The next few days continued to pass at a snail's pace of both activity and inactivity. Depending on whether or not everyone got bored.

And during that time, Ichigo continued to train Az and play with Clara to keep the two of them from getting so bored that they decided to do something like set the mansion on fire. Not that Ichigo herself didn't think of doing the same thing more than a few times.

However, her impulse control was a lot better than say- Clara's and Az's.

And since that was the case, she tried her best to wear the two out to the best of her ability.

Which meant that she had to occasionally draft Shichiro and Opera to help her. Not that either demon seemed to be completely put out by that fact.

Shichiro seemed to enjoy playing games more than she'd ever seen an adult enjoy anything before. Or maybe it had to do more with the fact that he was being included in something. The guy was generally so happy to be asked if he wanted to play a game or something with the rest of them that he would let out a happy sounding trill.

The first time that Ichigo had heard it, she hadn't known what to think of the sound. Especially since it wasn't really a response of one kind or another. But the second time that she'd heard it, she had understood what it meant and had sort of made it a secret mission of hers to hear the sound as often as she could.

Whereas Opera didn't appear to care one way or another if he was included in any group activities along with the others as long as he was close to her.

Ichigo didn't really mind that. After all the guy had other things on his mind that playing childish games with her and the others. So, she didn't push him to do more with them and simply let him do as he wanted.

And what he wanted to do was mostly tease her any way that he could.

Which he did...entirely too often. And to be honest, Ichigo wasn't really equipped to handle such wicked teasing from someone who was hellbent on seducing her.

Which he was. Seducing her, I mean.

He was doing it slowly and taking his sweet time about it since she had told him that she was saving herself for marriage. Yet despite that, he was still gradually chipping away at her self control.

It was weird, especially given the fact that she had never had someone set their attention on her in such a way. But in her experience, many were turned off entirely by her old-fashioned stance on relationships and sex.

However, Opera wasn't.

She couldn't decide if he was just really, really determined to get her into his bed... Especially since his teasing usually had a sexual edge to it that was unmistakable to her. It was certainly hard to miss, that was for sure.

Or if he genuinely wanted her as his future wife along with everything else that went hand in hand with that.

It wasn't as if she had a ton of experience with men, so she was having trouble reconciling herself to either option. Which was why, on the last day of her period she decided to ask him.

Up until then, she had sort of been avoiding being too close to him if she could help it. It wasn't because she disliked he or his torturous teasing. It was more for her sake of mind than anything else.

Opera was standing over by one of the windows in the training room, his arms were folded across his chest, his red eyes were trained on something in the distance. Birds, maybe? He was a cat demon after all, so maybe he had some actual feline traits? Aside from the ears and tail, that is.

Walking over to him, she hesitated to reach out and touch him. Especially when the reflection of his expression made him look as if he wanted to destroy something with extreme prejudice right then.

Ichigo couldn't help but wonder if the dark expression on his face, was her fault.

If so then she would have to both apologize and explain why she had been trying to avoid him so that he could better understand her reasons.

"Uh...O-Opera?"

His ears twitched and she saw his eyes lock on her reflection in the window before he slowly turned to her. "Yes, Miss."

"I...wanted to talk to you. Is this a bad time?"

The words, Because you look like you're ready to commit murder, went unspoken. But she was fairly certain that he already knew what she was thinking from the way he arched one of his brows at her.

"Of course," He said with a slight bow. "What is it that you wish to speak of?"

"Um, well- First off, I wonder if I need to apologize for the fact that I've sort of been avoiding you a bit." He blinked at her, but then seemed to understand.

He sighed. "You do not need to apologize to me for that."

"You literally looked just now as if you wanted to destroy something. So, I probably do." He huffed quietly but otherwise didn't react to her words. So, she decided to plow on. "I don't want you to think that I dislike you or anything. And we're still courting, aren't we?"

He looked vaguely alarmed by her question but still replied with a firm. "Yes."

"Okay, so here's why I've been avoiding you a bit. I'm not used to someone being so focused on me, romantically. And you seem to like teasing me in an effort to seduce me. Am I wrong?"

"No, Miss. You aren't wrong." Opera said with a slight quirk of his lips.

"Anyway, a lot of your teasing has a sexual edge to it and it's sort of driving me crazy. I started to avoid you because of that. I-It's just...a lot to get used to. That's all." She said awkwardly.

He blinked at her once, and then got a relieved look on his face that made Ichigo feel like a bitch for making him worry as he said. "I see. So, you put some distance between us in an effort to not be so bothered by my teasing. That is the gist of what you are saying, yes?"

"Y-Yeah. Basically." Ichigo said as she lifted a hand to rub the nape of her neck.

"I understand, Miss." He said as he leaned into her personal space a bit as he asked. "Was there something else that you wished to speak about?"

"There is kind of a lot I want to talk about." Ichigo said. "I have so many questions about how courtships work, that I'm not really sure where to begin. Also, you said before that you wanted marriage...w-with me. I'm still trying to figure out why that is. I mean, I'm not totally useless but I'm not exactly a prize either. I wonder what you would get out of this. I mean, what is it exactly that you really want?"

Opera stared at her as his tail flicked behind him as he listened to her ramble for several heartbeats longer before finally reaching out and gently placing his fingertips against her lips to silence her.

Then once she fell quiet, he removed his fingers from her lips and said, "You do seem to have many questions. Let us begin with my reasons for courting you to begin with. Demons are...complicated when it comes to deciding to settle down. We are drawn to many different things in a partner. I myself admire strength. However, there are other things that draw me as well."

"You're innocence, for starters. It is...something that stands out among our kind because many of us do not remain very innocent for very long. We are born wicked in nature. We have bloodlust pulsing through us from the moment of our birth. We lust, desire, and destroy. It is simply in our natures to do so." He said softly as he studied her face to gauge her thoughts.

But his mistress had her poker face on and wasn't giving anything away.

"Another thing that I greatly admire about you is your compassion and empathy for others. In this world, such traits are rare. Especially since having compassion or empathy for certain people can easily cause your death." He lifted a hand to cup her cheek as he went on to say. "You know that, don't you? Yet you still try to be so very kind. And in the short time that I have known you, you have not only proven yourself to be worthy of my attention and affections- but you have shown other qualities as well."

He leaned closer to her just a bit more, and pressed his forehead against her own as he said softly, "You are perfect, Miss. You are everything that I have ever dreamt of in a partner and more. That is why I wish to be with you. To protect and care for you all the days of our lives."

Ichigo couldn't help herself after hearing him say such...nice things about her. She blushed and couldn't seem to stop. Opera chuckled and then said, "Courtships, once initiated, can last anywhere from six months to a year. Depending on the demon's involved. And typically, there are certain steps that must be taken. For instance, when beginning a courtship- the male demon will try to show his affection and esteem for the demoness that he has chosen with various, intricate displays of strength and carnage."

"Ah, that sort of explains the whole turning the schoolteachers into a throne thing." Ichigo muttered in understanding.

"Among other things, yes." Opera said with a nod of his head. "It's a means of showing our chosen one what we think about her. The displays are meant to flatter the demoness as well as catch her attention and show her one's interest in her romantically."

Ichigo didn't say it, but he'd certainly gotten her attention with his display. After what he'd done to her poor teachers at there was literally no way that she could possibly ignore him.

Not without some concern that he may do something even worse to other people, anyways.

"There are other things done too-"

"Like gift giving?"

"Yes. It is a means of expressing oneself through objects and trinkets. Male demons usually choose something like jewelry or clothing. Whereas demonesses usually choose to give their males something that carries their scent or favorite color in or on it. There are some that choose trinkets for their males, which is fine since it is also a way of showing their favor. But it is unnecessary in many instances."

"So basically, since you chose to give me a gift- the ball is in my court now?"

"Yes."

"I see. Then, what would you like from me as a gift?"

"I'm afraid that I must leave the choice up to your discretion, Miss." He said with a small hint of a smile. Ichigo wouldn't swear to it, but she thought that he looked kind of amused at her expense.

"You can't give me some sort of clue?"

"I cannot."

"Aww, that sucks! How am I supposed to know if you'll like what I give you then?"

"We will both simply have to be surprised."

"That's no fun."

He snickered as she pouted for a moment. After that he continued explaining. "After a time, the demons courting decide whether or not they should exchange blood. If they decide to do it, it creates a bond between them that cannot be undone. For many, this step is a security measure to ensure that their chosen isn't forced from their side by others seeking their demonesses' hand. They will be able to find one another over great distances, if separated. They will feel when each other are in pain. And they will even know if one of them is killed. However, if they decide not to exchange blood...then it is best if the courtship is ended- to spare the unsuited couple more pain and suffering."

"So, a blood exchange is one of the steps? No kidding?"

"Yes. It helps to establish a deeper bond."

She already heard him say that the first time. So, she wasn't sure why he was repeating that part.

"Okay then." Ichigo said as she held her arm out to him, catching him by surprise as he took hold of the limb gently while then giving her a confused look. "I don't know a lot about this stuff, but I'm at least secure enough in my choices to know that I will exchange blood with you. It doesn't really matter to me if it's now or later. But this is probably something that you really want too, right?"

"Of course."

"Then go ahead and take some." Ichigo said, indicating with her other hand to her offered arm. "I don't mind if you do it now."

Opera suddenly went completely still and got an expression on his face that basically told her that she'd just blown his mind. Honestly, it was kind of funny.

Yet despite that fact, she didn't dare to laugh at him as she waited for his mind to reboot and start working again.

She knew when his brain was finally working again. The way that he started shivering was a dead giveaway. Of course, that was before he pounced on her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, causing her to squeak as she nearly fell over from having him fling himself into her so fast.

Luckily, she didn't fall.

But Opera was going pretty cat-like on her. A low rumbling purr like sound vibrated in his chest as he rubbed his cheek against her own in a very affectionate manner while his tail swished happily behind him. Ichigo merely petted his head absently, not really sure what else to do at the moment.

He purred louder for her for several minutes before slowly, regaining his composure and backing away from her some. "Ah, please forgive my forward behavior, Mistress Ichigo." He said politely. She cocked her head and regarded him with some amusement.

"There's nothing to forgive, Opera. You're obviously happy that I offered to exchange blood with you."

"W-Well, yes. Of course, I am." He said as he looks away from her, his face flushing as he tacked on. "To exchange blood with one's chosen is...the greatest aspiration of any demon courting their ideal partner."

Which was true, however Opera was withholding certain information from his mistress. Not out of malice or trickery. But because he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell her the real reason behind blood exchanges. Most of what he had already told her was the absolute truth when it came to blood exchanges.

However, what he simply refused to say at the moment, was that a blood exchange was similar- though not entirely the same as being married. Mostly because the bond the exchange created between two demons was so very strong that it couldn't be seen any other way.

A bond was simply inescapable in much the same way that a demon marriage was. It created a contract between the two doing the exchange.

Opera knew that his mistress didn't know this, and that was why he was prepared to turn down doing a blood exchange with her right then. After all, he didn't want her to think that he was trying to trick or lie to her about the importance of a blood exchange between them. Especially when it would cause them both to be viewed by others as a married couple.

Though he also wouldn't deny that when she'd held her arm out to him and told him to go ahead and do an exchange, he had felt such unadulterated joy. He had thought that his heart would burst from the depths of his feelings. But since his mistress was still ignorant of what her words meant- he would simply have to forget that he had heard them for now.

Oh, but he wished to hold onto those words. If only to keep as an acknowledgement of his feelings for her.

Reaching out, he grasped hold of both of her hands in his and lifted them to his mouth so that he could kiss her fingertips, her knuckles and then the inside of each of her wrists. "I'm sorry, Mistress...but I'm afraid that I must turn down your offer for the moment."

Ichigo cocked her head to the side and stared at him for a moment or so before getting a look of realization on her face. "Oh, no wonder." She said before then asking, "A blood exchange between two people does more than simply bond them together. It's like marriage, isn't it?"

Opera gave her a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look that practically screamed, YES! to her. And she had to look away from him as she thought about the pros and cons of going ahead and doing the exchange anyway.

Honestly, the pros far outweighed the cons to her. And she didn't mind that the two of them were considered married if they went through with it. Afterall, she had said that a blood exchange was going to happen eventually. So, it didn't really matter to her if it was now, or even a hundred years from now.

It was still going to happen.

Her instincts were never wrong about such things. Nor have they ever failed her.

The second that she made her decision, she turned her head back around to look at Opera. "Let's do it."

"Huh?" Opera said, obviously shocked.

"The blood exchange, let's do it."

"M-Miss-" Surely, he had heard her wrong. His mistress didn't just say that she wanted to do the blood exchange anyway. She just couldn't. The poor thing had no idea what she was saying! And yet...when he studied her face her expression was oddly serene, without any trace of nervousness or fear.

He swallowed past the sudden lump that had developed in his throat and stared at her wide eyed. His heart was beating frantically in his ribcage, his hands felt as if they were shaking as he slowly nodded his head in understanding.

She knew what it meant. She was certain. She still wanted to do it.

He wasn't sure how he managed to stay calm as he took hold of her arm and pulled her in close to him while lifting her wrist to his mouth. He may have bitten down a bit too hard, he would always remember the way that his mistress's face twisted a bit in pain and how her breath left her in a hiss as his fangs sank deeply into her skin.

The taste of her blood was like ambrosia on his tongue- it was so sweet, yet it was also spicy and decadent too. He couldn't help but feel voracious as he drank the liquid down in greedy gulps.

Then just like that, he felt the beginnings of a bond snap into place inside of him. It was startling at first, so much so that he released her wrist to just feel it.

It took him several moments to regain his senses, and once he did, he held his wrist out to her so that the exchange could be completed.

Ichigo smiled at him and took hold of his arm and lifted it to her lips. Unlike him, he knew that her teeth would likely hurt a great deal more since they were very blunt compared to his own. Yet despite knowing that, he couldn't help but purr as her teeth tore through his flesh, and he felt her begin to drink his blood as he had hers until the bond that he had felt before, became stronger and stronger.

He could feel the thrumming of contentment through it along with a million various other things. Some were very faint, while others were much more pronounced and easier to grasp.

Among some of the stronger feelings was one that made no sense to him. It was foreign, and yet familiar. Opera focused on it- wanting to find out what it was. That was when he got the shock of his life.

He suddenly found himself standing on the side of a building yet he wasn't falling despite the fact that he wasn't using his claws to stay in place. And ahead of him a short way, was a person who looked just like his mistress. But was taller, lean muscled, and muscular in appearance.

A man?

Said person was frighteningly pale from head to toe. Even the hair on his head was frighteningly white. And when he looked at Opera, it was with gold-colored eyes in a sea of black.

"Hey man, nice to meet ya." The person said with a warm smile.