Getting off the boat, Gon, Sakura and Iason get their orientation on Roseara Island.
As Gon helped Sakura wheel his bags through the crowd, other passengers struggled to be the first off the boat. There was a bit of pushing and shoving, but Gon managed to keep all of them together. When the boy saw Iason get shoved by someone passing by him on his right side, he was ready for a throwdown.
No one should be treating his lovers like a signpost blocking the middle of the walkway. His partners were precious and should be treated as such "He-" Iason grabbed his hand, stopping him from saying anything, "It'll make no difference, we'll all still be waiting for the orientation."
Gon gave a nod, but it didn't change his feelings that much. Some people were just rude. But his partner was right. Given their circumstances and how many people were starting to line up, it was going to be a long wait.
Depending on how long each orientation is and whether it was a full extensive one, that not only shows where everything was but there was time allowed for questions, the last one might be running late.
It could also be a matter of them waiting until everyone is off the boat before they're ready to start.
Sakura decided, that seeing as they'll be waiting a while, now was a good time to talk about what's on the pamphlet "While we're waiting… I looked over the map briefly. So, there are a few places we're going to need to head to, maybe not today… but at least tomorrow."
As Gon and Iason looked over, Sakura pointed at one spot on the map "So the Scuba diving gear can be rented here… but the other…" Sakura traced his finger along, the map, stopping to point at the location "can be found here."
The boy was pointing at a swimming gear shop, located on the other side of the resort, far away from the diving gear shop, "We might have to do one today and the other tomorrow…"
Gon pressed his finger against the map, "Maybe we can split up, after we check-in? Sakura and Iason, you get the swimming stuff, I'll deal with the scuba diving gear…"
Iason looked his partner once over, "I think we should at least be able to try on the diving suits, to see if they fit…"
"After undressing you plenty of times, I should know your size."
As Iason's eyes grew, Sakura smacked Gon on the shoulder, "Gon!"
"Ow…" The boy pouted, trying to play off the situation… but Sakura was getting stronger by the day, "I was kidding… You're about a size 14 in kids, 12 fits, but it's a little too short for you, so it's better to go up one size, right?"
"Ye- Yeah…" Iason agreed, still blushing from the earlier comment; it better not be true. That just added a whole new factor into his 'problematic' dilemma. He's not only able to accommodate Gon with almost zero prep, but his boyfriend knows his size because he keeps taking his clothes off.
The boy quickly redirected his horny boyfriend's thoughts, "We could also three-way, poor choice of wording on my part-"
As Gon gave his partner a knowing smirk, Sakura once more pointed at their partner "Behave…"
Iason sighed. I need to choose my words more wisely "How about we split the work. You check-in, I get the scuba gear and Sakura gets the swimming gear. We'll have more free time to work with, and if nothing fits, we can either get it done later today… or in the morning, tomorrow… which will leave us more time to unpack and prepare for the trip…"
Gon thought it over, he wouldn't mind doing it that way… but his gut feelings suggest otherwise, "I don't know…" The boy thought it over further, "How about we sort it out after orientation, so we have a better view of the situation. The orientation might include us making pit stops along the way…"
The two gave a nod. Gon might be right, they may be making pit stops along the way during orientation.
Sakura spoke up for the two of them, "Yeah… no point fussing if we're going to do it during the orientation. Plus, we're here for two weeks. We have plenty of time to plan out a proper schedule around it. We each have something we want to do together… so we should do it together."
Iason agreed, "Sakura's right… for things like this, it's probably better we do it together. If we spend two days planning it out properly… We'll have four-day chunks to set out our plans for not only ourselves, but what we want to do with each other. We'll have three days alone time, three for all of us together, with the final two days of the chunks dedicated to spending one with each partner. So, another three days of freedom while we're doing things as duos."
Iason crossed his arms, tapping a single finger on his elbow, "It should work out in theory… as long as we plan these things correctly…"
Gon felt something wrong settling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling of uneasiness. It wasn't the resort that was causing the feeling… it's the deal he made about spending an extra week. He might lose seven days in total… meaning, he'll lose his freedom, as well as one day to spend as a duo… or all together. Maybe he could make a deal, lose his six days of freedom, but at least he'll get to spend it with his partners.
That's what he'll do if it comes down to it…
His partners were the most important people on this trip, the deal comes second for him… unless, he needed to solve it as soon as possible.
When the line started to move, Gon directed his smile to each of his partners, "We'll plan it together properly afterwards."
"~"
The guide looked over the group, a half-dead expression gracing his features. It had been a long morning, with zero coffee to boot. Supposedly, they were getting a Pro Hunter assisting today.
He'll rather get that situation resolved than lead a group that will, unfortunately, become snobs. They've had them all week… whiny ones to boot, the kind that doesn't follow the rules, declaring themselves as the pinnacle of knowledge, until the moment they step on the wrong thing… or touch the wrong animal, then suddenly, they become a damsel in distress… till the moment they're helped and the cycle unfortunately repeats.
"My name is Nikola, and I'll be your guide this morning. So, we have new rules currently in place at the resort… some places being restricted from the public. One of those places is the East Underwater Forest. You'll still be able to visit the South and West parts, but for the moment, the East is not allowed. Understood…?"
A few murmured while some groaned, one of them even looking down in defeat.
Gon wrapped a hand around his partner, comforting his smaller boyfriend.
"There is maintenance being run in the area, mainly to make sure there's nothing dangerous that can harm any of the guests, including a tree falling that could bury you deeper in the underwater forest, without anyway of being able to receive assistance… Do I make myself clear?"
A few didn't agree, but that was okay… he already warned them and there will be guards posted in the area. Hopefully, no one will be dumb enough to sneak in. He's already got enough on his plate as it is, "Next… I'm apparently, looking for a young man by the name of…" He flipped through a few pages, "Gon Freecss… are you here?"
Gon stuck up his hand as though he were a child in school, "Here!"
The man looked at the boy, his mind coming to the realisation… that he may have messed up. He looked at his document again. Nope… he hadn't messed up. The name was correct, so maybe it was an administration side issue, "My apologies… I might have asked for the wrong person."
Gon frowned… he knew what the man was about to ask, but before he could correct the man, he had already spoken "I'm looking for a young man, a Pro Hunter that was supposed to arrive with this group. May he step forward?"
Gon stepped forward with his arms crossed, "I'm right here…" He produced his card, showing it to the man as proof.
The moment the man realised what he was looking at, was a genuine Hunter's Licence. The proof made him freaked out, body reeling in utter shock, "H… HEH…?"
Calmly recollecting himself after seeing a series of snickers, he retained his original tone, "You are… to stay behind after orientation." Coughing once, he continued with the orientation like nothing had happened, "Please do not feed the animals, they're on a strict diet, a strict… proper diet, I must remind you. I do NOT want to hear about how a guest tried to force-feed a Pink-Billed Platypus a hamburger, they are Vegetarians… not Om-Nom-Nom-vores, like some of you."
When a few snickered at his terrible joke, he continued "Nor do I want to hear the same for Kruleabon Sharks. Just because they're Sharks, doesn't mean they crave the flesh of sustenance like some of us do…"
"Oh, one final warning…" He looked everyone seriously in the eyes, "DO NOT, pat a Pink-Billed Platypus if you have somewhere to be or go…" Iason looked away, blushing madly at the absurdity of the situation. He knew why they shouldn't do it… but hearing that warning alone, he knew what was going to be said "If you pat one of them… you have to pat ALL OF THEM. They will swarm you like a pack of rabid, touch-starved animals. Believe me, they have good hearing. You pat one, you may at BEST… be patting ten of them. At worse… fifty of them in one sitting. You have been warned… and you will not be saved. I'm sorry. Now onto the orientation…"
Oh god… just how many times has that happened here… to have that said like a warning of impending doom? Just how many times were they forced to save someone by patting a different Pink-Billed Platypus?
The man went on to do the full spiel, dictating the bulk of the orientation as though it were being written on a prompt before his eyes.
He knew everything offhand, the locations, the best spots most reported… sometimes he could even predict common questions that were about to be asked. It was all a matter of listening and picking up on their cue points.
The only problem was, after having to repeat it so long, his speech sounded robotic… his mannerisms were even starting to come off as being robotic too. It's as though, his brain goes into autopilot mode, and he checks out mentally until his speech is done.
"Which leads us to the conclusion of the orientation… any questions?"
There was a single cough, the man raising an eyebrow at the deafening silence. Good… I must have answered all the mundane questions.
He then directs the group's attention to the building behind him, "This is the last part, but also the most important part. The reception area is just behind us… you'll sign in and receive a card. One for each adult…" He then frowned, "One for each resident… The card will act as your main payment processor. Any hires, purchases, restaurants you eat at will be accumulated on the card. On your last day, you'll receive a report of your purchases. Please look them over, before coming to the reception to make the payment at the end of your trip. With that being said… enjoy your stay."
People rushed to get past him, the man sighing in relief. That was until, the person he asked for approached him, "What do I do in this case?"
"Your friends can temporarily sign in under your name."
"Actually, they're my partners…" Gon corrected the man.
The man looked at the two, before directing his attention back to the boy. He was completely exhausted, to even care about semantics "Either way, they will not be able to hire anything until you fill out the forms."
"Can I do the forms now?"
"No… I was assigned to bring you up to the manager as soon as I was done with orientation."
Gon looked at his partners, smiling apologetically "I'm sorry… I'll try to be quick so we'll be able to get some things done today."
Iason waved the boy off, "It's okay. We'll stay in the room to at least plan our things out."
Sakura agreed with the sentiment, "We'll make sure not to leave you out of that conversation. We'll at least try to get situated."
Gon held out his hand, "Lead the way…"
As the man left with their partner, Iason sighed, "There goes trying to get as much as possible done on the first day."
"We'll be fine, for time. We just might be exhausted after tomorrow."
Iason grabbed Sakura's bag, pulling it alongside him "I guess as Gon's friends… we'll go check-in."
Sakura playfully swatted Iason's arm, "Even though he didn't correct himself… he looked pretty exhausted. Besides, I'm sure the man didn't mean it intentionally; he isn't supposed to know everything about the guests…"
"I suppose your right…" The boy sighed in defeat, "Let's go check-in." Rolling his boyfriend's bag towards the reception, the two made small talk, wondering about how they were going to handle dealing with having to do all their preparations at worst, in one day.
The moment they approached one of the reception desks, one not already serving another guest, their conversation briefly stopped. Iason took it upon him to deal with their current predicament. It's not that he didn't trust the other or Sakura was naturally introverted, it was that he was used to taking over when Gon wasn't around "We have a reservation under Gon… Gon Freecss. G-O-N… F-R-E-E-C-S-S"
The female clerk typed the name in the database, "Ah, yes… There's a little footnote about the situation. Let me just quickly check the room assignment for you." She kept typing away, "For three people… So, I'll need to get two keys and-"
The woman frowned, "Oh, there seems to be a mistake on the system."
As Iason raised an eyebrow, the clerk explained "It seems you three were assigned a room with just a King's bed."
"Nope…" The boy sighs, "That sounds like something Gon would do…"
"I'll just check if we have…" The woman pulled up the database, "We have a spare room with three single beds."
Iason groaned in frustration. He makes one joke, and now it's coming back to bite him in the ass. They were in a Trio relationship, not just friends.
"No… No…" Sakura dismissed the idea, "That wasn't a mistake. You see…"
"We're in a Trio relationship," Iason added, "the groan was about him getting the biggest bed he could get."
"Actually…" The woman, pulled up the database once more, "The biggest we have is the Super King, which…" She paused to check, "We have a spare room for. Since the guest cancelled, and there seem to be no other guests assigned to the room, you'll be able to stay the full two weeks there. So… would you like an upgrade?"
Looking at each other, they already knew what Gon would say, regardless of their opinion. Looking back to the female attendant, the two smiled widely, admitting their boyfriend's response in unison "Yes!"
"~"
Gon felt giddy feeling for within like he was going to be greeted by good news later. For now, he walked alongside the man, getting strange looks every, now and then. He could see two reasons why that would've been the case.
But the more pressing issue is getting back to his partners so they can start planning for the resort trip.
The moment he entered the room, he was greeted by seven men, all of whom looked at him strangely. To be fair… he was a teen. But he was hired to do a job. Gon crossed his arms, pouting as he entered the room.
"Why did you bring a kid…?" A large man asked, lips forced into a tight line. They're not there to babysit, they're there, waiting for the last Pro Hunter to show up, "I asked for a Pro Hunter… Not a kid."
"Well, sir…" The orientation guide spoke up, "this is Gon Freecss…"
Hearing the name, the person's frown deepened, "I feel like we got cheated…"
Gon pouted from the response, "I came here to assist, not be judged by my age. Plus…" The boy showed off his badge, "This should be enough proof that you didn't get cheated."
Seeing the card, the person waved off the other "So, they're giving out cards to kids now. Their standards have fallen quite far it would seem." Before Gon could argue, he continued, "But a Hunter's Licence, is a Hunter's Licence. My name is Babariski Yagashi, I'm the manager of this fine resort. My friends call be Baba…"
"Hi, Ba-"
"You are not a friend." Gon fumed from the response, but it didn't matter. One of the seven men reacted negatively to the man's introduction "Let me get straight to the point… about your job and details. First up, you have just under two weeks to solve this problem."
"Uh, huh…"
"You'll also be working with these six people. All six of them are Pro Hunters, like you…"
"Uh, huh…" He highly doubts all six are Pro Hunters. Four of the six, can't even use Nen. Sure, he, himself… can't use Nen either. But at least he could tell two of the Pro Hunters were Nen users. One of them, he was pretty sure he could knock out, but the other… he got this tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach, an itch that made him desperate to prove himself.
"About… three months ago, we had an incident in the East Underwater Forest a diver was caught washed up dead in the area. Now, we chopped it up to being a failure to comply with their job, so we wrote it off as an accident. Then another one appeared, within the same area… but this time… it was found half-eaten. So far, we've only lost three divers, one coast guard and a lifesaver. Thankful, none of them was guests… but they were all within the same area. Another problem is there have been chunks of Kruleabon Sharks washing up on shore in that area… The six people in this area's job are to find whatever is causing the ruckus and remove it before anyone else gets hurt."
Wait… six…? "You said there were six Pro Hunters when there should be seven, including myself." Gon shifted his attention to the group, "Something isn't adding up…" and I'm bad at maths.
"It was a slip of the tongue… you'll be working with these six other Pro Hunters to find the cause… and deal with it."
Gon felt there was something off with the situation. It wasn't just the story; it was who he was working with. It just didn't make sense, that only two people in the room felt strong enough to deal with the situation.
He needed to pick apart the story, see where exactly the flaw is, "Will I be able to talk about this with my partners?"
"No, all information supplied here, will be for our eyes, and our eyes only."
"Even if one of my partners would know about the surrounding area enough to possibly reduce the area of where it can be found?"
"Yes…"
Gon cocked a grin, including the strongest person in the room. He was onto something, "Then am I to report to you…" Gon pointed at Babariski "or him…?" Gon then pointed at the large muscular man in the chair, the one now smirking widely.
"What gave it away?"
"You reacted two times to his story. Both times, when he made a mistake."
The man gave a nod, "Then my poor acting skills were to blame. It was merely a test to see if you're legit or just another shoe in the mud. Let me properly introduce you to the other companions you'll be working with." The main held out a hand to the man on his left, "This is Steffelor, a Pro Hunter… the rest are members of my team."
"But…" Gon pointed at the man, "wouldn't you be better to deal with the situation. You exert strength, unlike him…"
The man looked mortified at the response, but the man dismissed the comment entirely, "Strength or not, he's a professional diver. A deep-sea Hunter, if you will." The man then pointed at himself, "My name is Geoffrey Klein, the manager of the resort, the man you've already been introduced to… Babariski, is the Assistant Manager. George," Geoffrey pointed to the man to the right of Steffelor, "is one of the coast guards. The two to the right of Babariski are a part of security Kevin and Danny. The last one to the right of George is Michael, he is one of our Life Savers."
"How many have you lost?"
"Two, not five. Babariski was right about us thinking the first was an accident. But the truth is… he may have been the only one to see the creature. What we believe happened is the moment he saw the creature, he tried to swim to the surface as fast as possible, causing his blood to fill with too many Nitrogen gas bubbles, which blocked off his circulation. Why the creature didn't go after the body, we're not too sure… but it might be because it needs to feed on living things…"
The man held up two fingers, "Which brings us to the story of the half-eaten Diver, there was a type of poison in what remained in their limbs, which, unfortunately, was impossible to decipher, as it was too diluted from being deep in the water for far too long. From what we could gather… it had to be a type of paralytic poison, as the limbs were locked in place."
The man flicked out the third finger, "Pieces of a Kruleabon Shark were found floating in the area. Given the times they were found… it's active in the evening… around 4 pm, to well late into the night. But, that's our assumption, rather than an observation. It's best if we locked off the area to the public. So, for the moment, it seems to be staying in that area, but once it's done hunting… it might move to other areas, which is what I'm concerned about. The island has multiple channels leading through the Underwater Forest to other sections of the Island. Some of those tunnels are still unexplored."
Gon understood the secrecy of the conversation, but it might be best if he includes his loved one. He doesn't want to put any of them in danger, especially when one of them wants to explore the underwater forest…
"I want to tell my partners…"
"This conversation is off-limits to the outside-"
"Not if one of them wants to explore the underwater forest… Especially, the East part of the Island."
"Do you think they would be dumb enough to break the rules, by entering that place?"
"No, but-"
"No buts…" Geoffrey's voice was firm, "If they won't break the rules, then they should be fine."
"The BUT…" Gon added, "Is I know Sakura. One of the places he plans to go is the cave system on the East Island, if, he gets distracted, which he will… because he's fascinated by flora. He does this cute little thing where he becomes so enamoured with fantastical plants… he walks aimlessly in wonder. If he decides to head for the beach, that would be the closest one… I want to protect him. It's my duty as his boyfriend, to protect him… no matter what."
Geoffrey frowned, "Then get your other partner to keep him on track."
"By not telling him either, neither of them would know. He knows the East part is off-limits, just not why…" Gon shifted his frame, arms now crossed from his frustration, "I want to tell them, not just for their safety, but because they might know something…"
Geoffrey understood the boy's sentiment, but he didn't know any of them that well. If one of them blabbed about it, even by accident… he'll be buried in paperwork for years to come.
With a sigh, the manager held a hand over his face, "If I let you tell them… will you promise me to one, not get them involved in the matter personally and two… make sure neither one of them blabs about the situation."
"Yes!"
"Good-"
"I want to involve one more person."
"JUST HOW MANY PARTNERS DO YOU HAVE?!" The manager freaked out.
"Only two. The third person is a friend of mine, Kite. If I find clues to what they are, they may know a way to flush it out… or what we're dealing with."
The man sighed, "Are they on the Island?"
"No…"
"Will they disclose any of the information?"
"No!"
"Then they can be involved…" The man paused for a second, "Wait, please tell me there's nobody else."
"Well… there are friends I talk to, but only one might be able to answer the question about the toxin…" Gon then pouted, "but Kite would probably be able to answer that question for me." Besides… Killua only was forced to take poisons… I don't think he is hyper-aware of the names, including what they do…
"Thank… god… I thought the list will never end. Michael found the first body. George helped retrieve the second… Ask them any questions you think may be able to help the case. However," Leaning forward, the man's aura leaked out, showing off a piece of his raw power to Gon, "If this information leaks out… and I find out, you're involved… the rest of your stay will be voided and you'll be booted off this Island… even if I have to send your arse out on wooden raft… do I make myself clear?"
Gon gave a nod, "I understand… I promise you won't regret it." Gon quickly left with a wave, the manager's eye twitching for a moment. He bloody forgot to ask questions about the situation, or get any reports…
Pulling back, he leaned into his chair as he covered his face in annoyance, "Kids these days…" pulling his hand away, he looked at the others "Return to your posts I'll hunt the kid down. There are only so many rooms he can be in…"
When everyone got up to leave, Geoffrey spoke one last time, "Oh, Steffelor, the rules apply to you as well. Please try to be discreet about this issue…"
"Of course…" The man in question gave a nod, understanding the direness of the manager's predicament, unlike a certain fellow spiky hair boy. Maybe he should go for a diver later in the week, see if he can pick up any clues as to what is down in those waters. He'll have to find a time where the coast guard is free.