This chapter almost had to be posted tomorrow because it got very long winded. A lot happens here and there were very few legitimate time skips I could use to break it up without creating an unnecessary cliff hanger. Which would have been dumb and, as I said, unnecessary.
I made some decisions in this chapter that fit, but I don't like that they do despite also liking them. See if you can spot them.
lunarlegend11, the party!
guest leia, nice to see you again! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're liking this story so far. I'm very unlikely to just stop if that's any comfort.
Most of your questions about Aidou are, I hope, rhetorical? But from my understanding Aidou is pretty entitled and petty, as well as obsessed with all aspects of Kaname that he knows. I can't remember for sure but I'm pretty sure he saves things that Kaname has broken before? Like, trash.
About that POV thing, I might try to make an omake out of it, but at the moment it probably isn't going to happen. I can only empathize with/understand and predict so many different characters and mindsets and the vampires, Kaname especially, are beyond me. There's a lot of history I don't know off the top of my head and that's located randomly throughout the manga, and behind the scenes things I don't remember nearly well enough for that sort of thing. My limit is with Zero and Yuuki, who as the protagonists, are very visible and defined characters.
Yuuki's inability to defend herself very well with Aidou wasn't about her weakness or fear, it was more due to being off balance in regards to the lighting and also her lack of ranged weapon. She had been very scared but is good at compartmentalization and so there might not be overt signs of nightmares but I can guarantee that Yuuki will not be forgetting it. She is very aware that vampires are dangerous and not human and therefore will not always hold true to human morals or laws. But they're everywhere and important people in her life are vampires, and so she cannot be afraid of vampires solely for their nature.
Yes, Kaname is dramatic. Nearly everything he says is canon, I guarantee, because he's so hard to write for when it isn't pre-scripted. I'm trying, though. Be prepared for more long winded speeches from him.
When you say "Kaien", I'm going to assume you mean "Kain", as in Akatsuki Kain. You'd be right to assume he and Yuuki would get along, and they would probably be on a first name basis with each other if Akatsuki didn't hang around Aidou so much and wasn't aware something fishy is going on with Yuuki and therefore is keeping his distance while also trying to be as polite as possible. He and Aidou are both incredibly smart (though I like Kain much better), and if Aidou wasn't so blinded by personal bias they both would absolutely know what's up with Yuuki and Kaname. As it is, though, Akatsuki is the only one and is keeping his mouth shut.
Sitting in the tree above where Zero is taking a nap, Yuuki studies the other students in her class as they move around on horses, Yori standing nearby, as she is currently not at all comfortable about getting on a horse. The only horse nearby without a rider is identifiable as White Lily, and Yuuki can understand why she is lacking a rider.
Having grown upon campus and been around for the in-statement of the horse riding portion of physical education, Yuuki and Zero both had been around White Lily as a foal. Zero and she haven't been around to see her often, and as Yuuki watches, Lily manages to work herself free and proceeds to bolt in their direction.
She slows to a stop just a bit away, and stares Zero down.
"Don't ruin my nap," Zero warns, cracking an eye open as Yuuki shifts in her place, changing from sitting to crouching down on her branch. Lily rears up, as though she's going to trample Zero, and Zero moves quickly, lurching to his feet and grabbing hold of her reins, that had been hanging loose from her bridle. Some kid from the nearby class yells a warning too late, not that it was necessary as Zero then swings up onto her back using the reins as leverage, and Yuuki watches with wide eyes as Lily seems to visibly calm down after a minute or so of frantic bucking and panic.
Several Day Class boys gather around on their horses, their faces flushing as they whisper among each other.
"Kiryuu is awesome… He easily tames that 'horse from hell' Lily… As expected of the only student of the Day Class able to stand up to Night Class' Kaname Kuran…" Zero begins to walk Lily in a circle around the tree Yuuki is currently inhabiting as she tries to identify why Lily had suddenly gotten so agitated. "Zero is our day class idol!" One boy howls, in tears, and the boys near him agree vehemently.
Yuuki kind of wants to sigh but instead twists her body so she almost falls out of the tree, remaining in it by hooking her knees around the branch and dangling upside down, sincerely glad for the gym pants she's wearing. Her braid pulls tightly at her scalp as it falls below her head, a long cord of hair that almost brushes the ground.
The Day Class boys all shriek at her sudden appearance, but she ignores them.
"Why would Lily…?"
"She must have felt a horrible atmosphere," Zero mumbles, Lily turning slightly underneath him as Zero looks in the direction of the barely visible Moon Dorms. Yuuki looks in that direction as well, and can see only their roof.
Yuuki walks along next to Zero along the roadside as they approach the town, she looks contemplatively at the shopping list Cross had thrust upon her. The list is sort of… suspicious. Cow liver, fresh vegetable, vinegar, an obscene amount of rice and flour. Zero, peering over her shoulder at the list, snorts in obvious derision.
"Looks like someone is planning on cooking," Zero comments. Yuuki nods thoughtfully before tucking the list into her jacket pocket.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that Cross gave me too much money for all of this, so we can do a little extra shopping on the side!" She cheers, hopping to move a little ahead of Zero and turning to walk backwards. Catching sight of the bland look on Zero's face, which is his default face, she decides to tease him a little bit. "Don't look so bored, Zero! Spread your wings! Enjoy yourself!"
"I don't have any wings I can spread," Zero deadpans at her, his face going completely still. Blinking in surprise at her taunt being so cleanly turned against her, Yuuki flounders for a second before Zero smirks at her, very slightly, and she huffs.
"Come on, come on! You're such a killjoy! Your wings will grow eventually, even if I have to push you off a roof to force them to grow!"
"What."
She ignores him, dragging him towards where she is pretty sure she remembers the open air market being. It doesn't take long to find, and even less time to get a majority of what they need. Initially, she complains about Zero taking a hold of all their groceries, becoming a pack mule, but Yuuki manages to steal some of the smaller but heavier bags from his arms when both become occupied and he swings a heavy sack of rice over one shoulder. He gives her a deadpan look as they stall near the side of the market, Yuuki crossing things off their list and double checking things.
"You know, most people would prefer not to carry groceries if they don't have to."
"You took on too much at once," Yuuki waves off distractedly. "I'm strong enough to carry this, at least. I'm thankful for you carrying the rice, though. I couldn't have carried that." It's almost as long and thick as her body, which is actually scary, honestly. Trying to carry that around would have been messy.
"Do we have to get anything else?" Zero complains, his face dark, and Yuuki snickers at him. Zero glances upwards at the late afternoon sky, his expression becoming concerned rather than irritated. "We should head back to the academy before it gets dark."
"Yeah, probably," Yuuki nods. "At least we don't have to worry about the switch over today, yeah?" Her attention tracks to a nearby coat at a clothes stand, recognizing that it's something that Zero would like. Dropping her bags and peeling Zero's from one arm, she moves to the stand and grabs it. Looking over at Zero as she approaches with the coat, she bids, "lend me that arm I just freed up."
Said arm stretches out while Yuuki presses the coat to Zero's front, measuring the distance between his shoulders, and across his chest before laying it across the stretched arm. It looks like it would fit…
"What are you doing…?" Zero demands.
"Just outfitting my troublesome brother with something I think he would like," she comments before freezing, not having actually intended to ever admit her feelings for Zero out loud. Zero's face twists briefly before he gets himself under control, stooping down to pick up his bags carefully, and Yuuki lowers the coat somewhat.
"How funny," Zero eventually comments after shifting his load slightly. "Does that make you my little sister, then?"
A sharp zing of mingled pain and shock hits her in the chest and she takes a minute or so before recovering, picking up her things under one arm and heading back to the stall, hoping that Zero will wait up for her and not leave her behind while she buys this coat. As he continues to speak, however, she kind of wishes he had.
"After all, you can't be an 'older sis'. You're both a year younger than me, and you haven't gotten any taller since middle school," he snipes. Yuuki wants to tell at him about how even if he's a year older, he was held back in school and that it wasn't her fault that he'd shot up like a weed.
Trotting to catch up with Zero, the coat is tucked into a bag and her free hand picks through their remaining funds.
"We have enough to go and get food, to prevent too much chance of poisoning tonight, if you'd like?" She offers, showing him the money in her grasp. Zero looks down at her and then looks around in thought. He then shrugs slightly.
"Sure," she stares him in the face with uncertainty, knowing that there's more he isn't saying. After a minute of pointed staring, he gives in with a quick twitch of his brows. "I kind of want ramen," he admits. Yuuki perks up and looks around before calling up her mental map of the town.
"I know a good ramen place nearby! I went there with Yori last break," she cheers, walking forward. She can tell Zero is following behind her dutifully. There's silence before Zero speaks up.
"With Wakaba, huh? So you still can't walk around in town by yourself?" Yuuki gives him an offended look.
"What? I can totally go into town on my own!" She then slumps just slightly. "I'm just not allowed to anymore…" Zero snorts, but doesn't say anything more.
The ramen shop is still open, thankfully, and when Yuuki enters, Zero trailing behind, she's treated to the owner looking at her with something like horror. She frowns in offense and sits at the counter, Zero sitting down one seat away from her and dropping their groceries down to rest just beneath his feet so they cannot be pulled away from him without his notice.
"You again?" The shop owner asks faintly, his face pale. Yuuki pouts.
"Yes! I have money this time," she insists before continuing, making her order, "I want chashu shio ramen, without any toppings but meat!" She declares, making a point to show him the money. From his seat, Zero gives her a startled and skeptical look.
"This time?" He parrots. "Yuuki, what'd you do?"
"Nothing!" She denies. "I paid him in the end!" The shop owner takes her money before looking at Zero, with some wariness, for his order.
"Tonkatsu," Zero orders after a moment, and Yuuki obligingly hands the owner the money as well, not wanting to antagonize him needlessly and get thrown out. Again. The owner looks reluctant but begins to make them their food, and Yuuki begins to bounce excitedly. "You're excited," Zero notes.
"It's good!" She explains. "And I got this guy to give me extra soy sauce last time!"
"Absolutely not!" The shop owner shrieks, voice high pitched and full of despair. "I will not allow such a thing to happen ever again!"
"Aw," Yuuki pouts before perking back up. "That's alright! You're ramen is still really good, either way!" She cheers as her food is placed in front of her, and then Zero's own is placed down, as well. Her eating speed is honestly beyond her control, the ramen too tasty to eat slowly, and she finishes within maybe five minutes. Zero, who had only just begun to eat his own when he'd noticed her feverish consumption, stares at her with mixed shock and disgust.
"What the hell?" Zero mumbles before Yuuki turns her attention forwards again, looking the shop owner in his eyes. He looks kind of terrified, but she pays that no attention.
"Another?" She questions, voice almost begging but intense, nonetheless, holding out more money. The shop owner accepts and makes his way back to the stove.
"You sure eat a lot… And quickly." Zero continues eating and Yuuki casts him a quick look.
"I dare you to tell me it isn't good!" She insists before someone else enters the small area of the official 'shop', causing the both of them to pause any conversations that had been ongoing. Two girls enter the shop together, looking as though they've only recently gotten off of working as baristas, maybe, and upon seeing Zero, they both flush a deep red and hesitate to sit.
Yuuki watches them warily, Zero continuing to eat and Yuuki actually ignoring the bowl of ramen placed down in front of her, her eyes narrowing. The first girl visibly steels herself before speaking.
"Sorry to interrupt," she calls, taking some steps towards Zero, who pauses in eating to cast a look in the girl's direction. His expression is entirely dismissive. "May I know if you are a Cross Academy student?"
Yuuki hops down from her chair, trying to get the girls attention as a bad feeling makes itself known, Zero's expression turning to stone, eyes slightly wide.
"I'm right? No wonder you seem different from other people!"
"Excuse me, please don-"
"As expected, people from the Cross Academy remain to be special. Are you a member of the Night Class? Aidou, from there, often comes into town to buy from the ice cream shop I work at nearby. If you see him, could you tell him that he's welcome to come and see me, if he likes? My name is-"
Zero pushes to a stand, one leg leveraging up his groceries as he abandons his ramen and leaves the shop with a quick, "I'll go out first," without acknowledging the girl at all.
"Yeah, wait for me there for a minute," Yuuki calls behind him, standing quickly. She casts the visibly relieved shop owner a smile and grabs her bags as well, leaving behind her untouched bowl of ramen and beginning to make her way outside as Zero turns and walks just out of sight. One of the girls tries to stop her, looking offended, but a quick angry glare makes them stumble out of her way so she can go.
Weird, I hadn't expected that to work, Yuuki muses to herself before she leaves the shop and makes her way in the direction Zero had gone. Zero isn't anywhere in sight, his grocery bags abandoned on the ground, as well as the, thankfully unbroken, giant bag of rice. Yuuki walks over to the groceries and finds that they're in front of the mouth of an alley, which is dark and foreboding, somehow, despite the setting sun still providing more than enough light.
Yuuki leans down and collects what bags she can before making her way down the alley. Sliding carefully around the jagged barbs of a rusted pipe, Yuuki can tell that to bleed right now would be a very bad idea. Looking around as the alley diverges into two separate forks, she chances a call of,
"Zero?"
There's a sound above her. Her groceries drop immediately, A twist of her wrist and angling of her thumb sending Artemis into her palm and the rod extending the second she can get a solid grip on it. She turns swinging, the body above her landing on the rod hands first, heavy and loud. Their hair is messy and grayish, their clothing in tatters, their shadowed face illuminated by the mad red glow of its eyes. The gun against her lower back is pressed tightly against her as her back arches slightly backwards at the weight, and the vampire remains vertical against all logic declaring that it should not be so, drool dripping downwards as it hisses at her.
"You… Smell delicious," it seethes, "let me… Drink it all."
The vampire pushes off of the rod, landing on its feet and then rushing at her instantly. She barely manages to move the rod so as to intercept it's wild strike, but then a presence appears behind her, familiar and comforting.
"Need some help, Yuuki?" Artemis is snatched out of her grasp, the rod moving and pointing directly at the vampires face, sending blood scattering to the ground and on the rod when it impacts with its front teeth. As Zero straightens, Yuuki finds herself tucked on the inside of one of his arms, his body right behind her own. With quick fingers, she digs the gun out from where she'd holstered it, turning off the safety and cocking it back as Artemis sparks warningly in Zero's grasp. She cannot smell burning flesh, and Zero does not twitch, so Artemis mustn't be conveying extreme dislike just yet.
Across from them, the vampire is crouched down, eyes seeming to brighten further as it snarls, furious and animalistic. Yuuki ducks under Zero's arm, gun trained on the vampire, as it drools and glares at them, babbling senselessly about blood and hunger, hesitating for a reason she can't quite name.
"You were originally a human, right?" Zero asks, sending a cold feeling down Yuuki's spine.
"Yeah! So what?" The vampire asks before lunging at Zero, apparently deeming him the greater threat. Which probably isn't wrong, really, but Yuuki's got the lethal weapon, here.
The lethal weapon she promptly uses, driven by instinct and a quick snap of fear. Five shots impact with the vampire's torso, and a livid purple glow indicates the shots making the intended effect, the vampire letting out an angry shriek before collapsing apart, breaking into dust. There's immediate pain in her arms from the small but present recoil, and she distantly finds herself surprised she'd managed to hit it at all, as her aim is still somewhat sketchy. Directly behind it, holding a sword, is Takuma and Senri, both looking rather startled.
Zero shifts in front of her slightly, Artemis' sparking visibly getting worse the longer he held it, as Yuuki re-holsters the gun once the safety it on and shifts in place.
"What are you two doing here?" Yuuki demands, Artemis sending quite a large spike of electricity out and making Zero drop it. Yuuki catches it and nonchalantly collapses it before tucking it back up her sleeve.
"You should head home soon, Yuuki-chan," Takuma says instead of answering her, shooing her away like she's a little kid, before noticing her expression and continuing, "If you want to know, come to the Moon Dorm later tonight for the details." Yuuki frowns and opens her mouth to demand answers now, because they're not supposed to be off campus, but Zero drops a hand over her mouth and waves the vampires off. They disappear almost immediately, and once they're gone, Zero releases her face and she turns to him with a scowl.
"What, you don't want to know what they were doing in town?" She asks as they turn to walk back to the mouth of the alley, Yuuki lunging ahead to grab up the smaller groceries before Zero can do so. At his reproachful look, she sticks out her tongue.
"We can find out later. We're late," he points upwards, and Yuuki discovers that they're indeed late, the sun down and the nightlife alive, a bat or two fluttering about.
"Despite your lateness, I managed to make such a masterpiece!" Cross boasts as they all sit together for dinner. "Liver with fried veggies, stewed vegetables with meat, minced fish and many others! How is it? Nice?"
From where she's sitting across from Zero, they exchange looks. The food does look good, admittedly, but the strange and extravagant combinations as well as Cross' sketchy cooking ability have turned each dish into something… strange. The mentioned stew tastes only like broth despite the numerous ingredients, and any egg on the table has somehow managed to taste… boneless. Which Yuuki doesn't actually understand. Despite the spices she knows are present in every dish, she can taste none of them.
It would probably be better if she could add soy sauce, but Cross had burst into loud, messy tears when she'd pulled the bottle out of the fridge, and it just wasn't worth the hassle right now to use it. Emotionally she is not ready to negotiate with Cross for something so minor.
Instead of complaining, Yuuki kicks Zero in the shin and they remain silent. The food isn't inedible at all, so there's no use in making a big deal about it. Cross goes still at their silence and then collapses sideways out of his chair, hitting the ground and an aura of gloom appearing over his head.
"Such a rare occasion that I can cook for all of us, and I get such a cold review? I worked so hard to make those dishes!" He wails sadly. Yuuki and Zero ignore him, and Yuuki reaches over and steals some of the meat off of Zero's plate. He'd been hogging it, and she won't stand for it, even if it might as well be mystery meat. "Aah, never mind. At least you're both eating," Cross says eventually with a sigh once he's calmed down.
The man climbs back into his chair and continues to eat as though nothing had happened before jolting slightly in place and digging into his pockets.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here, you two. Zero, you're almost finished with your current ones now, right?" He extends a small tic tac and medicine box with the Cross Academy insignia to Zero before tossing her a much more official looking bottle of the same pills. Zero's eyes widen as he accepts the packages, and looks uncertainly over to Yuuki, who has turned her attention down to the label of the bottle in her hands.
"Why are you two wearing such expressions?" Cross asks, flapping a hand at them. "Even though these tablets are meant for restraining blood lust, they're mostly the equivalent of eating a meal!" Zero scowls darkly at Cross and Yuuki glances upwards to give him a narrow-eyed look as well before turning her attention back to the pill bottle.
The instructions are sparse, probably to prevent the secret it contains from being discovered if the bottle is found by a human, but clear. Take as necessary with water. Her decision clear, Yuuki tucks the bottle into her pocket and resolves to carry both the bottle and bottles of water on her at all times. Zero similarly tucks his pills away, and they return to eating in silence before Yuuki speaks.
"We ran into Ichijou Takuma and Senri Shiki in town, earlier. Presumably hunting a mad vampire," she says in as calmly a manner as she can. She suppresses the sick feeling and terrible thoughts that are sparked by the memory or said vampire. Now is not the time to let that sort of thing emerge, she has things to do that do not allow for a messy breakdown. Cross jolts, chopsticks freezing, looking at her in worry.
"What happened?! Are you okay?!" He scrambles out of his chair and then drags her from her own, frantically checking her over. Zero is still in his chair, unmoving but intent.
"Ah… I'm fine. But I'm going to head to the Moon Dorms after dinner to ask what they'd been doing in town. Did you give them permission?"
"I'm going with you," Zero claims with narrowed eyes. Yuuki glances at him and nods in acknowledgement before refocusing on Cross, who is manhandling the sleeves of her sweater upwards to check her forearms for injuries. Her previously injured wrist is healed now, though faint marks of what used to be remain, and there are no new injuries anywhere.
"I didn't," Cross answers once he's ascertained her well being. "But I'm sure they had a good reason."
"Well, we're going to find out," Yuuki tells him assuredly. Cross beams at her and Yuuki gives him a smile in return before herding him back to his seat and then sitting down in her own. A glance downwards reveals that Zero had been picking food off of her plate while she'd been preoccupied. She looks up incredulously, but he only shrugs as though to say 'it's food, what do you expect?' and Yuuki promptly steals some meat off of his plate.
He responds by taking more of her food, this time a large lump of rice. Things quickly devolve from there, though Cross does his best to stop them once they start actually throwing food back and forth in petty retaliation.
Zero makes a point to check Bloody Rose's functionality, turning off the safety and cocking it soundly back so the weapon will be ready to fire at a moment's notice, his aura full of agitation. Yuuki, despite also feeling on edge due to their unseen watchers, sees the actions as the provocation they are and sighs.
"Stop being so aggressive, Zero! Think of this as a diplomatic mission! We can't attack them!" Something changes and then she tacts on, "First, at least," as two familiar figures appear on either side of them. Zero aims Bloody Rose to Yuuki's right, arm just behind her head, and Yuuki extends Artemis over Zero's front to his left. The gun is pointed in Aidou's face, and Artemis is lodged just beneath Kain's chin, not exactly touching, but already letting off slight sparks. Kain looks resigned and maybe a little annoyed, hands up on either side of his head, and though Yuuki cannot see Aidou's expression, she assumes it is negative.
"Here to welcome us, vampires?" Zero asks blandly. Yuuki's jaw clenches slightly as Aidou speaks from behind her, much too close for comfort. Her skin tingles in memory of the pain from the cold, and she barely resists from whipping around, trusting Zero to have her back instead.
"That's right. Ichijou asked me to- I would not have bothered otherwise."
"Ah, don't be so ready to fight," Kain complains. "Concerning all the bad things that have happened recently, tonight we'll be acting peacefully." Yuuki obligingly collapses Artemis and re-holsters her weapon, Zero not doing so until he has bullied Aidou into Yuuki's sight-line and several feet ahead of them, not allowing him to linger behind Yuuki.
Zero's efforts are rewarded by Yuuki relaxing somewhat, as Kain relocates towards the back of the group, lingering sort-of next to Yuuki rather than directly behind her, having noticed her discomfort with vampires being behind her, with very little exception. He offers her a nod in greeting, and she does similarly.
It takes a few minutes before they are circling around the Moon Dorms towards where Yuuki knows the veranda is located, and they find it swollen with vampires, all of whom are very clearly inhuman, no longer pretending human mannerisms for the sake of the Day Class. Yuuki's skin crawls ever so slightly at their general stillness and smoothness, their watchful eyes, and the feeling in the air, which is heavy. She can also smell the metallic scent of blood coming from somewhere, and something more medicinal that might be the scent of the blood tablets. There's also warm food somewhere nearby, something sweet, and very little perfume.
"This way," Aidou bids without looking back at them, walking them directly through the group. The vampires part without any fuss, but Yuuki can see many of them fondling weapons and subtly baring their fangs at them. It kind of makes her want to extend Artemis once more, and she knows Zero must be feeling similarly, based on his inching closer to her as they walk. They eventually make their way out of the crowd, and they find Takuma lingering in the back, near where the food was located, and near the staircase leading to the upper floor balcony-type area, and a small, curtained off pavilion area.
"Deputy Chief Ichijou, we brought them here," Kain pipes up, wandering away from them and towards Takuma. Yuuki's eyes have locked onto the four tier cake and pyramid of champagne glasses, all of them half filled with what she suspects is either wine or water with dissolved blood tablets, Takuma is standing next to, the sudden realization that this must be a birthday party comes to her.
"Oh! You came!" Takuma smiles at them sunnily before throwing his arms wide and confirms her thought. "Tonight is my birthday party! Isn't it great?"
"Ah? Happy birthday! I don't have a gift ready for you, but it isn't as though I got a formal invitation," Yuuki smiles back at him, pushing aside her unease at his friendly demeanor. It still does not seem disingenuous, but among so much inhumanity and with his species, it always just rubs her wrong on a more primal level than she can change now. "How old are you?"
"How old… In terms of human years, or vampire years?" Takuma asks, his smile dimming ever so slightly as he lowers his arms and takes a step closer.
"Vampire," she decides quickly, deciding that she does not want to know how old Takuma is in human years. That just might be upsetting to her world view.
"I'm 18! I'm an adult now," he says brightly. "If you don't have a gift, I'll happily accept a kiss in place of one." He turns his cheek towards her, his smile lessening and his cheeks pink. There's a sharp, inexplicable jolt of alarm that quickly dissipates as she realizes he's teasing. Zero drops a palm on her shoulder to ground her as she collects herself.
"We're not here to attend your party, though, Ichijou," she tells him after managing to do so. "We're here as guardians to ask about what you and Senri had been doing in town earlier today. I will not accept this being pushed under the rug, as it is against the rules for a Night Class student to leave campus without permission from the Headmaster, and you did not receive it."
"Ah, that," the feeling around Takuma changes, and he leans back against he railings of the veranda behind him. "Feel free to ask anything you'd like. Everyone here knows about it."
"I see. You and Senri went into town specifically to kill that vampire, didn't you?" She voices her suspicion, and when she receives no denial, she continues, deciding that to ask is better than to assume. "Can you explain to me why?"
"That had been an "ex-human" vampire. They are… very lowly." A disdainful voice comes from behind her. Yuuki shifts immediately, knowing Zero is doing the same based on the scuff of his shoes against the stone from his direction, and manages to catch both Aidou and Takuma in her vision.
"In vampire society," Takuma begins, "those at the top of the hierarchy are called "pure bloods", and a gathering of vampires are called "nobles". All of us here in the Night Class are "Noble" class and above…" Yuuki decides to interrupt the no doubt long winded, unnecessary explanation.
"I know all of this. Well, most of this. Please get to the point."
"And I suppose Kiryuu must know as well, as a member of a vampire hunter family," Kain comments from the side. Somehow, Yuuki is not surprised, though she had never been explicitly told such. She glances over at Zero, who doesn't seem to be looking at anything in particular as he begins to speak.
"Ex-human vampires all eventually fall into the Level E class, their will slowly eroding until they reach "the end"," Zero recites detachedly.
"That's right," Takuma confirms. "They will then have an uncontrollable craving for blood, losing their minds and recklessly attacking humans… And thus, they must be managed by nobles and above. Though there are mishaps, occasionally, and an Ex-human vampire escapes the noble's control and charges into human society." Takuma's head angles slightly toward the area behind him as a figure begins to step into view.
A rock settles into Yuuki's stomach.
"I heard a report of a Level E vampire roaming out in the town today," Kaname says, Entering view completely. Just behind him is Seiren, and between them, she is dressed in a remarkably more relaxed way. Seiren is wearing a cheongsam top, jeans and maybe three belts, her feet tucked into sandals. Kaname is wearing what looks like a relaxed business suit, only one button in the suit jacket done in the very middle, and both the collars of the jacket and button-up are popped, the button-up's top four buttons undone. With the available skin to act as a backdrop, Yuuki realizes that his hair is longer than she expected, reaching his collarbones, easily. "Ichijou and Senri went to hunt it down at my order."
All around them, the vampires are stirring, seemingly amazed that they're seeing him at all, and Yuuki restrains a full body twitch at the surge of sound.
"Why did you not report it to Cross, or get permission?" Yuuki asks, her only answer being the indignant silence of the vampires surrounding her.
"Yuuki, did you report this to Chairman Cross?" Kaname asks her without answering her, his voice and face curious and showing no sign that he had just ignored her valid concern. The stone seems to weigh even greater.
"I did. I came here for a report, myself, though. As you know," Yuuki answers. Somewhere near the back of her mind, behind all the attention she's devoting to her surroundings, Yuuki wonders where the Kaname-nii she remembers so fondly has gone.
"Yourself, is it? Coming to this place, along with Kiryuu…" Kaname turns away, waving behind him for them to join him. Well, maybe it had been intended only for Yuuki, but Zero follows along anyway, and Yuuki is thankful for that. They arrive inside the curtained off area to find vampires sitting on the railings of the pavillion, all watching intently, and Kaname dropping into a seat on a fainting chaise of a deep red color.
Yuuki is feeling very surrounded and kind of threatened right now, even though Kaname's presence is swelling up in the pavillion, blanketing over everything in such a way that would have been comforting even a year ago.
"Yuuki, come sit with me," Kaname calls.
"I'd rather n-"
"Just come," Kaname speaks over her protest, and the attention of all the vampires present, bar Zero, seems to focus in on her with terrifying intent.
"No-"
"Yuuki," He closes his eyes, voice firm, and a jolt in her back and along her spine has her walking over mechanically to sit down on the chaise. She stares at the ground, hands clasped in her lap, and one of Kaname's hands reaches over and takes hold of the end of her braid. She goes still, and he begins to unravel it almost too quickly for her to see before she is grabbed by the shoulder and dragged closer to his body.
She wants to bolt out of his hold, to run to Zero, to just run away from this entire pavilion, feeling suddenly trapped and incredibly uncomfortable and even a little sick.
"The safest place is beside me," Kaname tells her, and Yuuki can see Zero restraining himself from moving forward to pluck he out of Kaname's grasp, no doubt able to see her discomfort. "I'm sorry. That Yuuki would encounter that "hunting scene"... I would never have expected it. And that you would resort to ending such an existence…" Her discomfort and trapped feeling is briefly snowed under by other emotions that Yuuki quickly makes a point to ignore. Not now, not now. "Though you are also at fault, for wandering around in that sort of place."
Kaname's head turns, and Yuuki can feel his nose pressing into her hair.
"Ex-human vampires… should not have been created," he tells her in a soft tone that is probably supposed to be comforting as the hand not on her shoulder reaches over and grabs one of her hands, thumb and middle finger pressing into the inside of her wrist, against her pulse point. "But, in time long past, when battle between vampires and their enemies, the vampire hunters, was at its fiercest… some vampires wanted to rope humans into becoming their kind, in order to increase their "combat ability". However, nowadays, we of the higher class vampires have taken to managing the remnants of those vampires, sometimes even "taking care" of them."
He releases her hand and takes a hold of a lock of hair, lifting his head from her own and pressing the hair close to his mouth instead, and Yuuki feels a tremor of unease building up past where she'd secluded all of her feelings for the time being.
"Hunting vampires is a vampire hunter's responsibility, though. So, I have to ask, why did you not kill it in time?" Yuuki watches Zero's face freeze, his eyes widening slightly and face beginning to pale. "Did you feel empathy with it, Kiryuu?"
All the blood disappears from Zero's face and he lurches in place, Bloody Rose arcing upwards and aiming at Kaname's head. Seiren, who had been previously been orbiting around, mostly unnoticed and silent, appears suddenly at his side, fingers straight and against Zero's throat. Yuuki can see blood dripping from her nails, down her fingers and then dripping from the pale skin. She can see all the surrounding vampires drawing weapons completely, shifting from their places and turning in their direction. Yuuki tenses and wishes that the gun against her back was holstered somewhere other than there, as Artemis, a blunt staff weapon, does not seem like it would be sufficient in this sort of situation.
"Seiren, it's alright," Kaname tells Seiren, straightening up slightly but maintaining his grip on her hair, which keeps her in place. "I was the one who spoke carelessly." Serien withdraws a hand, even though Zero maintains his aim at Kaname for a moment before meeting Yuuki's eyes and lowering the weapon. She's not completely sure why a look in her eyes would make him do so, but apparently it does.
"He dared point a gun at Kaname-sama…" Aidou seethes loudly from the side in the tense silence. "Kiryuu, that bastard… Cutting him to pieces won't even satisfy me."
"Forget it, Aidou," Takuma voices. "That scared me, too, but there's nothing you can do."
"I'll… try my best to bear it while I am in this school," Aidou concedes as Kaname twists her hair around his fingers quietly and Zero lets the gun fall completely to his side. "I won't go against Chairman Cross' peace treaty. But," Aidou walks into Yuuki's sightline and her wish for the gun increases, "I'm only doing so because of Kaname-sama's presence. That is why all of us have gathered here at Cross Academy."
"Okay!" Takuma claps, breaking the tension as Kaname shifts upwards a little bit, chin dropping onto her head.
That trapped, panicky feeling returns completely from where it had been stored, and she can't repress her full body flinch, prompting Kaname to back away slightly and give her a somewhat concerned, thoughtful look. She tries her best to pack that feeling away, and as it fades out, she knows that she's going to be crying later. Probably a lot. That or get really, really angry, which she would maybe prefer. Anger is more useful than tears.
"It's so mean of all of you to forget! Everyone here is gathered to celebrate my birthday! We must enjoy ourselves properly, no matter if it's Yuuki-chan or Kiryuu-san, they're still my honoured guests!" Yuuki untangles her hair from Kaname's grasp and stands up, making several steps away from Kaname and towards Zero before turning to speak.
"Kaname-nii, we're leaving," she tells him. Kaname stares her in the eyes quietly, and something happens behind her to prompt the scent of fresh blood. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Zero jolt and seize in place before disappearing from her awareness. She turns and watches as Zero takes off out of the pavilion, cutting through the crowd with obvious purpose, and Yuuki hurries after him, bidding Kaname a quick goodbye.
Zero makes his way out of sight quickly, but she continues to hear him as he runs in the direction of the pool, and Yuuki realizes what must be happening, digging a small flask of water out of her pocket and then the bottle of blood tablets as she runs, hearing Zero's loud breath and heavy footfalls before they leave her senses entirely. She slows slightly, senses straining, before she manages to see broken branches off to the side, and traces Zero's steps at a jog, opening the flask and then the bottle, dropping in three of the tablets before closing the flask once more, shaking it to dissipate the pills and powder as quickly as she can.
As she makes her way onto the stone pathway leading to the pools, her foot cracks down on something plastic. A look down reveals Zero's portable square for his blood tablets, the edge open and the previously almost full container visibly barren and rattling loudly when she picks it up.
Making her way forward, Yuuki tucks the holder into her pocket, flask in one hand and Artemis falling into the other, and she turns the final bend to see Zero collapsed near the back of the pool area against the divider that separates the pool from the trees nearby.
"Zero?" She calls quietly, approaching slowly and peering at Zero's face. As she watches, several blood tablets fall from Zero's hands and his eyes begin to glow faintly red the closer she approaches. "Hey, Zero? Can you understand me?" She asks, stopping and crouching down slightly to be on the same level as his collapsed form.
"Y-Yuuki?" Zero's voice calls out, strained. With a slightly relieved sigh, Yuuki creeps closer, remaining low to the ground and then she throws the flask over to Zero, the metal skidding loudly against the stone.
"That's blood tablets dissolved. You really shouldn't take them without water," Yuuki says as he reaches a shaky hand out and grips the flask, opening it and then drinking it without any hesitation, his body scooting backwards away from Yuuki as he swallows hastily. When he pulls his mouth away with a choking gasp, he manages to climb to his feet, staggering in her direction, dropping the flask. Yuuki pushes to a stand, and Artemis extends in her grip, uneasy.
"Ever since I attacked you… I have to eat the blood tablets. But they never work," he strains, and as he gets closer, Yuuki can see that the red has not faded from his eyes at all, though it hasn't gotten any brighter, which is a small comfort. Yuuki's mind scrambles, stress ratcheting upwards, and tears wanting to build up in her eyes before something just… Snaps.
Casting Artemis aside, a hand grabbing out her gun and throwing that aside as well, Yuuki rushes forward, hunching downwards and jamming her shoulder into Zero's stomach as hard as she can. Both Zero and herself go flying backwards, carried by momentum, and then soar into the pool water behind Zero with a loud splash. As they sink into the water, Yuuki manages to peel her eyes open and sees Zero's face, the red disappeared from his widened eyes and rationality having visibly returned to him.
When they emerge from the water, there's a figure waiting for them. As well as a gun.
The weapon fires directly next to her face, her ears ringing, and the bullet skims over Zero's shoulder, carving out a bloody furrow. No distinctive purple sigil appears, meaning that Zero had been shot by a normal weapon, or that it was not enough to activate the magic of an Anti-Vampire weapon.. Zero doesn't make a sound that she can hear over her ringing ears and they both turn to look at the man, though his face twists in pain and as though he cries out.
He's dressed in a long coat with a cowboy hat on his head, his hair thick and black and covering half of his face. He's wearing what might be suede shoes.
"Should I fire again, my cute student?" The man asks as the ringing fades, keeping the gun trained on Zero. Near the end of the barrel, Yuuki sees the distinctive sigil of an Anti-Vampire weapon. A shot made with that gun just might kill Zero if it hits correctly, and her blood turns to ice. "So stop right there, vampire." He snarls around the cigarette in his mouth.
"Sen… sei?" Zero grinds out, not yet turning in the man's direction.
"Zero… Even with your craving for blood, I did not think you would fall so far as to not be aware of me." The man cocks the gun, shifting slightly, and Yuuki moves in the water, dragging Zero closer and placing herself between the gun and he. The bullet would hurt if he fired anyway, but it would not her through her and she would not die. "You're that dull hermit's daughter, aren't you?"
"I'm not sure who you think you are, but I'm not going to just stand here and let you kill Zero. I'm not going to allow him to die now."
"And if he becomes a Level E?" In her grasp, Zero moved, pushing away from her and turning to half-face the man.
"Yuuki, this is okay," he says, breathing heavily. The man's hand flexes on the trigger and before he can fire, a voice cuts in.
"Why has it turned into this?! This is why I hate vampire hunters!" Cross wails, running in their direction with his hand outstretched. "Put that away!" Cross wrestles the weapon out of the man's grip and then turns in their direction. "How long will you keep them cornered in the water. Come on, children, hold onto me," he bids, arms extended towards them as he crouches at the pools edge.
Both of them climb out without assistance. Yuuki makes her way closer to the man, not yet going for her weapons, feeling better now that Cross is present.
"Who are you?" She demands, peering into his face and finding his right eye and cheek covered with a leather patch.
"Yagari Touga, vampire hunter. I was Zero's sensei. Isn't that right, Zero?"
From where he stands, peeling his soaked shirt off, Zero answers with a monotone, "yeah."
"You really act like that stupidly naive chairman's daughter," the man, Yagari, complains roughly. "You could have been bitten. You should be thanking me."
"Yuuki," Cross calls, approaching with Artemis in one hand and the gun in the other. "You should go to the dorms tonight. We'll take care of things."
She wants to protest. Go back to the house instead of the dorms. But the day is finally starting to catch up to her, and she feels… Exhausted. Wrung out. Like she wants to go and lay down, but like if she stops moving then she will never be able to move again. She accepts her weapons and walks off without another word, making her way to the female Sun Dorms. Her head feels like it's full of cotton, her eyes stinging and her limbs feeling leaden.
Once she has managed to shower at the dorms and then get dressed in her pajamas, Yuuki climbs on top of her blankets and pulls her knees into her chest. Yori twitches from in her bed and then rolls to look over at her.
"Yuuki?"
"Ah, did I wake you?"
"Hm," Yori blinks sluggishly before sitting up and then climbing into Yuuki's bed to sit next to her, not quite touching her but offering it as an option. "You're upset. You've been upset a lot lately, Yuuki. Is there any way I can help?"
Yuuki stares at Yori for a minute before hunching and slipping close to press against Yori's front. Yori's arms fold close around her and Yuuki breathes in her friend's scent of raspberries and wood shavings as the sting in her eyes worsens and she begins to cry, her face crumpling to the point of pain as she presses her nose against her knees.