This was my chance to address my own issues with the King of Swords Arc, and while I'm glad to hear I did so in a way satisfying to others, I'm especially pleased that you liked the result. Your drabble is just so evocative, I knew as soon as I read it that this was the thing I wanted to focus on, these undercurrents we know were there, even if the canon didn't give them to us.

The Hisoka voice in this piece is very much in response to the way Muraki thought of him in the drabble, so I guess you could say it's a good thing Muraki was so dismissive (though was he? I think your Muraki is very multi-layered, and tells stories even to himself). While my Hisoka is always very strong, he's usually not that convincing to himself about his detachment. I found it fascinating that he should choose that method of response. I'm glad it worked for you, as well.

I'm just so, so happy you liked what I did. Thank you so much.