Chapter 2
Juuzou loved sweet things. No matter where she was, if there was anything sweet nearby she was on it. Shinohara learnt this the hard way.
The meeting was meant to be serious, a group of respectable investigators coming together to discuss their latest cases and tactics. Each man wore a smart looking suit and a stern expression to match. Juuzou already stuck out like a sore thumb. Her colourful appearance and generally cheery expression had earned her judging stares from the moment she stepped into the room, along with a few mumbled comments. It wasn't a new thing for her, but for she assumed it was a shock. The poor man had to deal with her, and half of the judgmental thoughts would be aimed at him. This was new for him, and Juuzou felt sorry for him.
She had done her best to behave. She hadn't said a word unless she was directly addressed, and she had kept her hands firmly placed in her lap. She didn't spin in her chair, as tempting as it was, and she didn't fidget. The meeting was almost over by the time Juuzou noticed the small bowl of fruit that had been placed in the corner of the room. She was getting hungry already, and her attention had long since wondered from the conversation. She had spent the last ten minutes staring blankly at the ground, too afraid to lift her head. She could feel the odd glance she had been shot, but she otherwise ignored them.
Her stomach ached as she eyes up the ripe red apples, her eyes wide. She nibbled on the thread that looped her lip, trying to first act herself, but she couldn't. She could already taste the sweet juice on her tongue, feel the fruits flesh yielding under her sharp bite. She wanted an apple.
Juuzou looked up shyly, trying to catch the eye of , her hands picking at her shirt absently. He was speaking to one of the suited men, his tone serious. Apparently a ghoul had eaten a family of three in the middle of the twentieth ward. It was a messy situation from the sounds of it, but Juuzou wasn't interested. Ghouls would eat, regardless of how or who. There was little she could do about that.
Juuzou tried to catch his eye for about a minute or two, then gave up on that. She huffed grumpily, once again eyeing up the perfectly ripe fruit. She could tell they were real, not just a decoration. They were probably put there as a space filler, but Juuzou could see small imperfections on the fruit that a manufacturer wouldn't have placed on something they had made.
Juuzou quickly scanned the room, inspecting each of the men that surrounded her. She could tell they were confused by her. Because of her lack of direct femininity most of them were unsure of her gender, though if she was a male, she was not a very masculine one. She was like a small child, totally genderless without the help of obvious clothing. It was something she saw as an advantage, and something she added to. She was small, only five foot two, and quite skinny, so by binding her chest and wearing baggy clothes she was totally impossible to label without any doubt. She didn't hate being a girl, she just knew boys were taken more seriously. She was already seen as a fool, adding her gender into the mix would only make things worse for her.
The fruit was calling to her, and every minute dragged by painfully slowly, the ache in her stomach growing by the second. was still talking to his associates and Juuzou was seriously tempted to just rose and grab herself an apple. What was the worst that could happen? They already didn't care what she had to say, why would they care if she was eating? It was ridiculous to make herself uncomfortable just to please a group of strangers! Yes, she had made up her mind. She wanted a damn apple so she would have a damn apple!
With deliberately graceful movements, Juuzou slid off her seat and shrugged around 's back, ducking behind him to make her way around the table. She could feel the scathing glares of the men on her back as she reached the bowl and selected an apple. She rubbed it on her shirt casually before taking a bite and grinning. Apples were new to her, and they always pleased her. Mama hadn't given her apples, but she wished she had. They were a sure favourite.
"Shinohara, what is wrong with your partner?" One of the men demanded, his loud voice cutting off all conversation. Juuzou forced herself to stay still, not facing the group. She ate her apple silently, head down. cleared his throat, the chair under him creaking as he sat up straighter.
"What do you mean, Houji?" asked calmly, probably looking the man in the eyes. Houji laughed, actually fucking laughed, and banged his hand against the desk.
"Look at the kid, Shinohara! Not only is he not dressed appropriately for a meeting, he has hardly contributed at all! And then there's the fact he got up for a snack half way through! Does he know nothing of how to behave?" Juuzou looked over her shoulder at the man, her hair covering her blood red eyes. She saw him waving his hands at her, then at the group.
"How does having an investigator like that make us look?"
took a deep breath, looking first to Juuzou then to the man, Houji.
"Houji, if you have a problem with my partner, then we would be pleased to speak to you later in private. Otherwise, I would appreciate it if you didn't attack Juuzou so publicly." Juuzou flinched at his words. Why was he defending her? Wasn't he embarrassed? Wasn't he ashamed of her? She was a lowly third rank investigator, he didn't need to protect her! So why was he?
"Huh?" Houji stared dumbly at the larger man before nodding and shooting Juuzou a cold glare.
"Yes, I think that would be possible."
•••
Juuzou had returned to her seat, finishing the apple and leaving the core on the table just to spite the asshole Houji. Nobody said a word to her until the very end, when special class Matsuri Washuu turned to her, his glasses perched neatly on the bridge of his nose, and asked;
"So, have you learned anything today, Juuzou?"
Juuzou took a moment to look around her, her hands playing absently with the stitches in her left arm. She met 's gaze before nodding her head slowly.
"And what would that be?" Matsuri pressed, keeping his tone polite. He didn't seem too bad.
"I learnt how you guys tell each other stuff, and about the latest cases." She waited to see if that was enough. Matsuri nodded, watching her carefully.
"Anything else?"
Juuzou had never really been a petty person. She had had very little opportunity to be, and even less will. But in this room full of special class investigators, she made eye contact with the newly dubbed asshole, Houji, and spoke her mind.
"I learnt what kind of people I'll be working with sir... And I'm not sure if I'm happy about that. All you people know about me is that I'm here now and this is what I look like at the moment. Considering I'm nineteen, that's not a lot." She paused, looking up to apologetically. "I'm just saying, if you'd seen me fight, I'm pretty sure you'd change your minds about how much in worth. And I'm not stupid."
She pulled her knees up to her chest, looking back away from the group and focusing on a sliver of light that slipped through a tiny gap in the large wooden door. Matsuri cleared his throat awkwardly before nodding.
"Well, I think that's were we should call it a day. Now, I'll be making my way to the closest restaurant there is. You are all welcome to join me." There was a chorus of 'sure' and 'count me in's from the group as they packed their things and filtered out of the room. That left just Juuzou and . They sat in silence for a moment, until finally Juuzou spoke up.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Why are you apologising, Juuzou?" cut in, twisting her chair so she had no choice but to face him. She met his gaze, his dark eyes radiating their usual kind warmth. Juuzou shrugged.
"Because I got an apple. Because I was rude to ... Because you're stuck with me." She picked at her trousers, unsure of what to say.
"Juuzou, you have done nothing wrong."
Juuzou's eyes flew up to his face, her jaw dropping. She hadn't done anything wrong? She wasn't very good at understanding and interpreting human emotions, but she had seriously though he would be angry with her. She'd always been right about when mama was angry with her, so why was any different?
"I didn't?" She asked, confused.
"No, you didn't. You were only observing this meeting, you didn't need to take part. And if you're hungry, then you should feel comfortable enough to get something to eat if it's available. In regards to ... Well, he is an adult, and should have acted as such. I'll be speaking to him later, so you shouldn't worry about him." smiled, placing a comforting hand on her thin shoulder. He inspected her face, his gaze lingering on the dark circles under her eyes and the red thread that looped her lip. After a second, he continued.
"Juuzou, you are my partner, and I will defend you whenever I can. You don't embarrass me, and I'm not ashamed to have you here. One day you're going to prove everyone wrong and make me proud. Now, would you like to get some proper food?"
She was grinning widely as she nodded, jumping out of her seat and stretching her back.
"Sure! Can I get ice cream?" She asked enthusiastically in her sing-song voice. laughed, nodding his head.
"You can have whatever you'd like."
•••
A few days later, Juuzou ran into a ghoul. Well, three of them actually. She had been wandering around downtown, her head bopping to a song only she could hear. She wore a pair of short shorts and a too-big button up plaid shirt. On her feet were a pair of beaten old plimsoles from back in the academy. She had been aiming to find somethings to occupy her day off, but had instead spent the day wandering around the city aimlessly, her legs varying her with no true direction. She had just turned down an alley when she saw them. Three figures, crouched over another, heavily shadowed figure that was sprawled on the ground. The sounds that came from the group were unmistakeable. Ghouls.
Juuzou had tucked herself into the shadows, inching closer to get a better look. They weren't wearing masks, and one wore a janitors uniform. They were slipping, that was obvious. They probably didn't belong to one of the larger groups, meaning hunting was much harder, hence the shared meal.
As a civilian, Juuzou could have simply backed away. She could have turned her back and pretended she never saw a thing. But as a ghoul investigator and an ex scrapper, she knew that wasn't an option. Her mind rationalised whilst her body readied itself for a much anticipated battle, her hands closing around the multiple handles of her hidden blades. With a deep breath, Juuzou stumbled into the light and gasped audibly. Three sets of black and red eyes were suddenly on her, the ghouls split between panic at being caught and excitement over the prospect of another meal. Juuzou continued to play the part of terrified young girl.
"Now, now, kitten... There's no need to be afraid." One drawled as he sauntered closer. Juuzou backed up, her shoes scraping the ground. She was glad she was in girl clothes tonight, she knew it added to her appeal. People didn't like to be forced to use their brains.
"P-p-please, don't!" She couldn't remember the last time she had been afraid, but she had seen plenty of fear. She imitated the hundreds of people she had killed in the restaurant, executing the higher tones and stutter perfectly. She felt her back hit a wall and gasped loudly.
The ghouls laughed, crowding around her, their previous meal forgotten.
"Come on sweetheart, let's not be shy... We're all friends here." The ghoul that was clearly the leader was tall, his dark hair thinning. He was skinny and bony, and clearly bordering on desperate. The ghouls at the restaurant hadn't been like him. They were all rich.
"I-I-I wanted to go home..." Juuzou was an amazing actress. Mama had made sure of that. It was funny, Big Madame would have never expected she was teaching her skills she would later use to hunt and kill ghouls.
"Oh, don't worry little lady, we'll take you home." It was at the final word that the ghouls stepped into the perfect position. Juuzou looked down, hiding her sinister grin under her hair. She braced herself against the wall.
"Well, that's nice of you to offer, but I'll be fine on my own." And with that, she attacked. The ghoul on the right was her first target. She grabbed him and swung him into his friends, putting herself in front of the alleys exit. She was throwing knives in a second, one lodging in his throat, another going through his chest. The other ghouls watched in surprised horror before turning and running. Juuzou wasn't having them escaping. The one who had remained silent was next. She threw a knife and caught his ankle, snapping the tendon. He was grounded and disposed of quickly. That left only the leader. He had backed up against a large bin, sweating profusely. Juuzou walked towards him calmly.
"Who the hell are you?" The ghoul demanded, his once cocky voice now a terrified whimper. She wasn't sure why he hadn't activated his kagune, but his kakugan was glowing in the low light. She paused, crossing her arms.
"I'm an investigator, silly... Why aren't you fighting back? Don't want to fight a little girl? Come on, at least make me try a little." She was enjoying herself and made no effort to hide that.
The ghoul screamed, a kagune bursting from his lower back and whipping behind him like a tail. She clapped her hands childishly, hopping on the spot.
"Oh, wow! I haven't seen one like that before! I'd love to have that as a quinque!" She pulled out another knife, glad to have hidden them away in a holster under her shirt. The ghoul swung his kagune, aiming for her head. He missed, but not by much, earning a whistle from the investigator.
"Not too bad, but not the best... Try keeping your eye on the target." And before he could take her advice, she was moving. She skipped around him, a blur of colourful movement. She giggled and called to him, making a quick cut to his arm. The ghoul growled, spinning around in his attempt to get a solid look at her. He was clearly untrained, and it surprised Juuzou that he had made it to this point. Usually ghouls weeded out the weak, killing them off before they got the more capable into trouble. It was commendable really, something Juuzou could understand. Why should many die for one? It didn't make sense.
"You're messy... I'm doing you a favour!" She ducked down under the frantically swinging kagune, using her knife to catch onto the ghouls body. With a graceful twist, Juuzou had split him in half. She hadn't know her cute little blades were that powerful, but apparently they were better than she thought.
Stepping back to survey the scene, Juuzou sighed. She'd left her work issued mobile at home, so she would have to get someone else to call the police. With a slight bounce in her step, Juuzou walked to the end of the alley and called out onto the street. There were a handful of kids sitting on a nearby wall, and her sudden shout caught their attention.
"Hey, you!" One of the boys looked up, pointing to himself awkwardly.
"Yeah, you'll do. You couldn't do a girl a favour could you?" She leant against the wall and smiled sweetly, making the boy blush.
"Uh, what do you want me to do?" He asked cautiously.
"I'd just need to borrow your phone real quick... I've gotta call the cops." She headed over, quickly coming to stand before the boy. Even sitting he towered over her, though he couldn't have been older than sixteen. How cute. He gave her his phone in stunned silence, not taking his eyes off of her once. All of his friends were staring at her, but Juuzou was too busy to ask why. After she dialed and pressed call, the phone rang twice before it was answered by a grumpy male voice.
"Hello?"
"Hi, yeah, um... Look, I'm gonna be straight with ya, it's not pretty. I'm an investigator, and I need a clean up crew for downtown, near-" she paused, looking up to the stunned boy.
"What are we near?" She asked, holding her hand to the phone. The boy looked around before answering.
"Um, the gold wing restaurant? That's pretty popular, and it's just over there." He pointed to a small restaurant behind her, earning himself a nod and a wink from the girl.
"The Golden Wing restaurant? I'm by an alley just behind there. Look, you'd better be quick, I'm using some kids cell phone and I'm not sure if they were a boy band or an orchestra, if you get what I mean..." The officer agreed to send down some people, and started to hang up, but Juuzou cut in before he could.
"Oh, and can you send down Special class Shinohara please? He'd want to see this." After that, Juuzou hung up herself. She smiled at the kid as she handed back his phone, thanking him softly.
"Look, you'd better get going unless you wanna be questioned all night... We got a messy situation down there." Juuzou spun on the spot, kicking out her leg as she did. She had to stay with the bodies, in case the ghouls had friends. She was almost at the alley when on of the girls spoke up. Her voice was soft, just above a whisper, but Juuzou heard it.
"You're bleeding." Was all she said, stopping the investigator in her tracks. She looked down at herself, doing a little twirl as she did. There was a large gash in her side, and it was bleeding pretty badly. She was surprised she hadn't noticed, but with the adrenaline, she guessed it wasn't that big a deal. She would have to put pressure on it or something until the cops showed up. Although, wouldn't be too happy that she'd gotten herself hurt. Juuzou sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Thanks for telling me... I wasn't kidding, you kids had better go! I assume none of you want to explain to your parents why you're here." The kids slowly jumped off of the wall and left, throwing back confused glances behind them. Juuzou was glad to see them leave. She headed back to the bodies, kicking them to make sure they were totally done. She would have collected up her knives, but she knew they had to stay put until someone had taken pictures. It wouldn't be enough for anything big, but killing off the three small fry all on her own might get her a pat on the back.
Juuzou sat in the ground, her legs crossed, and inspected the wound. It wasn't deep, just ugly. She didn't think it would leave to bad a scar if any. It was just a shame she didn't have her needle and thread. She pulled off her shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound, glad she had chosen to wear a vest top underneath. She hadn't bound her chest today, so that meant her small, perky breasts were clearly visible, along with quite a bit of her pale skin. She was only wearing shorts after all.
It wasn't long until she heard sirens approaching, and soon there was the sound of a man calling out. Juuzou pulled herself up and walked to the end of the alley yet again, looking out and waving.
"Hey guys, down here!" She called. She was just turning back into the alley when she heard the unmistakeable voice of . He pushed through the crowd of cops, all looking mildly puzzled, and headed straight for her. His jaw was set tightly and his shoulders were tense.
"Juuzou Suzuya!" He growled, storming over to her. She stopped, waiting for him to reach her, her head tilting back more and more the closer he got. He really was huge next to her.
"What in the hell do you think you were doing, taking on a ghoul yourself! You could have been hurt, or killed! Do you know..." His gaze had been pulled away by the destruction in the alley. It was a mess of blood and bodies, spread out from one else to the other. His dark eyes grew wide as he looked from the chaos to the tiny girl that had caused it.
"Four?" Was all he said. Juuzou shook her head, shifting the shirt into a better position in her side. hadn't noticed yet.
"Three, they were feeding when I saw them." She explained, confused as to why this had stopped his rampage.
took a step back, rubbing the back of his head with one large hand. He was dressed for work in his usual suit topped with a white jacket, but the briefcase that held his quinque was missing. He clearly hadn't been out of the office yet that day, and Juuzou shot him a sympathetic look. He was gonna have a long day.
"They were feeding, and you just, what, jumped in?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
was staring at her, incredulous, when the cops finally came over. One took her to one side as another headed down the darkened alley with a torch. The stars were bright in the sky by now, and shadows filled the streets.
"And you haven't touched anything since?" The officer clarified, frowning at his notebook as he jotted down their conversation. Juuzou shook her head, smiling brightly.
"No sir, I know the rules... Though I'd like my knives back soon, please... I don't have an official quinque yet, so scorpion is all I have." She looked away for a second when she felt her hand slowly growing damp. She had bled through the shirt, which was now ruined, and her pale hand was now red. She groaned, hating the feeling of blood on her hands. It was always so sticky, yet slippery... The consistency didn't make sense. The officer noticed her actions.
"Are you alright, ma'am? You're not injured?" 's head lifted from his feet at this, his ears perking up. He was suddenly studying Juuzou, looking her over from head to toe. His gaze quickly landed on her reddened hand.
"It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about." Juuzou smiled to the officer, waving with her free hand as he moved along to do whatever else he was doing. was nowhere near as easy.
He grabbed her hand, firmly yet gently, and pulled it away from her side. The sodden shirt fell to the floor with a sickening squelch as her 'scratch' was revealed.
"Oh, Juuzou..." Was all he said, pulling the ripped fabric of her shirt away from the wounds opening.
"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." She shrugged, taking her arm out of his grasp and bending to pick up her shirt. He stopped her as soon as her blood started dripping faster.
"Why do you always hurt yourself when you're with me?" He asked, picking up the shirt without any concern for its bloody state and handing it to its owner. Juuzou rolled her eyes, her usual inability to remain still intact. She kicked her leg out awkwardly, bending it this way and that.
"I didn't hurt myself with you, you just got here after I hurt myself. Besides, it's part of my job, right? I can't just ignore a group of ghouls after they've clearly killed someone!"
"You can if you're alone and armed only with some silly throwing knives!" chided, his voice suddenly tired.
Juuzou decided not to argue for the time being. She was hungry and tired and bleeding, and at this rate it wouldn't be long until she was light headed too. She walked over to a nearby bin and threw in the shirt, accepting it's demise, then headed over to a pair of cops who were leaning on their car bonnets. They looked up as she approached, brows raised.
"Can we help you?" One asked, trying to be polite. Juuzou shot a look before nodding her head.
"Yeah, actually. I got a little bit stabbed in the fight, could you give me and my superior a lift to the hospital please?" She smiled, leaning forward slightly to show off her cleavage. She wasn't an innocent little girl, she knew how to play dirty. The cop stuttered out a yes, asking if she needed anything. She accepted a blanket to put on the wound before nodding to who climbed into the back beside her.
"This is very grown up of you, Juuzou, I'm impressed." He told her, smiling slightly. Juuzou pouted, looking out of the window. He would have made her go anyway, it might as well be on her terms. She hated hospitals, and he knew it. But the girl stayed silent, simply staring at the passing city.
