Dis Aliter Visum - Chapter 92 - 2,341 words
Note: Next on the 'WTF did I ever do to you, life?!' show, one niece tried to kill her sister... I swear to gods I'm going to erase 2016 from my memory come new year!
Beta-reader: hinoai.
Chapter summary: Three co-conspirators.
Chapter 92
Kurapica stood outside of his friends’ cabin and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. He was playing a dangerous game, one he wasn't entirely confident that he could win. Clearly, Kuroro was already aware that Kurapica was plotting something, but the blond wasn't about to just give up, sit around and let the older man control him.
His nerves slightly settled, he knocked on the door. He heard some scrambling inside, then the door opened.
“Ah, Kurapica!” Gon greeted him cheerfully. “Come in, come in!”
The young Hunter stepped back to let Kurapica enter the tiny cabin. There was no room for him to get comfortable, so he remained upright and leaned against the door.
“Here, you can sit on my seat,” Gon offered helpfully.
“Hey, what --”
Killua didn't have time to finish his protest, because Gon had already crossed the tiny space between their seats and plopped himself down, half on Killua’s lap.
“Gon!”
Killua tried to push Gon off and shuffle out from underneath him.
“Just how old do you think you are?” he grouched, looking flustered and annoyed at the same time. “If you're going to offer your seat to Kurapica, you should just stand up, not smother me half to death!”
“It's fine, isn't it?” Gon asked in return. “I'm not that heavy.”
“That's not the problem!”
“I'll stand,” Kurapica offered hastily before the situation worsened between his two friends. “You can keep your seat, Gon. I won't stay long. I don't want that man to suspect more than he already does.”
The two teens quickly sobered and Gon returned to his seat.
“I still think it's a crazy plan,” Killua complained. “And to involve him, of all people! You're completely off your rockers, man!”
“Do you have a better solution?” Kurapica asked softly.
The cabin fell into silence as all three young men thought their situation through yet again.
“I don't,” Killua finally admitted, then let out a defeated sigh. “I wish I had a better idea, but I don't.”
Gon looked from one friend to the other. He looked sad for a moment, then shook himself out of whatever somber thought he'd had.
“It'll be OK,” he said with hopeful cheer. “Somehow, we'll find a way, and things will be OK, right?”
“I refuse to bear the mark of the Spider on my body!” Kurapica declared. “He says he'll only release my nen once I have the Gen'ei Ryodan's vile symbol tattooed on my skin. I won't let this happen.”
“Speaking of the Spiders--” Gon began, but then he hesitated and made a soft humming sound.
Kurapica waited for a moment, then glanced at Killua, who also turned to him and shrugged.
“What is it?” the blond prompted his friend to continue.
Gon hummed softly again.
“There's something different about their leader.”
“Yeah,” Killua agreed, and his eyes slid towards the blond for a moment, before returning to Gon. “He does seem a bit different than in York Shin.”
Gon nodded emphatically.
“Very different,” he declared.
“What's different?” Kurapica wanted to know.
“His smell.”
“Oi!” Killua exclaimed, hitting Gon on the head. “Are you a dog or what?”
“Why'd you hit me?” Gon complained.
“Just felt like it.”
Killua turned his attention back to Kurapica.
“He does have a point, though,” Killua pointed out. “There is something different about that guy. He's…” He made a vague motion with his hand. “... I don't know. Different. Like, the atmosphere around him is less… I don't know…” He struggled, trying to find the right words. “Before, when I stood next to him, I felt cold all over. I'm no coward, but I was terrified. Now it feels like I'm with a dangerous guy, sure, and I wouldn't like to piss him off, but he doesn't fill me with dread like before.”
“It's because of you, Kurapica,” Gon said seriously. “Because you're with him.”
“I think Gon’s right,” Killua added. “Somehow, you're making him more human, like.”
“That is ridiculous,” Kurapica protested. “He's the same--”
His voice died suddenly as he felt like he was on the cusp of grasping something big, but the last piece of the puzzle refused to fall into place. Whatever it was, it was escaping him at the moment. He needed to think on it further.
“Anyway,” he began again, “my mind is quite made up. But I insist that you must leave as soon as possible.”
“Hold on a minute,” Killua cut in. “There might be a way that we could get you your nen back without resorting to such drastic measures.”
“Eh?” Gon perked up. “What is it?”
“Well,” Killua said while eyeing the blond, “what if you got hurt? I doubt a guy like Kuroro has a healing ability. Get hurt enough and you might convince him to let you get your nen back so you can heal yourself.”
“I thought you said something about not needing drastic measures,” Kurapica pointed out. “Getting myself hurt enough to need nen-enhanced healing sounds pretty drastic to me.”
“I still like it better than your plan,” Killua said obstinately. “This way, we could stay with you for a little bit longer.”
“He'll still have something to hold over me,” Kurapica pointed out. “He is in possession of all of the Scarlet Eyes that we’ve managed to recover so far. He won't give them to me until I give him some sort of proof of commitment to the Spiders.”
“You can use that guy's help when that happens,” Killua said.
“Maybe it won't come to that,” Gon offered hopefully. “It's worth a chance, isn't it?”
Kurapica looked from Gon to Killua and back to Gon.
“I don't know,” he finally said, “I'll think about it. In the meantime, don't do anything drastic.”
“We should be saying that,” Killua grumbked.
“I should return to my cabin,” Kurapica finally said, straightening away from the door. “He's suspicious enough as it is.”
“All right,” Gon said with a grin. “See you later!”
“Yeah,” Killua agreed.
“I should return tomorrow at the latest,” the blond said as he opened the door. “Don't come to my cabin if you can help it. I'd rather you stay away from the Ryodan leader as much as possible.”
“Right,” Killua agreed. “We'll text you if we need to see you.”
His farewells made, Kurapica went out into the claustrophobic hallway and walked back to his cabin. Kuroro looked up from a book when he opened the door.
“I trust that your friends are comfortable?” he asked. “Well, as comfortable one can be in these conditions.”
“They've seen worse,” Kurapica pointed out. “They're fine.”
He took out his book and his pencil, then sat across from Kuroro. He was worried that the older man was going to initiate further conversation, as he was in no mood to talk, but Kuroro only nodded and returned to his reading. The blond was grateful for this. He needed to think. Something about his talk with Gon and Killua was bothering him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly that was.
A few silent hours into their trip, there was a polite knock at the door, and an attendant opened the door. He lifted the small table into place between them and quickly served their dinner, then excused himself. Once the door had shut behind him, they tucked into their dinner. The quiet wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but it seemed to Kurapica that it was perhaps a little tenser than usual. It was only after the attendant had come to clear out the table that Kurapica broke the silence.
“It does feel pretty cramped in here,” he admitted. “Staying too long in Sarbenia would have made me feel too restless, however. We'll have to make the best of it.”
“It's not much more cramped than a car,” Kuroro replied. “And it is only for a few days.”
Kurapica was very glad that the Spider Head hadn't stooped to an I told you so.
“I love travelling,” the blond offered after a moment, “but I am not going to want to travel for some time after I'm done with this.”
“We can take some time off,” Kuroro assured him. “I have nothing planned for this fall.”
Kurapica didn't intend to stay around for the fall, but he wisely kept silent. He would gain nothing by antagonizing the older man with an unhealthy dose of honesty. Instead, he picked up his book again and resumed his reading.
Kuroro followed suit, and the evening slowly passed to the rhythm of turning pages and the gentle movement of the train. Kurapica only noticed how late it was getting when he had to turn on a light in order to be able to read. He finished his chapter, then finally closed his book. It was still a bit early, but the swaying of the train was making him sleepy.
“Where do we sleep in here?” he asked, curious.
Before he got his Hunter license, he'd always travelled coach, but never taken a sleeper car. During this crazy voyage he was on with the Spider Head, Kuroro had only ever chosen first class sleeper cars, so they had never been quite so cramped.
“I'll show you,” the older man offered, closing his book and setting it aside.
“It's fine,” the blond assured him. “I'm sure the attendant will come soon.”
“I need to move a bit,” the older man said with a sigh. “I swear I can feel my legs take root already. Get up.”
He motioned with his hand as he made his request, and Kurapica set the book down on the floor by the door and got to his feet. He had to flatten himself against the door to allow Kuroro to work. The older man pulled on two small levers at the top of each seat back, then guided the chairs forward. The seat cushions met in the middle and the backs flattened so that the four parts made one, long mattress of sorts.
Kurapica eyed it warily.
“This is far too narrow for two people,” he pointed out.
The Spider Head looked amused.
“This is where I'm going to sleep,” he explained. “You'll be up there.”
He pointed up and Kurapica looked at the ceiling above them. There was an odd sort of latch, and he was curious to see where the bed was and how it would fit in the cramped space.
“Can you set it up so I can lie down?” he asked.
“You can lie down here for now,” Kuroro offered.
“And where will you be?” the blond asked, instantly suspicious.
“Here with you,” Kuroro answered predictably.
“Thought so,” Kurapica sighed. “It's way too cramped.”
“I don't mind being close to you,” the older man pointed out.
“Well, I do,” Kurapica said obstinately.
Kuroro let out a soft chuckle and caught the blond’s hand. He pulled him closer.
“Isn't it fine?” he asked, tone flirty. “We have a cabin to ourselves. No one will see us.”
Kurapica heaved a sigh, but the Spider Head somehow managed to pull him closer. They sat on thé edge of the bed together, and Kurapica glanced uncertainly at the door.
“No one will come in,” Kuroro assured him, leaning in for a kiss.
Kurapica allowed it, even responding to the kiss with what was quickly shown to be practiced ease. This in itself was of course worrying; there was no way that being used to kissing the Spider Head was a good thing for the last surviving member of the Kuruta tribe. And yet, used to it he was, and he liked it, even. It made him feel oddly out of breath and dizzy, and made his heart beat too fast, and yet it wasn't a bad feeling at all. It probably should have been.
Kurapica was soon feeling numb and dizzy, and although he knew he should try to find a way for Kuroro to become dependant on these kisses, he would have to admit that is was going the other way around.
His hand moved up automatically to card his fingers through Kuroro's hair, but there was a sudden, loud knock at the door. The blond jumped.
“I'm here to arrange your beds for the night,” he heard the attendant say.
“Come in,” Kuroro invited as Kurapica hastily got to his feet.
The door opened and the attendant paused in the hallway, looking at Kurapica with some amount of surprise. The blond realised that he must look guilty, all flushed and nervous. At least the man didn't comment.
“You prepared one bed,” he remarked instead. “Would you like me to lower the other one as well? This mattress is rather narrow for two people.”
“Yes, please,” Kurapica agreed, mortified at the realisation that the attendant was obviously we'll aware of what he had interrupted when he knocked on their door.
He got out into the hallway to get out of the attendant's way. The man nodded and reached up. There was a handle he turned and the latch came undone with a soft noise, then he pulled and the second bed lowered into place, where it fixed itself with the sound of another latch clicking into place.
“Here you go,” the attendant said. “You can come back inside and I'll give you pillows and blankets.”
He retreated into the hallway and let the blond go in before handing him the items in questions.
“I hope you have a good night,” he said as he left.
Kurapica closed the door and sighed a little in relief. He forced himself to relax; his muscles had been so tense, only because someone had very nearly walked in on them.
“Well,” Kuroro began, “now that he's gone…”
“No,” Kurapica cut in hastily. “I'm going to bed. Good night.”
He all but threw a pillow and a couple of blankets at Kuroro, then climbed up onto his bed and settled in as best he could. It was a long time before he fell asleep.
Beta-reader: hinoai.
Chapter summary: Three co-conspirators.
Chapter 92
Kurapica stood outside of his friends’ cabin and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. He was playing a dangerous game, one he wasn't entirely confident that he could win. Clearly, Kuroro was already aware that Kurapica was plotting something, but the blond wasn't about to just give up, sit around and let the older man control him.
His nerves slightly settled, he knocked on the door. He heard some scrambling inside, then the door opened.
“Ah, Kurapica!” Gon greeted him cheerfully. “Come in, come in!”
The young Hunter stepped back to let Kurapica enter the tiny cabin. There was no room for him to get comfortable, so he remained upright and leaned against the door.
“Here, you can sit on my seat,” Gon offered helpfully.
“Hey, what --”
Killua didn't have time to finish his protest, because Gon had already crossed the tiny space between their seats and plopped himself down, half on Killua’s lap.
“Gon!”
Killua tried to push Gon off and shuffle out from underneath him.
“Just how old do you think you are?” he grouched, looking flustered and annoyed at the same time. “If you're going to offer your seat to Kurapica, you should just stand up, not smother me half to death!”
“It's fine, isn't it?” Gon asked in return. “I'm not that heavy.”
“That's not the problem!”
“I'll stand,” Kurapica offered hastily before the situation worsened between his two friends. “You can keep your seat, Gon. I won't stay long. I don't want that man to suspect more than he already does.”
The two teens quickly sobered and Gon returned to his seat.
“I still think it's a crazy plan,” Killua complained. “And to involve him, of all people! You're completely off your rockers, man!”
“Do you have a better solution?” Kurapica asked softly.
The cabin fell into silence as all three young men thought their situation through yet again.
“I don't,” Killua finally admitted, then let out a defeated sigh. “I wish I had a better idea, but I don't.”
Gon looked from one friend to the other. He looked sad for a moment, then shook himself out of whatever somber thought he'd had.
“It'll be OK,” he said with hopeful cheer. “Somehow, we'll find a way, and things will be OK, right?”
“I refuse to bear the mark of the Spider on my body!” Kurapica declared. “He says he'll only release my nen once I have the Gen'ei Ryodan's vile symbol tattooed on my skin. I won't let this happen.”
“Speaking of the Spiders--” Gon began, but then he hesitated and made a soft humming sound.
Kurapica waited for a moment, then glanced at Killua, who also turned to him and shrugged.
“What is it?” the blond prompted his friend to continue.
Gon hummed softly again.
“There's something different about their leader.”
“Yeah,” Killua agreed, and his eyes slid towards the blond for a moment, before returning to Gon. “He does seem a bit different than in York Shin.”
Gon nodded emphatically.
“Very different,” he declared.
“What's different?” Kurapica wanted to know.
“His smell.”
“Oi!” Killua exclaimed, hitting Gon on the head. “Are you a dog or what?”
“Why'd you hit me?” Gon complained.
“Just felt like it.”
Killua turned his attention back to Kurapica.
“He does have a point, though,” Killua pointed out. “There is something different about that guy. He's…” He made a vague motion with his hand. “... I don't know. Different. Like, the atmosphere around him is less… I don't know…” He struggled, trying to find the right words. “Before, when I stood next to him, I felt cold all over. I'm no coward, but I was terrified. Now it feels like I'm with a dangerous guy, sure, and I wouldn't like to piss him off, but he doesn't fill me with dread like before.”
“It's because of you, Kurapica,” Gon said seriously. “Because you're with him.”
“I think Gon’s right,” Killua added. “Somehow, you're making him more human, like.”
“That is ridiculous,” Kurapica protested. “He's the same--”
His voice died suddenly as he felt like he was on the cusp of grasping something big, but the last piece of the puzzle refused to fall into place. Whatever it was, it was escaping him at the moment. He needed to think on it further.
“Anyway,” he began again, “my mind is quite made up. But I insist that you must leave as soon as possible.”
“Hold on a minute,” Killua cut in. “There might be a way that we could get you your nen back without resorting to such drastic measures.”
“Eh?” Gon perked up. “What is it?”
“Well,” Killua said while eyeing the blond, “what if you got hurt? I doubt a guy like Kuroro has a healing ability. Get hurt enough and you might convince him to let you get your nen back so you can heal yourself.”
“I thought you said something about not needing drastic measures,” Kurapica pointed out. “Getting myself hurt enough to need nen-enhanced healing sounds pretty drastic to me.”
“I still like it better than your plan,” Killua said obstinately. “This way, we could stay with you for a little bit longer.”
“He'll still have something to hold over me,” Kurapica pointed out. “He is in possession of all of the Scarlet Eyes that we’ve managed to recover so far. He won't give them to me until I give him some sort of proof of commitment to the Spiders.”
“You can use that guy's help when that happens,” Killua said.
“Maybe it won't come to that,” Gon offered hopefully. “It's worth a chance, isn't it?”
Kurapica looked from Gon to Killua and back to Gon.
“I don't know,” he finally said, “I'll think about it. In the meantime, don't do anything drastic.”
“We should be saying that,” Killua grumbked.
“I should return to my cabin,” Kurapica finally said, straightening away from the door. “He's suspicious enough as it is.”
“All right,” Gon said with a grin. “See you later!”
“Yeah,” Killua agreed.
“I should return tomorrow at the latest,” the blond said as he opened the door. “Don't come to my cabin if you can help it. I'd rather you stay away from the Ryodan leader as much as possible.”
“Right,” Killua agreed. “We'll text you if we need to see you.”
His farewells made, Kurapica went out into the claustrophobic hallway and walked back to his cabin. Kuroro looked up from a book when he opened the door.
“I trust that your friends are comfortable?” he asked. “Well, as comfortable one can be in these conditions.”
“They've seen worse,” Kurapica pointed out. “They're fine.”
He took out his book and his pencil, then sat across from Kuroro. He was worried that the older man was going to initiate further conversation, as he was in no mood to talk, but Kuroro only nodded and returned to his reading. The blond was grateful for this. He needed to think. Something about his talk with Gon and Killua was bothering him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly that was.
A few silent hours into their trip, there was a polite knock at the door, and an attendant opened the door. He lifted the small table into place between them and quickly served their dinner, then excused himself. Once the door had shut behind him, they tucked into their dinner. The quiet wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but it seemed to Kurapica that it was perhaps a little tenser than usual. It was only after the attendant had come to clear out the table that Kurapica broke the silence.
“It does feel pretty cramped in here,” he admitted. “Staying too long in Sarbenia would have made me feel too restless, however. We'll have to make the best of it.”
“It's not much more cramped than a car,” Kuroro replied. “And it is only for a few days.”
Kurapica was very glad that the Spider Head hadn't stooped to an I told you so.
“I love travelling,” the blond offered after a moment, “but I am not going to want to travel for some time after I'm done with this.”
“We can take some time off,” Kuroro assured him. “I have nothing planned for this fall.”
Kurapica didn't intend to stay around for the fall, but he wisely kept silent. He would gain nothing by antagonizing the older man with an unhealthy dose of honesty. Instead, he picked up his book again and resumed his reading.
Kuroro followed suit, and the evening slowly passed to the rhythm of turning pages and the gentle movement of the train. Kurapica only noticed how late it was getting when he had to turn on a light in order to be able to read. He finished his chapter, then finally closed his book. It was still a bit early, but the swaying of the train was making him sleepy.
“Where do we sleep in here?” he asked, curious.
Before he got his Hunter license, he'd always travelled coach, but never taken a sleeper car. During this crazy voyage he was on with the Spider Head, Kuroro had only ever chosen first class sleeper cars, so they had never been quite so cramped.
“I'll show you,” the older man offered, closing his book and setting it aside.
“It's fine,” the blond assured him. “I'm sure the attendant will come soon.”
“I need to move a bit,” the older man said with a sigh. “I swear I can feel my legs take root already. Get up.”
He motioned with his hand as he made his request, and Kurapica set the book down on the floor by the door and got to his feet. He had to flatten himself against the door to allow Kuroro to work. The older man pulled on two small levers at the top of each seat back, then guided the chairs forward. The seat cushions met in the middle and the backs flattened so that the four parts made one, long mattress of sorts.
Kurapica eyed it warily.
“This is far too narrow for two people,” he pointed out.
The Spider Head looked amused.
“This is where I'm going to sleep,” he explained. “You'll be up there.”
He pointed up and Kurapica looked at the ceiling above them. There was an odd sort of latch, and he was curious to see where the bed was and how it would fit in the cramped space.
“Can you set it up so I can lie down?” he asked.
“You can lie down here for now,” Kuroro offered.
“And where will you be?” the blond asked, instantly suspicious.
“Here with you,” Kuroro answered predictably.
“Thought so,” Kurapica sighed. “It's way too cramped.”
“I don't mind being close to you,” the older man pointed out.
“Well, I do,” Kurapica said obstinately.
Kuroro let out a soft chuckle and caught the blond’s hand. He pulled him closer.
“Isn't it fine?” he asked, tone flirty. “We have a cabin to ourselves. No one will see us.”
Kurapica heaved a sigh, but the Spider Head somehow managed to pull him closer. They sat on thé edge of the bed together, and Kurapica glanced uncertainly at the door.
“No one will come in,” Kuroro assured him, leaning in for a kiss.
Kurapica allowed it, even responding to the kiss with what was quickly shown to be practiced ease. This in itself was of course worrying; there was no way that being used to kissing the Spider Head was a good thing for the last surviving member of the Kuruta tribe. And yet, used to it he was, and he liked it, even. It made him feel oddly out of breath and dizzy, and made his heart beat too fast, and yet it wasn't a bad feeling at all. It probably should have been.
Kurapica was soon feeling numb and dizzy, and although he knew he should try to find a way for Kuroro to become dependant on these kisses, he would have to admit that is was going the other way around.
His hand moved up automatically to card his fingers through Kuroro's hair, but there was a sudden, loud knock at the door. The blond jumped.
“I'm here to arrange your beds for the night,” he heard the attendant say.
“Come in,” Kuroro invited as Kurapica hastily got to his feet.
The door opened and the attendant paused in the hallway, looking at Kurapica with some amount of surprise. The blond realised that he must look guilty, all flushed and nervous. At least the man didn't comment.
“You prepared one bed,” he remarked instead. “Would you like me to lower the other one as well? This mattress is rather narrow for two people.”
“Yes, please,” Kurapica agreed, mortified at the realisation that the attendant was obviously we'll aware of what he had interrupted when he knocked on their door.
He got out into the hallway to get out of the attendant's way. The man nodded and reached up. There was a handle he turned and the latch came undone with a soft noise, then he pulled and the second bed lowered into place, where it fixed itself with the sound of another latch clicking into place.
“Here you go,” the attendant said. “You can come back inside and I'll give you pillows and blankets.”
He retreated into the hallway and let the blond go in before handing him the items in questions.
“I hope you have a good night,” he said as he left.
Kurapica closed the door and sighed a little in relief. He forced himself to relax; his muscles had been so tense, only because someone had very nearly walked in on them.
“Well,” Kuroro began, “now that he's gone…”
“No,” Kurapica cut in hastily. “I'm going to bed. Good night.”
He all but threw a pillow and a couple of blankets at Kuroro, then climbed up onto his bed and settled in as best he could. It was a long time before he fell asleep.