𝖍𝖝𝖍 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘

Serendipity

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Summary: Shalnark is the newest member of the Phantom Troupe and they stick him with the beast of the group. Uvo finds him amusing. Shalnark finds him unbearably hot.

Author: MissingInAction (on ao3)

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Serendipity
- (n.) finding something good without looking for it.

It wasn't because they were mean. At least, that's what Shalnark tried to tell himself. Of course they would act this way towards the new member. He couldn't be trusted just yet, even if the Boss did give him the okay. When he asked the nearest member, a woman with brightly colored pink hair, where their base was, all he received in return was a glare.

"You really think that people like us can afford to stay in one place? We don't have a base. We steal enough jenny to book hotels in the cities where we have jobs." The reply was curt, but something about the gleam in her eyes did not sit well with him.

They had gotten the request early that morning. After Shalnark had been introduced to the Troupe, a message came in that a some high-up mafia bosses were going to be in the next town over with precious jewels and artifacts. They were there for negotiation purposes and Shalnark vaguely remembered hearing about it on their way here. 'Here' being a shady hotel off the side of the road which, according to the woman--Machi?--was the only hotel with enough rooms for the lot of them.

Chrollo looked over the message carefully, his eyes distant as he considered what was to be gained. They won't do a job without his approval and he stated that he would decide sometime before nightfall. By the looks of it, the sun was only just beginning to set. Shalnark had spent his day observing the rest of the group from the sidelines, tense in both body and mind. He earned his place here only for taking out Chrollo's target, but that didn't mean he was comfortable being in a room full of thieves and murderers. This wasn't because he was scared--that was hardly the issue--the problem, rather, was in their unpredictability, and that made him uneasy.

A large hand caught his eye and he moved to sidestep it but to no avail. It came down on his back like a brick, the impact sending him straight to the ground.

"So you're the newbie!"

Shalnark looked up...and up...and up. This was not a man, it was a bear with a loincloth. He stood up slowly, a barely audible wince leaving his lips as he did and looked at the savage. "Do you greet all new members by attacking them?!" He huffed, brows furrowed in anger and hand twitching as it inched ever so much closer to his pocket. The nen that flowed through this man was incredible, it surrounded him in thick waves and Shalnark could only imagine how dangerous and most likely fatal any fight with this giant would be.

"Attack? I didn't attack you! That was a pat!" To prove his point, he repeated the earlier action with just as much enthusiasm. Despite being better prepared, the contact still managed to send him stumbling a few steps back. Incredible. Not only was the man's hand heavy and strong, the heat as it touched his back was nearly unbearable. "See? No harm done."

When Shalnark looked back up at the man, he was greeted by a broad smile. With that, it was as if any funk he felt earlier had disappeared altogether. The longer he allowed himself to gawk--and yes, he was definitely gawking--at the guy, the more he realized just how much of a giant he really was. Standing at almost six feet himself, he wasn't short by any means, but beside this behemoth he felt like a child gazing up at a tree. His arms were like trunks and his hair a mangled mess. Oh no, he was certainly no bear.

This guy was more like a wild lion.

"-gin."

"Excuse me?"