Akane had spent two, frustrating hours in the underground library. She was certain these books on Unfortunates had been read more times in the last day than in the last century. Unfortunately, they revealed next to nothing about the phenomenon. She'd decided to concentrate on the theories researched, for now, hoping to find something to explain what Unfortunates were and what would be the most promising angle to take to decode the mystery.

She'd come across some interesting theories so far, but they weren't fleshed out, no more than speculation. With so little to go on, it was becoming increasingly exasperating coming up empty time and time again. How had Vampires just accepted this to be the norm? How had so few of them become obsessed enough to try and explain such an irregularity in humanity? She didn't know, but if she stared at those pages any longer, she was sure they'd turn to dust.

Soft violin music, played from the party going on outside, could be heard as she ascended the stone steps to the ground level of the dorm. V.P's party must've been going on for a while already. Akane still didn't feel ready to socialise, but an unpleasant churning in her gut at the potentially, upset expression on the Birthday Boy's face, if she didn't, at least, make an appearance, had her walking to her room with the intent to change.

There weren't many choices Akane had for formal, high-class parties, but she'd seen what Kain wore when she'd passed him earlier, heading to the patio, and decided that her jeans and favourite floral blouse would do. Pulling the clothing from her large wardrobe and checking they hadn't gotten creased, Akane laid them neatly on her bed and proceeded to pull off her black leggings and cream, long-sleeved, woollen jumper and blue tee, and tossed them in the laundry hamper.

Stepping up to her dressing table, Akane picked up her hairbrush and dragged it gently through her dark locks, admiring the shiny tresses and the soft texture running through her fingers. She was still getting used to the changes her vampirism had caused. Her hair had altered quite a bit. It was still black in colour and still reached just past her shoulders, but the strands were noticeably stronger, thicker, and much more difficult to tame.

Looking over her reflection, Akane glanced at her shoulders. Some of the many scars from her father used to sit there but had faded to almost nothing since her transformation. When she'd first noticed their absence Akane had felt strangely sad to see them gone. Before, they had been physical representations of the nightmares she refused to acknowledge, never looking at them. Now, they were the only physical proof of her father's suffering, and they were gone, just like he was.

Coaxing her fingers through her hair once again, finding any stray knots, she worked them out, tousling her hair a little then turned to her bed, where he chosen outfit sat and dressed. She wouldn't allow herself to be bogged down by her emotions, they were turbulent and easily switched. If she allowed herself to dwell in her grief, her sorrow would turn to anger all too easily. That emotion she would keep for herself. She would savour and brew it, she would not allow it to escape her carefully built walls until she found that Pureblood!

Akane pulled up her light blue, fitted jeans which hugged her legs nicely and sat high on her hips. Her shirt was a long-sleeved, billowy blouse that hung at her hips. It was black and slightly sheer with buttons at the top half of her blouse and a black undershirt, covering her from the chest down. Green vines twisting over the fabric with little red, blue, pink, and purple flowers sprouting from the stems. Scrutinizing her outfit in the full-length mirror, Akane wondered whether she'd look too underdressed, but guessed Ichijo wouldn't really care what she wore, just as long as she turned up.

Pulling her hair out from her blouse, she walked to her window overlooking the back of the dorms. From here she could see the party was in full swing, though she wasn't sure if everyone standing around looking like they were posing for a photoshoot, could be considered a party. Nevertheless, she scanned the crowd for the Birthday Boy, intent on doing her partygoer duty and wishing him well and thanking him for inviting her.

Buttoning up the last of her buttons, Akane's eyes landed on a figure in the crowd, widening to the size of saucers. Her hands stilled. A boy stood off to the side, scowling at all that passed him with a glare that looked permanently fixed on his face. However, that was not an expression she'd ever seen on his face before. Akane stared, dumbstruck. She was positive he was the same boy.

The day back then had started like any other. The Sun had shone in early Autumn, the leaves on the trees just starting to golden. The wind had picked up causing a chill in the air, but that didn't dampen the spirits. Akane had woken early, a rarity but not unheard of. She'd readied for school, said her goodbyes to her parents as she'd skipped out the door, meeting her two friends at her gate.

The three had walked together since their first day of school. They were the only kids to live this side of the train tracks that cut this part of the city in two, and after being placed in the same class, had become fast friends. The day had been uneventful. Aoi had gotten another sappy love letter in her locker from the same boy she'd turned down the day before, and the day before that. He was a persistent little bugger. The note went unanswered. They'd eaten lunch together, cleaned their classroom together, and then walked home together, the same way they always had.

The park was situated near the station but was right in the middle of the area the girls lived, so they always parted ways at the park, as they lived down different lanes which branched off from the park.
"See you tomorrow!" Michi had called as she ran down her lane. She attended ballet every Thursday after school, so this had been a regular occurrence to see her racing away, leaving Akane and Aoi to part ways alone.

As Akane had walked past the park, she'd noticed a boy sitting alone on the swings. He'd looked to be about her age, but he didn't look familiar. He'd noticed her and sent her a sweet smile that had her smiling bashfully in return.
"Hello." His soft voice had been pleasant to hear.
"Hello," she'd greeted back with a wave. His smile had widened and Akane had found herself walking into the park and sitting on the swing next to him, dropping her bag at her feet.

"Are you new?" she'd blurted after realising she'd just been grinning at him like an idiot since she'd sat down.
"I'm starting in Rikkyo in a couple of days," He'd nodded. Akane's excitement had increased. That had was her school! She'd been so excited to learn a transfer student was coming, and she was the first to know and the first to even meet the new kid.
"I'm Akane Nakamura, what's your name?"
"Ichiru Hio."
"Nice to meet you." A large smile and an outstretched hand. He'd grasped her hand and completed the gesture. Akane's smile had widened further, her cheeks pinking at the feel of the smoothness of his palm against her own.

She'd thought him handsome, and so exotic looking. His nearly white hair, and eyes, the perfect shade of lavender. She remembered hoping they'd be good friends and perhaps, an early middle school romance could have begun from this meeting. Unless Aoi gets him first. They'd talked for some time before Akane realised the Sun was starting to set. She'd apologised profusely but had left for home. Her parents would worry if she were much later. Ichiru had looked sad to see her go, which caused her heart to jump giddily at the thought.

Sirens and flashing lights were what greeted Akane when she'd first turned down her street. Her house hadn't been far from the lane, so she'd soon seen where the commotion was coming from. The rest had all happened in a blur. From being pulled into the arms of a neighbour, then taken to the back of a police car as she'd tried to rush to the body bag that came out of her front door, followed by her father on a stretcher.

She couldn't remember when she'd started crying. Maybe when she'd seen all the red in the hall, or the body bag that held her mother, or the ambulance that took her father away. Locked in the police car, scrambling from one side to the other to watch the ambulance race away, she'd caught sight of the boy from the park. He'd been stood watching what had happened with such a blank look on his face, his hand, held by a tall, slender, and beautiful woman. Akane vaguely recalled believing her to be the boy's mother at the time.

The woman had been dressed in an elegant and expensive-looking, white kimono with the same white hair as the boy, flowing down her back to her waist. She'd had a beautiful face, much like the boy, but even from this distance, Akane could see her eyes were different. She'd been shocked into awe at the very sight of her until she'd looked right at her.

This woman had instantly popped into her head when Aido had first explained the classes of Vampires that existed and their distinctions. She had been too elegant, too poised, and all too still. The boy had never started at Rikkyo, and Akane never mentioned him or the woman to anyone. She'd never seen either of them again yet, now she stood, staring down at the boy from the day her world ended.

Her anger spat and bubbled, almost shattering her carefully constructed dams but she thought of that moment when her eyes had met that woman's cherry blossom stare. She'd smiled. Her face had split into a serenely pleasant grin, looking like all was well with the world, yet Akane remembered shaking with fury at the normally welcoming gesture. She'd caused this and had the audacity to smile about it!