Nanbaka: tales of the snowflower (xreader)

chapter eighteen: Wanting to be stronger

When (y/n) got back to her dorm room, she was tired but had energy left.
She went to the woman's bath to get cleaned. Thankfully she found a cold bath to use so she could clean up. The water was relaxing to soak in, there were few others in the bath as well. It was quiet, peaceful. She could fall asleep in the tub if she allowed herself to.
But no, she had to get out after washing herself off and doing the skincare ritual that Kiji taught her.
She was finally clean and changed into her sleepwear.
The female chuckled to herself, she was walking around in her sleepwear while the night shift workers are in their uniforms.

Her body was still feeling energetic.
She was not sleepy in the slightest.
(Y/n) went to the observation platform to look at the stars, she did not mind the funny looks she got from the night guards.
The cool night air was refreshing and clean, the sky was beautiful.
It was late and the stars were sparkling in all of their splendor, she smiled at the sky and blew a vapor of cold breath into the air.
The cold bodied female felt good, she felt like nothing could hold her back anymore.
Not Elf, not her past troubles, nothing!
A wide smile was present on her face as she looked into the moon, the same one as she saw a long time ago. The same stars that she and her family loved, the same sky that she and Shiro watched those years ago.

Her pocket buzzed as she got a late night call on her cell.
She looked at the number, it was the secure family emergency line.
The woman picked it up, her father was on the other side and breathing hard.
"(Y/n), Listen to me. Your mother and I were attacked, I fear they are looking for you.," the man said and coughed, "Please, stay where you are. Don't come home. I'm going to have to bloom again to save your mother and myself. Listen closely to what I have to say."
The female knew this was serious of the family last resort was going to be used.
"Our family's last resort is when we use our own blood in the ice to strengthen it, it is called a bloom for its color.," the man said, "The red of a blooming flower, earning our name. Yukinohana. That is the last secret of our family I have to share with you."
She heard shouting of the other side of the line and her mother yell, the sound of ice braking could be heard.
The line went dead and the female looked down at her phone, she was shaken.
The feeling she had earlier was gone, replaced with a fear for her parents' lives.
Did Elf decide he wanted to kill her parents anyway? Was there a riot? What the hell was happening?

Her heart was racing, it hurt.
She felt scared. Cold. Light-headed.
She shakily made her way to her dorm room, she stopped to look at the stars again in a hope for comfort.
She did not realize that she had been out all night at that point, not until the sun was coming up. She needed to get back to her dorm to change her clothes and go to her office to do the morning paperwork.
The cold bodied female walked to her dorm and changed quickly before heading to her office.
The office was clear and clean, no unexpected visitors. Little Shiro was on the desk where she left him.
The female sat down and began to fill out the paperwork, her heart did not quit beating fast. She felt dizzy.
It was enough that she doesn't get enough sleep, now she was worried by Elf and her parents.

She signed the last bit of paperwork and checked everything over for mistakes from fatigue, she found a few and corrected them before filing the papers away.
She looked at the dolls of her and little Shiro that were sitting on her desk, she admired the work that went into making them.
Her eyelids felt heavy as her head fell onto the desk, she had fallen dead asleep.
She did not hear the knock on the door or it open.
"It seems like she is asleep at her desk again.," the soft voice of Seitarou said with a small laugh, "she must have stayed up all night to catch up on her work again."
"That is too bad.," the voice of the man with Seitarou said, "And I came all the way out here to meet her."
"We should leave her be, she needs her rest. Especially with health conditions.," the blue haired male said and led the guest away.
Half an hour later, Jyugo and the others walked in to see the same sight.
"She's gonna get a bad neck cramp from sleeping like that.," Uno said, "Hey rock, help me move her to the couch."
The purple and red haired American helped his British friend put the female on the couch as the green haired American placed the blanket over her.