"We're literally getting nowhere."
Groaning as you sat at a patio table with Kurapika and Hawks, you resisted the urge to bang your head on the table. The three of you had spent the whole morning combing through Musutafu to no avail. No portal or any familiar people in sight.
Kurapika looked equally as disgruntled, his voice tinged with annoyance. "We can only cover so much ground - even if it's a part of a larger city, Musutafu itself is pretty big."
You nodded in agreement, pursing your lips in thought.
"If I wasn't with you guys, I could scope out the city easier from above." Hawks said this in between bites of fried chicken, not seeming as put out as you and Kurapika. At least somebody here was happier.
Although, his words did give you an idea....
Slowly sitting up straight, you glanced back and forth at Kurapika and Hawks. "We should split up."
That got their attention. Hawks immediately started to choke on his food, and Kurapika merely looked thoughtful, expression otherwise unreadable. Knowing Hawks would protest, you swiftly continued, not wanting to let up. "We should. We're not getting anywhere acting as an off-brand Mystery Gang, and we can cover much more ground if we split up. If any of us get into trouble or find something, we can send out a text right away."
For once, Kurapika was in agreement with you. Hawks, on the other hand, wasn't quite on board yet. "You're a magnet for trouble, kid. If you get caught, Eraser'll have my head."
You couldn't help but snort. "Then I won't get caught," you promised, leaning forward with a newfound vigor. "I swear if I see a villain, I won't engage. Okay? And if I'm in trouble and can't get to my phone, I'll send out a big burst of nen so Kurapika will notice." You weren't sure if that was actually possible; hopefully, you wouldn't have to find out.
Hawks was still iffy, but finally nodded in reluctance. If it was any other hero, this might not have worked, but Hawks seemed more willing to take the risk, and you nodded at Kurapika, standing up. Kurapika's lips thinned.
"[Y/n]," he called out before you could leave. "Don't do anything risky. Above all, stay cautious, okay?"
"Mhm." Your expression grim, you nodded once before going to leave. "I'll let you all know if I find something, okay?"
With that said, you were off on your own sleuthing trip.
And.... Nada. You had checked every single alley in Musutafu, it feels like, to no avail. You figured if there was any good place for a dark, swirly portal to another world, it'd be in either an alley or an abandoned building. Unfortunately, you were in a large city, meaning there was a plethora of both. This was like searching for a needle in a haystack, frustration taking a hold of you. This was useless. You were getting nowhere.
Seeing as there was nothing else here, you had turned to exit the alley you were in, only for your body to collide with another. The both of you stumbled backwards, neither of you falling down. For a moment, you were tense, expecting the worst, but...
In front of you wasn't Hisoka, or Chrollo, or Shigaraki. Instead, it was a cute girl around your age in a school uniform, her blonde hair twisted into two buns atop of her head. For a moment, the two of you stared at each other, but before either one of you could react or say something, another person entered the alley. Right away you could tell he was some sleaze - despite it being just after noon, he reeked of alcohol and had a leer on his face that made you want to punch it off. Seeing both you and the teen, his eyes lit up.
"Oh, there's two of ya! Muss be my lucky day."
"You have got to be kidding me."
No sooner had those words left your mouth did the man brandish a serrated blade, before bringing it up to his mouth and dragging his tongue along the edge. Where the tongue touched the blade, his saliva turned purple, and you couldn't stop yourself from cringing. Seriously, was your luck really this terrible? You had been looking for clues, not some street-level thug looking for a thrill!
You and the girl exchanged glances. Unlike you, she was grinning, excitement clearly in her golden eyes, and you had a pretty strong feeling she was about to dive headfirst into what was seeming to be an unavoidable fight. Scanning the alley, you were bummed to see there weren't any plants at all - which, you guess, was to be expected. You did see a particularly large rock by your feet, though, and without any further thought you picked up the rock and channeled some nen into your arm before flinging it forward.
Your aim was spot on. The drunkard had no time to dodge as it collided with his forehead, knocking him out and sending him flying out of the alley and into the street.
Perhaps you put a bit too much strength into that throw.
Grimacing as the incident began to gather attention, you could see, even from here, he was bleeding from the head - oh shit, did you just kill another person? You had promised Hawks and Kurapika that you wouldn't get into any trouble!
--And now people were starting to peer down the alley.
Not giving your new murder accomplice any time to think, you grabbed her hand and started to bolt deeper into the alley. You had gotten to this one through a system of connected alleys, meaning there was another exit.
"Oh, you're forward!"
The girl you were dragging along behind you giggled, but didn't seem to resist, instead squeezing your hand just as tightly. You gave her a hasty apology, too focused on getting out of there.
Ten minutes later, the two of you had wound up in a café by the train station. The teen across from you was bouncing happily in her seat, eating a parfait, while you were more slumped and poking your spoon around in the parfait glass in front of you. You spoke up first.
"I am pretty sure I just killed a man, and I am so sorry." Was that even a proper apology? Should you be more shocked, or were you desensitized to this kind of stuff?
Apparently it was a good enough apology as the blonde shrugged and gave you a toothy smile, flashing fangs at you. "It's okay! There was even blood!"
Okay, she may be cute, but she was definitely a psychopath in her own right. Resisting the urge to plant your face dramatically into the table, you groaned. "I'm going to be in so much trouble. Like, you cannot begin to imagine what will happen if Ai- my dad finds out about this. I can't even say that I did the world a favor by getting rid of trash like that!" No, in this world, law was law - even if somebody deserved death, you would still get in a lot of trouble.
Startled by your outburst, the teen paused for a moment, regarding you with crinkled, cat-like eyes before she burst into another fit of giggles. "You're so cute! You're more worried about getting in trouble than the thought of hurting somebody!"
Where did you even begin to form a response to that? Is this how Kurapika felt when dealing with you?
"I'm Toga, but you can call me Himiko, because we're friends now, right?"
Finally, you took a bite of your own parfait. "I... guess? I'm--"
"[Y/n]-chan! You were in the Sports Festival!"
Ah, great, she knew who you were. "Yeah, that's right... Um, Himi, can you not tell anybody about this? Pretty please?"
Himiko, as it was turning out, seemed to be just a very bubbly and giggly person in general as she bobbed her head up and down. "Mm-hm! On one condition!"
You relaxed, not too concerned with her one condition. She had agreed so readily, and didn't seem put off by what had just happened.
Asking what it was, Himiko was quick with her answer, and the moment the words fell from her lips, you could feel a fire erupt across your face, the spoon in your hand clattering to the table noisily.
"You want - what?!"
A date. Himiko had requested a date and to spend the rest of the day with her. You were used to being the forward one, never the other way around, and her brazen words had struck you off-guard for a moment before you agreed. After you had agreed to a date with her, the two of you had left the café. Kurapika and Hawks would kill you for slacking off, but you'd take their anger over the police questioning you for assault-slash-possible-murder.
First up, it was decided for you two to see a movie. Himiko had told you to head on in and that she would pay for tickets and popcorn, and so believing her, you went inside, waiting for her to appear. She had bought tickets to the goriest looking film being shown, See III, and you couldn't deny you were pretty excited. Sure, these types of films were clearly fake and a bit campy, but it beat some lame romance that tried to make everybody cry (although, you had to admit that The Journal had definitely made you tear up a bit).
Throughout the whole movie, you and Himiko had cheered while sharing a popcorn, neither of you phased even when one of the victims was disemboweled from a torn rib cage. The movie had come to an end far too quickly, with both you and Himiko gushing about the movie the two of you just saw.
"Did you see all of that blood go sploosh when that doctor's head was blown off?!"
A dark red blush was painted across Himiko's face, and you grinned, throwing out the popcorn container. "That trap was seriously wicked! But let me tell you, that one trap that he called 'The Rack'.... That was so brutal! If I hadn't seen worse in real life, even I would have been queasy!"
Himiko paused, tilting her head towards you in curiosity. "You've seen worse?"
Faltering in your steps as the two of you left the theater, you wondered how to answer it. Truthfully, the answer was 'yes'. Genthru's hatsu literally made people blow up from the inside, and having seen it first hand, you weren't sure anything would ever top it. You couldn't just straight up tell this girl though that you had seen others get blown up or that your younger friend had once ripped out a serial killer's heart with his bare hands.
Instead, you swiftly and smoothly changed the subject with a shrug. "So what now? I've still got a few hours until I have to be back home."
You did great in distracting Himiko as she bounced on her heels. "Hm... Oh, I know! There's a knife throwing range around here, do you want to go?"
Knife throwing... That was certainly unorthodox for a date, but it sounded fun, and so you quickly agreed, the two of you heading to the place. It wasn't just knife throwing, it turned out - you could also throw hatchets and darts, but Himiko had insisted on knives and so you had agreed, the two of you being led to a private little range.
Soon, you found out why. Himiko was a complete bad ass, never missing the targets on the other side of the range. Somehow, she managed to look adorable all while throwing knives with laser-sharp precision. Even you, who generally had great aim, were nowhere near Himiko's level, just barely missing the center of the targets each time.
"Okay, how do you do that?! You haven't missed once!"
To say you were exasperated was an understatement as you whined, and Himiko tittered, a hand flying up to her mouth. "It's your stance, [N/n]-chan!"
"My stance . . . ?"
Coming up from behind, Himiko shifted your body slightly, your back pressed up against her as she moved your arms back a bit. "And then just loosen your shoulders up just a bit...!"
The position was a bit more intimate than you would have expected, but you felt completely comfortable as Himiko helped you out, even showing you how to properly hold the knife. After a moment, she pulled back, the smile never leaving her face. "Now, just throw!"
You did as she said, taking a deep breath before flinging the knife forward - only to get a perfect bull's eye. Eyes widening in delight, you began to jump up and down, ecstatic that Himiko's advice had actually worked.
"Oh my god, did you see that?! Right in the center, that was so cool!" You jumped up and down, and Himiko joined in your excitement.
"You're so cool!" Himiko gushed, the blush erupting across her face again. "I want to be just like you!"
Those words were flattering, and you grabbed Himiko's hands, pulling her inwards. "Thank you," you said earnestly, "but I think you're best when you're just yourself! You're pretty and bad ass and really friendly!" You weren't sure why she wouldn't want to be herself, but you weren't having it - from the past few hours you've spent with Himiko, she was a really sweet, albeit quirky teen. Yeah, she seemed to be a bit of a hemophiliac with a penchant for bloodshed, but everybody had their flaws! At least she wasn't a total creep about it like Hisoka, or going around and blowing people up like Genthru.
Himiko's eyes seemed to sparkle at your words. "We're best friends now, right, [N/n]-chan?"
You snorted, unable to stop the smile from spreading across your face. "I would hope so," you joked. "After all, we did commit possible murder together."
Before you could finally withdraw your hands from Himiko's, the other teen clamped down harder, squeezing your hands tightly. "You're really pretty." The blatant delivery of her words had you a blushing mess, but she paid it no mind, her pupils blown wide. "I bet you'd be dazzling covered in blood!"
Wait - what?
What?
The strange words were enough to cause you to nearly reel back in dismay, blinking in confusion. "I . . . huh?"
"[N/n]-chan . . . Can I have some of your blood?"
You swiftly yanked your hands away from Himiko, the blonde pouting immediately. For a moment, you were silently stunned, trying to process what just happened. ". . . Are you a vampire?"
Himiko started to giggle again, and this time you focused more on her little fangs. Was a vampire quirk really a thing? You shouldn't be surprised, but you honestly were.
"No, silly!"
Oh. You had no clue why she wanted your blood then, and you thought over it a bit.
"Um... Is next time okay, then?"
Your friend was clearly put out, but after a moment she perked up and nodded. "This means we'll see each other again!"
Matching her grin, you mirrored her nod. "Um, duh, of course! We're friends now, and I had a lot of fun today! I'm kind of sad I have to head back soon..."
The two of you leaving the throwing range, Himiko hooked her arm into yours, the two of you cheerily heading out. Kurapika and Hawks had wanted to meet back up at the café you all had lunch at, so that's where you had started to head.
"Oh! Before we leave, can we exchange cell numbers?"
Himiko stopped, pursing her lips in thought. "Hm... I don't have a cell phone, but we'll see each other again. Promise!"
She was so confident that you couldn't help but believe her, and you stepped back, nodding once. "It's a promise, then! I had a lot of fun today, Himi, so we have to - holy shit."
Eyes trailing behind her, a man in ridiculous attire could be spotted, easily six feet tall without those ridiculous heels. Hisoka. The moment you spotted him, you tugged Himiko into the closest alley, pressing the both of you into the wall. Did he see you? Sense you? You weren't sure, but you didn't want to drag Himiko into this mess.
Eyes snapping back to meet Himiko's confused visage, you did the only thing you could think of.
"Himiko, please kiss me."
Your request had immediately caught the teen off guard for a moment as her eyes widened, before they crinkled back in joy. While most strangers would be very concerned at such a sudden request, Himiko was quick to roll with the punches, agreeing to your outlandish proposal.
The two of you leaned forward, just as the familiar click clack of heels neared the entrance. You had seen in a movie once where people were uncomfortable with PDA and tended to look away from it on instinct. You weren't sure if it would work, but it was worth a shot as your lips met with each other.
And honestly... Even if it didn't work, kissing Himiko was definitely worth it. The two of you were eager, and you felt one of her fangs bite into your lower lip fiercely. You were pretty sure you were bleeding as Himiko's tongue swiped across your lower lip, but didn't care as your own mouth parted open for her. What was meant to be a simple kiss got heated quickly, and you hadn't realized you had been pressed into the wall, Himiko pressed into your body with your fingers in her hair.
Pulling away, you caught the excited glimmer in her eyes before her lips trailed downwards along your jawline, pulling down your shirt collar and finally stopping on your collarbone to bite down, causing you to give a sharp gasp. The blonde didn't pull away, instead suckling on your collarbone, your eyes fluttering closed.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
Feeling your phone vibrate in the back of your pocket ruined the mood, and Himiko pouted as you gently pushed her away. There was a bit of blood smeared on her lips that she had quickly licked up, and you pulled out your phone to see that Kurapika was calling you. Mouthing a quick 'sorry' to Himiko, you picked up the phone.
"Hell--"
"I'm sending you a location, you need to go there right now."
Before you could even agree, Kurapika had hung up. Talk about abrupt - his voice had been urgent. Did they find something? Sighing, you looked back at Himiko, clearly down that your date was officially over.
That kiss, nearly turned into a make-out session, had been a lot more enjoyable than you had expected as your hand fluttered to your chest. "That was amazing," you said breathlessly.
Himiko hummed in ascent. "Your blood... It's so tasty, [N/n]-chan!"
You put your hand on the side of the neck, feeling a sticky wetness from the bloody hickey Himiko had given you. You snorted. "You're truly one of a kind, Himi-chan." Shaking your head in dismay, you wiped at it so it didn't stand out. Thankfully, it was in a place where your shirt collar could easily hide it. Giving her one more kiss on the cheek and sauntering past her, you gave a little wave.
"I'll see you around, Himi! It's a promise!"
She gave you a cheery wave back, both of you exiting the alley and going your separate ways. Thankfully, there were no clown sightings, and you turned around to start heading to the pinned location Kurapika had sent.
"Hello, [Y/n]~."
"God fucking damnit all."