The unseasonable warmth of the day created a pleasant environment for patio meals. Violet's hair glowed in the sunshine, where she sat looking out with lazy interest at the park. Her elbow rested against the round outdoor wooden table Hisoka had chosen for their seats. She supported her chin with a hand, watching a few adults teach children to toss a frisbee. Hisoka swallowed two mouthfuls of water without breaking his gaze trained on the woman. 

Of all the questions swirling in his mind, he opted to start with something simple. Quiet, that was how she acted and only responded when prompted. It was unlike the kitten he knew. Curiosity usually won out against fear and better judgement, more than not, keeping her questions and pesky behaviour near non-stop. The magician concluded she needed more time to recover from yesterday's breakdown.

"When did you meet your husband, Violet?"

A sigh left her pink lips before she turned to face him. "I don't remember much from my arrival in that other place," she explained. "I assume my memory loss is from the damage I took on the crossing. I was disoriented and in gang territory. Not that I knew it then. Keff found me and got me to safety."

"Why was he in the area if it was so dangerous?"

"It wasn't for him. He was the fourth-highest member of the gang," she elaborated. "But he respected people more than the other members. They weren't all bad. The gang doctor became a family friend. He helped deliver our baby. I needed an emergency cesarian. Humans don't do well carrying or delivering demon babies, to say the least."

Violet looked away, watching the swaying leaves of the trees as they danced in the gentle wind while the pair waited for their food.

"Hm~♠" Hisoka considered holding his tongue, but curiosity got the better of him. "Why don't you have a surgical scar? Is that why you don't bleed?"

The shock in her eyes was not unexpected. It reverberated through the magician when she nodded. He hadn't expected her to be so forthcoming with such sensitive information.

"I do cycle. Just not consistently. The damage was fairly severe after Toshi's birth. I was bedridden for weeks." She shook her head, likely at the pain of the memory. "Whether I could carry another child to term, I don't know. You don't see the operation scars because Docmora, our doctor friend, was a demon too. He healed me without a scratch but could only do so much for my reproduction. I have bled once here."

"Was your husband aware of those risks?" Hisoka wasn't certain why it mattered to him. Yet, the thought that she was placed in a situation knowingly caused chest tension. To soothe the discomfort, he drank the remainder of his water. 

"Hisoka..." Violet warned, and Hisoka realised he must have hit a boundary for what she would tolerate. "I don't mind you knowing, Hisoka. But I don't want to discuss it in public, please."

The magician noted how much her body stiffened and betrayed that she did mind. It was irrelevant to him either way and only meant to open the conversation to other topics. He allowed her a break as the bistro they visited served their lunch selections. A brunette with matching brown eyes laid the meals in front of them, lingering longer than the magician fancied before retreating to the indoor portion of the establishment. 

"All family topics will wait until we're back in the hotel then," he said before taking the first bite of his beef plate.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Just personal topics on my body. You obviously want to dig for more, so spit it out." She took her first bites as well.

"You were a demon hunter and living with a demon? Did your friends arrange an unfortunate 'accident' for your husband?"

Violet shook her head with vigour. "No. I joined after my family was murdered. Other demons killed them, Keff's family, actually."

Hisoka raised an eyebrow, and his interest in the topic spiked.

"Keff's mother, two brothers, and sister were the ones that attacked that night." Violet frowned and set her fork down, the opposite of what Hisoka intended when breaching the topic. "They struck our daughter first, beheaded her, then went for me, but Keff defended. He was their target. They skinned him... alive." She kept her eyes on the food and hid her shaking hand beneath the table, but Hisoka could sense the light vibrations. "I had a whiteout, and when I woke, he was dead, so was his sister, and his mother was injured. Both brothers were gone, and the place was engulfed in purple and black demon fire. I stayed with their bodies while his mother fled. Docmora pulled me out before the flames consumed us all. The condo building burnt to the ground with several others inside."

Hisoka frowned, and anger he didn't understand swelled inside his chest.

"I joined the government supernatural hunter organisation to track down the rest of Keff's family." Violet took another bite, easing some strain as she gave her jaw a task to focus on rather than building tension. "They trained me in a few areas, including medical skills and weapons. The knives and short swords were my favourites, but they didn't approve of us learning advanced abilities in useless skills," she revealed. "However, their entry testing is rigorous. They won't allow someone hurt by something supernatural to join that team. Someone whose family was killed by demons would never be allowed on the demon team because you cannot be impartial and will get yourself and others killed."

"Didn't you head that team?"

She hummed, and a cheeky, mischievous glint returned to her eyes, making the magician smirk. "Yes, I passed all the testing. My logical brain and sneakiness were honed just for that reason. I was able to hunt down and destroy every demon clan member that had any part in my family's death. I made them suffer like no other demon ever has in the past. However, I had a taste for the hunt after and remained."

There was a psychotic glint in her eyes that Hisoka knew well. It made her marvellously attractive to the murderous magician.

"When did you learn your Nen, Hisoka?"

He was aware of the subject change tactic employed but would reward her for the free flow of information. "I learned with a travelling circus. The ringmaster knew it, and I learned by watching within a few days when I was fourteen. Your Nen strengthens with age and the longer you've possessed it. That will hold true for you too, kitten."

Violet's cheeks painted, and she scowled at the use of his bedroom name for her in public.

"You said Jason was an enhancer?"

"I'm not sure."

"What was his hatsu?"

"Well." Violet paused to think while Hisoka paid for their meal and grinned, watching the brown-haired waitress eye his companion with evident interest. The huntress remained oblivious, as she usually did. "When he attacked me that first night...and...well—"

"You explained that last night; no need to repeat." Hisoka led them off the patio and into the park, where they walked the path at a lazy pace. He had long learned Violet preferred nature. She came to life around it, and even he needed to be cautious when stalking her back at Heaven's Arena—when she was in parks, her senses seemed to blossom into powerful instruments.

"He used knuckle dusters to do a lot of the damage before the worst act. It was his weapon of choice, next to a handgun," she informed. "A few nights ago, every time his fist hit his palm, the strength increased in his hand and forearm. It was so powerful I could feel the heat radiating off him. With each pound, it got stronger, and his skin changed to different colours. The same ones you see in flames: red, orange, blue. I'm sure that pattern would continue if allowed."

"That's why you thought enhancer?"

"Yes. He was enhancing that small area with each hit," she admitted. "However, the more I think about it. He could be a transmuter changing his skin to handle the heat. I don't know."

"No," Hisoka broke the silence. "I think your first instincts were right. Enhancer. But so were your second instincts."

Violet blinked her confusion.

"Enhancers have full mastery of enhancement, and anything on their body can be fortified well beyond what a normal human can do. However, they have eighty percent mastery of transmuter techniques. He likely is doing both."

"Well, fuck..."

"We'll do that later tonight, kitten." Hisoka grinned at the mixture of annoyance and embarrassment on her pale face.

A vicious idea stuck him, forcing an instant reaction. The shrill squeak Violet released as he pressed her into a large growth tree paid the magician many times over for his poor behaviour. Before she could verbally protest, his hand covered her mouth, and the other was around her arm. Her hand wrapped around his wrist, and the other feebly resisted against his chest. Dipping to rest his mouth next to her ear, his hand released the ensnared arm, roaming her side instead.

"Of course, we can do that now if you prefer," he purred into her ear. "You know how much I love public intimacy~♥"

Violet screamed and fussed from beneath his hand. Hisoka hunted hander with the remaining arm, finding her backside to squeeze before allowing the other hand to join the ravishing search. Their lips ghosted each other, neither wanting to make the first, inevitable move.

"H-Hisoka..."

Hot breath fanned onto the pink lips as they darkened with colour. Hanging them open was a cruel jest if the huntress wanted to stop. How could he possibly say no to such an invite? But the goal was to tease and frustrate, and the magician had every intention of following through with that plan. His tongue licked at his own commissures mere centimetres from Violet's skin. Just as his hands found the edge of her dress and one slipped under to tease, she released a moan.

The heat exploded in their mouths as Hisoka locked them together and found her tongue more than inviting, desperate for his arrival. For a moment, they both lost themselves in their greed as much as the shared desire.

When Violet lifted her leg high over his hip, the murderous man knew she was lost to his touch. That was the instant he could claim the second part of today's activities a success. But only if the restraint held in himself, and it was wearing eggshell thin. The huntress had weapons all her own. The touch of her fingers along his chest, sides and back to how her tongue massaged and racked across his teeth were dangerous threats. And her scent was intoxicating the magician. A perfect spring breeze made just for him.

A gasp rang through the cold air between them as Hisoka pulled away and started down the path again. He glanced over his shoulder, witnessing the rosy Violet huffing in recovery against the tree. Not to be left behind or show weakness she followed within seconds. A hard swallow upon retaking a place at his side indicated awareness of the disapproving judgement of a few other park patrons. They were less than approving of the sudden feast the magician afforded himself in front of them. It was no matter, with both fighters paid little mind to the on-lookers moments later. 

Guided to the right and off the path, Violet stopped with Hisoka in the sun-kissed green field while they waited in a queue for the last remaining ice cream carts still in operation before winter. She continued to recollect her composure while they qued.

"What about manipulators?"

"You're a specialist," Hisoka grinned at the scrunched nose he received in response. Violet questioned her water test as a specialist and repeated it several times. The test produced the same result every time—specialist. "Have you had any luck with your hatsu, Violet?"

"No," she grumbled. "I can freeze up to a glass of water, but I cannot increase the amount or speed. It takes nearly all my Nen to do it."

"That's not ideal."

"Don't get soft on me now, teacher," Violet joked. "It's outright useless. I'm supposed to be a specialist. But all I seem drawn to are manipulation techniques."

They stepped forward and ordered their selections. Violet paid for both sweets.

"Your hatsu should be something personal. My Bungee Gum was the only sweet and something I loved from my childhood. That plays no small part in the strength of my hatsu. You need to find your own individual skill. It will be something no other Nen user can do since you're a specialist."

Violet furrowed her brows, looking at the new phone they stopped to pick up before lunch. Multiple missed prompts had been plaguing the device since starting it. "Your strength is far more than your Bungee Gum, though. You are physically powerful, a stealth master, and a tactical genius."

A proud grin spread onto Hisoka's lips. He was all those things and more, but she was just starting, and he was a master. Before he could say as much, the woman sighed with tension while racking her eyes across the phone.

"What is it?"

She shook her head. "Heaven's Arena keeps sending me messages saying my payments are bouncing and looking for new bank details. I haven't fought since I fought you. Those fights are unpaid. It has to be scams."

Hisoka curled his finger, asking for the device. Violet placed it in his hand while she focused on her mint chocolate chip icy delight. It was better he avoided watching as she devoured the sweet, so his sole focus remained on the phone.

"They're trying to pay your merchandise royalties." He passed back the phone and turned to focus on his bubblegum ice cream with his eyes trained everywhere but on what Violet did with her mouth.

"My what?"

Hisoka chuckled. "Kitten~♥" He turned to see a pouting confused face. "After floor one-hundred and fifty they use the fighter's likeness, fighting styles and weapons in sales. Everything from gift shop knock offs to mugs, and even I don't know what else. Anyone who read the paperwork they asked to be signed when entering the battle tower knows this." He looked at her pointedly and was rewarded with rolling hazel orbs.

"You take a fifteen percent cut of all profits on that merchandise. It's paid out to fighters weekly. The higher the fan base and standing of 200th-floor fighters, the more profits they earn. The fights may not bring in money, but that doesn't mean they're up there for nothing."

"I should have read the stupid paperwork..." Violet mumbled to herself, making the magician wear a soft grin.

----

After a successful day cruising around the park and shopping to the point Violet was ready to drop, they returned to the extravagant suite. The smell of dust, paint and fresh air from an open-window breeze met them. Padding into the bedroom the blonde B-lined for the closet to set her few things away.

Hisoka shook his head, watching. It was the most challenging task he'd ever attempted: getting that woman to buy anything.

Is it because she doesn't like shopping or does she not think she's worth it? No, her confidence is shaken, but she still has self-worth. I'd have no interest in her if she didn't.

A loud gasp and his name on the air drew the man's attention back to the stone-still huntress in the hallway. He sauntered over, pursing his lips tight to hold back a grin, realising she found the surprise. Inside the fully functional washroom stood crip, grand improvements. Hisoka sat his hands on his hips with satisfaction. They'd made the alterations with near perfection.

"It's giant!"

Although an obvious statement, Hisoka loved the bliss on her face and excited tone. The workers had knocked the back wall down and fanned the washroom out. Replacing the old walk-in shower were floor to ceiling tiles lining the last third of the room. A transparent door and open shower area now lived at the back of the area. A small divider separated the shower spot to the left from the grand jacuzzi tub raised atop a two-step platform. This was added with Violet in mind but large enough for Hisoka to stretch out too. The tub that once sat in the room had been removed and replaced with storage for towels, toiletries and housecoats, with a pink and purple one hanging in staged delight.

"The purple one is yours, kitten."

Violet turned, her eyes sparkling through tears and her cheeks red. A sob burst forth from her mouth. She raced towards him and offered a tight hug. Hisoka paused, uncertain how to react at first. When he felt a sob vibrate along his chest, a laugh escaped. 

"Silly, little pet," Hisoka cooed. "So emotional anymore. What master would I be if I didn't provide for my little kitten? Hm?"

The bubbling laughter muted within Hisoka's shirt. "You're such a creepy asshole and so charming at once." She sighed into his chest. "Also, you're not my master. You don't own me."

"This morning, you said otherwise." Hisoka pointed out. And I plan to have you repeat it. Perhaps I should record it and play it back—

"That's just when we play in the bedroom," she interrupted his thoughts. "You never said we were exclusive."

The magician paused for a moment as the multiple meanings in that statement hit his mind. The vast majority of his anger the other night was that she tasted like another when he kissed her. Had that interaction gone beyond a kiss? Is that what she was saying? The thought of another so much as touching her, let alone going further, infuriated him. However, he doubted she would do that as it was out of character, and she was clearly running for her life when he found her. 

Distancing himself from Violet, he lifted her chin with a single finger. "Shall I collar you and make it official then, kitten? ♥" 

Bright red blotched onto her cheeks and ears as she paused before shaking her head. "No! Collars mean ownership and marriage in BDSM! That's—"

"Not necessarily," Hisoka interjected, understanding fully why that would create such a panicked reaction. "You can collar for play. We could also do it to be exclusive, as you put it."

"Y-you just want to collar me for play?" Her legs stepped together, and Hisoka knew he was losing his restraint. The topic was too important to let intimacy interfere, though. 

"No. I want to own you, Violet. I want the world to know you're mine and mine alone." He stepped forward as the colour darkened on her face and travelled down her neck. "However, you need to agree and freely. I will wait until you not only ask for it but beg me to do it. How does that sound?" The woman remained wide-eyed and speechless but gave a short nod. "Do you want to try out the bath?"

Glee lit the woman's face, and quick nodding replaced her embarrassed demeanour. Whatever manner of feelings plagued the magician around Violet bubbled to the surface. Her happiness brought both joy and conflict to Hisoka at once. A puzzle he would solve later.