It was Juuzou's first day as an official investigator, and her first day working with Special Investigator Shinohara. Though it had been drilled into them at the academy that an investigator was to look as well as act the part, Juuzou wore a pair of three quarter length trousers and a too-big shirt that hid her gender nicely. The bottoms were not as noticeably big, but still large enough that she had paired them with red and yellow polka dot suspenders. On her feet were a pair of fluffy red slippers that she had stolen from the hospital when she was rescued. They were comfortable, so she liked them more than the nasty little heels the CCG had provided her with. Who the hell hunted ghouls in heels anyway? It seemed a painfully dumb idea to her.

Juuzou sat in the main entrance waiting room, kicking her legs happily as she ignored the worried stares the staff members shot her. She could hear two women whispering about whether she was a girl or a boy, the pair sat just around the corner, inside the departments break room. Usually Juuzou would have said something, just to show that she could indeed hear them, but not today. She had been told very sternly to sit quietly and to cause no trouble until arrived. Juuzou had taken this as a chance to prove herself, and had followed the instructions to a T.

She picked mindlessly at the self-induced stitches that covered most of her body. Her fingers ghosted over the newest pattern she had come up with just last night, stroking her arm gently. The bumps of bright red thread was soothing to her, and helped her keep her focus.

couldn't be far, surely. He was an incredible investigator, and the academy had taught Juuzou that all good investigators were punctual.

Juuzou was nineteen years old, the size of maybe your average fifteen year old, and had just graduated from the academy. Thanks to her none too pleasant past, most of the investigators she had met had been weary of her to say the least. She was a monster in their eyes, not a girl with a rough upbringing. But wasn't like that. He had told her she was a victim, not a criminal. He understood what she had been through, at least better than anyone else, and he didn't treat her like a broken toy. That's why she was so glad to be working with him. Not only was he excellent at what he did, but he wouldn't treat her like everyone else.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Juuzou! I was talking to an old friend..." came into the room like a tornado, instantly standing out in the crowd. Though he wasn't a naturally loud man, he was six foot of pure muscle. He waved to the younger girl brightly, smiling wide as he came to stand before her.

"It's alright, I don't mind waiting." Juuzou smiled back, flicking her hair out of her face before jumping down from the counter she had been perched on. nodded, his dark eyes quickly identifying each of the workers around them. The two women who had hidden in the office to gossip had poked their heads through the door, both looking particularly put out.

"They don't like me..." Juuzou chuckled, grinning at the women and waving enthusiastically. They jumped, ducking their heads back into the room. frowned, his brow creasing.

Juuzou was used to being judged. She had been raised by ghouls and spent most of her life killing humans for their entertainment. In some ways, the arena had been more of a home to her than anywhere else. But Juuzou was good at ignoring things now.

"So, sir, what are we going to do today?" She purposely turned her back on the reception, claiming the large mans attention once more.

"Well, I was hoping to see you in training, so I can gather what level you're at, then maybe we could get some lunch? After that all we have is some paperwork to go through." She nodded quickly, her naturally quick and jerky motions snapping her head harshly.

Juuzou followed through the main entrance to the elevators, skipping up a few floors to the training arena. It wasn't a grand room, but it was enough. The walls were solid and the floor easily cleanable. There were dummies and various training objects littered around, each in a varied level of abused decay.

"What do you want me to show you?" Juuzou asked, stretching out her arms and legs carefully. Her inability to feel pain was a blessing and a curse. It meant she had to be careful of hurting herself too much, considering she might not notice straight away and make the injury worse. stroked his chin in though, surveying the room just as Juuzou had. He finally came to a conclusion, reaching into the weapons storage and pulling out a handful of small, sharp daggers. Juuzou took them happily, spinning the blades in her small hands before setting her stance.

"What am I attacking, sir?" She couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips, the usual rush she got out of fighting setting in her stomach.

"The dummy to the far right." Her partner instructed. Before he had the chance to move out of the way, Juuzou was flying towards her target, twisting and twirling like she was dancing. The knives flew from her fingers, each one landing in the dummy. After leaving herself only a pair of knives, Juuzou slashed and stabbed, constantly moving so that no possible hits would touch her. Unlike most, she had only needed the academy for the academics, having already developed and perfected her fighting style. She was quick and severe, just like the knives she used.

"Juuzou, Juuzou! Stop!" 's voice made her jump, the knife in her hand catching her other wrist. She stopped, looking at the sudden flow of blood the blade had drawn. It didn't hurt, but it was a surprise. She hadn't cut herself in a long time, and it was an unusual thing to see. was fluttering around her instantly, taking her hand in his and inspecting the wound. It was deep, she could see that, but she wasn't panicked. , however, was.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have made you jump! You were so focused..." He studied her face and was amazed to see she was unfazed. She watched him fussing with her, putting pressure on her wrist while she simply waited for him to stop.

"It's alright, it doesn't hurt. I just haven't played in a while..." She shrugged, pulling her arm back and digging in her pocket for her needle and thread. With worryingly precise moves she stitched up the cut, the red thread a serious contrast to her pale skin. When she was done, she put away her needle and showed her partner.

"See, all better."

"Juuzou," Shinohara put a gentle hand on her shoulder, forcing the girl to make eye contact. "Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it's alright for you to be hurt. You need to be careful, especially now... I'm relying on you, as my partner, to be on top form."

Juuzou was quiet, thinking over his words. He was scared to die, she could see that.

" , everybody dies. You can't spend your whole life trying to stay alive, otherwise you'll forget to live." She wasn't used to being the wise one, but every now and again she had her moments. He sighed, smiling at her despite the vivid look of pity in his eyes. He knew she was damaged, and he humoured her most of the time. This was no different.

"Alright, Juuzou. But can we please just get you checked out before we go and get lunch? For me?" He knew she cared about him. He was the closest thing to a friend she had, and often acted as a parental figure. Juuzou nodded grudgingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Thank you." He gathered his things before leading her down to the medic. The man was small and quite geeky, a huge pile of comic books filling the space of his desk. He had quickly scanned her wrist before giving her an impressed look.

"Do you have medical training?" He asked, his weak and wavering voice like that of a awed child. Juuzou shook her head, taking hold of one of the comic books and flipping through it. Books and such had never really appealed to her, considering her usual state of hyperactivity. Sitting down and reading just wasn't her thing. She did, however, like to draw. She studied the pictures, taking note of the colours used and the backgrounds.

"Then how did you manage to stitch the wound so efficiently?" The medic asked, scratching his sweaty brow. attempted to cut in, but Juuzou was already replying, unfazed.

"I've done better than that, you wanna see?" She dropped the comic and stood, pulling up the hem of her shirt to reveal a pale stomach scattered with scars. One particularly long one cut across her left side, stretching from her final rib to her pelvis. Mama had been in a particularly violent mood that day, and it had taken Juuzou almost an hour to really clean herself up.

"Oh my..." The medic stepped back, horrified. held out a comforting hand, stepping in front of Juuzou as she repositioned her shirt, grinning. She didn't understand why people were so bothered by her scars, it wasn't like they had caused them.

"Can we go now? I'm hungry!" Juuzou complained, nudging 's shoulder and twirled to stand before him. The elder man nodded, shooting the medic an apologetic look before heading out. Juuzou skipped down the hallway, happy to be getting actual food, not stealing from the canteen. watched her, stuck between concern for her and worry for himself. She was so young, and so innocent in most ways. She didn't really understand the human world, having been raised by the ghouls, and that put them both at a disadvantage. However, her magnificent fighting skills, both with and without a weapon, meant that she would be a serious threat to any opposition she faced. In short, Juuzou would either define or destroy his career.

The unlikely pair headed out for food in silence, one happily skipping around and watching those around her with wonder, the other trailing along wearily as he questioned his decisions.

•••

Juuzou's apartment was many things, but big wasn't one of them. The CCG had provided her with a place to call her own, the only condition being a strict rule against destruction. She wasn't to damage the walls, floor or provided appliances, no matter what.

Honestly, she loved her little home. She had spent the first three days she lived there decorating. The walls had all been bare, the furniture minimal. It had reminded her of the hospital, all sterile and empty. So she'd found every kind of coloured paint she could find and had covered the apartment in beautifully intricate paintings. Juuzou had spent a lot of her free time exploring after she was rescued from the ghouls. She had been so desperate to see everything she had missed that she would spend whole days just watching, silently observing nature. Each room had a different theme. Her tiny kitchen/dining room was a diner. She had painted the walls to mimic the first diner she could remember going to, with the same red and yellow trimming and huge windows. She had even painted the street outside, including all of the little people going about their business.

The living room was a zoo. Animals covered every wall, each one a spectacle. Each colour was bright and lively, nothing like her old room at the academy. The hallway was a park, complete with people walking their dogs, children playing and couples sitting peacefully together. Juuzou loved to add little bits here and there every now and again. Her bedroom was her favourite. It was a fairly new thing to her, but one she cherished none the less. Spread out across the four walls of her small room was an impeccably realistic and detailed city skyline. It was the exact view from the top of the main CCG building. Juuzou had snuck up there a few times before, and had been blown away by the sheer beauty of the sleeping city. Though the sky above was inky and dark, there were still stores and homes emitting a softly glowing light that almost framed the city. It was hard to believe how cruel such a place could be when you saw it like that.

Juuzou had finished her first day, and had dropped her home. She was to be at the office at eight thirty the next morning, though it was already nine pm and she had yet to make herself dinner or shower or even take off her damn bra.

Juuzou kicked off her slippers and removed the blazer she had worn rolled up to her elbows, throwing it over a randomly placed kitchen stool. She wasn't the best cook, so she dug in the cupboard for a bowl and made herself some cereal. She carried the bowl into the tightly packed living room and collapsed onto the couch, kicking her legs up and flipping on the tv. It was the news, so Juuzou just listened halfheartedly, munching away on her easy meal. She daydreamed until a particular news story caught her attention. An accident had left two people seriously hurt, resulting in the male receiving organs from the female after her death. That wasn't normal, just giving someone someone else's organs. There was a procedure, forms that had to be filled, people that had to be informed. She wondered if the doctor would be considered a hero or a villain tomorrow. It probably depended on the male patient. If he survived, well that was sure to put the doctor in a better light.

Juuzou spent the rest of the night relaxing in front of the tv and occasionally topping up her bowl. Eventually she dragged herself to bed, collapsing into the soft navy sheets and curling into a ball.

She would rise the next morning with the same dark bags under her eyes and the same manic smile on her face. She would get dressed and skip into work, a ball of pure energy. She would forget all about the doctor and his unfortunate patient. She would forget the name Ken Kaneki.