錐生 零 Kiryuu Zero

So it is WAY past time for me to do a heart game with Zero BUT the game means virtually nothing without Zero's CR and I hate scoring. That said, I will be doing a sort of PLOT heart game for Zero in mid-January, depending on the scheduling of Shark's heart game.

This heart game will be the result of some problems Zero will start to experience after soul-bonding game. :x Zero's top CR have already been introduced to the plot element.

This post is to gauge interest on who wants to play in the heart so I can decide on how much I want to build.

Notes:
- You will start the heart with a status effect. I won't tell you what it will be yet, but everyone will have the same one. It won't be sense loss.
- This heart will emotionally fuck with you.
- THIS IS NOT A NICE HEART. You are with a violently unstable vampire after all. Death is not SUPER HIGH but it is possible. Especially if you piss off the wrong NPCs.
- There will be a very clear goal of this heart. It ties into the plot.
- Warnings: This heart will contain scenes of graphic violence/death, possible suicide metaphors, some slightly non-con elements (which will not befall your characters) and A LOT OF BLOOD. Vampire.
- While heart is not timed, I want to do the five-hour straight run for starters and see how much more time is needed afterward.
- You will be able to affect parts of Zero's heart/personality. I might provide some failsafes in case things get too hectic. |D

Memory 41: Training with Kaitou

Memory goes here. By the way, I'm only leaving this unlocked for the week and then I'm locking it to this account. o/

What he learns?
- He used to really suck at hunting in general because he hated killing.
- Kaitou's master was badly hurt by a vampire so they trained together for a while.
- Kaitou thought he was a weak Hunter.
- Ichiru used to want to be a Hunter too, so they could be Hunters together.
- He wanted to become a great Hunter so he could keep Ichiru by his side.
- Ichiru used to love their parents.
- Kaitou was the first person to be brutally honest with Ichiru about his abilities.
- He fought with Kaitou over this.
- Kaitou had a bad family life and ran away from home.
- Yagari apparently thought it was a great idea to let children hunt a Level E by themselves...
- Kaitou's older brother was also a vampire hunter. But he was turned into a Level E.
- Kaitou's older brother nearly killed Zero, if Yagari hadn't saved him.
- Kaitou killed his older brother.
- He told Kaitou it was better family killed Kaitou's brother than someone else.
- Kaitou is the one who taught him that killing Level E vampires is a mercy kill.

What this means in Aather?
WELL, THERE SURE ARE MORE ICHIRU FEELINGS. :x It's also confirmation that he's only a Hunter because it's what was always expected of him. It makes him more aware of the first-hand information Kaitou is working with while dealing with him in present time. There's also a greater push toward accepting that what he does is for the vampires' sake as well, even if killing still messes him up. Also, it is embarrassing to remember sucking so badly at things, even if he was just a child at the time. :/

Memory 39: Before the suicide rush

Memory goes there through 29

What he learns?
- He was planning on killing Shizuka and then dying.
- He tried to make Yuuki think nothing was wrong the entire time.
- He told Yuuki she was the reason he was able to live for so long after his parents died.
- His bite mark aches in Shizuka's presence.

What this means in Aather?

Mostly, Zero just feels like an ass for lying and manipulating Yuuki in this conversation. He also feels awkward about wanting to kill himself since he still has inklings of that. But much of them are consistently countered by his promise to Ace. It's still hard sometimes...

Memory 37: Different tablets

Memory goes here through 27

What he learns?
- The pills back home are corrupting the students who take them, making them violent.
- Yuuki's blood is the cure for this.
- Sara is responsible for the corrupted pills.
- Yuuki can still hold him back from killing vampires.
- Her blood is still almost impossible to resist.

What this means in Aather?
It just ups his concern about Purebloods and the levels to which they will sink. How much of the students are still infected? But it also improves his perspective of himself (at least at this point) since he does seem to be a functioning partner for Yuuki, even if her blood remains a constant distraction. The latter bothers him severely.

Memory 36: Attacking Yuuki

Memory goes here through Page 12 of Chapter 4

What he learns?
- He's attacked Yuuki before. So badly that she couldn't even stand.
- Yuuki didn't know what he was before that, but Kaname did.
- Yuuki stopped Kaname from killing him that day.
- Kaname knows how precious Yuuki's blood is to him.

What this means in Aather?
This memory spooked Zero a lot when he took it, but Ace was adamant about Zero not hurting himself for the sake of Yuuki and pretty much scared sense into Zero. It stills shakes him up when he thinks about what he can do to people when in bloodlust mode, but Ace is helping him believe that their regiment of pills and blood is something Zero didn't have at the time so it shouldn't happen again. Zero still deeply regrets hurting Yuuki but tries not to think about it so he doesn't spiral.

Essentially, this could have been much more soul-crushing had Ace not intervened.

Memory 34: Cross' blackmails Zero into going back to school

Memory goes here until Page 4

What he learns?
- He was originally very resistant to being in the same school with vampires and threatened to attack them.
- He also questioned which class he belonged in.
- Cross is a manipulative ass.

What it means to Aather?

Just more of Zero's usual annoyance toward himself for being an ass.

Does your character know the real name of:
- Ryner
- Zero
- Toboe (probably no one)

How did they learn it?

What circumstances would they use their real name?

How much do you know about Zero's vampirism?

Do you know Zero is a twin?
- How much do you know about Ichiru?
- How much do you know about Zero's past?

Do you know Ryner is a mage?

Do you know Ryner is Alpha Stigma?
- How much do you know about Alpha?

Do you know Ryner used to be an assassin?

Do you know Toboe killed his owner?

Okay, so Zero and Brother Deer have ICly altered their hunt quest. If you want to do the quest but didn't talk to Zero, that's fine. Assume he found you and told you.

The new rules are as follows:

- Two teammates can enter Brother Deer's realm at the same time.
- Up to two teams can visit each day. But not ICly at the same time.
- Each team can only enter the realm once an IC week.
- Teams only have an hour to hunt.
- Teams will be able to enter the realm without Zero's help but they must complete a quest. See below.
- They will use a branch that must be broken to enter the realm. The magic will only last for two trips so characters will have to complete a quest every other month or so. The quest may change.
- You don't have to play out the hunts, but please check the Realm Visit header before you reference going to the realm so we don't have people going at the same time.

TRANSFORMATION QUEST:
- One teammate must attempt to chase and catch someone. The person can be another teammate or someone outside the team. You can chase up to two people.
- If the person is caught, that person turns into an animal for part of the day. The animal is up to your choosing and happens immediately upon capture.
- If you want the chaser to fail, they will turn into an animal.
- Upon completion of the quest, Zero will present them with their branch to be used at their discretion.

Please comment to the headers so people can keep track.
- Chase volunteers: comment here to tell people you want them to attempt to catch your character. Leave some type of contact for them to reach you. You can be caught by different people and multiple times, if you wish.
- Quest completion: comment here when you have done the quest. Leave a link so Zero can tag you.
- Realm visit: comment here with the day, time and character. Remember you can only visit twice without doing a new quest.

Also, if you want to use this quest as an excuse to turn into animal but not actually *use* the branch to hunt. That's fine too. :x

Memory 32: Yagari loses his eye

Memory goes here through Page 5 + Here through Page 25

What he learns?
- He's blood-lusting again in this memory. It's obvious from the fact that he's locked himself in his room, upon his master's orders.
- Yuuki didn't know about his master at the time.
- It feels like he's done something terrible to her again. Did he try to attack her again? Is that why he's locked up? Why did she have to keep coming back at that time... ?
- He was attacked by a school nurse when he was young, but his master saved him and lost his eye in the process.
- He didn't want to believe vampires were evil as a child.
- His master says it's a Hunter's sole purpose to kill vampires. It's what they're born for.
- Yuuki was trying to take him somewhere... So many unsure feelings about this.

What this means in Aather?
A lot of concern over possibly attacking Yuuki again, especially since he's under house arrest this time. More concern at how easily she can get in to see him after something like that. Doesn't his master care for her safety?? Not much surprise at how he didn't want to see vampires as evil when he was a child since memoryless him didn't want that either. A lot of negative feelings about his sole purpose in life being vampire destruction. And a HELL OF A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY over what Yuuki is trying to do since it feels very familiar...

Memory 30: Ichiru's Motives

I can't share this memory as it's from Vampire Knight Guilty, but it's basically a short scene of Ichiru fawning at girls at the academy, seeing Zero and then basically having a creeper conversation with him while Zero is DEFENSIVE. If you super want it, tell me and I'll tell you where to find the episode. I included it because we never get enough Zero/Ichiru interaction in the series so you're getting EVERY SINGLE SECOND Ichiru and Zero are together. So there. :|b

What he learns?
- Ichiru is good at making friends, even making others prefer him over Zero. This doesn't bother Zero since he knows Zero's an ass. But it does give conflicted feelings...
- He can't get a read on why Ichiru is here and Ichiru just wants to be evasive and cruel.
- Ichiru...

What this means in Aather?

As with any Ichiru memory, Zero is left in conflict. He can't hate his brother, but he knows how terrible Ichiru can be to him. This memory shows that in spades, with Zero viciously teasing Zero at every turn while repeating that all he wants to do is spend time with his "dear older brother." It fucks Zero up bad because he just wants to spend time with Ichiru too. And wishes so badly that things didn't have to have happened the way they did. That he could just love Ichiru normally.