Memory 27 - Trivial Neutral

Memory 27: Kaitou is Zero's insurance

Memory goes here through Page 28.

What he learns?
- Most Hunters don't hunt alone, but he does.
- Another Hunter has been bitten and killed by a vampire while a pureblood was also murdered during a soiree between the Hunters and vampires. A pureblood is suspected to be the killer. He's really coming around to Kaname's desire to kill them all...
- He continues to have conflicted feelings about Yuuki...
- He still has the gun he gave Yuuki to kill him. Apparently, it calms him down when his urge to hunt becomes overpowering.
- He's still taking way too many pills. Feelings about this...
- The Hunter he is with is worried he plans to kill himself and has emotionally shut down. He (the Hunter) is worried about him (Zero) losing himself. Huh, so there is another Hunter aside from the president and his master who actually gives a damn about him. That's something.
- The Hunter's name is Kaitou.
- Kaitou was sent to the academy to watch him in case he snaps. That's reassuring...
- The two are supposed to investigate the purebloods togther. So this is his new partner.

What is means in Aather?
This memory isn't particularly pleasant because it's another reminder of how everyone knows he's losing it, even if he used to be much better at hiding it. He's tried to hide it a bit in Aather, but that tends to backfire and cause trust issues so it's usually a reflex at most.And he's a bit conflicted about Kaitou since Yuuki has been his partner for so long. But it's worth knowing he has someone else back home that he can actually trust, even if his past self didn't want to. He doesn't want to shut everything down that way his past self did, but part of him also believes that would make everything so much easier. To just stop caring. Especially if there is no hope for him... But in Aather, there is Ace. And the hope that Ace has for a future, for a future together is... catching. So even though he thinks it's probably a pipe dream, Zero has found himself... willing to humor it, just because it is something... nice. So he'll keep trying.

There is of course growing general pureblood distrust and hatred here, but that's not really something applicable to Aather right now.

Also, I need to use this icon more often when people are trying to help Zero get over his issues. >>

Memory 28 - Significant Negative

Memory 28: Shizuka murders Zero's parents and turns Zero

Memory starts on the last panel here and goes through Page 25, ending as the flashback does.

What he learns?
- His family used to constantly move to avoid vampires finding them for revenge.
- Ichiru is defending vampires and acting strange here. It must be just before he helped Shizuka kill their parents.
- Ichiru didn't understand himself anymore... This realization bothers Zero more than he knows it should.
- Shizuka knew the truth about Hunter twins, that one would always steal the power of the other.
- She bit him in front of his parents... Revenge for them killing someone she cared for. It's... kind of hard to give a damn about her right now.
- ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE SLAUGHTERED THEM BOTH RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM while they were trying to save him. GOOD GOD WHAT?!
- Ichiru was there the whole time, watching. Just. Watching.
- And all he could think about in that moment was protecting Ichiru. Even as Ichiru was enjoying watching him suffer.

What it means in Aather?
Um... yeah the impact of this probably goes without saying. It will... fuck Zero up rather badly, remembering exactly what happened to him and his parents that day. Especially since he already knows Ichiru helped set the whole thing up on purpose! And it's just... he never knew his parents died trying to protect him. That Shizuka cursed his fate out of revenge. That he was was spared just so he would suffer every day until his death, for the satisfaction of both Shizuka and Ichiru. It's just... so very much. And it will result in him not wanting to deal with ANYTHING immediately after. Because how do you even. The trauma of this memory is pretty much nightmare fuel level.

:(

Also, it will make him reluctant to have anyone near his neck... Just a bit of phobia there...

FUN TIEMS.