Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Inside of you there lies a tapestry of blue and red…

Beating the symphony of a life that is sustained by your beautiful heart.

With a voice undefeated even by the galing winds…

I foster these words that will one day reach your ears.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Footsteps akin to the cracking of ice resounded through a crystalline hall, grand chandeliers refracting dancing speckles of light across the pale blue carpeted floor. Murmurs, drabbles of nameless humans buzzed around the single woman striding down the path with the confidence and grace of a predator. Isolated words, breathless sighs followed every bounce of her wavy amethyst hair, the tips dipped in a soft lavender hue. Sly ruby eyes glanced at her captivated audience, her eyelashes casting a web of shadows upon her almond shaded skin.

Darkwick Academy’s uniform sat like a mischievous black cat upon her lithe body, the velvety jacket unbuttoned to reveal a crisp white dress shirt underneath. The stormy gray skirt swirled around her mid thighs, matte black tights clinging to toned calves as blood red school-issued dress shoes sauntered merrily along their way. Polished black titanium glinted on their soles and armored the tips, black rubber padding the heel and front tip so as to not make much noise on hard surfaces. Small lily of the valley earrings dangled from her ears, ringing out a soft tune with every step she took, and the gold braids decorating every female uniform seemed almost teasing as they rested upon her bosom, challenging onlookers to allow their gaze to drift downward. 

“The Madam Liaison is here…” Hushed whispers gaped incredulously as regular Frostheim students gazed upon the ravishing woman with a mixture of fear and reverence, their eyes skittish as they tracked her movements with anticipation. Full lips tilted upwards as the object of their attention fixed her glimmering eyes upon the hesitant onlookers, siren eyes winking as she waved a nonchalant hand. Men and women alike flushed a crimson red, some of the more faint hearted averting their eyes with a hand to their heart.

Quickly losing interest in the nameless rabble, the woman ran a deft hand through her waist-length hair, clearing strands from her field of vision as she locked on to a monocled man in the distance. “Tohma! Sorry for the wait,” she called out, her honeyed voice toughened with a bit of huskiness. It cut through all remaining whispers like a knife through butter, demanding obedience and begetting silence.

“It is no problem to me, Suzuran. Our captain, on the other hand, may not tolerate your tardiness with such magnanimity,” Tohma Ishibashi uttered as he adjusted his monocle, organizing a stack of papers nestled in his left arm. Despite his blunt words, there was a hint of humor in his eyes as he dipped into a shallow bow, gesturing for Suzuran to place her hand into his palm. Politely kissing the back of her hand, Tohma straightened up and let go. “I wish you all the best in dealing with our problematic captain.”

“What're you talking about? You're going in with me, Tohma. I'm not the one carrying the investigation report,” Suzuran said with a dramatic hand to her heart, spinning on her heel as she began to lead the way to Frostheim’s captain's quarters.

“Of course. You cannot be trusted to give a satisfactory report,” Tohma scolded. “Left to your own devices, you would simply hand him the papers and leave, and you know that the captain would proceed to burn those papers because he couldn't be bothered to read them.”

“I would be hurt at the fact that you have so little faith in me… if I weren't fully aware that it's the truth,” Suzuran chuckled, a seductive sound that had had every poor passerby student in the vicinity flushed and flustered.

“I am thankful of your self awareness,” Tohma commented dryly as they stopped in front of an elaborately decorated wooden door. With zero hesitation, Tohma pushed open the heavy slabs of wood, then stepped aside to allow Suzuran in first. 

“Thank you,” she nodded in appreciation, then focused her attention on the man sprawled on the couch on the other side of the room. “Jin! Guess who came to make sure you don't truly morph into a vampire?” Suzuran trilled as she strolled further in, completely ignoring the stirring albino as she flung open the curtains. “It's noon, captain. Wake up and smell the damn roses, you incorrigible man,” she huffed as she tied the curtains up, keeping them ajar.

“Shut the hell up… The sun’s too damn bright,” Jin Kamurai groaned as he covered his eyes with his forearm, his free hand searching blindly for his pack of cigarettes. “Close the fucking curtains and leave, woman.”

“As much as I would love to preserve my mental wellbeing by staying far away from this musty dump of a room, we both know that you simply cannot live without me. And I, the generous person that I am, am willing to set aside therapy in order to make sure you don't send yours to the hospital,” Suzuran drawled as she snatched the wayward cigarettes from the coffee table next to Jin's couch. Lazy ruby eyes regarded the unopened paper box with undisguised disdain, a sigh dragging itself out of her cherry lips as she tore the seal open. Popping one out, she tossed the rest of the pack towards Tohma as she dug into her skirt pocket to grab a lighter.

“I'll send you to the damn hospital if you don't shut that insolent mouth of yours up,” Jin growled, lowering his arm to glare balefully at Suzuran, a leg dangling off the edge of the couch as the other lay across the couch. His white dress shirt, full of unrealized potential to be crisply pressed and unwrinkled, lay like a crumpled tissue across his toned body - two buttons rendered unused, the collar of the shirt ajar to reveal unmarred jade skin and a polished silver necklace. Snowy hair tipped in winter blue hung over his spiteful eyes, only to be combed back with a veiny hand.

“You wound me,” Suzuran quipped, lighting the cigarette and approaching Jin from behind, a hand resting on the couch's wooden frame as she leaned over Jin's head to bring the lit tobacco to his lips. A cheeky grin settled on her lips as soft tendrils of her lavender hair wafted around Jin's face, encapsulating him in a cage of those silken strands. “I'll need compensation for dealing with your bullshit all the time,” she chuckled as he grumpily snatched the cigarette from her fingers, smacking her hand away and breathing in a long drag from the cancer stick.

“Stop stalling and get to the point. Tohma, quit your lurking and come here,” Jin ordered as he lifted his gaze to the ceiling and cushioned his head with a hand, the cigarette limply hanging from his lips as a trail of smoke rose mesmerizingly from its embers.

“I was simply awaiting permission to step foot within your pristine sanctuary,” Tohma uttered smoothly as he stepped forward, stopping a few feet away from the couch as Suzuran stepped away from the moody captain, opting to lurk near the doors in hopes that she could slip away in time for the cafeteria lunch sale.

“Bullshit,” Jin muttered as he closed his eyes, a prominent wrinkle appearing on his brow.

The only bullshit I see here is yours, Suzuran snorted to herself as she turned towards the doorway, then paused as she noticed a timid face peeking hesitantly through the parted doors. Round hazel eyes widened as she noticed the beauty's gaze, a blush of embarrassment dusting the brunette's cheeks. “Who might you be?” Suzuran asked gently, a soft smile brightening her face as she held one of the doors open for the shorter girl.

“Pardon me… I've come to introduce myself to Frostheim's captain at the Chancellor’s request,” the girl said, her fingers fiddling nervously with a button on her blazer as she looked into Suzuran's ruby eyes with no small amount of awe.

“Introduce… Oh, you must be the honor student that the Chancellor was talking about at the entrance ceremony! I caught a glimpse of your cute face from a distance, but I must say that you're absolutely adorable up close,” Suzuran gushed as she reached down to clasp the honor student's left hand between her own, lifting it up with a wide grin. As she did so, a light glimmer of red and gold caught her eye, and she glanced down at the brunette's ring finger. As ruby eyes gazed upon the jewel of a similar hue, a strange shiver ran down her body - like a zap of static shock - and she had to fight to keep her smile unwavering as she shook off the foreign sensation.

“C-cute!? Such flattering words are wasted on me,” the brunette denied vehemently - her words shaking Suzuran out of her trance - her blush growing even as her nervousness shrank due to the other woman's overflowing goodwill. 

“Your modesty makes you even cuter-” Suzuran insisted before a resounding crash interrupted her and caused the brunette to violently jump, a disgruntled sigh escaping Suzuran's mouth at Jin’s following words.

“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded, a glare akin to a freshly sharpened dagger piercing through the distance between the two men and women. 

“Show some decency,” Suzuran scowled as she raised an arm to shield the honor student from his ire. “That's no way to talk to someone, and you know it.”

“Like I give a damn. Tohma, use a match on the intruder,” Jin ordered as he took another drag from his cigarette.

This little fucker- Suzuran cursed inwardly even as a strained smile forced its way to her face, stopping Tohma on his tracks with a wave of her hand. “If you ever left your glorified man cave, you would know that the matches don't work on her. A curse, apparently,” she elaborated, knowing that the captain wouldn't know about the curse.

“A curse, huh?” Jin muttered as he stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch and throwing it over his shoulders as he strode towards the two women.

Just wear the damn thing like a normal person… Suzuran deadpanned before her thoughts were disrupted by Jin's foot slamming into the door behind them. The honor student quaked in fear as Suzuran simply gazed into her captain's eyes with disdain.

“I've had enough of your mouth, Suzuran. My room has anomalous soundproofing,” Jin growled lowly, leaning forward so that the cigarette hanging from his lips drew dangerously close to Suzuran's own lips. “No matter what I do to you two… no matter how much you scream and cry, nobody's gonna hear you.”

“I could say the same thing to you,” Suzuran shot back challengingly, her mouth twisted into a mocking smile and her chin tilted up as she stared down her captain with smoldering fury in the ruby depths of her eyes.

A wolf with fangs of fire and a tiger with claws of ice clashed within the spacious room, the tension between them weighing down like a boulder upon the two other people unfortunate enough to be in the same space. After a heartbeat more, Jin lowered his leg and spun around, his footsteps echoing into the space growing between him and his liaison. 

“I never want to see your faces in here again. Same goes for you, Tohma,” he ordered, dropping onto his couch and resuming his recline, the arm thrown across his eyes a clear indication of his desire to have them gone.

“Suzuran, if you would,” Tohma whispered into her ear, somehow materializing beside her with a hand on the handle of the door.

“I know. See you later, Tohma. Miss Honor Student, let's go,” Suzuran bade, a gentle hand on the brunette's back as they retreated from the source of the migraine quickly making its presence known within the crown of Suzuran's head.

Fuck you too, Kamurai.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Chapter Text

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Your lips spelled too many lies, dear Cinderella,

It seems that the Big Bad Wolf is knocking on your door.

What shall I do? At this rate, it seems that even I…

…Would drown and get swallowed up by these sweet lies.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

“Sorry for that… Our captain is a major pain in the ass on a good day,” Suzuran apologized as the two girls walked down the Frostheim corridor, the hall empty due to it being nearly lunchtime.

“No, it's okay! Thank you so much for your help,” the honor student said, dipping into a grateful bow.

“You're such a cutie! Jin seriously has no eye for good women,” Suzuran bemoaned, a hand to the crease on her brow as she sighed.

“Y-you flatter me…” the honor student stammered shyly, a shaky smile on her face a sign of just how shaken up she was from the earlier encounter.

“...Don't mind him. He sounds like he has a body or two in his basement, but he's never gone through with his threats… mostly. Still, it would be best if you steer clear of him, Miss…” Suzuran trailed off as she realized that she didn't remember the honor student’s name.

“Oh, I'm sorry for the late introduction! My name’s Yurika Senri, but you can just call me Yurika,” Yurika introduced herself, a hand to her heart with a bright, more relaxed smile.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful soul. I'm Suzuran Fujiai; it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Suzuran said, a hand lifting the edge of her skirt as she lightly curtsied.

“Fuji…ai?” Yurika echoed, her train of thought comically clear to Suzuran.

“No, I'm not related to Kaito Fuji, although our last names are similar,” the older woman laughed. “You two are friends, no? I think I saw him with you after the entrance ceremony.”

“Yes! He's been very kind to me, even though I caused a lot of trouble for him,” Yurika said, her eyes downcast in guilt.

“Trust me, that man would go through hell and back for a pretty lady like you. Accept his goodwill with an open heart,” Suzuran insisted, heartily patting Yurika on the back.

“If you say so… Oh, I should probably head back to the staffroom to report to Professor Dante,” Yurika realized, her eyes widened in panic as she remembered her initial mission.

“He knows how this lot can get, so he probably won't give you much grief. If anything, tell him that you know me; that should be enough to placate him,” Suzuran reassured her, then dug her phone out of her pocket. “By the way, wanna exchange contact info? I’d like to think that I'm pretty knowledgeable about the Academy, so feel free to hit me up whenever you need help or just want a familiar face to chat with,” she offered with a smile.

“I would love to!” Yurika exclaimed, her face lighting up as she dug out her phone. After the two women exchanged numbers, they bid farewell to each other and parted ways - Yurika with a notable skip to her step.

“Now then, I guess that I can get a little healing done before heading to lunch,” Suzuran murmured to herself as she leisurely stretched, her lower spine satisfyingly popping in place. Straightening her blazer with a huff, her brisk steps turned her towards the Jabberwock Safari.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Are you just the cutest little fluffy baby in the world?! Yes you are, you adorable fluffball, you! Gimme some snuggles, precious baby girl~” Suzuran squealed as she glomped an adult Peekaboo, sighing in pure bliss as she ran her fingers through her soft fur. “You're such a cutie! Who's my cute little baby~? You, that's who! Awww, you're so soft and snuggly~”

“If it isn't my number one customer! Here to check up on Mama Peekaboo, eh?” a cheerful voice called out from behind the blissful woman, and she reluctantly peeled her face from her sanctuary to gaze hazily at the approaching redhead.

“Haru! Great work taking care of the safari, as usual,” she complimented, straightening up and trying but failing to brush off the white Peekaboo fur clinging to her uniform.

“It's my one joy in life, after all!” Haru exclaimed cheerfully as he reached over to pat the Mama Peekaboo. “You're a right spoiled lil’ bugger, Mamaboo.”

“She's just being treated like the queen she is, ri~ght?” Suzuran trilled as she nuzzled her face into Mamaboo's soft belly fur. “I would commit national crimes if Mamaboo gets even a chipped nail,” she vowed when she came up for air.

“Gahaha! That'd put me in a pickle if my best customer got put in the slammer,” Haru lamented, a dramatically horrified expression on his face.

“Who said I would get caught?” Suzuran asked with a scarily straight face, and a cold drop of sweat trickled down Haru's forehead at her words. “Anyways! Was my last donation enough to repair the pasture anomalies’ fence?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

“More than! There was even enough left over to expand the feed fields a few acres,” Haru replied cheerfully, a sparkle in his eyes. “You're the savior goddess of the safari! I honestly can't ever repay this debt.”

“Don't worry about it! Money is best used for the things you love rather than sit rotting in a bank account,” Suzuran said dismissively, running a hand through Mamaboo's fur. “Besides, having free access to all the fluffy healing I could ever need is more than enough to make up for a few digital numbers.”

“With a scary captain like yours, I don't blame ya. How about it? Put any more thought into transferring?” Haru asked hopefully, his hands clasped in front of him.

“Tempting, but I'd have to refuse. There’s… a reason why I can't leave Frostheim,” Suzuran shook her head with an apologetic smile. “I hope that won't keep me from being able to frequent here?”

“Of course not! No matter what house you belong to, a kindred soul is always welcome. Sorry to put you in an awkward position,” Haru apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

“It's all right. Oh, and about the worn saddles-” Suzuran paused as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. “Sorry, give me a second,” she said as she scanned the text, her expression instantaneously souring. “Hypocritical bitch…” she muttered under her breath before tucking the device away, forcing a bright smile to her face. “Duty calls! I'll catch you guys later,” she said, planting one last kiss onto Mamaboo's furry head.

“O-oh, all right! Stay safe,” Haru waved goodbye, confused yet used to Suzuran's abrupt retreats from her sanctuary. No matter what she was doing, as soon as she saw a certain text on her phone she always dropped everything to leave. He never questioned it… but he hoped that nothing bad came from those three words flashing on her screen.

My room. Now.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Deep breaths. Don't sock him in the face as soon as you see him, no matter how tempting it may be. Come on, you can do this, Suzuran! Just focus on his handsome face and ignore everything else, Suzuran told herself as she stopped in front of familiar cerulean doors, both hands on the handles but not yet applying pressure. 

Yet another sigh weighed her down at the thought of facing the captain after their spat. It wasn't rare for them to butt heads, but it was a bit strange for her to be this worked up. This wasn't the first time Jin kicked her out of his room only to summon her back, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but there was something about the way his glare seemed more… vicious than normal. 

Vindictive.

Well, nothing would move forward if she stayed put; fortune favors the bold. With one last inhale and hold, she pushed open the heavy doors.

It was pitch black.

Only the faintest of light dared to creep into the shadowy room from the hallway, and even that faded away when the doors slammed shut behind Suzuran. Frostheim's dorms were often described as an ice castle, but this was the first time she truly felt the chill penetrating through her blazer. Tiny needles pricked the nape of her neck as she walked further in, the muffled thump of her padded heels against the marbled floor swallowed up by the void before her.

“Jin, I'm truly convinced that you've embraced your identity as a vampire. Why the hell is it so dark in here?” Suzuran asked, her voice a bit louder than normal in order to fill the uncomfortable silence. Not even a grunt of annoyance followed her words, a foreboding chill settling into her stomach at the unfamiliarity of the situation. 

I've never liked the dark.

“Jin? Whether you like it or not, I'm opening those curtains. One of us actually likes having a field of vision,” she warned, a hand reached out in front of her as she searched for any sort of purchase.

Silence.

A heartbeat.

Two.

A breath that she vaguely registered as her own.

“...Jin?”

Suzuran hated the slight quiver in her voice. She loathed the way her pinkie finger trembled even as the rest of her body remained under perfect control. She despised the way she was reminded of a truth she spent 3 years trying to turn into a lie.

Fuck you and your entire bloodline, Kamurai.

Just as her knee collided with what she assumed was the couch in the middle of the room, she felt familiar calloused fingers grab her arm and yank her down, her stomach left behind as she fell against a warm, firm chest. One heartbeat became two, two became four, and a pair of breaths intermingled within close proximity.

“What the fuck did that woman do to you?” Jin's raspy voice demanded into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine at the vibrations ringing into the shell of her ear.

“I haven't the foggiest what you mean,” Suzuran replied smoothly as she recovered unnaturally fast from the shock, trying and failing to push herself up. A veined hand kept an iron grip on her wrist, the other anchoring her waist against his stomach. Suzuran's long hair curtained the two young adults away from the rest of the world.

“Cut the crap. You might’ve been able to fool Tohma, but I’m not as dense as he is. That woman did something to you with that enhancement of hers,” Jin growled, his grip almost painful against her skin.

“You knew about her,” Suzuran said, a statement rather than a question. Jin loved to play the unmotivated, useless captain, but there was seldom a fact to run unnoticed by his ears. 

Curse his perceptiveness.

Even with their close proximity, Suzuran couldn't make out his expression; however, she could feel the burn of his icy eyes against her skin, the angry pulse of his heart passing from his wrist to hers, and the momentary lapse in his breath as he made a split decision.

“Is she resurfacing?” Jin asked instead, those three words freezing her blood like an avalanche.

No.

No, he couldn't have noticed.

Instead of answering him, Suzuran ripped her arm away from his grip, not even blinking at the sharp pain originating from his nails catching against her skin. Her free hand pulled her hair away from her face, the shadows sufficient to hide her expression. A mirthless chuckle rattled through her dry lungs as she sat up, straddling his stomach as her left hand fell towards the right side of his waist.

“Captain, that's a terrible joke even for you,” she murmured, her husky voice rasped like sandpaper against her own ears, catching against nonexistent barbs in her throat. “This is why you’re still single, you know?” she teased, dainty fingers tracing light hearts against the fabric of Jin's shirt, drifting down and down and even lower so. 

His silence irritated her - he knew that she hated silence - and the fact that he didn’t try to stop her was a provocation still. 

Her thumb hooking through a belt loop, she tugged at it as the rest of her fingers dipped into his pocket and snatched his lighter. Freeing her thumb, she tossed the polished metal from her left hand to her right, flicking it open with practiced ease.

The tiny flame flickering to life was just enough to illuminate Jin's unreadable expression and Suzuran's lopsided, provocative smirk.

“Can I open those curtains yet? It would be such a terrible shame if my hand slipped and dropped this lighter,” she purred.

“Stop fucking around and answer the damn question,” Jin sighed, his hand reaching up to snag the lighter from her hand. “You would rather dance on a bed of coals than let me have the last word, yet you retreated with a pathetically weak challenge. Your infallible mask cracked, Ran, and it was that damn woman's fault. The question is: what did she do?”

Suzuran sucked in a breath at the sound of her nickname, one that was so seldomly used that she almost forgot it existed.

Fuck you, Jin.

He knew exactly how to weaken her, how to get exactly what he wanted to know from that stubborn mouth of hers. Who knew that Suzuran Fujiai, the temptress Liaison of Frostheim, was susceptible to a bit of pleading (could it even be called that?) from the infamously icy Captain of Frostheim?

She did, that's fucking who.

“That… ring of hers. The Sage's Ring. I underestimated its power,” Suzuran admitted quietly, her head lowering as her hair fell to shield her face. “I felt her voice in my head, my heart… I got her under control in time, but the incident from three years ago was dangerously close to repeating itself. I guess that I just didn't have the energy to deal with your bullshit after that,” she snarked at the end, hiding her vulnerable eyes with a toothy grin.

Sapphire eyes speckled with flickering molten gold studied her, his brow creased in thought. After a few seconds his shoulders heaved with a huge sigh, and a heavy arm wrapped around her waist while the other put the lighter away, plunging them into darkness once more. “Whatever. Lay down; I'm going to sleep.”

“Insomnia again?” Suzuran murmured, scooting down a bit before stretching herself across Jin's sturdy body, her ear to his steady heart, a hand on his chest, and her legs entangled with his. A grunt of affirmation vibrated into her body, and she nodded in understanding.

Lilium.

A breathy whisper laden with innate power echoed into the dark room, and the temperature seemed to rise a few degrees until the chill was counteracted with a cozy warmth. Suzuran's eyes radiated a faint glow as her irises reshaped into ruby hearts, her canines sharpening into small points like those of a vampire. A gentle hand rose up to trace the contour of Jin's jaw, and she tilted her head to press a small kiss against the crook of his neck.

Amidst the rough intake of his breath, Suzuran uttered a quiet “Sleep,” a foggy haze seeming to descend over his eyes. His limbs were crafted from lead, his head stuffed with cotton, his eyes nearly impossible to keep open.

As Suzuran’s hums facilitated the influence of her Stigma, Jin forced his lips apart to give her one last warning.

“Don't use your Stigma… on any other bastard out there.”

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Chapter Text

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

The signs I couldn't catch

Fall through my fingers like sand.

Never mind that; everything will be fine.

We'll see each other again… right?

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Snippets of vague, shredded memories floated within Suzuran's mindscape as she slept, Jin's firm hand keeping her from slipping away even as he sunk into the deepest depths of sleep.

S̴̨̨̧͚͍̫̟̳̮͇̞͛͗͐e̴̺̍̓͊͜i̸̠̰͉͘͝ȑ̶̫̖̼̬̀̏͊̿͘a̵̤͙̖̯̣̙͔͔͂̓̿̋̇̆̀̂ͅ, were you bullied again? Those little fuckers really never learn.

No… I- uhh- slipped and fell down the stairs. I was… clumsy as usual. There's no need to worry, Suzuran.

Like hell these hand shaped bruises are from falling. Come on, tell me the truth. Please?

…Sometimes the truth is best left unspoken.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Suzuran, guess what? I got taiyaki from this food truck, so… maybe we could eat to…gether…

Suzu… ran…?

No… no, no, no! Please, open your eyes! Suzuran! The police… An ambulance! I have to call them…

My hands are shaking so much, I can't-

Please, please, please don't leave me. I only have you… Without you, I…

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Take anything you want. Anything you need. You can have my life, my body, anything I can give you. Just… 

Give her back to me.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“...can help you with-”

“I don't give a shit. …Put on a record for me. Johann Strauss.”

“Johann who?”

A snort erupted from Suzuran's nose at the sheer confusion in Tohma’s voice, her thick lashes tickling her cheekbones as her eyes forced themselves open.

“Johann Strauss... He's a pretty popular composer, especially for his waltz music. Come on, Jin has a disgustingly large music collection; surely you've heard of him once or twice,” she said as a violent yawn rippled throughout her body, her jaw locking uncomfortably in the process. Massaging her jaw joints, she curled up and snuggled into the soft comforter covering her, slowly burrowing further and further until she was just a lump huddling in the middle of the couch.

“Suzuran. You're awake,” Tohma observed dryly, his arms crossed. “Perhaps you could stop indulging in Jin's addiction to sleeping the day away and properly do your duties as Liaison?”

“Duties? More like making sure Frostheim doesn't get lynched by the other houses…” Suzuran grumbled as she slowly sat up, the comforter slipping off her body to reveal tousled bed head and wrinkled clothes. 

Her blazer had found its way to the floor, the tailored fabric reduced to a crumpled pile, and the top few buttons of her dress shirt had slipped loose somewhere in the short time she was asleep. Her tongue slipped out to draw over her dry lips, slender fingers wiping away the remainder of the haze covering her eyes, and when she raised her arms towards the sky to stretch, her shirt lifted up to reveal a glimpse of her toned midriff. Every single one of her movements were seductive, promising a pleasure beyond your dreams and spelling a danger you wouldn't be able to handle. Her body exuded irresistible pheromones in an almost indecipherable lavender mist, her irises still slightly misshapen from using her stigma. She possessed far too much sex appeal for someone who had just woken up, but she managed to wear it as naturally as a mantle and crown on a queen.

Nibbling a stray tag of skin from her lips, Suzuran rested her cheek against her shoulder as she lazily (and unsuccessfully) ran a hand through her tangled hair. “So? What did I miss?” she sighed, noting Jin's aggravated expression and Tohma's deadpan resting bitch face. 

“Nothing. This conversation is none of your business, so get the fuck out,” Jin ordered, a hand massaging the side of his neck and his jaw slightly tensed. He was standing next to the couch's coffee table, his back turned to Suzuran as he glared at Tohma, the latter with a bemused smile on his face. She didn't know exactly when Jin had woken up, but she assumed that it had something to do with whatever the hell the two emotionally constipated men in power were bitching over.

“No fuckin’ wonder you're single, Captain. If you kicked a woman out of your bed every morning like this, you'll run out of women to have one night stands with one day,” Suzuran snarked, smoothly catching the lighter thrown at her head following her statement. “Sorry, sorry. I forgot you were still a virgin. Seems like that day is a far way o-”

“Will you shut the fuck up and leave already? Just listening to you is making my head hurt, you shameless vixen,” Jin hissed, fingers massaging the bridge of his nose.

“I also believe it would be best that you take your leave before our captain does something he may or may not regret,” Tohma said with a nod, pushing his monocle up with a finger. Suzuran wrinkled her nose at him, mimicking his movements by pushing up imaginary glasses with her middle finger. Tohma only vaguely smiled at her, and she lowered her hand with a sigh.

“Fine. I'll touch base with our ghouls before eating, I guess,” she mumbled, unfurling her legs and swinging them over the edge of the couch, picking her discarded blazer up as she stood and slipping her arms through the sleeves. “Ugh, I forgot to eat lunch,” she complained as her stomach squealed out a cry of protest, her head hanging in pure sloth.

Stepping towards Jin, Suzuran playfully slipped her arms around his neck from behind. “Don't miss me too much, hmm?” she whispered into his ear, tucking his lighter into his front pocket before pulling away. As she turned around, she felt a light tug on her scalp; turning her head, she witnessed Jin winding a finger through a small lock of her hair.

“Make sure to fix your hair. It looks like shit,” he murmured, rubbing the silky strands between his fingers before letting go.

Picking up that particular lock, Suzuran brought it to her lips and playfully kissed the tips with a smile. “I know I look sexy no matter what condition my hair is in,” she giggled before sweeping out of the room, the doors closing with a muffled thud behind her.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

.

.

.

“You never denied it-”

“Shut the fuck up, Tohma. You have a death wish?”

“Whatever you say.”

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

She was perfect.

She was always perfect. Smart, beautiful, kind, witty… She could have everything in the world, yet she chose me.

She chose me and I h̴͚̤͊a̵͈̱̅̐͘ṫ̶̡̖̠͇e̵̡̛͖͙̍̓d̸̢͉̜̫͂͂ͅ loved her for it.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Kaito is scared shitless of Tohma? Check.

Lucas Errant, the new Frostheim second year ghoul, is settled in? Check.

Yurika is making friends? Check.

Katsuki is MIA? Check.

Tamaki is holed up in his room binging Jujutsu Kaisen? Check.

Check, check, and check again. Damn, I'm so good at my job.

Suzuran hummed to herself, pleased at the impressive progress made in a relatively short period of time. Most of the Frostheim ghouls were accounted for, and she even had enough time to eat dinner with Yurika and the boys. Even if… it wasn't exactly a normal dinner.

Now, all she had to do was hunt down that last gho-

Thud!

Her body moving faster than her mind, Suzuran grasped the other person's upper arm and tugged them to their feet, saving them from the fate of a rather nasty fall. Wide obsidian eyes stared dazedly into hers as a teasing grin spread over Suzuran's lips.

“Damn! I know I'm hot, but no need to let the whole house know you've fallen for me,” Suzuran chuckled as she let go of the girl's arm, briskly patting the redhead's uniform free of dust as she checked for injuries.

“I'm so sorry, ma'am, I wasn't-” the girl began, her unique accent growing even thicker with each flustered word as she blushed a deep red rivaling that of her fiery hair, but Suzuran cut her off with a flippant chuckle.

“Don't worry your pretty little head over it, sweetheart. Never mind that; what's got you in such a hurry?” Suzuran asked as she glanced down at the phone clutched in a death grip in the redhead’s hand. “Alan Mido…?” she murmured, her mind immediately going into Liaison mode as she recalled the mission assigned to the Vagastrom captain. The only reason why she would know of another house's mission was because- “You must be our new second year ghoul! Rosaleen Dervila, correct?” Suzuran asked, her eyes wide and sparkling as she reached down to clasp Rosaleen's hand in hers.

“I- Yes, that is correct. Just… Rose is fine,” Rose squeaked out, her face practically glowing as she seemed to visibly short-circuit.

“What a beautiful name! I'm Suzuran Fujiai, Frostheim's liaison. If you ever need any help, feel free to reach out,” Suzuran offered with a bright smile and a pointed glance towards the phone getting the motherboard strangled out of it. “For example: dealing with the resident technologically challenged pipe-head of the school. Word of advice? Just text him. He may be technologically illiterate, but as far as I know he can read,” she giggled, dropping Rose's hand and stepping away from the frozen girl. “Sorry, but I have a few assignments to complete. You're in the same class as Lucas and Kaito, yes? Feel free to get my number from them,” she said, a gut feeling telling her that Rose wasn't exactly in the right state of mind to exchange numbers directly with her.

“Ah- Yes,” Rose mumbled as Suzuran waved cheerfully, then walked away with a confident pep to her step.

.

.

.

“Should I be worried about Ryder…?” she mumbled to herself.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

“And… done,” Suzuran murmured as she finished her last signature with a little flourish, leaning back on her chair with a sigh. “Seriously, Tohma is such a slave-driver. All this paperwork to sign at the asscrack of midnight? I've a bone to pick with his bitch ass.”

Her pen balanced on her upper lip, she looked up at the ceiling then closed her eyes.

Missing children… 

Despite them being two different cases, Suzuran couldn't help but feel a rock settle in her gut, the nausea nearly forcing her (rather gross) dinner right back out. Tohma really had bad taste, deliberately manipulating Lucas into choosing the No-Face case. While she didn't completely understand what was going on behind that arrogant monocle of his, she could deduce that he wanted to test the mettle of the new second year and the honor student.

Missing children…

He's also putting Rose through the same thing… I mean, I can't argue with the fact that Alan doesn't exactly have the tact necessary to deal with this sort of search and rescue case, she mused, grabbing the pen and opting to fidget with it. The Vagastrom captain was more suited towards “punch first, ask questions later” types of missions, so the kind that required deceiving anomalies were a bit tricky for him. Even so, Rose just arrived in Japan. The possibility that Irish anomalies differ in intensity from Japanese ones is undeniable - especially Tokyo ones - so she could have used extra time to familiarize herself with anomaly ecology… Same goes for Lucas.

Missing children.

“Fuck…” Suzuran growled, lurching forward to whack her forehead with her desk, a hand roughly entangled in her hair and her arms wrapped around her head.

“Fuck.” Thud!

“Fuck.” Thud!

“Fuck me sideways with a chainsaw.” Thud!

Silence followed the last collision before it was broken with a heavy sigh.

“Let's just sleep. It's not like things can go to shit in a handful of hours,” she mumbled, toying with a few locks of her hair. Jin's parting words ran through her mind at her actions, and she pursed her lips.

Maybe… She could put a little effort into her hair tomorrow morning.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Spoke too soon,” Suzuran moaned in pain, her arms clutching her stomach as she curled up in her bed. “Fuck you, Aunty Flo,” she groaned, a hand weakly freeing itself in search of painkillers. Seems like that rock wasn't metaphorical, she grumbled to herself as she gulped down a couple pills dry, in too much pain to get up and fill a cup with water. Her dry throat made the trip a bit rocky, and she had to resist the urge to dry heave.

Ghouls get super strength, accelerated healing, and magical powers, but apparently that doesn't apply to menstrual pain.

Cursing whatever demon responsible for her being born female, Suzuran gritted her teeth and slowly pushed herself up. First order of business… a change of clothes. Lord knows my liner is not nearly enough to stop the bloody Niagara Falls that'll erupt once I stand up.

She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to take the plunge, when her door was practically ripped off its hinges by an exuberant young woman with American-themed hair (blue with red and white streaks) and electric blue eyes. “What's up, my bitch!? I'm ready to take on the fuckin’ worl- Oh, uh…” she trailed off nervously as Suzuran fixed the shorter girl with a steely, murderous glare. “Bad timing…?”

“Uno LaSalle, retrace your steps and redo the past two minutes,” Suzuran ordered coldly, her arm still clutching her aching stomach with a vengeance.

“Aye, ma'am!” Uno saluted, stiffly walking backwards and gently closing the door. It swung open in a similar manner, revealing a much calmer Uno peeking cautiously past the edge. “You good, fam?”

“My fuckin’ period is being a bitch this morning… I haven't even changed yet,” Suzuran winced, Uno grimacing in sympathy.

“Mine just ended a couple days ago… I have a spare pad on hand cuz of it, so let's get you nice and cozy! I'll let Prof. Dante know you're gonna be late and or absent,” Uno said cheerfully, sauntering over to Suzuran and lifting the woman into her arms effortlessly.

“I appreciate it, Uno,” Suzuran sighed weakly as she snuggled against Uno's warm body, the latter carrying her to the bathroom.

“I'll grab you some pajamas, so go ahead and hop in the shower. A nice, piping hot one usually does the trick!” Uno suggested, handing Suzuran a pad and a lollipop manifested from her seemingly bottomless uniform pocket.

“What am I, a kid?” Suzuran chuckled as she rolled the candy’s stick between her fingers.

“Candy makes life better! Well, it doesn't do jack shit about Yuri's hoe ass, but that particular crick in my neck can be remedied with a small explosion or two,” Uno claimed with a wicked grin before walking out of the bathroom, leaving Suzuran to shower in peace.

“That girl,” Suzuran shook her head fondly.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

“Say what?” Suzuran gaped incredulously, freezing in place with a bobby pin hanging from her lips. “There’s no fucking way Tohma actually had the tact to plan a date for the two of you.”

“That's what I'm sayinggg,” Uno drawled as she lay sprawled across Suzuran's bed, locked on to her Animal Crossing game. “Like, the bitch didn't even tell me over text; he deadass slipped a letter under my door and left. This isn't the 1970s, grandpa,” she sighed while rolling her eyes. 

Suzuran chuckled as she narrowed her eyes teasingly at the Mortkraken ghoul, slipping the pin into the second of her twin buns pulling her hair into a half-updo. “You say that, but the goofy little grin on your face says otherwise,” she pointed out, and the tip of Uno's colorful braid sparked like a bomb fuse.

“Shuuut the fuck up,” Uno grumbled, rolling onto her back with a pout. “Not my fault he's always too busy to spare time, plus there aren't many romantic places on campus. I'll take what I can get.”

“I guess Tohma is gonna be one of those things you'll take, but not in a fi-” Suzuran's mocking voice was cut off by a pillow thrown towards the back of her head, which she smoothly dodged. “What? I'm not wrong.”

“One more word and you'll go crying to Sinostra for funds to repair the dorms,” Uno warned, the fire-red spreading over the neon blue of her hair a warning sign that she really was dangerously close to spontaneously combusting. 

“Wouldn't dream of it…” Suzuran mumbled as she carefully adjusted her buns until they looked like twin lavender hearts on top of her head. “There! I'm all set and ready to make the world a worse place,” she nodded in approval, checking her makeup one last time in her mirror before standing up and walking away from her dressing table.

“Aaand that's my cue to skidaddle. Yuri's gonna have kittens if I blow off the Honor Student's health checkup,” Uno groaned, peeling herself off Suzuran's sheets and stretching like a cat. “If you feel anemic, come pop by Mort! I'll make sure the other dweebs don't give you shit,” she offered with a toothy grin as she walked with Suzuran to the door of the dorm.

“Thanks, Uno. Good luck on that date~” Suzuran purred with a suggestive side-eye, laughing as Uno half-heartedly swung an arm towards her head. The two girls parted at a fork in the hallways, and Suzuran dug out her phone as she strolled towards the Frostheim vault.

Suzuran Fujiai:

OMW to the vault. Get the mission paperwork ready; I'm joining.

Tohma Ishibashi is typing…

Suzuran Fujiai:

Stfu and do it. Or I'm spiking your morning croissants with my artifact and locking you in Uno's room. It only takes a crumb in your system.

Tohma Ishibashi:

You drive a hard bargain. Fine.

When in doubt, bring Uno up, Suzuran chuckled to herself, swinging open the annoyingly heavy vault doors and stepping into the oversized freezer. Goosebumps peppering her tanned skin, she scuttled further in as to not linger more than absolutely necessary. 

“Suzuran. I should have known that you were already at my doors when you sent that text,” Tohma sighed as he stood in front of his office desk, meticulously sorted and stacked papers drowning its mahogany surface. The papers Suzuran requested were already in his hands, as well as a fountain pen.

“Fortune favors the bold,” Suzuran shrugged, reaching her hand out for the paperwork. Annoyingly, however, Tohma didn't give them to her just yet.

“Does Jin know about this?” he asked instead, waving the papers in the air.

“Does he need to?” Suzuran countered with a sickly sweet smile, a hand on her hip and the other flipping her hair dramatically.

Tohma sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose with gloved fingers. “I understand why those two are friends…” he murmured to himself before raising his gaze to meet Suzuran's. “You do realize that there will be hell to pay once you get back, yes? I'd rather not get dragged into that mess, especially after yesterday.”

“It's either you willingly hand me those papers, or I make my merry way down to Vagastrom and get their captain to let me join their mission. You lose either way, and somehow I feel like Jin would be a tiny bit less pissed if I wasn't on a mission surrounded by Vagastrom males,” Suzuran said in a deceptively calm tone, the firm clench of her jaw giving away her irritation. 

“Resorting to threats. How crude of you,” Tohma shook his head disapprovingly, and Suzuran snorted.

“Yeah, yeah. So? My papers?” she asked, her hand held out expectantly.

Sigh.

“As far as the Captain knows, you snuck into the vault while I was away,” Tohma warned, handing them over with a sigh that carried the weight of an overworked office worker.

“Mmmhm,” she hummed as she scribbled her name down, then handed the set back to Tohma. “You're a darlin’, Tohma. Don't fuck up your date with Uno, or whatever left of your ass is cooked!” she warned with a flippant wave as she began to walk out of the room.

“Duly noted,” Tohma's dry words followed her until the heavy doors drowned them out.