Hey everyone, I hope you're doing alright! I got into the HxH fandom two years ago and wrote this story in 2020, but I had some really, really serious issues during these past couple of months and decided it was best to delete most of my works until I felt like I was stable enough to publish anything again. And I'm glad I am now. I will repost everything regarding TSC, I promise. Chapters (idk if I'll post one or two at once, tell me what you guys prefer in the comments) will be posted weekly so I have a bit of time to catch up on writing for Entropy (this story's sequel for those who don't know) without too much pressure.
I want to apologize for deleting everything without a warning, it wasn't fair to any of you and I can see that now that I'm better. I won't do it again in the future. But I also want to thank all of you who contacted me to know what was going on and supported my choices. I love you all, you're amazing, I truly have the best readers in the world!
Vocês são lindos demais, muito obrigada por tudo!
Ciao~
The port was hectic as usual. There were people passing freely through the adjacent streets and even waiting for their acquaintances who were on board the ships that were about to dock. It was a joyful, lively and, in a way, comforting scene. The smell of the sea was etched in her mind and body due to the years exposed to the waves, which she did not consider something negative, otherwise she would not have chosen a profession that involved the task; if she had to say what her home was, she would say "the ocean" without blinking. Still, seeing the paved roads a sense of familiarity took over her being.
For anyone who had just spent weeks at sea during (most precisely during a stormy season) while searching for a rare species of Seahorse, stepping on land was a relief and a reminder that she was still alive. At least that's what she liked to think.
In the end, the expedition had been successful and her team had managed to capture a pair of the Triple-tailed Seahorses, known not only for their tripartite tail, but for their eggs. Those were composed of a combination of precious stones and minerals, which, upon hatching, formed a kind of super-resistant shell. The feat was of great importance for scientific studies in various areas, since professionals could study the species by breeding it in captivity and would discover the composition of its natural "armor" faster.
The specimens were being properly cared for during the transportation to the Research Center that was responsible for the development of the expedition, so she did not have to worry about anything but their landing at that time. Furthermore, she had been hired to capture the animals and only that. There were several specialists to take care of them, it was not her task.
However, as she stepped on the old wooden boards of the harbor and glanced at the small boxes being placed inside a van, she couldn't help feeling sad. Even though she knew they would be treated well in captivity, she did not like the idea of having such free beings boxed forever, it was depressing. She couldn't imagine being in their shoes, it was impossible for her to thrive without her freedom, she would undoubtedly languish to death.
Shaking her head, she began to walk the streets that she knew so well. The Republic of Padokea had an extensive coastal region with intense commercial activity, largely due to the export of one of the most internationally consumed fish and mineral raw material. She had been there a few times after her adventures and generally liked to stay there for a few days — she'd walk around the city and visit their shops before catching her flight to the Republic of Lapet, the small country where she lived.
In the inner pocket of her jacket, her cellphone began to vibrate and she immediately answered the call.
"How was the mission?" Asked a feminine voice.
"As we expected Madam Thoshe, they're already being sent to the laboratory." She responded as she walked across the street towards a coffee shop. "They should arrive around two days at the most."
"Punctual, as expected." The woman joked.
"Of course. I'm getting paid for it, I'm only doing what I'm supposed to." She replied putting the huge leather purse on her shoulder.
The platinum-haired young lady opened the dark wooden door and sighed happily as she smelled strong coffee and orange muffins entering her nostrils. The environment had the right balance between light and shadow so that the eyes did not hurt when observing the place, but the customers could still go unnoticed in the far corners of the counter.
"I'll be back home in a week due to personal matters before starting the next mission, I'd appreciate if you were not to try to contact me during the period."
She heard a sigh across the line, the hoarse voice assuming a tone of concern.
"Medea, not that I'm trying to meddle in your personal life, far from it!" The older woman hurried to say. "But don't you think you're spending a lot of your free time out of touch? It's worrisome to have a Hunter who doesn't keep in touch with their team frequently, especially a female one... Something bad can happen in the meantime and one would assume that was just your usual behavior." She commented cautiously; the number of cases of women who were part of the Hunter Association and disappeared or were found lifeless had increased dramatically in recent years, so most of them avoided doing very long missions or working alone.
This did not apply to the pale-haired young lady.
"Madam Thoshe, I will not die on account of a week's rest." She said coldly. "Just because some people are disappearing recently doesn't mean I'm going to be one of them. Also, I am only notifying you about it because you are my superior and I have to warn you, so know that I will get in touch as soon as I can."
"And that's exactly why I worry." She continued distressfully. "You're so confident in your abilities that you can get yourself into a serious situation... I hope you know what you're doing."
As she walked to the counter, she looked up to the board with the restaurant's menu and scanned her options, finally deciding to eat an apple pie accompanied by a medium starry-blackberry smoothie. Frowning, she pressed the phone against her shoulder to grab some bills in her pocket, trying to keep the bag fixed on its proper place in the meantime.
"I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself."
"If you say so…" Medea could almost see her boss massaging the bridge of her long nose, visibly annoyed. "Anyway, I won't take much of your time, I know you must be tired and you deserve to rest. Call me when you get to Lapet, I don't want to think you've been beheaded while travelling or anything." Medea passed her fingers through the fringe that had fallen in front of her eyes, putting it in its proper place.
"Ok, I hope the data from the next shipment will have been sent to my email by then."
Thoshe laughed, slightly amused.
"As if I'm not a methodical person... Well, I have to go. Take care of yourself and enjoy your time off, your next task will be arduous." And she hung up without waiting for her subordinate's reply.
Madam Thoshe was an interesting woman; while she seemed to care about her underling, she seemed to struggle to maintain the partnership exclusively professional and not be seen as a maternal figure by the young woman. Medea was grateful for such behavior, she had no interest in becoming emotionally dependent on another person in her life - not after what had happened a few years ago. Despite this, it was nice to have such an experienced and capable mentor in her field, from whom she had learned a lot over the years.
Placing the cellphone in its original compartment, Medea waited her turn to make her order as she searched the space for a comfortable seat to eat quietly, eventually spotting a well-lit table next to the window. Bingo! It was the perfect spot, she just hoped that no one would get hold of it before she did.
When the man in front of her walked to the side bench to wait for his food, a friendly brunette, whose smile was so bright that she thought she would go blind, attended her. Next to her there was a redhead clerk with a lot of piercings and a disinterested expression on her face. Really, everything here is in balance, she thought momentarily.
"Good afternoon, welcome to the Mongrel Chameleon, what's your request?" Her voice was warm and sweet, perfect for working with the audience, a wise choice that probably made up for her coworker.
"Hi, I'll have a slice of apple pie and a sugar-free starry-blackberry smoothie, please."
The attendant typed the items with agility.
"It'll be a total of 90 jenny. What name should I write?"
Handing over the notes, she fixed the strap of the bag on her shoulder once more.
"Medea." She responded while the girl wrote her name on the transparent plastic cup.
"For here or to go?"
"For here."
"Right, please wait on the side counter for your order to be delivered. Thank you for the preference!"
The atmosphere of the establishment seemed to become heavier suddenly, as if a cold wind swept through the place. The hairs on her nape bristled and her body shivered. The weight on her shoulders didn't go unnoticed by her, who gulped down and arranged the posture in such a way as to show that she was not intimidated.
The feeling of having predators around was not unknown to Medea, so she chose to keep her own aura under control in order not to cause possible disagreements immediately after her tiring journey. She had no interest in fighting right now, much less putting her Nen in action.
She carefully looked around for the source of that heavy aura, pretending to pick up a pair of earrings inside her purse and putting them on as she moved naturally, glancing at every corner of the place, albeit unsuccessfully. Medea leaned her body against the marble countertop and let her face fall on her hands while waiting for the food. Apparently, the obscure Hatsu person was not inside the store, which, in her opinion, was a positive thing since the girl intended to avoid conflicts. However, the simple fact that they weren't in a state of Zetsu showed that the person wanted to be noticed; maybe they liked a cat-and-mouse game?
Anyway, it wasn't like she was going to fall on their trap, Medea hated confrontations. If she had used her nen offensively 30% of the time since she learned how to use it 9 years ago, it was a lot. She preferred to attack in other ways.
Upon receiving the small tray with the slice of pie and the smoothie, the pale-haired woman headed towards the seat that – luckily!– was still empty and started eating. It wasn't the best dessert she had eaten, but it was infinitely tastier than the red algae the crew ingested during the period at sea, the only thing that alleviated their craving for sweets.
Medea felt when the bloodlust took over the place even more intensely and a man leaned against the wooden table where her snack was, but she simply ignored him. Unfortunately, men tried to take her to bed (or even the nearest alley) more frequently than she'd like. The girl had learned that ignoring them was the best option, which resulted in being left alone immediately 45% of the time; it wasn't much, but it was something. Not everyone had the knowledge about Nen, but she had dealt with some inconvenient Hunters in the past and it was definitely not impossible to get out of that situation.
"Nice earrings." The man said seductively. His voice indicated that he should not be past 25, at most 30 if he was the type of guy who appears and sounds younger than he is. "Too bad they're not as beautiful as their owner."
Medea remained silent, focused only on finishing the slice of the dessert and leaving as soon as possible with her plastic cup, but this didn't seem to bother the standing figure, who giggled softly and sat in the chair in front of her.
"I hope you don't mind me keeping you company, I'm waiting for someone and spending time with a beautiful girl is the best choice for a man like me." He continued, as if the woman on the other side of the table was in fact participating in the conversation. "I've never seen you around here before, and that's something, considering I often visit this region of the Idyzanon district. Are you passing by or have you moved to this city recently?"
Once again, he only received her silence, her violet eyes focused on her half eaten dessert. This seemed to intrigue the man, who, according to what her limited field of vision allowed her to see, took his hand to his lips in a thoughtful motion. His pale, long fingers reached for the wrist resting on the table, the long nails scratching her skin in a gentle manner, a simple caress.
Medea raised an eyebrow and stared at the hand that clutched her arm, violet eyes completely disinterested with the attempt to get her attention.
"I know you felt my aura, I realized by the way you slowed the flow of yours. Subtle, but still letting me know that you were alert."
"So I think you've also understood that I don't intend to engage in any kind of combat." she added.
Raising her gaze, Medea was finally able to see the face of her interlocutor. His eyes were golden and malicious like those of a lynx, contrasting with the red hair that framed the sides of his face. Below them, a star and a teardrop of different colors marked the skin and added even more eccentricity to the clothes he wore. His posture was haughty and impose itself on the surrounding people, who now distanced themselves from the table where the two stood and watched the interaction with fear.
"Well, what's the fun of using Nen if you can't put it into practice?" He questioned. "I watched you leave the docks, your aura is strong and refined enough to draw attention even when you're not attacking, which interests me a lot."
Medea let out a chuckle.
"Why are you curious about it? Are you some kind of Nen's talent-spotter, by any chance?"
A glow passed through his eyes and he smirked.
"Something like that... I would like to see your aura in action, I'm sure it wouldn't disappoint me."
She sipped some smoothie, ripping her wrist out of his firm grasp and ate another slice of the pie.
"I'm sorry, but I don't Nen." The smile on the man's face was extinguished immediately.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I don't use Nen unless it's necessary and I don't see how a confrontation fits into that." She explained while taking the last bite of the dessert. "And even if you tried to attack me next, which I believe you would since your Hatsu was inciting me to react violently earlier, who'd guarantee you that I wouldn't just stand still and let you kill me? You wouldn't see my Nen in action and I wouldn't amuse you. That would be a waste of time for you, right?"
He frowned, clearly surprised to hear her retorting him, only to regain his composure and smile seductively once again.
"And who's to say that I wouldn't wait for the right time? A life or death situation would be enough to force you to react, I suppose." He declared. "I'd be willing to wait as long as it takes to see what you're capable of when your life is at stake." He sighed and his face took on a slight blush.
She pondered.
"But I don't care if I die." she continued, studying how his countenance lit up even more and his hands gripped the sides of the table with force.
"That's even more exciting, darling! Can you imagine a fight without restrictions, only life itself as a prize? It would be paradise!"
Medea snorted.
"I think you misunderstood me, mister. What I meant was that I wouldn't defend myself, I would just allow myself to be beaten to death without fighting back. My life means nothing to me."
Once again his face got serious while he considered the woman's response and then he frowned.
"You're lying, but you still seem convinced of what you're saying…" He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, are you some kind of religious freak?" She was the one who smiled this time.
"Something like that."
Another man, seemingly not affected by the aura emanating from the redhead, approached the table.
"You weren't at the specified location, I had to search for you for 15 minutes." The man said quietly. "Next time, let me know when you change your position."
Medea turned to face him with curiosity.
He appeared to be a few years older than her, his face had delicate features that surprisingly suited him very well. The long black hair covered his back like a thick curtain and swayed with every movement his tall, lithe body made while breathing. His eyes were large and almond-shaped, but there was something in them that made her restless, as if they were hiding something dark deep down.
And, honestly, he probably was.
She felt that his aura was also forcing itself on her, but he didn't seem to want a reaction from her, as if it was simply normal for him; it was something strange and Medea did not like the feeling.
"Oh, sorry, did I interrupt something?" He asked in a cheery tone that resembled irony to her ears.
"Actually, no. Now that you've arrived, your friend here no longer needs me." answered the platinum-haired young woman.
Medea took her cup, making to keep his name hidden by her hand from the weirdos, and got up from the chair. Smiling mockingly, she turned to the first man and extended her wrist in his direction.
"Please release your aura from my arm. It would be awkward to deal with whatever your skill is later." He pouted like a spoiled child, but granted the request nonetheless. "Thank you very much. It was... interesting to talk with you. Goodbye." She turned towards the boy who had just arrived and gave a slight nod with her head as if she was saying farewell, leaving in the direction of the exit instantly after that and walking outside the door, hoping she'd never get to meet them again.
Turning his gaze to the ally, the dark haired man just arched an eyebrow.
"Did your date go wrong?" The other one let out a huff.
"More like a battle that didn't happen... For now, at least." He added while passing a hand through his fiery locks. "I'm sure it won't be the last time I meet that woman."
Getting up, he set out to walk among the mass of people in the coffee shop with the assassin right behind him. As he strode along the wide cobblestone pavement, he decided to cut the chase and go straight to the point:
"So, Illumi, what's the mission this time?"