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« You could at least have told me sooner” repeats Pakunoda as she crouches in front of her “I would have took my good eye liner” the thin brush is dry as the blonde tries to put some black on her friend’s eyelid “but no, Machi queen of last minute.”
“Calm down, if you can’t do it, then don’t” says the concerned.
She’s insisting too much and it hurts her eyeball but Machi won’t complain. She watched Paku prepare herself for an entire hour without asking for anything. It’s only in front of the nightclub that she realized that Chrollo would be there, as well as the whole band, and she felt like she could ask for some make up. She had no idea where this burst of vanity came from, certainly from her friend; next to her Machi looked like a grumpy teen instead of her equal.
Pakunoda was more of a crimson lipstick girl than a “liner as sharp as a knife” girl, she had deducted after the three whole minutes she took to find the item in her purse. The thing must have been there since forever, dry as the desert. Charcoal would do a better job at this.
They had left the line to enter the nightclub and Machi had her ass in the gutter as Paku was squatting in front of her.
They must be looking ridiculous.
Tears were forming under her mistreated eyelid and she was going to ask Paku to give up when the sound of footsteps stopped right behind her back.
“You look like you need help” said a voice she did not recognize at first.
Once she did her mood went from four out of ten to zero in a second. She dreaded that clown.
“We don’t” said Machi in her most uninterested tone.
Pakunoda looked at her one second too long, eyes narrowed, before answering “actually we do, if you had an eyeliner on you, we would appreciate it.”
The blonde’s vengeance were always terrible and this one was particularly cruel. She stood up without looking at her, and Machi only felt mortification as he came standing in front of her. Large dark pants, white croc top, face full of makeup and red hair pushed backward. Hisoka.
“Thanks but I’ll pass, I really do not feel like seeing your face right now” she lifted her chin higher, turned her head to the side, refusing to meet his gaze.
He chuckled as he pushed the zip of his waistband. The eyeliner that came out of it seemed brand new. When the brush appeared it was sharp and reflected the luminosity of the streetlight. Damp, then, and black. Not red or blue as she expected.
“Instead of a boring straight line I could make anything you want,” he noted “it’s a once in a lifetime offer.”
He was mocking her. She could see it at his smile. On the side Pakunoda had her arms crossed and was watching her intently. She would never hear the ends of it anyway. And the idea that maybe, someone would note the change… She felt stupid.
Machi finally looked toward him. Playfulness in his eyes.
She let the taste of defeat invade her mouth.
“Could you draw some kind of web? Like a wing at the end of the eye? If you understand…” it was stupid, she felt stupid, but he seemed to radiate in joy the moment she let the words out.
“Finally, something daring, of course I can.”
He crouched in front of her, inspecting the line of her brow and the form of her eyelids. His gaze was deranging. Heels resonated on the asphalt.
“I’ll leave you to it, it’s freezing out there” stated the blonde as she returned toward the line, still punishing her.
“Paku” she growled, trying to stand up.
“Don’t move” instructed Hisoka, a hand cupping her chin. With the other he licked his thumb before scrubbing it against her left eyelid.
She hissed in disgust as her head drew back but he was holding it.
“Don’t do that you psycho” she warned, finally staying still.
“Had to clean up the mess.”
He was silent as he worked. Machi couldn’t keep an eye on him, eyes closed, but she could feel the tension in his hands and this type of silence was unlike him. It felt way to intimate to be that close; with Pakunoda or with the others it felt alright, but with him she was painfully aware of his presence. His breath on her face, his warmth. He had a terrible aura, way too much presence.
Still, she could feel the sure way the lines were traced and how the cold liquid seemed to be mastered. The lines at the edge of her eyes felt very thin, almost imperceptible just like butterflies wings. He went to the other eye, still silent, and by the end it felt almost alright.
The second the brush left her skin he was up.
“A masterpiece Machi” he hummed.
She carefully opened her eyes, but the liquid was already dry.
She stood up by herself, and it was true that the night was getting cold. She did not took a coat, and her silken turquoise V neck wasn’t doing a good job at keeping her warm. She kind of understood why Paku and her short black dress had went inside.
“Not that I don’t trust you, but do you have a mirror?”
He ticked, rummaging once again in his black waistband, almost imperceptible over the black pants. Out of it a pocket mirror, she extended her hand, but he hid it out of her rich for a second “you should learn not to doubt my capacities” he noted, before giving her the object.
She wasn’t expecting what she saw, and her surprise must have appeared despite her attempt to hide it. Hisoka moaned in delight.
“So?”
After looking closely at both eyes separately she pushed the thing away, trying to see if the line were equals and symmetrical. But it looked like it was. Perfect. No wobbly lines or big dots. And he did that in five minutes.
Her mouth was dry when she finally answered, “not bad.”
“I accept all kinds of payments” he said, starting to walk toward the line of the nightclub, as she gave him the pocket mirror back.
“You won’t gain anything from me Hisoka, not even my respect, live with it.”
He eyed her from the side with his terribly clear eyes and she kept her owns fixed in front of her, arms crossed.
“You’re impressed, it’s enough to nourish my pride.”
It made her glare at him for a second before returning to her invisible point in front of herself.
Ahead of them the people were speaking and laughing loudly. Machi couldn't wait to join the others.