The Otonari's Last [Draft, Discontinued]

XII - the Application

"Maybe," the man replies. I pull my dance ribbon from my bag, and Kurapika grabs his wooden swords. "Wanna give it a try?"

*Two Hours Later*

I leaned my shoulder against a tree, trying to get my feet under me. Kurapika kneeled a few feet away, both of us breathing heavily. The man sat on a tree log, not out of breath in the least. Rain and sweat dripped down my face, and I swiped my now-loose bangs out of my eyes.

None of our attacks had worked against him... How? How is it possible for someone to be this strong? I punch the tree next to me, a large dent forming where my fist hit the bark. Frustrated tears began to stream down my face. If he's like this... Just how strong is the Phantom Troupe?

"Understand now?" the man asks. "You both still lack something." He throws our Hunter Licences in front of Kurapika. "Come with me. I'll be your teacher. The real exam has only just begun."

*Six Months Later*

As Kurapika and I walk back to the abandoned building, I stretch my arms.

"It's good to return to civilization after so long, huh?" I ask him.

"I guess so," he responds.

"Who would've thought that both of us could have specialization abilities? I mean, I've been using mine way longer than I've known about Nen." I place my hands behind my head, glancing up at the sky. "It's weird."

"A bit, yes," he agrees as we arrive at the agency. We head toward the woman's office, and she immediately recognizes us. "You remember us?" Kurapika asks, surprised.

"Sure, we don't get many visitors here," she drawls, one hand on her laptop. "Since you were here, only one other person has dropped by. This place is much harder to find than you realize. This is a surprise. Learning Nen only took you both half a year? So, what kind of employer are you seeking?"

"We're looking for someone who has a lot of influence on the Yorknew City auction," I tell her. "The job itself doesn't particularly matter."

"The Yorknew City auction..." She types into her computer. "Employers with a lot of influence generally post the more difficult jobs. I doubt any of them will hire two Hunters with zero experience." She pauses. "I see three of them... Three employers who will decide based on the interview, rather than your record. And they're only looking for bodyguards. I'll give you descriptions, so make your choice.

"The first one is a gun fanatic. Specifically, he's looking for a Midget Corp Golsnake 55, Limited Edition, Series #001. The second one is a collector of fine china. Wants Lord Corp commemorative plates from 1655 and 1657... The third one collects human trophies. Skin covered in snaking dragon tattoos, jellied infant skulls, et cetera. A fascinating hobby. Well, take your pick," she says, looking up from her laptop. Her eyebrows raise when she looks at Kurapika's face, and I glance at him. His eyes were glowing scarlet slightly from behind his black contact lenses. I sigh and set my hand on his shoulder.

"We'll take the last one, please," I respond, smiling kindly at her. She hands me a slip of paper with the information on it, and I thank her before pulling Kurapika out of the room. We walk back down the steps of the building and head through the city. "Ah, we're going to Yorknew City, Kurapika! We'll get to see the guys in a month, too!" I shout excitedly, walking backwards.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to see them after so long," Kurapika answers, smiling softly at me. A shorter woman glances back after passing us, but I ignore it.

*A Few Days Later*

"We've arrived, Ara," Kurapika mouths after poking my shoulder. I shut off my music, turning to face the large gates that blocked us from entering the premises and I click the bell.

"We were sent by the agency," I announce. "I'm Ara, and this is Kurapika." The gates slide open, and we make our way toward the mansion's doors. "Aw, look at all the cute dogs, Kurapika!" I wave at the dogs, grinning. My companion chuckles at me, and I give him a fake pout. As we reach the doors, they swing open to reveal an old butler.

"Welcome," he says. He shows us to an elevator, then brings us to a single door on the second level. "Please wait in here."

"Thank you," I tell him, opening the door. I walk in with Kurapika directly behind me. Three men and two women already sat in the room, one of the females being the short woman that I saw after getting the information for this job. I smile widely at no one in particular, and the tense atmosphere of the room seems to dissolve a little. Kurapika and I sit on the couch that was on the right side of the room.

"I apologize for the wait," the butler says, having followed us in. "Everyone has arrived, so we will now explain the contract." He presses a button on a remote, and the large painting on the left side of the room flickers before showing a man in a chair.

"I'll start by stating the requirements," the painting-man says. "I won't ask whether you have a License. I'm only interested in whether you can obtain the items we request. There's one month before the auction begins. Before then, you must find one item from the list we will provide, and bring it here."

"These are the data cards," the butler says, holding up seven technological cards. We walk to him and take a card. I start flipping through the list.

Lock of hair... Arm... Skin... Skull... The only one that looks interesting is the 'heart of an electrical shock victim'... My own heart skips a beat at the next item. My head snaps to Kurapika, who stood next to me. I quickly grab his hand, then squeeze it gently. He glances at me, and I could see that his eyes were scarlet.

"What?" one of the men asks as Kurapika tenses. "What's wrong? You look pale. Ah, Kurta eyeballs? A-rank obtainment difficulty -"

"Please, don't say anything else," I say, looking at him. My eyes plead with his, and he stops talking.

"I'll say it again," the painting-man says, and I release Kurapika's hand as he calms down. "You only need to find one item from the list. If you are successful, you will be hired, to begin training as a bodyguard and a collector. Best of luck, then." The screen reverts to the painting.

"The door won't open," the man from earlier says as he twists the handle. The screen returns to the painting-man.

"I forgot to mention one thing," he says. "The barest minimum requirement is that you be strong... Strong enough to leave this mansion alive."