Beryl found Dandelion on the streets of Meteor City. She heard timid, whimpering cries, followed them with a curious heart, and saw, horrified, a bundle of light blue and purple cloth lying in the corner of an abandoned alley; the once beige paint covered by graffiti: burnt orange tigers and silk and fire, symbols of the Silken Tigers. She picked up the small package gently, careful to avoid cutting her fingers on the sharp debris and rocks, and left quietly while savage nen users battled for supremacy less than a block away.
At the age of fifteen, Beryl proved herself an ill prepared mother. But who else was there? Clearly, whomever left the small child - a girl, as Beryl found out - did not care enough to raise her. Not even to leave a note.
As a member of the Kurta Clan, she understood more than most the bonds of family, and the extremes to which she would go to for them. After all, the elders of the clan assigned her to stake out in Meteor City and inform them of the many assassins and scarlet-hunters who sought to harm the clan. The thing is, they didn't say anything about not being allowed to raise a child.
Beryl stepped into the empty church where she lived for the past year as the afternoon sun shone through the cracked stained glass. The church used to be beautiful, sacred even, but when Father Revenward was assassinated (a trade deal gone wrong), no one bothered to pick up the responsibility of maintaining the church. Beryl ran her hands across the thick stone columns, glided across heavy oak door (with only one door hanging sadly in the space of two ) and confirmed her traps have remain untouched.
She hoisted the bundle higher in her arms and stepped into the courtyard: her garden awaited her, as did Elyswera, the large black hound she found wandering nearby. His right ear had been torn in a fight, and he had limped that night as his nose carefully sniffed the air for scraps. Beryl patched him up, fed him, and taught him sit.
Wera bounded up to Beryl and sniffed curiously at the new being that joined them.
"Down boy, it's not polite to sniff at people." Beryl patted his fur and sat by the stone table overlooking the once flourishing gardens. Wera dropped to his bottom, his tail wagging furiously. He wondered if Beryl brought back a treat.
"This is your new sister! Say hello... ah, I supposed she needs a name..." Beryl looks around. The ornate roses and orchids were unable to survive Meteor City's toxic soil, and even less so its inhabitants who would sell them for less than a Jenny.
Out of the corner of her eye, Beryl spotted a small blip of bright yellow - small and almost unnoticeable from within the cement blocks that lay around. A small dandelion. A weed. Persistent. An unquenchable desire to live.
Beryl smiled and nudged the babe's nose. "Dandelion it is then. Maybe it was fate that drew me to you, baby, but you made your own luck by crying out for me. You're strong, you will survive anything this world throws at you, wont you?"
Dandelion gurgled and kicked her feet in protest: she had wet herself and felt extremely uncomfortable.
A knock resounded from the singular door.
Beryl turned her head, her hand gripped her knife, and her heart beat stopped as she faced the intruder.
"Oh, you scared me, mister Morrow."
A young boy, no more than five or six, peeked out from the door frame. He wore a tattered shirt and carried a small bag with him. His arms held above his head, he said: "Beryl-nee! Don't attack! I come in peace."
Beryl released her nen and the repressed air swept through the courtyard and the small boy ran over with a large grin.
"You seem happy mister Morrow, have you found something special today?" Beryl gestured to his bag.
He chuckled, and held it out towards her. "Beryl-nee, I came to say goodbye today. I decided to go travelling with the circus, the one that's passing by town. They're leaving tomorrow to travel the world!"
"Ah! Isn't that exciting!!" Beryl clapped on her thighs with one hand. Her eyes misted. When she first arrived in Meteor City, it had been this young boy who had taught her how to steal bread and find hiding places from the gangs, who taught her to read Thieves Cant and which stores threw edible scraps out and which ones poisoned their leftovers.
"These are for you, I wont be needing them since the circus will be providing me with food now." The boy placed the bag on the stone table. Mangoes and apples and a large piece of dried meat peeked out of the bag. The last of his food, but he didn't mind. Beryl always helped him mend after fights, she taught him how to read and write, and sometimes told him about stories about places and people from far away. His gaze passed by the large green eyes and small nose of the baby. He stopped.
"What's that, Beryl-nee?"
Beryl held Dandelion for the boy to see.
"Her name is Dandelion. I found her today... someone abandoned her." Just like you, she thought, but bit back the words when she saw the expression on the young boy's face.
He patted his pockets but came up empty. He turned them inside out and a piece of bubble-gum tumbled out. The last thing he had of value. He stuck the aluminum foil into the wrap and smiled at Dandelion.
"I like her. If she ever decides to leave Meteor City, tell her she'll have someone out there to look after her, like you did for me, Beryl-nee."
A sharp bang two blocks down shattered the boy's sentence. He looked up and the setting sun and frowned.
"I have to go, I'll be late. Bye bye, Beryl-nee. I don't know when I can see you again. Will you tell me another story when I see you?"
Beryl smiled. "I promise to tell you all the stories."
"Pinky swear!"
They intertwined their pinkies and swore to never break the oath. The young boy with fuchsia hair skipped off, not knowing the promise would never be fulfilled.
...
A/N:
Tldr is that university sucks, I'm still super busy, but I've decided I needed to do something that makes me happy and is more productive than playing video games. (Which I wills still do, its, yeah)
OMG HI ITS BEEN TOO LONG.
I HONESTLY MISSED WRITING AND HISOKA AND FANFICS SO MUCH YALL HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT NEW BOOK !!! I'm so excited to see where this goes. Right now my plan is for a very mellow and cute and wholesome story, but its Hisoka so you know its gonna get messy real quick.
To the OGs: I've missed you all!! Reading your comments in my other stories gives me so much life and love I cant. It's seriously such a refreshing and energizing experience. This story might sound different than my previous stuff because it's been a few years, my writing is probably terrible and I'm also way older now so idk how that will affect everything, we will see!
To new readers: Hi! I hope you like this story! Thank you for clicking on it and I hope you will continue to read. I am sorry for updating sporadically, such is the life when you are in third year university -w-
Per usual, sorry for any spelling grammar mistakes, if you see one point it out please! Have a great day~
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RUIN | Hisoka Fan Fiction
Fanfiction[ -- work in progress, updates either biweekly or weekly --] In the depths of the ruins of Meteor City, a flower blooms. Quiet and peaceful in her ruin of cobble and stone, Beryl raised Dandelion for the genteel lifestyle, after all, she wanted a l...
