HxH x Gender Neutral Reader

Chap 10: Y/N: x Expert x Pig-Jockey

(Not strongly edited, don't laugh if there are mistakes it's not my fault!!!)

♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡

Y/N, along with most other contestants, lazily shuffled towards the gates.
At the end of the path, a large, towering man greeted them, and below him, a normal human-sized woman relaxed comfortably on a plush chair.

"I'm Menchi, your examiner for the second phase."
The woman introduced, then pointed to the man above her.
"Similarly, I'm Buhara."

At the introduction, contestants stared forward, waiting for information on the challenge instead.
But instead, a strong growl seemed to enclose on contestants as it echoed through the busy area.

Menchi quirked her head, smirking at Buhara.
"Seems like you're getting hungry."
"Not just hungry.. I'm famished..."
He whined back.

"Then, there you have it."
She stood, placing her hands along her exposed waist.
"The second phase..."
She paused, for effect Y/N would guess.

"Is cooking!!"
Her finger pointed among the crowd, trying to rile them up as she smiled widely.

But, just as she seemed excited, the audience felt exactly the opposite, words of opposition rising through the group.
She only built on their complaints though, using them as leeway to further explain the challenge, which only angered the crowd more.

But only as the mass began to laugh at her, was when her smile died. She glared, a heavy glare, as they chuckled at the prospect, asking genuinely useful questions in the form of mocking.
One individual asked the ingredients, a question which she angrily directed toward Buhara.

"Today's required ingredient will be pork.
To pass the exam, you'll have to appeal to both of our varying palates."
"We won't be evaluating taste alone, if you wish to pass you'll take this seriously. Is that clear?"
Menchi interjected.

The same man who'd asked the ingredients crossed his arms in a snarky way, unbefitting to how he'd probably do later on, and rudely exclaimed.
"Then, start the challenge."

So, they did.

♧                     ♢                     ♤                      ♡

Multiple running footsteps started as Buhara slapped his stomach, which made the sound of a gong.

As they'd gotten to the forest, contestants collectively noticed the absence of pigs, never mind a living thing aside from them.
They began to look, shifting bushes and peeking around trees, as well as quietly calling out to them.

But Gon, who'd rolled himself down a hill, remarkably found the first.
A bright pink pig, that reminded Y/N of the unpleasant Hisoka...
They had teardrop-shaped noses, a strange point at the top that covered the whole of their foreheads, behind their large noses, their eyes looked permanently angry.
The one closest to Gon chewed on a bone, its terribly sharp teeth breaking the one it held in its mouth.

"They're.. carnivores?"
Kurapika questioned to himself, irritating the same one who'd just snapped the marrow.
It let out a fantastic roar, notifying the other pigs of the unwanted company, then began to chase the group.

Y/N was following far behind them, staying loosely with the group they knew the most. Yet, when the pigs began to stampede, they only went towards the herd, passing Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika as they collectively tried to grab and protect them.

"Be careful Y/N!"
Gon yelled as he followed Leorio, whose gaze was so glued to Y/N that he almost ran into a tree.

Y/N could barely hear Leorio tell Gon not to encourage them.

Y/N hopped one of the pigs, easily mounting it, then rudely reached forwards and gripped its snout.
The pig stopped in its track, interrupting the stride of the few behind it as it started to buck, attempting to send Y/N off it.

Y/N professionally maneuvered themself along with the pig, keeping themself stable while also making a game out of the experience.
However, when their foot fell heavily on the pig's forehead, it collapsed, joining its pig brethren who were disoriented behind it.
"Ah."
Y/N hopped off, snapping in front of the pig's eyes in an attempt to wake it.

Around them, all others were dealing with chaos, trying to figure out the strategy to kill these pigs, which they would find out not much later when Gon led one to a tree, where a strange fruit hit its soft forehead and sent it to the ground.

Y/N looked up at the noise, but quickly looked back when they realized they'd have to carry this pig back themself.
They stood there, thinking, as other contestants hoisted their pigs and began to carry them back to the exam site.

They'd just drag it.

So they gripped it by its snout and began to tug it along, noticing some of the fruits Gon knocked down and throwing some on top of the pig they were dragging.

They arrived a little after everyone else, stopping here and there to grab random plants and mushrooms they recognized.
Even though they were a dastard of a cook, they'd just cover it up with things that did taste good, in the hopes that the judges would spare them favour.

♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡♧♢♤♡