Once the time is up, all the applicants that have passed are escorted outside. There are twenty- five left, and as Adella looks around, she notes quite a few are rookies, like herself.

As they step into the sun, the applicants are greeted by a man with a rather spiky mohawk, almost matching Gittarackur.

Adella looks between the two, smiling to herself.

"I'd like to congratulate all of you for escaping Trick Tower. My name is Lippo, and I have been your examiner for the third phase."

He winks at Adella, having already spoken to her and her friends, watching eagerly to see how their trip had gone. "Now, I hope you don't mind this surprise. But your ride to the next phase is here."

Behind him, an airship rises into the sky, waiting for the applicants to board. Adella hears Gon talking excitedly and looks over to find he has reunited with his other two friends.

She smiles, happy that the four have made it.

"See? Those other two don't need a mother." Ryn moves to Adella's side, happy to be back out in the open air. A few days stuck inside one room with a vast majority male population had been a test of sanity.

"That's because they are not twelve." Adella responds, and Ryn is once again reminded that despite not wanting kids, Adella was built to be a mother.

And if someone had their way, she would be.

For now, Ryn just rolls her eyes, watching as the airship lands. The Hunter Exam wasn't a time to think about what ifs. "So, phase four. What do you think it will be?"

Adella doesn't answer, moving to follow the rest of the applicants on board. Whatever it is can only be worse than the tower, and with only one more phase before the final, anything was possible.

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The hotel was certainly not what everyone had been expecting. After all, what they had been expecting was phase four of the exam, but it seemed they were to be given a little break.

Or at least, that's what most of them assumed. "It has to be a test."

Ryn nods in agreement, glancing from Adella to the two men keeping their distance. "Do you think they know?"

"They'll figure it out."

After being told they would have to pay, and of course not having money on them because it was the middle of the exam, everyone had gone treasure hunting to pay for expenses.

Ryn and Adella had each found countless treasures of priceless value (some of which they decided to keep) but knowing this was obviously not a break like the hotel owners had claimed, didn't go to the lengths the others had. They'd all get the same type of room anyway.

"What room do you have?" Ryn holds up her key, letting it swing from the small chain attached to it. "Same one as Hisoka."

Adella grimaces. "Try not to be too loud."

Ryn chuckles, flipping the key into the air before catching it. "Who's your roommate?"

Adella shrugs. "Not sure. And someone has been very intent on keeping his distance." They both turn in the same direction before noticing they can see Gon and Killua fishing off the end of the boat. "I'm glad they've made it this far."

"Yeah, but it will only get worse. I know you're worried about them."

Adella sighs, clearly the more motherly of the two. "Yeah, I am, but Killua is a Zoldyck, so I know he can handle it. I just worry about Gon."

Before Ryn can either agree or disagree, the hotel manager calls for attention. "I'll be escorting you to your rooms now, if you will follow me."

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Tonpa sat in his room, groaning with discomfort. "I've taken part in the hunter exam 35 times, and even though I never made it through to the end, at least I've always managed to stay alive. But I've never been in a predicament like this before." He turns to look at his roommate, sweating. "How come I have to share a room with this freak?"

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Adella stands below deck, staring out at the horizon over the railing. Ryn had retreated to her room with Hisoka, probably to try to steal one of his decks of cards and prevent him from hitting a new record in how many card towers he could make. At least that's how it would start.

Adella had gotten the snake charmer for a roommate, and after having found a snake in the shower with her, had quickly exited, needing the space. She sighs, thinking over the past few days and those still in the running to be hunters. Who would fail next?

Footsteps echo down the hall, catching her attention, and she turns, curious to see who was headed for her. Tonpa rounds the corner, and she scowls. This man was asking to be punched by this point. Considering the stunts he had pulled in the tower, it was a wonder Ryn hadn't killed him.

He skids to a stop in front of her, panting. "You have to switch rooms with me!"

Adella narrows her eyes, scrutinizing him. On one hand, giving Tonpa something he wanted was very much not something she was interested in. But on the other hand, Tonpa would hate the snakes more than whoever he had now, that she could count on.

He had learned not to underestimate the two women during the individual battles in the tower; she'd seen how he looked at them. Like they were monsters. Good, that's what they wanted. Besides, if Tonpa was asking her for help, it must be bad. But she could handle bad, could Tonpa handle snakes? One way to find out.

She smirks, handing over her key. "Sure."

He snatches it from her, throwing his key in her face and racing away, not letting her think about the decision. She chuckles, checking the room number before heading towards whatever awaited her.

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As the door closes, Adella sighs. Finding the room had been harder than anticipated. The steady sound of clinking fills her ears, and, for a moment, she listens, trying to place the sound. Of course, a little while later she realizes who her new roommate is.

A grin spreads across her face as she locks the door, turning to face the man on the bed, not paying attention to her. "Well, fancy seeing you here."

Gitarrackur looks up, clinking in excitement as he spots her. "Seems you terrorized Tonpa into switching. Good thing too, I took a bath with a snake." He click-clacks again, not amused by that statement.

Grinning, Adella crawls across the bed to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How are you doing, ugly boy?" He jitters again, rather put out by the new name. "Sorry, pretty boy. You know I don't mean it."

Despite the many pins in his face, she manages to find a way to kiss him, causing another round of clicking. It was the most expressive he ever was, letting the clicking of his deformed face do all the talking. "Well, we have quite a while until whatever test this is starts, have any ideas of what to do until then?"

All the characters (for this part of the story) are now in play. The boat hotel sideplot from 1999 HxH is partially responsible for this story, so blame it. Tonpa rooming with Gitarrackur is hilarious.