Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter X Hunter or any media used to further this story. All rights belong to Yoshihiro Togashi and all manufacturers responsible. As a result, any/all scenes, changes in story plot and dialogue that are not in the anime belongs to me.
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"Aki-chan."
Fighting the urge to suddenly throw myself off the edge of the hotel rooftop, I ask, "What's your business here?"
"You, sister." he flatly responds, "Father wants to discuss important matters with you."
"Of course he does."
There was a fraction of a second where his Nen flickered, before he left me to my privacy. Good, because my target just emerged from the ground entrance and I wouldn't want to be tardy. I surrender myself to gravity and landed silently behind him and my hands adjusted to remove his heart, as required by my client. The cleaning and follow up that came afterwards, I just left to my autopilot, and soon I was on my way back.
How boring.
My father's room has never been one of my favorite places to be in. It was one of the many areas in the estate that is devoid of life to an extent that was pathetic, with pitch black walls, imposing candles everywhere and one couch. Rembrandt is quaking in his grave, I just know it.
"Father." I nod, dark brown eyes landing on the man on the exquisite couch.
"Akira, there's a bloodstain on your left ear." he lowly states, piercing gaze never leaving my face, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're losing your touch."
What I am is tired, for one thing. "Why am I here?"
He breathes out, "Silva Zoldyck and I have come to a consensus that our children are in need of another assassin's company. With such a faulty performance, I'm confident that you'll learn a thing or two from Illumi." the expression on his face becomes even more stern, "Now, I trust in your ability to recognize your standpoint, so there will be consequences if any undesirable news about you and him reach me. Am I understood?"
"Yes," I begin, "but what I'm struggling to understand is why are you arranging a partnership between assassins when it's an absolute rule that we avoid attachments? Isn't that, oh I don't know... hypocritical?"
Father narrows his eyes at me, "As always, you are unaware of the gravity of the situation. If you spent more of your time perfecting your abilities instead of wasting it on menial tasks, none of this would be happening and you'd have already been married by now."
An incredulous expression clings to my face, "Pardon?"
He looks away, brows furrowed in evident disappointment, "I know you're far from being a skilled fighter, but I thought you'd expect this to happen sometime."
I scoff, ignoring the not-so-subtle insult, "Not this soon! I know you want to get me out of the house, but I have a right to know about this!"
"You forfeit it!" He boomed at me, "You forfeit what 'rights' you have, and you take the opportunity every time. I want to secure your future, Akira."
There was a bit of vibrancy in my peripheral vision, enough that I was only vaguely aware of it; my hair is slightly on fire, "Dad, can you even differentiate the family's future to my own? If I were you, I'd rather not sugarcoat the facts..." I step back, placing a hand on the doorknob. "Not to the face of the person you've manipulated for twenty-two years so far."
As I left the room, a small part of me imagined the various ways he could end me. My only leverage is his obstinacy regarding my legatee status. Pitiful, that no matter how much I complain and whine about it, at the end of the day I'm still the most loyal dog inthe pack.
In my own room, right when my door aligned with the frame, objects randomly threw themselves around. None hit my body as I walk towards my bed and take a seat.
Frankly, I couldn't care less about hunters, the exam, or the Zoldyck boy. Perhaps my parents felt the need to exercise their power and forced me to face all three. How sweet of them, giving me more reasons to commit parricide.
One characteristic I admire about my powers is the range of my Ten; I sensed footsteps rushing to my general direction. Looking at the overthrown dresser by my feet, I raise both hands to guide everything back to their place. By the time they arrived and opened my door, I was sitting up against my bedframe, halfway through some storybook.
"Akira?" my sister gently calls. I only respond with a hum.
"Akira, was that you?" it was vexing that they know having Amira talk to me alleviates my temper, but even more disturbing that she seems open to the prospect. I look up at her, and see the rest of our family huddled around her head at the door.
My eyebrows furrow, "What?"
"There was Nen, don't lie to us." Evo voices. He's always been the more analytical between him and his twin Ivan, which doesn't pose much favor for my lies.
I give him an unimpressed look, "If I felt Nen in my own room, I would know. And I didn't feel anything."
Ivan scoffs in disbelief, making me roll my eyes. Amira snatched them by the collars before slamming my door shut. Finally some peace.
I close the tome and place it beside me. My eyes, as I see reflected off of a nearby mirror, finished removing every hint of crimson in them, instantaneously with every deep breath I took. After a while, it returned to its dark brown color, and afterwards, I bury myself under my pillows.
I'm far too familiar with emotions being closely affiliated to Nen. Most of my life, I've spent using what I felt as the bridge towards my powers, and that was apparently enough to affect who I was to my family and who I was to the world. It wasn't difficult to persuade myself to go with the flow and eventually learn to love what's in front of me.
How was I supposed to know I could say the same thing about Illumi?
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So... hi.
Hope everyone's doing well and thank you for deciding to read by. This is an Illumi Zoldyck fanfiction that I've made out of a request of a friend, so opinions are welcome.
Please vote and comment if you liked it, because there's more stuff to come. Thanks!