Ichijo had to accommodate for Akane's unstable gait as her body processed the overload of power Kaname's blood had given her. Eventually, they stopped at a lightly decorated, mahogany door. Akane guessed, Vampires must have a taste for the dark wood, as it appeared to be all over the building, from what she'd seen of it so far.
"Well, here we are," Ichijo beamed, opening the door with a welcoming arm into the room.
Still holding onto the blond's arm, Akane stepped into the room. It was far more spacious than the room she'd shared with Miu, easily twice as large. The walls were a pale, calm lilac, with the faintest of floral designs running the length of the walls. Petals, leaves, and stems, all twisting and knotting together, complemented by the unassuming artwork that decorated the walls. Photographs of a lake at sunset, or the close-up of a rosebud, nothing distracted the eye from the room itself for long.
Akane stepped away from the Vampire to view the large, Venetian window, the only source of natural light in the room. It was painted a delicate feather white, with pristine glass and was the main focal point of the room, dominating the back wall. The glass let the morning Sun in, bathing everything it touched in a warm golden glow. The curtains, blackout, as all the curtains within The Moon Dorms were, cascaded and pooled on the floor in a crisp white puddle of thick, finely pressed wool. Not a single crease to be seen. The sill of the window was deep, big enough for one to sit and enjoy the view of the forest-like garden which wound around the perimeter of the dorms from beyond the wall that encased them.
There were two large and imposing wardrobes, set to the right of the door, also finished in the same dark wood of choice. Black butterflies decorated the hinged edges of the doors, looking as if the designs had been burnt into the wood. Sat between them was a stand-alone, full-length mirror. Unlike the other furniture (which had some decoration), the mirror was plain, placed on a rug, which made up for its simple design, by being the most colourful object in the room.
However, the exquisite detailing of the floral rug, walls, and furniture, all paled in comparison to the bed. A four-poster, highly polished, mahogany, work of art. The bedposts were thick and heavy, beautifully crafted, with butterflies and flowers of all sizes and species, spiralling around the posts, coming to a bulbous point at the top which reached, just above Akane's head. She couldn't help running her fingers over the delicate-looking wings of a Monarch butterfly, her mind spinning even more for the opulence of her room.
"Thank you," Akane offered, turning back to Ichijo, as she reached the white, cotton sheets of the beautiful bed she would sleep in. The large, plump pillows and thick duvet, making it clear she would be hard-pressed to find a chill when lying in it.
"I'm glad you like it."
"It's beautiful," Akane answered lamely, sinking into the soft padding of the mattress as she gazed despondently around her new room.
Ichijo's face softened at the sight of such a dejected look on the girl, who sat in the middle of the grandeur of her room. Her expression alone told him how out of place she felt, how close to tears she truly was. He had stopped near the door to let her explore her space in peace, but her lost appearance pulled him to her side.
He sat on the bed beside the ex-Human with a reassuring expression, understanding and patient. Akane couldn't bring herself to return the smile he sent her, even if she'd wanted to, her heart would have still felt cold and hollow, weighed down with grief and uncertainty. In one night, her world had crumbled into dust. Her heart felt like a heavy stone in her chest, cold, chipped, and hard.
"Things will get better, they always do," Ichijo offered gently. His voice changing from the happy call or greeting he would give to the Day Class, to a smoother, quieter tone, one to soothe and calm the girl beside him. Akane didn't respond, not that he expected her to. She'd just lost more than he could have imagined in such a short time, he was impressed she wasn't still stuck in a petrified ball in the corner of the room. Her resilience was astounding.
He'd spoken candidly with a few ex-Humans, and they had said, in no uncertain terms, how difficult it had been in the early days of their transformations. The sensory overload alone had nearly driven some of them mad. He couldn't imagine the stress such as thing would but on someone's body and mind.
"You are extraordinary, Miss Nakamura, clever too. I have no doubt you will, eventually, be ok. But remember, that you're not alone." Akane turned to him as he spoke, not wanting her tiredness to offend him when he was trying to cheer her up, looking so sincere in his attempt.
"Aido will be there to guide you." He watched a flash of anger darken her eyes as she bristled, squaring her shoulders as the previously, simmering anger, began to boil and spit in her heart. "Though, I'd imagine he'll have his hands full if the way you strode through the Changeover like a storm is anything to go by." Her posture shrank as faint embarrassment stained her fair cheeks at his teasing. Ichijo was glad her more solemn mood was diming the more he spoke with her.
He was confident Akane would settle eventually but recognized she and Aido would, most likely, be on unsteady terms in the coming days.
"I realise, that being around Aido may be difficult, after everything that's happened tonight." The deep frown was back in place. "However, if your patience with him wears too thin, or if you need help with studying or just someone to talk to, then, you're more than welcome to stop by the room Senri and I share. It's two doors down from Kaname's."
Akane blinked, surprised by this stranger not only being nice enough to calm, reassure and compliment her but was willingly offering her a place to go if she needed it. Sure, it wasn't as drastic as a new home, something she hadn't even thought of yet, but it was an offer of a safe space, away from Aido, away from Kuran. Why?
All Akane had ever known of Vampires was their destructive power, their ravenous hunger and their dominant nature, but Takuma Ichijo didn't appear to display any of those traits as openly as Aido, her father or even Kaname had. He was friendly, approachable, and seemed almost sweet-natured. Miu did say he was the nicest of the Night Class, Akane thought. A wash of gratitude filled her for the blond and his offer. She was unlikely to take him up on it, but that wasn't the point.
She smiled, it was small and barely reached her eyes, but Ichijo saw it and returned a beam of his own. He bounced to his feet and made to leave the room with a wink before he turned in the doorway.
"Miss Nakamura, you may still be angry with him, but Aido meant well." Though her resentment was still fresh and raw, she was aware, Aido had done what he thought was best for her and the school. And it was.
Her father was free. Akane no longer had to suffer with and because of him, and he no longer had to feel the pain of losing all he was while struggling with the orders of his Master, conflicting with his parental instincts. The condition of becoming a Vampire seemed like a small price to pay for that peace of mind. Now, Akane had to grapple and accept her vampirism, and that she'd be living much longer than she'd ever originally hoped.
"Thanks, V.P."
"V.P.?" Ichijo had begun to turn away when Akane had addressed him by the curious nickname. He was puzzled but chuckled at Akane's startled expression.
"Sorry. We call our Vice-President at The Sun Dorms V.P. It's quicker than calling her by name. It won't happen again... sorry," Akane explained, hoping she hadn't just insulted the first potential friend she'd made within the Night Class. She wasn't quite sure if 'friendship' was the correct label for hers and Aido's relationship at present or ever.
"No, I like it. V.P. sounds fine." Akane sighed, relieved by Ichijo's acceptance and smiled bashfully.
"So, what am I supposed to do now?" She asked conversationally, that lost feeling creeping over her skin once again.
"Well, I'd suggest a good day's sleep, but something tells me you'll have a little trouble nodding off." Akane's small smile appeared again. With a look as if he'd come to a decision, Ichijo raised a finger to signal for her to wait before skipping out the door.
With the Vampire gone, Akane's attention returned to her room, taking in the details she hadn't in her first inspection. Coving wrapped around the ceiling with an intricately designed ceiling rose, where a cast iron chandelier hung. The chandelier had twelve candlestick-effect bulbs attached to faux candlesticks. The tips of the bulbs twisted, simulating the flicker and dance of a flame when lit.
She rose and moved toward the dressing table situated against the wall, at the foot of her bed. A large, mahogany armchair rested before it. The cushion was thick and plush, all wrapped in a deep plum fabric, with buttoned detailing along the edges, where cloth met wood. The surface of the table reflected her reflection almost as well as the large mirror on top, with how highly polished it was.
Ichijo returned just as Akane was opening the top drawer of the dressing table, his arms fit to burst with books, manga, and magazines that he thought might interest the new Vampire. Akane relieved him of some of his load and placed them on the dressing table while Ichijo gave her the run-down of some of his favoured literature in an amongst the selection he'd brought.
"Thanks, this will be fine," Akane said, accepting the reading material, and reassuring him that this would be more than enough to keep her entertained.
"You're welcome. Well, good day, Miss Nakamura." Akane walked the Vampire to her door with a grateful smile.
"Good day, V.P." He beamed at the nickname with his eyes as half-crescents and a gentle tilt of his head as the door closed on him in the hallway.
She listened as his footsteps retreated from her door but didn't immediately move from the door once the corridor was silent. Akane's eyes squeezed shut at the familiar sting of tears. Taking a deep breath and whipping at her tears, Akane walked back to the collection of books the Vampire had brought and picked up a blue-covered, hardback. She read the synopsis on the back and decided, a trip to Italy, following the quest of a man attempting to rebuild his reputation and get revenge for the death of his mother, was just the distraction the doctor ordered.
Walking back to her extravagant bed, Akane travelled through the path of daylight, shining in through the window, and stopped. She brought her hand to her face to hide her eyes from the glare. They were more sensitive now, and the brightness of the early morning Sun hurt. Her heart sank a little as, once again, she was harshly reminded of her status.
Akane lowered her hand and walked to the window, gazing out at the trees on the other side of the wall that encircled the Moon Dorms. Her eyes strained against the light of the fiery star brightening up the sky, until a tear escaped fell against her cheek. She turned away and closed the curtains, darkening the room to a more comfortable level.
Moving to the bedside table, which had the same black, butterfly detailing as the wardrobe doors. Akane flicked on the lamp which sat atop the table and waited as her eyes adjusted to the light. Climbing onto the covered mattress of her beautiful bed, book in hand, Alane let herself be immersed in distraction, while the day marched on and The Moon Dorms slept.