Hi Dudes and Dudettes~!

So, I've really been enjoying this Hunter x Hunter kick I've been on, so I'm sorry to all those waiting for me to update Down the Rabbit Hole. But it will happen, and soon! I promise!

Don't hate me -3-

Anyway, I would very much love it, if yall would rate and review! That's what keeping the engine turning, baby. Soooooooooooo, do you guys enjoy Kel's character? I kinda wanted to mix myself between someone like…Anko from Naruto, if you haven't seen that show just look her up on the trusty internet.

I based Kel and Eir off my bestfriend and myself so hopefully I'm capturing their picture perfectly. Oh, just for future references because it might not be clear as mud, Eir is dark skinned. I've seen the Hunter x Hunter anime and everybody was white, save for like 5 characters. So, here you have it. If you don't approve of it….first of all WHY? And second of all, I don't really care.

Okayyy~ Enough of my gabber. Enjoy chapter 3 of Pretty Mouths!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Monowriter.

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These stairs were taking a toll on everyone, including me. They were steep and the steps were starting to get slippery due to everyone's perspiration. I could hear people's sneakers squeak in the droplets of sweat.

I made a face when I felt my stomach churn.

"Ew." I sighed.

I was currently running behind Kurapika and Leorio, who was still pumping his arms and sweating but he was moving, that's all that really mattered.

Gon and Killua were sprinting along beside me, Eir had fallen back a little ways but I could still see her when I turned my head. I peeked down at the boys, who both were doing wonderfully at counting their breaths in sync.

I had heard a bit of Kurapika's tragic story and I pitied him. Someone like him. Someone who had a family and then lost it, all in the blink of an eye…..Hm. Ironic, really.

The Phantom Troupe had been born in Meteor City, molded out of the darkness that creeped along those borders. And I didn't blame them. You had to make do with what you were in that place. I had, Eir had.

"THE WORLD RUNS ON MONEY! SO I WANT MONEY!"

Leorio's screaming shook me from my inner thoughts, looking down I saw the boys take off and run beside them.

"See you at the finish line, Kurapika. Catch you later, old timer." Killua smirked as Gon laughed a bit behind a cupped hand.

"I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!" Leorio howled back.

"Oi, oi. Speak for you, Eir and I are not teenagers." I droned from behind them causing Leorio to choke on a gasp and turn a glare on me.

"Sooo, you two are the real old timers, eh?" Killua reached up to rub his ear with a cheeky grin, I smiled softly at him and then dug my knuckles into the mop of white hair, "Didn't your mother ever teach you to be kind to your elders, brat?" I ground the fist more into his skull, "Hmmm?"

"OI!" He hissed, shoving at my arm. I removed it with a gentle tilt of my lips.

We were passing people that had given up and were seated on the steps, panting and vomiting.

I had been keeping up with Gon and Killua ever since they passed Leorio and Kurapika, Eir had lagged behind to jog with them. I guess to keep Leorio on track.

"I'm surprised you two can keep up with me," Killua bragged, casting a looking over in our direction.

I kept the smirk that was threating to curl my mouth to myself, If they only known who and what I was, he wouldn't be so surprised. But he would find out by the end of this Hunter Exam, they both would.

"Listen well, Rini-chan~, because I will not say this twice." He muttered against my pulse point that was now throbbing in fear, "Do not make a spectacle of yourself, I wish to be the only one knowing what power really courses through this betraying body. I do not share."

An icy chill zipped its way up my spine, What the Hell?

I brushed away the feeling away and scowled. Damned clown.

Who the hell does he think he is? Trying to tell me, of all people!, what to do. Ridiculous.

"Or maybe it's because everyone else is too slow. Especially if Grandma Blondie can keep up with us." Killua smirked before coughing when I karate chopped his throat. "OI!"

"So, Killua. Why do you want to become a Hunter?" Gon asked, darting golden brown eyes over to Killua.

"Me?" Killua looked puzzled for a second before saying, "I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter."

Gon blinked in surprise.

"I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun."

"Glad I'm not the only one" I muttered to myself.

"But this is disappointing." He sighed, ignoring what I had said. Gon looked awed.

"What about you two?"

Gon grinned brightly and gripped the straps of his bookbag tighter, "Well, my dad's a Hunter. So, I want to be a Hunter, like my dad."

I blinked, Gon was such a heartfelt boy. I really admired him if I was completely honest.

"What kind of Hunter is he?"

Gon shrugged, "I don't know."

I felt the sweat dropped down the back of my head, Maybe I should take that back. He was just a kid after all.

Killua turned his head and let out a bark of laughter, "That's kinda weird."

"Really?" Gon sounded a little miffed.

"You want to be like your dad, but you don't know anything about him?" Killua asked.

Gon looked forward with a far off look in his eyes, "I was raised by Mito-san, so I've only seen my dad in pictures."

Killua cocked his head, "Who's Mito-san?"

"Aunt Mito."

"Oh.." Killua really looked concerned by this point.

"When he was twelve, my dad took the Hunter Exam. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the island. I want to find out why he chose to be a Hunter over being with me." Gon cheerfully added.

My heart squeezed in my chest. And then the rage came.

This little boy, who was so charming and happy, was left behind by a dead-beat father. And he ever wanted to meet him. No child should be left behind.

Gon and Killua chattered away beside me, oblivious to the fact I was brewing in anger.

"Oi! What about you Blondie-obaa?" Killua called from beside Gon.

Casting glowing hot coal on Killua, I felt the temperature drop. Killua's grin faltered and I could see a cold sweat splash across his forehead. I needed to calm myself, it would do be no good to indulge in my rage right now. These were just boys.

Pasting a smile on I said, "My reasons are my own."

Killua gulped the knot that had been in throat and nodded. Gon hadn't noticed the exchange.

"Aww, no fair! We told you ours!"

"The exit!" Someone cried out.

Looking forward again, I saw the light. Literally.

"Finally." I sighed in contentment. Then turned to look at…..wait…where'd they go?

"GOAL!"

Idiots.

I could hear them arguing over who had got there first. The poor Examiner looked as if he didn't know what to do.

Emerging from the dark tunnel, my eyes had to quickly adjust to the change of lighting around me. I cupped a hand over my eyes and took a glance around.

Fog. That's pretty much all you could see for miles.

When everyone that had made it this far had exited the tunnel, all you could hear were panting and groans of pain. Almost off the examines were crouching or sprawled out onto the dewy grass.

"Oi, Kurapika!"

Hm? Eir was here.

I turned and saw her making her way over to me.

"Did you enjoy that?" She asked me, a ghost of a smirk on her face.

Hmph. Bitch.

"No, I hate running." I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Don't be such a baby, Kel." Eir sighed and sent an exasperated look under her eyelashes.

"I thought this was supposed to be challenging! But so far, all I've done is run and that takes little to no skill at all." I whined with a small pout.

Eir held up a ringed hand and shushed me gently, "The fog is fading."

I turned my head and looked, I now saw the beginnings of tree tops, "A forest?"

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp." Satotz called out into the group, "We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam."

"This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them." Then he got very quiet.

"Be very careful." Came the warning we had all been waiting to hear. "If you let them fool you…you're dead." Satotz pointed out.

Instantly, a cold breeze struck the group. Applicants whispered in frenzied sentences, stumbling over words and stuttering through chattering teeth. Shuffling and movement went all around the examines.

Then the entrance to the tunnel made a sound and a metal sheet came over it, sealing us from getting back inside.

"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey."

Everyone looked away from the closed entrance back to Satotz, who had a nonchalant expression on his face and his arms crossed.

"An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit…Hence the name Swindlers Swamp."

He turned around to face the wetlands, "Stay very close to be so you won't be deceived."

Another hushed chill washed over the group.

My eyes narrowed onto Satotz's back. So we had to be able to detect when we were being lied to, eh? That wouldn't be very hard. But….

We also had to stay close to Satotz, or risk getting lost in the thick fog. It would be difficult with someone without Nen to track where the group went as they couldn't tell signatures.

Leorio scoffed from behind us, "What a joke, How can they fool us when we're expecting it?"

I rolled black pools skyward.

"DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU!" Came a yell.

Everyone turned to gaze upon the new arrival who was scrapped up and limping.

"D-don't fall for it…He's lying to you!" The injured man insisted, then pointed accusingly at Satotz, who just stood there.

"He's an impostor! He isn't the Examiner! I am!"

Angry hisses and slanted eyes all turned on each other, untrusting to the end.

I remained calm. This was the Hunter Exam. I had activated Gyo the second I heard him yell. He had no Nen signature, there wasn't any way this person was the Examiner.

"Then who is he?"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Look at this!" The man drug something out from behind the building.

Shocked gasps and uneasiness erupted throughout the group.

A monkey corpse that had Satotz's face was thrown on the group.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures found in these wetlands!"

"A Man-Faced Ape?" Leorio squinted at the man.

"They love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin so they're quite weak. That's why the disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans to following them into these wetlands, where they team up with others to kill and devour them."

The man stabbed a finger at Satotz, "He intends to trap every single applicant!"

"Bastard…" Leorio growled out but a firm hand on his chest caused him to falter.

"W-what are you doing, Kel? We need to get that thing!" He hissed down at me then gulped when I gazed up at him with dull orbs.

"Wait. And watch."

Almost as if the words had announced their approve, six playing cards were sent flying in the man and Satotz's positions.

Two of the cards dug deep into the man's chest, blood squirting at the entry sight and the last one had found a home between the mans eyes.. Satotz, on the other hand had managed to catch them in between his fingers.

The sound of cards being shuffled brought everyone's attention to the last person I wanted to see.

The Magician.

"I see, I see…." A small chuckle escaped him.

"That settles it, you're the real one." He announced.

Almost all of the examines mouths dropped open in shock and disbelief.

"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."

Satotz closed his eyes, "I shall take that as a compliment."

Then sharp blue eyes snapped up, "However, if you should attack me again, for any reason, I will report you from turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?"

"Sure." The Magician waved him off.

The cawing of birds caught everyone's attention back to the Man-Faced Ape's corpse and watched in disgust as the body was pecked and probed at.

"Oh man…" I sighed turning around so I wouldn't have to witness it.

"Queasy?" Eir teased from my left, a small smile lighting up her usually calm appearance.

"Raw meat is not a particular taste for my palate, I'd prefer if I didn't have to see it happen either." I grumbled with a slight blush.

"You will encountering such deception on a regular basis." Satotz started walking toward the corpse, "I believe a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?"

Embarrassed laughs and sheepish looks were abundant in the group.

"Do you understand?" Satotz turned to look back at us.

"If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind."

After everyone had nodded in agreement, Satotz started walking.

"Please follow me."

And again, we were off.

"Tsk, more running." I groaned beneath my breath.

"Hmm~ is my Rini-chan tucked out already?" A terrifying familiar voice breathed from behind me.

It was like my insides had frozen over. An Ice Age had taken over my body with just those words.

But I steeled myself, I didn't even acknowledge that he had spoken to me. I just kept running.

"Oh? Am I being ignored?" He wondered out loud.

Yes.

"Rini-chan~"

NO.

"I do so hate being ignored…." A sigh.

Where was Eir when I needed her?

A firm, cool hand clasped the back of my neck tightly.

"If you continue to ignore me, Akeladama, your friends will not make it through this Phase." Fingers played gently in the small hairs at the base of my neck.

A ring of alarm set in my body. Disbelief and shock were registering on my face now.

H-how does he know my full name?

"Oh~ I know many things about my Rini-chan." The hand tightened considerably.

I tried to withhold my wince but those dangerously sharp nails prickled along the skin of my neck.

Sweat was starting to form over my skin, I was scared. I hadn't been this terrified since I was a child. Small and unable to defend myself…It made me angry. Seething. Fright always had an odd effect of me, I never ran from my fears. I always ran into them, straight into the jaws of the beast.

Why would I be any different now?

Narrowing irate black optics, I flared enough aura around me to burn the skin of his palm but instead of pulling back, he hissed in pleasure.

"Ooooh~ I do adore that look on your face." He groaned quietly then sliced those honey orbs at me, "I would put that that potent aura of yours away…Wouldn't want anyone else to notice."

I had originally thought that my aura had not had any effect on him but when he pulled his hand back, I saw the blistering red skin that had once been a creamy white.

So I had hurt him…but he enjoyed it. What kind of sick fuck?

"Ta, ta~ for now." He jogged back a couple spaces so I couldn't see him the dense fog but I could still feel those sharp eyes prying me from the back.

"Kel! Come run with us!" Gon called for me, I jerked in shock when I looked up to see a bright smile aimed at me.

A warmth started in my chest cavity, what was this?

I looked at all the people I had ventured here with.

Eir, Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Killua…..

They were my friends, no matter how little it had started. We were now in this together.

I nodded at Gon and sped up.

I wouldn't let them down.