Identity Disorder {A Juuzou Suzuya Story}

Chapter 20

The ward will be evacuated today... Our every attempt at procuring her has failed. You have plenty of subjects, why does none of them please you?

She will be mine again one day. I will grow more men and if it means getting her myself, I will.

The CCG reaper and the man who holds Jason's kagune are at her call. You might have lost this one.

"Yo."

Arima was amused at the sight of dark hair hiding in the hooded fur of the puff coat worn by his daughter. He could barely make out the small nose and coffee eyes at the center of the overbearing hood and the pink lips that huffed the wisps of breaths in the air. Emiko never liked the cold and was very dramatic when winter was in full swing. But this seemed a little more impressive than usual.

"You cold?"

Sarcastic words were tossed in the air and were met with a heavy eye roll. Emiko walked closer to enter the cafe with her father, unamused and even a little annoyed. She knew what would happen tonight and her nerves that buzzed underneath her skin agitated her. Of all the people to worry about, Juuzou and Arima were possibly her worst choices. Both far exceeded her own skills and managed themselves before they knew her. But she could not help the dread that swam at the pit of her gut. Nausea at the images that flashed in her mind.

Her teeth ground at the idea of spilling her guts to her father about her feelings. This happened every time no matter how hard she lied to herself. This is not the first raid Arima has been apart of and she tried to take comfort in this but failed. She was sure Juuzou has done his own share as well but it was all on deaf ears and hardened mind.

The idea of discussing her feelings brought a new wave of nausea with it and worsened her agitated state. It amused her that these feelings twisted her so tight because she would be begrudgingly put on an evacuation bus where she can contemplate these feelings forever if she wanted.

But not the amusement where she can laugh... More like she wanted her entire being to rot from the inside out.

"So you are aware of the plan tonight, correct?"

Emiko clicked her tongue and felt her temper spike. She wanted to throw the table and shriek but instead settled for numbly bouncing her head while her blood ran white hot. Everything was about CCG and ghouls with him. Every time she saw him it was work, work, work and it never changed. She wanted the paternal relationships she saw in movies and books. Instead she got a workaholic father who would rather die from work than be with her.

You don't mean that. You don't mean that. You don't mean that. Irrational.

"Something the matter, Emiko?"

His pale gaze shifted from his menu to land on his obviously seething daughter. Her jaw was clenched tight and her gaze lit furiously as it glared harshly into the wooden table between them. Arima's expressionless eyes clenched shut while he took his glasses from his face to rub it harshly. He swore that his daughter never absorbed a lick of communication skills after rehabilitation and socialization. It was even more ironic that she was in school to help others work through feelings she found her own difficulty with. Watching her sprint from impassive to furious was a leap he has seen time and time again. She was possibly even more emotionally constipated than himself.

"You never change and I do not know why I expected you to not jump straight into work talk after not seeing you for a while." Her words were spiteful and stabbed like knives even though her tone was monotonous. She rarely opened the can of worms that was complaining about Arima's work balance with this much venom. It was usually passing sly remarks or mocking mumbles. So to hear the stabbing words from her lips was different for Arima but his expression barely moved.