"Holy Moses" that was my reaction after getting out of the limo. With all it greatness stood the Opera House. Five springline windows, basically instead of the front wall, through which you could see the inside of the building. At the entrance's door were standing ticket checkers letting people in. Most of the guest were in their fifties. Me and Reiji probably are the youngest here. But he is over hundred years old vampire. So I'm the youngest, I guess...? But the main thought in my head wasn't on that topic at the moment. My eyes still wondered around the curves and edges of the building. The yellow light coming out of it was welcoming everyone inside and it had a great contrast with the darkness outside.
"Reiji, this is..." I couldn't find words to describe mine fascination "...just maravilloso" The vampire was standing next to me taking out the ticket out of his inner coat pocket.
"No surprising. It's your first time being here after all"
"Then why are we still standing here? Let's go in, I wanna see the inside" just as my legs started moving, Reiji's hand caught mine and pulled to him stopping me from walking.
"Rules" the vampire stated. I just rolled my eyes. But I did expected that. Let's be honest, with my natural behavior he wouldn't want to show in public with me by his side. So of course there's gonna be restrictions for me tonight and if they will be broken, I'll be sleeping in the dungeons.
Reiji let go of my arm, fixed the glasses and folded his arms. I looked at him a little bit annoyed. After a small pause I sighed "Lay on me"
"You will do as I say with no questions asked. No pranks, no running around like a wild animal, no drinking, no cursing, no singing, no shouting and even better, no talking. Only when I'll say you can do it. And it would be even better if your mouth wouldn't move all this time"
"So in other words just breath?"
"I would appreciate if you wouldn't do that too"
"Honey, believe me, you don't want that" I brushed a hair from the bottom of my dress "We both know that my soul would haunt your immortal ass"
"Don't be stupid" he said looking down at his pocket watch "Before killing you, I would sew your lip shut"
"Touché, my tall friend" I lifted my eyes at Reiji giving a surprised smirk. For a mare moment he looked at me before turning his gaze back at his pocket watch. The vampire didn't showed that but I could feel he enjoyed this small victory against me.
"Enough of this chat. We should be heading inside now"
"You're right, we have been standing here for about five minutes talking about what will happen after my death"
As we walked to the checker, Reiji gave to him ticket but then he looked at me questionable and back to Reiji.
"Is this lady with you, sir"
"Yes" Reiji answered not looking away from man's face.
"But this ticket for one person"
"This lady is Sakamaki's household member. Are we having a trouble here" Reiji stated.
'Hearing him calling me a lady sounds so wrong somehow'
"Sa-Sakamaki? No. Everything is fine sir. Please enjoy your evening" the ticket checker got sweat on his forehead. Apparently Sakamaki name does mean something in these places. Or maybe that was one of those intimidating vampire's look power. Well, whatever Reiji did, it worked. No questions asked here.
A huge ornate crystal chandelier threw light on a red carpeted lobby and a luxuries double staircase. We went to a cloakroom for Reiji to leave his coat and for me my blazer. The lady working there politely smiled taking our stuff and hanging them on the same hook.
"Reiji, I forgot you to ask, why exactly I'm here?" we waited for the lady to come back with a numbered token.
"Seriously, I did not imagine that it requires explanation" he sighed.
"Explanation would be nice, thank you" I smiled.
Reiji took a token from a lady and we started heading towards the staircase "To clarify why you're here I will just say that to fight against insanity, I will be using insanity. I don't know what method you used but it seems after talking to Mis Buchholz you made her retreat for a some amount of time" when we reached the second floor Reiji stopped and glanced at me "So if the worst scenario happens which is meeting that women, your task will be to use the same method"
"So in other words I'm your body guard...I like that" I nodded to myself "Don't worry Reiji, imagine me as a highly trained security guard" The vampire slowly turned around walking away from me "...or would you prefer Chuck Norris with a katana?...Reiji?"
Our seats were on the right side in one of a box seats. It's like your own small private room which was on the fourth floor. I sat on a red cushioned chair and looked around admiring neatly crafted wooden ornaments on the railways in front of us and the side columns. A majority of seats were filled and from all the corners kept coming people filling up empty seats.
"It's impolite to stretch your neck like a giraffe looking around like that" Reiji scolded me cleaning lenses of his glasses with a napkin.
"Sorry, it's my first time being in a place like this"
"You have never seen the opera?"
"Well, the closest thing to this was happening back home in Alaska"
Reiji looked at me confused.
*A flashback*
4.00 a.m. A whole house was woken by a loud music coming out from the kitchen. Me, Rin, Mamoru and Isamu came out of our room exchanging confused looks before going down the stairs and stopping in the doorway.
"~Just call me angel of the morning, ANGEL; Just touch my cheek before you leave me, BABY~
Orochi and Jiro were using spatulas as a microphone and from the top of their lungs sang Angel Of The Morning by Juice Newton like a bad karaoke singer.
"~Just call me angel of the morning, ANGEL; Just touch my cheek before you leave me, DARLING~"
I didn't knew how to react: should I be scared or should I be amused. But one thing for sure this morning view left all four of us with jaws dropped.
They said they went to karaoke night at the bar which explained everything.
*End of the flashback*
I slowly shook my head "Since Ichirou moved out that kind of stuff started happening more often"
"You're talking to yourself, are you aware of that?" Reiji stated looking around. It seemed that his eyes were looking for something. Or in this case, someone. His face might be emotionless like a stone but a nervous vibes could be felt coming from him.
"Reiji," I took hold of his hand which was placed on his leg and softly smiled. This gesture quickly caught vampire's attention. His eyes met mine in surprise "She might not even notice that you are here as well. There is a possibility to encounter her but also not. So for now try to relax. Your nerves already suffered from me " I giggled " So take a deep breath and yoga your brains by listening to a opera music" I gave a small smile before letting go of his hand.
As much as I know Reiji, I have noticed that these kind of simple gestures are still hard for him to understand. His respond to it is calling them signs of impoliteness. This kind of view must have come from the childhood. But I might be wrong since I know nothing about his past so it's hard to say any assumptions of why he behaves like that.
The vampire slightly squeezed a hand that was touched by mine. The lights got darker and darker before completely being turned off. Opened curtains showed decorated stage with actors on it. At the moment when all singing started performing, I leaned closer. About twenty minutes passed and everyone started clapping. So I clapped too.
'Is it over?"
The music started playing again and actors began singing another song.
'Did he said mafia?'
Seriously, I admire opera singers, what their voices are capable of but...I don't understand a word. For a moment I glanced at Reiji and all the other people.
'Can they understand this? Okay, just concentrate and try to listen closely what are they singing about'
Well one thing I understood that there was a wedding and nothing more. After half an hour my eyes started closing by them self.
'NO! WAKE UP! You must culture. Now focus' I blinked few times and concentrated on the stage 'Oh, he took off her overcoat. Well damn, dude, kissing-touchy time? Someone's having fun here' I smirked to myself.
After an hour and a half my body was on the edge of falling asleep but luckily for me a thirty minute break was announced.
Me and Reiji went to a bar and sat down on a bar stools. I spun around in 360 degree and was about to do that for a second time but...
"Stop it" Reiji hissed. And I did.
"How can I help for a gentleman and a lady" a bartender asked us standing behind the bar.
"A black tea would be nice"
"Coffee, please. The stronger, the better" I said.
"Coming up" the bartender turned around and started preparing our beverages.
"So...this opera" I started the conversation "It 's very..."
"You don't have to pretend that you like it"
"Well it would be easier to understand if I could actually understand what they are singing about. In what language was that?"
"Una sola lingua non è mai abbastanza" (one language is never enough) We both heard a voice behind us. As we turned around a familiar black-haired vampire was standing next to us.
"Mukami" Reiji said standing up from a bar stool.
"Sakamaki" Ruki said.
'Donkey!'
'Shrek?'
"A small part of me did expect seeing a recognizable face around here" Reiji fixed his glasses.
"But I think we can both agree with having a mutual feelings about this. Being sickened by each others presence" Ruki retorted
"I'm glad that you are familiar with this incontrovertible fact"
"I can easily imagine you two hitting each other with gloves and challenging each other to a duel" I said to myself while taking a bread stick and taking a bite.
Ruki noticed Reiji's sigh and devilishly smiled "I can ease your burden"
"Is that a request for giving our household's prey to you? I must disappoint you but that never will happen" Reiji stated.
"Yeah" I interrupted and took another bite of bread stick "It wouldn't be so easy. You see my CDs are in their limo"
Both of them looked at me like I was unwanted stranger trying to get in the conversation.
"Did that man exchange the same information with you?" Reiji turned to Ruki and almost whispering asked him. This caught my attention. What are they talking about? From the past I know that Sakamakis call their father 'that man'. But what's with all information exchange. Of course it could be anything like bills or maybe taxes stuff or some other vampirish thing that I don't know of. But why do I have this paranoia?
"Why else would I want such a low-trained livestock in my mansion?" Ruki answered.
"On this I agree with you. It's hard to tolerate a poorly behaving prey"
'A low-trained what?!'
"I don't speak Italian but..." I stood up and hissed at both of them "Va' fa Napoli" and with no further wait I went looking for a restroom.
Following directions I headed to the restroom. Over the time I got used to be insulted by them but it doesn't mean that I will sit and listen. At the end of the hall I saw the lady's room's door. But suddenly a sharp pain hit my head out of blue.
"W-what- ugh!" I leaned against the wall felling my legs tremble. It felt like something is squeezing, hitting my head. The pain spread down my spine. I stared feeling nauseous and weak. A squeaking sound appeared in my ears. Everything began spinning around. I honestly thought that I will pass out. But in my surprise the pain slowly relieved with breathing getting deeper and faster. Instead of the pain I felt my heart fast and hard beating.
"What the hell was that?" I asked my self. The loud beating stopped and my breathing became normal. Like nothing happened. Until I reached the bathroom I took a slow steps being afraid of whatever-was-that will repeat. While washing my hands I examined my face in the mirror. It was pale but I'm always pale. Eyes seemed okay without any blood leaks. With dried hands I touched my face's skin just to make sure I can feel it.
"I think I'm okay"
'Check your mouth too'
'Right'
I opened my mouth widely in front of the mirror looking for anything that could be suspicious. Then I stuck out my tongue to see if there are any differences. And right at that moment the door opened and two woman walked in. When I noticed that I closed my mouth too fast biting down in to my tongue.
'OH! Shit!'
'Smooth'
They looked at me like in some weirdo. One of them entered a toilet booth while the other one looked at herself in the mirror. From a handbag she took a lipstick and started applying it on her lips.
"Have you seen the movie Blade?" I asked her. Her respond was simple and predictable. She gave me what-is-wrong-with-you-? face. "So no"
'Go'
I took my handbag and with a quick steps left the restroom.
'Way the go making people feel uncomfortable'
'I made her uncomfortable? She was the one making situation awkward. Who haven't seen the movie Blade?'
At the bar I saw sitting Reiji with thoughtful gaze.
"What's on your mind, soldier?" I said leaning against the bar and taking a cup of coffee which was still hot.
"Where have you been?" Reiji hissed at me standing up.
"I just went to the restroom. And don't worry, nothing was broken" Reiji grabbed my wrist tightly "Ouch, what's got into you?"
"Oh, Reiji-san" from the other side of the room we saw Buchholz giving a small wave with her hand.
"You idiotic woman, you said we won't meet her" he almost sounded panicked still keeping his eyes on me.
"Why are you listening to me? I'm an idiot"
"What a pleasant surprise to see you here, Reiji-san." And just then the lady in a champagne colored dress appeared next us.
"I'm surprised too" the vampire changed his mood from intimidating to calm. With one rough move I freed my hand from his grip.
"I recognize you" Buchoze looked at me "We have met before" she paused for a moment before neatly folding her arms "Reiji-san, why would you take your prey as a companion? You know I'm always available for these kind of events and we certainly can have more intelligent conversation that we both would find...satisfying" she flirted.
My eyes were wide from amusement, lips pressed so I won't giggle or laugh. I felt sad for Reiji but also didn't wanted for this moment to be over. It's like, he's trying to conduct his feelings but also leaning back a little saying with his body 'go away'.
"I couldn't agree with you more. You guys would have so much talking to do" my eyes wondered from one to another vampire.
"And as I heard from...this" she pointed at me, This expression of hers made me frown "That you are over with your science experience and did a recent discovery and now you have more spear time for personal life experience"
"I do?" Reiji turned his head to me while I looked away from him with the face minding-my-own-business.
"I checked on your academy schedule and figured that we could meet afterwards on Tuesday?" with her body language she was all over him. Sending all signals that she wants him while Reiji's body said 'Nope'
'Be a life guard in this situation. Karma will not be such a bitch in the future'
'I know. But what should I say?'
'Remember how Jiro got away from that insane gal?'
A light bulb lighted up above my head.
"Aww I must upset you but..." I addressed the girl and she pierced me with her eyes "...but Reiji will be leaving the country" Now they both were looking at me confused.
Buchholz for a brief moment lowered her eyes "Where are you leaving?" she asked Reiji softly
"Russia" I answered for Reiji " First he will go to Russia and then to the space. You know like Laikas"
"A dog?"
"Yes. They gonna put him in a spacesuit, spin around in circles and other space training stuff"
I turned around to take a cup coffee while Reiji started massaging one side of his temple.
A small giggle left her mouth "Reiji-san why are you letting this imbecile to talk nonsense like this"
"Because you couldn't handle the truth" I mumbled under my breath taking a sip of coffee.
"What true?" she folded her arms and stood in aggressive stand. I got scared, I won't lie. But my mission is to chase her away from Reiji and that's what I'm gonna do...even tho it will hurt Reiji pretty much. I placed the cup on the bar table, carefully took off Reiji's glasses and taking a deep breath in I announced "Reiji is engaged with other women" with that I took one big step to the side.
Buchholz eyes god bigger from anger. Her eyes thirsty for murdering someone turned to Reiji. With quick swing her small gloved hand slapped Reiji's face.
"I hope your body will be boiled in a oil and chopped into a little pieces which will be given to the dogs so there won't be no living piece of you on the Earth because I don't wanna see you ever again, you ungratefully heartbreak" her one eye was twitching, wist clenched tightly and fangs could haven seen from outer space. She hissed the last words and walked away. What scared me the most that all this was said in calmly angry voice. She wasn't yelling, she was talking.
Me and Reiji stood there in a silence, digesting everything what just happened. I looked at the glasses that I was holding. The vampire sat down on a bar stool closing his eyes.
"Reiji, I will have said this one time and I will say it again" I stood up in front of him and gave back his glasses "Suddenly I'm looking pretty good, huh?"
The rest of the evening went peacefully. No one boiled no one, no one yelled on no one, no one chopped no one into a little pieces. All in all, no one got hurt...physically. Well expect Reiji. He was slapped. I mean really slapped, like there are still some redness left on his cheek.
But my mind wasn't that peaceful. Questions about Ruki's and Reiji's encounter kept coming up. Sure, at that moment I was acting dull because from my perspective they looked kind of entertaining...I also just realized that I need to grow up one day. Coming back to more important question: about what kind of information did they talked? I have this feeling that it includes me but I could be paranoid like always. Does others know anything about this? Come to think of it, Shu eye me with more examining look. No. This is just my imagination. I only consumed one cup of coffee which is not enough for my brain that's why all these unsubstantial assumptions are coming up. And I think I need to switch my detective novels to something else cause I think it has an influence on me like I wanna know what is going on in the mansion's deepest and darkest corners.
For now, concentrate all your attention to the play that you don't understand...why that guy is blindfolded and why behind him stands two half-naked guys with wolf's masks on them?
"I must say, Reiji, I weirdly enjoyed the opera. Those singing voices gave me goosebumps even tho I didn't understood about what were they singing"
We walked in the mansion through the main door and headed upstairs. The vampire was deep in his thoughts. It seemed like he didn't even heard me.
"Reiji?"
"No need to repeat yourself" he sighed while fingers loosen his tie. Now we were walking down the hall which was too quiet. It might be because everyone else were still sleeping in their room with heavy heads from mushroom effect. Reiji stopped in front of his room's door.
"Listen closely to me, Kaya" he now turned to me with emotionless face expression " I will say this once"
I made a little gasp with a following grin on my face "You will finally compliment me"
"No" he cut me off making my smile instantly fade away "Examining tonight's events I decided to consider to not punish you for your certain indecent behavior moments"
"Whoa, are you...thanking me?"
"This interpretation of yours might be correct" Reiji folded his arms.
"Oh. Your. God"
"Don't overreact" Reiji said strictly.
"I can't believe that just happened" I did small jumps on the spot "Reiji Sakamaki is thanking me"
"What did I told you?"
"Sorry. Okey. Ahem...your welcome, honey" I softly smiled "But tell me one thing if you can. Your IQ is 150. Then how come you didn't came up with an idea how to chase away Buchholz in the first place?" I asked. No word came from his mouth because his eyes did all the talking. And it wasn't the nice one.
"I might have complimented you to early" Reiji's hand grabbed mine and with the blink of the eye I was in his room. My body was pushed against the wall next to the closed door. "You are lowly trained prey" he held my forearms firmly. The vampire looked hungrily to my neck. He leaned his head to sink his fang in to my skin but for a moment he stopped "These bite marks" he said to himself "Honestly, that good-for-nothing. I just have to replace them" he was referring to the two small hematomas on my neck which were hidden with some make up at first considering how this dress is exposing my neck and shoulders. Finally, his fangs went through the layers of my skin reaching blood vessels with vampire's thirst quenching blood.
"Okey, your IQ is higher then 150" I squirmed.
Reiji left me with enough energy to walk back to my room on my own feet. I won't be surprised if other lovely people living here would wake up from the scent of my blood. I entered my room and walked straight to the dresser. On top of it I putted on a handbag and a blazer. And just about the moment when my fingers were to pull down a zipper on the side of the dress a voices had spoken.
"Second, sometimes I have to be the sane one in this mansion. When those vampires aren't acting vampirish, things get...interesting" My eyes got wide open "Looking from a psychologist perspective it would be A+ worth thesis" on my bed I saw laying Shu and in his hands as the familiar notebook. MY journal! "Their personalities changes from sadistic predators to a teenagers arguing over who got the best singing skills. That is something you won't read in books or see in movies..." the guy finished reading and looked at me with the face waiting for explanation.
"Where did you- How did you- Agh give it back!" I shouted snatching away the notebook.
"You can have it. I read everything anyway" he smirked.
"You did what?!"
"So noisy here"
I was panicking. It felt that I was all exposed to him. My head was spinning with the questions how did he got this notebook and then I remembered. The last time I had it in my hands was when I went to the kitchen and saw a parade of what happens when vampires are out of control.
"Your not that bad of writer" he sat up on the bad lazily looking at me "But you write randomly not keeping one thought straight and finish it properly. You should work on that"
"Thanks" I hissed.
"Hm?" he smirk devilishly "With that look, don't tell me you are trying to seduce me. Well, if you would move your body in a right way you might be capable of arousing a guy, I will give you that"
"Oh wow, thank you for this rain of compliments"
"Your welcome"
"It was a sarcasm! Jesus, you are being annoying just like Rin" I muttered.
"Which one of these is that person you're speaking off?" Shu asked me looking at the photograph in his hands taken about 2-3 years ago which I kept in my journal. In the photo was me with all my brother when we were younger. At that time I was 15, Rin and Mamoru 17, Isamu 18, Orochi 19, Jiro 20 and Ichirou 23. It seems that since that time they didn't changed at all, looking older then they are but acting like we were 10 years old children. That day we went on hiking with backpacks. I was siting on the ground with Rin while Mamoru was leaning with his hands on Rin's shoulders. Orochi's with the biggest smile wrapped his arm around Isamu who wasn't amused nor annoyed while Jiro and Ichirou looked at the scene entertained.
"The one sitting next to me on the ground" I answered taking the picture away from his hand too. Shu didn't say anything He stood up yawing and saying that all this is annoying before leaving my room.
It was hard to me look at the picture that I almost forgot. With all this flashback storm of good and bad times I got really depressed. I putted it back in between the front pages so these feeling won't get bigger.
The next day ride to school did cheered me up a little bit. I noticed how glares went straight to Reiji for who it didn't took long for noticing.
"Staring won't change anything. Get over it" he didn't raised his eyes from the book.
"I'm getting tired of these experience of yours" Subaru hissed.
"You are filthy snake, Reiji-san" Kanato added.
"If anything I have right to be mad to for unsuccessful experiment too, but you don't see me exposing my emotions like that" Reiji retorted.
"Unsuccessful?" I asked getting Reiji's attention "Ayato, what's a mitosis?"I turned to the red-head. He looked at the limo's floor for a sec before speaking with unsure voice.
"A part of the cell cycle in which chromosomes in a cell nucleus are separated into two identical sets of chromosomes, and each set ends up in its own nucleus...? What the fuck?" the last part he silently muttered to himself.
Everyone looked shocked. It seemed that the time in the car stopped. From Ayato everyone looked at Reiji waiting for a comment.
"That...is...correct" he said.
"Pfff, unsuccessful experiment maybe for you" I leaned back more in my seat "For me this is a Nobel prize worth project"
The class didn't got my attention. Teacher's monotonic voice did a better job then a lullaby. My hand was holding my head so it won't fall while the other one drew a small square that made a bigger and a bigger square which at the end looked nothing like a square. Only 15 minutes past since the class started and I didn't even knew on what topic teacher was talking. I'm a bad student, I know. But right now classes wasn't something importing for me. Since yesterday, since that moment when Shu asked which one of the guys in the picture is Rin, I realized that for a some time I wasn't thinking of home that much. I still can feel what I felt when Shu was holding the picture in his hands. A ball of tears in my throat. Homesickness. Something heaving pressing my heart.
Sometimes in the mansion I feel like having some siblings moments with the guys. I do actually forget that they are vampire and what their nature are. But it's just an illusion that I might be creating to myself to ease my life here. Just what if... just what if instead of 'yes' I would had said 'no'. And the reason why I said it, was because this trip or vacation, call it as you want, was actually a job offer. It said that I will have to clean daily some lake-house in Japan. I heard so much about Japan from Ichirou and one day I did wanted to go there. It was just unexplained feeling, like something said to me to go there, something attracted me there, to my home-country. Plus, we were struggling with finances and some extra money would had been useful, although I don't know how everything is going on for those guys right now.
To screw up in my life so much I only can blame my naivety. Recalling the moment of me leaving, I remembered my brothers worried faces hidden by smiles so I wouldn't feel so sad. Why I'm realizing it just now, the fact that my brothers didn't wanted me to leave? They asked me the same questions over and over again 'Are you sure about this? Will you be able to take care of yourself?' and etc.
They didn't want me to go. And right now all I could wonder about is...What if?...What if, instead of reckless 'yes' I would had said 'no'? Just... what if...?
A.N.
It's late at night but my mission was to finish this chapter. And I completed it :D Hope you guys will enjoy it, let me know what you think.
OH! And have question for YOU, my dearest readers. From what you read what headcanons would you think of about Kaya's past and current situation, relationships. Just asking. Leave your headcanon in comments or PM, it's you choice :)
Thank you for reading this fanfic. I appreciate it and I love you all :D