"Anything that's a part of you is solid gold…" I can't believe I SAID that!
That's so embarrassing, THIS is so embarrassing, where did my filter go! Where did it go!
Self control?
Never met her, apparently.
Ghioejfsldiuhrojwfdkjifsk, I'm never gonna live this down-
Killua's face was a flawless, impassive mask covering the chaos in his mind. He sat in a comfortable chair with his legs crossed, watching Gon receive a massage from the Neko-Girls. He had his hands placed in his lap, in what appeared to be a casual position, however in reality he was squeezing the fabric of his fuzzy robe so tightly he was surprised it hadn't just up and disintegrated yet.
The Valkyrie was embarrassed to no end at his outburst in the hot tub. He hadn't regretted a thing at the time, but now that he had gone back over it all in his head and started to overanalyze, he was drowning in embarrassment.
Solid gold? Really? I'm such an idiot. How could I say something so blatantly… so blatantly… ADMIRING, or whatever the fuck the tense of that word is supposed to be. That's so embarrassinggggggg. I always get onto Gon for saying embarrassing stuff, and here I go saying something worse than everything he's said combined!
I think I'll just die.
Killua inhaled deeply, and then slowly exhaled. He was doing an incredible job of holding his composure, and he didn't want to suddenly lose it and descend into a fit of exasperated screams. Tail laid neatly out beside him, Killua closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of the brush in his hair rather than on the mess in his mind.
The Valkyrie had denied receiving a massage, he had already had enough female hands rubbing all over his body today, he didn't want any more. So in replacement of the massage, Killua was having his hair brushed through and hydrated with various oils and moisturizers. His hair had never been so compliant, were these Neko-Girl's hands magic or something?! What the hell. His unruly mane had become putty in her slender fingers. It fell in soft waves down and around his jawline, rather than sticking in all directions in a disastrous nest. It sparkled in the light, and the oils made it smell like vanilla and lavender.
Distinctly feminine scents, but fuck that, Killua like the way they smelled, so anyone who thought him smelling like a girl was weird could go fuck themselves.
The silver haired boy smiled as Gon's purr rose in prominence throughout the room. If Killua's hair was putty beneath the fingers of the Neko-Girls, then Gon was… putty squared. He was flopped out over the massage table like a pool of liquid; he had the most relaxed expression on his face, Killua was surprised he wasn't asleep.
The masseuse working Gon's travel-stiffened muscles was named Rhea, she had milky brown hair, golden eyes, and tanned skin. Her ears and tail were a cream color. She was currently pressing her thumbs deep into his trapezius muscles. She rubbed in circles and Killua could hear the stress knots popping away with his sensitive ears.
"Enjoying yourself, Gon?" Killua asked with a smirk.
PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The Valkyrie laughed softly to himself, gazing at his relaxed friend affectionately.
A look of focus crossed Rhea's delicate features, and she suddenly leaned in and massaged (massaged? I certainly hope that is the correct term) with identifiably more effort than before. Killua could sense the expertise from the way she held herself alone, this lady was the real deal.
Rhea dug the heels of her hands into Gon's trapezius muscles, her own muscles in her forearms flexing, veins popping ever so slightly. She was in the zone. Gon was as well, as a high pitched whine joined the purring. Rhea's eyes widened all of a sudden, and she drew back.
Killua tilted his ears forward in attention, body language for "what is it?"
Rhea flicked her tail in acknowledgement that she had seen his message, "I… I'm at a loss for words!"
Gon's purring trickled off, and he peeked at her from over his shoulder, "What?" he asked in a muddled voice.
"My-my hands are paralyzed!"
All eyes snapped at full attention to Rhea: Gon, Killua, the Neko-Girl working Killua's hair (her name was Araysh), and the other two Neko-Girls who were assisting and keeping the incense burning.
"Look!" Rhea said in astonishment, and held up her hands in demonstration. "They're not… paralyzed, per say, the muscles are just relaxed to the point that I cannot move them."
"The hell?" Killua asked as he stood up and walked over to where Gon was looking quizzically up at Rhea, likely not moving because he was completely naked save for a towel draped across his rear end.
"Hm," Rhea said, and then leaned in to inspect the back of Gon's neck.
"What's wrong with my neck?" Gon asked, sounding a little concerned.
"As I suspected!" Rhea declared.
"What?" Killua and Gon asked in unison.
"Look there, Master Killua," Rhea said as she gestured with one of her limp hands.
The Valkyrie looked, and his eyes widened at what he found. There was some sort of oil secreting from the sides of Gon's neck. "What is that stuff?" Killua asked, clearly Rhea was an expert on the subject.
"What stuff?" Gon asked with a helpless whine in his voice.
"You are a hybrid, correct Master Gon? Though unsure of what all there is aside from human blood?" Rhea inquired.
"Yeah…" the horned boy answered.
Rhea "hn"ed in confirmation, and then used one of her limp hands to scrape some of the oily stuff off of Gon's neck. She then held it out for Gon to see. "See this, Master Gon?"
"Woah! What is that! Did that come out of me!?" the tan skinned boy exclaimed with a hint of fear.
"This is a neurotoxin, a natural substance that is created in neurotoxin-glands in the bodies of some humanoids. It is a secretion that can be used as a weapon, depending on how strong the substance is. Has this never happened before, Master Gon?"
"Yeah no, this is definitely the first time clear oily stuff has come out of my neck…"
"I see, well then, I know exactly what happened!"
"Okay… what?" Killua prompted, curiosity swirling in his eyes.
"Master Gon's neurotoxin-glands were awakened by the massage. I am a licensed Witch-Class Masseuse, meaning that my skill is to a level bordering on impossible. I am the most skilled masseuse you will ever find. Considering this information, I found a specific tightness in the muscles in and around Master Gon's shoulders and neck, so I went to dispel the tension. However, as I did so that liquid began to secrete from the skin on his neck. When it touched my skin, it relaxed the muscles in my hands to the point that now I cannot move them at all. Based on my prior knowledge and the information given, Master Gon's body seems to have recently reached a level of maturity necessary for the opening of his neurotoxin-glands."
Killua nodded in understanding, and Gon was smoking at the ears.
"So… uh… what does that mean?" Gon asked in a sheepish voice.
"It means that you can produce poison. It comes out of glands (tiny poison factories) that are in your neck. It's like sweat, just oily like you can see on Rhea's hand," Killua explained. The silver haired boy watched the cogs turn in Gon's mind, and when it finally clicked the boy's eyes lit up. "OHHH!" He exclaimed. "That's actually really cool!"
Rhea laughed softly at his enthusiasm.
"Oh, and sorry about paralyzing your hands, Miss Rhea," Gon apologized.
The feline woman's cheeks pinkened at the unbridled sincerity in his voice, "You have nothing to apologize for, Master Gon. It is an honor, in fact, to have been the one to open the glands."
"So," Killua began, "Gon can secrete an oily substance from his neck. It is a neurotoxin, or rather, a type of poison. Which category does Gon's toxin fall under? And how would you gauge its power level? Are there any definitive species that this would come from?"
Rhea answered immediately and without hesitation: "Based upon the state of my hands, I would say that Master Gon's toxin is a paralyzer. The glands have just now been opened, so the toxin is at its weakest state at the moment. Considering the fact that its weakest state is a muscle relaxant, I would say that in a more potent form it would be able to completely paralyze someone." Rhea inspected the oily sheen on her hand. "Based on the color and how thick it is, my guess is that this toxin, in a different form, could even relax emotions as well. A physical as well as mental relaxant is incredibly useful."
Gon and Killua nodded in response, taking this information in.
"Any guess at what its most powerful form could accomplish?" Killua asked.
Rhea furrowed her brow, and continued inspecting at the toxin.
She was a truly brave woman. Anyone else would have moved to wipe what was now identified as a toxin off of their skin, however she left it there out of scientific curiosity.
"I hypothesize that at its strongest form, this paralysis toxin could be potent enough to paralyze the brain. In other words, strong enough to make someone brain-dead."
"Woah," Gon and Killua said in astonished unison.
"What species would have this, Miss Rhea?" Gon asked, a certain light in his eyes.
Rhea looked up in thought. "Neuro-toxins are quite uncommon, however I regret to inform you that in their being so uncommon, I have no knowledge of what species such a power would belong to. My apologies, Master Gon."
Gon "hn"ed. "That's alright, I like it better this way anyways. It would be no fun if our quest ended so soon." The tan boy grinned up at Killua. The Valkyrie felt that fuzzy feeling in his stomach once again, but as always, pushed it down.
"So, how do I make it stop?" Gon asked with a nervous laugh. "I can feel it seeping out still."
Rhea laughed, a twinkling of sleigh bells. "You will get the hang of it, Master Gon, gaining control of a bodily weapon such as your own takes practice and practice alone. However, I have some herbs that can quell the release of the liquid, so that you can get a feel for the sensation of stopping the release of the toxin. With some practice, you will be able to turn it on and off at will. And with even more practice, you will be able to adjust the potency of the toxin. With a poison such as your own, it is the potency that will affect where the effects fall on a scale from muscle relaxant to brain-killer."
Gon's ears started smoking again, and Killua heard a kettle call.
"She means that the plants will help you learn to control it," he explained in exasperation.
"Ohhhh!"
The Valkyrie and the Neko-Girls burst into laughter, falling prey to Gon's uncanny ability to spread happiness and light wherever he went.
AN: this is a surprise tool that will help us later~