Hunters X and X Heroes

Before X the X Mission

A couple knocks on her door and a call of "Rukei!" disturbed the girl from her quiet practice. The simple meditation of Ten was a good rest from the more intense training she had been working with tirelessly the past few days.

"The door is unlocked," she replied hesitantly as she stood to her feet, giving a side long glance towards the woman who entered. Surprisingly enough, a familiar blonde head followed that, a taller one that had to duck under the door frame, a man of similar stature after that, a short woman with a pleasant voice after, and two unmistakable conspicuous heads popped in right after, one white, the other spiky.

A whole crowd had gathered at that point and Rukei straightened her posture, very confused at the whole reception.

"What's happening-"

"Happy birthday!"

Rukei wanted to reply but was a bit too surprised as Shichi suddenly pulled a popper in her face. Rukei didn't bother to pull away streamers clinging to her hair and shoulders as she blinked dumbly.

Gon had spoken after first, bouncing up to the girl, "Shichi told us that 'that crazy woman makes us celebrate birthdays', so we wanted to do something for yours!"

Rukei felt her cheeks begin to tingle with warmth and she tried to convince herself that she was not completely, absolutely, and inexplicably overjoyed. She failed.

There was quiet snickering from the corner as a certain white-haired boy was barely holding back. Upon receiving the brunette's glance, the boy burst out into laughter, "You should have seen your the look on your face! So party poppers can actually get you to change your expression?"

And while the two held up a short banter, the older men and women started setting about to rearranging the room. Shichi was self-proclaimed boss under the reasoning that she was holding the cake and thus rendered useless to move any tables or chairs.

And so with a rickety hotel desk set in the center and chairs of all sorts pulled around it, Rukei was sung a little song, candles were blown out, and everyone shared the cake.

Shichi gave a brief lecture to the younger on how eating too much of it was bad and this could only be done once in a while. Someone made a comment on how the older was just as fussy as the younger, which ended in a childish chase around the table. The blonde chastised both lightly but each one insisted that the other started it, and they were the victim. But the laid back, easy atmosphere and air of a familiar normalcy that reminded her of the small apartment in Jianghai, gave Rukei a sense of home to celebrate September ninth.

A sudden ring of her phone brought the background bickering of Shichi and Leorio to a hush and Kurapika stopped chiding them at the call out of instinctive curiosity. She picked up the device, and took a quick look at the caller; an unregistered number. She had expected it to be Glass or Crimson.

If this is Hisoka...

"Hello, Nazoku-san. I believe today is your birthday. I wish you well."

To her relief, it was not the creepy clown. But this voice... Had she heard it somewhere before? It belonged to an older man in his later years, but had an edge of refinement and intelligence in it.

"You must be puzzled to be receiving this random call. And I have yet to introduce myself. Pardon me," there was a pause of waiting before he continued on, "But I have heard quite a bit about your memory. Do you remember who I am?"

Where had she heard it? It was not that long ago, but it wasn't that recent either... A memory of an assembly and speech flashed over her mind as she jolted out of her chair, standing up stiff, "Boss- Captain- I mean-" the girl panicked, fumbling for some appropriate title before settling for a short, "Sir!"