So those first two chapters were everything I had prewritten. From here on out, it's WIP chapters and notebook scribbling during classtime! Chapters might seem short, and that's because they are. I'm breaking up relevant pre-story scenes by chapter. Once we reach canon-time they'll probably be longer.
I couldn't find any quotes I liked so this time it'll be without. Answers to reviews are in the previous chapters authors note! I got ahead of myself.
Yuuki isn't able to see Kaname on her birthday, though not through any fault of her own. He comes when she is asleep and leaves a gift for her with Cross, who doesn't wake her until he is gone on his request.
She feels relieved that she won't have to see him, hurt that he is so clearly avoiding her, and somewhat fond, because he still came and got her a gift, despite the avoidance.
Well, Kaname drops off two gifts, and a note.
The second gift is from Ichijou Takuma, and he chose it without allowing me to see it. Please, tell me if it is inappropriate.
Happy birthday, Yuuki.
There wasn't a name on the note, but it was fairly obvious who sent the gift. Yuuki had felt as though it was Kaname trying to soothe her feathers. As though a present would just make everything "alright". She pointedly does not open his gift first, despite how much she wants to.
Ichijou's gift is an 8 volume set of action-fantasy manga. It's about a gladiator princess who goes around the world, overthrowing tyrants and placing other princesses in power. She isn't completely sure why he sent it to her, or if she'll like it, but that isn't really the most interesting thing about the gift. No, the most interesting thing about the gift is the note she finds between the stacked volumes.
Yuuki-chan, my name's Ichijou Takuma! You've never met me, but Kaname really does talk about you to me often. He'd never admit it to you (or me, really), but he cares for you very much, and misses you often. Lately, he's been very depressed and thoughtful, and I hope that you will forgive him soon!
- Ichijou Takuma
Cross' gift proves to be interesting. It's a small metal cylinder, with small grooves along it's center, and a stylized crest on either end shaped vaguely like a flower. In the box is also a leather harness type thing, and Yuuki frowns at both items with confusion, looking up.
"What's this?" She asks, studying Cross' calm face as she rolls the cylinder around in her hand, gripping at it experimentally. It fits snugly in her palm, the grooves giving it some traction for her grip, but that's about it.
"That is something I meant to give you when you were older. But, with how you've been progressing, I decided to do it now." Cross explains, settling in to sit more comfortably on the floor across from her. "That's an anti-vampire weapon named Artemis. It was left to me by a dear friend, along with one other weapon. I'm deciding to give it to you, and starting tomorrow, I'll be teaching you how to use it."
"An… anti-vampire weapon?" Yuuki echoes, looking down in confusion at the metal rod in her hands. It doesn't seem like a weapon- well, unless it's meant to be a projectile? Is she going to be throwing it? That doesn't seem right.
"Yes. It has the ability to damage vampires, as you might have guessed, and can't be touched by vampires at all or it will burn them," Cross confirms.
"How do I use it?" She asks, looking back to him. He only smiles and nudges Kaname's gift forward. She pouts a little at him, but pulls it closer and opens it.
It's three pairs of black slacks in her size, two pairs of black steel toed boots, one in her size and one a size larger, both with detachable cleats. Yuuki stares at the gift for a little while, realizing that it isn't his way of bribing her to smooth over her upset, it's a silent apology.
"He…" Yuuki begins, disbelieving and unable to finish her thoughts. After a time, she snorts a small laugh. "How clumsy of him." She snickers fondly before looking up to Cross, who's watching her with a soft smile on his face. "Pass on my 'thank you' to Ichijou-san and Kaname-nii, please?" He nods, and she gathers up her gifts and goes to her room, eyeing Artemis as she goes.
It's two hours before she's able to unlock Artemis, the cylinder snapping out into a rod that's nearly three times her height. She'd ended up whacking herself in the face with the metal due to the quick extension, resulting in a bloody nose and blood-slick metal. The metal had sparked, which had been weird to see, and then she'd cleaned herself up before cleaning off Artemis. Then she'd spent another few hours collapsing and extending it, which resulted in three other strikes to the face and strikes to various other limbs before she got the hang of it.
When Cross came to get her for dinner and cake, as they'd put it off until later in the day despite opening her gifts early in the morning, she had blood crusted in the beds of her nails and dotted all along her collar. There was panicked fluttering and scolding for not waiting, but Yuuki feels proud, regardless.
She's walking to meet Kaname in the town, to prevent either of them from avoiding the other. Artemis is strapped to her leg, hidden under the bottom half of her thick coat, Beneath her coat, she's wearing a sweater and black skirt, her feet are covered knee high black socks and the boots Kaname had sent her for her birthday. The scarf that'd been pressed into her hands is still in her hands. It isn't quite winter, as the leaves have only just started changing color a week ago, but Cross had actually tried to swaddle her in enough upper layers to look like a marshmallow. She'd barely gotten out of the house in what she is wearing.
Kaname-nii is supposed to be passing by this area as he makes his way to the house, the eleven year old thinks to herself, lifting on her toes slightly to see through the people. There aren't that many, not really, but she isn't really used to being around more than two people at once. She wanders around the area for awhile, alone and bored, and as it begins to get dark, she begins to feel uneasy.
Cross said I shouldn't have to worry about vampires here in town, so why do I feel so unsettled? Her heart rate jumps out of her control without any way for her to tell why.
The reaction of prey receiving the complete attention of a predator.
She drops her hand onto Artemis through her coat, feeling the shape of the metal through the fabric and knowing she can extend it within seconds if she has to. She isn't sure how well she would do against a vampire if she was attacked, but she's really not going to go down without a fight.
She's been training for a year and a half, nearly two years, to protect herself. She's not prey and she refuses to be such. She doesn't know where the feeling is coming from, but that isn't going to stop her. She's afraid, but Kaname is somewhere nearby even if she isn't able to defend herself, and she's sure Cross is somewhere close as well. He's too clingy and protective not to be.
She looks straight ahead and finally spots the origin of the sensation, having been checking behind her because, somewhere in her brain, it said that predators stalked from behind. But obviously not, as the man approaching her is stalking her from in front of her, allowing her to come to him as he travels closer to her. He has long, unbound bleached hair, and is dressed in a very odd way compared to everyone else around the area. A pair of dark shades, a collar with a piece of a chain attached to it, a leather jacket with the collar popped and similarly leather pants. As the man walks closer, a hand lifting to remove his sunglasses and connecting his gaze with her own, she can hear Cross' voice in her mind, as though through a thick film.
"Remember, Yuuki.. There are some vampire who mingle with humans in the streets, so you have to be careful!"
The man is within ten feet of her when a hand lands on her right shoulder, a body moving close on her left side. The man- almost certainly a vampire- puts his glasses back on and sweeps into a formal bow, one arm crossing in front of his chest and his upper half lowering at the waist. Surprised, Yuuki turns to check who is behind her. She catches sight of a scary expression on Kaname's face before it morphs into a small smile.
"Yuuki," he greets.
"Kaname-nii!" She cheers, launching into him. He takes a startled step back, bending slightly at the impact, and Yuuki is distantly aware of the vampire passing them on the left. She turns her attention up to his face with a smile of greeting.
"Aren't you afraid, walking alone on the streets?" Kaname inquires, stepping back slightly and peering into her face. His expression is concerned, his eyes tired.
"I knew you were nearby! I'd never be scared when you're nearby!" She denies, shaking her head. Kaname's face grows even more solemn, and before he can say anything, she continues. "And, anyway, I've been training, remember?" She hops a little, not bothering to do anything about the hand she feels land on her head. "When we get to the house, I want to show you! I've been getting good!" She insists, grabbing the hand not on her head and beginning to pull him along.
"Are you not mad at me anymore?" Kaname asks, sounding hesitant and polite.
"You sent me an apology," she denies, shaking her head. "It was a silly way of apologizing, but I really appreciated the gifts." She pointedly takes a large step, drawing his attention to the boots she's wearing. His face is somewhat surprised. "It was really thoughtful, you know?"
"Ah," his face softens into the sincere smile she'd missed over the last year or so. "Alright."