錐生 零 Kiryuu Zero

Memory 55: Ichiru roleplays Zero

Memory goes here.

What he learns?
- Apparently, Ichiru likes to wear long-haired wigs and pretend to be him...
- Nope, he's got nothing.

What this means to Aather?
It's just kind of awkward since it's a reminder of how strange their relationship was... And how strange Ichiru was...

Memory 54: Unable to attack Sara

Memory goes here through Page 8 of Chapter 59. Ignore parts without Zero and for the cemetery part, only the background words are important since Zero is flashbacking.

What he learns?
- Apparently some of the vampire students do photo shoots? Whatever.
- He ran into Sara and some girls she had turned into vampires while he and Kaitou were patrolling.
- He was SO GLAD to smell the human blood on her since it meant he could KILL HER.
- He recognizes that he's need to do that was very much like his need for bloodlust, possibly worst.
- But he couldn't kill her because the rules don't allow hunters to kill purebloods who drink or turn people consensually. What the hell is up with that?
- He was SO PISSED OFF that he couldn't kill her. Like a vampire deprived of its prey.
- Kaitou found him and chastised him, forcing him to take time off work and visit his family's graves. Kaitou believed it would remind Zero he was still human and not just a vampire lusting for blood.
- Kaitou recognized the bloodlust in Zero's eyes at the time.

What this means in Aather?
Well, Thorn kind of acknowledges that the bloodlust he felt when he thought he could kill Sara for breaking the rules is the same as the rush he gets when challenging a Personae that has hurt the teams. :x It is the same KILL thirst. And the satisfaction that it's fine because it's within the rules. And he's just so damn eager to do it. So he knows that's bloodlust now. And it does make him feel disgusting. But unlike with Sara, Thorn also feels that he has to keep doing it because someone has to. Whether it is successful or not. Whether it makes him a monster or not.

But Thorn also has something he did not quite have back home. An ever-present reminder of his humanity. Which is Ace. Ace is constantly telling Zero that he isn't a monster and that he should focus on the future. And Thorn actually humors this thought for mostly Ace's sake but also more and more his own. And that difference allows him to recognize the bloodlust for what it is but also recognize his desire to avenge people for what it is. So he can get a better grasp on his bloodlust in those situations, although the changes in his heart still complicate things.

Memory 52: Yuuki telling Zero she can't be with him

Memory starts here and goes through the chapter's end.

What he learns?
- He hurt himself on a vampire weapon doing something stupid.
- He and Yuuki are still pursuing Kaname, but she is unsure about working together now.
- Yuuki believe she belongs to Kaname.
- He feels their entire lives/relationship has been a setup by Kaname.
- He wants to find something real and feels better about starting anew.

What this means in Aather?

Well, there is lot of ANGER toward the implication that everything he feels for Yuuki was orchestrated by Kaname, even though Zero also feels it was Yuuki's own actions that saved him. But this idea of starting fresh resonates deeply with Thorn because it is very much a premise of Aather and he wants to know how Yuuki feels about everything once all the pretenses are washed away. He is not happy she's saying she belongs to Kaname because Kaname is a fucking asshole! But he also knows it's her decision, and he can't intervene. Overall, it seems like their relationship has matured and while he still loves her like crazy, he can accept where they stand. So he's all right with this memory. It also pushes him harder into having to think about whether he really has to return... and whether it will actually be all right to stay with Ace.

There's also some guilt about doing something stupid and getting badly here, but that's more Aather-related because of how Ace always gets on Thorn's case for doing the same thing. :x

So it's no secret that I was a bit... unsure about how my game ran. I know I did a lot of unconventional things and people were confused and while I accomplished what I was after, I did not get the sense that most people... enjoyed playing. Save a few exceptions. I more got the feeling that people were frustrated. The fault in this lies with how I structured/ran things so I would like to address it.

As I want to run a heart game for Toboe fairly soon, this post is to solicit feedback on what you had difficulties with while playing and what you would like to see improved for future heart games from me. If there were certain things that really worked well, I would also like to know about those. I also plan on running another one for Ryner to update him to Season 2.

Please feel free to say whatever you wish. I'm not going to respond, other than to let you know I've seen your comment. I'm just going to take things into consideration in building my next heart.

All comments will be screened.

Memory 60: Cross Academy Montage

This is basically just a collection of light moments from the Volume 2 extras.

Here through the other extra.

What he learns?
- God, he hates remembering how Yuuki acts around Kaname.
- Apparently, he got in trouble for being late to class before and almost missed his Guardian duties, leading to near-chaos between Day and Night Class. :/
- Kicking down padlocked doors is totally acceptable when people are being morons. :|b
- The president used to tease him about joining the Night Class. :/
- Abuse ensued.

What this means in Aather?

Most just annoyed nostalgia. And the satisfaction of kicking down a door. :|b

Being a vampire, and a super vampire at that, Zero possesses enhanced senses of sight, smell and hearing. So he can do things like see easily in the dark, sense blood from far away, differentiate between the way people smell (especially their blood) and hear things from pretty far away too.

Zero will need to learn to control these new senses a bit so there might be a transition period. |D

[You feel a tug, insistent, demanding and desperate. Powerful enough that it seems it intends to rip you out of existence itself. And there is sensation of a barely restrained exasperated breath echoing in your ears you're taking too long, idiot...

Then it suddenly stops, the halted motion launching you face-first into a giving surface.]


[OOC: Please join #vampireheart. All healing abilities off. Combat abilities and items on.]

Memory 47: Yuuki's reunion with Yori

Memory goes here through Page 8 and picks up again from Page 16 through Page 17.

What he learns?
- Kaitou was testing him in regards to being around vampires.
- Sara had fed before the ball. Probably when she killed the Hunter.
- Aidou wanted him to see Yuuki but he refused.
- Aidou took Yori to see Yuuki. This must be what Yori was referring to in her memory of Yuuki not changing.

What this means in Aather?

Mostly just the usual feelings about being an ass and hating Kaname and Sara :|b Though it does raise questions about why Aidou seems to be pushing a reconciliation with Yuuki, when Aidou is Kaname's friend and knows Kaname loves Yuuki. Maybe Aidou knows what type of person Kaname is too.

Memory 45: Checking on Aidou

Memory goes here through Page 21

What he learns?
- He was bothered by Yuuki having free reign of the school. Probably because of what her blood does to him and his complicated feelings about her.
- Cross is helping Yuuki.
- This must be around the same time as his memory of interrogating Aidou with the others.
- Aidou is supposed to be watching Yuuki?
- Something happened to Aidou. Something Kaname did. Something similar to what happened to Zero.
- Aidou refuses to give into the same hate.

What this means in Aather?

Zero is starting to be able to piece together a bit of a timeline so he can tell this memory came from before Yuuki restarted the Night Class since that's obviously what she's working toward here. So this must also be after her arrest. Of course, the bigger concern is what he and Aidou share? Since it obviously bothered him in a deeply personal way. What did Kaname do to Aidou? Is he using Aidou the same as him? Or did he hurt someone important to Aidou? And what does Kaname have to gain from it?

Memory 43: Calling Yuuki by her name for the first time in a long time

Memory goes here through the end of the chapter. Skip scenes without Zero.

Also, my god is this a wonky translation. |D

What he learns?
- One of the pureblood's servants has escaped from Sara and is trying to kill her for killing her master.
- He is protecting Sara? WHY?
- Yuuki was shocked to hear him use her name...
- They originally thought Kaname killed this pureblood.
- Kaname did something to Ichiru???
- He can no longer stand Yuuki being willing to forgive Kaname.
- Kaname's been watching them this whole time!

What it means in Aather?

Well, Zero sure needed more of a reason to hate Kaname. |D He doesn't know what Kaname did to Ichiru, but he knows the very, very intense rage he felt in the moment he was taking out his fury on Yuuki so he figures it must be something pretty wretched. To the point where he can no longer let Yuuki believe in Kaname, despite how much he knows she loves Kaname. He's also not sure what to make of the fact that he's protecting Sara since she seems to be an especially dangerous pureblood. He already knows she was involved in the corrupted blood tablet scheme. So there has to be some twist to this. Maybe it's a ruse... Still, it doesn't make him feel especially happy with himself.

Sadly, much of this other stuff is kind of overwhelming the fact that he is using Yuuki's name for what seems a very long time, given her reaction. There are some subdued feelings about that too. But mostly RAGE AT FUCKING KANAME!!!