,while Levi just utters a nervous thank you.

"Danchou, are you playing?" Kortopi pipes up right before the game starts.

Chrollo smiles but shakes his head.

After a small argument, Phinks goes first and randomly chooses a card from the pile of twelve.

"Six of diamonds..." He reads out loud. "Paku?"

"Yes." She replies.

"Well, truth or dare?"

"I'll play safe and choose truth for now."

"Alright then... uhhh... Damn... what the hell do I ask... fine... if you had to switch nen abilities with anyone in the troupe except Danchou, who would you switch with?"

"That's a boring question!" Shalnark whines.

"Well, then you can go next." Phinks snaps.

"Alright!"

"Machi... I believe my ability is the one most suitable for me, but as you said I had to... so, I choose Machi as I think hers is the one I'm most compatible with. If not that, Kortopi's is good too."

"Alright, my turn. I would just switch with Uvo 'cause ours are kinda similar-- although, obviously mine's better."

"Hey-" Uvogin starts but Chrollo clears his throat so he simply settles for a glare at Phinks.

The next turn is Nobunaga's. The card he gets is a seven of hearts.

"Truth or dare?"

"Uh... Truth!"

"Hm..." He scratches his chin bemusingly. "... alright, kiddo. If you had to get stuck in a room with one of us for a whole day, who would you choose?"

"Well... I guess it's kind of interesting at least..." Shalnark mumbles, to which Nobunaga shoots him a dark look to shut him up.

"Hm... Danchou!" Levi beams.

"No." Nobunaga sighs. "That's an obvious choice. Choose someone else."

"Huh! But- okay... in that case... Hisoka-san!"

Nobunaga blanches as Hisoka chuckles.

Suddenly, Nobunaga's aura flares up. "Why the hell would you want to be in the same room with this damn clown?"

"What do you mean? What has he done wrong? I would rather spend a hundred years with him than hundred days with a yelling machine like you. How can you condemn someone like that? He has done nothing wrong against me-"

"Levi, that's enough." Chrollo finally speaks.

Levi immediately bites his tongue to stop talking.

Chrollo sighs. "Nobunaga, don't yell at him without a reason."

"Well, do you really want me to give him a reason?"

"We can talk about that later."

"Alright, Danchou, got it." Nobunaga grimaces.

"Hey, Nobunaga! It's your turn to answers the question!" Shalnark reminds.

"I think we all know who he's gonna choose-- Uvo. So what's even the point?" Machi rolls her eyes.

"Guess you're right." Shalnark shrugs.

Uvogin beam at Nobunaga who smiles back.

Hisoka snickers, gets some disgusted glares, and the game moves on.

"Hm... it's the joker." Levi announces his card, his voice solemn. "Who's that?"

"Me of course~" Hisoka smiled.

"Oh, ok then. Truth or dare?"

"Hmm... truth~"

"Uh... well, hmm... why do you dress up as a joker...like from this card?"

"I like it~" Hisoka hums.

"Huh, why?"

"That would be another question~"

Levi groans. "Okay."

"So, you can't answer the same question as me, correct~"

"Oh! Oops... yeah. Uhm, I guess you'll have to ask me a different question."

"So... where are you from~"

"Huh? Why are you interested?"

"You've already asked your question, Lev~"

"Come on, Hisoka-san!"

"Hm... but a magician never reveals his secrets~"

"Fine!" Levi whines. "It's Gourteau."

"Gourteau? I thought no one could ever leave that place." Franklin raises an eye brow.

"That's East Gourteau. I'm from West Gourteau."

"There's a west?" Franklin asks.

Shalnark whips his bat-phone out and starts his furious typing, until his face is adorned with a satisfactory grin.

"The Republic of West Gourteau is one of the nations of the Mitene Union. It is bordered by the Republic of Hasson the west and the Republic of East Gourteau at the east.

It has the highest GDP in the world, and is known for its music, cultural heritage, healthcare and education systems, and one of the world's lowest crime rates.

For access to further information, click on this link-"

"Damn, Shalnark. We don't need to write a book about it!" Nobunaga snaps.

Shalnark pockets his phone back and beams. "Always happy to help!"

It's Kortopi's turn next and he also draws a seven of hearts.

"Hm... I wonder what's up with us drawing Levi twice in a row~" Hisoka comments.

Kortopi thinks for a while before he asks. "What's your nen type?"

"Oh, it's Transmuter."

"Damn it!" Phinks yells.

Feitan snickers as the blond hands him something.

"How the hell are you a Transmuter, brat?" Phinks glowers at him.

"What's wrong with beings a Transmuter?Besides, it's not my fault that you lost a bet." Levi frowns.

"Hell, yeah! It is! If you're a Transmuter then why the hell do you keep acting like an Enhancer?"

Levi's eyes widen before getting even smaller than before as he dashes out of the room and into the lobby with a choked sob.

"The... hell?" Phinks murmurs.

Chrollo closes his book and stands up. "We'll talk about this later. I'm going after Levi."

As Chrollo leaves the room, Nobunaga sighs. "That kid's a riot."

Chrollo opens the bedroom door to find a Levi crying under the blanket.

He gently removes the blanket from his face. "Levi?"

"Give it back!" He croaks.

Chrollo obliges. "When's the last time you ate something?"

"I don't remember." Comes his muffled reply.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, go away!"

"Don't lie like that."

"Just go away!"

"If you really want that, then I'm sorry. I can't."

Chrollo removes his blanket and throws it on the floor.

"Give it back!"

Chrollo sits next to him on the bed, and wipes the tears streaming down from his eyes. "Go get ready. We're leaving."

"But I don't- Fine!"

Levi walks over to the washroom, still eyeing the blanket on the floor.

A minute later, he emerges from the room, looking better.

"Sit here." Cbrollo pats the space next to him.

Levi obeys rather reluctantly.

"Are you taking your medicines?"

Levi nods. "Just took them."

"Good. I found your wardrobe to be empty. You can't exactly go in these clothes, so I took the liberty of getting new ones for you.

Levi blinks. He has only been in there for a minute.

Chrollo notices his confusion and smiles. "There are good stores nearby."

Refusing to elaborate further, he brushes his fingers through his hair, combing them out. "You need to brush your hair."

"I know." He whines.

Chrollo pats his head and points to a set of clothes next to them on the bed. "Wear them, okay. I'll be right back."

With that, he leaves the room to let Levi change.

Levi examines his clothes-- blue jeans and an yellow sweatshirt with a wide gray stripe on each upper arm. They are simple, but complement his features well.

Levi opens the door, to find Chrollo patiently waiting outside. He notices the specks of blood on his hands but says nothing. He's also no longer wearing his suit jacket either, but only a white shirt and black pants.

Chrollo washes his hands and returns to the living room, where Levi sits waiting.

He softly pats his head. "You look great."

Levi flushes.

He takes out a hairbrush from his pocket and starts fixing Levi's hair.

"They're all over the place." He comments with a slight frown as he combs through a particularly difficult lock.

"Do you want a haircut? Your hair extend to your shoulders."

"Hm... I've never thought about it... but maybe?"

"Do you want them fixed today?"

"Ow- don't pull that hard, and yes?"

"Sorry. I will take you to a good place then. Alright?"

"Mhm. Thanks."

"No problem. Do you want someone else to go with us?"

"Huh? Well, that's your choice."

"Hm... well, I believe only the two of us will be fine."

"Okay."

After Chrollo brushes his hair, he takes him to a fancy hairdresser, only a few miles away.

It takes over an hour, but Levi's hair look a lot better.

"Thank you, Chrollo-san." He chirps as they exit the salon, the hairdresser dead on the floor, stabbed in the back by her own scissors.

"You didn't really had to kill her though." Levi pouts as he glances back. "I thought we were keeping a bit of a low profile here."

"You don't like killing?"

"Hm... I don't know... It's just that she gave me a great haircut."

The reach an intersection where they have to cross the road.

"She was just doing her job. You really think she would have- Levi!" Chrollo grabs his right wrist and yanks him back as a motor bike whizzes by in full speed.

His expression darkens as they reach the other side of the road.

"Wait here for just a minute. Don't go anywhere. If someone disturbs you, kill them." With that, Chrollo disappears.

"There's blood on your cheek." Levi points as Chrollo returns back.

He wipes away the red and smiles. "Sorry about keeping you waiting for more than a minute." He holds Levi's left hand. "Just to be safe."

As they walk through the busy streets, Levi asks in a low voice. "You didn't have to, y'know?"

"Didn't have to do what?"

"You're playing dumb. Please don't."

"I really don't understand, Levi."

"It took you a longer time and there was blood on your cheeks."

"So?"

"You didn't just kill him."

"And?"

"You didn't have to... torture him just for it."

"Are you upset I left you there like that? I'm sorry."

"It's not that!"

"Huh? What is it then?"

"Never mind." Levi mumbles.

They turn a corner and reach a restaurant. Filled with dazzling lights, it's a sight to behold, even in those posh streets.

Levi gulps. He's never been to a fancy restaurant.

"You'll love the food here." Chrollo promises, trying to ease Levi's nervousness as they walk through the lobby.

The receptionist is a burly man who towers over even Chrollo. He scans Chollo's missing jacket and Levi's casual clothes.

"We made a reservation here."

"Name?" He asks gruffly.

"Chrollo Lucilfer." He answers politely.

"Hey Chrollo." He simpers.

Levi narrows his eyes at the blatant disrespect. Even he knows that he isn't supposed to talk like that to a customer. Chrollo, however, keeps his charming smile on his face.

"For someone who made a reservation here, you don't seem to be aware of our dress code." He scowls.

The smile still on his face, Chrollo sends a little bloodlust the receptionist's way. His smile only widens as the poor man whimpers.

"Did it ever come to your mind that... perhaps, we don't care about the rules?" Chrollo asks, his voice still smooth and polite.

"I'm sorry! So sorry for disrespecting you! You may go! Just please-I just! Just forgive me, sir!" The man desperately cries out, Chrollo's aura suffocating him.

A crunching sound echoes throughout the polished marble floor and walls of the lobby as the man drops down dead, Chrollo's bloodlust finally being too much for him.

"Let's go." Chrollo lightly tugs on Levi's hand that he still holds, and they step in an elevator.

[A/N: I forgot to mention Levi's hairstyle in the first chapter and I'm pretty sure every reader has already given him a different hairstyle in their minds so... I decided to give him a hair cut.

I also finally have a visual representation of what Levi looks like. (It's with his new haircut):

https//scarleteyedchainuser/art/Levi-HxH-OC-899678903

I hope it helps you visual the scenes better and I'm really sorry if it messed up how you previously thought of him to look like. ]