Notes: This is a collection of various HxH ficbits based on some themes that other people came up with. All ficbits are exactly 100 words.Theme #18 is blatant yaoi, the rest of the themes are pretty much gen. (Some hinted shounen ai if you want to see it.) Overall rating is PG/PG-13. There are slight spoilers for several parts of the series. The themes are taken from the 20themes livejournal community.
The Hunter x Hunter 20 Themes
by Maaya
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#1: Mornings
Kurapica wakes to pale sun in his face and Leorio's slow half-snores from the other bed, muffled in a pillow that the man is probably drooling on as well. In the other room, Gon and Killua aren't making any sounds and when Kurapica looks at the clock, he understands why.
Five-thirty.
Sitting up, he blinks grit out of his eyes and wonders if he should give up one of his own pillows to throw at the other man, just to punish him for snoring.
Quick consideration, a glance at Leorio's--silly, smiling--face and somehow, Kurapica decides to be merciful.
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#2: Friendship
"Someone once said", Kurapica states as he and Leorio find themselves being pulled outside and away towards the nearest park by an enthusiastic Gon and a calmer Killua, "that a cheerful friend is like a sunny day, spreading brightness all around."
"Meh." Leorio, finally rid of Gon's hands pulling at his tie, brushes himself off. "I'm too old to keep up with them."
"You do look worn." Kurapica pauses thoughtfully. "Perhaps you are growing old. How much now?"
"I refuse to answer such a rude question."
"Wouldn't hurt if you had some of Gon's cheerfulness." Kurapica notes.
"Hey! You too!"
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#3: Hot Cocoa
"Hey, old man." Killua waves a hand before Leorio's eyes. "Make some hot cocoa."
"Eh?" Leorio's head snaps up from his newspaper in disbelief. The paper rustles as his grip on it tightens in irritation at the word 'old'. "Make it yourself!"
Killua shrugs the best he can with his hands in his pockets. "I don't know how."
"Seesh," Leorio mutters. "Tell Kurapica to do it."
"Excuse me?" The blond, sitting on the bed, lowers his book.
"Girly boys like you probably know how—ack!"
Without a word, Kurapica stands and walks over to Leorio to retrieve his hurled book.
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#4: Revenge
Senritsu feels slight guilt for intruding on Kurapica's privacy, despite having his permission.
His room is dark but tidy. Even with guilt she can't help but look around curiously, wondering if the private space can reveal something she doesn't yet know about the boy. The bed is made, either by him or a servant, nightwear is folded and hanging from the back of a chair. A few books on the desk to make him human. She locates the book she had asked for and picks it up.
She walks out, noting with some disappointment that Kurapica doesn't have any photos.
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#5: Treasure
The treasure, a four pints large wooden box with chocolate and melon-- not a single ounce of the vanilla crap--handed to you with a large spoon and the knowledge that if you're to find a coin at the bottom, you're given five more "treasures" for free.
Heaven.
"Killua" Gon looks at him with a childishly troubled frown. "The train is leaving."
"We'll take the next one," Killua presses between mouthfuls. "I know there's a coin in this one."
"Leorio will be angry."
"Who cares?" Killua's spoon hits something uneven. "Yes!"
And Gon stops complaining, once they're sharing the prize.
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#6: Falling asleep on the couch
Four people and one bed. Warning signals goes of in Kurapica's head at the thought, becoming even worse because this is reality. He rubs the bridge of his nose, hoping to prevent a headache.
"Gon and I will share it," Killua declares, dragging Gon with him as he walks towards the bed. "We're small enough."
Of course Leorio won't agree to that. Reds spots from irritation appear in his face. "I'm the oldest, I should have it!"
"Hey, let go of me!"
"Ow! Brat!"
Kurapica shakes his head and takes the couch before Leorio will demand to have it instead.
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#7: Bad hair day
They do meet thanks to coincidences at times. However, Leorio never expected to walk past a women's hairdresser's place, glance in the window and spot Kurapica of all people. The blond admittedly thumbing through a magazine and not letting anyone near his hair, but Kurapica nonetheless.
Leorio naturally has to enter.
Kurapica's glare, when he catches sight of his friend, dares Leorio to say something. "I'm working," he hisses, nodding towards a cheerful Neon.
Leorio sits down, grinning. "You don't have to make excuses. We all know you like to wear skirts."
The fist in his stomach is worth it.
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#8: Grudge fight
They argue on regular basis about everything and nothing, but the occasions when they don't get even again within ten minutes, are rare. Not to mention confusing for them both. Gon finds himself on the couch in Kurapica's room, staring sourly ahead as he contemplates the fight.
"Gon," Kurapica says after a while, from the other side of the room. "Why don't you try to apologize?"
"Never!" Gon rubs his swollen nose. "Killua started it! I didn't get to hit him back! I'll punch him!"
Kurapica sighs as the boy stalks out of the room. "I guess that works too."
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#9: Will to Live
Kurapica hadn't planned for things to turn out like this. When he'd vowed revenge, when he had left for the hunter exam with the one final goal to kill, he had expected many things.
Not this. Never this.
Gon and Killua are talking excitedly about something, a plan to lure Gon's father out, Kurapica listens with half an ear to make sure they won't do anything stupid. Leorio is leaned back on the bench beside Kurapica, half-asleep, grinning.
Until Killua deviously mentions the words "old man".
The sun is shining and Kurapica momentarily forgets the chains, wrapped around his hand.
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#10: Bug-hunting
"Damn, this is boring." Killua leans back in the grass, hits his back against a curved tree-root. He wiggles, trying to move away without drawing attention to their hiding place. "Why did you choose this mission, Gon?"
Gon, not daring to shout, frowns. "You chose it!" he whispers. "Simple you said. "Follow a guy around, find his weak points, report to employer."
"I don't sound like that!"
Too late, they realize that they have been discovered by their target. Knives are thrown their way.
Killua suppresses a smirk as he ducks.
At least the mission will be more interesting now.
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#11: Street Cafe
Killua kicks his foot against the table leg but notes the way one of the waitresses glares at him. He considers continuing but eventually stops and starts squirming instead, drinks a few gulps of his strawberry milkshake--the drink is getting too warm--and ignores the way people are starting to look at him. Like he's an annoying delinquent. (They're right, after all.)
He glances at the numbers showing time on his cell phone. Feels slight unease.
Fifteen minutes late now.
"Killuaaa!" Gon's high voice, resounding over the crowd. "Sorry I'm late! There was this puppy I--"
Killua relaxes.
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#12: Realization
Kurapica has never considered to possibility of drinking, really, and it's embarrassing because he's used to feel more...experienced than this.
Leorio insists that on Kurapica's eighteenth birthday, he should at least have tried alcohol. Now he's half-cheering (half-jeering?) and bringing glasses.
Glancing towards the hotel beds, Kurapica finds the sleeping forms of Gon and Killua to be enviously unaware.
"Here. Try," Leorio commands. He looks like he enjoys having the advantage in a situation.
Kurapica sighs, grabs the glass and sips.
It's worse than bad, honestly. Being around friends, he even allows his face to describe the taste.
Leorio laughs.
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#13: Empty room
Mito enters the abandoned room, half-considering; perhaps she can move her potted seeds into it. The abundant sunlight from late morning to late afternoon will surely do them good.
She halts on the doorstep and stares at a mess.
Gon has never been one to throw his belongings around. He must have been in a hurry to pack. A pair of socks is hanging from the bedside lamp. Mito reaches out and picks them up.
Funny, she thinks, moving over to the drawer. How can a boy who leaves his room to be cleaned by his aunt, become a hunter?
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#14: Garbage
Out of them all, Pakunoda is probably the one to remember that place the best. She has experience with memories, knows the ins and outs, the functions, effects and everything in-between. She can analyze other people's memories and she knows the best methods, how to remember and how to forget. Useful indeed. Not that the knowledge helps her to forget. How can she help herself to forget? Her memory is practiced clear.
Of course. She doesn't need to forget the Spider's birthplace.
It's just that she remembers that dirty, rundown place a bit clearer than the others. It shapes her.
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#15: Missing You
"We're meeting in New Venire the twelfth," Leorio reminds over the phone. He presses his cell phone against his ear; Kurapica must be very far away for the sound to be so bad. Or perhaps the city sounds are too loud on both their ends. "I'm sure Gon and Killua would like to see you."
There is a silence that faintly feels like a question. Leorio fiddles with the hem of his jacket.
"Mm." Kurapica's voice is heard a few moments later. Calm. Barely audible. "I'm not sure I can make it."
"I see."
Leorio curses himself and hangs up.
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#16: Rendezvous
Killua wakes early because of a thud and a groan. Opening one gritty eye, he regards the figure on the floor and tries to connect the image to a sleep-hazed mind.
"Fell out of bed again?" he asks Gon, who is sitting up now, leaning against the bed and yawning the big way only Gon can.
"Mm." For such a ride awakening, Gon looks strangely cheerful. "I dreamed that we were fishing. Got this huuuge fish!" He gestures with his arms.
"Stupid." Killua rolls over. "We can go fishing for real, later."
The winds of Whale Island sing him asleep.
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#17: Dressed up with nowhere to go
Neon adapts to the sudden, stricter, confinement grudgingly but with years of practice; cheers up as much as possible as one of the body-guards-- Scuwala--agrees to play cards with her.
Still. After the thirteenth game, she leans back with a pout and accepts a cup of tea from one of her ladies.
"Hey." She curls up on the couch. "Can we go out soon?"
The body-guard, a boring guy, looks tired. "Not yet."
"Aww." Neon thinks of the new dresses she has bough, wishes she could go out somewhere to inaugurate one of them.
They start yet another game.
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#18: Ambush prank in the shower!
Illumi knows Hisoka well enough to be aware of the man's bad timing, but he has, he thinks, never experienced it quite as obviously as now. Illumi rinses away the last of the shampoo before turning the water off and stepping out of the shower.
"You could have waited outside," Illumi says, reaching for a towel.
Hisoka, leaning against the bathroom door, tilts his head. Smirks. "Hm? But I have urgent news."
And taking in Hisoka's appreciating, raised eyebrows, Illumi knows that the bad timing is anything but accidental. He stares back and wonders if he should bother getting dressed.
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#19: Winter breath
"You like frost?"
With Senritsu, there's no need to answer. Kurapica uses the privilege to merely cock his head slightly and breathe out, a fading shimmer in the cold. It has been a while since he last saw it, having spent most of his life on southern islands.
The garden is covered in late morning frost, not melting despite the rising sun. It will be a clear day, and unusually cold for October.
He feels cold air starting to seep in through his clothes; should probably consider buying himself some winter clothes.
"It's beautiful," he admits suddenly, almost surprising himself.
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#20: Defiance
The master rubs a spot above his eyebrow, brushing away a mosquito with the gesture. Something about the heat, humid, is sultry and poisoning the air, tough to breathe. He leans back in the grass, keeping half-an-eye on his pupil, the other one-and-a-half trying for light catnapping. Too warm to do anything. The master almost admires his pupil for practising today. Would have admired him, if it hadn't been utter stupidity, working in the heat.
His pupil brushes sweaty blond bangs from his forehead, closes his eyes, concentrates. Opens them; red.
The master is unimpressed. Wants to tell him, rest.
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end