"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
~Allen Saunders~
When I had first found myself in the Hunter-verse I had given myself some stipulations to follow. 'Rules for Survival' I called them. One of my greatest skills has always been, the often under appreciated, ability to adapt. I have what one would call 'street smarts.' So, after accepting the impossibility that was my displacement into this 'verse I sat down and tried to think my way through the next few years.
What this had led to was a mental "to do" and "to not do" list.
DO:
- Enter and pass the Hunter Exam thereby establishing a paper trail.
- Claim to be from Meteor City should anyone ask why you did not exist until right before the exam.
- Establish a basic understanding of nen to prevent the average person from one-upping me.
DON'T:
- Get involved in the hot mess that is Gon and co.
- Gain the interest of Hisoka, or Illumi, or Netero...basically anyone who can use nen.
- Die.
A day into the exam and it seemed I had completed none of the "Do's" and nearly all of the "Do Not's." And if Hisoka was to be believed I might be 3-for-3 with the Do Not's by the end of the week.
"Honestly, what did he mean by 'poisonous potential?" I mused to myself while the gang was circled around Leorio. "He only spent a minute or two in my presence before knocking me out, and in that time all I managed to do was throw a smoke bomb and block a few hits."
A minute or two...
Something wasn't right about this, I could just feel it. Hisoka never struck me as someone who fought with psychological warfare. Despite his particular brand of crazy his motives have always been easy to follow.
Those without potential are ignored unless they make a nuisance of themselves, then they die. Those with potential are allowed to grow into their powers so that they can offer a challenge, then they die. Those who are already a challenge will be fought, before they too die.
In the end only the weak unobtrusive characters can live through an interaction with the Magician...unless he's in a mood like earlier were he'll kill anyone without potential...
Basically; Hisoka=Death
I understood this, I accepted this, heck I even liked this...up until becoming a part of the show that is. Despite how much deceit Hisoka steeped himself in he never shied away from who he was he was always true to himself. If that 'self' just happened to be blood-thirsty and slightly deranged? Well more power to the man.
So knowing this, I couldn't wrap my mind around Hisoka's actions. If he claims I have "potential" then I should fall neatly into the second category of his 'and then they die' list. The category where he attempts to help me grow into my power before cutting me down.
Making a death threat just does not match with his character, not unless he thought it would spur me on to get stronger...but even then he wouldn't have given me such a short time frame.
It's unrealistic to assume I can magically get stronger in only five days. Which left only one option.
It was a warning.
Hisoka noticed something in our two minute fight-and why does that time frame sit so wrong with me?-that led him to believe I had five days to live.
But whatever's "killing" me is treatable or stoppable, because "opening my eyes" would stop it from 'poisoning' me...no not me, rather 'my potential.'
So it was something that was incredibly obvious to Hisoka but neither I nor the gang noticed.
The answer hit me like a freight-train, and if my head wasn't pounding so much I would have face-palmed.
Nen.
He was so obviously talking about nen. I didn't know what he thought my nen was doing to me, or what I could do about it. But there was no doubt in my mind that any 'potential' he saw in me was related to the elusive energy.
Great. So my nen was killing me? Was this because of the meditation? Did I do that so wrong that I was actually killing myself? But people meditate all the time, right? So surely that can't be it...maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it was not something I did but rather something I am because I am most certainly not of this word, of this universe, and that's bound to cause some dissonance with the world around me. Maybe my nen trying to kill me was just this universe's way of "taking out the trash" I'm the virus and my nen's the antibodies, and there's nothing I can do about...
No! That attitude was defeatist and pointless, Hisoka already implied there was a solution to my problem I just need to find it, and not entertain thoughts about a sentient universe with my death on its mind.
Thus decided, I chose to hunker down and...meditate. Because, honestly, I couldn't think of anything else to do to get in contact with my nen and I couldn't possibly hope to coral something I couldn't see/feel/smell etc.
Ommmm, Ommmm, Ommmm
Meditation is an...interesting tool. I know it has to do with the belief that there was one universal resounding 'sound' that the world makes, and by tapping into that sound, becoming one with it we can manage to completely clear our mind. Hence the 'Ommm' but meditating to find my nen was slightly different. Sure I wanted to be able to clear my mind, but I didn't want to disassociate with my body.
What I wanted to get in contact with was an intrinsic part of my body both mentally and materially, disassociation would only work to put a wall between my nen and I. Thus I needed a way to meditate on my nen that did not allow for me to fade off into la-la-la land.
After going over everything I knew about nen, which was a lot I concluded that I had been going about this all wrong. When Gon and Killua first had their nen unlocked they were standing in a neutral position, and Zoshi-or whatever the kids name was-was standing in Horse position while practicing Ten.
Key word: standing.
Trying out my new idea I slowly rose to my feet, and closed my eyes. Thinking about a river of energy flowing from my stomach and through my veins to each individual extremity. To my toes, my hands and fingers, my throat and up to my nose and ears and...the next minute a wave of nausea rushed through me and I slowly sat down before I passed out.
Note to self, don't try and meditate while headaches...ouch, just ouch.
Had I been looking up at that moment I would have noticed both Illumi and Hisoka glance at me before turning away, and I would have felt a feeling of trepidation at the way Hisoka murmured "four" to himself, before sporting his patented creeper smile.
"Are you okay?" A voice asked from my right, "My name's Gon, and you are?"
Great, as if things weren't going perfectly before now the shows protagonist had decided to get to know me personally.
What could go wrong?
Maybe if I just stare at him, he'll go away.
"..."
"You know Aunt Mito says that it's rude to not give your name after someone gave theirs."
Well played kid, well played.
Sighing I resigned myself to exchanging small talk with Gon, certainly the second phase would begin soon and I could make my way to the other side of the clearing without appearing suspicious.
"I'm...Yuki," I muttered, deciding to forgo giving my last name as Gon hadn't provided me with his.
"..."
An akward silence descended as Gon seemed perfectly happy just smiling at me, and I couldn't think of any conversation to bring up. What does one say to a twelve year old boy anyway?
"...uh, I hope your friend gets better soon..."
"Kurapika said Leorio's gonna be fine," Gon answered, before fidgeting as if he had something to say but couldn't quite think of how to word it. "Um..." he began, "is it true that you fought with Hisoka?"
"R~ight!" I thought to myself, "Gon would have seen Hisoka's power first-hand, this was the beginning of their weird 'rivalry'/ 'creepy relationship'." Out loud I just gave a noncommittal, "hmm...I wouldn't consider what happened a 'fight' per say...more like a beat down."
"But Leorio said he watched you block Hisoka's attacks! He said you were moving really fast. That you made it across the clearing in like five seconds!"
Five seconds...
"Gon..." I began, unease settling in the pit of my stomach, "how long did the fight between Hisoka and I last, do you know?"
"Mmmm, I'm not sure...but Leorio said you told him to run but he hadn't made it three steps before Hisoka was kicking you, and he was half-way to you before Kurapika showed up and Hisoka turned on Leorio." Gon started, "so I think you were fighting for fifteen seconds or something."
My face blanched as I tried to rap my mind around that.
Fifteen seconds? Fifteen seconds? I knew that the minute or two I had attributed to the fight made no sense, the 'fight' had been roughly three blows exchanged before he socked me in the stomach. But there was no way that it had only been fifteen seconds, not because it was illogical, but because it had felt longer.
Just what was going on?
Could this have something to do with my nen? Whatever's wrong with me, could it be messing with my perception of time? That was a scary thought, if I couldn't correctly judge what was happening around me or when it was happening then I was in for a lot of trouble.
As if this burning headache didn't make planning hard enough.
The next minute I heard the voice of the second phase proctor calling out to the examinees. Shaking my head to rid it of errant thoughts I slowly stood to go and join the group and catch the instructions. Only to stumble as the nausea hit me again.
"Great." I thought, "how am I supposed to catch and roast a Giant Boar when I can barely make it two steps without feeling faint?"
A/N: There y'all go! Updates will alternate between this and my HP fic, so expect one or two chapters a week. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please, read and review :)
Woopa: Haha thank you! Yeah, Yuki's refreshingly down to earth. Although that may not exactly work in her favor in such a crazy universe as this. I agree that Hisoka and Illumi are pure-awesomeness, but I freely admit that they are also insane and so I'm probably less-than-sane for liking them ;) as to her 'potential' and what exactly Hisoka meant, well all shall be revealed in time.
HalfDrow: Thank you! Yes, Yuki's draw is that she's seeing the world as it is and not as she wants it to be, and thus is actually dealing with things as they come her way. It'll be really interesting when I get to the romance trying to match practical Yuki with, well the pure insanity that is Hisoka XD
AnimeLover3232: The Genei Ryodan will make an appearance...eventually, as this is a HisokaXOC story which means Yuki would need to be where Hisoka is for things to develop and Hisoka is linked to the troupe through all of the York New arc. As for the "poisonous potential" I can only say that all shall be revealed.
ShuriKuran: Thank you for your advice. It's hard because the first two phases actually all happen in the same day, but you're right that it does come across as a little rushed. I'll try and slow it down a bit. Thank you! :)
Board Game Limbo: Thank you! He he, good catch there. Too bad she doesn't quite realize what's going on :/ hopefully soon.