HxH x Gender Neutral Reader

Chap 1: Eyes x Tell x All

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Hm.
Y/N got here way too early...
There were only about 40 some people.. they really expected something as huge as the hunter exam to be far more popular.
As their eyes bounced from person to person, including some who confidently met their gaze and stared them down uncomfortably, a little green.. bean thing.. marched up to them.
"Please take this, it's your number badge. Try not to lose it!"
The bean handed them a circular piece of plastic with the number '43' on it and a pin on the back.
"Yes, thanks.."
They took the plastic pin, fastening it to their sweater. Its matte white hue greatly contrasted the knitted dark brown, something, they felt, would surely draw eyes to it.

Mere seconds later, a rather tall person stalked up behind Y/N. The bean swiftly swung around and gave them the same speech. "Here, this is your number badge. Don't lose it!"
Y/N didn't wait for the strangers response, turning and dodging individuals scattered about the dingy dungeon.

Reality rapidly set in on Y/N when they realized that their early arrival was nothing but a nuisance; they'd have to wait for others to filter in —assuming there were others— and they'd have to bear with it as the room grew ever louder from the joining company. They were actually thankful for the peaceful group of 43 that occupied the room with them at the moment.
Balancing their messenger bag on their forearm, they dug for their cheap headphones, gripping them by the headband and yanking them out as they set their eyes on where they planned to sit. They dusted the floor just slightly before sitting on the ground, bending their legs and using them to prop up their bag. They preferred to keep it firmly in their eyeline, especially in a place like this..

A pudgy man jaunted up to them while simultaneously shovelling through a satchel propped on his knee; it looked like a difficult pose to maintain, which is why Y/N wasn't terribly surprised when he stumbled and almost dropped said bag. His eyes widened and he nearly yelped, his legs jolting and arms gripping the bag tighter in response.
His eyes whipped up to Y/N again, noticing that he had garnered their attention. He grinned widely, picking up his pace slightly but holding eye contact all the while.

One can't blame Y/N for their suspicions in a high tensity event like the hunter exam, so by consequence one also cannot blame Y/N for what they did next.
Their eyes narrowed slightly as they looked deeper into the man's. They saw something brilliantly pink and powdery, as well as a bubbling bright orange, they swirled into each other mixing into a peachy, but steaming concoction... What a dubious scheme, to poison and/or handicap his opponents. Y/N felt kind of glad they were distrustful.. how embarrassing it would be if they got out this early in the game..

Inching ever closer the man began to speak, so loudly in fact, that Y/N could hear it over their music. They begrudgingly shoved their headphones off of their ears and around their neck, pausing their music with a flashy hand movement that they hoped displayed their spite. Their only hope with the removal of their sacred headphones was to maintain unburned bridges —though they'd take great pleasure in setting them righteously ablaze in the heat of the actual phases— for now they wished to be perceived as at least half decent.
"Heyo! I'm Tonpa! Haven't seen you around here, first time?"
"Of course, first and last."
Tonpa's smile wavered at the cocky response, though he quickly brushed it off and smirked even wider in return.
"Haha! Well then..Congratulations! Take this beverage, on me, for luck and allyship in the later tests!" His false enthusiasm was ever-present in even his movements as he flaunted the drink, its bright orange outer layer beaming.

Y/N crossed their arms and raised a brow, down-turning the other.
He wasted absolutely no time, did he..
"I hate that brand and I don't like to take drinks from strangers. Thanks though..."
Ingenuousness blaring through their tone,
Y/N swatted their hand through the air in a direction away from themself. With the gesture, Y/N hoped they communicated properly to the man what they wished he'd do.

Heavy brows downturned and shit-eating grin gone, the can-wielding goblin lagged for a moment, halting any sort of movement. He recovered not long after then scoffed, lifting his feet to stomp moodily on the dirty ground causing the multitude of cans in his bag to bounce against one another and let out satisfying clangs.

Oh silly tonpa, doesn't he know?
For Y/N, eyes are the window to the soul.

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