#I have 45 video clips of his beautiful golden eyes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thethousandyearwitch · 4 years ago

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The Show Must Go On! Chap. 7

- A Youtuber AU you didn’t want and didn’t need -

Hisoka Morrow, italian Makeup Youtuber, enjoys his life in the comfort and occasional drama of his profession. But nothing brings more drama into his life than the eldest son of the Zoldyck fashion magazine empire.

Meanwhile, aspiring australian Twitch Streamer Gon Freecs forms a special bond to a Speedrunner commonly going by "Kil".

Chapter 7 “Montero” out now!

AO3 Link

What could be worse than taking care of a teenage boy who is developing a steady video game addiction?

There was a loud bang coming from the room above the kitchen, followed by laughter and cackling. The boys were in Gons room and tried their hardest to set up the sleeping cod. They refused help, naturally, convinced that they are just as capable, confidence heightened by being in each other’s presence, hyping each other up, and the consumption of their own body weight in burgers.

Another bang. A shriek. More laughter. Mito sighed so deeply that she feared a piece of her soul might have left her.

Taking care of TWO teenage boys who are developing a steady video game addiction.

Her phone vibrated with a new message. Gon had sent her a selfie of himself and Killua on the cot, which seemed to be standing securely. The boys were flexing their arm muscles (or lack thereof) with proud looks on their faces, and the only caption was “#success”. Well, at least they are having fun.

Bellissimo<3: Good morning. I am going to pick you up at 1pm, be dressed by then, and pack your bag for tonight’s show. We are going for a brief detour.

Hisoka stretched out on his bed and squinted at the too-bright phone screen. It was 10 in the morning, though the rooms curtains were drawn shut tightly as a defence against harsh sunlight. A lazy smile spread on his lips.

Hisoka: Are we finally running away together to get married in Las Vegas? I thought you’d never ask~~❤️

Bellisssimo<3: I am trying to reward you for not getting arrested last night.

Bellissimo<3: Do not make me regret this.

Hisoka: I should avoid getting arrested more often ❤️

Bellissimo<3: 1pm Hisoka. See you then.

Hisoka let his phone drop back into pillow-mountain. This was certainly an interesting surprise, and an opportunity that the make up artist wasn’t going to waste. Getting One-on-One time with the Zoldyck was something precious and rare to him. Because Illumi was a rarity himself. In a world of increasingly bland and repetitive personalities, especially in his field of work, Illumi presented a challenge of raw potential. Cold and calculated to the masses, an obedient dog to his family, a revolutionary in his work. Hisoka knew that he must be hiding so much more, and the more walls he encountered with the man, the more he wanted to tear them down with his bare hands. Hisoka hated calling whatever this was a ‘Crush’. Sure, he was affectionate towards the other man, and at this point he couldn’t deny the pleasant twist of his heart whenever they touched. But he didn’t yearn for lazy Sundays in bed together, didn’t want the peaceful domesticity that seemed to be inherited in being a ‘couple’.

What do I want?

Hisoka pulled himself out of bed, and made his way to the shower, determined to abandon this pesky train of thought. There was no point in pondering the unlikely. Though… Illumi had been indulging him. And he was going to indulge him again this day. Maybe he wasn’t the only one getting soft, even if neither would ever admit it. The thought brought another satisfied smirk to his lips as he massaged his favourite shampoo into his scalp.

He wondered how Illumis family would react, hypothetically, if they were to end up a couple. The eldest son of the Zoldycks, not just gay, but in a relationship with a makeup artist who is famous for starting drama whenever possible. They certainly would be a more feared and adored couple than if Illumi were to marry some busty heiress who hooks up with her tennis coach when he’s away.

Silva Zoldyck would drop dead right on the spot if Hisoka would ask him if he should call him dad, he was sure.

He stepped out of the steamy shower and mustered his refreshed face in the mirror. Maybe that’s all he wanted. To form something with Illumi that would be even more powerful than the Zoldyck empire, to make everyone else envy/fear/adore them. They had the capacity and the ability to do so, no doubt.

Or maybe he just wanted to have something he wasn’t supposed to have.

Hisoka shrugged to himself, before he went over his usual beauty routine. Today could prove very interesting.

12:45 pm, Hisoka leaned on his kitchen island, absentmindedly scrolled through social media to beat time. Illumi wasn’t going to be late, but he’s never been early either.

He decided to go with a casual look, fitted beige khakis, with an oxford blue button up, sleeves rolled up just above his elbows, debated with himself on how far unbuttoned would be appropriate-yet-slutty (Top 3 Buttons unbuttoned, was the conclusion). Under his eyes, rested on his cheekbones, he had painted his signature star and teardrop, eyebrows plucked to perfection, and after 10 tries he managed to get a satisfying cat eye done. It was perfectly normal to want to look like hell on wheels while meeting with your friend-partner-associate-crush-insertsatisfactoryterm.

The afternoons were always the worst time to check social media, the calm before the posting-storm that comes during the evening and night. Hisoka had already reached posts that were done last night, a few screenshots taken here and there for future reference and roasting purposes.

Almost fed up with endless scrolling, suddenly it appeared. Hisoka had followed a twitch streamer on twitter recently, some kid who was definitely going to screw up in some point of his career (they always do, when the fame gets to their heads), and didn’t want to miss that mess. “Foxbeargaming”, what the fuck is even a foxbear, he had thought.

He had seen the brat before, in his profile picture and clips of his streams. But that wasn’t the problem with the newly posted selfie.

The problem was that he also recognized the second brat in it. Remembered the way Illumi boasted about his talented little brother, the same wild hair and blue eyes as he showed him a picture of the kid. Killua Zoldyck is currently in the middle of nowhere Australia, and his family most likely doesn’t know about it.

Oh, this will be delicious.

Hisokas day had been upgraded from surprisingly interesting to extremely entertaining if everything were to go smoothly. Immediately revealing to Illumi before their date that his little brother is out in the desert trying to tame himself a boyfriend wouldn’t do either of them good. Let it simmer, let it fester, keep Illumi away from his phone the rest of the day.

Lost in his scheming, he just barely noticed that the clock hit 1pm. He grabbed his bag from the floor and stuffed his phone into his back pocket before he headed out the door.

Hisoka wasn’t sure what he expected, yet he was taken aback by the sight in front of him as he exited the apartment complex.

Illumi leaned leisurely against a black sports car, as if that were his only purpose in life. His sleek hair was tied into a neat ponytail, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Hisoka let his eyes take in every detail of him. Peridot green jeans, fashionably washed out, paired with a simple grey polo shirt, the collar popped open just enough to reveal more neck than usual.

“Are you waiting on an invitation?” Illumi didn’t sound as agitated as he probably intended, giving Hisoka only more reason to push his luck.

“I was thinking about whether I want to pounce on you now or later.” He approached the other man, who in turn straightened up his posture in defence. But instead of any hostile movements, Hisoka simply took Illumis hand, and bought it to his lips for a caste kiss. “But I’d rather not spoil our date this early.”

Illumi pulled his hand away, though maybe with a second’s hesitation. “Not happening, also not a date. Get in the car before I change my mind.”

The car was equipped with fabric seats, which Hisoka was grateful for in the Italian heat. “Maybe I should film one of those Vlogs today, what do you think of the title ‘Partner takes me away for secret date’?”

“What about ‘Multimillionaire kicked me out of a speeding car’?”

“Touché.” Now Hisoka was sure that his companion had to be in a good mood, despite what he’d claim, he’d never go along with his jokes if he were feeling neutral-to-pissed otherwise. He rolled his shoulders back into the seat comfortably, golden eyes fixated on the way that Illumis elegant pale hands wrapped around the steering wheel. “I didn’t know you can drive, considering you always have someone to do it for you.”

“I prefer it over flying, and I still consider myself a better driver than half of our staff.”

“I’m sure you’re great at handling stick shift as well.”

“Of co-“Illumi pressed his lips together in sudden annoyance, he most definitely had caught onto Hisokas smirk as he waited for an answer. “That is repulsive.” That prompted the makeup artist to break out into self-satisfied snickering.

“No clue what you’re talking about, Tesoro.” This earned him an eye roll, and silence as the car made its way through mostly empty streets. Hisokas eyes fell onto Illumis phone that rested on the console of the car. “Ah, I’m sure mister multimillionaire has Spotify Premium, right? Let me turn on some music.”

“Use your own phone.”

“I ran out of data volume. Are you that afraid I’ll discover your disastrous music taste?” His teasing smirk was met with another, more defeated eyeroll and a sigh.

“Don’t play anything trashy. The passcode is 0707.” After a questioning silence, he added “It’s Killuas birthday.”

Hisoka replied with an appreciative purr, before he started scrolling through the others music library. No personal playlists, not even a profile picture attached to his account. He was almost offended at the man’s lack of care for something as deeply personal as ones Spotify account, something that surely could tell a lot about a person. “Tchaikovsky? I’m not sure if I am impressed or utterly bored. Oh-“ His eyes stopped on a familiar album cover. “Maybe you’re not a lost cause after all, dear.”

A button press later, and the familiar opening sounds to Tame Impalas “Currents” played. The faintest trace of a smile curled on Illumis lips, barely noticeable, but Hisoka wanted to burn it into his mind anyway. Never mind that he took the brief distraction to turn the others phone onto silent mode. No unnecessary distractions.

It took the rest of the album until Illumi pulled the car into the exit towards the nature reserve near Lago di Bracciano, the last notes of “New Person, Same old Mistakes” dying together with the engine as they parked.

Hisoka stretched at the warm sunlight that caressed his skin when he exited the vehicle. Birds sang happily in the trees that lined the path around the large lake, and the only other person in sight was an elderly woman walking a small white dog. As the second car door shut close, he turned around with a pleased smile that showed off his shining teeth. “I never took you for the kind to take afternoon strolls.”

His friend-or-whatever set a relaxed pace onto the path and looked out onto the deep blue water. “I can’t sit around the hotel room the entire day, can I? And Rome is crawling with sweaty tourists and noisy journalists.”

“So you wanted to get some quality time outside?” Hisoka absentmindedly ran his tongue over his own sharp incisors.

“Correct.” Illumi didn’t seem to notice, or at least ignored, the predatory gesture.

“With me.”

He missed a beat before a simple, “It seemed appropriate.”.

This earned him an appreciative purr, before the men walked in silence along the large lake. Italy still wouldn’t reach its heights of temperatures this time of year, but any breeze was still a welcomed change from the rising humidity and sting of the sun. Hisoka wondered how much the others pale skin would change if he’d expose himself for a bit longer to the sun, if he’d immediately burn up in red, or if he’d start to tan, even just the faintest bit. He’d definitely look more alive, less like a puppet on invisible strings.

They continued to walk in a comfortable silence next to each other, took in the different sounds and sights of nature and the others presence, until eventually they reached the border of one of the shore towns. Beautiful stone buildings climbed the side of a smaller hill, only interrupted by greenery sprouting up between them. The main path was lined with flower shops, cafes, and Gelateria, whose smells mixed into a pleasant sweetness in the air. But one store in particular stood out. It wasn’t super flashy, it could have been found in any city and any street, but Hisoka knew this one from memory.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the others hand, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

“Excuse me-“ Before he could free his hand, Hisoka intertwined their fingers and pulled him closer.

“Let me treat you to something as well, I promise you won’t regret it,amore.” As his flaming eyes were met with a wrinkled nose, the sunshades Illumi were as not-telling as his eyes, he added “If you do regret it, I’ll gladly let you drown me right here.”

There was hesitation as the other mans wrist twitched against his hold. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

The absence of a struggle was still taken as accepting whatever had gotten him so excited, and thus Illumi was quickly pulled and seated outside the small café. Hisokas attitude had changed from a lazy yet scheming happiness, to pure, unfiltered excitement. It became almost impossible for him to sit still, he rapidly tapped his fingernails against the small glass table, until a waitress (in her mid-40s, he assumed) stepped out. She handed the men a small, leather bound menu, though both were immediately snatched by Hisoka and held back towards her.

“Non sarà necessario. Ordineremo la Cheesecake alla fragola. Grazie.”

“Certamente.” The woman replied with a smile, before she retreated into the shop.

“Cheesecake?” Illumi asked with a raised eyebrow, he had taken off his sunglasses by now and placed them on the table.

Hisoka tutted, “Not any Cheesecake, dear, it is the best Cheesecake you will ever have. I will have it at my wedding, funeral, and every occasion in between that.”

“I take it you’ve been here before.”

“When I had just moved to Rieti, I’d come here almost every weekend, though I unfortunately stopped when weekends became workdays as well.” He considered carefully how much more he was willing to share about that time of his life with the other, though the decision was taken off him as the waitress approached with two plates, each adorned with a generous slice of cheesecake, topped with strawberry slices and strawberry jam dripping off it.

His jaw clenched in anticipation as he watched Illumi take the first bite of the cake, reminiscent of all the rituals he’d do for him whenever he visited. It felt degrading to admit that he wanted to impress and gain the approval of the Zoldyck, but not degrading enough to stop the attention seeking behaviour.

A bite. Some careful chewing. Averted eyes because Hisoka was staringbut he did not care. He swallowed.

Illumi didn’t look at him as he spoke, seemingly engrossed in studying the décor of the shop. But his eyes betrayed him, Hisoka swore he saw something within the dark orbs glisten and flash to life. He didn’t know people could smile only with their eyes, but Illumi continued to be different in the most intoxicating way. “It’s… really good.”

Hisoka tried hard not to pick up his train of thought from the morning, tried not to think about what he wanted from Illumi or a relationship, and he especially tried not to think about the growing urge to leap across the table at that very moment to kiss him until their lips were sore. Instead, he started to eat his own cake, and failed to supress his sharpened smile.

They ate mostly in silence, safe for Hisokas muffled crazed snickering, and ordered espresso to chase down the thick cake.

“Hey, let’s play a game. What is wrong with that woman over there?” Hisoka pointed at a blonde who rested against a railing near the lake.

Illumi seemed to consider for a second whether he even wanted to play a weird game like that, before he stopped mid espresso-sip. “Ah. Those red heels are obviously spray-painted on.”

“Bingo~! It’s super obvious, right? You can still see the black shine through.”

“I’m more concerned about the uneven stitching on her shirt. Either she did that herself, or she has gotten scammed.”

Somehow that conversation triggered them to analyse the fashion choices of every stranger they encountered on their way back to the car with increasingly devilish tones. Illumi Zoldyck was a surprisingly good gossiper, and Hisoka filed that fact into the growing corner of his brain that he reserved just for him.

In the car, Illumi informed him they would just head to his hotel room to get dressed for the show, and then head there together. Any attempt at a joke about spending hotel-room-time wisely was, expectedly, cut off.

Illumi had never focused on the road this much in his entire life. He tried to be grateful that they had managed to get ready for the show in his hotel room without any major incidents, but now Hisoka was seated next to him again, wearing the suit he made for him. He looked good, annoyingly so. Naturally, Illumi wouldn’t grant him the satisfaction of telling him that though. He had indulged the man plenty enough for that day already and was holding back from chastising himself for it.

Last night had made him soft, Illumi decided. A brief waver of confidence and self-preservation that made him want to spend one-on-one time with Hisoka, in what may have resembled friendship to an outsider.

But his head was clearer now, cleansed from whatever foolishness had overcome him – the image of his mother recovering from a coughing fit and regaining her composure crept itself into his mind. Unrelated, he thought, though cleared his throat regardless.

“Machi says the crowd tonight is dreadful. Do you think she is just saying that to keep me from going~?” Hisoka tapped his long nails against the screen of his phone. Machi was a model they both have worked with in the past, though she was no where close to a breakthrough. A pretty face, objectively spoken, though smaller than most models, and the personality of royalty about to be executed. Do they always text each other?

“She’s there as well today?” He tried not to sound bitter. He didn’t have a reason to be bitter.

“Mhm, she’s modelling for a friend of hers it seems, though all the examples she sent me looked like someone with a priest-kink designed them, so it doesn’t hurt as much that she didn’t hire me as her artist.”

A moment of silence. “I see.” Illumi was not going to indulge Hisoka even more by inquiring about the nature of his relationship to the woman. It did not concern him; it wasn’t relevant to him or his work.

“Illumi?” Hisoka leaned over in his seat, golden eyes piercing into the side of his face.

“Yes, Hisoka?” Just now he noticed that he had been clenching his jaw uncomfortably.

“Are you jealous of Machi?” He didn’t need to look to know that Hisoka was smiling from one ear to the other, voice dripping with joy. He wasn’t going to look at Hisoka.

“You are insane. Why would I be jealous of her? I pity the girl, still having to work as a favour for acquaintances.”

Predatory eyes continued to drill into him, and a dangerous purr escaped the man, “Is that so?”.

“Yes, don’t be ridiculous.” They pulled into the valet line.

“Then you surely won’t mind that she’ll meet us in the entrance hall, wonderful!”

Illumi shouldn’t mind. It should be perfectly fine that instead of spending the evening alone with Hisoka, a good-looking young woman with an unclear relationship to him would meet them. He definitely couldn’t be jealous; it would be irrational and yet-

He threw the keys to the car at the valet and grabbed the number-marker without a word. His face wouldn’t give it away to others, that he was practically fuming, but Hisoka seemed to take pleasure in the subtle way that Illumis facial features tightened. “I heard jealousy can give you wrinkles~” Hisoka whispered cheekily as they approached the venue entrance, rows of reporters and interviewers lined at the sides, even more so than at the opening day before.

“You must have a lot of experience with that.” He hissed in reply and straightened his posture as they passed the crowd, mostly reporters who desperately tried to take pictures of attendees. Pictures, Interviews, all loathsome cries for attention that Illumi has always tried to avoid as much as possible without damaging the families reputation. He looked down the carpeted entrance and spotted the young woman known as Machi Komacine, clothed in a painfully tight black dress adorned with rosaries draped around her waist like belts, her messy pink hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her posture signalled boredom, but her eyes screamed murder.

Illumi was not a man who easily feared anyone, especially not a woman who stands at 5’2 proud; But he also was not necessarily thrilled to approach her. As he tried to hiss something in Hisokas direction again, something about not having much time to chat with their acquaintance due to meeting a client, he noticed: The other man had stayed behind, and was now busy posing for numerous cameras. Their eyes met, and with a mischievous grin, Hisoka held his hand out to beckon Illumi closer. For Pictures. Together.

Take pictures with Hisoka together in a public appearance that will most definitely set the gears of the rumour mill in motion; Or approach Machi alone and run the risk of uncomfortable conversation about our respective relationships to Hisoka?

He looked back at Machi, whose eyes met his instantly with a raised eyebrow. Fucking Hell-

Illumi made his way back to Hisoka, casually disregarded the hand that was held out to him and positioned himself as practiced – left arm leisurely to the side, right arm three quarters across his front. Not too strict, but not too relaxed either. In contrast, Hisoka had his left hand in the pocket of his suit, his right hand rested on Illumis shoulder as if were the most natural thing in the world. Journalists started to yell even more for their attention now, asking pesky questions that he tried to ignore, telling them to stand closer to each other, the likes. He kept the façade of his neutral face through the blinding flashes intact, even as Hisoka snaked his arms from his shoulder around his waist. “Do you wish for a public execution?”

“It looks better for the pictures~”

Illumi brushed a few strands of hairs behind his shoulder and used the motion to glance back to where Machi was waiting, her steady gaze on the two of them. “It’s rude to let her wait.”

“How considerate you are!” Hisoka snickered. “I know you aren’t jealous, caro, but I’d still like to reassure you of something.”

“And what’s that?”

“Machi and I look for, how should I say, very different things in a partner.” He tugged at Illumi waist and pulled him closer. “She’s looking for women and I am not.”

“Oh.” Illumi continued to look at the reporters cooing for their attention, as he tried not to think of the warm hand on his waist that felt searing hot and- Wait.

“OH.” He turned in Hisokas hold to properly look at him, who in turned grinned like the cat that ate the canary, then he looked back to Machi, and suddenly he felt stupid, which he didn’t experience a lot.

“Feeling relieved, even though you definitely weren’t jealous?”

“I think they got enough pictures.”

Illumi heard Hisokas snickering trail behind him as he made his way down the entrance. Machis eyes met his again, hands steady on her hips. Up closer now, he could observe the details of her dress, white seams stitched into crucifixes that crept up the sides, and the number “3” painted on every bead of the rosaries. It was cleanly executed, but Illumi was confident in the superiority of his own work.

“Miss Komacine.” He extended his hand to her, which she shook half-heartedly.

“Illumi. I’d like to get to business talk right away, so I don’t have to look at this clown longer than necessary.”

“Business talk?”

The young woman lit a cigarette for herself and shot a glare to Hisoka. “I assume you didn’t tell him I wanted to speak with him?” This granted her only a shrug and a smile from the man. “Fine, whatever. Illumi, I want to model for your next line, it would proof beneficial for both of us.”

“I don’t deal in women’s fashion. Furthermore, I do not see how I’d gain benefits from having you work for me.” Finally, a topic he felt comfortable to speak about, even it was only to criticize the woman for her awful attempt at business.

“I don’t mind wearing a suit, you should be at least competent enough to make smaller sizes, right?” She stepped closer to push a sharp index finger against his chest. “And about those benefits; Having me model for you would give me more exposure from a mainstream crowd, and thus exposure for my group. You would gain exposure to a wider audience of underground fashion-following, that isn’t influenced by your family’s name, meaning you could manifest a name for yourself. Unless you prefer being ‘a Zoldyck’ forever.”

The nerve. The audacity. Illumi considered just calling her a presumptuous cunt and leaving with his pride intact, but Machi looked like the kind of woman who knew how to slice car tires and break-wires.

A manicured hand curled around his shoulder, and Hisoka pushed himself between Machi and him. “What could be better than this; My two favourite people in this world, getting along, talking friendly business. Unfortunately, dear Machi, there’s some people inside that are dying to meet us tonight, so we’ll catch you later~”

Before he could object, Illumi was pushed through the entrance of the venue. The large runway was occupied by a high-end brand that premiered their women’s gala collection, mood-lighting engulfed the rest of the room, rhythmic beats of low music drowned out most of the talking crowd.

“Be a darling and just let her offer simmer a little. Machi can be very scary when she’s mad, and not in the way I enjoy.” Hisoka purred closer to his ear.

“Did you know she was going to ask?”

“What if I did?”

A waiter offered them drinks on a tray, and Illumi leisurely grabbed a glass of champagne.

“What does that even mean, ‘a Zoldyck’, as if it is something bad.”

“Don’t wreck your pretty head over it, you know how women are.” Hisoka laughed, and Illumi wasn’t sure how serious he meant that, considering that personally he had no idea how women are, and after newest revelations, neither did Hisoka.

But through the course of the night, Illumi couldn’t get it out of his head. He pretended not to notice how people approached Hisoka, addressed him by his name, first or full name, and talked with him about the content he has created, complimented on his most recent videos and looks. And he pretended not to notice how people approached him, addressed him only by his last name, and asked about the family business. “Mr. Zoldyck, are you going to write an article about this line?” “Mr. Zoldyck, about the next issue-“ “Mr. Zoldyck, tell my greetings to your father.”

No word about his own collection he had premiered. No one even uttered his first name.

He was ‘a Zoldyck’. Nothing more, nothing less.

“If looks could kill, we’d be ankle deep in a blood bath by now.” Hisoka snaked an arm around Illumis waist again and rested his hand on the tip of his hip. The designer took a long sip of the bitter champagne, casually slapped away the offending hand, and kept his dark eyes fixed on the crowd. “Still pouting because Machi was being a bully?”

“I am not pouting.”

“And you weren’t jealous either, got it~”

An eye roll, followed by “I have a headache, what’s the time anyway?” Illumi tried to reach for his phone in his pocket, though before he could grab it, Hisoka took hold of his wrist. They locked eyes, and even in the dim lighting of the venue, Illumi saw something wild glisten in those amber eyes. “Let’s leave, together, to my place.”

“Very subtle, Hisoka. I am not going to-”

“Indulge me, Tesoro, I want to show you something.” Determined to blame it on the repulsive atmosphere that had build itself up at the fashion show, Illumi let himself be swept away by Hisoka for the second time that day. The thought of getting away from noisy reporters and cockroaches of the industry who only knew him as the eldest Zoldyck.- former Heir to the empire, was pleasant enough, yet he also didn’t have to be alone and actively think about his reputation, name, and being a ‘lapdog’, technically a win-win situation.

The drive back to the apartment was oddly quiet, despite Hisokas prior excitement. The car tore through the dark night primarily in silence, only accented by the ‘The Velvet Underground’ album they agreed on after scrolling through Hisokas bizarre Spotify library. It definitely wasn’t the kind of music he was used to from the home he was raised in, didn’t fit between the classical music his mother used to play before her headaches made it impossible and the obscene noise music that Killua would play to trigger the same headaches.

“Could you check my messages for me?”

Hisoka hummed in response and grabbed the phone, manicured nails tapping on the screen, before dropping it unceremoniously back into the cup-holders. “Batteries dead.”

“That can’t be, I charged it before I went out this morning, the battery is supposed to hold for a minimum of 72 hours when idle.”

“Your dainty British batteries sometimes give out under Italian heat, invest in better engineering, and charge it at my place for now.”

“…This will better be worth the trouble.”

The streets of Rieti were expectantly empty, and Illumi parked the car right in front of the apartment (Was it a legal parking spot? Unlikely. But parking fines barely matter when seemingly half the world knows your families name.)

The stairs, the door, the entrance, Illumi knew all of these things about Hisokas apartment. “What is there to show me?”

“Patience. Come here~” Hisoka opened the doors to the balcony, white drapes gently tossed in the fresh breeze. The Zoldyck followed- with sceptical hesitation, but followed nonetheless.

He rested his hands on the railing, eyes turned sky-wards, a few strands of hair upset by the wind.

“If you took me here to just look at the stars, I’m not sure which one of us is the bigger fool.”

“Right, if we wanted to look at soon-to-be dead stars, we could have stayed at the show. But we’re not here for them. They are insignificant, always there to look at until one day they vanish and are forgotten. The real star of the show is over there.” He pointed a long nail at the night sky, and Illumi tried to follow where it pointed.

“The moon? Really?”

“Close, but also mundane and boring. Here- “Before Illumi could react, the strange man had placed their heads next to each other and started to correct Illumis position with a pointed yet gentle grip on his chin. “Look straight ahead.”

Just a little bit off to the left of the moon shone a star brighter than anything else, for a moment Illumi felt ridiculous for missing it.

“It’s Venus. Among all these long dead stars, she’s ever present, stands out the most, and is a rare sight to behold.”

“You took me away from the show to gaze at other planets?” Illumi turned towards the other man, suddenly all too aware of how close they were standing once again.

“I took you away from the show because no one there is capable of understanding your true potential. The way everyone there only sees you as an extension of your family is so infuriating, that it makes me want to ruin all their hopeless little dreams right in front their pitiful faces.” With a swift movement Hisoka had pinned the designer against the railing of the balcony. “You could crush all these people under your heel and make them beg for forgiveness. And there’s nothing I’d rather see than that.”

“I don’t need to make anyone beg, if I want something, I get it. It’s always been like that.” A cold thumb traced the line of his sharp chin, followed by a dark chuckle, and all of a sudden Illumi felt fatigued, all air leaving his lungs. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembers his mother recalling symptoms like that. It’s a sickness, nothing more nothing less.

“You get it because you’re a pretty show dog held on a short leash by your family.”

Fucking lapdog. The weight on his chest feels like it could crush his organs any second.

“I’m not asking you to bite the hand that feeds you. But I’d give everything to see what you could do if you were free of restraints.”

Feeling like he needed to hold onto anything, Illumi grabbed onto the back of the other man’s head, fingers buried in wild hair. “And why would you care so much? If you’re just trying to rile me up, there’s ways that don’t make me want to throw you off the balcony and watch your mangled body struggle for life.”

“It’s because you fascinate me, Illumi. You’re my Venus in a sea of dying stars. I want to observe you in all your glory as you outshine everyone else, in your full potential.”

“Who says I won’t crush you as well?” His fingers grasped harder on a few strands of hair. Everything in his body felt wrong, the way his skin was freezing all over, but searing hot wherever he made contact with the other man, the suffocating weight on his chest increased by the second, and in the back of his mind something about sickness echoes again.

They locked eyes, and just then Illumi noticed how close they truly were, Hisokas hot breath falling onto his lips.

And he should have pushed him away.

Should have slapped him, insulted him like the sorry maggot he was.

But he felt weak and sick and so cold, and Hisoka radiated pure heat.

Their lips met, softer than expected of either of them, and Illumi wondered if this is what it feels like to be saved from drowning.

A pleasant warmth seeped into his body, and his lungs felt weightless, like he could breathe for the first time in his life.

Hisoka kissed like each touch might be the last, and Illumi let himself be guided as he wanted, eventually wrapping his arms around the others neck, eager to steal as much of this intoxicating heat as possible.

The man kissed along his jawline, stopping just barely below his ear. “Stay here tonight, cuore mio.”

And Illumi placed a kiss to his temple, as gentle as a man who was never been taught gentleness with people could manage. “Let’s go inside.”

#hxh fanfic #hisoillu #killugon #hxh #hisoka marrow #illumi zoldyck #killua zoldyck #gon freecss #mito freecss #machi komachine #fanfic #fanfiction #I continue to have the worst update schedule known to man <3

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ruby-stones-blog1 · 7 years ago

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A/N: The Video is kind of her outer an inner storyline, but due to my programm hating me i couldn’t elaborate it as much as i wished to (it killed half of my clips). I chose the song for a particular reason, not only because I love heather, but because it shows her emotions and her anxiety really well and Alex pls don’t kill me for this long af fic. ___ Strict parents create sneaky children.

“And the lovely Lady from Dakota who will join the rest of the selected is (…) Ruby Stones” A picture of my bare face pops up on the screen infront of me. A short silence floods the room just before a piercing “Ruby Stones” causes the walls to shiver. “Why did you enter the selection even though your father has forbidden it.” I look down at my blue knees and close my eyes. Why was I that stupid to believe my parents would let me get away with something once in my life. “But mom..” “No but’s young lady. You are ruining your future and breaking this family apart! Me and your father have worked so hard for your career, you are not going to throw your future away for tiaras and princess dresses.” My father supports her statement silently slowly shaking his head in disappointment. “Mom, when I am a Princess no-one will be more beloved than me. This would be your dream come true, your daughter a princess and future Queen of Illea. Everyone will know her name and that’s all you’ve ever cared about…. If people know the name Ruby Stones.” I look up and immediately break away from the intimating glare and let my gaze wander across the big living room. My eyes linger on dozen of throphes embellishing the shelves. Gosh how much I hate this golden trash. “Don’t you dare pretend we don’t care for your well-being. If not, you would have been already dead.” My heart sinks to stomach, a common felling caused by my mother. My legs start shaking, causing my kneecaps to collide making an awful hollow sound. “Martha…”, my dad interrupts her with a daring glare. “Never mind”, she continues, “but don’t you dare come back home with empty pockets and no husband bye your side.”

“Arabesque, plie ladies!” Ms Kazimierski’s tender voice halls through the long dance hall, girls in tight leotards are adjusting their posture and holding their heads high. “Dona, I said over 90 degree, not 45”, she continues to correct us. I straighten my back a bit and let my glance wander trough the room. So many petite girls are gracing the room, with sleek buns crowding their heads, white pointé shoes adorning their feet. Then there’s me, the literal raven inside of a crowd full of beautiful swans, the loner, the greedy one. That’s at least what they say. I turn to my left with a chassé en tournant, catching a glimpse of my slim body in the mirror, a fake smile is plastered on my grey looking face. With a turning on my supporting right leg and my other leg stretched to the side as straight as possible and my foot pointing upwards, I finish my last lesson, for now. Gracefully my body sinks onto the cold floor and my head rests on my boney shoulder. My eyes close slowly, I can feel my heart beating fast against my ribs, pumping blood through my veins. My lungs are aching for air and I quietly pant, trying to calm my body down. My eyes flatter open as I hear light steps approaching me. With a confused expression and a small nod I greet the brunett standing infront of me. “Oh, so you’re one of those selected huh?”,she says, arms crossed while looking down onto me. Gosh, I am so sick of these backstabbing comments, that’s all I’ve been hearing the past few days. “You’ve got a problem with that?”, I ask a bit louder and sit up straighter. Her eyes widen and she stammers a “Ohh, no I didn’t mean-” before I cut her of. “Seriously I am so sick of you pretentious little nobody’s judging me for being selected. I’m more than just that, so if you’re hoping for an autograph or even a second of my time you can wait for a while because you’re not getting them”, I utter before I stand up and stalk out of the room, but not before adding: “and maybe next time think about how you approach a “may be” future Queen.“

With shivering legs and shaking fingers I stand infront of my full length mirror and carefully view my silhouette. Purple and dark blue spots peak out underneath my black leotard and make me wonder if the galaxy really looks like that. Dark freckles on my body complete the night sky on my bare flesh. Slightly I let my fingers brush against the bruises forming on my hips and collarbones, stroking the nebulas on my dark skin. Slowly I step out of my leotard, trying not to smudge the little makeup which mother applied earlier or get my ring caught on the lace, and make my way towards my big princess bed, where mother had already laid out the outfit I shall wear. A glance at the clock tells me that I’ve got a little under ten minutes left befor I am leaving to the town hall. A bit in a hurry, I step into my black silky and flowy pants and button up my top, before I grab a comb and put my hair up into a strict ballet bun. With trembling fingers I try to smooth out the none existing creases in my white blouse. I give my reflection a weak smile, turn away from the mirror, grab Zuzu’s cage and step towards the door. My suitcase was already downstairs and everything I wanted to bring with me, found a cozy place in there. With one last longing glance at my room I turn the doorknob and step outside my room, walking down the stairs, while dizziness is clouding my head and my thoughts are heavily spinning around in a ever so slightly faster going Merry-go-round. Will I ever come back to this place which I’ve called home for over 18 years now? Or will I see these walls again in less than a week and be drowning in shame? Mother and father are waiting for me downstairs, both still looking very displeased. Mom clicks with her tongue as I walk down the flight of stairs and starts fumbling with my clothes. “Couldn’t you even bother to make your hair look decent for at least one day?” she comments as she crosses her arms and scans me with her piercing look from head to toe. “Never mind”, with an eye roll she turns her attention towards the huge pack of papers in her hand. “So this stack includes your entire diet and training plan. I want you to hand the first part to the chef and the second part to your maids, you are going to be on your best behavior young lady and don’t you dare try to eat chocolate cake(…)”

At this point I stop listening and let my eyes wander across the hallway, checking if I forgot anything. I’ve got food for Lola and Zuzu, my diary and a few school books, mother insisted on them, but also a couple of books for my pleasure. Father also included some of our finest jewellery, but only so I can show off his newest work. I sigh deeply and tapp along with my foot as mother continues her moral lecture. The ringing of the doorbell gives me the sweet relief I’ve been longing for all day long. My mother opens the heavy frontdoor and politely asks the chauffeur to give me a couple of seconds to collect my luggage. With a loud whistle of mine, Luna comes tapping down the hallway. I grab her collar from the clothsrail next to me and attach it around her neck, with a slight snap the collar closes and she walks next to me with her tiny feet tapping against the wooden floor, leaving the small house. An old looking man with a big beer belly, greyish short hair and a pleasant smile on his face greets me with a “Good day, Lady Ruby” as he accommodates my luggage, including Zuzu’s cage, into his white shiny car. I let the cardoor swing open as Lola hops into the car and settles down on the spacey footwell. Still holding the pack of notes from my mother, I climb into the vehicle myself and buckle up my seatbelt. The drive to the townhall wasn’t that long and considering the fact that I occupied myself by flipping through the stack of papers, time flew by. Mother even included a large training plan for the following next month, attached to a list of upcoming competitions and a comprehensive diet and etiquette plan. I roll my eyes as I flipp trough it and reassure myself that I am definitely not going to keep this crap. Okay, maybe I can convince myself to keep up with the training plan but that’s it, nothing more than a few workouts here and there.

Bright white and yellow lighting strikes are clouding my vision, little children are approaching me and angry mothers are screaming my name in a hateful manner. My driver, who’s name is Bob and has a nice moustache, accompanies me towards the large set of stairs leading up to the stage infront of our glamours townhall, which is positioned right next to the nice smelling rosegarden. I hop up the stairs as I try to process the huge crowd starring up at me with dark green envy, blood red anger and bright yellow joy colouring their minds. My eyes are lingering on the see of equal colourful minds and bodies, staring at them with empty eyes and a twitching smile. “Today we want to welcome the astonishing gymnast, selected of Prince Dominic’s selection and representative of our lovely province Dakota: Lady Ruby Stones, daughter of our finest jewelers Martha and Davarius Stones”, the major welcomes me with a big hug and presents me to the folks of Dakota with expensive and liberated hand gestures. My fake grin widens as I wave towards the divided and semi bitter crowd, as our Major approaches me. “Do you want to talk a bit about yourself and your aspirations for the selection? Maybe it will ease the crowd”, he pleas in a silent and tactful manner, trying not to overwhelm me. I simply nod and take the microphone he is handing me, before I step into the middle of the stage and try my best to present the cheering children a genuine smile. “Hello fellow citizens of Dakota”, gosh Ruby, mother taught you better than that, “I want to thank you for greeting me on this special day. I was asked to talk a bit about myself, but most of you probably already know me so I am not going to bother you with that. But what I wanted to say is that whatever cast you may belong to or how low you sunk in life, never forget that hard work pays off. Maybe not for everyone, but you can achieve a lot with the right mindset and attitude. Just look at me, only seven years ago I was a four, like the most of you, and now I am a well known two. Life can change, you just have to believe in it. Okay maybe not for all of you, I mean look at you people, obviously not, but… Yeah. Just believe.” I just smile at the confused and angry faces looking up in front of me, after I talked utter crap in a wanna be inspirational speech, (…) I hope Mom is proud of me.

My heels leave a clicking sound behind while hitting the wooden floor, which can still be heared in the first few rows, as I step down the stairs to greet the lovely dishonest people who came to say their farewells. Surprisingly a lot of little girls were waiting in line, told me I was their inspiration and asked for pictures and a hug. I never thought I could be someone special to a little eight year old girl with tiny ballet shoes in her hand and a warm smile gracing their cubby face. These kids aren’t internally rotten, at least not yet. After a wave of joyful children, a group of fellow ballet dancers and gymnasts, which were forced by their parents to stand infront of TV Cameras with me, are happily chatting along and are wishing me the best of luck with despise leaking out of their throat. This is gonna be a lot of fun being around 34 pretentious girls for the next couple of weeks. I sigh deeply and roll my eyes without looking at the cameras. The last person to say their farewell is Stacey, a fellow gymnast who I last meet a bit over a week ago at a competition in Angeles. Mentally I already prepare myself for some invidious and nasty backstabbing comments and twisted compliments full of red burning hatred. With a sickfully sweet smile and her blonde long hair flying in the wind, she approaches me with steady steps and pulls me into a big hug right infront of the cameras, while whispering in my ear: “Just because I am pretending to be nice to you, doesn’t mean I am and don’t even consider that I could actually like you, (…) although you are my favorite stuck up bitch.” As suddenly as she hugged me she pulls away and asks me with her high pitched voice how my day has been. After a few couple of minutes of small talk, due to the presence of cameras which were practically being shoved into our faces, I was freed of her presence. With a snickered “Good luck becoming the bitchiest Queen, with the biggest trust issues, Illéa has ever seen”, she stalks away and leaves me standing alone on the cold asphalt, a fire of hatred burning deep inside of my skin.

I turn around on my heels to face my parents as I give them an honest discouraged smile. “I hope you can forgive me father, for what I have done”, I gulp as I play with the hem of my blouse, regret is distorting my face into an ugly mask. “Not yet Ruby, maybe one day, but not today. You have broken my trust as you went behind my back, and I don’t want to accept that just yet. So no Ruby, for now I won’t forgive you.” Tears spring into my eyes as he walks towards the car my parents came in, without a last hug or even a fleeting goodbye. With a deep breath I try to collect myself and shily wipe away a tear before I face my mother. She taps her feet and shakes her head as she studies my expression. “I am just going to say it once, so you better listen”, my mother expresses in a strict tone while looking me deeply into my eyes, sending a shiver down my spine, “I want you to know that although I am aware of your father’s feelings towards the selection, I, myself, am completely neutral on this topic. I don’t care if you win or not, I just want you to make a good expression and come home with a husband.” Wait, who should I marry if it’s not Dom? “You know, Prince Dominic has two very handsome cousins, so this will luckily triple your chances at finding a good match”, she continues as I stare at her in utter confusion, “Go now. Be on your best behavior and don’t you dare disappoint me young lady.” With a sharp and short semi embrace she waves we off and strolls towards the car without any regret clouding her actions.

After a half an hour car drive and a lot of intense cogitating on my part, we arrive at the stunning airport in denbeigh. I’ve never been to Denbeigh before, but from what I’ve seen while driving trough the endless cities, it’s a beautiful province with fairytale landscapes and tons of mysterious dark-green forests. The chauffeur drives us through the huge landing strip with bright yellow marks down the road and pulls up right next to a ginormous white airplane. My mouth is hanging open in a O-like figure as I study the plane through the toned window. Gracefully I step out of the car and immediately catch sight of two objective beautiful young ladies waiting next to a plane. They must be one of the selected, that would explain their unnatural beauty. Lola companionably follows me as I approach the two girls happily chatting with each other. Before giving their conversation my full attention, I hand Bob Lola’s leash and politely thank him for his work and ask him to take good care of her and Zuzu. “Oh.. Hi”, a timid girl with long black hair and asian features gracefully greets me. A “You must be Ruby” follows by the brunette who beams at me with a genuine smile. “Yeah that’s me”, I politely answer, surpressing the urge to roll my eyes, “and you are Nina and Jyn, (…) am I right?” They both kindly confirm my assumption and are staring awkwardly at their feets. Well now what? “Eughh.. So did you have a good trip?”, I try to ease the silence while testing my social skills. “Thrilling”, Jyn sarcastically replies. Wow, this is getting more and more awkward. After a few seconds Nina answers with a simple “It was fine.” I turn around and study the gorgeous vehicle infront of us, gently brushing my finger tips against it white wings. “So do you think we can just board the plane on our own or do we have to wait for someone else?” I think out loud and patiently wait for the girls reactions. “I think a girl named Florence was on our plane too?”, Jyn silently comments as Nina nods in agreement. “Yeah I heard about that”, I exclaim before adding: “To be honest, I thought I was already way to late and I would miss the flight”, while awkwardly grinning. Jyn smiles at my apparently hilarious expression and comments: “Well, I’ve been here for a while so…” After a few more minutes of awkward glances and empty silence, we decide to wait a couple of minutes more for the last selected to arrive. Nina starts off a soothing discussion about our age which is abrupt interrupted by a petite brunette running towards our little group, gretting us while heavily panting. “Hello, I’m Annette”, she introduces herself. Nina and I greet her with a simple “Hello”. Wait, wasn’t the missing selected’s name Florence and not Anette? Jyn voices my concern by asking her: “Wait, if you’re not Florence then we had a fifth person on our plane?” Annette just stares me into the eyes like a scared deer and and immediately runs of. “Well that was… Interesting”, I comment a bit dumbfounded and loudly suck in air between my teeths, creating a strangely calming sound. Jyn slightly tilts her head as she watches her leave while whispering a simple “Indeed”. Shortly after, we continue our conversation and talk about our home provinces, although Jyn’s comments about Denbeigh weren’t all that positive, I can’t help myself but wonder how she can’t see the beauty of this province. I get that it probably isn’t the most exciting province to live in but it’s natural beauty adds it’s own uniques to this place and makes my heart beat a bit faster everytime I close my eyes and see it’s gorgeous landscapes passing bye.

“Shall we get going?”, I suggest while nodding towards the plane. “Let’s go”, Nina says and takes the lead. She walks up the stairs towards the plane with a amount of confidence I can only dream of and still politely greets the pilot, before letting herself fall down onto one of the seats in the back of the plane. I make myself comfortable in a cozy seat near the front next to a huge window with a beautiful view and grab a biscuit from a plate decorating the tabel. Florence sits next to Nina and Jyn takes a seat opposite of me and grabs a cookie as well. I just hope she isn’t as interested in talking the entire flight as Florence seems to be. The conversation at the airport already ovestrained my social skills and energy and probably has been the longest one I had in over a year. I am pretty sure that says a lot about my social life. With a deep sight I turn my attention towards the view outside my large window, we just took off and so I can get a pretty good picture about the whole province from my position. Denbeigh seems even more beautifull from above and I definitely can’t hide my love for this state anymore as a small smile creeps up my face. Apparently Jyn is just as mesmerized by the view as I am. Her genuine smile and her whispering: “It’s breathtaking… ”, gives the selected away. “It definitely is”, I whisper loud enough for Jyn to hear. “Sorry, I was thinking out loud”, she explains herself. “Ohh no, I am sorry. I thought you were talking to me”, I cough awkwardly without trying to laugh. Wupps. “Uh”, she clears her throat and stares down at Cassian, her ferret, in her lap for a moment, “my mistake… have you been on a plane before?” Before I can answer she already continues to babble again: “Oh, what am I saying?”, she awkwardly laughs, “of course you have. Best gymnast in all of Illea.” I laugh a bit as well before answering: “Maybe I am the best gymnast of Illéa but I still haven’t been on a plane before. We always went by car or took the train for long distances.” Jyn tilts her head a bit confused and states: “Really? Unexpected”, after a short pause she continues her question, “Why’s that?” “My mother hates flying and she always insist on coming with me, so no flying for me”, I honestly answer while starring out of the window. “A shame really…”, she exclaims while looking out the window as well, “I’ve always wished to fly on a plane… uh, or in any other way to be.” With a chuckle of mine I joke about her nearly being an as marvelous bird as Zuzu. We continue to talk about my pets and try to figure out which breed my dog is, due to me admitting that I actually forgot what breed Lola is. “I guess getting pets like that on a plane is harder than getting a ferret in”, she laughs a bit after I explained to her that Bob the chauffeur is taking care of my little friends. “So, did you have a nice farewell? I heard some provinces went overboard. To be honest the farewell at my town and with my friends was more enthusiastic.” What exactly does she mean by “overboard”? “I don’t have any friends so I can’t really relate to that”, I laugh a bit bitter “but I had quite a lot of people greet me at my farewell, ask for pictures and hugs. It was nice, especially seeing the little children beaming of joy. But I guess you do you. And to be honest, with a lower caste and actual friends I would have enjoyed that as well”, I state, fumbling with the hem of my blouse while grinning at her. “My enjoyment of the farewell had nothing to do with my caste mind you.” As she very obviously clenches her jar, my smile falls a bit. “Euhh yeah sure.” Why do I always mess up? Jyn’s eyes narrow a bit, before she turns her gaze back towards the window, while crossing her arms. “Whatever. At least people where honest in one of my farewells.” Oh yeah sure. “If you knew (…)”, I mumble and pluck my headphones in, blasting loud music.

The following hours just fly by in a big blur. My mind keeps spinning around different scenarios of the past, present and future. Words of my mother keep reentering my mind, her advertising treason, Prince Dominic’s smile keeps popping up and Jyn’s disappointed face makes an appearance as well. I nervously gulp as I reach for the sleeping mask on my face, craving to touch the soft fur of my tiny puppy. My stomach is hurting and dissyness is clouding my brain. In not even 24 hours my mind became a total mess, although my journey just started. I genuinely don’t know how I’ll survive this.

Just after being greeted by hundreds of excited faces at the airport, starring at us with a sparkle in their eyes and arriving at the palace, we got dragged to a surprise makeover by our supervisor, whose name I already forgot, without even getting a glimpse at the stunning and impressively huge castle. From a big crowd of stunningly different loking people running around, a friendly looking man comes over to me and takes a “before” picture for the upcoming report, before escorting me towards an empty seat. While waiting for a stylist team to devote themselves to me and my makeover, I let my glance wander across the room full of stunning girls getting new haircuts and flattering makeup. A dark beauty right next to me catches my eye due to her sitting infront of a shattered mirror, looking angry at her distorted complexion. She is starring at it as if the mirror is showing her a new reality, a different dimension, cursing her current life. I don’t even know if I want to find out what exactly caused that mirror to break. Softly I shake my head and catch a glimpse of a beauty team of three making their way towards my seat. A young maid with curly red hair smiles at me and asks if I had a name. “Yep, and it’s Ruby”, I answer a bit exhausted while looking in the mirror. “So Ruby, tell me, what are your favorite features about yourself”, a young blonde man asks me while studying my complexion. A bit taken aback, I take some time to think about that question. What are my favourite features about myself, do I even have any? “Mhhm, probably my curly hair and my toned, long legs?”, I list with a fairly high pitched voice. The second maid starts taking of any makeup residues from earlier this morning, meanwhile the blonde guy still eyes my appearances and examines my frizzy hair while a redhead shapes my now fake fingernails into almond like figures. She carefully paints my nails with a blood red mat nailpolish and exfoliates my skin with moisturizing lotion. I close my eyes to give the brunette a better access to my now clean face and finally get some time for me to calm down a bit.

My lungs deeply inhale the scented air around me, going as slow as they possibly can, while I am trying to blend out all the noise around me, just focusing on my breathing. I can hear my pulse beating behind my ear, calming down and picking up a new and slower rhythm. When I pick up a strange plea to open up my eyes again, I can barely recognize myself. I blink a few times before realising all the tiny details about my new complexion. My hair is strategically placed along my back in fine defined curls, with a lot of volume at the top, in contrast to the dramatic hair, my eye makeup is kept relatively simple compared to the girl’s surrounding me. Just a bit of a gold shimmer is gracing my eyelids, which is definitely more flattering than the lilac eyeshadow I usually wear to competitions. A light berry red lipstick is gracing my suddenly full lips and my eyebrows have gained an interie new shape. “Are you ready to see your first day dress?”, one of the maids asks with a small smile gracing her rosey lips. I simply nod as an answer, not fully trusting my voice just yet, as I follow her to a small changing room with a short metallic clothing rail inside. The redhead picks out a tight black dress with a three quarter sleeves and gold detailing on the side and asks me to turn around. “Although Ram decided just a few minutes ago that he wanted you in pretty little girl dresses, to soften your imagine apparently”,wait what, I wonder as I step out of my robe and into the dress the maid is holding out for me, “We already had this one picked out for you. So, enjoy this elegant dress for the rest of the day before you have to get used to the bright, colourful dresses you’ll be wearing”, she states while zipping up the back of my dress. After gazing a bit to long into the full length mirror and definitely to much weird posing infront of a complete stranger, I suddenly get dragged out of the changing room by our supervisor without even accessorising and stuck into a group of over 30 girls, excitingly waiting to finally see the castle and getting a full length tour of exiting stories and inside jokes.

Once we got introduced to the basic rules and etiquette, explored half of the huge castle and listened to interesting and scary stories of ghosts and hilarious mishaps, I gingerly knock at a door leading towards to my alleged room. A brunet with a nearly as deep skintone as mine, opens the door and calls out for two other girls with a shocked expression gracing her soft features. “Ohh Lady Ruby, we didn’t await you so soon”, a blonde girl in a simple dark grey dress with a white pinafore knotted around her waist, exclaims. “But that’s totally fine, come in and settle down you must be very tired”, a redhead which resembles the girl from earlier, interrupts the blonde and pulls out a chair, “here sit down.” A bit awkwardly I take place and look up to the three girls surrounding me. “Ohh yes”, the redhead speaks up again, “I am so sorry Lady Ruby that I forgot to introduced ourselves. My name is Aurelia, to my left is Luna and the petite girl to my right is Radia”, she points at the blonde and brunet, “we already received your luggage and I hope you don’t mind that we packed it out already.” I gaze at the walls surrounding me, see the little trifels I brought from home gracing the shelves, jewelry and makeup are neatly placed next to a huge mirror on a light pink counter and dresses are hanging in a open wardrobe. “If you want to change anything in your room, from the colour of the walls to the curtains and the shelves beside your bed, we would happily rearrange it for you”, Aurelia shyly comments. I just shake my head and keep searching the room for a sign of other trinkets I brought from home. Next to the door a big dog bed found it’s place with a food bowl and water dish beside it. “Wait, where are my pets?”, I exclaim loudlly and jump up from the fluffy chair I’ve been sitting on. “I don’t k-know, Miss”, the petite brunette stutters.

Hectically I turn around in a half pirouette, grab the handle of the wooden for and let it fly open. I passively let my dizzy head swing from left to right and try to figure out which way I came,ohh fuck it, I think and just run down the long hallway. In the distance I hear my maids screaming my name full of worry and anguish, but my feet keep carrying me down the long felty floor, following the row of antique paintings embellishing the walls beside me. As I arrive at a fork I instinctively turn to my left and continue to shuffle down the hallway, my eyes flicker across the walls, starring at the chandeliers hanging above. Their jewels reflecting the light, making the corridor shine like a rainbow, hitting the antique frames and drowning the hallway in a mysterious atmosphere. Still surrounded by my fascinating thoughts, I don’t register a girl making their way towards me until I feel her warm body colliding against mine. “Eughh, look where you’re going”, I declare in a squeamish voice. Couldn’t she at least look where she was going? I am losing time finding my precious children. The slim girl infront of me looks very taken back and takes a moment to regain herself. “As you can SEE, I can’t see!”, Calista, at least that’s what her name tag says, speaks up. Of course, can’t she just apologize and move on? “Yeah sure, honey. You have perfectly healthy eyes, so I am pretty sure you can see. Just watch your surroundings next time,” I laugh quietly. “Ugh, you’re just ignorant as the rest. I’m blind, Lady Ruby it wasn’t a joke”, she groans while rolling her eyes. Ohh shit. That’s the second time you fucked up in the last twenty-four hours, congratulations. “Ohh whatever”, I mumble and turn around embarrassed, as I continue to walk down the endless hallway and finally end up at a huge flight of stairs. Okay, Ruby, one foot after another, you can do this. Just don’t remember every embarrassing or obviously wrong sentence that came out of your mouth today. You’ll soon be reunited with your pets, just think of Lola and Zuzu and that time you became entirely evil just for the sake of not feeling so defenseless and shit (…), I think as I fall down the flight of stairs.

At least no one saw me falling down the stairs, I sigh. Gosh what would people think of me, “Lady Ruby, best gymnast, is not only capable of making triple backflips in the air but also manages to fall down an entire set of stairs.” I slowly shake my head as I unzip my shoes and throw them across the hall, not carrying about their value and try to regain my composure as I stamp with a very displeased expression through the entrance hall. At the wings to the garden, at least that’s what I still remember from the tour earlier, I sight a nice looking guard and make my towards him while trying to scratch together my remaining dignity. “Ehmm excuse me sir”, I bluntly announce, “could you tell me where the Selected’s pets are staying at?” I present him my nicest smile I can bare and even seductively wink at him. That’s what they do in movies, right? “Ohh yeah Lady (…)”, the Guard answers while looking at my shiny silver nametag, “(…)Ruby, some of the pets were brought to garden. Princess Callie brought them there with her maids to look after them.” With a simple “thank you” I step trough the port into the loud green garden, full of little birds telling their stories through their own melodies and colourful flowers swaying in the wind. I hear a soft and simple melody, with easy tunes and notes, sung by a child. With short steps I follow the music, carried by the wind, and find a little girl in a princess dress, and two maids surrounding her, sitting in the grass. At her side my dog Lola playing fetch, laughter disrupting the lovely melody as Lola licks her tiny face. “Good day, your highness”, I approach the little girl with a small bow. She looks up to me, her tiny green-yellow eyes glowing full of life and love, shinning bright like the sun and are full of warmth. What a happy child. “Would you mind if Lola would come back to her rightful owner”, I ask the little girl with a genuine smile while pointing at myself. Maybe mother taught me well, maybe I am not as rotten as I think I am. Callie just nods and hand’s me Lola’s leash who arrives at my command as I whistle for her. God how much I missed my little sunshine. Still with a genuine smile plastered to my face I ask the maid where my bird is hiding before I get interrupted by the little child still sitting at my feet. “No, please don’t take the birdie away. I wan’t him to be mine”, she fusses, looking at me with big teary eyes. Okay, maybe she is not a brat but definitely spoiled. I sigh as I try to explain to her why she can’t keep my little music wonder Zuzu: “You don’t want that little bird to poke your eyes out, Princess Callie, do you?” Due to her appreciating her sight and not wanting to lose her little eyeballs, she agreed to let her “new favourite pet” go. With a little wave I say my goodbyes and settle down in a different part of the gardens.

What a day. I close my eyes and let my body glide onto the floor, feeling the cold grass gracing my bare legs. Lola flops herself next to me and whines softly as I message her small ears. I curl my body around her’s and deeply inhale her scent, while listening to the twittering of my lovely bird. I genuinely don’t know how I will make it through this competition without losing myself. But how can I lose myself, if I don’t really know who I am? Maybe over the course of this experience I’ll get to decide on my own who I am, with my best friends Lola and Zuzu by my side. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to fall in love. And try to be nicer.

#rubystones #practicechallenge2 #selection #'selectionocnet #oc #5.5k

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