KILLUA

(Please note that Killua does not smell like anything thanks to his air elementals so no one will be able to tell he's currently living in Snowbound! Also the last paragraph is the only one that really matters!)

He was going to have to get his bearings sooner or later. Sure he wasn't completely healed just yet after what his older brother had done to him, but he knew that he could at least hold up to his own for the time being. Besides, from what he gathered these places were just forming so he didn't really considering them much of a threat. He had been there when the second clan that he joined was just starting up and for half of the time he was practically alone to do whatever the hell he wanted. Which got boring quite quickly because the reason he had left the original clan that he had first appeared in was because there was nothing left for him there and he was going to have to run from his family like always. It was always his family that was being the problem and nothing else. It was exhausting and he just wished that they would leave him the hell alone instead of bugging him to do something that he didn't want. The assassin just wanted to have a normal life as a kid for as long as he had left of actually being a kid. Considering how young he was, he certainly had quite a few titles to his name. He almost became deputy of a clan twice just because he was around, and then he became a deputy of the second clan that he was starting to consider his home until someone came along and took over the clan. Everyone acted like it was perfectly okay despite the other having lied to their faces, and then he was demoted for his actions. No, he hadn't wanted to be the leader or anything of the sorts. All the thoughts about ranks completely bored him to every extent, but it didn't mean he would turn one down if he could put it to some use. Having grown up only knowing how to kill others meant that he was terrible when it came to social interactions. Some animals were willing to give him a chance and see past the words that he was always saying. While the other half would be quick to try and go at his throats in the second that he decided to open his mouth. It sucked for them that he was always ten times stronger than they could ever hope to be in their lifetime. They could talk about him all they wanted, especially in the clan that he had just recently left, and yet they would still do nothing to try and physically fight him. Probably the best idea that the clanners could ever really come up with. Since he was forced to leave the place that he was considering to be his home. Especially with those that he was actually starting to bond with for once in his life, he didn't know what his next plan would be next. Yes he was running away from his brother, and he was terrified of him. The only thing that the young male was actually terrified of. He didn't want to see the tiger for as long as possible, and keeping himself in a small group such as these groups that were around would be a great idea.

Killua wasn't able to gather a huge amount of information considering that very few were known about the clans. At least from the members that were currenetly in the clans. What was this place called anyway? He didn't really care. His habit was for him to go around and gather as much information as much as possible to be able to see what groups were what. And which ones were probably going to be the problem. Killua never really got along with those that dealt with nothing but trying to kill others. He considered all of them to have the same personalities, and always found them extremely weak. Having killed leaders that belonged to massive groups compared to this one, he doubted that he would really run into trouble at the moment. He had to admit, that they had a good strategy when it came to those approaching their island. There was practically only one entrance unless someone wanted to swim to it, but he wasn't about to get his long fur wet just yet. the albino serval walked along the railroad tracks, and for some reason, he felt like he had been on railroad tracks before. But decided to ignore it for now. His pawsteps were completely silent as he walked thanks to his air elementals cushioning his paws right before he touched the ground so that they didn't make any noise. He didn't really have to worry about an ambush out in the open unless they had invisibility like he did. Oh well. He noticed what seemed to be a massive gate and the familiar scent of a border filtering into his nostrils. Despite his young age, the former deputy was already larger than that of a regular domestic cat. Probably not in complete body mass, but he was at least taller than them. The wildcat sat himself down at the gate, a bored look spread across his facial features as he raised one of his pure white paws and conjured up a raspberry lollipop that he popped into his mouth. His dark sapphire eyes began to look around the area, wondering what kind of interesting beings would approach him. He didn't really have any high expectations though. Killua didn't bother to mention his approach, wondering how long it would actually take them to see him. He was practically like a beacon with his white fur, however. His heavily scarred body not even bothering to try and hide.

clan -- apprentice -- male -- 8 moons

[shadow=darkblue,right]KILLUA[/shadow]

Killua had a large track record when it came the amount of animals he had killed during his lifetime. At leas the animals he killed during jobs, as hunting didn't really count in his mind in the first place. The assassin had been killing other creatures since he was just a kitten. Which obviously gave him a lead when it came to the other clan apprentices that were around his age. They were nothing compared to him when it came to strength unless they were raised like he had been. Which usually wasn't the case as the clans tried so hard to keep their youngsters innocent and protected as much as possible. Which sometimes Killua thought was a waste of time and early exposue was the correct way to go so that the apprentices wouldn't get the wrong idea when it came to the real world and how cruel it was to be. Circusclown had taught him that everyond deserved the life that they had, and some reacted to other events differently than others. He knew about this. He remembered the looks on the clans faces at the time that corpses were left on the border. Killua never really thought about anything at that time out of simple consideration that he would just scrutinize the kill for how it was made instead of being afraid of something that was dead and would do no harm. Most clanners considered it to be practically taboo to kill anyone, while Killua found it somewhat logical if the fight needed to be done. He was trying his best not to be a killer anymore, but he probably had more of a kill track record than most warbound or anti-clans combined. When he was younger, Killua used to keep track of how many creatures he took the lives of. After a while however, killing didn't give him the same high factor that he used to have. He didn't find it enjoying and soon found the thrill completely stagnant. He needed to find something else to do, but he wouldn't be able to do anything without disobeying his parents. Which was a handful in all itself anyway. Killua also killed plenty of clanners once he figured out that there were clans in the world instead of group of animals just harboring themselves in the city. They were probably the easiest targets to kill because most were trusting as soon as one made their presence known. While others would just look at him with distrust. He didn't blame them. Most could tell just by looking in his eyes that he was a killer. The assassin didn't really try to hide that he was dangerous all the time. Why should he? This would make it so that other animals would think twice before approaching the likes of him anyway. Besides, he gave plenty of warning to clanners that didn't know how to watch their tone around him. All Killua usually asked for was a form of respect directed toward him. Showing any form of respect was quick to calm the young apprentice down, as he hated being looked down at just because he was a kid. He was stronger than most adults after all and he wouldn't let them take that away from him. He was a Zoldyck. That was something he could be somewhat proud of even if the name tasted bitter on his tongue.

Killua had never realized over the months that his mind had actually been tampered with by his brother. He knew that his brother had some correlation with the voices that he would hear from time to time, but he had no idea that his brother was capable of ripping out memories to the point that he wouldn't remember. Killua would never remember the adopted family that had loved him so. The enemies that had once wanted to slice his throats for his cruel actions. Those that he considered to be friends were lost to the wind of life and he would never catch up to be able to catch them. The memories having been ripped for his very soul, and anyone capable of looking at his soul would be quick to figure out that there was a large chunk of his soul missing. It didn't hamper any of Killua's abilities, he just got an occasional headache when he looked at others. The reason to figure out why he had headaches wasn't on his to-do list as it wasn't a means of concern right now. He needed to get stronger. Stronger so that he could face his brother when the time really did come. His brother was bound to find him, and Killua had no idea that his position was already compromised. His family had been smart enough to implant something into his body that would allow them to gain some control over his body and his mind. It allowed them to trace the thoughts of his mind to a specific location which means that they could find him whenever they wanted. So why were they stalling? What was their reason to wait a little bit longer after having just dealt a punishment only around a month ago? Either way, Killua was soon grew bored. How long was it going to take them to get here anyway? He was almost all the way through his lollipop when he started to hear something moving off in the distance. His body language gave no hint that he was away of someone's presence, or that he had actually heard them. Pros of being a serval was his sensitive hearing, which was so good that he could hear something moving underneath the earth if he concentrated hard enough. The albino serval blinked his sapphire blue eyes when he spotted the creature that was moving toward him. A canine. A wolf to be specific. Not a species that wasn't common in groups like this. He knew the limitation of wolves, but this one didn't show any sign of aggression or dominance. The canine was certainly a lot bigger than he was, still not a concern, however. There was no recognition in the other's eyes for sure. It seemed that there was something missing about him that he didn't know and didn't try to figure out. His eyes had grown significantly darker since their last run in with one another. The heavily scarred apprentice listened to her words and was glad that the other may be interested in giving him information. He offered the other a grin from his jaws, the tips of his metal claws poking out of their sheaths. He did raise one of his paws to wave, considering the other was polite and he just wanted information. "Yo. I was wondering if you could tell me what this place is. I'm not from around here but a rogue told me there was a new group." The assassin would ask calmly as he lowered his paw back down onto the ground. Was she even going to be the talkative type? Probably, but there were bound to be others that would try and get into his business, which he was prepared for. "I'm also bored as hell and just looking to chat with someone," Killua said with a shrug of his shoulders. He, however, didn't introduce himself to the other. "What's your name?" Killua questioned with childlike curiosity. He did want to know the others name, but if she didn't want to give it that was up to her. He moved the lollipop in his mouth to the right side this time, as he was enjoying the taste and wouldn't bite into the candy until the last minute.

snowbound -- apprentice -- male -- 7 moons

[shadow=darkblue,right]KILLUA[/shadow]

Every Zoldyck grew up the same way. At least when his father became head of the family a pattern started to form with how each of them was going to be raised. Killua wasn't the oldest, but he also wasn't the youngest. He had another sibling that was below him in that regard when it came to age. Kalluto was certainly someone that he didn't interact with all that much out of consideration that he always hung out with his mother. Someone that he couldn't even remotely stand for an extensive period of time. The other constantly obssessive over him as if he was someone's new toy. Which just so happened to really piss Killua off more for the way that they treated him more like an object rather than an object. At that time though, Killua didn't know any etter and simple thought that was the way that everyone was treated when it came to family. He wasn't allowed outside of that damned castle anyway so he didn't get experience of dealing with communities that actually had families that cared for them in it. The training that the Zoldyck's went through were usually routine. Poison, electricity exposure, physical, and mental training were the most common ones. Killua never really got special treatment when it came to the severity of the training that he went through. It took quite a while before Killua was even allowed to acquire his first job. Having learned nothing else, Killua had been filled with nothing but excitement the entire journey there. He probably would have been happier if his brother hadn't been ordered to follow him but he was going to take whatever he could get. The first kill he made was the mark of a developing assassin and someone to avoid at all cost. Did Killua ever look back at the things that he had odne and feel bad? He didn't. Most of the jobs he ended up taking on were entirely political, taking out leaders and others of political importance, especially when it came to the clans. When he was under the control of his family when he lived in the first group of clans, they were the easiest for him to take out because they were too used to their surroundings and not used to having an actual assassin around. Killua knew at that time that he just didn't know any better, so he didn't try to think about he horrible things that he had done. Killua did start to feel somewhat guilty when others were extremley generous to him for no reason. The doubt constantly in his mind, plaguing him thanks to his brother, whether or not he should actually enjoy the kindness that is given to him when he didn't do anything to deserve it. Time after time he returned to the advice of Circusclown before he ultimately died. Everyone deserved to live, and he deserved to search out the path that he wanted to instead of being forced to change his path for that of his family. He wasn't their toy anymore, and it would take quite a bit for them to try and convince them to become an assassin again. This doesn't mean that his habits haven't transferred after him trying not to be an assassin anymore. He hid every last bit of information about himself from those that he interacted with. It sometimes took weeks before someone was even able to know his name as knowing names could be extremely powerful to use against him. Especially a Zoldyck. He already had a high enough bounty on his head for being a Zoldyck in the first place. Either way, he also had the habit of constantly keeping his scent away from others as if he had to hide something. It helped him a little bit if he wanted to blow off some steam in a random area and not have to worry about him being tracked. He constantly analyzed those that he came across, making sure to take mental notes about the way that a certain animal would move around their weak points. Having killed dragons, Killua had little to fear about those that were much larger than he was. Like his brother had lectured him over and over again, every time he meant someone, all he cared about was figuring out if he could kill them or not. That statement only being partly true as he no longer really took pleasure in killing others like the rest of his family. Instead, now he did this out of a defense, as he hated being taken off guard by really anyone.

Being trained at an early age made it possible for him to be capable of what he is able to do today. Compared to the time that him and Obscuro had met back in the first clan he joined, he had grown significantly stronger. Having more experience and powers under his belt to use as offensive tactics. He also had several mental methods to attack those as use of distraction before ultimately killing them. Of course, he did enjoy gathering information on those before starting a fight so that he would have better chances. In order for that to happen, he would most likely have to visit places more than once. Not really an issue when he didn't have to expel that much energy to get the job done. It kept his mind occupied so that he didn't do anything done. Besides, it could also mean that he could bring Koru along with him so that the black mamba could be used as a deterrent to keep those from attacking him. He never had to worry about the reptile biting him thanks to antigens that worked in his blood. He did, however, have to keep the list of poisons that constantly came out into the black market updated, injecting himself a couple times a month with the new poisons. It was annoying to have to do it constantly, but most groups that were bound to try and kill others were bound to synthesize their poisons, or at least try to do so. He couldn't be taken off guard, as it was a matter of survival on who could or couldn't be killed. He always enjoyed having the upper hand when it came to a battle. Sadly he didn't always have the opportunity to study others before a battle did break out. Which meant that he would probably let the group fight the other clan and he would watch for a couple moments before making his move once he had gathered enough sufficient data. Killua had plenty of tricks up his sleeves, such as his yo-yo's and his other abilities that he constantly kept hidden. He could more than easily use illusions that he was taught by his grandfather to do when he was a kitten. If the other wasn't smart enough they would easily fall for an illusion. The difference between Killua and the clans was that he didn't hesitate to kill. If he wanted someone dead, then so be it. Killua only didn't think of Argus as a threat for the moment because she wasn't being immediately aggressive or hateful toward him. He had already devised a couple plans while he listened to her speak, knowing that he would probably go for the wolf's wings and then for her vital areas. Unless she attacked him first in which he would go for vitals instead of wings. Breaking wings weren't all that difficult considering that most of them were hollow. Argus would notice Killua's eyes drifting here and there as he looked at her. As if he was memorizing different portions of her body for later use. Canines weren't all that hard to tackle, it was felines that were more unpredictable in his experience. Typhoon though? At the name, Killua looked around at the surrounding water that was around them. All of the names that had been said to him so far had almost been ironic in his mind. This place would certainly suffer typhoons thanks to its current location. When he did turn his head though, he constantly kept his ears angled toward the other's position, making sure that the other knew that if she moved he would know about it. He could easily outrun he if he needed to. "The Typhoon? That's what I've been hearing so far around here. I wonder why all these different groups decided this area would be a good place to settle down." It was a rhetorical question toward the female that he didn't expect to be answered. This showed that Killua knew about some other groups that were in the area, but didn't specify that he was one of them. If they were still setting up, it meant that they weren't organized. Making if he was going to attack someone anytime soon it would make his life a whole lot easier. But he wasn't trying to be a killer anymore. His body language remained calm the entire time, no sign of any future threat coming from his body. He turned his gaze back toward the winged wolf when she mentioned if he wanted to fight he was in the right place. So this was one of the more violent clans? Great.

He could expect someone to approach and tell him off already. The assassin swirled the lollipop in his mouth for a couple seconds. "So this is more of the violent ones huh? I'm surprised I'm used to getting my ass chewed for asking to chat just because I'm not a joiner." The albino serval would give a low annoyed huff for how he had been treated in the past. These clans were making it more and more difficult for him to actually turn a new leaf for once. A smirk did spread across his facial features though when the other stated that she was willing to chat. "At least you're willing." Killua gave the other a small thanks. Although the entire time he had been here he wasn't really trying to make friends. Gathering information was his main objective, and so far so good. He was able to get the name of the group. Being extremely observant due to his training, the assassin noticed the glint in his eyes. His heart beat slightly increased because he knew exactly what that glint meant. He was starting to get slightly excited for the thought of a possible spar or even a fight with the female. He was getting rusty after all. The fresh pink scars that covered most of his body still healing somewhat. So she was clever huh? He had to give her props for at least that, as he considered most of those that lived in places like these to be mentally lacking. "I guess you're right on that." Killua would give a low chuckle, but he still had the smirk spread across his facial features. His sapphire blue eyes seemed to darken a little bit, but it was only subtle. Leaning back on his hunches in another showing of how relaxed he was, he hummed to himself with the candy in his mouth. "So who runs a place like this anyway? And I'm guessing that this place has some kind of 'theme', as groups like these tend to do." Name of a leader? It wouldn't be hard to get the name of the leader especially if he ever wanted to ask if he needed to see the leader to ask them something personally. Was there a chance he could get the leaders name? Possibly. There was a chance they could even make an appearance due to how new the place was to other groups. Like Argus, he wouldn't offer his name.

snowbound -- apprentice -- male -- 8 moons

[shadow=darkblue,right]KILLUA[/shadow]

(why did we decide to a do a muse war holy heck)

Killua usually had a distaste for most creatures that he ended up coming across. Which at times he himself is confused as to why he grows annoyed with so many creatures that he ends up interacting with. Was it something they said? They way that they held themselves? Killua wasn't exactly sure what to think of those that he first met instead of thinking about what he usually did with an unfamiliar face. Thanks to Illumi's training, Killua usually didn't think about how he would end up getting to know someone. After all, something like that actually takes time, and it was time that he didn't have during his training. He woudl simply look at someone, identify the species and the way that they held themselves to figure out how difficult it would be to kill them. Killua usually went for attacking the throat when it came to the kills that he made, which is why his eyes often trailed along the neck area when he was looking over someone for a couple of seconds. Killua wasn't an idiot though and usually made his analyzing fairly subtle. There were times though that someone would catch him doing it and would pretend like they didn't notice or that they were stronger than they looked when they actually weren't. Creatures could hide it as much as they wanted, but if they weaker than they looked, he would be able to pick it out in various of different manners that he was taught by his family. Killua automatically thought that the creature he interacts with for the first time is ultimately just going to die and that there would be nothing that he does about it. After all, those that die are just weak and can't fend for himself. A moral that Killua had been struggling with for the past couple of months because he feels like he should be over that notion. Not everyone can be as strong as he was, but when it came to survival it was literally survival of the fittest. Sometimes not in just the physical manner, but also the manner of being able to outsmart an opponent and lead them into a trap to lead to a victory. That was the way that Killua often fought others.

Either way, due to his bitter attitude toward others, reflected that personality right back toward him. Which would only manage to piss him off more than he already was at the time of seeing them. The wildcat wasn't one to really take insults sitting down, and would be more than willing to try and slice at the other if they said another word without him allowing them. The assassin had a short temper that could easily be triggered by mocking him. But when he fought when he was angry, he didn't usually mess up like some would think of him to be. Instead, his training would end up kicking him and he would be more deadly than he had been when he was in a neutral mood. Killua often got glares that were directed at him. At one point in his life, he ended up dropping a book on a clanners head, a clan that he had been living in for a little bit. Killua had no intention of hurting the other and simply wanted to have a short laugh by doing a small prank while the other was in the library. That didn't last long when the clanner turned toward him and started spitting threats. Immediately Killua's demeanor had changed completely as he turned to face the one that he had dropped the book on his head. The clanner obviously unharmed, but the other obviously wanted to fight him with the way that he was talking. Ironically, it just so happened that the clanner was an adult. Killua not usually mix well with adults because they always underestimated his potential against others. Killua asked the other to attack him, out of spite knowing that the other wouldn't do that because it wasn't right to fight another creature that was in the same clan as them. Killua usually threw rules to the wind as he didn't think that rules to clans really applied to him all that much. Why should they? He never fully considered himself to be a clanner after all. The assassin watched as the other seemed to scream with fury as he tried to hold himself back to keep himself from attack Killua. And then once the atmosphere started to change the angrier that Killua got, the other obviously wasn't happy about that idea. He was quick to back off, and when the others around him started to yell at him, he didn't even really think about it and just brushed off the words that were thrown at him. The clanner had started it, after all, he was just meeting the challenge like anyone else. Killua often did this with those that considered himself to be weak, as it showed that he wasn't one to be messed with. Those that were afraid were less likely to betray him because once he found out it would just mean that they would end up dead on the floor.

The assassin had no mercy when it came to those betraying him, even if it was just on something that was rather small. There were always bound to be arguments when it came to the young assassin. Arguing gave him a means of messing with other animals and it also meant that he could prove others wrong. At one point, he and the entire clan had gotten stuck in the tunnel that he had found out, realizing that ultimately it was a trap in the end. In the serious situation, Killua had to argue with those that were around him, because he had more knowledge of being trapped in a cave than the rest of the group did. Most of them didn't enjoy his presence, but they shut their mouths when he said that if they didn't get out soon enough that they were just going to end up dying. They finally made it out, but Killua continued to keep his distance so that he couldn't hear their constant whining about him. It was because of him that those that close to the border didn't dare to try and do any funny business due to how intimidating he was. At this point, Killua has figured out that the other's smile is most likely fake that was directed toward him. She's playing the good guy in the situation depending on if they ended up getting in a fight here and there. The canine beat him in size, and she could probably break his leg with a couple chomps to his leg. But he was extremely slippery in a fight and would use his speed to outrun her in an instance. The rest of the group didn't seem all that interested in making an appearance, which was fine with him because it was more fun to have a one on one talk with someone rather than a huge group that may be at his neck if they weren't similar to the female in front of him. Having the lollipop in a long time meant that it was going to have to be eaten soon rather than later. He crunched down on the hard candy in his mouth, the sound emitting through the small seconds of silence that passed between the two fo them. Swallowing the sweet candy, the assassin grabbed the lollipop stick with his paw and conjured the object away leaving nothing behind. At the same time, he was quick to conjure up another one and stick it into his mouth, as if nothing had happened. Sure he revealed a power, but conjuration was common, and few thought of it as really a threat in most regards. The smirk on his face turned into a grin though when the other spoke, and he shrugged his shoulders before speaking. "Well, that's a first. In groups like these, everyone's always worried that if they break a rule that they'll have their head on a stake." Killua stated in almost a complaining tone, as it was true. These groups rarely decided to take any risks, and it was because of that he found them incredibly annoying as they were all the same.

The canine seemed to be a bit different though, and she had peaked his interest, even if it was a little bit. Killua raised one of his paws as the other continued to talk. Oh? She finally realized that he was just digging for information? But he could put that mindset on her head if he wanted to. "Hey I'm not like everyone else. I like to do some research before potentially joining a group. I like to know what I'm getting myself into, especially if you aren't like everyone else it doesn't give me a good idea what kind of personalities are welcome here." Killua said this in a calm tone, a neutral expression spread across his facial features when he spoke. He had a completely neutral tone as well, so it made it harder to figure out if he was lying or not, which he had learned to lie since he was just a kitten. He retained eye contact, leaving signs that he was lying up in the air waiting to be found. It would be interesting to see if she figured out at least that much. Grabbing the lollipop stick, he took it out of his mouth with a small 'pop' sound emitting from the action. "What kind of cost are ya thinking?" If the other wanted treasure weren't wasn't really hard to come by. He literally was sitting on a fortune and wasn't using any of it, but he doubted the clans dealt with any of that trivial stuff anyway. The grin returned to his face as he waved the lollipop in the air when he spoke before returning it to his mouth.

snowbound -- apprentice -- male -- 8 moons

[shadow=darkblue,right]KILLUA[/shadow]

(AT THE TIME YEAH BUT MAYBE NOT NOW XD)

Killua didn't know what to think about what would be possible in the afterlife. In his life, there was really no need to think about something like that so soon. His family had never raised him to be even remotely religious when it came to the job or even his life. He had been too busy with the job and dealing with the clans that he had been put into that he never had a chance to really think about what it would be like to die. He had come close a couple of times now to actually dying from the wounds that his brother had given him. Although a portion of him knew that his brother wasn't reckless enough to actually kill the heir to the family business. Besides it was against the family law to kill another Zoldyck member while they were on their own missions or really just to kill them in general. Which was certainly difficult to follow when some of the siblings just wanted to rip at each other's throat without a second though. But it was because of that law that they hadn't killed each other. Killua had never seen his father made before, and he certainly didn't want to be the one to spark his anger. He was sure that if a Zoldyck killed another Zoldyck, that the one that ended up killing the other would certainly be killed as well without any second chance. Which made sense as there was a likelihood that Zoldyck would kill another Zoldyck if they wanted to think that there weren't any consequences. Killua had lost track of the different types of wounds that his brother had given him. The scars that lay hidden underneath his slightly long pelt. Memories of the training that he had gone through, and memento's that he would carry around with him forever. The assassin knew that because of the scars that he had what he was capable of dealing with. The damgae he was capable of living through at the same time. Most thought of scars as trophies, Killua however did not. The scars that scattered across his body were means of a smothering love that festered. They were a means of punishment when he hadn't done something that they asked. He had been burned, whipped, nearly drowned, water boarded, and even more. The scars that covered his body were there to make sure that no matter where he went, his family came with him, no matter how far he could possibly run he was always connected with them.

The thought almost always made bile rise in his throat. The only way a person could see the extent of his scars was if he were to get into a body of water and have his fur cling to his body. While fresh scars were pink and obvious against his white fur. Despite being so close to death, Killua was certain of one thing. He didn't want to die. He had so much that he wanted to accomplish alone that he wanted to have enough time to actually. Was he afraid of death? Most certainly. But going up against the mass number of opponents and targets through his life meant that he was numb to the idea of possibly dying from an opponent that was tougher than he was. The only time he had lost a fight had been against a leader when he attempted to assassinate her. At first, that instance had been nothing but humiliating. He had failed for the first time in his life and his family had the highest expectations for him. He would most likely not be allowed to return home without completing the mission no matter how long it would end up taking. The second emotion that came through Killua at the time was confusion, as even despite trying to take her life, the leader didn't bother to try and take his life in return, and instead opted to let him go and continue living in the group that she had authority over. Something that Killua would probably never end up understanding. Thanks to the way he was raised, Killua didn't really believe in any sort of supernatural beings that existed. He believed that everything in this world could be killed. Maybe not permanently because he knew that there were such things as reincarnation. But he could still kill them, and that's all that he really needed to know in his life. The assassin didn't care if something was considered to be a god or the reincarnation of some diety. He would kill whatever he wanted no matter how powerful they said themselves to be. Unless he was given proof that they were actually powerful, he just believed that a power could explain the means of someone's strength and nothing else. That was all there was to it, as he looked at life a little bit too logically. Something that his former mentor had thought of when they interacted with one another. All the points that he said an argument were entirely true in a logical standpoint, but other than that they lacked the morals for him to see past what was logical and what was the right thing to do. Which had been what happened when Killua when he found someone that was close to death on the border of the clan that his mentor was leader over. The assassin didn't even think twice about ending the others misery, as there was no way the other would probably survive his injuries. Yet, his mentor went out of his way to stop Killua in order to save the animal that didn't even belong to the group. Why?

Why had he done something like that? It was during this time that Killua learned a valuable lesson from his mentor, that being everyone had a right to live, and that he had no right to take it away because it was their life and not his. Everyone should be given a chance. Killua nearly broke down at that moment, a mixture of confusion and realization as to why the clanners were quick to try and heal those that were on the verge of death. When he had gotten extremely injured himself and arrived on the exact same border, those that he didn't know were willing to help him so that he didn't bleed out on their border. Well, it was more like he was in the middle of their territory. Those that were used to seeing him were even willing to risk their lives for revenge on his name against the creature that had done such terrible things. Why though? Why help someone like him that had done terrible things? Of course, he knew it was just out of consideration that he had never told them that he was a murderer. And still the clan that he ended up spending the most time around happened to be a group that wasn't against killing but didn't go out their way to start a war. Something that Killua could easily respect in all sorts of manners. Killua kept the same facade going while the other spoke to him as to why she didn't seem that concerned about what her actions didn't end up doing. He still had no idea whether the clan was violent or not based on the information that she had given him. She was obviously keeping information from him at this point, no matter what kind smile she had on her face. The other was willing to rebel against the group that she was in. Did that make her loyal to what she believed in or was she quick to be labeled as a traitor? Hard to tell from all the information he had gathered for now. Killua shrugged his shoulders again at what she said. "Well, some would say that rebelliousness is a quick way to get yourself killed." Killua said with a small smirk spreading across his facial features. Something that he knew all to well, but any attempts on his life had obviously failed. He stuck the lollipop back in his mouth after talking. At her next sentence, Killua couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly. "Not necessarily. I've seen plenty of instances where a joiner doesn't mention their name unless they are questioned. And like I said, this place is a potential joining point, so I have no need to reveal something like my name anyway." Killua stated the logical part of his argument before continuing to talk about the reason he didn't have a scent. "Precautions again, lady. I don't know what kind of group this is, and it isn't common for a group like this to send out a search party for someone that just looked at them wrong. I kinda want to live another day here. Besides, bathing isn't exactly bad." Killua once had a smirk on his face, but when he started talking about why he was doing what, a neutral look spread across his face until the end.

He now had a light smile spread across his facial features. Killua knew that if someone was to bathe themselves enough, they would be more than capable of concealing their scent to a degree. Killua went the other extra mile to make it so that he didn't smell like anything at the end. It kept him safe, and it kept his brother from tracking him by scent alone. The albino serval listened to what she finally wanted to exchange in order to get more information from her. The assassin raised one of his paws as if he was coy enough to start responding while she was talking. "Well alright, what would you like-" Killua was immediately caught off when his name was spoken. In a matter of seconds, his demeanor seemed to change drastically. Speaking of his name made him flinch, to the point where he clenched his jaw. The lollipop in his mouth being reduced to that of fragments. His sapphire blue optics widened slightly and the claws that were attached to the paw that he had raised, that he was going to used for dramatic effect, unsheathed themselves in an instant. This creature knew his name. How? There were only a couple possible answers. She knew about the Zoldyck family and had done extensive research on them. What was the point of doing research on his family though? There were a couple answers, either she wanted to kill them, avoid them, or sell information about his family including himself. That was one possible scenario, and the one that he hoped was the case. The next was that she was hired by his brother. Very likely, if his older brother didn't want to show himself but keep tabs on other. His older brother could read him like a book after all, and could probably figure that he would go from clan to clan. That was worst case scenario because if she knew of Illumi it meant that his position was already compromised in this group. Killua remained frozen in that position for a split second, and the happy and childish facade began to drift away. His brows furrowed into that of a scowl, and he lowered his paw down onto the ground. The lollipop stick disappeared from his mouth as he conjured it away, and his sapphire blue eyes narrowed in a not so nice manner toward the canine. He became more alert but didn't move from his sitting position. His ears were on a swivel now, as if trying to catch whether or not his older brother was nearby. His heart rate increases the slightest, but not one someone could just easily hear in the first place. "How do you know my name?" Killua questioned, but it was more like he demanded her to answer. Her knowing his name was something was dangerous, especially if his brother came looking even if they didn't know each other. The tip of his short tail would then begin to tap the gravelled ground. Would he fight her for answers? It would be dumb to do it out in the open. He would be at a disadvantage.

snowbound -- apprentice -- male -- 8 moons