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[killectric]

so i just got here

and yeah i got the whole welcoming spiel so can it

i got separated from my friend somehow but hes gotta be here somewhere. if u see a kid named gon that wears all green and is way to cheerful lemme know.

oh and what happens if u just skip school? theyre telling me i have to go to school when the new semester starts. ive never went to school before though and it sounds like a waste of time.

[Something about the tight-knit government around here, how he arrived, and everything they knew about him just rubbed Killua the wrong way. Normally he wouldn't even care to ask, but he has to wonder if there's some ridiculously disproportionate punishment for playing hooky. He's been here all of a day and he already doesn't trust the place.

The last thing he remembers from home was using Accompany On with Gon. By all means they shouldn't have been separated, and yet they were, which is why he's convinced his friend has to be here somewhere. Not that anyone at the base would tell him.]

Comments

[memorybomb]

Clever. [She smiles and sets her hand down. She hadn't planned on reading him, but if she wanted to, she knows it wouldn't be difficult for her at all.]

And yes, there is. There's myself, and four others. Not including you or Hisoka.

[killectric]

[He knits his brow, assuming those "four others" are more of the Troupe. At the very least it has to be someone they both know. Otherwise there wouldn't be a point in her answering.

Killua won't press for answers on who. Those two back at the auction had said they weren't going to kill him, and he'd like to keep it that way.]

So that makes seven. [Possibly 8, assuming she isn't counting Illumi.] Does this happen a lot? People arriving who know each other. People coming back from the dead...

[memorybomb]

It happens more often than you'd expect. [A shrug.] And sometimes people arrive, leave, and then return with no memory of their previous stay.

Apparently this isn't your first time here, and Gon was here for a time as well. But that all happened before my own arrival.

[killectric]

[That would explain why he doesn't remember being here before. If it's true, anyway, and it's pretty unsettling if it is. He doesn't like the idea of forgetting an entire chunk of his life. But then, Pakunoda said she was only here for two months and hadn't met him herself--which means she's trusting someone else's word on it.]

Yeah, I've heard. So you actually believe that? The only person who's said they know me from before is Hisoka. [And he had plenty of reasons to take whatever Hisoka said wit ha grain of salt.]

[memorybomb]

The person who gave me that information was far more trustworthy than Hisoka will ever be. [That is definitely a lot of bitterness there as she says the clown's name, so no, he wasn't the one who told her at all.

The person who told her is trustworthy, but mostly to her. Anyone who's really met Chrollo and knows what his like would find trusting him to be more than a bit difficult. But... well. It's a Spider thing.]

[killectric]

... [So, a Troupe member. But Pakunoda was mindful enough not to say who, and he's still not going to ask.

After a moment he shrugs, seeming thoughtful.] I'll be more convinced when people I don't know start saying they've met me.

[memorybomb]

I doubt that will take long. I'm sure you made some friends during your last stay here. Unless you just clung to Gon's side, of course. [Either one is possible, so hey. She won't assume.]

[killectric]

[Is she calling him clingy?!] I have other friends, you know...

[He just likes spending most of his time with Gon. They have a lot in common, and they're always training together.] If I really was here before, somebody will recognize me.

[Despite that, Killua doesn't sound particularly excited.]

[memorybomb]

Well, there are already people who recognize you. You'd just probably would prefer they didn't. [Hisoka, Illumi... Yeah. She was reading over the public responses to that post while she was waiting for him.]

[killectric]

What, like Hisoka? [He straightens his shoulders, lips drawn.]

He doesn't bug me as much as some other people.

[memorybomb]

Well. [She takes a moment to pull out her communicator again and go through that post again.] There's that person you called 'bro', too. It's not as if it's hard to see he's someone you'd rather avoid. [She shrugs a little.]

But like I said, you were here once before. If you made any friends during that time, they'll contact you eventually.

[killectric]

[Killua bristles, his aura spiking. While he mostly just sounds annoyed, there's obviously much more to it than that.]

No, that's just my brother. Now that he knows I'm here, he'll never get out of my hair. [A shrug, and Killua turns away to look off at the city skyline. At least there were other cities around, as long as his brother didn't know which one he lived in...]

[memorybomb]

[She says nothing for a moment, but then...]

I could help with that, if you'd like. [The brother problems, she means.] Potentially, anyway.

[killectric]

...No. [He takes in a breath, steady.]

He's my brother. I'll deal with him. [Somehow... But what choice did he have? He didn't want Illumi dead.]

[memorybomb]

[Well, she wouldn't kill him. She probably wouldn't even be able to. In terms of strength and fighting ability, he'd have her outmatched. Though if he ever found out where Killua lived or got too close for the boy's comfort, messing with his memories to make him less troublesome is definitely something she could do. But Killua said no, so she'll respect that.]

Very well. The offer's still there is you ever change your mind.

[killectric]

[He can never be totally sure what the Phantom Troupe might do, and while he's confident in his brother's strength and in Pakunoda holding her word if he had said not to kill him--it's still something he wants to do on his own. From beginning to end.

Because if he can't do this on his own, he'll never be able to be truly independent.] I'll keep it in mind.

[Killua stands there a moment, thinking--and then he turns back to her with a small smile quirking up and snapping of his fingers with an idea.] Y'know, as weird as this place is, at least it did something right by bringing you here.

[As in, bringing her back to life.]

1/2

[memorybomb]

[Blink blink what.]

[memorybomb]

[And she just... laughs. Despite not being on bad terms with him compared to the other spiders, she still hadn't expected that.]

My, my! That's very sweet of you to say, Killua.

[killectric]

[Wow, he said it but then she laughed and acknowledged it like that and now he's embarrassed and turning red.]

Y-yeah, well, you don't have to get all weird about it!

[memorybomb]

It's weird to think you're sweet for being glad I'm here? [Okay, she's just teasing now.]

[killectric]

Now you're just putting words into my mouth! [Words that had been the exact ones he'd been trying to say, but that's not the point.]

[memorybomb]

[Get ready to have your hair ruffled, Killua. Because that's totally what's happening.]

Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. [That you're a softie.]

[killectric]

--! [Killua jumps back in a flash, and a good several feet too thanks to his springiness. It wasn't because he was afraid of being hurt though--no, he was just indignant. Pakunoda really knows how to rub it in.]

Whatever, I've gotta go! I won't find anyone who recognizes me from standing around here.

[memorybomb]

You're right, you won't. [A smirk, and she waves him off.] Good luck finding someone.

[killectric]

Right, see ya. [He raises a hand and then casually jumps off the roof (to land on another building just below, but he wanted to make a cool exit).]