SOUR CANDY | killua z. ✔

5 | run

THE THING about Sen's beauty was that it had an awkward phase. As in right now. Being twelve was a limbo where one could grow into Aphrodite or regress into the desirability of a cockroach. 

When she told her brother this theory, he thought Sen was experiencing female hysteria and sent her to go hunt a bird for dinner as a remedy.

But Sen still thought she had a point. Apparently, she would be beautiful when she was older (all foxes were), but right now she kind of looked like a spider. A spider with gangly arms and legs that were disproportionately long to the rest of her short torso. 

But the unseemly skinniness belied her actual strength; like all the kids back home, she was all muscle and no fat. It came in handy for their way of life. It allowed Sen to do things like climb up to the brittle tops of trees to collect better fruit, or have the advantage when running away from predators.

Or running in general. Exhibit A, this Exam.

Shortly after the applicant group entered the dark passageway, their examiner had introduced themselves as Satotz. The easy walking pace they started out with was short-lived, and soon progressed into running. 

Sen had no idea whether the running was for practical reasons or if it was simply another aspect of the Exam.

"It's my job to lead all of you to the Second Phase of the Exam," Satotz announced somewhere near the front.

"The second?!" Someone called out, aghast. "What happened to the first?"

"The First Phase is already underway," Their examiner said calmly, as if they were not all sprinting at full-speed through Zaban City's sewer system. 

Sen wanted to make a 'rats in a maze' joke, but there was no one to tell it to. Just the sounds of careful breathing from all sides and feet slapping against concrete. 

She wondered where they would end up.

▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

The applicant pool began dropping like flies after a few hours. Having to hop over their downed bodies was annoying. Couldn't they be more considerate and roll out of the way?

"... Yeah, and there's someone else around our age here, too."

Sen made a face as she recognized that white-haired boy's voice further behind her. It was pretty distinct, considering everyone else was dead silent, focusing on keeping their breathing steady.

"Huh, really? Who is it? I wanna say hi!"

Fuck.

A quick glance backward informed Sen that the boy had befriended that kid with the fishing pole. 

"Oh, there! That girl in the ugly sweatshirt. But she's really annoying."

Fuck. That stupid glittery sea creature shirt was going to smear her reputation forever.

Sen's face twisted even more when she heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her. She'd prayed that the Trick Tower phase would come early so she could leave, but instead, she was cursed with overeager boys. That's what her people got for renouncing the gods.

"Hi!" Fishing Pole Kid drew up next to her. "I'm Gon, and that's Killua!"

Speak of the devil, the pale boy came up on Sen's other side, matching her pace but not bothering to acknowledge her.

Should she give them her real name? Would it do any harm at this point?

"... Sen," she said reluctantly.