Authors Notes: Aiee! I got the street names wrong! Fame Court runs EAST towards the beaches whilst it's Fortune's Park that runs north and into Northside. Sorry if I got the name mucked up in the opening of Chapter 12 *sigh* silly me….
Chapter 14
Adventures in Northside
Sunday, 12:30pm
Integral Hellsing, was inside a classy vintage clothes store and half-heartedly picking through a rack of clothing, feeling bored. Her delicate tanned hand lazily drifted to the jewel around her throat at times, fingering the new Bvalgari diamond necklace that her father had just recently bought her after the first half of the Hellsing season was over. Acting was tedious and tiring, if not downright uncomfortable. Dressed in a man's suit, choking on the tie, forced to puff away like an addict those on hideous small cigars almost made her want to throw up. But Daddy had wanted nothing less than professionalism from her, so even if she sulked quietly in her trailer, shot people unfriendly looks and practiced a wrinkle-giving intimidating glare in the mirror, she gave the production everything she had.
The biggest obstacle to the smooth working on set, she quietly meditated as she pulled out a white shirt to get a better look at the sleeves, was when your main actress and main actor mixed as well as oil and water. Alucard gave her splintering headaches, painful enough that she almost succumbed to the urge to run to her Daddy and complain. Even the mere thought about those pangs stabbing at the sides of her temples were enough to conjure moist beads in her eyes, so she determinedly turned to some more colourful clothing to help distract her unhealthy thoughts.
But the problem with Alucard would not, and could not go away – not for a long time. Whilst they were still showing the Hellsing episodes once a week and the predictable hype about how the story hadn't officially ended, they would have to attend endless promos and functions – together. And even worse, perhaps arm in arm.
"My good lady, why does such a beautiful woman as yourself sigh so sadly?" The smooth tenor of a voice belonging to a man spoke behind her, catching her off guard. She started a bit, so caught up with the problem of her co-actor that she hadn't realized someone had walked up behind her. For a moment, she was afraid that it was another of those crazy fans, stalking the cold and proud Sir Integral (doesn't anyone know what the word 'acting' means anymore?) to get a rise, but the well mannered and seemingly well cultured voice behind her had easily disarmed any mental defences she might have had.
She spun around, her long blond hair whipping around her shoulders at the speed but quickly resumed their rightful position. Her breath caught in her throat – she was standing in front of a man that was everything Alucard was not! He was tall, slender, elegant – just how many men could you describe as elegant these days? – and undeniably handsome. His black hair was like silk, soft and shiny with the longer strands tickling the base of his neck. The style was at least three seasons out, but on him, it looked good. And on his finely featured face were a pair of gentle blue eyes, as light as a brook's sparkling waters. Her cheeks grew hot and her throat constricted. Damn – she was blushing!
"My name is Salar." His charming smile revealed a perfect row of white teeth. He was holding out his hand to her, just at waist height.
You're supposed to take the hand! The part of her still functioning and not awestruck by this man's splendid presence reminded her with exasperation. Integral felt as if her movements were stiff jerks and fumbling, she managed to awkwardly stick out her right hand which he grasped gently, but firmly in his cool and smooth ones. Salar bent low and allowed his lips to brush over her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers, then released it after an appropriate amount of time. Integral managed to stutter a "Nice to meet you" and judged by the burning sensation in her cheeks that her whole face must have become ruby red.
"What ails you Lady Integral?" he murmured, taking a cautious step back to give her some room to breath. Was her flustering really that obvious?
"Oh…just don't know what to pick, that's all." She lied, vaguely gesturing to all the clothes around her. The man's gaze followed her hands, around the store at the many colours clamouring for attention. He 'ahhed' in understanding and stepped beside her, keen eyes examining the articles of clothing on the rack and promptly selected two pieces.
"If the Lady Integral would grant me the favour of wearing these and allow me to treat you to lunch this afternoon?"
Integral never really worked out how those simple words had been able to win her over so completely. Her body moved with a mind of its own (since the main one was currently stunned stupid), accepted the garments and mechanically drifted her to the change rooms. It was in the change rooms, away from Salar's face, his smile and his manners, his oddly compelling voice, that she had more time to calm herself down and think why the hell someone would just approach her, offer to buy her clothes and take her out to lunch. There was a steady warming in her body, a growing rage that began to free her of her flustering and destroy the fog of complacency which had threatened to settle comfortably in her mind.
I suppose he'll ask me to dinner afterwards, then what next? Take a ride home with him and hop into his bed?
The alarm bells madly tolling in her mind finally shook her out of the stupor she'd stumbled into and she snarled aggressively, her reflection in the mirror much like the renowned Sir Integral Wingates Hellsing. Her fists were tightly clenched around the clothes, and she looked down, wondering what sort of perverted and revealing costume that man had selected for her, that she had idiotically agreed to.
A black velvet A-line dressed that reached halfway down her calves and a vermilion red silk shirt, heavily oriental in style complete with the sash to tie around the waist wasn't exactly that revealing. In fact, it was peripheral conservative.
Integral sat down on the chair inside her change cubicle and sighed again looking dubiously at the set of clothes hanging off the hook and her confused mind no closer to obtaining an answer. The sudden knock at the door made her heart leap in her throat and she almost gasped aloud. A pair of pointy shoes with minimal amount of stilleto heel was pushed beneath the door along with a small pair of scissors.
"Integral-sama, your steward has paid for the clothes already. You may cut the tags off them." The sweet and sugary voice of the salesgirl wafted in. Integral dumbly nodded and slowly reached for the shoes and the scissors.
What the hell, Integral thought dismissively, considering it to be mercy for her poor brain not to torture it under the confusion anymore, and pulled her top off, resolving to play along and kick the man in the nuts if he even appeared aggressive. Daddy made her do gym to get fit, and she'd had enough lessons with Karen doing Taibo to hurt someone in some painful places if she was determined enough.
She was in the process of buttoning up the shirt when something sparked and bloomed in her mind. His face! She'd seen his face before…on one of the men that Alucard would sometimes hang out with. He was part of the Ex Club…damn…his name was…
"Karasu." She said out aloud, studying her reflection in the mirror and was astounded by the image. Nothing of the manish Sir Integral clung to her anymore, shed off by the bright splash of red and the soft black of the velvet. Even if she stood tall and rigid like a soldier at a parade, she now merely looked refined and graceful. Feeling slightly childish, she allowed herself a turn in front of the mirror and giggled at the way the skirt swiveled widely. But now she wondered why Karasu would suddenly buy clothes for her.
It's not a cruel and humiliating joke that Alucard had concocted with his friend right? She uneasily fingered the diamonds on her necklace again, wondering if she should call her Daddy. She felt determined to deal with the situation herself – there were some reputable men in the Ex Club, and Karasu definitely fell into the respectable category. But why had he called himself Salar? Tucking up her chin and slapping on the proud and arrogant face of Sir Integral, she literally stalked out of the cubicle and would get a straight answer and confront Karasu if necessary about this whole scheme.
He was already standing near the exit and she made sure he saw her storm up to him. The gall of that man to put on a quizzical expression! She silently fumed and halted abruptly an arms length before him.
"Your name isn't Salar is it? You're one of Alucard's friends – Karasu." She declared bluntly, patiently and severely waiting for whatever excuse he could find and made it clear that she would knee him somewhere painful if he didn't produce and explanation that she liked. He gave a small amused laughter – well, it won't throw me off, Integral determinedly steeled herself.
"There is a man called Karasu, but there is also a man called Salar my fair lady. Who you see today is not Karasu, this I can assure you."
Argh! Enigmatic paradoxical answers! Integral silently fumed and feverishly hoped that her bewilderment didn't openly show. In the face of such obscure answers you could hardly expect anyone to find a shred or sliver of reason or logic. The only ostensibly rational explanation she could formulate was by making reference to the growing trend of some people to openly parade their alter egos and personas these days, seeing it as some sort postmodern and eccentric novelty.
"Very well, Salar" she said sardonically to remind him that she wasn't impressed with his whole charade, "where do you propose to take me to lunch today?"
"Heading west dear lady, along Glamour Isle. There is a new restaurant, a relatively small Vallan establishment called the Bacchanal that I wish to share with you."
Vallan? Vallanor! Her bronzed face visibly displayed disapproval. Her Daddy's disapproval. Not long ago, she secretly heard her Daddy yelling and screaming at Uncle Hypnos and Thanatos with such rage and fury that she fled back to her room to hide under the covers. One very distinct word that she heard was Vallanor, and whatever her daddy thought was no good will be no good for her.
He had already hailed the taxi and ushered her into the car whilst those frightful memories had replayed in her mind, however unwitting and reluctant she felt to recall them.
"Lady Integral, that's the second time I've heard you sigh. Now come, do tell the truth – it's actually Alucard who's giving you these unnecessary frowns, no?" Salar amiably conversed beside her. Her lake blue eyes trailed lazily down his fine white shirt, the slight open collar revealing the glint of a white gold chain resting across his sculpted collar bones, then wandered down even further and onto his lap where a small white paper bag lay. It was the first time she'd actually notice that he had been carrying the package – it looked like a Tiffany & Co bag, but they usually came in a pale, aquamarine blue, and this was one white, with a silver rope handle.
What on earth was she doing? Getting into a car with some man she'd seen for five minutes, going to lunch at some restaurant owned by a corporation that her daddy had vilely cursed only weeks ago, and now, she was obsessed by this bag he carried?
"You think highly of Alucard?" she said to distract herself and to mask her unease.
"Karasu might have some dealings with him, but I have only been acquainted to his reputation."
"His very flattering reputation." Integral wryly said.
They both shared the same smile. "I understand," Salar continued full of passionate charm, "that Alucard is…how to politely put this…is rather fond of debauchery, no? Shedding aside his arrogant Dracula image, he spends most of his moments along the many recreational venues towards the very northern tips of Fortune's Park?"
"Oh that disgusting and filthy man!" Integral flushed hotly, her anger momentarily destroying any wise and cautious reserve she felt for that man. Later, when she recounted this encounter to her uncles, they would tell her that she was carefully manipulated, lured into a false sense of companionship by his deliberate choice of topic that was familiar and safe ground for him to proceed his invasion into her vulnerable mind.
He gave another amused laugh which made her smile a bit more naturally. "Has he ever bought…other women to the trailer sets and locations?"
"All the time!" she continued to fume. "And my trailer more often than not is right beside his. Sometimes, when locations are for three or four days, you can hear all the revolting and cheap stuff that he does with his whores."
And even when they alighted the taxi, having arrived at their destination, and had been graciously seated by some of the best service she had ever encountered, they were still on the detestable topic of Alucard. Only when the menus had been laid in front of her did she realize that she was seated in quaint wooden chair with those slender high back supports. They were on a balcony on the second level, overlooking the people down below through the gaps between the white iron balustrade. The white tablecloth was stiff and starched a pure snowy white with fine white tassels dangling on the edge of the laced border.
She opened the menu and was almost blinded by the gold embossed letters inside. But a vivid…dragon at the top of the page with a gaping jaw entwined in a pair of crossed swords mesmerized her.
"That's the symbol of Vallanor." Salar said, his voice light and unaffected.
"Is that a…dragon?" Integral leaned down to peer more closely at the scales running all along the creature. "It looks nothing like those front cover illustrations on Anne McCaffrey's novels…"
"It's a serpentine dragon – in the orient style." True enough, the dragon resembled an overgrown serpent, but had four sets of powerful, short legs ending in curved claws. It had no wings or large soft underbelly as was the traditional western depiction of a dragon.
"The dragon in Chinese mythology is neither good nor bad. They are masters of earth in their own right, a force of nature in themselves. When the dragon ascends the clouds, the heavens will shake and tremble from the sheer sight of its majesty. The Emperor's symbol was also that of a dragon – to symbolize his might and divine right to rule. What do you make of this logo Lady Integral?"
Far, far away, drowned in the vision painted by his words, Integral watched the skies darken a gloomy grey and saw muffled flashes of lightening, light which could not pierce the thick fog of grey, and the foreboding rumblings of thunder was reminiscent of a giant awakening from a millennia of slumber. And in another ear splitting clash of thunder and lightening, she saw it! A magnificent creature of myth and legend, its polished and brilliant scales twinkling in the dark, one claw gripped onto a jewel, gliding and floating in the air and doing majestic large circles as forks of lightening stabbed precariously nearby. It's eyes of infinite age and wisdom suddenly locked onto hers, and she gasped in fright and broke away.
Integral managed to stutter some half hearted response about the symbol being very eye catching and hastily ordered lunch. Time passed quickly after that – the food was served, she 'mmmed' in enjoyment and they continued to talk. She was impressed by his vast knowledge – he seemed to have an opinion on any issue that they touched, insightful, innovative. He was a good listener as well, tolerating not only her displeasure with Alucard, but after some probing, she found herself hesitating talking to him about her sometimes uncomfortable and formal relationship with her father.
"You mean you haven't lived with your father all your life?" he asked with a touch of concern and sympathy.
"No – he didn't know that I existed until six years ago. He never knew that mother had me because she left him before I was born. They only contacted each other about seven years ago and only under very cold and formal occasions – I just entered high school – and I finally found out that I had a father! And he was the sole owner of the Elysian in anime city! Elysian!"
"Major shock." Salar echoed, nodding his head.
"I know! So after I finished high school, mum and I moved to Anime City and Daddy set up Hellsing so that I could make a name for myself in this city….instead of just being Hades' daughter," she mumbled the last bit disparagingly. "It's…hard to please him, because I just don't know him, you know what I mean? All these years, I know who he is but haven't spoken a word to him until I got here and all. Mum and Dad are still working on repairing their relationship, but I'm a grown woman now – how can I just suddenly see this man as a father?"
"Of course. The Hellsing series could have waited so that you could spend more time together and get to know each other first before you plunged into such a hectic and brutal life of an actor." She found herself falling for the complete and sensible reasonableness in his voice and felt herself blush again.
Desert was finished and they settled down to cups of tea and coffee. Salar sipped on his tea and continued to listen to Integral's problems. A frown darkly flashed across his features when his phone rang and he excused himself to take the call, walking some fair distance away.
He left the parcel he'd been carrying on the table.
Curiosity led Integral to carefully pry open the sides and peer in. At the bottom was a black velvet box and a cord of gold ribbon that had yet to be tied around it. Looking up to see that Salar was still no where in sight, she dared herself to pick up the box, a jewelry box, and flicked open the cover.
She froze. The earrings were beautiful! Ruby earrings, glittering small stones of ruby and diamond hung on fine chains of white gold and dangled so preciously as she held it up to the midday sun and watched the luminous sparkles dance across the tabletop. Her breath caught in her throat and tears threatened to well up in her eyes. Presumably, those were for her. Hearing Salar's footsteps nearing, she hastily put everything back in place and tried to steer her mind off such wonder. She gave him a tight lipped smile hoping that he wouldn't notice that anything was amiss or that his bag was slightly more to the left from where he had originally put it. He was too busy and even slightly dazed to concern himself with such trivial matters – the gift was for her anyway – and he picked up the bag, quickly checking to see the contents were still in there.
"I'm sorry Lady Integral, but there is some which absolutely requires my immediate attention. I've paid for the meal already, and I regret that I've had to cut this short."
"You…have to go now?" she half rose from her seat looking slightly confused.
Salar shrugged into his black jacket with a look of almost panic on his face.
"Yes. A friend of mine is in trouble and doesn't even know it. I must go now." He hastily bent down to brush his lips across her cheek, bowed again and was gone before Integral could inquire further. He'd taken the bag with him. He'd taken those earrings away with him! Weren't they supposed to be for her?!
3:30pm Dr Slump's Community Center
Dr Slump was a short ordinary looking man who was well past his years of youth and too old to keep up with the young ones with all their crazy parties and extravagant lifestyles. The show that made him famous, incidentally named after him, was labelled a 'classic' these days, an old favourite that bought back fond memories of carefree childhood. It was an 'oldie', and he was old. Dr Slump was always too practical and down-to-earth to be deluded by the wonders of science and plastic surgery or be swept away by dreams of legendary fame. He played a dumpy scientist on the show, and that's exactly how he had felt all his life – dumpy – and noting was going to change that. He turned down Toriyama World's offer to do a sequel to Dr Slump featuring a teenage Arale. Sequels were never popular and most people resented having their firmly fixed memories and dreams altered. Arale should remain the naïve but powerful little automaton stuck in preschool whilst Dr Slump would forever continue to pursue his love interest of his life. When his fans had that image forever suspended in their minds, he would only provoke a negative response by adding to and thereby changing it.
That's why he set up this Community Centre, a humble place for the unfortunate children of Northside to take refuge from the harsh realities of the world. Their world. Northside – a place that seemed to be Hell's foothold on earth; it was everything that a criminal could dream of. Lawlessness was not even a proper word in this place for its opposition – law – just simply did not exist. Wait, scratch that. One law did exist, and it was the ever brutal law of survival of the strongest and smartest. Northside's bone of pity and compassion decayed a long time ago and nothing was sane enough to come in and replace it.
Except for this small community centre.
Actually, it was mainly acted as an orphanage run by volunteers, the few kindhearted people in Northside who could afford to be a sympathetic to other lost souls. Then, there was Kurapika who still took some time to visit ever since he was picked up by Director Silva Zoldick to star as one of the main characters in Hunter x Hunter. Today, he bought some braver colleagues with him and a familiar face as well. He was standing in the recreation room, the largest room in the three storey building and felt quite awkward alone with the boy he once knew who seemed so much like a stranger now.
"Kurei! Haven't seen you around for…has it been two years?" Dr Slump shook a smooth white hand that belonged to an aristocrat who hadn't worked a day in his life. He let his beady eyes thoroughly scan the new Kurei in front of him. The young man who had starred in Flame of Recca as Recca's deranged and crazy older half brother looked like one of those models worshipped by readers of Cleo who had just stepped off the catwalk and decided to pay his shabby, downtrodden community centre a visit. In his immaculate attire, flawless alabaster skin, manicured fingernails and a soldier's straight back, he stuck out like a crimson rose in a cheap, broken china vase.
"Yeah, almost." Kurei shrugged, still looking around at the faint cracks in the wall, the peeling grey paint, the lazy spinning fan overhead. There was a faint smell of disinfectant in the air emanating strongly from the bathrooms.
Kurapika was showing his colleagues around the ground floor. Actually, the two girls only came along because they heard that Kurei was going to visit as well. Shizuku kept her hands strictly to herself, mindful of the distasteful yellow stains on the walls and the dirt and grime in the corners of the rooms whilst Neon, wide eyed and slightly distressed, clung tightly onto her arm.
"Kurapika," Dr Slump frowned as the trio regrouped in the recreation room. "do you think it's really appropriate to bring these two ladies here?" Northside was not a pretty place nor did you treat it or any of its buildings as objects of tourism.
"We'll be ok Mr Slump." Shizuku smiled pleasantly at him. "We've all taken months of taibo training with Karen. We should be able to look after ourselves."
Dr Slump didn't look convinced but five Northside kids entered the room. They were in their mid teens, lanky and scrawny and compared to the dress of the actors (who had gone to great pains to tone their stylish habits), the gap in their words was still very glaring. Two of the younger girls, twin sisters Jenna and Jenny shot the Hunter actresses dirty looks of venom and jealousy. Subconscious about the state of their clothes compared to their glamorous counterparts, their rough and dull hair against Neon's lustrous pink or their plain faces and coarse skin as opposed to the actor's flawless faces, a brittle tension mounted in the atmosphere.
This was not good.
And the three boys reacted just as badly. They eyed Kurei with the most suspicion and sneered openly at his fine clothes and fashionable haircut. Unfortunately, Kurei either pretended that he couldn't perceive the open hostility or he honestly did not notice and he greeted them like old friends.
"You talk funny." Jason bluntly observed through the thick bangs of his greasy brown hair. "And what's with those sissy clothes?"
Kurei looked down at what he was wearing and gave Jason a puzzled look. He gave a helpless shrug.
"I actually don't control my wardrobe. It's – "
"I pick out his clothes." A second voice icily interrupted. Everyone gasped and Dr Slump jumped a little at the sudden appearance of a tall and arrogant man with a furiously determined face and cold blue eyes whose gaze alone forced the heat in the small building to plummet by several degrees. Although Anime City was basking in the sun of its summer, he was dressed in a fitted black trench coat that reached halfway down his thighs, its edges lined with metallic blue. He wore black pants tucked into heavy black boots and across his waist, an elegant jian, was attached to the sword belt. He cut an uncompromising path straight across the room, knocking aside unfortunate chairs caught in his way and toys scattered on the floor. Jason visibly shirked from the chilling glare that Salar gave him.
"And I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't seen Damascus silk before. Not that you could ever afford it in this miserable lifetime anyway. Why don't you do something about that road kill on the top of your head before you comment on other people's clothing?"
"Mentor…" Kurei's lips trembled and he made a move to grab Salar's arm to pull him back.
"Excuse me sir, but I'm afraid you're not welcome here. Get out." Dr Slump snarled, angry that his kids had been so ridiculed.
And Salar directed the full weight of his murderous gaze onto the short man, whose anger and confidence instantly deserted him. Kurei was trying to hold Salar back now, like a young child unable to restrain the pit bull pulling on the leash. When Salar spoke, his voice was filled with so much maliciousness and contempt that an ordinary man should not have been capable of expressing.
"So this is who you choose to 'hang' around Kurei." He hissed, the colloquial word foreign to his lips. "Idiots and riff raff without a glimmer of intelligence in their eyes; commoners destined to mediocrity and failure. And now this sniveling worm has the nerve to raise his impudent voice against my taste and judgement?"
Shizuku wanted to clap her hands over her ears to block out this terrible sound, this voice belonging to a person who she couldn't recognize as the man who shared their table for lunch three weeks ago. The Salar she had briefly been acquainted with at TGIs that day was a mild and mellow man of few words and a cynical yet charming smile on his lips. His eyes had been self-mocking, but they were playful and casual with none of the horrendous amount of malevolence and malice that now burned so coldly.
"How can you say that about my friends!" Kurei roared back to everyone's utmost surprise. Given the sheer intimidation that Salar had been able to muster with his voice alone, the ability to instill a fear so gripping that they were rooted to the ground, talking back was the last thing on their minds. But here the brash young man was, screaming and yelling, hurtling abuse at his very own teacher.
"How dare you do this to me! You can't just dictate my life like that, telling me who I can and who I can't be friends with. YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS MENTOR! JEALOUS BECAUSE YOU NEVER HAD ANY – "
Salar's blindingly swift blow across his face was so hard that Kurei crashed to the floor, blood already streaming out from his nostrils and the nasty split on his lip. Momentarily stunned, Salar aimed a vicious kick into his gut that drove every molecule of oxygen out of his lungs. Kurei emitted a small mewl of pain and curled up into a tight ball, forcing his lungs to breath again. Salar was beyond care and compassion for the piteous gasping and coughing from his protégé and his cruelty was magnified by the deadly calm of his voice.
"Never raise your voice at me. Never talk back to me. Those were the first things I taught you Kurei. Now get up. We are to leave this place immediately, if you really treasure the welfare of your so-called friends."
"Are you threatening me!" Dr Slump drew himself to his full height of five feet three inches and called upon every fiber of courage to do so.
"No." Salar's eyes never left the struggling form of his protégé trying to stand on his feet unaided. "But I have a lot of enemies in Northside. I shot down three snipers and dodged several throwing knives and cut down a bolt from a crossbow just to get here. The longer I stay, the more people my enemies will call to surround this building. They might just storm this place just for a chance to get at me, so I want to leave. Now."
"They are your enemies mentor." Kurei spat out the last word out along with a mouthful of blood and saliva. The glare he gave Salar was vicious. "I asked you to come so I could share my old friends with you, not to have you ridicule them, to treat them like they're scum and gutter trash. I used to be one of them – are you going to mock me too?"
His mentor would not meet his gaze. Rather, he strode purposefully over to the other side of the recreation room and cautiously peered out the window from the side through narrowed eyes. He scanned the streets below, paying extra attention to the shadows dancing in the alleys and growled softly.
"My enemies are your enemies Ku." He said softly. "You were a marked man the moment you so foolishly decided to step back in here." From his pockets, Salar withdrew a pair of black, fingerless gloves and he hurriedly fitted them on.
"Like you said Ku, you used to be one of them but not anymore. You should never have come – you belong to me now." Salar sighed and unclasped the sword from his belt and held it in his hand, feeling little comfort from the weight of the weapon.
"You and your Hunter friends have to leave – NOW."
5:00pm, Andelain Towers, Level 6, Flat C
Illumi clawed at the back of his head and pressed his forehead firmly on to the flat of his table top. The loud hoots and roars of laughter outside were mocking him. He knew it. They had to be talking about him. Just because Hisoka had to be companionable didn't mean that the guests he invited over had to be. Things had rapidly gone downhill ever since he unexpectedly moved in straight away after signing the lease.
Hisoka had two large suitcases and a box of other assorted junk that he lugged up to the apartment the moment Nina left. He had an insolent grin on his face as he dragged the box into his designated bedroom and was on the phone to his friends all night informing them of his new address. They ate dinner separately – or rather Hisoka ate dinner because Illumi skipped the last meal. He was engrossed in his work, which seemed to become the first thing he spoke about whenever people asked (if at all) 'how was your day?'.
I guess all this work is paying off, he mused as he sharpened his coloured pencils and pedantically made sure none of the shavings remained on his table or dropped to the floor. Dougy Cameron's old network was impressive to say the least. His sister was Botan from Reikai Motion Pictures. THE Botan! The one everyone described as the "cute blue-haired goddess of death" herself. The cast in Yu Yu Hakusho were close given that the show took a fair number of years to make. He would definitely look forward to mingling with the people from RMP – that's only if Menchi and a few other actors hadn't got around to telling them about his little…problem.
I'm not a problem Illumi >> the small voice murmured somewhere in the back of his head. It was no longer a loud and all-conquering presence in his mind, stirring its sticky fingers in places where it shouldn't touch.
I'm supposed to be a solution to all your problems >>
Illumi chuckled softly as he drew the vague outline of a well endowed woman on a fresh piece of paper.
I believe you only cause me more problems than you help to fix them.
Who do you think came up with the idea of Reverie then? >>
Illumi wondered if he heard a touch of weariness and fatigue and injured dignity in that faint voice.
I'll give you credit for the plan. But I've been implementing it MY way, and it's going very successfully I might add.
For god sakes! How long can you delude yourself for?!>> his madness retorted. They're all sitting outside laughing at you. You go to the studio and none of them talk to you. Hisoka gives you his patented look-guaranteed-to-ostracize and no one sticks up for you. I think you are quite alone.>>
He dabbed long angry lines of red along her thighs, coiling them like large snakes at her feet.
My poor, little, confused Illumi. Look at yourself! You think you can survive in this place on your own without my help? Please, stop taking the medicine…>>
So you don't have to die? He snapped back, trying to steady his shaking hand so that he could squeeze out a perfect line of glue.
So neither of us have to die. The medication is killing you too Illumi, and you know it. How long has it been since you've had a proper meal? My poor thing, my gentle, innocent and naïve soul – you are suffering pain that you shouldn't have to experience. That's why I am here remember? I'll gladly suffer the blows and hurts for you, you know that. You are analogous to the fluffy white lamb amongst a pack of ravenous wolves. Please – let them hurt me instead – I can handle it. >>
ARGH! Enough with your false sympathies! You care about no one but yourself. Get out of my head! If it wasn't for you, none of them would hate me!
That's lie number two today. Really Illu, cute, precious little Illu – do you think that people like Menchi or Machi would not hate you if I didn't attempt to kill their love interest? They'd hate you all the same – because you would have been the new kid who took away all his attention. Right now, they're having no qualms about kicking you when you're down and what are you doing about your predicament? Nothing – because you are capable of nothing whereas – >>
Illumi furiously shook the silver glitter over the pale glimmering line of glue on the page before it dried off. He carefully brushed away the rest of the glitter that didn't stick on to another piece of paper and carefully transferred it back into the bottle. The silver on red effect wasn't as…rich and striking as he intended. Perhaps he should have used the gold glitter instead, or a deeper shade of red?
Please…Illu…please? Stop taking those pills…>>
Promise you'll butt out of my business then? The silver lining didn't look too bad after all.
………not if they keep hurting you Illu. I can't promise you
that – I'm your solution…… remember? >>
Illumi sobbed with frustration as another wave of laughter broke against the bedroom door that tried to block out the sounds from the living room. Menchi's high pitched laughter stung his ears and the low rumbles of Hisoka's chuckles cut so deeply at his vulnerability. He swallowed the lump in his throat and flung himself on to the bed beside the table, worming his head beneath his fluffy pillows.
He must have fallen asleep because a he was awoken by a gentle rubbing on the back.
"Illu – are you ok?"
Hisoka?
"Yes?" he managed to mumble in response, hands immediately flying to fix his hair that always became unruly after he slept.
"Your eyes are red…oh sweetie, have you been crying?" the magician gently sat down beside him on the bed and tenderly wreathed his arms around him, drawing him into his warm and strong embrace.
Sweetie?! WTF?! Surely this wasn't Hisoka's idea of being 'companionable'?!
The hand went to stroke his hair to smooth down all the ruffles and unevenness and pulled him even tighter into that strong, sculpted chest rising and falling with all the unfailing comfort in the world. He was drowning in security, so addictive and sweet. He shifted in his embrace allowing him to tilt his head slightly up and gaze into Hisoka's twinkling golden eyes. Hisoka's smile was pleasant and inviting and it widened as his head gradually leaned closer and closer.
"Illu…" he whispered, his wet lips so close, ever so close to his own.
Closer…closer…closer…he could feel the moist heat Hisoka's breath envelop
his own…
BRIIIIING BRIIIIIING BRIIIIING!!!!
The piercing shriek of the alarm clock startled away all the illusions leaving its dreamer drenched in cold sweat and panting, ebony eyes widened impossibly from the ordeal. Must…think…about…something else….or I'll go insane!
Illumi switched off the alarm checked the time – five thirty. Time to get dressed and meet Dougy for another training session. Better get changed and cover those bruises. He staggered out of bed and made for the mirror in the bathroom. He studied his reflection and dourly noted that the black eye was still taking its sweet time in fading. The bruise around the side of his mouth was still rather dark but much of his face was pale again. If only the same thing could be said about his back though. He still had to sleep on his side at night; when he had time to sleep that is.
Another uproar of laughter. He could distinctly hear his name being called in association with some more other unpleasant accusation, namely depraved sexual acts involving the owner of Andelian Towers – damn he didn't realize how much it was hurting. He quickly got changed, leaving his work and materials scattered messily on the table and was more intent on finding that blasted pill bottle.
He swung aside his bedroom door with a loud bang to announce his entrance and didn't bother to look at the still and silent actors on his couch eating his food. He reached for a glass from the cupboards and slammed it down on the bench whilst he filled half of it up with luke warm water from the kettle. The snide whisperings rose up again and gradually became soft murmurs and gentle giggles.
Illumi swallowed the tablets along with the sigh. Ignore them he tried to tell himself, but he couldn't help sneaking glances at the happy lot invited for Hisoka's couch warming party. If only he didn't have so much work to do, he might have hesitantly asked Hisoka if he could join them all. He would have baked a cake as well and ordered pizza or something. Good things usually didn't come his way though, and certainly not luck. Urgh! Enough with those sly looks in his direction already. He just wanted to shout to them "yes, I understand you don't like me, but do you have to carry on about it like you were twelve?!". He decided against it – it would just make them hate him more.
He screwed the cap back onto the bottle tightly and slipped it into his jacket pocket along with his bundle of house keys. The mobile phone was in his other pocket, and the other things he needed were in his shoulder bag. Time to get a move on then.
"Aniki, where are you going?" Killua looked up with a fistful of chips in hand.
Illumi gave him a small smile. "I've got to meet someone – work."
"As always." Killua added with a smirk.
His 'brother' nodded and without another word left the apartment.
"Hey Killua, I don't think he looked too happy. Do you think he heard?" Gon worriedly muttered beside him.
Menchi leaned a friendly elbow on Hisoka's shoulder and smiled widely, a can of beer in her hand. "What does it matter anyway? So long as it isn't Hisoka who's gossiping about his landlord, Illumi can't do anything to us."
Hanzo frowned at her haughty tone. "Don't be like that Menchi. The guy's got feelings too you know."
The pink haired actress snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and his feelings aren't worth scrap."
"But aren't you afraid Menchi? His mother seems to be on good terms with the Director." Paku winked at Killua who immediately flushed with embarrassment.
"The gossip columnists are liars!" he said defensively. "Dad and kaa-san were just role playing their parts outside work like I do with my new brothers."
"Riiight. That'd also explain the way they were looking lovingly into each others eyes whilst drinking in the splendid view from the 250th floor of Elysian's restaurant?" Paku quoted the section of column by heart. The news didn't make front page, but had caused considerable stir amongst the actors at Hunter Works. The Director seemed amused by the picture that the journalist had managed to capture his picture that evening and bravely shrugged off the ensuing gossip.
"But in all seriousness" Hanzo continued "the Director was going to crack onto Hisoka about his little fight with Illumi at the park before my splendid picture deprived him of words. I don't think we should push this vendetta even further."
"I second that." Kuroro raised his can of beer and took a large gulp. "We've almost finished anyway. Another month or two, and after some computer editing by the techs, Hunter x Hunter will be aired on tv. Why don't we just finish the last two months with some good memories?"
Kuroro was going to further elaborate on the reasons but the door swung open and a number of people burst in, their faces white as a ghost and trembling from head to toe from some unknown fear.
"Neon-chan!" Menchi squeaked and made an immediate dash to her kid sister's side, immediately helping her to a seat.
"Kurapika!" she turned to the blonde haired boy and gave him her best intimidating glare "what happened?!"
Shizuku had to take over the explaining when Kurapika could do nothing but stutter clumps of incoherence.
"As you know Menchi – we accompanied Kurapika to the community centre in Northside to meet some of the kids there. But as they all say," her throat felt so dry and voice harsh and coarse that she wondered if the people could understand what she was saying. "Northside isn't a very pleasant place. Especially since Salar got involved."
"Salar?" Kuroro's eyes lit up with alarm. "Most of Northside have a grudge against him! Rumor has it that whoever takes him out will be crowned the King of Northside. Why on earth did he go in there?!"
"Kurei invited his mentor." Kurapika nodded his thanks to Gon for the glass of water. "Guess he wanted to show his mentor who he used to hang around. So Salar came to Dr Slump's Community Centre and told us to get out of there before it was too late. It was almost too late…"
"We made a dash out of the building from the back door but they were ready for us. We were surrounded – all around and up above."
"So how on earth did you escape?!" Menchi yelled at Kurapika, throttling him for taking her sister into such dangerous a dangerous place in the first place and didn't try harder to persuade her not to go.
"Salar…he was stopping bullets with his sword. I don't know how he did it…but his gloves…or something….was giving off this really, really bright light. He was…"
"like a god." Neon whispered, holding tightly onto her sister as she recalled the events. "He was shining so brightly amongst us with a sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other. He kept us running and didn't let us stop until we all got back here." She hiccuped and reached for a glass of water.
"Where's he now?" Hisoka asked.
"Upstairs in his own penthouse." Shizuku pulled at her collar as if it was difficult to breathe. "I think he's injured though. He could barely walk by the time we made it to Andelain Towers. He was leaning heavily on Kurei and his face was paler than a dead corpse."
"Do you think one of us should go upstairs and make sure he's ok?"
"No, don't." Kuroro immediately spoke up. "Salar's a private person. Leave him – you can write your thank you card another day. Now, get over on the couch, give yourselves a nice hot cup of chocolate with two spoons of sugar to replace the energy you burned up, and tell me every single detail. It's not everyday that an actor steps into Northside and emerges unscathed. Talk to me."
Authors Note:
I'm going away on holiday for about a month it seems. So that means I won't have computer access or internet access to upload the next chapter. It means that Chapter 15 might not come out until the first week of August. I'm sorry about this guys.In the meantime, feel extremely free to make comments and diplomatic constructive criticisms about this work. Please Review. I know you're reading this.