♡ Tender . / 黒主 優姫

                               ❛ ━━━━━━･ ☾ ✦ ☽ ･ ━━━━━━ ❜

What a careless, silly old trick. Yet, she fell for it. She was so, so ireful. This was meant to be an easy fight, but she could only guess they got tired of their old tricks failing and decided to add a little surprise, albeit a common one. The vampires were equipped with minor explosives, embedded and stitched into their own stomachs. Something was off from the very beginning, she should have trusted her gut over it. But now she was missing half of it, a nasty, deep wound at her side, she didn’t dare look at it, all she knew was that she was bleeding with no signs of stopping, there was no life force nearby, and if this kept up she would end up slumbering in the middle of nowhere, only to get preyed on. After all, that’s what they sought, sweet, pure blood that would grant a ticket to an extended life.   What a bunch of suicidal fools. 

Dying wasn’t an option, moving wasn’t an option, & she just couldn’t heal this thing! Her chest heaved, steadily, but her bloodshot eyes didn’t seem under control at all. This was her first time tasting death, it was bitter, needless to say, she wouldn’t do it again if she survived. 

 At the brink of exhaustion, she saw the tall figure of a man heading her way, a scent unlike any other, it wasn’t human, it wasn’t like her either. Normally, she would run from it, but all she could manage was drag her legs closer to her own body, but what could she hope to protect? Artemis laid by her side, a weapon useless with no wielder. 

                               ❛ ━━━━━━･ ☾ ✦ ☽ ･ ━━━━━━ ❜

‘ What were you thinking.. just what- ’ Dust particles settled around her feet just as she jumped over the fence, landing on concrete. There was no time for meddling with metal when she knew he left home, ready to fight on his own.

 She was more worried than anything else, she doubted she had ever ran this fast before. Perhaps.. when she was running after him, all those years ago, scared he would abandon her, or do things to himself he might regret.. it looked like he always had a death wish. Be it to protect or for his own self interest, Zero just kept on going on his own.. and one would think this time was no different, but he was still healing from one of his minor injuries; she didn’t want him out there, at least not by himself, the thought alone paralyzed her. Teeth gritted, she frowned. 

She turned around the next corner, and even before she was in his field of vision, she called out his name, at the top of her lungs.    ❝ Zero!  ❞

She hardly managed to halt in time, grabbing on the edge of his coat as if her life depended on it. Wine stared, all the rage turned to relief in an instant, she was really wearing her heart on her sleeve.. already about to cry. 

                     ❛ ━━━━━━･ ☾ ✦ ☽ ･ ━━━━━━ ❜

❝ Are you alright? You’re hardly moving at all..  ❞

Yuuki worriedly placed a palm at the top of the girl’s head, despite not knowing her, she couldn’t help but wish to comfort her. She kneeled down right next to her, the touch turning into a caress soon after. The bright color of her hair certainly drew her attention as well. 

                           ❛ ━━━━━━･ ☾ ✦ ☽ ･ ━━━━━━ ❜

‘ 20 minutes late.. ’

Yuuki nervously stared at her clock on the inside of her wrist, feet nervously tapping against the shiny tiles, gosh, everything felt so expensive in here.. she had been in numerous companies since she started this part time job, yet nothing felt as luxurious as this place.. Thing is, she was no more than an errand girl, running from one place to the next, collecting signatures or buying whatever her boss asked of her. It wasn’t all that satisfying.. but it paid well, and given her nature, she didn’t get tired easily, if at all. It was something not a lot of people chose, but she could pull off just fine. Point was, there was no room for being late..

She could tell, this man was of the busy ones, rightfully so.. but why can’t such a prestigious CEO be on time?? She was fuming. She had way too many things to get to today.. and at the end of the day, he was the one who was late! That’s why, she made up her mind to give up waiting and enter his office before it was too late. Confidently, she strode towards his door, even the tag with his name embedded in it mocked for actual gold. Yuuki stuck her tongue out at it; what was all the prominence for if you can’t be responsible?    ❝ I’m sorry, I’m coming in..  ❞ She exclaimed before practically yanking the handle open, yet she found his office.. empty?! Wine widened, she was impressed, but in a very bad way. Before she was done processing the visuals, Yuuki heard steps coming from right behind her. She didn’t know who he was, but she could tell by his proud catwalk, tall figure, and formal suits, this was the man she had came for, Victor. 

But, did that mean he saw all that just now? Her rudely charging into his office, mocking his tag? She was done for, if she couldn’t get the signatures, even though the deal was practically sealed. Oh no.. 

                                ❛ ━━━━━━･ ☾ ✦ ☽ ･ ━━━━━━ ❜

Yuuki had been silent for most of their way home, a radiant contrast to her behavior the past few days. She just quietly tugged along at Zero’s sleeve, right at the edge. Wine was barely fixated on the road itself, rather, it seemed like she was being guided; yet, miraculously enough, she had not tripped anywhere yet.  

Nothing had changed.. .

Digits now clutched at the sleeve as she stared at his tall figure with a lump in her throat. She didn’t want to cry over something so silly, she’s had enough of crying, and so did he. Yuuki was determined to keep her overthinking under control & only to herself. 

Nothing at all. .

Indeed, Zero was.. the same to her. No matter the hundreds of years that had passed, he never wavered. Not in his feelings, nor his composure; his lilac had the same shine, always. Yet, no matter how much he tricked the flow of time, no matter how much cursed blood ran through them both, he wasn’t meant to be eternal.. and she couldn’t change that. But why was she thinking such obscure things after a wedding ceremony..; it was making her feel guilty, yet she felt paralyzed, a prisoner of her own, escalating thoughts. 

‘ Until we both turn to dust.. ’

Such beautiful vows, she mused. But every time she thought of saying those words to him, she felt nothing but agony, a reminder of the inevitable end that would crush her heart to bits, whenever it did come. It made her so anxious.. they both knew who was meant to go first.. but nothing would stop her from delaying it for as long as she could. She wanted him by her side, for that, she would do anything. 

// Hmm.. interesting question. 

// Me? 309, probably lost a few during hiatus. Curious anon is curious, hah. 

Accepting // Questions for the Mun .

Ah. So this is how this was going to go. It would be much, much easier if he would just give in; admit he got red-handed, and walked himself out. She didn’t want.. this fight.             ‘ Playing the villain doesn’t suit you ’; she would recall these words that were once said to her every time she was against another, but even she had things to get mad about. This remorseless vampire, was more dangerous than most. How can he carry such an insentient , frigid heart. . this very room, reeked of all his sins. Yuuki felt more like she had entered a devil’s den, & the deuce was seated in his throne; it struck and chilled her to the bone that the human her would not have lasted a second in here.. for once, she was glad to be immortal. 

❝ No such thing. ❞ Superior? Yuuki barely considered herself as adequate.. but that was for her heart to know. Then, her digits parted; letting the paper slip between her fingers, watching it gradually sway on the floor between their feet, she did not want to have anything this place carried on her. She watched it soak into the blackness before wine narrowed; averting to stare into the dim light his eyes emitted. 

  ❝ I only wish to protect.. those that you harm. But I am sure that if I tell you ‘ stop ’ you won’t listen..  ❞ She took a step forward; Artemis clinging to her thigh every step of the way. The words came out in an almost amused tone- it was a truth they both knew, he wouldn’t stop. Or, he could pretend he will, but he won’t. 

❝ My sins.. I hope they never amount to this.  ❞ She towered above his seat, a palm pressed against its edges; her own irises, a bright, furious red as she looked from a little above. His prestige was perceptible, if only it wasn’t covered in bloodshed. 

Accepting // Questions for the Mun .