dialtones: (hello hello baby you called?)
Kurapika ([personal profile] dialtones) wrote in [community profile] dumbshow2014-12-24 10:22 pm

answer your god damn phone

[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?
speeddial: (i'd trade my soul for a wish)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
[When the phone rings, Leorio is asleep. It's the kind of sleep he's used to lately, in between trying to keep his studying going and keep eyes and ears open for news of what his (unreasonable) friends are getting themselves into these days— that is, it sucks. He's hunched over two open books on his desk, the arm pillowed under his temple somehow still not enough to keep the definition of renal colic from sticking to his cheek. His phone suddenly buzzing to life inches from his head jerks him awake and he nearly takes the whole book with him as he sits up abruptly, where is the fire—

Oh. He rubs the side of his face with one hand and reaches for the phone with the other, which turns into a frantic grab when he sees the name and then he nearly drops it and somehow pokes himself in the eye in the process of scrambling for it but, okay, okay, he has it. He's got this. Kurapika is calling him, as impossible as that seems, and for a moment he forgets how his phone is supposed to work.

Cue another fumble as he realizes this is probably his only chance, even if he misses this call and calls back a second later, Kurapika won't pick up— So when he answers his voice sounds too far away and he says,]
Shit—

[—but only because his phone screen didn't like how hard he stabbed it with his thumb just now. He's so calm, he's not half asleep still and the only reason Kurapika would call him isn't if he's dying or something, right-??]

Kurapika!! [hello] Where the hell have you been?!
speeddial: (ripped jeans skin was showing)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
[Busy with work, Kurapika says, and Leorio is already echoing it back at him in angry disbelief before he's even finished the sentence. It's no excuse- Leorio knows, remembers what Kurapika's real goals are, but— but still, to go off the grid so thoroughly and only show up when it's convenient to him isn't what friends are supposed to do.

He has his next disapproving yell all ready to go, and holds his own phone away from his ear and in front of his face - like he's really yelling at Kurapika instead of an annoyed ID picture on his phone! - but in that split second when he's deciding between "like hell you've been that busy" and "you aren't the only one who works," Kurapika's question sneaks in. It takes a second before the sound of Leorio letting out the deep breath he took to really yell with comes through the phone, and when he speaks again his voice is lower.

He's already agreed, damn it.]


Tell me one thing first. [He's decidedly not going to ask anything that will provoke Kurapika into hanging up on him (he hopes), not when he's barely heard a few sentences out of him for too long. But-] Are you okay?
speeddial: (hot night wind was blowing)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
[He's tense for the brief pause before Kurapika answers and then breathes out again, audibly relieved. There are too many things he wants to say, to ask - and he'd probably yell most of them, out of habit - but if all he's going to get right now is a two-word assurance that Kurapika is fine, he'll deal with it. It beats another indefinite number of months listening to his phone ring and wondering if there's even someone left to pick up on the other end, anyway.

This is- well, it's something if not good news, as his milder tone is immediately cranked back up with an indignant sputter.]
What? What kind of thing is that to say to someone without explaining?! You—

[how does he deal with any of you HOW]

Of course it's fine, so tell me where to meet you!
speeddial: (IS GIVING ME BAD IDEAS)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 08:04 am (UTC)(link)
[The plan rolls over him almost without sticking, as he's already on his feet looking for his shoes. The more serious points sink in, at least - Nostrade, a secret location, a shady airship ride - and Leorio frowns and mumbles something that's less a word and more a noise of disapproval. Honestly, it's due to the fact that Kurapika can send airships to pick him up specially whenever he wants, but if Leorio wants to find him, he—can't.

If he could, well... Well, never mind. He can't. He presses the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he fumbles with his briefcase, the sounds of the latches clicking giving it away. Nostrade is there now, which means Kurapika must need him to do something, and how embarrassing would it be to show up woefully unprepared. The way he usually is, he feels like.

He doesn't try to hide his sigh, exasperated. His being angry at Kurapika isn't a well-kept secret, despite what he's doing now.]
You're too much. Okay! I'll be there in forty.

[no it'll be an hour]
speeddial: (grr)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 08:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Something in Leorio shorts out a bit at that; finally talking to Kurapika (and not about much, thanks a lot) is one thing, but seeing him is another entirely. It takes him a second to catch up with reality, and fortunately no one can see him yet as he pauses halfway to his door to let that really sink in.

But he can also hear the note of finality in Kurapika's words and blurts out a hasty,]
See you soon!! [-before he's... hung up on... thanks a lot again.

The next hour doesn't improve his state of mind. In fact, by the time he's arrived and been shuffled off to the airship waiting for him, he's too frazzled to really appreciate just how nice it is. His mind's been running laps around all the horrible things he could be walking into right now, starting with "it's a trap" (although who would want to kidnap him, he isn't sure) and ending with "a really dangerous trap." It's a distinctly uncomfortable state to be in, and he feels like each passing minute is a brick dropping into his stomach.

The only question he bothers to ask the airship crew is whether there's anything he can drink on this ship before he busies himself on the far end of the cabin going through an assortment of pacing, sitting down and getting back up again, and complaining into the minibar.

He decides at one point to punch Kurapika in the face when he sees him, but then again maybe he won't. It depends.]
speeddial: (SOMETHING IN THE AIR'S)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 08:49 am (UTC)(link)
[For once, Leorio can't wait to get away from opulence. The airship is stifling when his mood is combined with the way he's suddenly sure he's made a huge mistake. Walking into the Nostrade family- hideout? base?- whatever it is, it surely can't be good for his studies, and he wonders exactly how much time he's inadvertently agreed to dedicate to these people. These criminals.

He's at the door to the airship cabin before they even land, and as someone opens it for him he's shouldering his way out impatiently, briefcase in hand. He throws a half-sincere "Thanks for the ride" over his shoulder before he turns, and— Kurapika.

Suddenly, it doesn't matter how untrustworthy everyone else in the place is. Kurapika asked him to come—Leorio doesn't really need anything else, and well, here he is. Emotion sticks in his throat, but apparently this isn't the time or place for all the things he wanted to say. Later. Maybe.]


I'm— [He coughs, glancing at the other mafia members with obvious distrust. It'd be great if he had the explanation earlier...] I'm rested.

[There's a beat, before he takes a few long strides over and plants himself at Kurapika's side. If he has to hang around people besides Kurapika, he's not going to do it in the back of the group.] Let's go.
speeddial: (grunt)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 09:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Leorio looks at Kurapika almost the entire time they walk. He can't help it, after all that time spent having his calls ignored, to suddenly be walking alongside him now- Why wouldn't he? He wants to suss out the things Kurapika won't tell him or anyone, pinpoint what things are different about him and what stayed the same, wonder exactly how long Kurapika has looked so tired and if anyone here has even noticed—

Died?

Leorio blinks abruptly back into the conversation and listens with more focus. They need a doctor? But he isn't- not yet- This isn't good. He has nothing to do with the Nostrade family, he doesn't want anything to do with the Nostrade family and if Kurapika tries to put him back on that airship than Leorio will drag him aboard too— but if people are dying, then... he has to do something. This isn't the kind of "someone else's problem" he can ignore with a clear conscience - damn.

First, though, he scoffs and waves his free hand carelessly.]
Don't be an idiot. I'm already here, aren't I? And you're already trying to get rid of me.

[For the most part he manages to keep his voice casual, save for a falter at the end that he'll pretend didn't happen. He looks Kurapika full in the face then, brow creased in concern. He'll have time to be angry later-] Are you sure you're okay? You look pretty terrible, y'know.
speeddial: (i don't want to keyword the rest)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 09:40 am (UTC)(link)
[That's—much more than Leorio can say he was expecting. It's all things he would have inferred, sooner or later (he tells himself, anyway), and having Kurapika actually say them only drives home exactly how bad things are here. Leorio isn't sure how to respond; it feels a little cheap to tell him he can always rely on him and should do it more often, given the circumstances, so- he doesn't respond, following him into the elevator in thoughtful silence. Kurapika is tired but he isn't near death, and that's going to concern him just a little more than the sick family members until he can see them.

That is until the rest hits him like a punch to the gut; Melody? He barely knows her, but in the short time they were both with her last she managed to convince him someone in this shady business might be okay. More than okay. If anyone were to notice Kurapika's sorry state it would be her—

Leorio looks down and away, gritting his teeth. It's only for a second, before he resolves to put aside the feelings of being profoundly not the right man for this job and looks at Kurapika again with renewed determination.]


I'll help. I'll do anything I can. Kurapika— [He puts a hand on Kurapika's shoulder and squeezes, a little too hard- there are too many emotions threatening to spill out of him right now to say what he wants to say so he hopes this will get his point across, You're not alone.

And he's totally not going to cry. Not right now.]
speeddial: (wrong song)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 10:08 am (UTC)(link)
[The moment's cut short by the elevator stopping but Leorio follows without another comment about it. He doesn't really... care what the man Nostrade himself is doing, if he's being completely honest; if he's not sick, he's not someone Leorio is here to see. It's not a confrontation he wants to have right now, anyway, him against the slimeball in charge of putting Kurapika through all of this.

He might say something they all regret.]


How many people are sick? [Not a question he needs immediately answered, but just to know what he's up against- looking down the hall like it has an answer for him before Kurapika's sudden stop grabs his attention again.

He blinks after a few seconds and feels like he can glance away from Kurapika's serious gaze without being caught in it again- no pressure, right? He can do this. This is the reason he became a Hunter in the first place, to be someone who can make a difference in situations like this— and if he tells himself he's become that person already, it might even work.

So, then. First,]
Take me to Melody.
speeddial: (IS GIVING ME BAD IDEAS)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[It sounds for all intents and purposes like a common flu, which only strains Leorio's nerves more. If something about the symptoms sounded out of the ordinary, that'd be a place to start, but a sickness that sounds like another and then kill its victims after a week? That's—not much to go on.

There's a lot riding on this, a lot of responsibilities and circumstances stacked very much against them both. Leorio frowns at Melody's door, mind racing as he thinks of what other illnesses match Kurapika's description and if any have unique symptoms to look for. Only a handful of people are sick or have passed already, but they could all already have whatever it is. Kurapika could— and he could soon, walking into the thick of it like this—

Well, he'll worry about that later, too. He touches Kurapika's shoulder briefly again before moving past him into the room. Whatever hesitations he had on the airship or on the way to this room are gone; he's (mostly) a doctor, Kurapika is his friend and Melody is important to Kurapika, and he might have come equipped with the most basic of supplies but hell if he doesn't try.

Still, as he looks down at the sleeping Melody, "good" isn't the word that comes to mind. A moment later he puts his briefcase down on the end of the bed and tugs a pair of gloves out of it. Might as well start with a general examination, he'll take her temperature...]


Uh— [Over his shoulder; somehow, Kurapika standing there watching doesn't seem like the best thing for him to do.] I won't kick you out, but at least sit down somewhere.
speeddial: (pennies and dimes for a kiss)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Leorio hums his acknowledgement, turning back to Melody and his briefcase. When he has a better idea of what's going on here, then— of course he'll let Kurapika "arrange" it. He'll bleed Nostrade's bank accounts dry if it will stop people from dying here.]

Might be. He's a criminal. [Darkly, as he gets to work. Not only is Nostrade a criminal, but apparently also a coward hiding away while his people flounder and die below him. That's a real winner. It's difficult to say which aspect of the man he's never met Leorio is the most disgusted with at the moment - there are just so many.

Nostrade can wait; he thinks instead about the possibility that someone has attacked the family as he works. Temperature first, although it's obvious by looking that she has a fever... If this is an attack, then there's also the possibility that it's some kind of poison (or nen? Can nen do that? Maybe he should have gotten a better nen teacher), which at least means it can be disposed of at the source...

Cloud of uncertainty overhead aside, his checkup on Melody goes as well as it can given she's unconscious. His studying hasn't been shoddy at all, and it shows in the way he moves; even his occasional frustrated grumble reflects on the nature of the situation and not a lack of ability to do this seriously.

Eventually he straightens up and looks back at Kurapika, brow creased. He's not a miracle worker, there's no magic diagnosis and cure this soon, but he's at least got a better understanding of her symptoms and one more to add-]
She's dehydrated.

[and his IV drips are in his other briefcase]
speeddial: (call me maybe reprise)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Did he not say sit down? He's pretty sure he said sit down. But at the same time he's about to tell him to sit back down, something clicks into place and he pauses. Has Kurapika been coughing this whole time?

Dread like ice water falls over him and Leorio suddenly has to drag his focus back to Melody when it's trying very hard to be in two places at once. It doesn't work as well as he tries to make it, and worry settles in the pit of his stomach more heavily than before. He nods, keeping his voice controlled.]


If she can't drink on her own, she needs a drip. [A glance; this is taking its toll on Kurapika, and if Leorio could he would make him sit down and deal with the arrangements himself—he's never yelled at the mafia before, but there's a first time for everything. But he knows Kurapika too well to expect him to consider his own well-being above that of one of the few people he values, so he'll put him to work gathering supplies instead.

Sort of. He wonders how long he can get away with trying to keep Kurapika as removed from shoving his nose in it as possible. It's worth a shot.

As close as they're standing right now it takes only a small movement to nudge his elbow against Kurapika's arm, a gesture meant to keep Kurapika here and not receding into too much emotion.]
Can you get me one? Or a dozen, while we're at it— for the whole crew.
speeddial: (instead it was bullshit)

[personal profile] speeddial 2014-12-25 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sit back down then—jeez.

That said, the passive confirmation that his calls go totally ignored is just great. Maybe if Kurapika had picked up a week ago and Leorio hadn't been spending all his time sleeping on his desk and complaining to himself about textbooks- he sighs, then holds up a hand to signal for Kurapika to give him a minute. This might be a shoddy list, but he'll just have to trust Kurapika's people to get good materials.

"Trust." Well, he trusts Kurapika, if not his mystery contacts.]


Ahh, you didn't even give me a chance to think about it. Besides those... [He thinks a moment more and then he'll tick them off on his fingers: more needles, obviously, plus syringes and painkillers- more gloves- it's a short list, but given all the nothing they know about this illness, it's to be expected.

Just buy him a hospital, come on.]

Page 1 of 30