Challenge Accepted (A Hunter x Hunter Fanfiction)

Three: Second Glances

"Challenge Accepted"

Three: Second Glances

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Cheadle sniffed the fresh tea Manu Graives’ wife had prepared for her when she decided to drop the Graives a visit, in full consideration of their invitation back at the containment center. She quite appreciated the aroma of the tea and the hospitality. Indeed, Mrs. Graives had prepared tiny tea-time feast: some berry cakes, butterscotch scones and mint tea. There was also a cold pitcher of lemonade in case the Chaiperson fancied herself a glass. She felt rather at home.

In the suspicion that Dr. Fiz might simply send her home with a prescription called “a day off and half a sleeping pill,” Cheadle ascertained to contact the psychologist for a proper appointment another day, when she had her bearings straight. She wouldn’t want to puzzle the good doctor with her pronunciations of dreaming about the future—and how can a nightmare possibly come true? Of all the nightmares to dream about on the employed date Manu Graives was to send her an augury dream!

Other than that, she liked Manu Graives’ silent wisdom, for all he wasn’t human. The old man at once knew that Cheadle had come to him to discuss her “nightmare,” so they took their respective seats by the veranda overlooking a strawberry field of the Graives’ home some miles away from the city. She had said she was “on official and urgent business.” Calming the Chaiperson’s nerves was urgent business, of course.

“Well, Chairperson Yorkshire,” began the human-guised alien, his brown eyes as resplendent as ever.”

“Please, call me Cheadle,” returned the dog-woman. “It would be dear to me if you would.”

Manu Graives smiled his kind smile. “We don’t choose the dreams that visit the recipients on the night we give them. There’s huge energy out there that picks the strongest fiber from a thousand other possible futures, and you see it in the form of a dream, is all.”

“Strongest?” Cheadle felt a knot in her throat.

“Yes, the most probable,” Manu Graives replied, blinking, calmly taking a sip from his turpentine cocktail. Cheadle tried hard to hide a grimace.

“Is…”

“…there a way to change it? Why, Cheadle, you are most welcome to try!” But there was the sonorous quality in Manu’s voice that simply showcased the fact that her attempts to alter her “most probable” future would be futile. Cheadle then blinked. If her life were a movie reel, she’d grab it from the projector, the screen going haywire as she tore the reel to shreds, flinging the remnants to the winds as she cackled her victory—

“Cheadle,” Manu’s voice pierced through her uncharacteristic little fantasy, “I won’t ask you why you detest young Mr. Hill so much; but,” this was when the old man produced his slyest of smiles, “if Mr. Hill decides to pursue you, how do you plan to evade that?”

Cheadle froze in the middle of plucking a piece of berry cake. At that moment she wanted to resort to a semblance of emotional eating. She had cakes, she had scones, she had lemonade and perhaps the hot chocolate Mrs. Graives was piping at the stove would be served to the table as well…