BLD 8

(A/N: today has gone right downhill. I was really looking forward to painting my mask for the English project and having a fun day with one of my favorite teachers… but when he's angry it's really difficult to even be in there. So sorry if my writing feels off today.)

Ch.8: flowers and ruffles

"Do I really have to?" Kalluto whines, "I-I know I agreed to the wedding but…"

"Kalluto Zoldyck you wear dresses every damn day. This isn't a stretch for you," Machi replies, "besides, this is supposed to be fun! And we rented the whole store, no one will see you."

Yes, the Phantom Troupe had rented out an entire bridal shop, for the whole day. The owner had originally scoffed at the request, but upon learning their identities he let it slide.

The shop itself was a small family owned store known worldwide for producing beautiful custom gowns as well as commercial grade ones. It was not uncommon for high-profile people to shop there, but usually they came for custom dresses, not just because they can.

The owner, a man in his late fifties, was astounded when they explained their predicament. But he then insisted that the gown must come from that very shop, something about the wedding of the century or whatever.

"Come on Kalluto," the shop owner's daughter pleaded, "Just put it on. Here, I'll get one of every silhouette we have, so we can narrow it down from there."

Each dress was more beautiful than the last, but none felt right to him. He looked in the mirror and saw some pretty girl getting married, not the proud renegade assassin bent on making a new life he could be proud of.

"I just don't feel like myself in any of these!" he insists, "They seem so… normal, fake and plastic. Like some cookie-cutter typical wedding dress. And this is anything but a normal wedding."

The shopkeeper's daughter looked the boy up and down, "well, you haven't exactly given me a lot to work with here! What's this Feitan guy like anyways? What do you guys do for fun?"

Kalluto bites his lip and stares at his lap, "Uh… dark. He's our interrogator/torture specialist. And he loves art. But not normal art, we like the darker sort of stuff. If you want, I have one of my favorite books in my bag. It's a bit gruesome though."

He tosses her the bag and she pulls out a thin hardback book. It's the same one with the individuality painting.

She flips through it for an impossibly long time before coming to rest on a picture.

"Ah-ha, I get it now. You don't like anything here, because you subconsciously decided on something already. Does this picture look familiar?"

The girl holds up the book, open to the final page. In swirling black ink a dress was inscribed on the page. It hung from a dress form in a dark room, the only other objects in the drawing being a blood-splattered chair and a skull. But the dress commanded full attention.

It was a full ball-gown, cinched at the waist by a gray ribbon that matched the swooping scalloped trim at the bottom, edged with black lace. The same lace formed elbow length sleeves, and a headband sitting on the skull. It was simple, elegant, and seemed to command attention, even in drawing form.

"This is it, isn't it?" the girl more tells than asks, "You've been in love with this drawing for a long time."

Kalluto nods.

Back at the house, Feitan and the men weren't having quite so much fun. They were putting together a guest list.

"Well, if Gon and the rest are going, Hisoka will show up whether we invite him or not," Kuroro argues, "we might as well."

"I suppose you're right," Kurapica reluctantly agrees, "I'll be sure to have Gon convince him to behave. The kid has him wrapped right around his finger."

Phinks laughs, "not sure if that's a good thing or not!"

Feitan wasn't really participating though. No, he was working with some tiny pliers and a coil of white gold in his lap. The ring was coming along well, but being an artist he was constantly finding flaws in his work. He needed that ring to be perfect. He needed everything to be perfect. With any luck this would be the only wedding Kalluto would ever want or need.

Feitan half-asses nothing.

But it's not like he's in love.

"Okay I'll admit I've become much more attached to Kalluto than I originally expected, but I'm not in love with him. Not yet. We'll probably end up with emotions like that later, but right now it's only a crush. Yes I'm throwing myself into this head first, but doing anything else would only make things harder for him. I need to show him I'm being serious, since words will never do the job."

He takes a moment to survey the room, taking into account everyone in it before going back to his work, as if afraid someone heard his thoughts.

"And I'm not going to lie to myself. Because when I lie to myself, then I lie to those I care about; and that's a good way to lose them."

"This is exactly why I told you not to go after him!" Kikiyo screeches, "Now you've made him angry and bitter! My baby is getting married and they probably won't even invite me!"

Illumi follows his hysterical mother down the hall, "Mother please, you're missing the point! He's marrying into the Phantom Troupe!"

"That is of no concern to me!" she replies, "I realized years ago that you'd all grow up one day and be adults. That's why I wanted a large family, to take the pressure off. There's no way all of you would have wanted to be assassins, I knew that. It's not a job for the faint of heart! But the one thing I'll never be able to do it lose you all. I cannot and will not stop him from making his own choices, but I won't let myself be alienated from his life. We're family Illumi, for once in your god damn life be there for your siblings!"

Illumi's eyes widened as tears rolled down his mother's face.

"For years I've watched you push them away. Milluki looked up to you so much when he was little! But you shut him out and look what's happened. And you've always been jealous of Killua! I can see it whenever you're near him. And little Alluka… I just didn't know what to do! Neither of us did and you knew that! But you didn't even try. I didn't either, but at least I'm trying now."

(A/N: I originally had no intent on putting Kikyo in here at all, but I just really wanted some sort of closure with Kalluto's family. And I feel like no one ever really gives Kikyo a chance. I think she has a lot of potential as both a character and a person in general. And besides, I love writing really overemotional people!)