"Hisoka, wait! I'm—"

The tearing and fraying of several hair strands met Violet's ears as trees tugged her backwards for yet another round of keep away with her locks. She growled in frustration at being caught once more as much as at the insurmountable split-end damage she was enduring on this journey. Sweat dripped down her brow, and she sighed, hardly even caring where Hisoka was any longer.

While fighting to free herself, a shadow appeared, covering her from the sun's blazing rays peaking between the leaf canopy above. She strained to look backwards at the tall figure she knew from the scent of vanilla and sweetness alone. It was a more welcome aroma than the tree sap and crisp smell of the woods that kept attacking her.

"Your hair is far too long for a fighter as active as yourself, darling~♠"

"Shut up!" Violet continued to fight with branches, snapping them off where she could to save her hair. "I didn't know we would be on some hell-bound jungle trek! I would have braided it into a bun if I'd known that much! But heaven forbid you ever give me a heads up."

"I've never been here before, kitten. How could I have known?"

"Oh, please!" Waving her hand in his general direction, she continued, "Look how you're dressed. You honestly want me to believe you didn't know this required summer clothing and hiking footwear?!" I should have known when he dropped his heels for pink flats and his trousers became cuffed at the calf!

Hisoka's new outfit choice was pleasant but also highly functional. He still sported his classic card suits, a purple heart and a diamond on the front of his white overshirt. He was back to a pink tunic undershirt. But his biceps and wrist cuffs were gone, and only the pink ones around his neck remained. She was aware now that this was where he hid his cards for quick access. The outfit was designed to handle the heat and allow for easy movement.

There was no way he didn't at least guess we'd be venturing into tough terrain with the chance of a more humid climate.

"Be still." Violet obeyed as Hisoka leaned over and helped free strands from twigs and bark alike in areas she couldn't see or reach. "Your hair presents a weak point. It grows too fast from where you usually have it trimmed. Someone can grab it and hold you down. You need to cut it."

Silence strained between them as Hisoka worked to help free her entrapped form. Violet stared at her brown ankle-high boots, where they met the black leggings she wore. Her attire was far less suited to their environment with a loose deep purple tunic shirt and brown leather jacket, which she would need to strip once detangled from the latest trap.

"I worked hard to become a strong fighter for several reasons. Not the least of which was so I could keep my hair how I like," Violet said in a quiet tone. "I love my hair. I feel like I've earned the right to have at least this much."

Hisoka sighed. "Perhaps. And I do like your hair, Violet. But we're in the wilderness right now—"

"Please, Hisoka. I've given up so much of myself over the years. Keff kept me locked away, and I could only go out if I was with him or one of his friends. After he died, I was trapped in my grief and rage and then by the demon hunters. This is the only thing I want to keep that is just mine. Not my family, not the demon hunters, not anyone else's. Mine," she whispered. "Please?"

When he paused, she wasn't sure how to respond and was too trapped to see his expression. Then with a final tug from him, she was freed from the ensnarement.

"Very well. Sit down and let me fix it for you. Bungee Gum should hold it until we locate the first town. Then you can find something more permanent to keep it out of the way later."

Chirps and squeaks of songbirds in the canopy above echoed while she stood with her jacket in her arms. The tingling feeling of Hisoka's fingers running through her hair was addicting and hypnotic. He worked quietly removing the forest brush while expertly pinning her hair.

"Do we even know where we're going?" she asked.

"Not entirely. But we should find a settlement soon enough. There are at least several hundred people in this game, not counting all that snuck inside by other routes." He paused before asking, "Why did your husband keep you locked away?"

Violet blinked at the question. "I'm not sure. I think it was part of his demon clan's nature. They're possessive of their mates, and he saw me as needing constant protection. He never let me explain or show him that I could fight. He was also the fourth highest leader of the world's largest gang."

"And you just let him control you like that?"

"Oh, of course not. I snuck out several times. Where do you think I learned all those skills I use on you?"

Hisoka chuckled. "I did wonder~♥"

"I hated being locked up. But every time I got out, he was good about it once we were back together. But then the walls of confinement got thicker, and the lock sizes increased each time." Violet ended with a sigh. "We probably weren't the best romantic match. But he was a good friend, never unkind to me, and never said no to letting me go anywhere. I just couldn't go alone."

"You said he knew humans couldn't handle carrying a demon child. Why did he impregnate you?"

"It was an accident. He got carried away... I cried when I learned I was pregnant. I felt trapped. I don't regret having my daughter, but it wasn't what I planned and certainly not so young. I was barely twenty years old." She was silent for a time before asking, "Do you think it was my Nen that allowed me to survive?"

"Absolutely. There is no question about that, given the damage, even with Nen skills. We're almost done here."

Violet nodded, feeling him pinning the last few strands on the top of her head. "Have you ever thought about marriage or children?"

"Hm~♠" Hisoka tinkered idly with her hair before answering, "No. I've never been the type to keep a partner for more than a few nights and never consecutively. You're the first in that respect. I'm attracted to power, so most of my partners have been male, but not all. Children have never been a topic I thought about."

"I'm a little jealous. I wonder what it would be like to have multiple partners like that..."

Hisoka laughed and bent down to whisper near her ear, "We could always invite a toy or two to one of our playdates, kitten. I'd love to see how you'd squirm when someone else is touching you ~♥"

Heat raced to her face and between her legs. Why does he bring up all these disgusting topics, and they always turn me on?! "We need to focus on figuring out where we are first, you sex monster." She pushed against him and began walking the trail they were blazing through the thick forest brush. "We should have stayed on the grass prairie."

"I don't know. I like the view here much better ~♥" 

Violet could feel his eyes on her ass. Oh, jeez. If I don't do something, he's going to fuck me against a tree again. She worked faster to clear the path; a task made far easier since her hair was braided and pinned. "If you'd focus, we could be out of here faster. You still have to find your stupid bug troupe."

"They call themselves spiders, and there is no need to rush past any of life's pleasures. The troupe will be found soon enough~♥"

With a final push, Violet burst through the thickest part of the forest. The floor vegetation was still dense, but the trees significantly thinned in the new area, and she could visualise clear fields twenty feet from their new location.

"Oh, thank the powers above or below, whichever it might be."

"Why do you always say that?" Hisoka stopped beside her as she wiped ample sweat from her face. "I know you aren't religious, but when you aren't aroused or panicked, you never call out to a God of any kind."

"I don't like the idea of religion. It's a toxic notion used to control people and often disgustingly detrimental to women," she answered. "However, should there be a higher power, who is to say what it is? I till think the idea is a stupid notion, but I once heard someone refer to it as "The Powers That Be". I liked it and just refer to it as the Powers when I think about it. Sometimes I say God, but outcomes in life are all due to our willpower, choices, and coincidence, of—"

"Speaking of coincidence. What a lucky find this was! Wouldn't you say, Jakkton?"

Violet turned in unison with Hisoka to spot two men approaching their position. They appeared seemingly from midair. Both men were alight with a yellow glowing power that quickly dissipated. They wore sandals and loose-fitting trousers that opened wide, stopping just below the knee. One was in a green tee, and the other a white camisole shirt. The bright blonde man who spoke first had his hair shaved on the side of thehead and was half a foot shorter than his friend, who sported a shaven head just beginning to regrow black hair.

Even they have better clothing than me for this place, dammit!

"Very lucky! A pair of newbies!" The one named Jakkton sneered at them as if they were a piece of meat. The crunch of vegetation being squashed under their feet sounded before he called out, "Book!"

"And what makes you so confident we're new~♦" Hisoka purred with amusement.

"Easy! Book!" The first man said. "When players meet, the first thing an experienced person does is call their book forward. It's the only way to defend yourself against the magic cards and attack spells another player might use on you. Newbies haven't made that second nature yet."

"What if we don't have any card to use against anyone?" Violet asked.

"You call your book out anyway to fake like you do. Some people will back down and attempt to trade cards with you if they see that," Jakkton answered. "Not us, though."

"You're also close to Shiso Tree. The tower with the spiral stairs. All new players enter the game there and learn about the rules from the NPC in that place," the blonde player explained.

Well, at least we have our first landmark. Violet crossed her arms. "So, you're weak and like to prey on those that are even lesser. We got some real bachelor picks right here!" She elbowed Hisoka playfully without uncrossing her arms. He chuckled in response. "What exactly are you planning to do to us with your little floating books? We don't have any cards."

"True, but you might later." The blonde player grinned at Violet like she was clueless. She could admit it was likely true where the game was considered. However, she highly doubted they had the upper hand. "You'll learn as you play that you need spell cards to survive. Without them, you cannot fight when other players use attacks on you." He pulled out a card from his binder. "Just like—"

The man screamed as Hisoka was beside him before he could react. With one hand, the magician pulled the man off the ground by his wrist and plucked the card from the flailing player.

"Hey! That not how you play the game!" screamed Jakkton.

"Trace?" Hisoka read aloud. "And what exactly were you planning with this card?~♠" His wicked smile appeared as he dropped the player.

"Hey," Violet called, gaining all the men's attention at once. "Is there a map of this place? They usually have maps for games like this, right?"

"Why would we tell you anything?" bellowed Jakkton.

"Well, because you're weak, either of us could kill you both in seconds, game cards or not," she answered. "Why else?"

"If you kill us, all the cards in our binders will disappear and reappear in the card shops in Masadora!"

"Who said we wanted to collect cards?" Hisoka smiled down at the man still sprawled on the ground.

"A-a-are you the bomber?!" the first man screamed in panic. "They're going to blow us up like they've been doing to all the other players!"

"What?" Violet furrowed her brows. "We wouldn't do it in such a roundabout way. Way too much work. We're just going to remove something necessary for life: lungs, heart, blood. Way simpler."

"As if I'd believe you, Toshikaru!" Jakkton bellowed.

Hisoka froze and locked Violet's gaze with heat at the sound of her late daughter's name. "I wasn't sure if Chrollo could see it from the JoyStation, so I used her name rather than my own. It seemed safer," she explained before narrowing her eyes in Jakkton's direction. "I don't understand how he knew that's the screen name I picked, though."

"I-it's on the main screen of your binder! The inside cover has a large display screen and scrolling windows as well as a place to put certain cards to activate their abilities." The first player called from his frozen state at Hisoka's feet. "D-don't kill us!"

Hisoka squatted down, resting his arms against his legs. "Well, that will depend on yourselves~♦"

"Give us a map and explain the basics that help us navigate this world, and we may spare you." Violet smiled at Hisoka, who returned the amused expression.

"No way!" Jakkton called. "I'm out!" He grabbed a card and held it up before calling out, "Return on! Masadora!" Yellow light enveloped him, and he blasted off like a rocket and disappeared into the sky.

A scream sounded, and she turned to see Hisoka breaking the other player's arm to hold him in place and stop him from making a similar escape.

"What was all that?" Violet gestured with her thumb to where Jakkton disappeared as she walked over to grab the player's book and flip through his card sets.

"He used the spell card Return and went back to the city of magic, Masadora." The man cringed under Hisoka's hold.

"She asked you about a map before. Do you have one?"

"Yes! Take it!"

"How did you know my name?"

"The binder tracks everyone you've ever encountered in the game. There is a certain radius, and if they come within it, you can see their names when you place the card List in the front section of the binder. The names of everyone you've met in order of appearance will be displayed," he explained. "If you use the card Contact, you can even speak to certain players through your book no matter where they are on Greed Island."

"What do you say? The map and a few useful cards for your life?" Violet smiled pleasantly at the man.

"Which ones do you want?"

"Contact seems useful," Hisoka said.

"I like the Return one. But are there any others to help us move around? Also, what about getting out of the game?" she asked.

"We're trapped here; most players are!" he explained. "You need a specific card to exit the game, but due to the card limits, only so many are in rotation. Most people hang out in Masadora, hoping for the cards to appear in the card shops. But, even then, you need to be strong enough to defend the cards from other players."

"I assume you don't have that one, then?" Violet asked.

"Of course not! We'd have already left this hell place if we did!"

"What does the card limit have to do with anything?" Hisoka asked.

"Didn't you listen to the pink-haired girl in the helmet?" Violet gestured around her head, pointing out the almond-shaped hat the woman had worn at the beginning of the game. "Every item has a limit. If there are one hundred swords, only four can be a card at any one time if the card limit is four. Every card has a different limit. I'd assume some players would hog them all to stop others from being able to collect those cards."

"She's right," the player said, causing Hisoka to squeeze tighter and make him cry. "I have two Returns, one Magnetic Force, a few Contact cards, and a Detailed Map! Take them! Take them all! Any card you want! Just don't kill me!"

Violet perused through the book before summoning her own. "Oh, you can store food and water as cards in the book. That will be useful." She collected several cards, including a defensive one she thought might be useful and transferred them to her book. "That should be it. Not too bad." A crack and gurgling sound caught her attention. "Hisoka!"

"I said we may not kill him; we never promised~♥"

Violet sighed, looking at the man with the broken neck in front of her. "Why?"

"You took such charge and got me so excited. I needed to relieve it somehow~♥" Hisoka cooed to her. "Plus, you said yourself. It's the choices we make in life that decide outcomes. He made the wrong one~♠"

Shaking her head, she said, "I could have just taken all his cards if I'd known you were going to do that. Communicate next time!" Violet slapped Hisoka across the chest and held her palm in place, passing him the contact card. The player's book disappeared, and they watched as his body blazed in light and disappeared from the forest floor without a trace.

"Of course, kitten~♥" 

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NPC= Non-Playable Character

More information on both Hisoka and Violet's past plus some keep tips on playing the game!

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