Scarlet collapsed onto her bed, letting out a groan, and wondered silently if she could get away with never getting up. Yui was in the room next to hers, she had sent Ayato off and out of Yui's room when Yui had shrieked and then had to kick the eldest out of her own. She wanted to go back in time when she could attend school with almost no reminders of her past.
She reluctantly got up, feet dragging, and opened her bathroom door, turning the shower handle to a relatively warm temperature, and slowly peeled herself out of her clothes. She stepped into the shower, bare feet against wet tile. Allowing herself to relax, she debated even trying to hide her identity for much longer. They would find out, no doubt.
Scarlet slowly, tentatively, pressed her palm against cold tile and willed herself to let go and search. She could feel the change, allowing her human facade to drop, feeling the welcome rush of energy that she had been holding back for so long sharpening every nerve on her body, fixing the flaws that she had faked. A warm, fuzzy feeling, like drinking alcohol, but with nothing but benefits and a clearer mind. She stepped out of the shower, fluffy towel wrapping around her body.
If there was one thing she would give to the Sakamakis, it was that they had exceptionally nice towels and beds.
When she looked in the mirror, she was greeted with a prettier face, teeth white and straight, skin smooth and soft-looking, eyes sharper and irises flecked with gold. Her hair, which had once contained an uncountable number of dead ends, was healthy and straight.
She could feel Subaru's presence, which had subsided gently, indicating that he had most likely retreated to his room, along with Laito and Kanato's, spike, telling her that they were fully aware of her change. She figured that Reiji and Ayato had, as well, but more training in hiding their presence from her and others in that aspect.
But Shu, she could feel, was moving, slowly, towards her. It was obligatory, she figured, that he make sure that she wasn't a demon from hell sent to assassinate them. She threw a tank-top and shorts on, stepping outside her steam-filled and humid bathroom, the cold air hitting her raising goose-bumps on her arms. He was lying on her bed, perfectly still, eyes closed.
He opened his eyes, a stunning sapphire blue that reminded her of the gem itself, analyzing her changes. She smiled, shutting off the bathroom light behind her. Tossing her old clothes into the chair at her new desk, she made her way toward the bed until she was a few feet away from him.
"So, then, you really weren't sent by the church." Scarlet laughed at the statement, dry and lacking humor. Raking a hand through her hair, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"First time getting a girl not Christian?" She sighed, turning her back on him, moving to unpack her clothes. "No. I hate the church."
"Hm." It was a disinterested sound, one of an aristocrat. "Why did you come, then?" He didn't ask about the change, or where she was from. He knew better than that. Her lips curved into a smile as she sat on her suitcase.
"For my sister." She couldn't tell if he had anticipated the answer, or was surprised by it at all. His face was carefully blank, eyes unreadable. Slowly, as if he was warning her, he dragged out a response before disappearing.
"I hope she's worth it."
She climbed into bed a few minutes after he left, pulling the covers up to her chin in habit of when her home had no heating. Scarlet exhaled, closing her eyes and recalling a winter day of snowflakes and hot chocolate, of laughing children and ice skates when she had exhaled the same way and watched her breath vanish into the cold air as quickly as it had come.
Scarlet woke up in a foul mood. It had been Yui's shriek that woke her, along with the rest of the mansion. She had thrown her covers off and stalked to Yui's room, eyes flashing and promising bloody murder, to find her sister trembling as Laito and Ayato argued about who could take the first bite. Throwing the door open, she had said something along the lines of why the fuck are you being so loud so damn early, jackass? At Ayato and Laito and shooed them out of the room.
As it turned out, she spent the early part of the night tearing apart the school uniform and burning the material. She flapped a paper in Reiji's face, indicating that she had emailed the headmaster and had the consent to wear whatever she wanted to school. He had only glared.
Breakfast would have been awkward if Scarlet hadn't popped by to grab a pancake and then declare that she had "better things to do than hang out with you fuckers- not it that way, goddamn it, Laito- I don't want to have sex with you." Yui had stumbled off after her sister, stammering a half-hearted excuse that wasn't acknowledged.
"Scarlet?" Yui scrambled up the stairs, trying to keep pace with Scarlet.
"Hm?"
"Do- do you know what's going on-?" She gasped as she nearly slipped, clutching onto the railing. Scarlet paused, turning around to look at Yui, one eyebrow raised.
"With this ridiculously long staircase or with the situation overall? Because I'm afraid I can't explain either very well." Scarlet smiled and turned around, proceeding to ascend the rest of the stairs, bare feet making almost no noise against the cold floor.
Yui followed, still curious. Scarlet turned a corner and opened the door to her room, stepping aside and allowing Yui in first. Shutting the door behind her, Scarlet smiled at Yui. Taking this as her cue, Yui opened her mouth.
"Who are they? What are they? What do they want?" Yui rambled, tears already gathering in pink eyes. Scarlet sighed.
"They gave introductions, didn't they? The Sakamaki's." She threw herself into her chair, chest pressing against the back of the chair, arms propped up. "They're vampires. Pure-blooded vampires. You know, blood-sucking, hot, leeches? And they each want something different. You can't categorize them together like that. It's impossible."
"V-vampires?!" Yui's voice rose, growing higher in pitch with hysteria. Scarlet blinked blankly at her sister. "Then -how do we run away-? Scarlet, what are we going to do? How long do you think we have?" Scarlet watched her sister with something akin to amusement.
"Surely, sister, you know that if they are vampires, then they can hear you." Yui flushed at the realization. "Besides, if you want to run, then you can try yourself. I'll stay. It's better than any life out there for me." Yui stared, betrayal written across her face.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not leaving you, am I?" Scarlet's voice was sharp.
"No!" Yui flushed, quick to defend herself. "It's just- oh, Scarlet, you're so…" She trailed off, hesitantly.
"So what?" Scarlet asked, eyes narrowed. Yui shrunk under her sister's gaze, compelled to say the truth regardless.
"You're so natural here," Yui said, hasty. "Oh, I don't mean it in a bad way, necessarily, but shouldn't you be a bit more cautious? I mean, it's so scary, and I can't stop shaking half the time, but you- it's like you were expecting this to happen or something-"
"Yui. This isn't scary." Scarlet's voice was harsh, a tone Yui had never heard being used on her. To boys that Scarlet hated, yes, but never to herself. Yui stopped, falling silent, head bowed, eyes staring at her hands clasped in her lap.
"Scary is not knowing if you'll survive another minute. Fear, Yui. This is not worthy of my fear. Not anymore." Scarlet was talking, eyes cast on the wall in front of her. Her voice was empty, face slightly more pale than usual. Yui looked up at her voice, confused.
"But- Father told me that you had been in an orphanage before you came to us!" She protested, "What do you mean?"
"An orphanage?" Scarlet laughed, devoid of humor, bitter and harsh. "No. A prison." She cast a glance at Yui, and lips pulled down, face wiped blank.
"I think we'll be late for school soon. You still need to get into uniform as well. I believe they're waiting for us anyways. Hurry, Yui." Scarlet opened the door, and Yui obliged. Something in Scarlet's eyes softened at her sister's confused expression. "You'll be fine for now. Relax." She kissed Yui's forehead briefly, sending her on her way.
Scarlet paused to grab her school bag, swinging it over one shoulder. Her eyes caught the mirror, and she saw frightened eyes staring back at her, a scared child dressed in rags staring back at her. She turned stiffly away. She knew what the child would say. She saw her every time she looked at her reflection, and she couldn't stop the words in her mind.
Silver, what's going on? Will we be okay?
And the response, given in a shaking voice, but it had been enough for her when she was little.
It'll be okay Scarlet. You'll be safe.
She had been a fool when she was younger. But the words had been true, hadn't they? She was safe and alive. He had been the price.