Akira sits in a large room, looking around himself. He's been in a room almost identical to this countless times before, although never on the campus of Cross Academy. Ichigo must have moved the contents of the room from their previous location, or at least Akira hopes so. He doesn't wish there to be more than one of these items in the world. Akira looks at a decoration hanging on the wall and shudders. No matter how many times he has seen it, it has always brought a chill to his spine. This is something that he has never got used to looking at. He continues looking up at it, unable to avert his gaze. He tries to look away, managing only a quick scan of the room. Pelts of animals cover the walls. Bears, lions, a tiger, deer, a gorilla, all animals that Ichigo has killed, and hung up to prove it. His eyes return to the appalling decoration that originally caught his gaze, the one he has never been able to accept or condone. This one is no different in sense. A pelt. But this pelt is different to the others in appearance. No fangs, no claws, no horns, beaks, stingers, anything that would be a challenge to Ichigo. The other animals are all ones that put up a fight. Akira doesn't understand how this one could. Soft, pink flesh. No fur, except on its head. Level, dull teeth. This pelt is of a six foot tall human male. Akira shudders again, this time being spotted by Ichigo. "Still not used to the ol' homo sapien, I see." Ichigo says, both mockingly and with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Surely that's a good thing," Akira replies. "It means I'm not a monster." Ichigo chuckles sinisterly in response. "Yet." He says while grinning at Akira. "You're not a monster yet." Akira winces and sinks in his chair, quickly wishing to change the subject. "What have you called me for? What do we need to discuss?" He says, trying to end this conversation as quickly as possible. Ichigo frowns, in a way that has a genuine sense of hurt mixed in. "Can't I just call you here to talk? I wish to know what goes on in your life. I am your father after all." Akira cringes and digs his nails into the arms of his chair at the word father. "You're not my father." Akira growls. "Well, maybe not literally, but I might as well be." Ichigo responds, leaning in closer to Akira. "After all, I am the one who found you in that forest after your mother was killed, sniffed out your wolf blood, a little bundle of soft flesh, all alone in the snow, an easy meal for any predator that could have wandered by. I took you into my pack, raised you, trained you. I'm the closest thing to a father you've ever really had. I'm hurt that you don't see me that way." Akira looks on, a mixture of disgust and guilt upon his face, looking into Ichigo's eyes, filled with genuine pain. The two sit in silence for a moment, before Akira breaks it. "I'm sorry...father..." Akira says, struggling to call the red haired man in front of him his father. He examines Ichigo, the alpha looking a lot older here than he did in the night dorm, looking about twenty-six. The moonlight makes him look younger. Ichigo smiles when Akira calls him father, a smile born out of real happiness, not his usual mocking smirk. "So, Akira, tell me, how are you enjoying the academy? What have you been up to?" Akira starts talking about his time in the academy, telling Ichigo of his thoughts on the area, the environment, and the people. "What do you think of the vampires?" Ichigo asks, a sudden dark tone in his voice. "They seem nice. I met one named Ryu the other day, we had a brief conversation. And I met Kaname Kuran." Ichigo's face changes slightly when Kaname is brought up, becoming more wolf like. "Kuran is the enemy." He says bluntly, rage in his eyes. Akira, wanting quickly to change the subject from the vampire lord, starts asking a question. "Is there anything specific you want to talk about? I've filled you in, and I'm honestly a little tired." Ichigo's features soften for a moment, but then he gets a devilish look in his eyes. "Actually, there is something I'd like to talk about. Are you familiar with the legend of the blood brothers?" Ichigo says, his eyes twinkling with menace. Akira sits opposite his alpha, his surrogate father, and waits with a sense of dread over him for the next words to come out of the man's mouth.
Yuki walks into her room after her brief conversation with Kaname, a seductive smile on her face. "Soon," she thinks to herself, "it will happen." Yuki looks at the bed, and notices Zero lying on their bed, splayed out randomly as he rests. She smiles at her vampire, finding him adorable when he sleeps. Yuki looks at his chest, intending to look at his magnificent figure, but instead seeing a book balanced on his chest. Curious, Yuki picks it up and reads the front cover. "Clans of the night, and other non-humans." She opens the cover, reading the table of contents. She finds the listings quite boring, fact files and summaries, until she spots a listing near the end. "Legends and stories." Yuki smiles childishly. She loves stories. Yuki opens up the chapter and reads the title of the first listing. "The legend of the blood brothers." Yuki immediately starts to read. "There is a story passed down through both the beast and blood clans," Yuki finds no real significance to the clan names, as she hasn't read what they are. "that each member of each clan has an equivalent in the other clan. It is said that they will be perfectly matched, beast abilities equal to blood abilities. These two do not have to be identical, or even similar, in appearance, but once they fight, neither will be able to defeat the other head on. But, it is said that one pair will not only be equals, but look almost identical. This pair is said to have the exact same bl..." Yuki is cut off by a sudden snatching of the book from her hands. "I'm afraid I'd like to read this first Yuki. Can't have you spoiling it on me, can I?" Yuki looks up and sees Zero looking at her, a smile on his face. "Oh, Zero, I'm sorry, I just wanted to see what it was." Yuki says, blushing. Zero is very particular about books. "Don't worry about it Yuki, I'm just have a thing with books." Zero replies gently, not wanting to make Yuki feel bad. Yuki smiles. "You're worse than Kakashi is with Make-out paradise." A look of confusion sweeps over Zero. "I'm worse than who is with what?" He says, not knowing what she is talking about. "Oh, I see, pirate guy." Yuki giggles. Zero has no idea what Yuki is talking about, but he nods anyways. "So, Yuki, you're obviously bored, reading a book this technical. What do you want to do?" Yuki looks at Zero, locking eyes with him. The two stare at each other, absorbed in the other's eyes. Yuki looks Zero up and down, noting the obvious muscles beneath his shirt. A moment's silence passes, before you grins and moves a little closer to Zero. "I know something we can do..."
Yuki pushes Zero down on the bed, taking him by surprise, so he's lying flat, and slowly climbs on top of him.
Ichigo sits in his room, at a large wooden desk. Akira has been gone for about twenty minutes, away to bed. Ichigo twirls in his chair, one of the few items in this room that are man-made. He's usually opposed to human made items, but he really likes spinning chairs. He reaches into his shirt and pulls out a necklace made from a piece of string and a small charm. Ichigo smiles, genuine happiness spreading across his face. He looks quite friendly when he smiles, his sharp teeth hidden, and his features softening. Ichigo looks at the charm closely, moving it around in his fingers. A canine tooth. Ichigo chuckles softly and continues to smile at the charm. "Akira..." he says gently to himself. "I still remember when you lost this tooth. You were playing in some trees near where we had stopped to rest, trying to leap from one to another. You misjudged the fall and fell, missing the branch you were aiming for, instead falling to the one below. On instinct, when your hands missed it, you elongated your fangs and tried to bite the branch. The branch held, but your tooth did not. You cried afterwards, from the fall and the pain of losing your tooth. I told you that it would grow back, that we can do that, but you wouldn't stop crying, saying you wanted your tooth. You went to bed upset that night. I scoured the area around that tree, until I found it. I gave it to you the next day, and you were so happy. I told you how I spent half the night looking for it, and you gave me a hug. 'You keep it, you looked so hard for it. I'm happy just knowing it's safe.', you said. 'I'm happy that you can protect it now. You have it. Thank you though, dad.'
"That was the first time you called me dad. It made me feel happy. But, it was a different sort of happiness than what I was used to. It wasn't satisfaction from a good hunt, or the sweet glory of revenge. This was a warm happiness. A safe happiness..."
Ichigo looks down at the tooth and sighs deeply, a look of sorrow suddenly spreading across his face. "I'm sorry that I have to be the monster you try to hard not to become. I really am. But, I'm an alpha now. If I wasn't maybe I could learn to get along with the other clans, with the humans. But, I'm a leader. I owe it to our clan to be ruthless, to be a monster, to protect them. If I could, I'd be the father you want, but I can't. I made a promise." Ichigo clutches the tooth tight. "I made a promise to your mother as she lay there dying. I promised to find you, raise you, and destroy the things that took her away from you. I promised to destroy the vampires. And I keep my word."
His features soften again. "And so, you can have my word Akira on this one thing, even if you're not here to hear it. I love you like I would my real son, maybe more so. I'm proud of you. I am so, so proud of you..."
Ichigo sits in his chair, clutching the tooth in his hand, as if it was the only thing stopping him from becoming more than a monster. As if it was his only hope of salvation. A barrier. A cure. Hope. A connection to a time when he didn't have to be a monster to fulfil his duties. A reminder of the only time when he could act like a human.
Ichigo closes his eyes, leans back in his chair, and slowly drifts off to sleep, an expression of peace upon his usually threatening face.