"Don't. Don't say a thing,"

At your words the Captain threw his head back, clutched his pipe, and bellowed with boisterous laughter. You had half a mind to duck your head in embarrassment as your companions glanced between the two if you in confusion. The moment you brought Gon and Leorio onto the ship with you the Captain had sent you smug glances.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he chortled, shoulders still shaking with laughter.

You barely restrained a roll of the eyes at his words, sighing through your nose and shaking your head in exasperation. You knew he was dying to let out a big fat 'I told you so', but you refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead crossing your arms over your chest and glancing off to the side. Despite your attempt at acting unbothered, you couldn't fight the smile that began to crawl upon your face. Maybe you were right, maybe surrounding yourself with positivity was the only way of getting yourself out of this slump.

"You're the Captain then?" Gon chirped curiously, eyes still wide with wonder as he glanced around the ship.

You had yet to leave the harbour, sailors still rushing around with crates and cargo in arms to restock the ship in preparation of the continued journey ahead. Both of you were from small islands, neither of you were familiar with large modes of transport so you could understand his wonder, you had barely contained it yourself when you first boarded. Excitement poured from the boy in waves, so wound up with energy he could barely resist bouncing on his heels. The Captain noticed the boy's eagerness to explore if the twinkle in his all knowing eyes had anything to say about it.

"Aye, that I'd be," he responded calmly, taking a long puff of his pipe with a proud hand fist resting on his hip.

The Captain seemed to get just the reaction he had been wanting when Gon's excitement bubbled, his chest puffing out and head tilting back with a boisterous laugh beyond the smoke. You almost couldn't believe one could talk so fast but the rate in which Gon interrogated the Captain blew your expectations out of the water. Not even the Captain could keep up with the prattle of questions but seemed amused none the less. Just to the side of Gon, you caught the sight of Leorio's exasperated roll of the eyes, it seemed he was already used to the boy's overactive curiosity.

Perhaps it might've been annoying to some, how excitable Gon could be, but it was rather endearing in a way. He was exactly as someone his age should be, he was exactly the kind of person you needed to surround yourself with now. And as overwhelming as it could be at first, as overwhelming as he could be at first, there was something about Gon's energy that dragged you into his orbit. As much as you might try to convince yourself that it was better to be alone, better to never suffer the pain of being alone ever again, it was hard not to get caught up in the whirlwind that was Gon Freecss.

So interested in the conversation happening before you, you almost didn't notice that the ship had left the harbour. The steady rocking of the ship which once unsettled your stomach was but an after thought now. You don't remember ever having conversations like these outside of family, maybe because the kids in your village always thought you were strange, maybe because they never liked to speak with you after you bit one of them on the arm for making up rumours about your parents. But standing on the deck of a ship you never thought you'd board, surrounded by people you never thought you'd meet, vaguely, you realised, 'this is what fun is'.

It was fun hearing them speak to one another, it was fun watching the light hearted arguments Gon and Leorio got into, fun the way the Captain would scold them equally as light heartedly, and so much fun when they included you in the conversation, when they looked at you like they actually cared about your input.

It was perhaps a few hours or so into your journey that Gon's excitement began to taper, his concentration on the conversation at hand seemed to be drifting.

"Is everything okay?" you couldn't help but voice your concern.

Gon blinked, tearing his attention away from the sky and turning to look at you with a grateful smile, seemingly touched that you were extending your concern.

"I'm okay, there's a storm coming, that's all," he mumbled thoughtfully.

"A storm?" Leorio squinted at the sky, "the sky's completely blue though?"

The perpetual furrow in the Captain's brow deepened as he raised his head to peer up at the sky. Much like Leorio had stated, the sky was clear, barely a cloud to be seen and glimmering a bright shade of blue. It couldn't look more calm. Though just as confused as the rest of you, the Captain didn't seem as keen to laugh it off as Leorio was, rather, he seemed intrigued.

"Why do you say that, boy?" he questioned.

Gon pointed up to the sky in a simple, innocent motion, bat his eyelashes and tilted his head.

"That's what the birds say," he chirped.

"The...birds?" you couldn't help but voice your confusion.

The Captain rose his gaze once again to stare up at the sky where, surely enough, a multitude of seagulls circled overhead. They squawked to one another, a normal, unintelligible sound to humans. You were almost tempted to laugh if Gon didn't look so nonchalant about it, it wasn't to say that he could speak to animals, perhaps he simply understood their body language, or perhaps this was some sort of elaborate joke he was playing on you all.

"Mhm! The birds! But also..." Gon reached up to pinch the tip of his nose as though to adjust his sinuses. Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back, and took a deep, steady inhale through his nose. "It smells like rain," he finished.

Leorio made a show of blowing his nose into a tissue to clear his airway and followed it with a deep lungful of air, it was clear by his reaction that he couldn't pick up on the smell. And to be fair, neither could you. Over the smell of salt water, smoke from the captain's pipe, and the scent of wet wood, you couldn't detect even a hint of petrichor.

"Smells like rain, huh..." The Captain's voice was distant almost, staring up at the sky where the seagulls continued to circle. It didn't seem like he was looking at the birds, however, more like he was looking through them. Looking to the sky as if the clouds had opened up, like the sky was a screen and he was watching his memories play out right in front of him. You weren't sure where the Captain was right now in his head, what he was thinking of, or who he was thinking of, but they seemed to be happy memories none the less.

Like the world was bending to Gon's words, not a few moments later the sky began to darken and the ship began to lurch. For a moment you were unsure what was even happening, it wasn't until a single droplet fell onto the tip of your nose that you realised what was happening.

"Rain..." you whispered in a state of disbelief, holding out your hands to catch the droplets that began to steadily fall.

"Rain?!" Leorio repeated, squinting passed his sunglasses up at the sky as the clouds thickened and the sky closed up.

Like the first droplets of rain were the trigger to the flood gates, a torrential downpour was quick to follow. The heavier the rain fell the more unsteady the sea became. The waters mirrored the darkening sky, shifting to a deep, foreboding shade of grey. Sea foam was beginning to build upon the sides of the ship and the heavy rocking heightened hard enough that you were nearly thrown from your feet. Gon's hand darted out the moment your balance began to shift, tight yet gentle grip fastening on your elbow and righting your posture. You didn't have time to thank him before he spoke again.

"It's getting pretty bad, we should get below deck."

The Captain glanced down at the boy, an expression you couldn't quite identify in his eye before his concentration centred and he turned to his men to bark orders. Over sound of the howling wind, the sailors replied with their compliance and the Captain regarded you once again, jerking his chin up towards the stairs to the lower decks, a silent order to get to shelter.

You didn't need to be told twice, the three of you ducking your heads in a vain attempt to shield yourselves from the downpour of rain. Leading the two others, you made a run for the stairs, slowing your pace once there was a roof over your head and a blockade against the wind. You barely restrained a fond, yet exasperated, roll of the eyes when you heard Gon's quiet laughter behind you. Trust Gon of all people to find enjoyment out of a storm, Leorio seemed to mirror your thoughts.

"The hell are you laughing for?! We're soaked!"

"But it was pretty fun, wasn't it?" the boy chirped innocently in response.

Leorio slumped, sighing and running a hand through his flattened hair with a grumble you couldn't quite make out. He wasn't angry, not really, even in the short time you had known him you could tell that his kneejerk reactions and seemingly irritable outlook was only surface level. If the twitch of a smile curling at his lips had anything to say about it, then he certainly agreed with Gon.

"Come on, we should dry off before we get sick," you prompted, gesturing towards the cabin with a tilt of the head.

In the time it took you to dry off the weather had worsened. With no spare clothes to change into and no blanket to fight off the chill, you had no choice but to wallow in your damp clothes and hope they wouldn't make you sick. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you tucked yourself back into the familiar corner of the cabin in hopes the walls would support you against the heavy rocking of the ship. The rowdiness that had once run rampant within the small cabin was now reduced to a bunch of withered groans and stomach churning retching. Not everyone had gotten used to the steady swaying of the ship and now that it had worsened tenfold they were clearly paying for it.

Focusing as hard on the rocking of the ship as you had when it first departed had made it easier to get accustomed to as time passed. The others, however, who boasted their manliness and praised the strength of their stomachs were curled up on the floor whimpering for their mummy's. In all honesty, it was pretty hilarious watching such burly men withered away to weepy little children, regardless of how amusing their suffering may be, it was still at your expense now that the cabin was filled with the stench of vomit.

Towards the front of the cabin, your acquaintances were absorbed in their own tasks. Unlike the many other men in the cabin hunched over in nausea, they acted as though you were on stable water. Kurapika lay back in his hammock, book in his hand and mouth tucked comfortably in the collar of his tunic. He showed no mind to the heavy swaying of the hammock with each hard rock of the ship. Just as nonchalant as the blond, was Leorio, sitting in a corner much like you, his legs draped over a crate, apple in hand and nose scrunched as he grumbled to himself much like usual.

And then there was Gon.

The gentle, welcoming smile on his face never seemed to subside. Despite the men that had laughed at him when he first stepped through those doors, despite the underestimation he probably always faced, he still found it in himself to be kind. He sat on his knees beside a pale, weary looking man. He passed the stranger a set of leaves, speaking in a soft, hushed voice, doing his best to ease the ailments of as many people as he could. He was hopelessly friendly, no matter what a person did to him, he always reacted with kindness, at least that was what you had seen so far. Was this boy even capable of anger?

Stumbling through the doors with a glass of water in hand, was one of the clumsy sailors you had seen earlier in the journey. And though he was unsteady on his feet during the calmest of waters, now that the ship was rocking and lurching he seemed completely fine. Or perhaps it was that his focus was concentrated on Gon and their 'patient' that was distracting him from seasickness. The soft smile on his face spoke volumes, there was nothing that Katzo wanted more than to be of help. It was hard to say if Gon knew that, if it was another one of his acts of kindness, or whether he was just going off of that remarkable sense of instinct.

"You four," a familiar voice grumbled from the doorway to the cabin, "come with me."

--

The rocking ship was just as uncomfortable even from the Captain's quarters, with thick glass panes to block out the crash of the waves and the hallow of the wind. It was awkward, that much was a given. The four of you lined up in front of the Captain, shrinking under his scrutiny, still trying to figure out why you were summoned here in the first place.

"First off, your names?" the Captain grumbled, taking another puff of his infamous pipe.

With a curious glance, you introduced yourselves one by one, finding yourself shifting from one foot to another, standing between Gon and Kurapika, nervous for what was to come. The Captain's expression was a serious one, more serious than you had seen him. He took in each of your appearances slowly, calculatingly, and possibly for the first time since your meeting, you were unsure of what he was truly thinking.

"Why do you want to become Hunters?" was his next demand.

Leorio, always quick to react, stamped a foot on the floorboards and pointed an accusatory finger at the Captain.

"Hey! If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!"

"Just answer the question," the Captain droned in response.

"My dad is a hunter!" sweet, ever so observant Gon was quick to cut through the tension before Leorio could get heated. A smile on his face as he made the proud declaration. His sudden interception in the conversation clearly took the Captain off guard. Bushy brows raising and back straightening as he took his attention off of Leorio and focused instead on Gon.

"I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so much!"

"Hey Kid! You're not supposed to answer his question!" Leorio huffed, hands on his hips and eyes narrowed at the innocent boy by his side. Neither of them seemed to notice the pursing of the Captain's lips or the almost knowing look in his eyes. If Kurapika's tilt of the head had anything to say about it, it seemed he too had noticed the slightest of shifts in the Captain's expression when he regarded Gon.

"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" Gon whined in response, turning to face Leorio with a frown on his lips.

"Not a team player, huh?" with a dramatic sigh and a wave of the hand, Leorio shook his head in feign nonchalance. The façade was quick to fall as he turned back to Gon, pushing the boy's forehead with his index finger and a grumble, "I don't want to reveal why I'm here!"

"I agree with Leorio," like a calm amongst the storm, Kurapika took the brief moment of silence to speak up.

"Hey! Hey! Aren't you younger than I am?! Show some respect!" quick to distraction, Leorio's attention swiftly turned from Gon to the blond standing beside you.

Regardless of the anger pointed towards him, Kurapika continued to speak, "one could simply dodge the question with a plausible lie," he reasoned despite Leorio's ranting in the background. "But I consider lying a sin, it's dishonourable. That being said, if I were to tell you the truth I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer."

"In other words," the Captain spoke up over Leorio's continued ranting, "you refuse to answer my question."

Steadfast in their decision, the two elder of you four nodded their heads in tandem and resumed the steady eye contact with the Captain. Neither of them wanted to answer, and so long as they had the choice, it would stay that way. The Captain gave a low, curious hum, pulling the pipe from his lips and exhaling a huff of smoke.

"Katzo," he spoke up as the smoke dispersed. The nervous seaman jumped in response, practically trembling as he turned to regard the Captain with a shaky salute. "Tell the Exam Committee that we have two more dropouts."

The reaction was instantaneous, not only from Kurapika and Leorio but from yourself and Gon also. Eyes wide in disbelief as you shared uncertain glances before regarding the Captain once again.

"What? What do you mean?" they choked out in disbelief.

"You mean you still haven't figured it out?" The Captain chuckled around the thin mouth of his pipe, eyes closed and hand resting on his hip with smug amusement. "The Hunter Exam has already begun."

Whether it was the shock or the lurching of the ship that made your knees unsteady you couldn't be sure of. Arms stretched out at your sides to regain your balance, a cold, but gentle hand gripping your shoulder was the only thing stopping you from crashing into the wall behind you. Only when the water steadied and the rocking of the ship returned to 'normal' do you turn to your saviour. Kurapika's eyes are still locked on the Captain before you, brows set in a furrow, expression creased in a mix of wariness and anger, and yet his hand is gentle where it clasps on your arm.

There's no need to thank him, you weren't sure if he was paying enough attention to hear your gratitude regardless, for the moment you were steady on your feet his grip fell away.

"As many people want a Hunters License as there are stars in the sky, the examiners don't have the time nor resources to review them all," the Captain grumbled as he took a deep drag of his pipe, closing his eyes to exhale the plume of smoke before addressing you all again, "so they hire people like us to screen applicants. I've already informed the committee that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw."

The four of you bristled at his words, your own heart dropping into the pit of your stomach at the words. All of those men, with their bulging muscles and their galls of steel, they were all disqualified?

"If they can't handle a little storm then they'd stand no chance against the Hunter Examinations later stages," was the Captain's simple explanation.

The thought flooded your system with fear, an uncomfortable prickle of heat trickling down the base of your neck throughout the length of your spine. You had barely gotten over your sea sickness before the storm hit, barely gotten used to the incessant swaying before distraction outweighed the nausea. If you hadn't met these three, if you hadn't been so preoccupied with observing them, you might've been disqualified with all the rest, and where would you be then?

You gulped.

"So think carefully before you answer my question," the Captain prompted with a warning tilt of the head.

"So he says," Gon chirped, thankfully breaking the uncomfortable silence that followed the Captain's intimidating words.

Kurapika tensed at your side, tilting his head down and fluttering his eyes closed as he took a slow, steadied breath to piece his thoughts together. The swift change in his demeanour took your attention from Leorio's quiet grumbling, and with a concerned furrow of the brows, you hesitated whether or not to extend your worry.

"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan," Kurapika heaved quietly, sorrow filled eyes fluttering open to focus his gaze on the grounds before him. The petty argument between Gon and Leorio was quick to subside and the room filled with silence to give Kurapika the space to continue.

"Four years ago, my Clan was massacred by a band of criminals," he lifted his forlorn gaze to meet the Captain's eyes, his gaze burning with determination, "I want to become a Hunter and capture the Phantom Troupe."

"So you're out to become a Blacklist Hunter then!" the Captain mused, he didn't appear surprised by Kurapika's story in the slightest. As a Captain for so many years, seeing and meeting as many people as he had, you wondered how many stories he's heard, and how many were as gruesome as Kurapika's?

"The Phantom Troupe is a Class A bounty, not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them," the Captain continued, his eyes narrowing on Kurapika with a mix of amusement and trepidation. "You'd be throwing away your life."

"I do not fear death," Kurapika's answer was instantaneous, "I fear only that my rage will fade over time."

The cold, emotionless response he had to the premise of death, coupled with the burning crimson sheen to his eyes had a shiver crawling down your spine. In some ways, you could relate to what he was saying, the creeping heat of anger rising up over the swell of grief, that anger was all you have left to hold on to.

"So..." the moment Leorio spoke up, you knew it wasn't going to end well and tried to resist an exasperated sigh, "in other words, you're after revenge? You don't need to be a Hunter to do that!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurapika scoffed in response.

"Hey! That's Mr. Leorio to you!"

"Places accessible only to Hunters, information otherwise unobtainable, actions otherwise impossible, there are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."

Leorio looked about ready to blow a fuse at Kurapika's witty response, bristling and raising his arms as he got ready to unload a lungful of aggravation unto the blond.

"Hey!" Gon interjected, raising a hand to block Kurapika from Leorior's infuriated line of sight.

'God bless you, sweet child,' your mind supplied, shoulders slumping in relief as the tension settled and Leorio was thoroughly distracted.

"Me?" Leorio crossed his arms across his chest, tilting his head down with a content smirk sitting pretty on his lips, "I'll make it short...I want money. Money can get you everything! A big house! A nice car! Top-shelf liquor!" he gushed, eyes closed and arms wrapped around himself with an excited wiggle as his fantasies ran wild.

"You can't buy class with money, Leorio," Kurapika scoffed.

"...That's three times now," Leorio growled as he slowly turned to face his blond counterpart, eyes narrowed and the veins in his forehead pulsing with his anger.

"Step outside," Leorio ordered, "I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline here and now."

"Take that back Leorio!" Kurapika snapped, calm demeanour breaking, shoulders practically shaking with the force of his contained anger, "take that back," he repeated, growl thick in his voice.

The elder male paused in the doorway, taking one glance over his shoulder at Kurapika, still trembling in anger, and responded in kind.

"That's Mr. Leorio to you."

As Leorio stepped out of the room, calm despite his anger, Kurapika was quick to follow. Storming into the hall towards the deck so they could hash out their conflict. You had half a mind to stop them, half a mind to remind them that there was a raging storm going on out there and fighting amongst it would be incredibly stupid. Yet all the same, you knew they needed this. They needed to work through their anger and perhaps, after they clashed fists, they might meet eye to eye.

"Hey boys! I'm not done with you yet!" the Captain huffed, brows furrowed as he made a move to follow.

"Let them go," Gon spoke up, the voice of reason amongst the chaos as he had been from the beginning. "Aunt Mito once told me "if you want to know more about a person, find out what it is that makes them angry."" He turned to the Captain with a smile and a tilt of the head, "it's important for them to understand why they're mad, so we should let them settle it themselves."

Though he came across as aloof, though more often than not he ran off pure instincts alone, Gon had moments of clarity. Moments where his words were wise and his eyes were all knowing, and sometimes, that was weirder than his moments of goofiness.

"U-uh...Captain?" the sailor at the front of the cabin spoke up with a nervous tremor in his voice, "l-look!"

At the panic in his voice, all eyes in the room turned to face the window at the front of the cabin. Eyes set on the ink black waves of the sea ahead of you, it took no time at all for your eyes to settle on the object of his fear, on what would soon be the object of everyone's fear.

"Is that--" you gulped, a tremble in your voice, "is that a cyclone?!"