A/N: I hope none of you are in the hurricane zone, and if you are, then I pray for your safety. Because it just sounds absolutely terrifying.

Of Lions and Blonde Avengers:

Chapter 9:

Of Friendships and Preparations

Kurapika sighed heavily as she settled down into the surprisingly soft cushions of the car, loosening the black tie around her slender, pale neck. It was too warm for suits. Her tribal attire was much better in dealing with these types of things. Unfortunately, an expert would be able to recognize the traditional Kurtan markings and that was the last thing she needed right now. Not that she wouldn't be able to handle them, but at the end of the day, our blonde avenger stood for justice. If she could avoid confrontation with those people that would be much preferred.

She heard the soft click of ice against glass and turned towards it. Neon sat beside her with a bottle in her hand. Raising a dubious eyebrow, Kurapika gave Neon an expectant gaze.

"Here. It's iced lemonade," the blue-haired girl explained quickly. "You just look really hot in that suit . . ." Her eyes widened comically as the implications of her words set in. "No, wait. I didn't mean it like that, I mean, not that you aren't, but you just looked . . . warm, yeah, yeah, uncomfortable so I thought this might -"

Kurapika took the glass bottle from her white-knuckled hand and gave her a bright smile in return. "Thank you, Neon. I must admit a suit isn't exactly my outfit of choice. It's a bit too formal for my taste."

The girl's eyes practically lit up. Just as planned. Neon might have been sheltered all her life, but clothes were something she was an expert in. Kurapika needed her entertained above all else for these next two days. She couldn't afford to let her plans go awry.

"Oh, I know just the place!" Neon chatted excitedly, going on to describe more than just one single place much to Kurapika's dismay. At least, she seemed happy, and if Neon was happy, then all her employees were as well.

Kurapika wasn't a regular employee, but she forced a smile on her face and resigned herself to listening to Neon's ranting about all the different clothes she'd have to try on the whole ride to the hotel.

"Are you alright?" Dalzollene asked as she got out of the car, looking visibly worn out.

She put her suit jacket back on, which she had shrugged off at one point because it was bloody irritating, causing Neon to blush madly and look away. A strange experience altogether, since Kurapika had no idea what was so peculiar about taking off your coat in the middle of the car ride. The dress shirt underneath definitely wasn't see-through, she'd checked.

"I'm fine," she sighed, fixing her tie again. "Just a little tired from the car ride, that's all."

The two walked around to the back of the car and opened the trunk where a large pile of luggage awaited them. Neon followed suit. Dalzollene gave her a surprised look.

"Um," Neon started, "I can carry some stuff too if you need my help."

Kurapika gave her a grateful smile, before turning back to the luggage. "That'd be much appreciated, Neon. Let's see." Something that wasn't too heavy, but not so light that it made her feel she wasn't needed. "Here." She picked out one of the smaller suitcases. Still, the girl almost toppled over from the weight, causing Dalzollene to almost have a panic attack right then and there. Kurapika placed a hand on her back to steady her, and that seemed to be all Neon needed to make it to the elevator. Nico caught up with them as well, with one, much more practical suitcase.

"Miss Neon," Dalzollene said, once they were safely contained within the elevator. "There are some more fortunes your father sent over."

Neon gave him a long, meaningful stare.

"Of course, he'll compensate by giving you a larger allowance!" he added quickly.

The girl assessed him critically, telling him to mind his next words. "How much larger?"

"He'll tack on another hundred thousand jenny!" he answered.

Neon looked up, as she weighed the costs and benefits of this little exchange. "Add in a Sephora all-you-can-buy gift card and we'll talk."

Nico snorted at her reply, and Kurapika herself had to try hard to keep the smirk off her face.

"That can be arranged," Dalzollene informed, sending a dirty look towards them, which Kurapika honestly found uncalled for since she had done nothing to get on his bad side.

Their blue-haired boss raised her arms in victory. "Okay! I'll write them when we get to our room!"

The elevator door opened and the four of them stepped out. Neon's assigned suite was merely around the corner, just as extravagant and luxurious as one would expect. Deep blue curtains hung in the windows, rippling like waves and allowing only the slightest of light to break through its water-like fabric. The floor was hardwood, though several plush, blue and green rugs were laid out. Kurapika found it looked much like a room in the ocean, and the sea-green walls only added to that effect.

A whistle interrupted her assessment. It wasn't hard to guess who'd just entered.

"Man! They weren't kidding when they called this place Poseidon's Cove," he said.

Ah yes, each of the twelve floors were named after the legendary Greek deities. Zeus was on the top floor, of course, and those rooms were designated for those at the summit of the top of the food chain: Royalty, presidents, other major politicians. Hera was for everyone directly below, such as major CEOs and the like. Poseidon was for people like Neon, even though her father owned the hotel, people who weren't quite as important but were too prominent to be ignored. The subsequent floors were mostly for up and coming businessmen, and some had actual functions. For example, many military folks went to either the Athena or the Ares floors. You could guess what Aphrodite's function was. Hint: It wasn't for business. Hestia was for family vacations.

A fascinating concept, Kurapika had to admit. Now, if only the owner stopped dabbling in the Mafia. Neon dragged her lone bag to her room, and Kurapika was about to follow suit when the girl's blood-curdling shriek reached her. They all dropped what they were doing and ran into the room, only to see a startled Neon sitting on the floor. She'd clearly fallen back due to the shock of whatever she'd seen. Kurapika followed her gaze. It wasn't difficult to spot what had caused her such dismay.

A young man sat on the window sill, carelessly, watching them with clear disinterest. He wore a black tank top and camouflage pants, looking much like a soldier. The boy possessed a muscular but slender frame and dark skin that one could liken to ground coffee beans, he wore his long, jet-black hair in a pony-tail. However, the eyes were what drew everyone to him, bright green against his skin. They seemed so familiar somehow.

"Noisy," he muttered, drowsily, and Kurapika guessed he'd just woken up from a nap.

Basho stepped forward, putting on his serious bodyguard face. "Who are you and what business do you have in being here?"

The man averted his eyes, well, more like rolled them.

"Well, I was sleeping before you barged in." That accent, that voice. Why was he so familiar to her? Kurapika eyed him closer, catching sight of a single gold thunderbolt hanging from a simple chain around his wrist. He was from Zeus' floor. That meant he was probably a world leader, or more likely the son or nephew of one. That must be why he was so familiar. Now, who was he?

"You didn't answer my first question," Basho continued.

"No, I didn't."

Kurapika could practically hear the last, loose thread of Basho's patience snap. He looked ready to lunge at the younger man.

"Why, you little -"

It suddenly clicked in her head. "You're the third Prince of Araulia, Prince Rohan."

"That's his highness to you," he corrected, haughtily, but acknowledged her intelligence anyhow. "At least one of you is well-informed."

"Aren't you . . . supposed to be surrounded by an entire entourage?" she asked.

He pouted. "Isn't it obvious? I ran away from them. They never give me any breathing space."

"You're hurt." It was Neon who'd spoken this time, her blue eyes fixed on the small scratch on his elbow. Kurapika had noticed as well, of course, but she had been a bit too preoccupied with putting his face to a name. The other girl asked one of her maids to bring some antiseptic and bandages. A bit much for such a small cut, but Kurapika figured it was her first time treating someone.

The girl crouched down next to his royal highness, and Rohan promptly started to blush.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked, leaning away, but Neon gripped his arm and dabbed the antiseptic-soaked cotton ball on his 'wound', causing him to flinch a bit. Then, she took one of the band-aid squares and placed it neatly over the same spot. "Hmm," he raised his arm to his face, "you're very good at this, little peasant woman."

Neon grimaced, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Peasant? I'm plenty rich, thank you very much! And I'm not just a woman! I have a name, y'know. It's Neon!"

"That's a strange name."

One could practically see the flames light up in her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"But I like it," he suddenly added, looking at his hand in wonder. "In fact, I find you quite interesting, Neon." The boy nodded, before jumping from the window sill and kneeling before Neon. It was almost as if he was going to propose. Which was completely ridiculous, they just met each othe- "I know it's sudden, but I would be honored if you would give me your hand in marriage." He took her hand. "And be my princess."

The hell?!

Silence filled the room, no one knowing precisely what to say.

"Heh?!" Neon asked, pulling her hand away. "Are you insane?!"

At that exact moment, the door to Neon's room was flung open.

"Your majesty!" a silver-haired man in uniform fell to the ground in front of him. "I'm so glad to see you in good health. Permission to criticize?"

The prince sighed. "Permission granted."

The man took a deep breath, before he started to thoroughly and utterly berate the prince. "What the hell were you thinking?! You can't just run off like that without any of us to escort you! It's dangerous!"

"It's not like it matters," he muttered. "I'm not even close to being first-in-line. No one would care if something happened."

The man seemed ready to burst with all that pent-up rage, hitting him with the hilt of his sword. "Idiot! You're the people's favorite, you know they love you!"

"Yeah."

"So stop complaining!"

He rolled his eyes.

"And what's this I hear about marriage?! You know you can't marry outside the kingdom!"

"So?"

"SO?!"

. . .

In the end, Prince Rohan of Araulia was removed from Neon's suite, but not before gifting her a strange necklace, a sign that royalty had claimed her. Claimed her! Like some kind of animal. That Prince would have to get through Kurapika before he could lay a finger on Neon.

"You're almost as overprotective as me," Nico commented, sitting down on the couch next to her.

Kurapika glared at him. "I'm afraid I don't see your point."

"Please, I know the signs," he scoffed. "That glare is reserved for angry, overprotective people."

She leaned back against the cushions of the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "How come you're not more upset about this whole thing?"

He shrugged. "Father would never allow it, and Neon seems less than excited at the prospect. He can't force himself on her. Above all, I can tell he's not a bad guy."

That was true, at least. The Prince was a brat and a spoiled one at that, but his heart was clearly in the right place. Maybe if he had asked her out on a date first, Kurapika might like him more.

"Is someone getting a little territorial?" Nico teased, edging closer to her with a cheeky grin on his face. She pushed it away with the palm of her hand.

"I'm her bodyguard. It's my job."

He smiled again, far too widely to be natural. "You know, it's not a crime to care about someone other than yourself, luv."

"I care about plenty of people, thank you very much," she snapped back, indignant. There was Gon, Killua, Leorio, Melody, Netero (sometimes), Chrollo, especially Chrollo. No, no, this was not the time to think about handsome, roguish significant others. Definitely not.

Nico placed his hands behind his back, letting them become a makeshift pillow. "Come to think of it, are you even in a relationship with someone?"

The look on her face contained all the answers he needed.

"Ah, so it's complicated," he surmised. "What happened? I'm guessing you probably never told them about your feelings?"

"No, no, I told him," she sighed, leaning her chin on her hands, and placing her elbows on her knees.

He gave her an incredulous look. "What man in his right mind would reject you?"

"Excuse me?"

He raised his hand. "You're gorgeous." He tacked off, one finger straightening as if it was a tally mark. "You're intelligent." Another tally. "You're funny on good days, scary on bad days, and over all just practically perfect in every way. I mean, look at this face." He said, framing her face with his hands.

"He didn't reject me."

"Oh," he said. "That's a shame."

She suddenly felt like hitting him on the head with a chair. Repeatedly.

"So, what happened?"

As if she would tell him. "We went our separate ways."

"Then why's it complicated?"

The blonde averted her eyes.

"Oh dear," he said. "What? He didn't want to come?"

"He wanted to."

"You didn't let him?" he asked. The blonde shook her head. "Should've known you'd be the type to make love overly complicated. I almost feel sorry for the guy. Well?"

"Well, what?"

"When are you going to get enough courage points to see the poor guy again?"

"I don't intend to ever see him again," she answered, emotionlessly. "As I said, we went our separate ways."

He smirked. "From what I've heard from Neon, he doesn't seem like the type to just let things go."

Kurapika froze.

"She told you about him?"

"Yeah, she's been having a hard time with it," the man said. "Chrollo Lucilfer, the very name makes him sound like some devil spawn."

This time, the blonde actually did hit him. A light punch to the elbow, but it still seemed to hurt him plenty.

"Then why'd you ask me about it?" she asked, a bit irritated by the fact that she'd been tricked.

He smiled, leaning in closer to the pretty avenger. "I wanted to see your reaction."

With an eyeroll, Kurapika pushed the impertinent man off the couch, and then stood up herself and whipped out her phone. She still hadn't called Komugi yet today. She wondered how she and Bahari were doing.

. . .

Next On Lions!:

Chain Pair meeting. Auction day. Prince Rohan joins Kura, Neon, and Nico on their shopping trip as he insists on winning Neon's heart.

(A/N: This was a quick chapter. I'm just building up for tomorrow's auction, which I'll actually probably be posting tomorrow or Saturday, so keep your eyes open. I've been waiting to write the Chain Pair meetup for a while because it also has Kurapika finding out that at least Uvo is a spider. Also, I hope you're excited about Neon's shojo romance because that's where this is going. I based the prince of Prince Rumaty in Hanasakeru Seishounen. Which looks like a typical harem but is actually a really cool political drama with a pretty strong female lead - she falters a bit at the end in my opinion.)

Question of the Day: What would you like Chain Pair to do on their date tomorrow?

~ Replies to Reviewers ~

MedusaLegend: I'm glad you haven't given up on this story yet! Nico is more cunning and intelligent than most give him credit. He puts on a mask of playfulness but in the end, he's still a mafioso's son. He's no Chrollo, but he's not stupid. Eventually, Nico and Neon might drag Kurapika so far into their plans that she won't have time to kill the Phantom Troupe. And now Nico's pushing her to go back to Chrollo. Thanks for reviewing and reading!

Sweets Dreamer: Everyone gets character development in my stories. Saffy, all the canon characters, Nico, eventually Prince Rohan. I am the queen of character development. Roro won't get character development, but we'll understand his motives more when the climax occurs. Gon knows things. And as for Chrollo's plan. He's planning on using the people Kurapika cares for the most to break down her walls by a) being good friends and b) trying to convince her not to go through with her revenge and reminding her she has people waiting for her here as well. And then he'll swoop in and remind her she has a future here and that it's possible for her to forget. Will this work? Probably only for a few seconds, but hey, who knows? Thanks for reviewing and reading and I hope to hear from you soon!

guest: I'm glad you like flustered Neon. I feel like that's the main emotion she feels most of the time. Poor girl. She gets better eventually due to the character development. Killugon is pure and must be protected. I should make a question of the day where you guys have to tell me your favorite line in the series. Chrollo's got plans and everyone in York New city act as his pawns. Nico's got plans too, and he's actually planning to double-cross his father. I dunno, it looks to me that Kurapika attracts cunning bastards. Remember that Kurapika has a tendency of sub-consciously letting down her guard around Chrollo as well. Also, you're right, not everything will go according to Chrollo's plan. I'm sure Roro's scheme will get Chrollo plenty riled up. That AU idea is amazing and I'll probably right it one day. I only care about Kura's team, Leo, Theta, and the Zodiacs getting out of there alive. And maybe Ging. Pariston can die. I'm sure he'll probably enjoy the prospect of being killed. Thanks for reviewing and see you next time!

~ End of Replies ~

To Everyone: I hope you liked this little chapter, and I hope you find it in your hearts to leave a review, favorite and follow.