Chapter Text
Fire and blood.
It’s a vague memory, a wisp, when she’s awake; perhaps her dreams remember, but red hair and slit eyes fade to transparency with sunlight, and all she’s left with is a sense of familiarity, almost familial warmth.
It’s not such a bad memory. She’s known worse. She’s felt worse despair. She’d cling to it, if she could remember enough when her eyes are open. Instead, she relives it every other night in her dreams; she sinks to her knees unharmed like the very first time.
What was her name? It’s been lost to time for so long, but among the flames the night is brighter than the sun and she remembers. Her lips voice it silently, disbelieving.
Himeko tears her hand away from the corpse she was laughing with not an hour ago. A scarlet flame bursts, vanishes it into ashes before it can collapse on the floor. Flaming eyes. Red hair. Red blood on Himeko’s lip, and she licks it hungrily.
Himeko turns to her, not unkindly. Her captain speaks words (an apology, or a threat?) but Hua can’t hear. Whether the roaring in her ears is the pyre or her own heart, she will never know.
Why you..? Hua glimpses a flash of fang, and she’s yanked to her feet by the front of her uniform. Her hands clasp Himeko’s wrist, but it’s no use. She isn’t strong enough to shake off a vampire lord yet.
Himeko leans in. Whispers in her ear. The exact words are hazy, but Hua can’t forget the fangs sinking into her throat. The liquid fire burns through her veins as something is gifted, rather than taken from her, and her mentor cradles her when Hua’s legs give out.
“The pain will ease soon, you’re strong, sugar,” she says. Were those even her words? “I know you’re a good girl.” Hua blacks out; when she wakes up, she is alone, and she, too, is parched. The vampire has escaped, and left her alive…. changed.
“Why did it have to be you?”
The firewytch's little birdie wonders for as long as the fog of time allows her to remember.
Kiana is a master of stealth.
This claim is only supported by the subject’s declaration, of course, as she sneaks after her class monitor’s brisk footsteps. The corridor is empty save for the both of them.
Fu Hua never eats seconds, even when she says the food is really good. Then she leaves the table in a hurry. It’s more food for Kiana, of course, but the girl believes her senior is hiding something, and has for a while.
Secret snacks! An insult to her Mei’s cooking! And probably also delicious. So this is going to be Kiana’s super confidential mission… operation uncover the class monitor’s dark secret!
Maybe it sounds a little mean. But. Kiana’s known Fu Hua for a while now. She could just give some away. Those that refuse to share their food stash shall suffer the Kaslana’s wrath!
It’s not like she’s going to eat all of her snacks anyway. She’s just going to teach her a little lesson about sharing is caring . And also satiate her (literal) devouring curiosity. What could possibly be so delicious that she’d refuse seconds of Mei’s cooking?
Fu Hua is currently busy retrieving a mysterious package. Kiana’s done her homework for once: this happens once a month, like clockwork— mysterious supplies Fu Hua hides in her room, room which she briefly returns to after every meal. In other words. Her secret custom ordered snacks. Probably.
Unfortunately Kiana hasn’t managed to figure out where the stash is being hidden in the room from out the window, so she’s decided on a more straightforward approach: catch the class monitor red handed.
Fu Hua unlocks her door, the package balanced heavily on her arm, and Kiana dashes from behind the corner as soon as she’s gone through the threshold. How is she going to catch Fu Hua, you ask? Well, the windows may be see-through but breaking them would get her in trouble, so the door is the only option. Fu Hua’s door closed behind her, so in theory Kiana would need to ring and be let in to enter. But.
Fu Hua currently has a large refrigerated package in her arms, which means she can’t have re-locked the door yet. This is what Kiana is counting on. It’s a flimsy plan, but well, strategy isn’t her forte, and sometimes dumb luck is on her side.
Can’t say she’s even trying very hard.
Yet, the handle clicks quietly when Kiana presses on it. Unlocked! The Class Monitor is now trapped within her home, her snacks at Kiana’s mercy!
Sneak, sneak, she’s never actually been here— there’s a short corridor and then what is probably a bedroom on her right. The layout is different from Himeko’s quarters, but that makes sense. Aunt Himeko’s a teacher and she houses four people. Kiana hears shuffling noises ahead. Kitchen, maybe? Should she startle Fu Hua with a yell or stay hidden until she leaves? Mmm. Kiana didn’t think she’d get this far honestly.
Waiting isn’t her style so she leaps into the kitchen with a yell. “AHA!!! CAUGHT YOU RED HANDED!”
Fu Hua raises an eyebrow. To the attentive guest, there was perhaps the slightest twitch in her demeanor, but Kiana is Not That. Frustration rises in her throat. The least she could do would be pretend to be shocked.
“Do you need something, Kiana?” Fu Hua’s voice is even while Kiana boils, but she’s folding back the half open package as she speaks, as if to hide its contents. That won’t do! Kiana crosses her arms and huffs.
“Your secret snacks, hand them over!”
Fu Hua closes the box. “...no?”
There is a moment of stillness, and then all hell breaks loose as Kiana dashes for the box and Fu Hua shoves it out of the way.
Fu Hua and Kiana are both kneeling on the cold floor, contrite. Himeko is not pleased with this new dent in their budget, namely, the window that needs replacing (BULLETPROOF GLASS NOT SO TOUGH AFTER ALL! Unfortunately Kiana was the one thrown through and she’s really feeling it.) and the bits of wall they blew up. Some pavement outside needs replacing from where Kiana fell...
The sorest spot is that Kiana didn’t even get to glimpse at the contents of the box. At least Fu Hua’s also in trouble for responding with violence.
“I am aware I overreacted and caused undue property damage,” the class monitor says placidly. She hangs her head. “I apologize and will accept punishment…”
Urgh why is she being so reasonable. It’d be easy to at least try to wriggle out of trouble, wouldn’t it? For some reason this attitude kind of pisses Kiana off. How overly honest.
Himeko whacks the top of Kiana’s head. “Don’t think I don’t see you pouting! I know you’re the instigator. Puppy eyes don’t work on me.”
“Hey, I got thrown through a window!” Kiana protests. “Don’t you think I’ve been punished enough?”
Himeko pretends to think about it, before shaking her head with a grin. “That’s nothing compared to what Valkyries get through on the battlefield. If you’re whining about this, how is it going to be against vampires—“
“I’m alright,” Kiana grumbles, her pride a little too strong to play into the injured bit.
Fu Hua doesn’t react, waiting for the verdict without even looking at Kiana.
Himeko has a dangerous glint in her eye.
“Well then. As a punishment, Kiana, you’re going to train until eight tonight.”
Kiana relaxes just a little. That doesn’t sound so bad. Long , and tiring, but not as horrible as other things she could be doing. Besides, Aunt Teri is busy today, so surely the little terror is not going to be the one beating her up.
“I have to punish both of you for the mess, so— you’ll train with Fu Hua. I saw your grades.” Wait, what? Himeko grins like a red devil. “You’re going to practice math.”
Kiana takes everything back, this wine aunt is a sadist.
When Fu Hua returns, her room has been meticulously cleaned of glass shards and plaster, which she appreciates. The sun is well below the horizon now, the perspective of cleaning it up after tutoring Kiana all of their day off was not one she had been looking forward to making a reality. The broken window has been replaced as well… how efficient.
She finds the box exactly where she left it, in a corner because she shoved it off the table when Kiana dashed for it. She sighs. What a troublesome girl…
It hasn’t moved, so whoever came in to clean didn’t open the refrigerated box, it seems.
Wait. She’s been gone all day.
Hua retrieves the box with a frown.
The box is a refrigerated package, but it doesn’t have a battery; it simply relies on a cold block inside to keep its content fresh. With the box open in a warm room, this is no longer reliable. She only had time to stash a handful of items, so the rest—
...predictable outcome. She can tell right away that the food (because indeed, it is food, at least to her) has already gone bad.
That may be a problem.
She checks her fridge; she has enough for a few days, but past that she’s going to have to do without. If she rations them, her stock will last a little longer.
Should she just contact Otto about it? Fu hua shakes her head, though the gesture should be seen by no one but herself. No. This is the result of her own carelessness— it was childish to get wrapped into roughhousing, even out of fear of being discovered. This will be unpleasant, but she’s seen worse. These are also needed for medical purposes… She doesn’t want to be more of a burden on such resources. She can just ration the remaining ones out.
Now all that's left is to throw the spoiled ones away…