Gon squirmed in his chair as the waitresses laid food out for all the courtesans. He was super hungry, and really didn't like the rule about waiting for Camilla to eat before they all did. Luckily, he and Killua were still wearing their own clothes, as their personal Neko-Village clothes were not ready yet. He had to admit, he did feel underdressed. Everyone at the table was wearing super fancy clothes.
And he was just in his green jacket and boots.
Luckily, he had Killua to look casual with him!
Speaking of Killua, the Valkyrie Prince was not too pleased at the moment. He had told Gon about his plan to talk to Oito, but was stuck sitting next to Priestess Tyson again. At least he had Circe at his side though!
Gon was sitting across from Killua, and on his either side were Radella and a courtesan whom he didn't know. She was young, and had to be 12 years old at the most. She seemed timid and like she felt out of place at the table.
Gon crossed and uncrossed his legs, stomach twisting in hunger.
Killua caught his eye. Sapphire met amber, and the Valkyrie flicked his ear and jerked his eyes in the direction of the unknown girl. He wants me to talk to her?
Gon tilted his head slightly to the side.
Killua's face contorted into one of exasperation, he blinked at Gon two times in a row.
Gon furrowed his brow in thought.
Think back… now who could she be… Oh! The courtesans Killua was telling me about! This girl must be Princess Wobble! He wants me to talk to her! But he can't say it out loud or Tyson will get suspicious!
The hybrid could barely contain his victorious smile as he glanced to the side at Wobble, proud of himself for remembering who she was without Killua having to spell it out… at least more than he already had in that silent exchange.
Gon glanced back at Killua in time to catch a soft eyed look on his face as he watched the hybrid have his epiphany. When Gon met those softened blue eyes, the silver haired boy blushed and hid his eyes behind his hair. That's weird.
Gon shrugged it off. Killua must be surprised that I figured it out!
I'm not a complete idiot, ya know! Gon directed this thought at Killua, and as if it had reached the other boy telepathically, he brought those sapphire orbs back up to Gon's amber ones. The two of them suppressed a simultaneous and inappropriate-for-the-dinner-table giggle.
Before any more shenanigans could continue, Camilla took her first bite, and dinner commenced. Gon dug into a delicious first course of delicate poached egg, and washed it down with a glass of water with the slightest hint of lime to it.
I could get used to eating like this!
Gon mentally shook himself, now was not the time for just eating! He needed to talk to Princess Wobble! Their goal for the dinner was to get a better understanding of the inner workings of the Neko-Court. Even if all they found out was Wobble's daily schedule, then that would be enough information for Killua to analyze and come up with some crazy theory.
"This food is really good!" Gon said in the Princess' direction.
She darted her eyes in Gon's direction, and then spoke up: "Yeah, it is."
"Have you eaten this way your whole life?" The tan boy gave her an encouraging grin.
"Uh, yeah. I guess so."
"My name is Gon Freecss! What's yours?"
"I'm Princess Wobble, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Lord Gon." She said this in a bored voice, though not an unpleasant one. The rest of the first course was spent in a comfortable silence. Gon had the feeling that Wobble was starting to warm up to him!
The second course was a thick soup that tasted like some sort of blend between tomatoes and pork, but was completely cream colored. "I love soup!" Gon declared.
Wobble rolled her eyes. "It's just liquid."
"Good liquid!"
The Princess blew her blonde hair out of her face, which she had cut into bangs on one side that covered her left eye. Her ears and tail were a reddish brown, and she wore a dress in all black. Her nails were also black, and she wore heavy black eyeliner. She didn't seem too pleased with this whole dinner ordeal.
That's good I guess! The more she hates life in the Neko-Court the easier it will be to get her on our side!
The third course was a tender breast from some sort of bird.
Gon shoved it down his throat, it was so good! He looked across the table at Killua, who looked just about ready to turn tail and jump out the window. Priestess Tyson was talking animatedly to him, eyes sparkling and arms dancing in wild gestures. Gon snickered.
"What're you laughing at?" Wobble asked.
"Killua," Gon answered honestly. "He hates Priestess Tyson so much! I can see it all over his face!"
The Princess snorted, "Yeah I don't blame him. Everyone hates that old hag."
Gon looked at Wobble, beckoning her to meet his gaze. She did, and he found that her eyes were a shimmering lavender purple that popped like stars against the black eyeliner. "I think you'd like Killua!"
She sputtered, looking for the words. "Why do you say that?"
"Because both of you like to call Tyson, er, Priestess Tyson, an old hag!"
Wobble smirked and visibly choked down a laugh, "Heh. I guess he doesn't sound too bad." She blinked at Gon and flicked her left ear. "I guess you aren't too bad either."
"Yay!" Gon cheered, getting a couple of annoyed glances from some of the older courtesans. "Does that mean we're friends?"
"Sure."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I did it! I befriended Wobble! This is great! I'm beating Killua!
Well, it was never a competition in the first place, but still!
Two more courses rolled along, and Gon spent them chatting with Princess Wobble. She had a very dark sense of humor, and seemed pretty rough around the edges compared to the other courtesans.
By the time the fifth and final course arrived - a bowl of clear colored jello that tasted like strawberries - Gon decided it was time to make his move. "So, you're Princess Oito's daughter? Does that mean you're High Priestess Camilla's niece?"
"Yeah, unfortunately," she answered with a sigh while pushing her jello around her bowl.
"Are you next in line for the throne because of it? I'm just curious."
"No. We don't decide the next High Priestess by blood. That's only for Princesses. The next High Priestess will be whoever the majority of the population decides is the most qualified."
"Woah! That's super cool! So it could be anyone!"
"Yeah, it could even be you. But I don't think you'd make that good of a High Priestess," Wobble told Gon with a devious smirk.
"Why not?" Gon asked with a pout.
"You're too big of an idiot. Anyone who enjoys that jello crap is unqualified to lead our village."
"But it's good!" Gon protested.
"No it isn't."
"Can… I have yours then?"
"Knock yourself out."
…
Killua sat with Gon in the common room of their shared wing of the palace. He was splayed over the couch, and Gon was sitting flopped in one of the armchairs. They had the fireplace going, and sleep beckoned the Valkyrie.
His arms were sore, as well as his tail and the muscles around his chest and back. He hadn't lifted in so long, it was a welcome pain. He and Gon had agreed to continue using the weights in the gym. They would workout in there every other day, allowing a day in between each workout in order to recover and let the soreness dispel.
"Gon, did you find out anything from Wobble?" Killua asked the hybrid.
"Yup! I found out that the High Priestess is not chosen by blood, but by public opinion! I also learned that Tyson is very unpopular in the court, and that Wobble does not like life as a courtesan!"
Killua hummed, and thought this over. Interesting. "So that means that this is a very social court. I guessed correctly, public opinion will be crucial if we are to win this war with Camilla. Hearing that Tyson is unpopular is encouraging, it suggests that the Neko-Girls are not as pleased with Camilla as High Priestess as they are letting on. I wish we could get a glimpse of her social game in action, though." Killua sighed. "Oh well, Camilla keeps us away from all the interesting people, so we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for a chance I guess."
The two boys yawned simultaneously, and then laughed.
"Guess you're just as tired as I am!" Gon declared.
"Yeah, guess so," Killua commented nonchalantly.
"So tomorrow we're gonna go out in the village?" Gon asked.
"Yup," the Valkyrie responded. "We're gonna walk around and talk to people, try to get public opinion in our favor. Isolde and the hags from hell will be following us around, so the second we lose them we'll go snoop around the forbidden zone. Circe will be our escort for tomorrow."
"Sounds good!" Gon stretched, reaching his arms high above his head. "Well, I'm about ready to go to bed."
The silver haired boy stood up, "Same here."
"Goodnight, Killua!"
"Goodnight Gon."
The two of them walked out into the hallway, and then parted ways as they entered their separate rooms. They were only a hallway apart, but the second Killua closed the door behind him, he suddenly felt unbearably alone.
That's right… I haven't been away from Gon's side for a second since I caught up with him after leaving the Hidden Oasis. What's it been? About a month and a half or so? Wow. That's a lot of time to constantly be with someone.
Killua shucked off his shirt and purple pants, leaving himself only in his undershorts.
It's such a strange feeling… when I'm with Gon. He's my best friend, and I can talk to him about anything. Whenever I'm with him, I can just spill my entire soul out before him. I'm glad we're in this mess together, here in the Neko-Village. Comparing past jobs to this one, having Gon by my side makes everything fun rather than work.
The Valkyrie slipped under the covers. This bed was even more comfortable than the one at the inn, if that was even possible. He had a feeling that he'd have trouble getting used to living once they left the Neko-Village, without all this luxury that was.
I'm so grateful… that I met Gon.
I'm so happy that he's my friend. It feels like I've been walking around in a fog my whole life, and now that I've met Gon I'm actually living for once. There's more to my life than just killing… I'm more than just a murderous Valkyrie and assassin. And it's all thanks to Gon.
On pure autopilot, Killua turned over, looking across to the other side of the bed. He found himself surprised, and sad to find that Gon wasn't there.
"Oh.." he said to himself. "I forgot that we have our own rooms now."
This is the first time in over a month that I've gone to sleep without Gon at my side.
I kinda miss him being here…
Idiot!
He's just across the hall! There's no reason to be sad!
But still, Killua couldn't deny that he did, in fact, miss Gon. As stupid as that sounds.
He shook his head, clearing his mind. The silver haired boy curled up into a ball and closed his eyes, tail wrapped neatly around his legs. Sleep tickled at the edge of his consciousness, dancing just out of his reach. Teasing him.
For the first time in a long time, Killua did not fall asleep immediately. He lie awake for half an hour, chasing sleep and occasionally peeking at the empty part of the bed beside him.