Sunlight trickled through the windows and across Killua's face. He opened his eyes, and then blinked several times. The Valkyrie made to sit up, but found himself trapped. He was tangled in a nest of heavy blankets and limbs. At some point during the night he and Gon had migrated to each other, and now they lay in a pile. Killua was laying on his stomach, and Gon was splayed across him as if he were a body pillow.
Killua was more than used to waking up beside Gon by now, it was as natural as breathing. However for some reason, considering his thought process from the night before, he felt a little strange inside. Killua shoved those thoughts away, and instead focused on keeping his breathing even, he didn't want to wake Gon up. That would be all too easy, what with him half-laying on top of him.
The silver haired boy closed his eyes and listened to Gon's sleeping breaths. The boy's touch made him feel so happy. It hadn't been until he had met Gon that he had realized just how touch starved he was. Growing up on Kukuroo Mountain, it was drilled into him that the only time a person got close to you was when they were moving in for the kill.
But Gon had shown him otherwise.
Killua basked in the hybrid's presence, that foreign feeling swirling gently in his chest. Before he could latch onto this feeling and over analyze, Gon stirred. The other boy squirmed about and rolled off of Killua. The Valkyrie ignored the feeling of sadness when he pulled away.
Gon sat up and stretched like a cat.
"Good morning, Killua," he said in a voice thick with sleep.
"Good morning," the Valkyrie responded as he sat up and detangled himself from the blankets. He ran his hands through his wild silver hair, but it continued standing on end as usual. Killua climbed out of bed and stretched his tail all the way out. As he strained the limb his spine satisfyingly popped several times, each tendon stretching out and bracing for the day ahead of him.
A light knock rapped against the doors, the only warning the two boys received before a group of 4 Neko-Girls flooded into the room. They burst in, ripe with energy. They swept the curtains open, made the bed, and led Gon and Killua each into a closet/changing room place. Racks and racks lined the walls, and every shelf was full. None of these clothes had been there the night before, suggesting that the Neko-Girls must have snuck in to stock the closets while Gon and Killua slept.
Killua tried to protest as they stripped him of his clothes, but was interrupted, "We will be your new servants, Master Killua, savior of our village! My name is Eirisse and this is Circe, we have been assigned as your personal handmaids, and are honored to be at your service!"
"That's cool and all, but I can undress myse-"
"Up and over!" Eirisse said cheerily as she tugged his shirt up and over his head, while Circe pulled his pants down around his ankles at the same time.
"Hey!-"
"What do you think of this color?" Eirisse asked Circe as she held a deep green garment up to Killua's body.
"That would work more for someone with Gon's skin tone, I suggest a brown or navy," the other Neko-Girl responded.
Killua sputtered as they weaved in and around him, smoothly yanking clothes off the shelves and holding them up to his body. He was completely naked, and whenever he attempted to cover himself or turn away one of the two girls was suddenly there and testing a new fabric against his skin.
He released an embarrassing squeak as Eirisse took hold of his tail from where it had been wrapped around his upper thigh and Circe pulled a pair of undershorts up around his hips. He was glad to have the worst of him covered, but he was not enjoying how close Eirisse's nimble fingers were to his tailbone when she threaded his tail through the tail-gap of the undershorts.
His face was on fire as they pulled a pair of baggy brown pants up his legs and once again threaded his tail through the tail-gap. They pulled his arms through the sleeves of a white dress shirt, and Killua gasped as they tightened what was - to his mortification - a corset-style lace up back. They tied the laces up at the back, and pulled a black silk vest over the dress shirt. Eirisse slid a pair of blocky leather shoes onto his feet while Circe slipped a belt around his hips.
"Would you cut that out-"
"Grab that tie over there, would you Circe-dear?"
Killua grumbled as Circe looped a tie around his neck.
He glared at the two Neko-Girls as they stood back to observe their work.
"What do you think?" Cirece asked.
"He looks rather dashing, doesn't he?" Eirisse responded, and then stepped up to run her fingers through his wild hair like some sort of doting mother. Killua sighed as Circe added a pair of golden cufflinks that matched the belt, feeling incredibly uncomfortable, but knowing that nothing he said or did would be able to stop them.
Circe had deep brown skin and lovely black hair that cascaded down her back in thousands of tiny braids. Her eyes were a milky brown, and her ears and tail were black as pitch. Eirisse's hair was a creamy blonde and her eyes were turquoise blue. She had pale skin, and ears and tail the most delicate of whites. They were both dressed in black dresses that fell to the knee and were lined in brown fur. The dresses were long sleeved, and they wore black tights and ankle length buckle-up shoes.
The two women nodded to each other, and then ushered Killua out of the closet.
Killua pulled at his navy tie and the collar of his shirt, not liking how stiff they were. Upon coming back into the main room, the silver haired boy was brought face to face with Gon. The tan boy was wearing a deep green knitted sweater with the black collar of a dress shirt peeking out over the top. He had black slacks on and leather shoes similar to Killua's.
He looked really good.
"Killua! You look so fancy! Like some sort of prince!"
"I-idiot, it's just some stupid clothes," Killua looked off to the side, his face getting warm for some reason. "And I am a prince."
Before the two of them could get too comfortable, another Neko-Girl entered the room. She had scarlet-red hair and emerald green eyes, with skin almost as pale as Killua's. Her ears and tail were tan. She wore the exact same attire as Circe and Eirisse. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Isolde, and I will be your head hand-maid. Please follow me to breakfast," she finished with a sickeningly sweet smile, and turned to walk briskly away. Left with no other choice, Gon and Killua followed.
The building was no less magnificent than it had been the night before (and no less maze like). They arrived in a grand yet quaint dining room that was circular in shape. A round table laid out with a selection of eggs, cheeses, and fruits was laid out on the table.
Gon and Killua sat down, and a group of five Neko-Girls positioned themselves around the room. They introduced themselves as Lennon, Orinda, Edana, Georgina, and Hecate. The five of them would be dedicated to the two boys' meal service.
Killua had to admit, the food was delicious, even though none of it was dessert.
He and Gon chattered about various subjects, and halfway through the meal Killua flicked his left ear. Gon rubbed his nose. It meant that Gon was suspicious as well, and that Killua was go for making a move.
"Hey, Hecate, was it?" the tan skinned Neko-Girl stood up a little straighter.
"Yes, Master Killua!"
As I thought. The way to get her to open up is to demonstrate being able to identify her. I could tell by the way that she stood and the way the expression on her face changed when she introduced herself. This is good, these Neko-Girls are strange in that they will not accept anything that is not what they have been tasked with doing. Resolve like that can prove to be dangerous. It is good that I have a way into her head.
"Hecate," Killua started, making sure to use the Neko-Girl's name, "Tell me. What's with that huge monster?"
Hecate's eyes lost their sparkle, and she pursed her lips.
Killua fixed her with his gaze, sapphire eyes keeping her purple ones trapped in a cage.
"Gon and I didn't get a very good look at it, what is that thing?"
Killua could feel Gon's attention fixed on the Neko-Girl as well. The two boys sat with their gazes fixed on Hecate's face. However, the other four feline women were eyeing Hecate as well, this did not go unnoticed by Killua. The pressure on the girl was immense, and Hecate licked her lips nervously. A bead of sweat ran down her temple.
That's a strong reaction. Something is going on here, and it revolves around that monster.
Hecate forced a light hearted smile onto her face. "It's nothing, Master Killua, just nature running its course." The other four Neko-Girls relaxed, and waited for Gon and Killua to do the same. Conversation over.
Killua met Gon's eyes.
Did you sense that, Gon?
The other boy blinked in confirmation.
Good.
Killua took a bite of his eggs, and looked around the room at each of the Neko-Girls.
This place is suspicious. Very suspicious. They haven't given any information as to what is going on, or as to what this place is in the first place. They make a point to be welcoming and accommodating, suffocatingly so. But I can tell that it is a cover up for something. What that is, I am not sure. All I can tell is that something isn't right here, wherever here is.
...
Killua had once again been undressed and dressed against his will.
This time, however, had been far worse than the last time. As Circe and Eirisse had explained, he and Gon were being dressed up in traditional Neko-Village clothing for a tour around the village. When Killua had asked them why they had to change clothes again the two women had admitted that they were doing it because having a pretty boy such as Killua to dress up was fun. Although, that had mainly been Eirisse. Cirece gave the vibe of someone far more reserved, and Killua put her onto his "yes" list of Neko-Girls who could prove helpful later on. Currently only Hecate and Circe were on that list.
As to why this dress up session was worse than the last… well.
The clothes were much tighter, with a lot more straps.
As Killua had discovered, traditional Neko-Village clothing was all particularly femine, with lots of layers, straps, and laces.
The fact that Circe and Eirisse were putting it all on for him made it so much worse.
I hate this so much, Killua thought as he was once again stripped down to his bare skin.
Eirisse and Circe chattered up a storm about what colors and styles would look best with Killua's skin tone and hair, and the Valkyrie tried to focus on their words rather than on him being completely naked. The two women were incredibly respectful, and never looked at him unless they were testing a color against his eyes or skin, to which the Valkyrie was eternally grateful.
Killua jumped as without warning Eirisse pulled a tight pair of leggings up and over his hips. His face burned as she tightened the laces up the back, fabric constricting against his rear end.
"I apologize, Master Killua," Circe said as she sifted through the numerous racks. "I'm sure the tight clothing is uncomfortable, but as it is our village is completely made up of females. All of this clothing is designed for a female body, I am sure that you are unaccustomed to such patterns of dressing."
"Uh- yeah," Killua mumbled. Then why are you forcing me to wear this stuff?
It was an interesting piece of information: that the Neko-Village was comprised entirely of females. At this point, even the slightest scrap of context as to the situation was welcome.
Killua squeaked as Cirece pulled a constricting cropped tank top over his head and tightened the laces on the back. Both of the garments so far had been a light tan, and next a tight fitting long sleeve brown shirt (luckily without any laces this time) was pulled over his head. It had a v-neck so deep that it fell all the way to Killua's belly button.
"What's this even supposed to cover?" The silver haired boy complained. Not enjoying how all of him was covered by a tight layer of clothing except his stomach.
"Traditional Neko-Village clothing is all about the layers, Master Killua. They may not make much sense on their own, but every layer of clothing counts when outside in that cold air," Eirisse explained as she pulled a pair of thigh high socks the same color as the new shirt onto Killua's legs.
Next to join the lineup of annoying layers was a pair of thick yet form fitting black woolen pants that wrapped around and under the arches of Killua's feet. Then came a navy, long sleeved turtleneck whose sleeves ended in fingerless gloves. Lastly was a thick white trench coat lined in silvery gray fox fur, it fell to just above Killua's knees. The shoes the two women gave him were elegant black leather boots lined in a fur that matched the lining on the coat.
"We done yet?" Killua complained, he had only been wearing traditional Neko-Village attire for under a minute and he already hated it.
"Not quite!" Eirisse declared cheerily before placing a black hat lined in black fur atop Killua's crown of fluffy hair.
Killua sighed as the two women giggled in pleasure, then took this as his opportunity to leave before they decided to add even more layers to his get up. All that trouble and the only clothes visible are the coat, pants, and boots… plus a little bit of the turtleneck. I suspect that they added all those lace up underlayers just for fun.
The Valkyrie swished his tail behind him in distaste as he reentered the main room, and in a way so similar to earlier that day that it gave him pause, came face to face with Gon. The other boy was dressed in traditional Neko-Village clothing as well. He wore a regular length black coat lined in dark green fur (the hell? Where had the fuck did the dark green fur come from? Did they custom dye it with Gon in mind? Honestly… that makes so much sense) paired with a pair of baggy brown pants tucked into knee high black boots lined with more green fur at the ankles.
Black looks good on Gon… it makes his eyes glow.
"Did they give you a bunch of pointless layers too, Gon?" Killua asked.
Gon rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah! They were all tight and laced up like a corset in the back."
Like a corse-
Killua killed that train of thought.
He refused to accept that he was wearing a corset, even just a semi-corset.
Damned hags.
"Master Gon! Master Killua! You two look truly dashing in those clothes! It is a true honor to have you wearing our traditional attire," Isolde said as she blew into the room.
"As if we had much of a choice," Killua mumbled under his breath so that only Gon could hear. The other boy "hn"ed in exasperated agreement.
"If you'll follow this way, myself and two more escorts will give you a tour of the village!"
…
Village was complete bullshit, this was a fucking metropolis!
Killua and Gon followed the three Neko-Girls (Isolde along with two more named Zephyr and Nix) through a sprawling city. The place was incredible, it sported gothic architecture, with dark stone walls, arches, intricate carvings, and statues. Flying buttresses and pillars danced across the buildings; winding staircases and balconies of every shape and size decorated the infrastructure like sprinkles on a cake.
Intricate black lamp posts lined every street, streets that were paved with thousands of dark bricks. The roads were winding and the place was like a maze. If Killua had thought the Hidden Oasis had been a maze, he was the most uncultured humanoid in existence. This place was a fucking labyrinth!
The explicit language in Killua's train of consciousness was a translation to how amazed he was. His eyes were practically sparkling with admiration, and his inner artist begged him to go and touch everything.
There was no plant life up here, save for the occasional black-green vine. Killua was at a loss for how these Neko-Girls sported such a diverse array of food during every meal. Everything was glazed with a fresh coat of powdery snow, and the sky was clear and blue without a cloud in sight. It was as if the blizzard had been a figment of Killua's imagination. The jagged mountain peaks that surrounded the Neko-Village guarded the outskirts of the place like ethereal knights.
Clearly everyone here lived in the utmost luxury. Not one building was in poor condition, and every citizen they passed was dressed in the finest of fabrics and furs. Thanks to their clothes, Gon and Killua would have fit in perfectly (had it not been for their being male and not Neko-Humanoids).
As they traversed the winding streets Isolde, Nix, and Zephyr would point out buildings and residencies. Killua committed as much as he possibly could to memory, but the tour was so fast that he soon found himself completely disoriented.
This place always seems to turn my sense of direction to shit.
Killua was glad that breakfast had been so heavy, because it was already lunchtime; they had been touring the village for hours now!
"The next location on our tour is the outer gate," Isolde announced as the group stopped.
Gon and Killua looked around, and to the boys' surprise, this was a place they recognized!
"Hey! We've been there before!" Gon exclaimed.
Zephyr laughed good naturedly at Gon's unbridled enthusiasm, "Yes, this is where you two saved our village and became our esteemed heroes."
Killua took in the scenery now that his vision was unhindered by snow. The outer gate was still in shambles, although several Neko-Girls were currently working on its reconstruction. The gate was made of dark wood and large stones, with enormous hinges connected to the biggest gate the Valkyrie had ever seen. Just as he had noticed before, just within the gate was a town square of sorts. It was paved in a different stone than the rest of the roads, in a light brick. As Killua looked closer, he found that the pavement of the town square was actually a mosaic of dark and white bricks, forming an artistic scene that the Valkyrie couldn't quite make out.
You'd have to look at it from way high up to see it all the way.
Another thing Killua noticed about the area was the blood. There was a mixture of dried Neko-Girl and monster blood splattered across the mosaic. Crusted red and green popped against black and white, giving a striking and ominous contrast.
Killua met Gon's gaze.
Gon nodded and asked: "Hey, Nix?"
"Yes, Master Gon?"
"How high is the outer wall? We've seen from the rest of the tour that it encloses the entire village, is it the same height all around?"
Perfect distraction question, Gon.
I'm going to ask Isolde about the monster. Hecate wasn't any help at all, but maybe because Isolde is the highest ranking of our handmaids she'll tell us what's going on. First, however, we'll have to butter them up and catch them off guard. These humanoids are particularly uptight, they stick to their tradition and their orders. I can tell that they are incredibly loyal. Not necessarily a bad quality, but it is a hindrance in this situation.
Nix smiled at Gon, almond eyes sparkling. "The wall stretches all the way around the village, as you had observed, Master Gon; it is the same height all around: 10 meters."
"Wow! That's so fascinating, Nix! What's the wood and stone?"
The Neko-Girl blushed as Gon assaulted her with the full power of his smile. She brushed her inky black hair behind her sandy colored ear and answered: "The wood is of a sacred dark oak that we grow here in special gardens at the center of town. The stone comes from the mountains beneath our feet."
"Sacred trees? That's so awesome! Do you think we can see them today for the next stop of the tour?"
Nix swirled her tail around her legs in joy, Gon was pressing all the right buttons.
The funny thing is that he's not even trying to manipulate her, he's genuinely curious.
Killua smiled as he watched his friend butter up the Neko-Girls in the most innocent and honest way possible. Such a Gon way to go about it. The Valkyrie's stomach started to get a little fuzzy, but he shoved that feeling away. Idiot, focus on the task at hand.
"Unfortunately we are unable to bring you to the sacred gardens without a designated permit of visitation. However, Master Gon, we could arrange for a visit if you would like."
"I'd love that!" Gon said with sparkling eyes and the biggest grin yet.
Nix, Zephyr, and Isolde were fully captured under Gon's spell.
Now's the time to move.
"Isolde?"
"Yes, Master Killua?" The scarlet haired woman asked with a sweet smile, guard fully down and expecting another question like Gon's.
Killua gestured to the carnage around them, "What was the monster that attacked you?"
Straight to the point, entirely blunt. No room for escape.
The Valkyrie watched as the three Neko-Girls stiffened, fully ambushed and entirely surprised. They hadn't seen this coming at all. Exactly what Killua had been hoping for. Maybe this way they would slip up and reveal something by accident.
"Nothing for you to concern yourselves with, Masters Gon and Killua. Just nature running its course," Isolde responded in a voice completely calm and professional, as if she hadn't been taken aback at all (even though she clearly had been).
Her response sent chills up Killua's spine.
She's good.
"If it's just nature running its course," Killua inquired, knowing full well that he was pushing his boundaries, "Then why did you thank us so zealously when we drove it off?"
The Neko-Girls did not respond.
They turned tail and walked away, leaving the two boys to stare after them in confusion.
"What the fuck?" Killua thought out loud.
"That was really weird," Gon commented.
Killua looked at Gon and Gon looked at Killua.
"Something's off about this town, and these people," Gon asserted with a fire in his eyes.
"Yeah. And it has everything to do with that thing we drove off."
Gon grinned, serrated teeth bared in a bone chilling smile. That frigid feeling, the one that made people stiffen when Gon walked into a room, pulsed out of him in waves. Killua shivered, and his heart sped up with excitement.
"This is turning out to be a much bigger adventure than I had anticipated," the tan boy said, eyes dark and pulsing with emotions that for once Killua could not read. Rather than make him pause, however, it drew him in.
Killua swished his tail behind him, his ears leaned forward in attention; he grinned at Gon, baring his fangs and letting a little bit of his Valkyrie bloodlust - or rather, adventurelust - seep out to mix with the aura Gon was releasing.
"Adventure? Bring it on," Killua declared with a hint of a growl in his voice.
The two young men clasped hands and gazed heatedly into each other's eyes, excited for the mess they were bound to get themselves into. The Neko-Girls in the town square tensed up simultaneously, the aura diffusing off the two newcomers making the hair on the backs of their necks stand on end.
Gon and Killua released their clasped hands, and hurried after their three guides, breaking the flow of threatening energy.
The Neko-Girls rebuilding the wall relaxed and continued their work, meeting each other's gazes in understanding and anticipation. These boys were exactly what they had been waiting for and more.