Hello everyone! I'm back with the third chapter!
Many of you wrote to me about your opinion regarding the frequency of updates and I've decided that it's best if I publish twice a week. The updates will take place at Mondays/Tuesdays and Fridays. This week is an exception due to my euphoric state that led me to correct three chapters at once lol
Oh, and I'm currently working on a Hisoka×Reader one-shot, so stay tuned for future info about it!
Thank you to all of my readers for supporting this story through commenting, recommending and leaving kudos. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anyone to read this again, but I'm there's many people now! To my new friends, you are very welcome here, and to my old friend, it's wonderful to see you again ;)
And thank you for clicking on this story I hope I can interact with you someday ^.^
See you soon,
—Cherry
Medea woke up crying.
The warm, salty tears rolled down her temples as her violet eyes were greeted by the wooden ceiling of her hut.
A woman's name fell from her lips.
It was not uncommon for this to happen, in fact, it was more frequent than she'd like, but this time it had been the most vivid memory so far. She hadn't felt so terrified since that fateful night.
She sat up on her mattress, trembling, and hugged her own body trying to calm herself down, nails piercing her arms' tender flesh.
On the wooden bedside-table next to her bed, her phone rang — a noise that sounded too cheerful for someone who had just awakened from a nightmare, and she cussed in her native language, enraged.
She had arrived at the Republic of Lapet two days ago and she had already lost count of how many people had called her to congratulate her on the mission's success. It would be great, if it wasn't for the fact that all she wanted to do was rest (especially after the events at the Emerald Kaniv, three days earlier).
"Can't I have one fucking peaceful night?" She grabbed the electronic tightly, the lipsticks and lipglosses next to it rolling towards the floor with her violent motion. "Who the hell is disturbing me at this hour? It's three in the fucking morning! You'd better have a reason to call me or you'll feel your phone being shoved so far up your ass you'll be coughing ringtones for the next month!" She threatened, pushing her blanket away to get up and walk towards the toilet.
"Is that how you talk to your boss, Lanfort?" Madam Thoshe asked, seemingly unfazed.
"Thoshe I'm not in the mood to chit-chat. Get to the point." She rinsed her face with water, trying to get rid of any traces of tears before walking to the kitchen.
The woman sighed.
"Sometimes I wonder why I still have you in my team, you're a nuisance to work with." She complained frankly, to which Medea shrugged.
"Because I'm the only person who's reckless enough to go on suicidal missions that everyone else is terrified of." Medea replied matter-of-factly while pouring milk into a cup.
"I suppose you're right." She agreed and Medea rolled her eyes before drinking. "I'm just calling to say the mission has been canceled."
Medea choked momentarily, placing the cup on the white marble countertop immediately and coughing repeatedly to clear the airways. On the other side of the line, her superior seemed not to care how shocked the young woman was.
First, she had woken up with memories of the worst moment of her life, and now her mission was canceled?
What a nice way to start the day.
"What do you mean it was canceled?" She inquired, exasperatedly. "Thoshe, this has never happened before, what is going on? Did the financiers go bankrupt or something?" The despair in her voice was palpable, after all, that mission was extremely important to her career as a Sea Hunter. If she completed the research about the Sentinel Dolphins, a kind of mammal that was practically a myth for the contemporary civilization, she would become a Single-Star Hunter; there was no way she wouldn't be stressed by the news.
Madam Thoshe said nothing, just taking a deep breath while uncertain about how to approach the motive with her apprentice.
"Thoshe...? They went bankrupt or died... Right?" She asked again.
"Medea..." There was a long pause, followed by a sigh. "The mission was canceled for you."
The time stopped for what seemed like hours for Medea, but were, in fact, mere seconds.
Had she heard it right?
No, it couldn't be. She had never been rejected from any mission in nine years working for the Association, that was simply impossible.
She leaned against the sink, breathing with difficulty. No, that wasn't happening, it was just one of those nightmares inside of nightmares, like the ones she used to have. That was the only plausible explanation.
She ran to the nearest reflective surface, the refrigerator, and stared at herself, eyes rummaging through her face for blood.
There was none.
This wasn't a nightmare. It was real.
Medea tried to ignore the lump in her throat, feeling her body temperature rise.
Her dreams were slipping through her fingers like sand. They were distancing themselves from her. Everything she had fought so hard to obtain was getting away once again, she couldn't believe it.
The universe definitely was willing to ruin her Tuesday.
"What did I do wrong?" She asked, trying to maintain her composure.
"They gave me no explanation. They just said you weren't going to lead the project nor be a part of it." Her boss explained, voice utterly pitiful.
"And who gained the leadership?"
There was a pause and Medea was sure that things would only get worse. "Evie Gargani."
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Thoshe, for Heaven's sake, please tell me this is a joke!" Her free hand grabbed her pearly locks and pierced the nails into her scalp, breath becoming more and more irregular as she began wandering aimlessly around the house.
"I'm sorry, Lanfort..."
"Viola, please, I need to know what led them to that decision!" Her voice came out shrill and agitated, the blush on her face replaced by an unusual pallor.
"I really don't know what happened, I wasn't at tonight's meeting." The woman confessed. "But perhaps some higher positions Hunters have some information. I mean, I heard that the Chairman's floor was locked for three hours straight while the people there discussed various agendas. No one could enter nor leave. My friend Dusty from the floor below told everyone that Gel exited the meeting with a deadly expression and that there was a lot of screaming."
Medea frowned. "Do you mean Gel from the Zodiacs?"
"Precisely."
"Thoshe, I think I'm having a stroke." The fingers holding the device trembled and her hands were as wet as the sea.
"Medea, calm down!" Thoshe told her seriously.
"I can't! Thoshe, it's my... Fuck, it's my entire carreer!"
"Yes, you can!" She insisted. "Now listen to me! I heard they're going to be at the Association's Annual Ball that happens in three days, so you might still be able to convince the financiers by then. That is, if you actually attend it this time."
A spark of hope flourished inside her. Maybe not everything was lost.
Yes, she hated attending the Hunter Association Balls, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make for her long-awaited one-star insignia. Her body seemed to cool down and she finally realized that she was in her room, the small lamp still plugged and partially illuminating the space, the lipsticks and lipglosses still fallen on the floor. Home. She was home.
She fetched a suitcase inside the closet and immediately threw several clothes atop of her bed.
She was going to turn the tables and regain her leadership, no one could stop her. The heat of determination flowed through her veins, she could kill for that position if she had to.
"Where will it take place?" Violet eyes scanned the clothes one by one, searching for the best pieces to use on the trip. She caught a glimpse of a smoke-colored suit with small lime-green details and automatically looked at the forest-colored tailoring pants in her hands. That would have to do.
"Glam Gas Land. Oh, and you're probably gonna need an escort to get in!"
"Really?" She huffed. "Come on, it's not like they take this kinda thing seriously. And even if they do, I'll break in and no one's gonna stop me before I talk to the financiers!"
Viola Thoshe laughed. "It seems like the normal you has returned, I'm glad! But now I have to go, I need to finish a report as soon as possible. See you there, hopefully."
"Damn right you will!"
"Then see you soon." And she proceeded to hang up without waiting for an answer, like she always did.
Medea looked at the small metal object above her desk and sighed, deciding to type down a message while closing her luggage and running to the bathroom to take a shower. It was about half past three a.m, if she hurried she could get to the airport in time to buy the ticket for the first flight back to Saherta. She read the message one last time:
"I won't be able to meet with you this week.
Unplanned issues with the Association.
I'll let you know once I'm available.
- M. L."
Taking a deep breath, she pressed 'send'.
"What do you mean the flight has been delayed?!" Medea yelled enraged. "We've been waiting to board for an hour and the company is giving zero shits! I need to go to Saherta today!" Her slightly tanned face was now as red as a tomato and all she could hear was the noise of her own fast-paced heart.
The attendant looked embarrassed due to the scandal made by the white-haired woman, trying to smile and ask the other impatient passengers on the flight to calm their spirits.
If Medea had thought that her daily share of disgrace had been achieved, she was wrong.
"I'm so sorry, miss, but there was a problem with the gear and the plane will need repairs."
"I want my money back!" Shouted a passenger in a suit, followed by a chorus of people agreeing with him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down." The woman practically begged. "I'll see what I can do for you, but please stop yelling."
That just infuriated the passengers even more, who seemed to want to attack the attendant right there. Desperate to get rid of the problem, the woman frantically typed into her computer until she found a solution. Smiling with relief, she turned to the 40 people around her bench.
"You have two options: board the flight that takes off in 20 minutes with a connection in York New before arriving at Glam Gas Land, or board the flight that leaves in 40 minutes and goes straight to the destination, but it is an hour longer." She explained with a few plane tickets in her hands.
"The first one! I'll take the first option!" Medea yelled, almost maniacally.
Even if she had to stop at York New first, it was better to make the 2-hour trip than to stay an extra hour inside the plane.
The staff quickly guided her to the check-in area, dispatching her luggage and validating the newly printed ticket so she could finally board the flight.
With her leather bag attached to her body, Medea followed through the corridors in a hurry, running as fast as she could with her Hunter license around her neck, trying to arrive there before the plane took off and she had to wait for another flight.
When she saw the metal door of the plane and the stewardess heading into the aircraft, she shouted to get the woman's attention, who stared at her with wide eyes.
"Wait! I HAVE TO BOARD!" The flight attendant just stood still as she approached extending the ticket, which was immediately picked up. Smiling, the woman looked to the young woman and indicated for her to enter the space too, closing the door behind them soon after.
The commissary paved the way for the woman, taking her to the business class area — a space colored in off-white and ivory.
It had about four rows, each consisting of 6 pairs of white chairs; it wasn't first class, but it was real luxurious to other aircraft she'd been in. The atmosphere of the place was light and the air smelled of mint, which was comforting for Hunter as it brought her good memories. The space only had four empty seats, after all that was a flight to York New, an extremely important business city.
Medea walked between the aisle of chairs, looking for the number on the paper. Upon arriving at her seat, she was relieved for not having anyone sitting on her side. She would be more relaxed like this. Then, she practically threw her bag in the compartment above her head.
She chose to stay near the window (the chair that had been assigned to her), so she fastened her seat belt and rested her head against the thick glass, closing her violet eyes so as not to feel nauseous once the aircraft took flight. A few minutes passed as she enjoyed the tranquility she experienced, a rather uncommon sensation, when she felt someone watching her with intensity, practically throwing a bucket of water at the blissful moment.
"Excuse me, are you in the right place?" Questioned a male voice. "I'm sure that armchair was vacant when I bought this one and after I boarded."
Medea kept her eyes closed, but granted a reply to the man since they would be glued to each other for the rest of the trip, and she did not want him to bother her as revenge for her rudeness. "My flight was canceled for technical reasons, I was relocated to this one." She explained yawning. "I'm sorry if I startled you, it wasn't my intention."
"It's okay, I just didn't expect to find someone sitting next to me after I got back from the bathroom." She let out a giggle and opened her violet eyes, watching her tired reflection amid the rays of dawn.
He sat in his chair and buckled up, and she took a deep breath, trying to shake the uncomfortable exhaustion off.
The man seemed to keep his gaze on her figure, or rather, on her breasts.
Disgusting.
She clenched her hands once she realized she could be easily cornered in the position she was in. Medea didn't want to fight another passenger, but she'd gladly do it to defend herself from a pervert.
The persistent look began to bother her, it was almost as if he wanted to tell her something, perhaps a heinous catcall, but did not know how to approach her. She seriously hoped that he had the sense to keep his mouth shut.
Medea was about to confront him when he decided to speak up: "A fellow Hunter, huh? What are you specialized in?"
That took her by surprise.
Looking down, she realized that her license was hanging around her neck, resting below her bosom; she'd forgotten to take it off after getting accommodated. Knowing she wasn't being seen as a sexual prey made her feel relieved, and she decided to answer his question.
"Sea. You?"
"Blacklist." he replied gently. "What does a Sea Hunter intend to do in York New? Isn't it a very continental city?"
"What does a blacklisted Hunter intend to do in the tiny agrarian Republic of Lapet? Isn't that too far from criminal areas?" She retorted.
This made him let out a low chuckle, a sweet and contagious sound that rang beautifully through the woman's ears.
"Guess you have a point. You're going to Saherta for business purposes?"
"Actually, I'm just passing by, I have matters elsewhere." The girl turned with her arm outstretched, a genuine smile on her reddish lips. "I'm Medea, by the way."
When he looked deep in her eyes, she stopped breathing.
It was the bodyguard from Emerald Kaniv.
The same boy she presumed to have died with the other 237 people three days ago. It wasn't possible to have so many negative situations happening in one day; had she stepped on newborns or spat on the grave of some corpse and the universe decided to avenge them?
The blond squinted his gray eyes and she hoped that she wasn't recognizable without the wig and lenses, but he just gave her a small smile and his pale hand grabbed Medea's, shaking it firmly.
"Kurapika." He raised an eyebrow. "Something about you seems familiar... Tell me, have we met before?"
Sweat dripped from her neck down her shoulder blades and Medea gulped down, thinking of an answer that would make the topic end as soon as possible.
She didn't want the Association to know about her part-time job at all, especially now that she intended to stop acting as a thief to focus exclusively on her job. She didn't know what could happen to her career if this detail came to light.
"I'd remember those pretty eyes." Her voice was smooth and enchanting as the tune of a lyre, a seductive smile forming on her lips and making the boy's eyes widen. "So the answer is no."
Kurapika stiffened on his seat, a strange glow passing through his eyes before he blinked repeatedly and deflected them from the woman next to him. Embarrassed, he coughed, letting go of her hand and staring at his own knees again.
It was funny to see that someone who had acted so seriously and objectively that night was completely baffled by a simple compliment.
Medea smiled, happy that her strategy worked. It was common for unfamiliar people to be uncomfortable with attempts at flirting, so she always used it as an escape in case she realized that her interlocutor was not of the flirtatious type.
Both remained silent when the pilot warned that they were about to take off, the man with his attention fixed on the golden embroidery of his tunic whereas she had her eyes closed and leaned her head against the window. Her ears clogged automatically and she frowned in irritation. She hated flying. It was very uncomfortable and restricted her sense of freedom. She much preferred to be in the midst of the waves, where the air was not confined and she could climb into the basket of the crow's nest to observe the horizon in peace.
Medea observed the sea of clouds around and below the aircraft, a sight so magnificent that she wished to be a bird just to fly between them for a moment.
After spending some time deep in thought, she was surprised to find out that it was already half past seven a.m., only 20 minutes left before they landed in York New. Stretching in her seat, Medea let a sigh escape her lips and allowed her wrist to rest again on the seat.
Kurapika glanced at it once or twice, seeming uninterested, but she knew those beautiful eyes were on her once again.
"Cool tattoo." He whispered. "Does it have a meaning?"
Medea stared at the drawing on her left wrist. It consisted of a long purple Rhombus surrounded by a larger one with two thick stems of turquoise color and two thin golden ones. Six circles of different shades of green and blue, three on each side, surrounded them; and on top of the larger rhombus, as if it was a beautiful crown, there was a squarish gem. It resembled a citrine.
She allowed her fingers to wander through the lines that covered half of her arm and turned to the curious man. "It's a symbol used by ancient civilizations. It means that everything in life leads to a greater purpose."
"It has a beautiful meaning, were the colors used by them the same as yours?"
"Actually, no, they were simply empty traces, I was the one who asked for it to be this way." She told him. "Do you have any as well?"
The pilot's voice warned that they were about to land at their destination as Kurapika shook his head.
"I don't like tattoos, they're easy to identify someone and it would be almost suicide in my field of specialization."
"It makes sense." Medea agreed. "I think our journey ends now..." She said as she watched the runway get closer and closer.
"Yeah... Do you already have a place to stay?"
"Oh, no, as soon as we land I'll board another flight to reach my destination." The blond man made a noise of agreement and silence reigned once more.
The plane finally landed and the passengers got up, walking through the corridors hurriedly. Kurapika took off his belt and opened the compartment where their hand luggage were, placing hers in her hands. Medea muttered a thank you and he just nodded, ready to get out of the aircraft.
Neither of them said goodbye to each other on the way out, but she preferred so. Heaven knows what would happen if he noticed that she had been the one to stick an appetizer in his mouth, or even worse, if he connected the dots and realized that she was the cause of the fire that day.
Passing through the metal gates, Medea was about to walk toward the boarding gate of the next flight when she felt a warm hand touching her right wrist, preventing her from moving forward.
She turned around, ready to pluck her arm out of the person's hands when Kurapika approached her.
His lips lightly touched her ear and she froze, completely confused. "You didn't expect me to be dumb enough not to know it was you three days ago, right?" He whispered, making her body shiver and goosebumps flourish through her skin. "When I saw your smile I wasn't sure if my intuition was correct, but I was certain it was you when you touched my hand the same way you touched my shoulder. But don't worry," He continued. "No one will know that it was you who set the Emerald Kaniv on fire. After all, you did me a favor by making that decision."
He let her go and smiled as he walked away.
"It was good to see you again, Medea. Have a nice trip." And he left, leaving her standing in shock at the same place.