Ill-Fated (Phantom Troupe x Reader) [Soulmate AU]

14.

Author's note: I'm surprised that so many people are reading this. It's a nice surprise, tho.

With a heavy sigh, you dropped your cards onto the table, your gaze falling to your hands. You had lost the game, and of course, that was always a huge possibility. This match with Shalnark was a risky but necessary move in a much larger game you were playing, and honestly, losing wasn't exactly to your detriment in this case. If you let them think they have the upper hand and that they have you cornered, you might just get somewhere. Still, you really wanted your jacket back to shield you from the overly active air conditioner in cabin 19.

There was no time to think of this since you knew it was your time to pay up to Shalnark. Not with money but with information. The thought of lying briefly crossed your mind, but you knew this was a bad idea. Shalnark seemed to be the most informed about you, and you didn't exactly know how much he knew. Getting caught in a lie would undo any progress you have been able to make over the last couple of days.

'I'll be honest but vague.' you decided. 

Shalnark gathered the cards back into the deck as you finally lifted your head and looked him in the eyes. 

"You were a lot better at this than I thought you would be. Beating you was almost a challenge." Shalnark said. 

You only lifted an eyebrow in response to his statement: Shalnark kept you on edge. The more time you spent in his company, the more you were jarred by his behavior. He was all smiles, and his friendly exterior sometimes made you forget who he was. Though it was relatively quiet during portions of the game, you almost found yourself enjoying it. You had to remind yourself on several occasions that this man was a murderer with no moral compass, who probably saw you as subhuman compared to him. Whenever he spoke, there was an undeniable sense of superiority and mockery in his voice, hidden just underneath his placating words. 

"Yeah, well, luck just isn't on my side." You said finally, and you watched his Cheshire cat smile stretch wider.

"This is good though. We finally get the chance to get to know each other."

"I am not very interesting, so I wouldn't get too excited if I were you." You say, propping your head up on your palm.  

"I disagree. I think there's a lot of interesting information you can share with me." Shalnark said, his fingers deftly and methodically working the cards.

Your eyes met his green ones, and you felt your stomach tighten with an unfamiliar anxiety. The danger in the air was palpable but almost exciting. 

"Why did you become a hunter?" Shalnark asked. 

You considered the question momentarily; you never thought that hard about taking the hunter exam. You were only eighteen years old, still pretty weak, and just beginning to understand the basics of Nen and work on your specialist ability. You had little money and were on the run from the troupe, so you couldn't return home. Taking the exam was a natural solution to some of those problems: at least it let you get stronger and made it easier for you to get around.

"Having a hunter's license gave me access to resources." You answered truthfully. 

"I'm a hunter myself, and I know the exam could be challenging to a regular person, but you passed on your first attempt. How?" Shalnark asked without missing a beat.

"I had some knowledge of Nen when I took it, which gave me a leg up." 

"Your Nen must be pretty strong then," Shalnark said, narrowing his eyes. You noted how his fingers sped up their shuffling slightly, indicating that under his layers of cool and friendly, what you said put him on edge.

"Don't worry, it's pretty useless in combat. Especially if I am trying to fight another Nen user." You said as you rubbed your arms: the cold in the room was getting to you, or maybe it was Shalnark's piercing gaze. 

"Who said I was worried?" Shalnark asked rhetorically, setting the cards down. 

"Your card shuffling did." You pointed toward the shuffled deck. 

Shalnark's interest was piqued even more than before: not everyone would have picked up on such a small shift in his body language. Staring at his soulmate in front of him, a desire to peel back the layers of her mind and find out what hides in it burned in him even more brightly. Shalnark always knew he was smart, and he wasn't shy of the fact that he found the majority of the people he met pathetically easy to read. There were very few people he found interesting, Chrollo being one of them, and now you had joined the list. Of course, he saw you much differently from Chrollo: Chrollo was admirable, and you were... 

Well, Shalnark didn't exactly know what you were to him, but he was determined to figure it out. He could admit that he felt himself getting attached, maybe not to you as a person, but at least to the idea of understanding everything about you. 

"You are smarter than you look," Shalnark said after a short silence. You fought the urge to roll your eyes at him and his backhanded compliment. 

"Gee, thanks." You answer, looking out the window again.

The sun has completely risen by now, and the afternoon glow filtered through the aircraft window; below you, dark blue water sparkled brightly in the sun's rays. You hoped that this was the end of the conversation; at least, you felt that you had made good on your end of the deal. Still, it seemed as though Shalnark was not so easily satisfied.

"So, what is your Nen ability then?" Shalnark asked as he stared at you expectantly.

"You tell me yours first, and then I'll tell you mine." Your bold request surprised Shalnark; you could tell from how his pupils dilated slightly. 

"I am a manipulator." He replied after a short pause. You felt the urge to laugh at his cop-out of an answer. That much was obvious from the moment you first met him; no, you needed to find out what he could do, preferably through words and not through personal experience.

"I am a specialist." You replied with a statement mimicking his own, making it abundantly clear that when it comes to this topic, he will get back whatever he puts in. You held his green gaze, and for the first time in a while, you felt in control for a brief moment. Shalnark's low chuckle broke the silence; even he didn't see that one coming. First, the boldness of making requests, and then your sarcastic response. You were either careless or far more smart than he initially gave you credit for, and Shalnark was beginning to lean toward the latter. 

The two of you sat in silence for another half hour or so, with it abundantly clear that your battle of wits had ended. You had returned to staring at the ocean water you were flying over, and Shalnark continued thoughtfully studying your face. From the other ends of the cabin, you could hear the voices of the other troupe members, though you couldn't make out what they were saying. Shalnark didn't attempt to make much more conversation with you, but several hours into the trip, he got up and left. A few minutes later, he returned with your jacket, which he handed you before returning to his seat. 

You looked at the jacket and then at him, dumbfounded by his outwardly kind gesture.

"I lost." You said finally.

Shalnark only shrugged at you with that unreadable smile. If this had been anyone else, you would have accepted the gesture as an act of kindness, but this was Shalnark. With Shalnark, everything had a deeper meaning. Maybe he was conditioning you into trusting him, like some Pavlov dog. Still, you were in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth, and the warmth of your jacket provided a much-needed respite from the biting cold of cabin 19. Cradled by the comfort of your jacket and the rocking of the airship, you didn't notice yourself drift off into sleep.