Daniel approaches Clarisa, hoping to try to understand, to figure out if what Killua and himself guessed about Madelyn had merit… or was it all for naught.

If Daniel and Killua were going to figure out why Madelyn's was contradicting her feelings, they needed to obtain a snippet of her past, the past she refuses to talk about. Right now, besides Vastorie and maybe Eifion, Clarisa would be the only one aware of her housemate's history.

The girl said it herself, that she had spoken to Clarisa… so hopefully, that included her past as well.

But given the fact that Madelyn refused to talk to them about it, the same rules may have applied to Clarisa as well. In that case, they'll be left with nothing, but their assumptions about what happened to the girl in the past and why she continues to act this way.

He was hoping that once approaches Clarisa with his thoughts on the situation, that IF she wasn't prepared to talk about the girl's past him, she'll at least help him find closure with his thoughts.

As Clarisa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, when she glanced up from her books, taking note of a boy in the crowd waving at her. It had taken a second longer than what she would've normally needed to notice it was Daniel Darkscryer waving at her.

Her first thought was what was he doing here? She had never crossed paths with him ever since he started studying at this school, except for those few times they were coming or going from their residence.

Whether she should be worried or not, she was about to find out. As she waved at the boy in response, she smiled "Well, well… what are you doing here mister?"

"I came to talk to you about something important…"

"Oh…" She brought her books closer to her chest, feeling a little awkward, given the fact it may be about Killua or Madelyn. One of which, she wasn't prepared to talk about.

Daniel awkwardly ran his hand through his hair, accidentally making himself look like a shy Disney princess in the process. It wasn't his intention to act in this manner, it's just now that he thought about it… and given her current reaction, he may have come off as a stalker.

He'll have to correct that assumption later…

"Well…" Clarisa looked up once more, the fact that he came to her means he trusts her enough, to seek out her help and not his partner's, "I just finished my last class; we can talk about it over a bite if you like?"

"Sure…" He held out his hand, offering her to take the lead.

"So how did you find my class?"

"Eifion…" The boy offered an awkward smile along with his response, "he also told me it was your last class… so I kinda ran here."

"You look pretty good for someone who ran a mile…"

"Comes with my skill set. One that took ages to train…"

Silence fell over them, Clarisa is now pondering if she should ask the dreaded question. If it was about Madelyn, she should at least let him know she wasn't willing to say everything the girl told him "So what or who did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Madelyn…"

Clarisa stopped, her smile faltering at the request, "I don't feel comfortable talking about… her past… You should be asking her."

"She refuses to say anything, and given my position… I've begun to worry about her feelings."

"Did she…" The girl tilted her head slightly to the side, now confused at the boy, "hit on you or something…?"

"No…" Daniel waved his hands, dismissing the notion, "Nothing of that sort. I had a feeling you wouldn't want to talk about it, but… I was hoping you'll be able to listen to my thoughts on the situation… and if you are willing to talk about it, maybe you can help me put some of these thoughts and ideas to rest."

"Ok…"

"Also, to increase the incentive, I would also need to explain some secrets to you, so… we kind of have to be alone for this conversation."

"Does your boyfriend know about this?" She quirked an eyebrow as her fists rested on her hips, "I don't think he'd like the idea of the two of us being alone."

"Look…" Daniel sighed. He knows that Killua does come off as being jealous at times, but it's not as bad as one would picture it. He deeply cares about those close to him, so he'll go out of his way to protect them…

If anything, Daniel would consider it more of a sweet aspect about Killua, than a bad habit "I know he does easily get jealous, but he knows I've come to speak with you… and he understands why I wanted to do this alone."

"As long as he's aware… I know about his secret talents, so I don't want to wake up in a ditch somewhere."

Daniel chuckled, "He wouldn't ever get that jealous, trust me… He knows how much I love him… I make sure that every night. I sometimes make him as ripe as a tomato…"

"Aww…" Clarisa felt herself smiling at the idea. Having that special someone, whispering sweet words to her as she fell asleep in their arms; she'd love that.

"Don't tell him I said that."

"Why? I'd find that cute… endearing…"

"He'd be blushing for days…"

Clarisa snickered, continuing to walk towards the in-school restaurants.

"~"

As Clarisa sat under a tree beside Daniel, the light breeze tickled her skin. She felt peace, even though she knew who they were about to talk about. She was dreading it, but Daniel promised her that he won't prod her for information, more like bounce a few ideas off of her, hoping to have some of his thoughts calmed in the process "So, what did you want to talk about…"

"So, you're probably not aware of this… but Killua and I are now one of her teachers…"

"Oh, and what are you teaching her…?" She bit her lip from her curiosity, but something about the situation seemed off. She was hoping the boy would open about the situation, given that Madelyn hadn't said anything about the two boys being one of her newest teachers.

Although, given the fact that she wasn't prepared to talk about what Daniel most likely needed, she did feel a little guilty from her thoughts.

"We are her Nen teachers…"

The girl quirked an eyebrow "Her what teacher…? Nen…? Never heard of that. What's Nen about?"

"I thought so…" The boy sighed, lifting a finger to summon his shadow. But then he realised there was one problem with his initial thought. He can't use Nen while on the school grounds unless he was on the training field. So, he had no proof of Nen, just an explanation of the concept.

This was going to make it harder to prove since the concept of Nen can seem outrageous at times "I… can't show you…"

"How unfortunate…" The girl's face fell.

"Trust me what I'm about to say, even though it'll sound far-fetched, it's true…" The boy took a deep breath, "so the short story is, all of us have access to our life force, aura… which we can strengthen ourselves, create objects or manipulate other people. This is only a fraction, of what Nen is all about."

"So… Killua's abnormal speed would fall under this topic… how he was able to grab me instantly, was Nen?"

"Yes… and no… what he did with you, no… what he can do overall… yes."

"That makes no sense right now, but go on anyways…"

"Well, we're currently teaching Madelyn the basics, which is Ten, controlling the life force around herself, so, it doesn't seep away as it would normally do. She's terrible at it… mainly because she seems distracted right now, which is what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Alright, but as long as you don't ask direct questions, I'll try to help you…"

"Thank you…" Daniel paused for a moment, now smiling at the clouds. Even though his next thoughts were considered terrible, he was happy that she was allowing him to talk about it "I believe my father may have hurt her in the past…"

"What makes you say that?"

"When I say hurt…" The boy looked towards the girl, "I don't think physically, I mean emotionally… he made her… reject the possibility of having what she seeks most."

"Which is…?"

"A companionship…"

"Do you mean… a relationship or friendship?"

"If I'm being honest, I'd say either… but again, that's up to her." The look of defeat on the girl's face said it all. Clarisa was hoping for more, "I'm sorry it wasn't probably what you wanted to hear right now."

"That's ok… It's understandable, given her past…"

Daniel offered a nod in understanding, before continuing the conversation "I think my father may have messed with Madelyn's family, making himself feel like he had no say in Madelyn's future… I think that he has either murdered Madelyn's parents or at least forced their silence…"

"You wouldn't be fair from the truth… Although, Madelyn's parents might still be alive… I think. I can't say anymore because it falls on the murky water."

"So, I was getting close… then, can I keep pushing my narrative?"

"Go for it…"

"In that case, probably prison if I were to guess. He got them locked up, but I don't know what for… but my father either feels guilty or has no remorse for the situation he has caused. Hence, why, he probably doesn't want to adopt Madelyn as a daughter."

"Did Madelyn say she wanted that?"

"She hinted at it… but given my father's treatment towards her, she'd forced herself to believe the opposite… that nobody wanted to be with or around her. If the parents are locked up, that might also be pushing the narrative."

"Well… If I'm being honest, you're close to the truth."

"That's good to hear. Killua believes Madelyn may have Stockholm syndrome. She's seeking my dad's attention… and my partner believes Vastorie also feels that way. It's why he's refusing to adopt her."

"Now knowing what you know, do you think Madelyn wants that…?"

"Yes… If Madelyn's parents were locked up due to my father's actions, I'd like to believe he did it with good intentions. So, I believe she wants a family, someone who cherishes her for who she is… not what she can do for them…"

Clarisa sighed; now Madelyn's question made more sense. The girl was looking for a response, but the answer she was seeking… wasn't one she would've thought of. This part she was prepared to talk about, seeing as it relied more on her thoughts and feelings, not on her roommate's past, "That night… probably after your training session, she asked me: What am I to you…?"

"What did you tell her?"

"She was cruel…"

"Ouch…"

"Yeah… but then I followed it with that it's sad and also, I argued what you said… that she was seeking Vastorie's acceptance… that she, believed the one person you trusted to take care of you, didn't bring you in…"

"She didn't take it that well I'm guessing…"

"She didn't…"

Daniel tapped his finger against the ground, "I think what I've told you now… don't repeat it back to her. I don't think she'll like you talking to me about this situation." When Clarisa hummed in agreement, he continued, "Also… don't change your initial response to her… find what you feel, then tell her. It's the only advice I can offer you…"

Daniel soon found himself cracking a smile, "If I'm being honest… I went through a similar situation with Killua. I wasn't head-over-heels for him as soon as I saw him, but I did call him cute… apparently." When Clarisa's smile widened, he broached the topic further "That's beside the point; I delved into my thoughts… eventually falling for him, kissing him instead of admitting my feelings for him… Then…"

"He said someone else's name, correct…"

"Yeah… He did…"

Clarisa chuckled, "yet the two of you are still stuck together like two peas in a pod…"

"We are…"

"I envy that… being close to someone, close enough to feel like you know their thoughts. I wish…"

"You could do that with Madelyn…?"

"Yeah… maybe it'll help me understand her better, to help her overcome her past."

"We aren't all equipped to help everyone though, so even if feel like you can't help her with that… you can help her with other things…"

"Like…?"

"Build a connection… do what my father initially asked from her. That could be a start…"

"Thank you… for the advice… It means a lot to me."

"You're welcomed…"

"Although… I feel bad for not being able to help you out."

"You did, not with the full story, but at least I'm close to the truth… I don't think I'll be worried per se about her being harmed by my father physically… but I know he did something to her emotionally… he hurt her in a manner that makes him believe, that he should never adopt her… I just don't know what her scar is. Hopefully, she'll be able to talk to us, Killua and myself about it…"

"You know… you don't talk like a normal teen."

"Several life-threatening situations kinda puts your life into a perspective… one where you need to start thinking about the bigger picture, and not just yourself…"

"That's understandable… and this… Nen… is what made it possible to keep surviving? To keep moving forward…?"

"Yeah… It did…"

"Could you… teach me…?"

Daniel turned to look at Clarisa, slowly smirking at the idea, "I could… But I think you should approach Eifion first, tell him you learnt about its existence from me. If you're lucky… he might allow me to be your teacher, but…"

"You won't go easy on me…? If that's the case, I'm willing to learn… if it's helped you and Killua survive this long, maybe it'll help me in the future."

"Learning Ten will take months though."

"Fantastic… On the plus side, at least we'll have an excuse to talk to each other more often."

Daniel burst into laughter from the comment "That's true…" He could see the light-hearted meaning behind her words, that even though this situation could cause a rift between himself, Madelyn and Clarisa, she was willing to continue down this path.

The same could be said for him. He'd still be willing to teach Clarisa, even if the other girl refuses to talk to him ever again.

If what he could offer Clarisa can be used to help Madelyn, he would count that less of a negative and more of a positive outcome.

"So…" the girl scratched at the dirt by her side, "I'm curious about one thing about Nen…"

"Ask away…"

"Is it different for everyone?"

Daniel offered a nod, "In Killua and my case, he's a Transmuter and I'm a Manipulator." When she looked mortified from the manipulator part, he had to make a minor correction, "Not that kind… I don't control others. I'll… no, that's not my story to tell… it's Killua's…"

Clarisa was now curious; what story did Killua have to tell about Manipulators? She wanted to know, but the boy was already moving on from the pit stop.

"I don't want to be the kind of person to restrict what people can and can't do… I want as much freedom as they do. So, I manipulate something else. I rather show you what that something is, rather than explain it… it's a little complex to explain because what I manipulated isn't physical. But, if Killua and I were on a Nen spectrum, we'll be polar-opposites. There are six categories in total, and the two closest ones to him, are Enhancer and Conjurer. For me, it's Specialist and Emission. Now, as a technicality, because the Specialist category is reserved to those who initially tested to be a Specialist, my second closest category would then be considered Conjuration."

"Ok… this is a little confusing for me… So, what you're saying is… everyone has their own category, plus the two closest, correct…?"

"Yes…"

"What happens if you practice skills in categories other than your own?"

"Hmm… as a mad, lunatic, murderous clown once said… you'd be running out of memory. What he means is… when you waste memory, it makes it harder to partition your aura properly. Using basic number crunching, let's say I have four memory slots. Because I'm a Manipulator, every skill I learn that specialises in that category costs one spot. Emission would take two slots, Conjuration and Enhancer would take three and Transmuter would take four slots. If I learned one of Killua's abilities, I would go bust, filling all four slots. Whereas… if I focus on my own category and implement only say a faction of the Emission category, at maximum, I would fill three slots leaving one more open for another ability in the Manipulator tree."

"That makes sense… is there a way to find out?"

"Yes, but for you, it won't be for a while…"

"How long…?"

"I say two years tops…"

"Will you be teaching me for that long?"

Daniel looked down at the floor. He didn't know if he was being honest. If Victor beached the school grounds again, only this time he manages to inflict damage on the school… he would be evicted, once other teachers realised, he was the reason for the attack. The question, how does he say this to a potential student, without risking too much information from getting out.

"Daniel…?" The girl touched the boy's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He was no longer smiling, but his next few words were genuine, "I wouldn't know…" holding up a single finger, he faked a smile, "However, I would teach you for as long as I'm allowed to… Killua wanted to give his sister a sense of normalcy before we moved on… this school would be that for his sister…"

"Where would you go after here?"

"Hmm… we'd continue to travel; we're seeking out the people written on this list by my father, Nathaniel. Eifion was one of those names…"

"So… you probably wouldn't stay here indefinitely."

"Probably not…"

"When you go…" The girl grabbed the boy by his jacket, pulling him closer, so they could see eye-to-eye "make sure you keep in contact with us. My brother has grown attached to Alluka… He considers her a friend, no matter what name she uses."

"We won't cut ties with everyone we know, and if we do part from this school… I promise you, that if you ever need help, you can reach out to us."

"It's less about myself… and more about Kiel… I don't want him losing a friend."

Daniel cracked a toothy smile, "You're right… but you forgot one key component. Besides myself and Gon… who, might I add, have been friends with Killua, long before we were introduced to Alluka, Kiel… is her first friend… So, I don't think she'd want to lose that companionship either…"

"That… would mean a lot to Kiel, not just me…"

"I'm glad…"

"There's one more thing…"

Daniel quirked an eyebrow, "What would you like to know?"

"Did… Madelyn ever say anything about me?"

"No, but we correctly assumed that you mean a lot more to her than she's letting off."

Clarisa smiled widely, tears showing freely, "I'm glad…" She was happy to hear that she was closer to Madelyn than she originally thought. The girl reached out to her, talking about her backstory to only, possibly her…

She had earned her trust…

It's now she builds that foundation of trust, and tell the girl what she wanted to say…