answer your god damn phone

[dialtones]

[How many calls had he missed from Leorio alone?

Honestly, he preferred not to look at the number. It was wrong, but this wasn't something he could pull any of them into. He'd been wrapped up in his own little world, paying attention to the news enough when it related to his work and his end goal, and while he could have gone to the elections or even to visit Gon (his comrades had, after all), he decided against it. Visiting would have just opened up a whole can of other problems.

Maybe it went against what he'd been thinking before, but he had matured a bit since then. With the Spider desperately working to repair itself, and plenty of its members still on the move, Kurapika had to consider how to handle them-- but he was also sitting right on top of the location of the eyes of his brethren. He had to work up to it, and well... That's what he'd done.

There were a large amount of them recovered (he had to deal with a lot of people to get this collection) and given funerals, but it wasn't enough until he had every last set. There were still leads to follow, and so he continued to climb and gain Nostrade's trust.

Trust, though, is what leads him to pulling his cell phone out now. A strange illness was breaking out in the Nostrade organization, and it was worrying Nostrade himself. A few of his workers had already died, and panic was growing. He demanded that Kurapika find him someone to find out what was going on, but to be sure it was someone they could 'trust', because this could very well be an attack on them.

A doctor that he could trust? His first thought was that there was none. But after just a moment's more hesitation, he gives in and speaks his understanding clearly to Nostrade, hitting the call button on his phone and stepping away. His opposite hand curls at his elbow as he waits. This is pulling him in, but if it's just Leorio... It'll be easier to keep him in the dark about a lot of what he's been doing.

He'll use that to justify this selfish decision.]

Leorio?

Comments

LMFAO ah but really, stares into the distance

[dialtones]

[He half wants to know if Leorio knows anything about nen aside from how to punch assholes, but he decides against it. There are more important things than throwing shade right now.]

Right. At first, I wondered if may our own auras could have been manipulated, but that's far more likely to have noticeable effects. A change in senses, in appearance, even alerting the user... [He's pacing, by the way.]

But if it were something microscopic, unable to be seen by even the human eye that can view nen, then... It can make its way into the body like the rest of it and slowly tear the body apart from the inside out!

[His feet stop in place, and after a coughing fit that's a little harder to cover up, he faces Leorio.] If that were possible, the only thing I could imagine to mesh so well with nen as a disguise is other nen itself. In small enough doses, it could be mistaken as their own nen by the body... and make its way inside. The larger the source or the keener one's senses, the more it has to adjust and disperse to eventually get in.

[Something's bothering him, though, if his expression is anything to go by. He covers his mouth with a hand in focus.]

But when could that have happened...? There are plenty of times when we all work together, but for only our specific members...

i'm naming this psl "nodes"

[speeddial]

[Is there anything about nen worth knowing besides how to punch assholes?? Ask yourself this, Kurapika.

Leorio makes his way over to the chair to have a seat and just... watch, really, watch Kurapika go back and forth. He opens his mouth to say something about that coughing fit but, okay, fine, he'll save it for later. As usual.

He sits back, folding his arms and frowning. It feels less and less like he's actually participating here, which is annoying—]

Hell if I know. If that's right, then it means the first person to get sick had the least- nen- resistance. [shut up he's a doctor nOT A NEN WIZARD] When was that?

i accept this name

[dialtones]

Two weeks ago... roughly.

[The days are blending together, but he thinks that's about right. It might help Leorio's worry as Kurapika finishes with his pacing to walk over and actually sit in the chair beside him.

He holds one of his hands out, focusing more of his nen there as he tries to detect anything off or different. No go. But he doesn't have any techniques for this... It's no good. He's hit a dead end.

Or he thinks that for a good few more seconds before something strikes him.]

There was one time. Roughly a month ago. All of us and Nostrade were handling some things at a local casino. I hadn't thought that someone would target all of us except for the head, but if their goal wasn't to kill him, but to isolate him...

[Then it makes sense, right??]

nodezone

[speeddial]

["help"]

[Leorio can only shrug. This makes more sense than anything else they've managed so far - it looks like a flu but behaves nothing like an actual infection, so nen at least seems more feasible. He thinks. Hopefully he's not just getting his hopes up now that an answer with a decent chance of being the right one has cropped up, because - how do they do something about it?

They're definitely not out of the woods yet.]

Who else was there? [Waiters, dealers, bouncers, other patrons- it's not hard to plant someone in a casino.]

nodegate

[dialtones]

Too many people to narrow it down. There were some rival families, regular civilians, crooks... The casino was having a special event, so it was advertised.

[It doesn't exactly make it easy. Another harsh bit of coughing-- talking doesn't help much, and he's worse off than he had been before-- and he sits back with a heavy sigh once he's caught his breath.]

I can request the video footage and work with it later. [His technique might come in use there... But here?] But none of that helps us right now.

...I'm not familiar with any of your abilities other than that punch. Do you have any? [He's so rude.]

node country for old men

[speeddial]

[What kind of paranoid mafia gang goes to a special event... Nostrade is an idiot, pass it on.

And Kurapika is rude; Leorio grumbles something irritably again, then runs a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh.]

Don't make it sound like I'm that bad... [Although, compared to some people who smell chains. Hmm.] There's something else, but I don't know if it, uh, works.

[Which is why he hasn't been going around tapping on people!! Surely, and not because he's on a way lower nen level.]

nodetel california

[dialtones]

[While Leorio mumbles and complains about the rudeness here, Kurapika ignores it as per usual. But that comment gets him curious. He leans a little closer, as if that would pry the information from his friend here.

He actually does know another?]

Can you describe it to me? [He's shared his own abilities, and he knows they're friends, but he has enough respect to ask if Leorio would be okay with sharing it, first of all.]

node simulator

[speeddial]

[Don't look so surprised. He can sense it, that's his ability - sensing when Kurapika is being a little punk.

Rather, he's not sure it makes enough sense other than the vague idea to be described well. So, because Kurapika will definitely go for this,]

Let me see your hand.

the node to el dorado

[dialtones]

[Ah, you know him so well. If it had sounded even remotely useful in all of this, he would have volunteered himself. So this is skipping a step, and he's not sure what to expect, but he does trust Leorio.

So without even a pause, he offers Leorio his chain-free hand.]

fear and nodeing in las vegas

[speeddial]

[It's not a skill he's had much practice at, simply because it's a little eccentric to bring up aura or nen in a room full of perfectly ordinary med students and so who would even listen to him if he tried - but it's an idea he's kicked around that might work and might be a total wash. He's not sure.

It takes him a minute or so of just staring at the back of Kurapika's hand sitting on his palm to actually figure out how to get his aura to do what he wants with it. He concentrates, then with his other hand just- taps on Kurapika's hand, putting a small amount of aura behind it. Well, he already knows Kurapika is sick, so it's not incredibly useful in gathering any new information... and it's a work in progress.

Then he looks back up at Kurapika, waiting for... something. An acknowledgement that he didn't just tap stupidly on him, at least.]

node...body knows the trouble i've seen????

[dialtones]

[He'll get that much for certain. Kurapika blinks in clear surprise, the tension that had been eating at him just seconds before wiping away. This was... Similar to en? A searching he could only notice while specifically paying attention for it, and even then it was probably only possible because it was a little clumsy.

A new technique, he's sure.]

Was that-- a scanning technique? [He sounds honestly amazed. He hadn't thought of something like that, but it makes sense for Leorio's line of work...] That's amazing! You came up with this on your own?

[For once, words like that don't come out degrading. Rather, he's impressed. To the point where he hasn't pulled his hand back.] The amount of situations a technique like this could be useful in... Leorio, if you could locate any of the microscopic differences in our nen, if it turns out to be that after all, this could be the solution!

[speeddial]

[Oh—oh, he has to look away now, suddenly embarrassed. Now it's amazing, jeez, don't say it so openly... His ears are definitely not turning pink, no, shut up. Shut up.]

It's— not done yet!!

[Obviously, given the fumbles. He could use a crash course in nen still, but it's workable. Truthfully, he's not sure how useful it will really be on such short notice- to find a difference in nen someone like Kurapika hasn't noticed by now, he'll really need to refine it, and quickly...

And that still leaves how to deal with the nen aberrations, assuming they're right, but he'll think about that one later. It's doable, messing with this skill, if Kurapika helps-]

I'll give it a try. [He points at Kurapika, excitable again.] Thanks for volunteering to be my guinea pig.

[dialtones]

[There's a small, fond smile at all of that, but he still raises one of his fingers.]

I'll gladly help out, but you'll have to be willing to work overtime. [That finger moves over to his lips. Right, since he's not 'sick', remember?] We can start tonight, upstairs. After you've taken care of what you can with Melody, we should search for a way to stop it this way. Or at least a way to confirm if that's what this really is.

[speeddial]

[Yeah, because sneaking into his room at night is going to stop those secret affair suspicions. Good work.

But rather than thinking about that, Leorio looks over at Melody, his expression dropping slightly. She's showing more symptoms than Kurapika, so trying it on her would probably prove more useful- but since it's not nearly refined enough, he doesn't want to accidentally make her condition worse.

He'll totally poke Kurapika in the dark, though. No big.]

You say "overtime" like I'm not down here most of the day anyway. [a shrug!] Later's the best I'm gonna get out of you, anyway.

[dialtones]

[What's that supposed to mean?? It's sounding more and more suggestive, but neither of them seem to notice, so it's fine. Kurapika drops that hand from his face, looking over to Melody as well. He's sure he knows what Leorio is thinking from that gaze, and he's been thinking the same.]

If you can perfect your technique or at least get the risk level down through me, you'll be able to help everyone. This will likely be the real battle.

['Battle' he says, what a fucking nerd. But while Leorio has been holding back further symptoms rather well, discovering and destroying the cause is what they're aiming for here.] It's no guarantee, but... I feel a little better just at the opportunity.

[speeddial]

["Battle"... don't be a loser. Leorio gives him a look for that one - nerrrd - then sits back in his chair. He's restless again almost immediately, and seconds after sitting back he's getting up, tapping his foot, striding over to Melody's bed to check that she hasn't gone catatonic again or something, he needs - something to do.]

Don't make any plans with Nostrade for tomorrow morning! [ok] It's going to be a long night, and I sure as hell won't let you cut out for that old man!

[It's also going to be a long rest of the day, with him like this.]

[dialtones]

[Leorio really dislikes this guy. Kurapika would comment on it if he didn't understand his feelings completely. So instead, he crosses his legs and considers it, thumbing through his phone.]

Fine. I'll block it as something else entirely, so you won't have to worry about any interruptions. I'll be all yours.

[So calm down, actual old man. Ah, but that makes Kurapika shift and stand, phone sliding back into a pocket.]

But that means I should take care of a few things right now. Call me if anything happens with Melody. We can meet upstairs once you're ready.

[speeddial]

[He'll never be calm... He can fake it for a couple seconds right now, while he waves a hand to tell Kurapika to go do his thing if he must.]

Go ahead. Don't overdo it!

[Is Kurapika used to hearing that five times a day yet, because he should be. That aside, miraculously nothing earth-shattering happens before a suitably late time of night perfect for sneaking across the hall like a kid trying to sneak out of the house. Leorio knocks once, then rethinks his strategy and knocks again, but actually tries to make it a little quiet this time.

This plan is perfect. He doesn't say anything, figuring he's the only one skulking around the hall in his dweeby flannel pajamas right now anyway. Let him in before this changes, the shame...]

[dialtones]

[He expects it, and yet he's still not used to it. But it's fine. This time, he checks his phone obsessively as he goes about his day. Runs some errands for Nostrade, takes care of certain arrangements, finds a good excuse for being busy tomorrow morning and tonight...

It actually gives him a few hours back in his room where he can rest his eyes. He can't quite sleep, a mixture of hope, excitement and worry eating at his chest, but none of that matters when he hears that loud-soft knock combo.

Shaking his head to himself, he pushes himself up from his bed and takes a few slow steps to the door, cracking it open to check the obvious before he opens it the rest of the way to let him in. Look! Now they're both in dweeb pajamas. Kurapika's has the sleeves rolled up and his top unbuttoned just a few from the heat his fever is causing, but aside from that, it's nearly his usual non-suit outfit.

He closes the door behind Leorio once he enters.]

How should we start? [Hi.]

[speeddial]

[Let's get this slumber party started. Leorio decides to make it quick, ignoring Kurapika's shitty greeting and how he got out of bed when he shouldn't have!! Because he's sick!!

Instead he nudges Kurapika's shoulder, very deliberately.]

You get back in bed. All you have to do is sit there.

[dialtones]

[Well, someone knocked at the door! And it's a good thing that he did, or Kurapika might have been offended and surprised at the sudden entrance.

The nudge gets a look, and he raises a hand almost like he's going to bat the nudging arm away, but he stops short.]

Very well. [He'll sit. And look, he does, stepping back over to the bed and turning around so that he can sit on the edge. How else?] But if you're expecting me to rest through this, I can't do that.

[Just, you know, for the record. He's going to be focusing and watching in interest and curiosity.]

[speeddial]

[He could have just sighed loudly or something, that would have gotten the point across...

Leorio follows him and simply sits down on the bed himself, nudging at Kurapika again to turn and face him. Like he's going to sit in a chair and not be as invasive as possible, no way.]

You can't calm down enough to just sit? [SIGHS] Why am I surprised...

[The joke: he's not. He holds his hand out like before.] C'mon, let's get to work.

[dialtones]

[Clicking his tongue, he adjusts himself, folding one leg under himself so he can face Leorio more completely on the bed. The other stays hanging off the edge as he passes him his left hand.]

How can I be calm? [He's speaking softly, compared to Leorio (probably). Not quite a whisper, but certainly not yelling, even if annoyance comes across.] This is ground breaking and you only just revealed it. What if you could save everyone's lives with this technique?

[speeddial]

[Wow, thanks for making him feel like a loser. He makes an indignant noise and mutters something along the lines of 'I didn't know it was nen flu,' looking very engrossed by the back of Kurapika's hand all of a sudden. Jerk.]

Shut up, you're distracting. [YEAH, so there. He pauses for a moment before tapping Kurapika's hand the same way as earlier; it's still somewhat clumsy, but less so now that he's aware the technique actually works. Give him a holler with any rude boy suggestions, please.]

[dialtones]

[Distracting? His argument to that only barely begins to get out before he cuts it short, tensely focusing instead. Right... This sort of technique must take focus in the beginning. He doesn't want to risk interrupting anything.

Being so tense probably isn't helping either, he realizes, and over the next couple of minutes, he forces himself to relax. It's hard for a guy like Kurapika who's got years of rage and vengeance plans built up inside of him and hardened into shiny new abilities, but somehow, his shoulders manage to loosen and lower, his hand relaxes, and he watches more calmly.

Like this, it's easier to peel his eyes away from the hand itself and watch Leorio's face for a while. He's certainly focused... And again, Kurapika is reminded that the only reason he was able to relax this far right now, and at all during all of this, was for the fact that it was Leorio.

It's only when he realizes that he's been staring at his face a little too long that he blinks and quickly looks back down, trying to lean forward a little to inspect the tapping on his own hand.]

Can you describe what you're doing to me? I can only notice it if I focus on it being there. Is it better if I don't use my nen at all?