A/N: Hello, everybody! If you've clicked this story and are wasting your time reading this note, I genuinely appreciate you. If you've clicked this story and aren't reading this note, I genuinely appreciate you too.

So this is my first time trying my hand at a VK fanfiction, though I have written for other fandoms (on different sites). This is a ZeroxOC fiction, and it will incorporate many other characters, canon and my own. I intend for these characters to grow, to become more than what they start as, so if you like the stories where Character A and Character B are together by chapter three, this is not that. If you like third person stories, this is not that. That being said, please let me know if you think I wrote a character incorrectly, if you have any suggestions, or if there is something you would like to see in the future than I can add into the story because... it is a fanfiction... I have an outline... I can go out of that outline if I so damn please...

But enough from me, please enjoy the writing below the line.

The woods around me loomed ever closer, enclosing me in a trap set specifically for me. It was too perfect, a trail leading from point A to point B to point C and all the way to point Z, all too easy to follow, even for a Level E. The victims were young, innocent, kind hearted, and just the type to get any decent and self respecting hunter's blood boiling, the need to kill almost palpable. As they hissed from the shadows, it truly hit me. I really should have known better.

"Pretty one," a voice hissed, once feminine, light, and airy. "Pretty, pretty one."

I lifted my weapon and closed my eyes, waiting for the first attack. God I was so stupid. If I died here, then it might damn well be deserved. The double bladed scimitar in my hand was a familiar weight, long and silver, carved with anti-vampire spells, and it was almost comforting in my hands, even as they shook and were already stained in blood- blood not mine. I listened carefully, differentiating the footsteps, and tried to separate them into separate beings. There were three, four, and they were hungry, cunning, and ready for the kill.

My weapon came down, slicing through an arm that reached for me, the lunging vampire caught with her mouth wide and fangs extended in hunger. I twisted around, slicing through the torso just enough to dust her. One less in the way. Returning to my previous position, I heard more hissing and snarls that surrounded me, threw me off, and sliced through my concentration. If I didn't make another move, I was soon going to be losing.

I pulled the blades apart so I had a scimitar in each hand, and I heard one come from behind. It was fast, probably the fastest here, and I twisted to meet it with my blade. Pain ripped through my stomach, something wet coated my side, and it didn't disappear once my scimitar went through the eye of the vampire. Bleeding, I was bleeding. I should have known better. I should have known better.

Another set of claws slammed into my shoulder, and I lashed out when hot breath fanned my neck, stabbing the knee violently so their grip was easy to shake off. My body jerked away, my other arm going through the heart. Should have known better. Should have known better. "Pretty one, why did you kill my friends?" A slash instead of a stab. Damn it. Smart one.

Blood pooled around me. I was going to die here. I was going to die here. I was going to die, and I should have known better.

She was already dead. She was already dead, I was going to die, and I should have known better.

I should have known better.

The sun was bright above my head, not a single cloud in the sky. Wind whipped through my hair, and I held it back with one hand. It was growing lengthy again, and the ponytail at my wrist would soon serve its purpose once again. But it was a beautiful day, even if it was warm for my tastes, and the people of the town seemed to agree as they basked in the sun and were cooled by the breeze, eating, laughing, playing, celebrating the beauty of the day.

I set down the heavy bags on the sidewalk, interrupting my walk. A group of children played nearby, a silly game of freeze tag where they crawled through each other's legs to "unfreeze" their friends. Their laughter floated through the air, shrieks something to be unconcerned about. Adults gathered around, polite smiles and appropriate laughter shared as they made shallow bonds that could always bloom into more. Peaceful, to an extent, in a way so few could possibly understand or even want to understand. These moments that were taken for granted. I learned to live for them.

There was a time when I didn't. There was a time when my life was centered around training and hunting and becoming better at both. When I didn't care if the sun was shining or if it was raining, when I called days shitty or great or somewhere between. When I didn't care about what the people I protected did daily, how they found joy, how they hurt one another... Today, it seemed, the best of everyone was being seen. I leaned against a fence and took a deep breath, drawing the air in my lungs deep before expelling it, feeling my body relax.

"Takahashi."

Without turning to the voice, I said, "If you're trying to remind me of something, don't."

I didn't know him, but I knew of him. He was a relatively famous hunter, almost legend sometimes, with accomplishments higher than anyone else currently in the business. Perhaps someone of my level would have been honored he knew I even existed, nonetheless knew my name. But I knew the score, I knew what was being expected of me, and I knew there were no other reasons for him to know my name. Yagari Toga.

"I doubt I have to remind you of anything." He flicked something- a cigarette probably- and sighed. "Hurry up. You have your orders, and I don't have much time before I have to teach. The Association has tasked us both with a challenge."

Yes, they most certainly had, though one of us was challenged out of contempt. I grabbed my bags again and looked at him for the first time. His jet black hair barely covered one of his eyes, something in place to hide the damage that had been done so many years ago. I tilted my head up to look at him in the eye- a brilliant azure- and took in the scar on the chin of his strong jaw, the wide brimmed hat, and the cigarette indeed hanging from his mouth, lit and feeding his nicotine addiction. Yagari looked like a hunter should- muscular, tall, capable- and seemed young enough to be in his prime now. Perhaps even just entering his prime. He was exceptionally handsome in a rugged, rough sort of way.

I bowed just a bit and said, "My name is Takahashi Miyu, transferring from the American branch temporarily due to the terms set forth in the previous treaty between the branches of the Associations." My family was from Japan- three generations ago at least- and my family still spoke the language, had land in Japan, homes in Japan, even some family in Japan. My president decided it was best to send me here, of all the candidates possible, for that reason. Officially, at least.

"Yagari Toga." His eye narrowed in on me as I began walked to stand beside him. He was studying me, and I could feel the distrust he held for me immediately. I didn't particularly blame him, seeing as I was sent on a very specific, very dangerous job, one that could even undermine the Japanese branch, and the subject of my mission was his friend's pride and joy, his own student, and could rock the delicate balance in this country. I even knew his voice before he spoke due to the rigorous research that was expected of me.

"If all goes well, I'll be out of your hair within the next three months," I said casually, moving forward.

The American branch was worried about Cross Academy, and perhaps for good reason. Three Purebloods were currently in attendance, as well as over a thousand human students. Plenty of humans they could turn for a war. Add to the fact the Japanese branch was looking to elect a new President, and there were whispers the nobles of the branch were willing to install the Kiryuu boy- a vampire. Many branches had reservations, but only America was willing to do something about it, to at least take a look into it. A war with vampires where an entire branch could be compromised was dissatisfying in the least.

I was personally assigned to interact with the students as a student, and as a member of some committee to keep humans separate from vampires. I was specifically assigned to keep an eye on Kiryuu. I, however, didn't want to stay any longer than I had to stay. The longer I was forced into this, the more I had to speak with my President for the sake of the mission of all hunters. As long as the branch knew what they were getting into, were aware of any consequences that could occur, I was hardly someone who should tell them what to do with their lives.

Whether he knew that, guessed that, or simply ignored it, he didn't let on. Yagari walked ahead of me, listening to make sure I wasn't falling behind despite the large amount of weight I carried between clothes, personal items, and weapons deposited between five bags I carried on my shoulders, my back, and rolled beside me and behind me, coupled with the fact his strides were significantly longer than mine. However far we had to walk to get to the academy, I didn't know. At least it was a half decent workout.

Yagari took out a key and unlocked a black truck. He pulled himself into the overly generous bed and held a hand out towards me, offering to help put my bags in. It wasn't a big deal to most, but I could see him sizing me up, counting the seconds it took for me to understand what was happening, and the rate at which I was willing to accept his help. If he expected me to push him away, he was wrong. I handed him a bag from one of my arms and set the other in myself. I lifted up a suitcase and handed it to him so he could deposit it before lifting the other and laying it near my other bags.

Thanking him quietly, I made my way to the passenger side and climbed inside. It was a nice truck, clean, and clearly not one used regularly. He climbed into the driver's seat and began driving. I reached for my water bottle and emptied it into my mouth, swallowing the liquid as he began driving us to the school. "How long?" I asked once I swallowed and put it back.

"Thirty minutes."

I nodded my head and looked out the window. Yagari wasn't at ease, his body tense and anticipating a strike whether it was verbal or physical. "It's a beautiful country. Shame I'll be cloistered up in the academy instead of traveling," I stated, hoping to establish some sort of comfort or ease between the two of us. Yagari grunted in agreement. "My mother meant to bring me here, to bring all three of us here, but she never had the chance. Her illness not only kept her from hunting duties and mother duties, but from going anywhere at all."

"Which part of America are you from?"

Shrugging, I waved a hand around. "All over. I was born in Texas, lived in thirty of the fifty states by the time I was twelve. Once I was emancipated, I chose to live in a little tourist beach town down in Texas named Joneston. Figured I should go back to where I was born," I answered him. He seemed at least somewhat engaged, but I could tell he would have been fine with the silence as well, however uncomfortable it might have been. "So will everyone treat me the way you are or should I have a smile on my face to at least attempt to make friends?"

He looked at me for a second before making a turn out of town. "Depends on how honest you are with everyone and how you respond to animosity." He rolled his window down and lit up another cigarette. "My idiot students will treat you as I am, or attempt to disassociate you further. The vampires will treat you as an enemy. You're pretty, you'll be on the disciplinary committee and close to the bloodsuckers, so the human female population will collectively dislike you. Once again, you're pretty, so the male population may be interested in specific activities than casual ones."

"Lovely," I sighed. "So be careful to flash my steel."

"As if you have any."

I lifted my arm and flicked my wrist, a hidden blade extending. He raised a brow, probably from not having spotted it sooner. Yagari looked ahead again. "It's not much, but it's good for emergencies," I stated and carefully pushed it back in. I shivered from the wind flowing inside from the open window but tried to pretend it didn't bother me. I was a guest, and I had no right to force things to my preference.

Minutes passed in silence, but my previous attempt at conversation had succeeded. We were at ease, the two of us having come to an agreement to share something rather than nothing, and it showed as he allowed me to turn on the radio and let the music fill the silence rather than sit in it, let it eat us alive. I looked out the window, admired the views of the ride, until he said, "I imagine your President wants us to underestimate you. Is that why you're here?"

"Going for the throat already?" I asked with a small chuckle. Yagari huffed quietly. "No. He has a contempt for me, and he likes to inconvenience me at any time he can. No one wanted to even give this mission a thought. Three Purebloods in a country with hunters willing to let a vampire be their President? It's discomforting to say the least. And before you ask, yes that's how many other branches see it. They see this as a suicide mission by sending one person in, and an offense sending more than one."

"What did you do to piss off your President, Takahashi?"

Swallowing the thickness that suddenly lodged itself in my throat, I tried to draw enough air to speak. But there were no words to fully describe what I had done to make the President hate me so much. How could I explain it to him in a simple sentence? How could I explain it to anyone in a simple sentence, even those who knew the situation? My heart was heavy with this memory, the memory of her sightless eyes. The memory I could never rid myself of.

He understood, without me having to say anything, even if it meant he would know nothing about it at all. Yagari lifted his cigarettes up, an offering, and I almost accepted one. Looking away, I muttered, "I promised my brother I'd quit. Thanks anyway."

"Sounds like you made a mistake," Yagari stated, putting them away. "You'll make many more before your life is over, kid."

"I've already made more. Just none harder to live with than that," I said, leaning against the seat. Yagari understood the feeling of fucking up so badly, but only to an extent. He was Yagari Toga. I was just Takahashi Miyu. She was my best friend, my sister, and I got her killed. She was so much better than me, smarter, stronger, faster, warmer, kinder, passionate, and I was the one still alive somehow. I shouldn't be.

We were silent again until the gates came into view. We were in the middle of no where, truly removed from society, and I found myself saddened by the fact. Japan truly seemed like such a beautiful country, and it was less land than the United States. My heart dropped at the idea I would have to specifically set time aside to do what I wanted instead of just going out and- doing it.

"Welcome to the academy," Yagari said, tone neutral, but there was a certain distaste, a certain tightness, to his face and to his body. He didn't regard this place as home, even if he had a duty here that went deeper than his orders from the Association.

But at least this place was beautiful. We completely bypassed a wonderful walkway with trees high above losing leaves as autumn set in, a fountain far enough way I couldn't completely identify it or describe the properties. The buildings themselves were large, clean even on the outside, and the gardening screamed care. Coloring was carefully chosen, plants artfully placed. This was the fruits of labor, hard labor, and someone's pride and joy. Someone's masterpiece, a painting depicting a perfect future with people living inside of it.

The road turned bumpy as it became more dirt than paved road, and Yagari drove us to the back parking lot. We were close to the Sun Dorms, but the Moon Dorms were visible from where we stood. The vampires and the humans lived so close. Something President wouldn't like to hear. I exited the cab of the truck and walked back, climbing into the bed and taking my own belongings out and tossing them to the ground. Yagari stood beside them, keeping them balanced, until I left the bed and took them myself. "Where will I be staying again?" I asked him despite having never been told.

He gestured to another building, one smaller than the dorms but large nonetheless. "President Fuentes specifically asked for you to live in close proximity to Zero, Kaien, myself, and Kaito, while simultaneously living near the bloodsuckers. We'll be living in Kaien's house." I had been hoping for the dorms, but it was asking for too much. I lifted my things up, and Yagari seemed to wait for me to ask for help. When no such words left my mouth, he began leading me in the direction of the house.

On the way, we passed multiple students, mostly dressed out of uniform as classes had yet to start. I kept my head high despite the pointed looks in my direction, specifically at my hair and my outfit. I started dying it when I was young, roughly twelve years old, and kept it up to this day. My natural black color smoothly slid down my head until five inches off my scalp where it disappeared among blues, purples, pinks, and greens. My clothing style had always been with a preference towards fitted clothes, something that showed off my body. I was a goddamn hunter, and I worked pretty fucking hard. I was allowed to be showey.

Especially in a neon pink crop top that ended at my navel and a pair of black pants that tucked into the traditional combat boots all hunters wore, paired with a matching black Nike jacket. A lot of girls didn't think much of their looks, thought they weren't pretty, but I was gorgeous. Perhaps it was the vampire blood that heavily saturated my own genes to allow for minimum skin care, therefore minimum makeup on days I didn't want to dress myself up, to allow for the healthy glow from within from my doe brown eyes to my hair.

Yagari opened the door easily, entering with little to no resistance. Inside was clean, roughly the same temperature as outside, and beautifully decorated. Kaien, or his designer, had wonderful tastes as everything followed a neutral tone with various vases and bowls and art pieces of contrasting colors. The kitchen was alight with the noise of a sizzling pan, boiling water, humming, and the sound of someone cutting something, followed by a droning voice complaining about eating.

"Set your things down. Your room will be that way, but you should meet everyone," Yagari stated after he began walking away from me. I rolled my eyes and began putting my things out of the way of walking before following him. I pushed all of my hair to my left shoulder, the colorful strands tangling together and creating their own form of art. As soon as I entered, I saw all of them.

The one I assumed to be Takamiya Kaito stared at me, hard. His long legs gave a hint to his height, and he held a similar muscle mass to Yagari. His ash brown hair was messy, in the good way only social media models ever seemed to attain, and I admired his face as well. Intensely handsome, someone one could look at and analyze as a piece of art. Perhaps not an Adonis, but someone men wished to be nonetheless. If only his hazel eyes weren't trying to be apathetic, despite the clear threats and warnings swarming his thoughts, and all currently directed at me.

While the other two only glanced my way and then away so fast I couldn't study them, I merely said, "You were right, Yagari. Glad I left the idea of making friends at the door. You must be Takamiya. I'm Takahashi Miyu, the transfer from the American branch."

"They couldn't have sent anyone more obnoxious?" Takamiya commented before taking a sip of his drink.

With a sweet smile, I retorted, "Darling, just because I'm pretty doesn't mean I'm incapable." The man cutting finished, and I was soon faced with Cross Kaien, another legend among hunters. Intimidating to be in the same room as them both.

He wasted no time in putting his mask up, but not before I saw the man beneath. Rumors were he was well over two hundred years old, but it didn't show on his youthful face, appearing to the world as man who had barely left college. His blonde hair was tied back, allowing for bangs and spectacles to frame hazel eyes, and his dark clothes had a certain elegance to them that Yagari and Takamiya lacked. The smile that lit his expression was far too bright, far too comical, for the legend come to life.

"Hello, Takahashi-chan! I'm Headmaster Cross Kaien. I was so hoping you'd be here in time for dinner, since these sticks all want to eat in silence and leave me immediately after! Ohhh, look at your hair. It's so lovely, my dear," he said in an over enthusiastic, overly happy tone that would be endearing if I wasn't aware of the type of man he truly was. "How long will you be staying with us again?"

That didn't slip by me either. "Hopefully just a few months," I replied with a tight lipped smile. "I'd much rather be home. No offense to you or anything seeing as this place is lavish. Excellent design choices by the way- your idea or someone who does it for a living?"

He chuckled, pleased with the compliment. "My own." Of course. A two hundred year old man would be making those sorts of decisions on his own, wouldn't he? He certainly had the experience to be able to, likely having seen more wealth than I would ever know. Suddenly he turned, and with an admonishing tone said, "Zero! Greet our guest!"

When he turned, my heart beat lasted longer than it was supposed to. All of the men in the room were undeniably handsome, but this man was a godsend, a form crafted by Eros and Aphrodite. Silver hair fell into lavender eyes, glinting against the snow white paleness of his skin, longer than it likely should have been as it covered his ears, his forehead, and almost those beautiful lavender orbs. I swallowed and tore my gaze from his eyes, dropping to the tattoo at his throat, then taking in the faint glints in his ears that signified earrings. His lips weren't set in a frown, but there was a sort of misery to him, a sadness to his eyes, something like a weight dragging him down. He looked like a fallen angel... Obligated, he gave a faint nod in my direction and turned his attention back to the meal he was making.

And I thought I was beautiful. He made me look plain next to him.

"Did Yagari show you your room?" Cross asked, still using that excited tone. I blinked and tore my gaze away from the beautiful man completely and shook my head in answer. Cross happily led the way back to the front, where I came in, humming a tune under his breath. The other Hunters fell into companionable talk about subjects they deemed okay in front of one another but not me.

Cross grabbed two of my bags to haul to whatever room I would be using, and I took the other three for myself. "Takahashi-chan, I hope you've found your stay so far to your satisfaction. You'll be one of my cute students from now on- and one of my even cuter committee members!" I tried a smile for him, and he chuckled. "No need to lie to me, Takahashi-chan. I doubt this situation is one neither of us wanted."

"You're not wrong," I said with a shrug.

"Has the position been explained to you?" I shook my head. "Alright. You and Zero will be in charge of a few activities, but they are time consuming and will last you the entirety of the night. At dusk, when the Night Class leaves the Moon Dorm, you'll be responsible for their safe passage to the classroom with minimal contact with the Day Class students. When their classes end, you'll be responsible for their safe return. You'll be required to patrol the grounds during the night to assure the Day Class students are adhering to the curfew rules, and you'll be required to intervene when a Night Class student attacks a Day Class student. Lethal options are only allowed when necessary."

I chuckled. "What an important clause," I mused, drawing a smile from the old hunter. "It doesn't sound too difficult. Perhaps you should be harder on punishments when it comes to breaking curfew."

"Not much more to do apart from expulsion."

With humor lighting my voice, I said, "Then expulsion it is." I knew that wasn't how it worked. Cross chuckled as we came upon a door and he stopped. He handed me a key, one specific to this door, and I unlocked it, pushing the door open.

It was spacious. I was surprised by that first. The bed was a full bed, larger than I was used to, with a handful of pillows already present, pushed against a wall next to the wardrobe, open and empty with more room than I needed for my clothes. An entertainment center was set up across the room from it so I could lie down on my side and watch a movie easily and comfortably, and beneath it were shelves for books or movies or games or whatever else I wanted to place there. It was a comfortable area that supplied something close to middle class luxury. I wanted to ask if it was all mine, but there was only one bed. It had to be.

But what I liked was a shoot off from the room where the walls narrowed for perhaps six steps. There was a door that led to the bathroom, though if it was private I didn't know, and a nook with a comfortable area for reading, writing, drawing... I set my bags down on the bed, and Cross followed the movements. "If you require anything else, just alert me," Cross said. "Dinner should be done soon if you wish to bathe, Takahashi-chan."

"This is more than enough," I said quietly. "Thank you."

Cross nodded and gave me a small smile before leaving. He radiated warmth, but I knew he was concerned about my presence. This room was meant to satisfy me, to not allow me to turn around and say I was given shitty living quarters or had to share. But I doubted Cross knew he could have given a four by four room with bars, and I wouldn't have said a word as long as I didn't pay for it. This room, this space, all to be mine, without paying for it? I never had this much space to myself until I bought my own place in Texas.

I set about unpacking my bags, drawing my hair up into a ponytail on top of my head so it was completely out of my way. I dragged my clothes out first, hanging up the shirts and pants in the closet and finding drawers for my panties, bras, socks, and training clothes. I still had two other drawers, so I left them empty for the time being. I set my two pairs of converse, black wedges, tan heels, and sandals on the floor next to it, lining them up for minimal space. I put the bag beneath my bed and stood again when there was a knock at my door.

It was Yagari who was sent for me, and he stated, "Dinner." I nodded and closed the door behind me, following after him to the large dining room and the large dining table where a place was set for me.

The two younger hunters didn't spare me a single glance as they boredly waited to eat, faces neutral but unable to hide the tiny bit of annoyance at no doubt being forced to wait for me. Cross smiled and stood when he saw me, pulling the chair back for me to sit. I looked at it, then at him, and said, "You don't need to go out of your way for me. I appreciate the sentiments, but I'm perfectly capable."

"You're a guest in my home, and this is your first night." Cross's eyes twinkled with sincerity before he reached out. "I'll take your jacket and place it by the door if you wish."

I slipped it off and said, "I'll take care of it, thank you."

Cross moved so I wrapped my jacket on either side of the chair I was given, sitting down himself. My scars were available for all to see, ask questions about, and stare at if they so wished. They were noticed, especially the ugly mangle at my shoulder, but no one seemed inclined to comment. I asked, "Do you pray before eating?"

"We don't. Do you?" It sounded like a challenge, but I shook my head at Takamiya's question. "Good," he muttered, already reaching for a bowl of food and putting some on his plate. I waited until everyone was starting to eat before making my own, taking small potions of everything. I was never hungry after a plane ride, and my stomach was actually heaving now that the food was in front of me and on a plate, my fork holding some to force into my mouth.

But it tasted amazing. I was never able to cook nearly as well as this, despite all of my practice in childhood. If I were hungry, nothing would be left purely because it was delicious, and I didn't mind that no one seemed to want to speak. Well, at least until they noticed the silence and the girl nibbling at her food. It was quiet until Takamiya asked, "Is it true America has a system to rank their hunters individually?"

Nodding, I drank water to wash down a bit of roll without wincing. I said, "It's based on many variables. Jobs are judged and ranked according to difficulty on a scale of one to fifty. Your rank can often determine what level job you can go on, and the harder ones earn more points so you can rank up faster. However, if you sustain grievous injuries, it can lessen the number of points you earn. Losing a partner does as well. But if a mission goes sideways and you fix it, or information turns out to be wrong, you gain more points and can climb up the ranks quicker."

"What's your current rank, Takahashi-chan?" Cross asked between bites, taking his own sip of water.

"Overall, I'm only in six thousands of roughly twelve thousand. In my age group, the fifteen to twenty nine year olds, I'm currently ranked... twenty four or twenty three."

Yagari prompts, "Of?"

I shrugged and replied, "About six thousand."

My age group was the largest age group because it was all of the amateurs, and many of us would die before we reached thirty. While hunting wasn't closely regulated according to the proper licensing and testing, once a hunter hit sixteen, they were expected to have a certain level of that licensing done. I was ahead of the game in that I had my solo license as well as my raid license, small group leader certification, and three years of helping instruct the next generation of hunters at the skill camp. And, because of the President's contempt for me, I was able to rise quickly with all of those accomplishments and the hard missions that always had something missing in the information section assigned by the President himself or his favorite lackeys.

It didn't help I was reigning champion of my age year, only the children born in '02, at the annual summer tournament.

I was probably the best of my year, and definitely one of the best of my division. Thanks, President.

Silence reigned after my statement, and I looked up at find each one staring at me with something different on their faces. Cross was vaguely intrigued, vaguely horrified, vaguely digesting it. Yagari was silent, brows furrowed almost imperceptively, jumping from one idea to the next of how I climbed the ranks so quickly. Takamiya was impressed, finding something that suddenly made sense, perhaps with my being here. And Kiryuu was harder to read than the others, but he seemed to be seeing me in a new light. As a new threat.

Talk from there was small, nonlinear, and seemingly nonexistent between all of us until it was time for everyone to go their separate ways. Kiryuu stood first and began washing the dishes, Yagari soon following with Takamiya. Cross checked in on me one last time before leaving as well, and I finished my glass of water as Kiryuu finished. He kept his hands wet, but turned the faucet off as he waited for me. I tilted my head and said, "Any chance I can convince you to show me around tomorrow? It'll be easier to do my job if I know where they like to hide."

His lips dipped into the ghost of a scowl, but he nodded. I stood and went to the sink. "I can wash my dishes, Kiryuu." He stood there, still, as if trying to convey something through his body language, but eventually dried his hands and left me be, padding away silently. I turned on the faucet and washed my dishes, dried them, and rested them in the rack next to the sink. I returned to the room and decided to leave the bulk of unpacking later, but there was something I needed.

I opened a suitcase and removed the blanket I always used, giving way to the sleek wooden box inside. I opened the box and set it on the nightstand beside my alarm clock. I took out the charm bracelet, several weapon charms hanging off of it and put it on my wrist to sleep with. I then grabbed the necklace with only a few charms, mostly guns, and slid the charms between my fingers. I cracked one off, and a handgun materialized in my palm, just enough to place beside the bed.

A bath would wait, I decided, as I crawled into my bed, laid the blanket out over me, closed my eyes, and let darkness consume me entirely.