"Sigh… honestly. She's such a good girl, but being too good is a problem in itself, isn't it?"
I found their logic incomprehensible.
However, experience had taught me that arguing further would only invite more trouble. I decided to ignore them and immerse myself back into my work while they gossiped about how best to "dress me up." It was a tactical withdrawal in the interest of efficiency.
"Haaa… Koto-chan is so cu-u-ute. So tiny and cu-u-ute."
By the time I surfaced from my work, my mother had apparently left the room. Toga, finding us alone, wrapped her arms around me from behind in a tight embrace. She buried her face into the crook of my neck and took a deep, lingering sniff.
"You smell so good. You smell like blood…"
"…That's likely because you drink from me with such frequency."
"Hehe, yep. You've turned into exactly the scent I like."
Toga gave a dark, playful giggle. I could only offer a wry smile in return.
In the beginning, she would try to carve me up with a utility knife the moment we made eye contact. To any onlooker, it would have looked like a gruesome crime in progress. Even now, to any creature with a keen sense of smell, I probably reeked of blood—a walking red flag.
I couldn't see her face from this position, but the atmosphere around Toga had shifted. The bubbly girl who had been chatting with my mother was gone; in her place was a distinct, sharp presence of the Dark Side.
I knew exactly what was coming next. My mother knew that once she delivered the snacks, she should leave us to our "training." No one would disturb us now.
"Can I? Is it okay now? Time for some chuu-chuu?"
"Go ahead."
"Down the hatch!"
She bit down firmly on the side of my neck.
I could have easily avoided it—my timing was perfect—but I chose to accept it. The only reason Toga was able to function in society at all was that she had this outlet to vent her internal impulses. And she was making progress.
For one, she now asked for permission. Furthermore, the amount of damage she inflicted was steadily decreasing. She had even started choosing spots that were easier to hide under clothing. Lately, there were days where she barely broke the skin, settled by the mere taste of a few drops. It allowed me to continue my work even as she fed.
I couldn't claim to see into the depths of her heart, but I wanted to believe she was moving forward.
As she fed, I focused my mind and activated my Quirk. I targeted my own cellular regeneration and blood production. My wounds closed almost as soon as they were made, and my blood volume replenished itself in real-time.
I focused on the specifics: which vessels to dilate, which cells to stimulate, and exactly how much growth to allow. It was excellent training for my Quirk.
Even now, I found the speed of the healing hard to believe. Back in the Republic, even a dip in a high-grade Bacta tank would have taken longer to heal such incisions. "Quirks" were truly terrifying things.
As the wound healed under her lips, Toga's thirst seemed to intensify. She clung tighter, as if pleading for the moment not to end. The sensation was strangely ticklish, and I shifted slightly.
Eventually, once the wound had fully closed and the blood stopped flowing, that counted as "one round." It was a rule we had established early on to keep her from drinking me dry.
"..."
Toga finally lifted her head. By then, I had run out of materials for the day and set my tools aside.
We found ourselves face-to-face at a very close distance. Her eyes were glazed with a dazed, euphoric sheen, and her face was flushed with heat.
…It was always like this after she fed. She looked so utterly indecent that I felt she shouldn't be allowed near men in this state. Her breath hitched in a lingering, suggestive sigh—an aura of sensuality that felt far too advanced for a girl who hadn't even fully blossomed yet. If I weren't a girl myself, and a Jedi trained in the art of emotional discipline, this situation would likely have been quite complicated.
"Thank you, Koto-chan."
She smiled then—a smile like a flower opening to the sun. It was a look of absolute, unguarded trust. To me, she looked happier in this moment than she ever did when she was pretending to be normal with her classmates.
…Of course, to most people, that smile would probably look like a creepy, predatory leer. But I viewed it as her "Quirk" in the most literal sense—a unique trait of her being.
Moreover, by the time she smiled like this, the presence of the Dark Side had already begun to fade. It didn't vanish, but it dampened to a level you might find in any ordinary person on the street.
In this moment, who could possibly brand her a villain?
"Nfufu."
"What is it?"
Still grinning, Toga leaned her weight against me. We sat there in a loose embrace, her head resting comfortably on my shoulder.
"Did you notice? We're ma-a-atching!"
She reached up and flicked a small braid in front of my eyes.
Now that she mentioned it, Toga's hair had changed. Previously, she'd kept it long, down to her shoulder blades, but now it was cut shorter, barely brushing her shoulders.
And there, on one side, was a single, thin braid tucked behind her ear.
This hairstyle… it was…
"…Did you do that to match mine?"
"Yep!" Toga chirped.
"…This braid is a mark of a Padawan," I explained. "I intend to cut it off eventually."
"Huh!? That's not cute at all! You can't do that, Koto-chan! I won't let you!"
"Good grief… what I do with my own hair should be my own business."
"Hmph… Well, if you cut yours, I'll cut mine too!"
"…Do as you wish."
"I will!"
Toga's declaration was bright and resolute. She was, as always, a girl of extreme convictions. When she made a face like that—so carefree and innocent—it was hard to reconcile her with the girl who had been drinking my blood moments ago. I found myself softening toward her.
"Fufu."
"What now?"
"It's just fun. I'm having so much fun, Koto-chan."
And there it was. Her thought process was unique, often skipping steps and jumping to conclusions that left me trailing behind.
But I was the one who had decided to accept her. I had no reason to turn her away, and no intention of doing so.
And so…
"…I suppose it is," I replied, a small smile touching my lips.
May the Force be with her, now and in the days to come.