[A/n]: Alright! First chapter updated! It hasn't really changed much, haha... Anyway, there will be more changes in the other chapters and the general plot I was planning, so I hope you enjoy!
Chapter One
Let's X Go X Fishing!
XXX
Raze swung her little plastic bag filled with snacks gently in her hand, humming happily as she walked back to the ship taking her to the Dolle Harbour. If only I didn't have to wear these stupid thing, She thought, referring to her black hoodie. It's really stuffy when I have to wear the hood up all day. I wish I could have some sunlight, She thought wistfully to herself, looking up at the bright blue sky over Whale Island.
A few minutes later, she reached the ship and climbed aboard, saluting a few kind looking sailors who walked past. Oh, there's more people on here than when I left… She mused, scanning the decks. That blond guy, that old guy reading a porn magazine… Ew… Annnnnnnd a bunch of scary looking people. Great. She looked for a place to sit on the crowded ship, but couldn't find any.
She climbed up the stairs and shuffled over to the 'new' blond boy, who was looked like he was probably around her age.
"Excuse me," Raze started somewhat nervously, the silver eyed teen looking up from his book. "May I sit next to you? There's nowhere else to sit except in the centre of the boat." He regarded her for a moment, before shifting slightly to the left to make room.
"Sure." He agreed, a small, polite smile on his face. "It's very crowded up here, isn't it?" She sat down next to him and smiled as well.
"Yeah, I only left for around half an hour to get snacks, but there's already so many people." She commented, holding up her bag. She rummaged through it, searching for water and pulled a metal container out, holding it out to him. "Want one?" She paused. "Oh, right, my name's Raze! Nice to meet you!" She grinned at him, earning a more genuine smile from him as well.
"Kurapika." He took the drink from her hand, and placed it down next to him. "Thanks." She watched him for a second before asking him a question.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen, why?" She frowned slightly, looking disappointed.
"Darn. You're older than me." He let out an amused chuckle.
"And how old are you, Raze-san?"
"Fifteen." She sighed, tugging her hood lower, not catching his curious glance. "I wish I brought a book with me, I left all of them at home."
"I have a few, if you want to borrow them during the ride." He offered, gesturing the books piled beside him. Her eyes lit up, and she stared at him in awe.
"Really!?" She exclaimed excitedly. "You're awesome, Kurapika-san! Oh, and you can just call me Raze." She added in afterthought. "I'm fighting the urge to hug you right now." He chuckled again, shaking his head.
"You're an interesting person, Raze. You may call me Kurapika as well." He replied, opening the water bottle, and taking a sip. She gave him a sheepish laugh, toying with the lid of her own drink.
"My friend always tells me I'm too friendly, so sorry if I kinda freaked you out there." She apologized embarrassedly.
"No, in fact, your company is quite welcome, especially if you enjoy reading as well." He reassured her. "I always feel disappointed at the lack of people who are literate." He explained, pushing a lock of his blond hair back behind his ear. He has long hair, for most boys. She noted. Kurapika stared at her, looking questioning. "Why are you wearing a hood, when we have such nice weather today?" He asked. "It must be very hot under that." Raze tilted her head and put a finger to her lips.
"It's a secret~!" She chirped childishly, grinning at him. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it.
XXX
The ship raised its sails, townspeople crowding around the harbour to get a glimpse of the boat.
"Nee, nee, look Kurapika!" I looked over the edge of the boat, pointing at the villagers. "There're a ton of people coming to wave the ship off!" He stood up and looked over his shoulder at my finger, only to go back to his book.
"Yes, there are quite a few, aren't there?" His lack of enthusiasm made me groan, but I kept watching them.
"Oh, they're all waving to someone." I continued, pretending that he was listening.
"Good luck!"
"Knock'em dead!" They shouted, most likely at the black haired boy who was running across the deck to stay in view. After we left their view, he leaned over even further and kept waving.
"I'm going to become the best Hunter in the world!" He shouted back at them, though I doubt they heard him. "Once I'm the best Hunter in the world, I'll come back!" I winced. That'll take a lot of time, little buddy. When I sat down back next to Kurapika, who continued standing, I heard some men snickering.
"The best Hunter in the world?" One of them scoffed to his friend. "Kid doesn't respect us."
"And why would he?" I growled under my breath, catching my new companion's attention. "You're just a bunch of lowlives who's bark is worse than their bite!" He quietly placed a hand on my shoulder, indirectly telling me not to intervene, still looking out at the ocean surrounding us. I glared at them, although they didn't notice.
"Every year, there are millions of skilled applicants for the Hunter Exam." Another said loudly, aiming it at the boy.
"Yeah, and you're not one of them." I muttered, and the blond sent me an amused glance at my retorts.
"But only a handful are selected. Don't say things that you can't back up, boy." They all laughed at him, but he looked unperturbed, and walked past them to the railing. I sighed, and sat on the edge of the boat, and Kurapika gave me a vaguely concerned look.
"Be careful. The boat rocks suddenly." He cautioned, making me grin.
"Yeah, mom," I grinned at him. "Don't worry, I've been on boats before, I know how they work. Besides," I hooked my legs under the railings and let myself fall back, with a gasp from Kurapika. "I can just do this!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me up quickly, swatting my forehead.
"That's dangerous." He scolded, surprising me. "Be more careful with yourself." I was about to respond, when the seagulls grew louder, grabbing my attention. I stared up at them, and sniffed the air. "Raze?" I looked at Kurapika seriously.
"There's a storm coming." He frowned, not taking me seriously.
"What do you mean?" I shifted edgily.
"In my home country, when the air smells sweet, it usually means that's about to rain. The wind changed direction suddenly too, which mean it'll probably be bigger than your average storm." I explained. "And look up at the birds. They're getting louder and more rowdy, right?" He nodded, understanding where I was going with this.
"They're warning each other."
"Exactly. I knew I liked you." He scrutinized me thoughtfully. "Well, I'm all for learning but maybe we should go inside, because, you know, there's a storm coming?" Kurapika ran a hand through his hair, then stooped to pick up his bag.
"I agree, we should probably head inside." He started towards the stairs when I noticed the little black haired boy staring at me. I wonder if he's figured it out. I gave him a small one handed wave, getting a large smile and a big wave back from him. Cute.
XXX
The storm was shaking the ship violently, but Kurapika didn't seem to care. I sat down beside him, as he swung in the hammock. He offered it to me first, but I let him have it after I messed around on it.
XXX
Raze's eyes widened when she saw the hammock, bouncing over to it excitedly.
"Kurapika!" She called. "Look at this!" He entered the room at a much slower pace than she did, walking over to her calmly. "This is a hammock, right?"
"Yes, it is. Haven't you ever seen one before?" He questioned, watching her. She shook her head no, poking it.
"How do you get on?" Kurapika placed down his bag and showed her, pulling the fabric underneath him to sit on it, and slowly shifting to a lying down position. She 'ohhh'ed as he got off again, her excitement at everything amusing him.
It took Raze a few tries before she could get on, and she gripped the fabric when it started to swing. "This is so cool!" She beamed, trying to get it to swing more. Humouring her, he pushed her gently and made her laugh. Eventually, Raze got off and offered it to him. "I'm more of a solid ground person, anyway." She smiled at him. "Thanks for letting me goof around, Kurapika."
XXX
I blushed a little, realizing how immature I was acting. I was lucky that I met up with Kurapika, who put up with my silliness.
The hammock swung surprisingly low since the silver eyed boy was almost at the same height as my face. I stretched and yawned, rubbing my eyes. It'd been a long day, especially without my best friend, who I agreed to meet up with at the site.
I hope he's okay, and that he's making his way there. My brows furrowed as I worried. This is the first time in years we've been apart for more than a few hours. During my musings, I didn't notice Kurapika roll onto his side and stare at me. I should've gotten a cellphone before we left, but I never thought that I would need one- I looked to my left and jumped, not expecting my new friend's face to be right beside me.
"You're wearing glasses," He hummed, taking a good look at my face while I blushed and tried to calm down my heart. "And you have brown hair and black eyes." He observed.
"There was a reason I was wearing a hood." I sulked, still blushing from embarrassment and he gave me a half grin.
"Do a better job of hiding it, then." He replied cheekily, and I gaped at him indignantly.
"I take back what I thought before," I teased. "I guess you're not as stiff as I thought." He chuckled, his eyes not leaving mine.
"Respect your elders," He joked, loosening up with me. "I've gone along with your shenanigans, have I not?" The boat rocked violently out of nowhere, making me bump into him.
"Ow," I groaned, rubbing my head. The hit was dulled my my hood, but it still left a sharp pain. "Stupid waves." I turned back to him, wincing. "Sorry." I apologized, seeing him rub his forehead.
"It's fine, it's not your fault. Those waves are really something, huh?" I nodded, pulling out a small bag which had survived the trip downstairs. "Are those gummy bears? You're going to get sick if you eat something while the boat is rocking like this." He warned, eyeing the bag. I blinked.
"Gummy what?" He looked at me weird.
"Gummy bears," He repeated slowly. A picture of old bears with no teeth invaded my mind. "Why do I get the feeling you're imagining something strange?"
"Because you're right."
"Great." He rolled back on his back, and returned to his book. "Let me know if you need anything."
"That's my line. I'm the one with the food!" I sneezed loudly at the end of my sentence, drawing attention to myself.
"Bless you!" Someone chirped from the other side of the room. Ah, it's the boy from earlier. He trotted over, holding a weird plant in his hand. "Do you have allergies?" I shrugged.
"No idea," I responded slowly, not sure why he was asking. "I've been sneezing a lot lately, though." He giggled and held out the weird looking plant to me, waiting expectantly. I took it and sniffed it, but it didn't seem poisonous.
"What is it?" The black haired boy grinned at me.
"An allergy herb! It makes most of the sneezing and stuffy noses disappear!" I stared at it skeptically. He seemed honest, and pretty naïve too, I didn't think that he would try to trick me.
"Do I just eat it?" I queried, pulling my hood down again.
"Yup!" I placed the plant in my mouth and chewed it, making a face at the unknown taste. "Sorry, it's pretty bitter at the start but it should start working soon." Could've warned me sooner. I grumbled internally, but he was right. Not even five minutes later, my stuffy nose from sneezing was gone, along with any other things I didn't notice before.
"What's your name, kiddo?" He giggled at the nickname I gave him.
"I'm Gon!" He introduced, pointing to himself cheerfully. "I'm from Whale Island."
"I know." His eyes widened even more, making him look like a large puppy.
"How did you know?" He sniffed the air, puzzling me. "I don't recognize you from Whale Island, and you don't smell like you've ever come here." That piqued my interest, and I sat up straight.
"Smell?" He blushed a little, and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand sheepishly.
"I've always lived in the mountains, so my senses are stronger than most people." I grinned happily at him.
"Well, we're very similar, then!" I declared, getting up. "I lived in nature as well, a different place from you, obviously, but I could probably track someone." I frowned lightly. "My eyesight and taste aren't the best, but I'm pretty observant most of the time." At least, I'd like to think so.
"Really?" He bounced on the balls of his feet, gripping the straps of his backpack. "That's so cool!" I sniffed the air, paying attention to the different smells. Vomit, yuck. I wrinkled my nose a bit, but moved closer to Gon.
"You smell like…" I took another sniff. "Grass, trees, the sea, animals, smoke, and… Homemade food?" I wasn't sure about the last one.
"Wow! You got it all right!" He cheered, looking at me with amazement shining in his eyes. Dear lord, he's just like my little brother. My heart ached, but I pushed it away, shoving it into the depths of my mind. "Now it's my turn!"
"Eh?" He came closer, closing him eyes to focus on the smell.
"Hmm, smells like… fruit, animals, and spices?" He looked at me for confirmation.
"Right on." I praised, tousling his gravity defying spiky hair. "Sounds about right. My friend smells like spices, and I'm always around him, so that's why I smell like him."
"Who's your friend?" He looked around, them gestured to Kurapika. "Him? He doesn't smell like spices." Kurapika's eyes flicked over to us, then he went back into his own little world.
"No, not him. I just met Mr. Bookworm over there, although I'm pretty sure we're friends now." I waved my hands back and forth. "My best friend, Red, is meeting me at the exam site." Gon looked perplexed.
"But if you're always together, why are you coming separately?" I twitched. This kid is more perceptive than I thought.
"It's a long story." I answered vaguely, not really answering his question.
"Oh." He looked a bit disappointed that I wasn't telling him everything, but gave me a charming grin. "Do you want to help me help the other passengers?"
XXX
The captain walked down the hallway, avoiding the fallen Exam applicants and any vomit that might've been in his way.
"Damn, this is one lousy crew." He scoffed, hands in his pocket. He opened the room where the applicants were supposed to wait, only to find a load of groaning men lying in dog piles around the room. "Not a one of them can stand. Pathetic." He spat. "And they're supposed to be taking the Hunter Examination." He rubbed his forehead. "What a laugh!"
"Here are some herbs." A young boy's voice rang out through the pitiful whines of the grown men. Gon sat next to a man who was leaning on a pillar, an older looking teen behind him. He handed the man the herbs gently, placing them in his hands. "If you chew them, you'll feel a bit better."
"W-Water…" The man choked out, saliva dripping down his jaw.
"It'll be here in a minute." The person behind Gon assured softly, kneeling down to help him with the herbs. "It's coming, so hang on."
"That boy…" The captain murmured, eyeing the hooded teen as well. The hammock to their left creaked quietly, prompting the captain to take a look.
In the hammock was a blond haired boy, legs crossed and reading a book. The captain hummed in interest, but looked in another direction when someone screeched.
"Uhyuu!" The man in a suit made a funny face, sitting in front of his briefcase. "This is one sour apple." He sized it up with a wary glance. I see, the captain smirked, chewing on his pipe. There are a few tough nuts on board. Behind him, the sound of footsteps coming closer could be heard and Katsuo burst through the doorway.
"Excuse me, pardon me!" He yelped, rushing past the captain and knocking him off balance, carrying a cup of water. Gon and Raze looked up expectantly at him. "H-Here is your water!" He cried, carefully handing it to Gon, who in turn handed it to Raze.
"Arigato!" Gon turned to the sick man, and Raze lifted the cup to his mouth, slowly tipping in the water. "Now, drink your fill."
"It's not good to drink water quickly when you're sick, so take it easy, okay?" The man kept drinking from her hand, taking it from her when he was strong enough. The captain made an approving noise at Katsuo and the group. Kurapika looked up from his book and watched them silently, along with the man who was wearing the suit.
"Thanks, we really appreciate it, Katsuo-san!" Gon handed the cup back to the scrawny sailor, who smiled back. Raze nodded.
"Really, you were a big help!" Her smile was visible underneath the shadows of the hood, and it was contagious, as was Gon's.
XXX
The storm had calmed a bit, not rocking the ship as violently as before but still bashing the wooden walls. The captain had gathered those of us who were still standing, and obviously, not sick. Beside me were Gon, Kurapika, and a little to my left was the old man from before. Actually, his body doesn't look like someone that old. I scrutinized him, making him nervous. He's probably still a teenager. Katsuo, the person from before, was writing things down on a clip board, while the rest of the crew busied themselves with other duties. The captain was the one to break the silence.
"So, what're your names?" Gon raised his hand excitedly, like a little kid in the classroom.
"I'm Gon!" Kurapika replied as well, although much less enthusiastically.
"I'm Kurapika." The black haired man wearing sunglasses scowled.
"It's Leorio." I waved at the captain, having already introduced myself to him when I originally boarded the ship.
"You've already met me, but I'm Raze." He gave me an approving nod, chewing on his pipe.
"Why do you want to become Hunters?" He asked calmly. Leorio aggressively waved his arm at the captain, taking a step forward.
"Hey!" He shouted. "If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!" I snorted, getting a glare from him. "What's so funny, kid?" The white haired man rolled his eyes.
"Just answer the question." The youngest in our group faced the elder.
"My dad is a Hunter," Gon complied, but what he said seemed to startle the captain. Interesting… I thought he was a bit different. "I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a hunter so much." He clenched a fist in front of him with determination. I tousled his hair again, which he seemed to find funny.
"Hey, kid!" Leorio snapped.
"Eh?"
"You're not supposed to answer his question." He leaned down, towering over the youth and the rest of us as well.
"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?"
"Not a team player, huh?" He said condescendingly, making me want to whack him for being so rude to poor, sweet Gon. Leorio placed a finger on the doe eyed boy's forehead, pushing him back. "I don't wish to reveal why I'm here."
"I agree with Leorio." Kurapika commented from beside me.
"What?" The suit wearing man growled. "Aren't you younger than me?" He waved a finger in Kurapika's - no, my face since I was the same height, and standing right next to him. I swatted his hand away, annoyed. "Show some respect!"
"Show some first, because someone's age should have nothing to do with it." I retorted, getting irritated at his antics. "Being rude to someone because they're younger is no excuse." Leorio stammered, flustered.
"Yeah, well-" Kurapika ignored our little spat and continued.
"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie." I nodded in agreement.
"And as long as you're not a bad liar, they would never know."
"Oi, are you listening to me?!" Leorio raged, stomping his foot on the ground.
"Obviously not." I quipped, obviously enjoying his frustration.
"However, it is quite shameful to rely on deceit." Kurapika's brows furrowed. "That said, if I were to tell you the truth," He gripped his tabard, hand over his heart. "I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer." He explained, dropping his hand.
"Hey, you… Don't ignore me!" Leorio stepped closer angrily. I rolled my eyes and raised a hand.
"As for me, I'd like to be able to get away with certain… Things… And travel around the world with my friend." I smiled impishly, not giving him a full answer. Well, it's not a lie; but, it's not the full truth either. The captain looked satisfied.
"In other words, you two refuse to answer my question." He surmised, turning to his employee. "Oi, Katsuo."
"Y-Yes?" He stood up straight as I wrapped my arms around Gon. He looked up at me with his big brown eyes and smiled cutely at me.
"Tell the Examination board that we have two more dropouts." Kurapika and Leorio stopped arguing, and returned to the conversation.
"What do you mean?" Leorio asked.
"Haven't you figured it out?" I grinned and chorused along with the captain.
"The Hunter Exam has already begun."
"What?" The boys exclaimed, Kurapika turning to me. "Raze, did you already…?" I winked at him.
"Think about it," I told him, placing my head on Gon's. "There are millions of applicants, and even if they weren't that tough, a hacker could easily find out where the place is or pay bribe someone for information." I spread my hands in a shrugging gesture. "So, what do they do? Place little tests and traps along the way to weed out the weak willed ones." The captain put his hands in his pocket, not fazed when the ship started to rock again.
"Correct. As the boy said, there are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky. The Hunter examination board doesn't have the time of the resources to review them all." He informed us. "So, they hire people like us, to trim the fat." He motioned towards his crew. "I've already notified the board that everyone else on the ship had to withdraw." I whistled.
"That's a lot of people."
"If they couldn't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Exam's later stages." I bet he's a hunter too. "In other words, you only proceed to the Exam if I pass you. Think carefully before you answer my question." There was a short silence before the youngest spoke.
"So he says." Gon's so cute. I squeezed him.
"Should've said so sooner…" Leorio huffed, and Kurapika closed his eyes. I let go of Gon and whispered to him.
"You okay?" He gave me a small smile, then spoke.
"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan." He said softly. "Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a Hunter and track down that band, the Phantom Troupe."
"So you want to become a bounty Hunter? The Phantom Troupe is an class-A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them." He looked at Kurapika very seriously. "You'd be throwing away your life."
"I do not fear death." He stated, eyes closed. "I only fear that my rage will fade over time." I sucked in a gasp when his eyes glowed red, but quickly faded back to silver. I snuck a peek at Gon, who looked like he saw it too.
"In other words, you want revenge," Leorio concluded smugly. "Does that require you become a Hunter?" He questioned arrogantly.
"That's a stupid question." I deadpanned.
"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio." I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. A vein burst on the older male's forehead.
"That's Leorio-san to you!" He screeched, raising a fist at the younger boy who completely ignored him.
"Places accessible only to Hunters…"
"Urk."
"Actions otherwise impossible…" Kurapika sighed mockingly. "There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle." Steam came out of Leorio's nose, and he stomped his foot on the floor hard again.
"HEY!" I giggled, pushing up my glasses, not wanting to stop the fight because it looked like it would be fun. Sadly for me, Gon got in between them and delayed the inevitable.
"Nee!" He waved at the rude man. "Why do you want to be a Hunter, Leorio-san?" This appeared to mollify him a bit, being referred to with an honorific. I brushed the back of my hand against my new friend's hand wanting to give him a little bit of comfort. He nudged me back gently with his hand, in a way, telling me he was fine. Man, only a few hours with this guy and we're like best buddies. I thought, amused. I know his darkest secret, he… doesn't know mine, but he put up with my crap, so it's all cool.
"Me?" Leorio pushed up his tiny sunglasses. "I'll make it short. I want money." He lifted himself excitedly, now yelling to the sky. "Money can buy you anything! A big house! A nice car!" He mimed holding a steering wheel. "Good liquor! Kahhh!"
"You can't buy class with money, Leorio." Kurapika interjected over my shoulder to the man.
"That's three times now." I raised my eyebrows. Ohh, scary, he got quiet, I thought sarcastically. "Step outside," He ordered, walking to the stairwell. "I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline right here and now."
"Take that back, Leorio!"
"That was completely uncalled for!" The black haired man paused at the doorway, Kurapika's face contorted into anger.
"Take that back." He repeated, growling. Leorio didn't face him, and somehow, I could sense that he almost regretted that comment.
"…That's Leorio-san to you." He walked out the door, Kurapika following close behind him. I sighed, running a hand through my short hair, almost knocking off my hood.
"Hey, boys! I'm not finished with you yet!" The captain bellowed, but Gon interrupted.
"Just let them go. Mito-san once told me…" He trailed off, obviously drifting into a memory only he could see. "It's important for them to understand why they're mad. So we should let them settle it themselves." He reasoned.
"As long as they don't kill each other or fall off the boat." I muttered. "You know, you're pretty smart for a kid, Gon." He grinned at the praise and turned back to the hallway, listening to their footsteps. I could hear the steady thumps of shoes against wood, and…
"Captain!" One of the sailors called. "L-Look!" He pointed outside the window. My eyes widened.
"Oh boy, that's not good." I breathed, calculating the size and power of it in my head vs the size of the ship. The sea was swirling around, the water pitch black. In front of us was a giant waterspout, spinning at a tremendous speed, heading upwards into the sky. Lightning lit up the sea for a moment, highlighting the already deadly winds and churning waves.
"If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink!" Katsuo cried, hugging his clipboard tight to his body.
"…Lower the sails, now."
"Aye!" Gon turned to the scared looking sailor.
"I'll help too!"
"Me as well!" I added, stepping forward. "Just tell me what to do!"
"Yeah, come with me!" He smiled, slightly relieved that we were coming with him. We sprinted down the hallway, and the last thing I heard was the Captain saying,
"I'll take the helm."
XXX
"Hurry!"
"The waterspout is gonna catch us!"
I could hear the crew shouting various orders at each other, dashing across the ship for this and that. I was in a line of other people, manning a rope, attempting to pull down the sails. Gon was on the one next to me, pulling as hard as he could. I grunted, feeling the rope burn on my hands. That's gonna hurt like hell tomorrow. A sudden gust of wind threw us off balance for a moment, making a few of them lose their grip. Damn, what the hell are they doing? I cursed, seeing Kurapika and Leorio have a stand off in the corner of my eye. A wave crashed over the back of the deck, and a couple sailors nearly fell off board.
"GODDAMN IT, KURAPIKA!" I screamed, taking my frustration out on the rope. "DEAL WITH YOUR STUPID FRAGILE MAN EGOS LATER, WHEN WE AREN'T ABOUT TO FLIPPING DIE!" I heard some nervous laughter to my right, where Gon was.
"Maa, maa. Just calm down, Raze-san, you can argue with them later!" My eye twitched. Like hell.
"Calm down?! Calm down?! DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, I'LL THROW A FREAKING ANCOR AT YOUR FACE!" I shrieked, my nerves getting frayed from the tension of the situation. Did I mention I was absolutely terrified of falling in the ocean? "YOU GODDAMNED FREAKING TYPHOON, GO SPORK YOURSELF!" Yeeeep. I'm definitely calm. I'm so calm, look at me calming all over the place.
XXX
"YOU GODDAMNED TYPHOON, GO SPORK YOURSELF!" Despite the seriousness of the situation, both men couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Of all the people I could've made acquaintances with, it had to be the insane one. Kurapika thought, almost entertained at the notion, if not for the circumstances.
A huge wave crashed through the deck, but Kurapika didn't allow it to phase him.
"Take back what you said." He demanded, hair whipping around in the wind. "Take back your words and I'll forgive you, Leorio." The older male 'tch'ed.
"How many times must I repeat myself?" Leorio asked, raising his head cockily. "You should show me some respect. I won't back down." He warned, whipping out a knife, which, Kurapika noted, would be entirely ineffective against his weapons.
"Then I have no choice…" He muttered, pulling out his twin wooden swords form underneath his clothing. He held the weapons out in his hand, just as the wind blasted past again.
XXX
"Ugh!" I heard Gon grunt, trying to fight against the overwhelming force of the wind. It didn't work. His rope was sent flying into the air, but they all quickly let go of the rope so that they wouldn't be flung into the sea, which would shred them to pieces… Except for Katsuo.
Katsuo soared through the air, being the only one who didn't let go with the others. I followed his path with my eyes, feeling panic rise up into my throat.
"Katsuo-san!" I shouted along with Gon, but I didn't stop to think about it. I sprinted dashed for the other side of the deck, hoping to make it. Come on, please, let me get there! I pleaded.
He flew right past Kurapika and Leorio, who realized it a second too late. They jumped over the edge, one hand on the railing, but missed his hand by an inch.
"Damn it!" Kurapika cursed, but looked up at the sound of feet thudding quickly towards them. Gon leaped over the edge of the boat first, with me right by his heels. Idiot!
He latched onto Katsuo's arms, while I grabbed the boy's legs, hoping to the gods that the two boys were fast enough to catch us both and that lightning wouldn't strike. Luckily for the three of us, they were. They snatched my ankles, and managed to hold us up, out of the sea. Katsuo coughed when Gon pulled him out of the water, now unconscious.
"Pull 'em out! Now…" Leorio ordered as the rest of the crew came rushing over. I looked down at Gon and grinned. Idiot, I groaned inwardly. But, he's my kind of idiot.
XXX
Soon after that, the storm ended.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Leorio screeched, scaring the seagulls. I wonder where they went while the storm was going on. Mainland? Or did they just fly around, dodging all the bad stuff? I'll have to ask one. I decided, not paying attention to the conversation whatsoever. The sky is very pretty too. "AND YOU!" I looked over casually, stretching.
"Hmm?" I yawned. "What?"
"He's not even paying attention!" He exploded, looking furious. I'm a gir- eh, whatever, doesn't really matter. I can be a guy.
"Woah, dude," I waved a hand at him, overly relaxed now that the threat was gone. "Take a chill pill." Kurapika sent me a disapproving stare.
"You could've been killed." He scolded, waving a finger at me. "Even if you did catch him, what would you have done if we weren't there?" I blinked.
"Uh, drown? Possibly climb back onto the ship, maybe toss those two back on the ship and then drown?" I answered thoughtfully, rubbing a hand against my chin. The blond sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"If we didn't grab your legs, you'd be shark bait now."
"Honestly," Kurapika looked away, shaking his head. "How reckless can you be?"
"Actually, sharks are very nice, and the only time they attack people is if they're in a frenzy or if they're scared." I countered. "Or if you look like a seal." I paused, musing to myself. "A lot of people look like seals underwater…" Leorio stared at me like I was insane.
"He's nuts."
"No, I'm Raze. Didn't you hear my introduction earlier?"
"But, you did catch us." Gon pointed out, looking them in the eyes.
"Huh?" Gon grinned at his two new friends.
"You both caught us!" The two males looked baffled, and at a loss for words.
"W-Well, I guess so…" Kurapika looked at me, and I gave him a charming grin.
"Gon!" Katsuo called, running up from below deck. Gon stood up from his spot on the floor.
"Katsuo-san!"
"Thank you, Gon!" He smiled gratefully at the boy, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You saved my life."
"I couldn't have done it alone." Gon deflected, facing the rest of us. "These three helped save you too." I batted an eyelid. Ara?
"Huh?" The sailor turned to us and bowed deeply, surprising us all.
"Thank you very much!" Kurapika looked up at the sky, not at the teen.
"No, you don't need to thank me…" Leorio grinned at the redhead, waving his hand in a shooing gesture.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay." He laughed, looking a touch embarrassed.
"Anytime~!" I chirped, giving him a thumbs up. I was just glad I didn't lose my glasses. Katsuo nodded thankfully at us, Leorio blushing a bit.
"Yeah! I'll be returning to my station!" Kurapika watched the older male thoughtfully, earning a nervous 'what?' from Leorio.
"I apologize for my rude behaviour." He give him a genuine smile, looking apologetic. "Sorry, Leorio-san."
"W-What's with the sudden change?" He stammered, leaning back. "We sound like strangers… Just call me Leorio… Leorio works." He looked away. "I'm also sorry. I take back everything I said. I was wrong."
"No, it's okay." I giggled and cooed at them.
"Awwww~" I tousled Gon's hair, which was probably going to become a habit. "You guys are cute."
"AHAHAHAHA!" Someone boomed from the doorway. I whipped around, covering my ears. Ow. He's loooouud. "I like you guys!" The captain declared, taking a swig of his alcohol. "Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you four to the port closest to the exam site." He proclaimed, moving to the stairs.
"Really? What about your test?"
"Like I said…It's my decision to make." He reminded us. "And all four of you pass!" The smile on my face grew and I almost thought it might split my face in half. I turned to Gon, and we shared the same smile.
"Yatta!" We high fived, and I held my hand up to Kurapika with an expectant expression. He sighed, and gently placed his hand against mine. "Oh, c'mon, that was sad! Give me a real high five!" He rolled his eyes and slapped his hand against mine.
And so began our journey. It was quite a long one, and I can't say it wasn't hard… we did have our moments, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world.
XXX