blueser | IC CONTACT

...Huh?

[the corner of Killua's mouth twitches. in his opinion, all Pokémon trainers are wimps. Guzma couldn't even fight Killua using his own body, but talked about how tough he was, taking credit for the strength of his creatures. makes sense someone like Blue, then, would cry about the lives of animals... someone tender hearted, possibly unlike Guzma.

it's annoying, but a point of view he can't discount, even if he doesn't personally agree. murder is so trivial to him, but Killua of course realizes that isn't normal. and lots of kind, normal people here legitimately like him... Blue just offered to live with him!]

Sheesh, okay. [he'll ask Blue more about this on a day he's a little less...already super upset, but, maybe that guild has their reasons?] Only because I'm gonna be living with you...

Like I said, I'm talented enough for other jobs.

[Killua gently bats at one of the fluffy spikes of Blue's bangs, momentarily flopping it.]

In exchange, though, you better figure out what kinda work you can do. What're you good at?

[Normally, Blue gets a little annoyed when people touched his hair, but... Something about the little bat that Killua delivers...]

[It makes his stomach flip a little.]

Uh-- [Blue stammers for a second as he stares, but quickly he recovers and tries to think on that question. What he's good at... Other than Pokémon...] Well... I'm used to helping my gramps with his research, so... I guess I could help out someone in an office or a lab, like that. But usually you have to be an adult for that kinda thing- it was just cuz I was his family that I could help with that.

[Blue's mouth twists. What else? Well...] ...I'm okay at cooking...?

Tch!

[Killua looks annoyed, popping his hands on his hips as they walk, fixing Blue a stern, nagging scowl.]

Stop giving yourself so little credit cuz you're a kid! We're exceptional kids from different worlds, you know! The kids here are probably all weak and stupid.

Administrative stuff is a real skill. You could probably help with local fauna or something. Maybe help rehab wild animals, or train them for whatever local people want 'em for.

I can beat up men three times my size, and I can't even cook.

You should have more confidence.

[Blue feels his face heat up a little more, and he still isn't sure why. It felt... nice to be praised and believed in like this. For as much as he bragged and fluffed himself up, it wasn't like people didn't jab at his real lack of self confidence most of the time, rather than tell him the opposite.]

[He finally breaks into a little grin and a chuckle as Killua rags on the natives. He wasn't really sure what the kids were like around here- other than that they went to school past age 10, for some reason??- but it just cheered him up a little to hear Killua's confidence come out so boldly.]

[Confidence was really something that drew him in, even though he wasn't used to it in such a ...vocal way....]

Someone else said that I should try helping at the university, too. [Blue breathes in a deep sigh and glances up at the sky filtering through the treetops.] I ...I guess I might as well look into it. People train a lot of wyverns and stuff too, it's the closest to Pokémon training they have. But I wonder if they'd let a kid work for them...

--Are you really that strong? [Blue glances over to him, as an afterthought, a little apprehensively curious.]

The worst that can happen is that they say no, and you're back to square one. Just try it out, find out what you need to do.

[to Blue's question, Killua glances at him cautiously.]

—Yeah, I am. There's a reason why I said hunting would be easy work for me. But I know lots of other useful things.

....I guess you're right. [Blue glances away again, taking a little breath. Well, if Killua thought he could do it, then... maybe?]

[It makes him uneasy to hear Killua say that, and he can't lie about that- so instead he decides to ask about what doesn't scare him.] Um, like what? I know you said you know stuff about chemistry...

--That reminds me, they have books in the library about that stuff, I looked for you after we last talked! Let's go to the library together and I can show you.

[See! He can be.... useful. It's working out already.]

Toxicity, [Killua gently corrects, glancing away with a pert scowl. he knows only a little about chemistry...]

—Ah! Sure. I mean... I don't know a lot about the local poisons and stuff. I'm sure this world has all kinds of stuff I'm not used to. [other worlds was kind of a lost cause...]

Besides that, I know how to pick locks, track and tail people, I can create illusions with the way I move... I don't make sound when I walk... I'm also really strong. I could probably do something like help people move, [he laughs.]

Oh!

[he lifts a finger.]

And I can manipulate—[is it weird to say his aura??? people know what those are, right]—my aura...

[he holds his hand ahead of himself, finger and thumb with about an inch between them—and a little spark emanates there. it's brief, but flashy.]

I can't really do it much on my own, though; I do better with a charge.

Edited 2019-05-27 02:04 (UTC)

[Blue shrugs. What's the difference? He sure as Shellder don't know!]

[That list of talents sure is... suspicious, though... Blue's mouth twists with a slightly awkward smile as it dawns on him that Killua definitely sound like a thief, or something like that, but... But he's so nice.........]

Eh?

[Blue stares at Killua as he explains his power, then down to his fingers, then back up again. He looks... amazed? Perplexed? It's hard to tell.]

Like.... 'Aura Sphere'? [He can use Pokémon's moves...?]

...Hm, I dunno. Basically, life essence that all creatures have. Humans can learn how to specifically manipulate that aura, which is called Nen. It's kind of through like—martial arts, I guess. When you do stuff like the little electricity spark I did, that's a form of Nen called "Hatsu"!

[Killua is sure that sounds insane. Hunters aren't allowed to explain Nen to ordinary people in his own world, so he understands from the jump how crazy that might sound...]

It sorta... sounds like what some Pokémon can do... [Blue concedes, to helpfully not make Killua sound totally crazy (although- humans that can do it?? Maybe it was related to Psychic's powers...?)]

[As they near the lakeshore, its waters spreading out on the horizon in front of them, Blue wonders how to explain that. None of his Pokémon could really use those sorts of powers, but...]

[Reaching back towards his belt thoughtfully, he turns to Killua again.]

Pick an element. [Blue grins, as his hand hovers behind him.] Like-- mmm... Wind, Water, Fire, Grass...

Mmm...

[since he has a less nuanced concept of elements, Killua doesn't go for his own. but because his player is a nerd ass who's into astrology, he goes with the following:]

Water.

[it could also be a simple, uninspired pick because of their environment. it's fun indulging this; Killua does genuinely like to learn, so...]

Edited (html is fake) 2019-05-27 02:37 (UTC)

Heh heh. You're gonna crap yourself!

[Blue grins widely, unclipping a ball from his belt and throwing it forwards towards the lake. It sails against the backdrop of the sky, nearly dropping into the lake before it bursts open on its hinge, a spiral of glowing energy releasing from within and forming a huge, huge shape.]

[As the ball snaps back towards Blue's hand, the energy solidifies into a huge sea serpent, which awaken with a mighty, hissing roar, its body half-wound in the lakewater. Its mouth hangs open with sharp teeth, head lowering closer to their level to blink at its trainer and inspect the new human alongside him. His breath smells very fishy.] RRRRRRHHHH?

Afternoon, Gyarados! [Blue beams cheerfully up at his Pokémon.] This is my new pal Killua! We're gonna live with him from now on!

[Killua's eyes are. insanely wide. he already knew about Pokémon, so this would almost seem like a really weird flex were it not for the fact that............ holy shit this thing is like 340693 times bigger than Guzma's bug Pokémon. and dragons are a strong motif in his family; curling around the walls of the Zoldyck estate, and framing the fearsome name of his grandfather's own Hatsu.

also, if you're a 14 year old boy, no matter what: dragons are top tier fucking cool shit. Killua doesn't give a shit about most animals, to be honest, but—]

Whoa!!

[Killua's too hesitant to physically interact with such a beast; he's no Gon. animals tend to be pretty indifferent towards Killua at best.]

"Gyarados"...

So much cooler than that guy's bugs...

[has he already forgotten Guzma's name.......... maybe]

You got that frolickin' right! [Blue huffs, holding a hand out to rub the huge fins crowning Gyarados' face without a shred of fear. Gyarados rumbles happily at the contact, although... maybe it's a little hard to tell when he's happy or not, with how ferocious he looks...]

He's actually really good with people. I raised him from just a tiny fish! [Blue holds his hands out- a space no bigger than three feet between them.] It's okay if you wanna pet him! Right, Gyara? [The dragon rumbles again, then brings his face a little closer to them- both to inspect Killua more closely and let him give pats. A good big fish boy!]

[Killua's hesitance is quite palpable as Gyarados comes closer. his heart thuds heavily. he's a little scared, but he isn't terrified—still, it's an interesting juxtaposition for a boy who just bragged about assassin related feats, taking down strong, grown men. because again, animals just aren't something he's comfortable with. this something he isn't confident or familiar with. the Zoldyck estate had beastly dogs to guard it, and Killua got along with them okay... but they'd been socialized with them since they were puppies as big as Killua.

but... Blue seems like a good person. way better than Killua.

so it's probably fine. but still, there's some hesitation as he reaches a hand out, firmly pressing his palm against Gyarados's snout. he doesn't feel any malice from the creature, and Killua's heart still races. specifically because it's a dragon, probably, there's a lot of weird emotions that well with this interaction... which might explain why Killua appears to be...faintly glowing?

he blinks, and swallows hard.]

[Blue notices how nervous Killua seems to be, but he just chalks it up to the fact that he's facing a giant, ferocious dragon. Even back home, Gyarados was a Pokémon that plenty of people feared (and for somewhat good reason), but Blue knows the temperament of his Gyarados, and he knows that this will be fine.]

[Encouragingly, he reaches out to pet him too, the dragon happily rumbling again with both boys patting him, his wide-finned tail waving in the air behind him.]

Heh heh, you like that huh, boy? [He turns to Killua again.] Pokémon can understand humans, by the way, so you can talk to him if you want.

I...

I wouldn't know what to say, [Killua mumbles, his cheeks pinkening a little. he feels dumb. no matter what, this is still...well, it's a dragon, but it's an animal?? and maybe a fish? or something?

he is def still petting it, tho]

I didn't know they could understand humans...

[Killua's eyes narrow bashfully.]

It's really cool you have something like this. I have to be honest, I...don't really care about animals much, but I think... this is the coolest one I've met.

Edited 2019-05-27 03:12 (UTC)

Haha, it's okay. [Blue leans against the side of Gyarados' face, such a casual invasion of the dragon's space, yet he doesn't flinch or anger. Gyarados continues to watch Killua expectantly, curious about this new human friend of Blue's. His trainer hadn't had a friend his own age for a long time....]

[Blue blushes a little and glances away.] Well. Gyarados aren't easy to train, so I'm pretty cool for having one, you're right about that. [So modest] Gyarados is really cool, right? But all my Pokémon are cool! They're doubly cool because... they had to work really hard to get so strong!

[Blue stands up straight, genuinely proud, and he almost seems to be glowing with it.] That's my favorite thing about my team!

[it's so weird seeing this bashful baby person all up in the actual face space of a whole dragon. by that same token, though, Killua doesn't stop to consider it unusual that he's so meek around the Gyarados.

given Blue's general lack of confidence, he absolutely does not take any one of his self praising statements doubtfully.]

That is cool...

In particular, I really like Gyarados.

[Killua sheepishly strokes along one of its whiskers, watching its deadly fangs from its gaping mouth.]

Dragons are sort of a symbol of strength where I'm from. My grandfather's Hatsu mimics a dragon like this one. You know, the type that's all long and serpentine.

[he glances back at Blue.]

If you trained them, aren't you the reason why they're so strong? Especially if this one is difficult to tame? I bet you really could get some good work related to animals around here. You seem so confident when you talk about Pokémon. You need to use that.

Edited 2019-05-27 03:44 (UTC)

[Gyarados himself takes the praise happily, but Blue just sort of stares dumbly at Killua's words. The reason they're strong... He sets his jaw a little, and nervously presses himself back against Gyarados' face, petting it quietly as he thinks about it. Thinks about all the doubts he's had, these last few years, since he lost.]

...In reality, it's because of them that I have any strength. [He says quietly, a little dejectedly.] That's how it is. Us trainers don't have anything without our Pokémon, and any good trainer knows that. [But what is it that the trainer contributes? He knows it deep down, but still he doubts himself. Still... I wonder... if I really pushed them too hard...]

To me, people are the scary ones. People try to hurt each other for no reason. When it comes to Pokémon, I-- I don't get scared. I don't think I would be scared unless it was like... a legendary, or something like that. [He doesn't think to explain that one.]

But, I guess you're right. I looked and looked for any jobs relating to training monsters, but all I saw were people wanting to hurt them. So I gave up... I got scared someone was gonna hurt my Pokémon, too.

[Gyarados rumbles with concern, sensing his trainer's sadness as he rubs his eyes.] ...Am I crazy for that?

...With what you've told me, I guess not.

[Killua furrows his eyebrows, watching as Blue rubs his eyes. this kid is really sensitive. is this really gonna be okay?]

People are scary. You aren't wrong. Sometimes the reason people hurt each other is scarier than what you perceive as random. Like the sort of people who contract people to kill other people—and more scary yet, the people who oblige those contracts for their livelihood. I guess you can call money a reason, but to me, that's not a real reason.

[not in the case of his family. they're impossibly wealthy, but still never turn down jobs that are so highly prolific.

this is the first time Killua's felt a little sad that he might not be able to be friends with someone. should he tell Blue?]

But... isn't it true, too, that people who use Pokémon—not all of them are good? The intention of the creature itself doesn't mean anything in the hands of someone evil.

However you personally define that.

[Blue isn't sure what to think of what Killua says. It sounded... almost familiar. Like what he was saying came from within himself, his experiences. It was frightening... but it also made Blue worried. Had he seen some awful things?]

[Speaking of having seen awful things...]

...Yeah.

There's a group of criminals back home. They're called the Rockets... Like with that guild, they poach Pokémon for money- sell them off for cash, or keep the strong ones for themselves, for their enforcers. They're involved with all kinds of crimes like that...

But even though they use Pokémon to enforce their crimes, they didn't believe in their strength. That's why the Rockets were all so weak...

[Not a problem for him, anyway. But for the weak, the helpless...]

[it's a little hard understanding all that with Pokémon in the mix. what the fuck are humans in this universe without these animals? the codependency is king of sick, in Killua's opinion. how can people not define themselves based on their own bodily merits?]

Blue.

[that said, Killua's eyes become sort of distant. distracted, and dark. he slides his hand from off of Gyarados.

he thinks, there's a reason someone like Gon is his best friend. he's sweet, and full of light—but has a type of intrinsic darkness that makes them kindred spirits. still too good for Killua, he thinks, even after everything they've gone through.

so what the hell is he thinking, trying to be friends with a boy like Blue?

they aren't very close yet, but Killua can feel it happening. it's easier to ruin this while the friendship is new.]

I should tell you something.

I won't be mad or anything if you decide to not be my friend, or back out of living with me or whatever.

Huh...?

[Blue stares back, watches Killua, and in the pit of his stomach feels something terribly wrong. The lakewater churns at their feet, between the both of them the tide turns uneasy and foamed, like ocean water. Gyarados quietly rumbles his concern again, like clearing his throat.]

[No.... not when he was just starting to... Not when he was just beginning to have another friend... A friend.....]

You... don't want to...?

—No!

[Killua raises his hands defensively, palms open as a gesture of non ill-intent.]

N-no, it's not that, I definitely... want to.

[when Killua clarifies this, he suddenly feels a resolve bubble up through him that makes him clench his fists earnestly.] I want to be your friend!

But... I'm not going to make you.

The truth is, back home, I come from a famous family of assassins. We don't have Pokémon, or much of anything like that, in my world. I've killed more people than you can imagine. I quit being an assassin, but that only means I stopped doing it for money; I've killed since then. Life for my title, and the culture around it, is brutal, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a killer.

When I ran away from home, I renounced that life style; I rejected the notion that I had the soul of a killer, because I wanted friends... but I can never be someone like you.

[his eyes harden, a little.]

You're...really pure.

[the air around Killua is dense, cold and heavy; the weight of his remorse, and otherness, manifesting physically. hopefully this damn dragon doesn't eat him up for all this dangerous information, or the nature of Killua's deceit.

he legitimately didn't think Blue was this soft when they first met; he was so confidently calling Killua a loser, and in general being pretty ballsy... and it's not that Killua dislikes the reality of this boy, either.

he just doesn't see it fitting.]

Sorry. I usually tell people pretty freely right when I meet them, but something made me hesitate. That was selfish of me.

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