My Vampire Heart

Vampire Knight Chapter 82 is out! I read the scanlation here. (There are probably other sources, feel free to share links if you know better ones).


SPOILERS AHEAD

Ah, so many hot, angsty pictures in this chapter!  Any Kaname - Zero showdown is bound to be visually appealing and this chapter certainly had that in spades!  Yes, call me weird, but I was very pleased to see the two of them sharing so much page space in this chapter. :)   Also, the chapter cover and the upcoming cover for Volume 16 are also pure delightful hotness!

These are small, cropped thumbs taken from the awesome, full scans done by Sagakure over on her LJ. Please go there to see the full versions in all their delightfulness!

Part of the Chapter 82 Cover

Part of the VK Volume 16 Cover

See what I mean about the covers?  YUMMY. And of course, I just have to love the fact that in the 82 cover, Kaname, Zero and Yuki are all are practically holding hands. :D

Kaname and Zero are both ranking way up there on the badass coolness scale this chapter. :)  Kaname's (effortless) method of entering the Hunter's Association was slightly amusing - hm, I need a hunter to get in, okay, let's toss a hunter at the door and use him as a bridge then!  But it's also chillingly interesting how easy it was for him.  You realize how very little can stop him if he actually wants to do something.  And he looks so very cool while doing it, which doesn't hurt a bit. :)

I was also quite interested by his reaction to sensing the presence of the mother metal (and therefore the lingering trace of the Hooded Woman) stored beneath the Association. I had been wanting to see that since they brought it up some chapters back when Aido was brought there. I really like how even when Kaname is being all coldly badass like this, you still get these moments, like when he sensed that presence, where you see the quiet, sad, almost vulnerable (well, emotionally that is) side of him.  *sighs* Kaname, darling, why do you have to be such a sexy martyr?

Okay, and speaking of sexy - check out Zero's a-little-hard-on-the-interior-decor ceiling crashing entrance! Oh yeah. Don't ask me why, but he looked incredibly hot crashing in like that, surounded by swirls of vines... mmmm!



Absolutely not fair for anyone to look that good when smashing through masonry. <3

The showdown was very gripping. It is huge that Zero is strong enough to finally override Kaname's control over the Bloody Rose, a weapon Kaname himself made. Just as interesting is that Kaname was not really surprised. He knew how strong Zero would become.

I really liked seeing Zero claim ownership not only over the Bloody Rose, but especially over himself. I think for most of his life he's considered himself owned by his situation, by the beast he feared inside of him.  Everyone tries to control and use him - vampires, hunters, even his own brother.  It was really good to see him stand up and say he was his own master and really mean it, because on some level that means he believes he has enough worth to mean it, and I think that's a step in a healthy direction for him.  He and Kaname both have such great expressions at that point too, Ms. Hino is really good at depicting a wealth of emotion from a single facial expression.

Whoa, scary cool use of the vines too, the way they could all twine together to create that beast and all.

Towards the end of the chapter we get some of the best scenes of the two of them. I know they're fighting, but I still love seeing them all close and intense like that, LOL.  Seeing Kaname all tangled up in Zero's vines and Zero with Kaname's little blood bat-wings being pulled from him ... hey, come on now, yes it's terribly angsty, but fighting can be yummy too.  :)

Kaname using his blood inside Zero against him was a masterful twist. Also very interesting because it rather seemed to me that that was the only way for Kaname to overcome him with any kind of speed in that situation, despite how easily he brushes off all the other hunters.

See, pictures like these make this chapter great....




And especially, my very favorite of all:



No, it's not enough, kiss him, kiss him! LOL okay, totally not appropriate for the situation, I know, but come on, you have to admit, they're so close together there, you can easily change the situation in your mind. <3  Actually, in that post of SGK's that I mentioned earlier, she did a manip that suggested exactly that, you should check it out.  *nosebleeds*.

Of course, the whole thing with Kaname being able to use his blood inside Zero like that raises some interesting questions (and yes, it also gives me a ton of rather perverted yaoi mental side tracks about what else blood "inside" someone could do *cough* but that wasn't actually where I was going at the moment 0:D).  I'm sitting here thinking that Zero has the blood of three purebloods in him. Four if you count indirect transfer from Shizuka via Ichiru and Kaname, but she's dead and so not of concern at the moment.  The other three - Kaname, Yuki and Sara are all alive and present.  It could get very problematic for Zero if they all started pulling on their blood in him, LOL.  Actually, I'm thinking that if she needed to, Yuki could probably use her blood to protect him from Kaname's if she knows how.  Sara probably knows, but I don't like her and would rather she keep her mitts off Zero.  Whereas Yuki and Kaname matching wills over Zero could be very angsty but also kind of intense and hot in a way ... and my mind just ran into the gutter, taking the two of them 'fighting' over Zero in a completely different and much more three-some direction wherein it's not a serious fight and the result is Zero panting and writhing on the floor in pleasure, trying to decide which one of them he is going to punish for this first once they cut it out ...  XD *cough* right, back to the actual story now *cough*.

I realize I've talked almost exclusively about Kaname and Zero's confrontation, there were other things happening in the chapter of course.  Cross and Yagari seem to be pulling in different directions right now and to be honest, I'm not sure who I really side with more.  I would probably side with Kaien if it was anyone other than Sara they're protecting, but since I don't like her at all and know that she is in fact using them all, I *cough* kind of side with Yagari on this one.

Seeing (or at least having it implied) that Yuki kicked a rather lot of hunter butt just now was interesting.  She is continuing to evolve and that's not a bad thing. I'm not entirely sure the meaning behind the exchange between Yuki and Ruka, but it feels somehow significant, and I wonder how exactly it plays into what Ruka did at the end.

Ruka putting herself between Kaname and Zero and protecting Zero with her body like that was definitely an interesting twist. I have to say I loved the glimpse of utter shock on Zero's face.  That's obviously not something he would have ever seen coming, or expected from her or someone like her.

I hope she's okay and can either survive, or it was an illusion or something, although I will not be surprised if she's not okay. VK has the potential to end up being a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, even if I hope it won't. Kain's reaction to this is going to be interesting, and probably not pretty.

I wonder at Ruka's reasons. There are many possibilities.  One that comes to mind is - I wonder if in some way she is doing again what she did when Yuki was little? Putting herself between Kaname and an act to which he is being driven that would ultimately hurt him? She gave him her blood then so he could resist his need to take Yuki's, which she knew he had been trying so hard not to do.  After whatever passed between Ruka and Yuki just now, I wonder if in some way Ruka is trying to keep the door from closing completely between Yuki and Kaname because she knows he still needs Yuki, or that she's possibly the only capable of reaching him, and Kaname killing Zero in front of her would have closed that door. I don't think, in this kind of situation, Yuki could forgive him for that.  Or, there could be another reason that hasn't been made clear yet.  It will be interesting to see.

We're poised at a completely angsty brink of chaos now, and even if I'm almost apprehensive about seeing how it will all shake out from here, I am also looking forward to it. The next chapter should be very interesting!

Labels: read vampire knight 82 online, vampire knight chapter 82, vampire knight chapter 82 scanlation, vampire knight manga, vk 82

Posted by Blackened Wing at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hi all!  I've been out of town this past week. My birthday was the weekend before last so I combined it with the Easter holiday and took the week off.  The trip was nice, but even nicer was coming back to a very lovely and steamy HOT picture that Sagakure sent me for my birthday! :D (Thanks again!!)

Labels: sagakure, vampire knight fan art, zero x kaname, zero x kaname fan art

Posted by Blackened Wing at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, haven't much time tonight (as usual - *sigh*) but I thought I'd post up the link for the latest chapter of VK!

Thank you mangacrack for passing along this link to the scans, it is indeed a better, or (for me anyway) at least a clearer, translation than the one on Manga Reader.

Vampire Knight Chapter 81


SPOILERS AHEAD...

Ah, so much in the chapter and so little time.  It's nice that Zero seems to be starting to come up against the fact that although he was trying to write Yuki off as essentially "dead" she's still the same person he has always known. :)

Shiki's reactions to what's going on with Takuma continue to fall delightfully into the I-barely-have-to-squint-to-see-the-pairing-here category. :)

Kaname more or less saying that he's bound to this course because it was that woman's (who we still need a name for blast it all!) wish was interesting and angsty.

And of course, probably my favorite part of the chapter was Zero drinking from Sara and Kaname being disapproving of Sara giving Zero her tainted blood.  LOL. I can't help it, the way he says that, like her blood is clearly not good enough for Zero, just makes me smile. Zero always looks mighty hot when he's drinking, and it's really interesting that he was comfortable and confident (or at least stubborn) enough that he apparently doesn't care he's feeding in front of all the other hunters.

Blast, I have to go.  Said it would be it would be short.  :P  Well, hope all is well for everyone, and yes, I am working on the next chapter of Secrets in the Dark, it's coming along slowly but surely, as usual.

Labels: vampire knight 81, vampire knight chapter 81, vk 81

Posted by Blackened Wing at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hi all!  Finally catching a moment to ramble a bit about the latest chapters. :)  Below are the links where I read them.  I tend to read them on mangareader.net simply because they are easy to find and to click through. I'm not terribly active in the fan community right now so I don't know if there are better scans or translations elsewhere, if so please feel free to post links to them in the comments.

Vampire Knight Chapter 79
Vampire Knight Chapter 80


SPOILERS AHEAD....


Okay, so!  Taking them in order, starting with 79...

Wow, so much angst for everyone in this chapter!  For our main trio of course - Yuki, Kaname and Zero, but also for everyone else, including Aido and Kain, and Takuma.

We finally find out what it is Kaname did that has been hinted at the past few chapters.  From a writer's perspective, Ms. Hino did a pretty good job coming up with that I think. Kaname having been the one who released Shizuka from her cage is something I can see happening.  It's dark enough that you can see why Zero is (and has a right to be) upset about it and yet it's also in its own way benign and hands-off enough that it's not out of character for Kaname.  What I mean is, what Shizuka chose to do, that was her choice.  She was free, she could have done anything.  IMO, the blame for what she did to Zero's family still rests with her. She had free will, nobody made her do anything.  Yet at the same time, of course, we realize that Kaname being the chess player he is knew the odds when it came to what she would do if she were freed, and banked on them. You have to take some responsibility for what happens when you set something like that in motion, especially if it was intentional.  I will say that I don't think he necessarily counted on what happened with Ichiru and Zero.  He obviously wanted the twins to hate purebloods for killing their parents, but the fact is that Ichiru ended up feeling quite the opposite and it's because of Ichiru that Shizuka turned Zero, so I think their messed up family dynamic possibly added it's own wrinkle to events.

I'm sure everyone will have very different opinions on this subject. For me, I obviously disapprove of what Kaname did, and I feel bad for Zero, but at the same time I don't hate Kaname for it. It's a sign of how well written his character has been that one can get to this point and still feel so bad for him. For me at least, I think it's because we have seen enough over the past 80 or so chapters to know that his true heart is gentle, kind and lonely, but the path he has chosen means he has done many things that brings pain, harm and death to others.  He knows it too. It explains the sadness that has been with him since the beginning. His underlying nature is at odds with the life he feels he must live which is why he sees himself as a monster, why he does not expect, nor know how to accept anyone's love.  I think it's why he pushes everyone away and lets them think the worst of him, because he feels it's true.

His loneliness and the revilement of others is the punishment he inflicts on himself for what he's done. He didn't have to tell Zero and Yuki the truth of why he set Shizuka free.  He could have lied. Zero may not have bought it, but I think if he'd said he hadn't intended what happened, Yuki would have believed him. But he doesn't want her to.  He wants her to know what he is and what he's done. I think the fact that he won't hide from the hatred he expects in others is how he shows remorse, because any other indication would be weakness he cannot allow.  He doesn't lie to them to paint himself in a nice light like Sara does.

Rido and Sara enjoyed other people's suffering, manipulate others for their own gain and desires and not caring about the pain they caused. Not so with Kaname. I think he is fully capable of doing just as much damage, but it is not something he enjoys or does for his own benefit. I think that's why I feel so bad for him. I don't fully understand why he feels he must do what he's doing, but whatever the reason be it ultimately right or wrong, he believes it must be done and that it's more important than his own wishes or happiness.  I think that's why he keeps saying Yuki is a hinderence... because she made him want something else.  Made him think for a little while that maybe he could let go and hide from what he seems to consider his destiny.  I think every time he sees her, he feels that way and it hurts and makes it hard to continue.  Again, in my opinion anyway.

I find it sweet in a sad, angsty way that Kaname actually seems rather determined to push Zero and Yuki together now. He is intentionally trying to push Yuki away and relieve her of her feelings for him.  There's no other reason for him to have just popped in long enough to drop that bit of damning information on the two of them before disappearing again.  Yes, he obviously still wants Zero to hate purebloods, but Zero kinda already did, lol.  I could be wrong of course, but I kind of think Kaname knows how conflicted Yuki has been about her feelings for the two of them and he's trying to make it easy for her.

Should she actually get in the way of his plans, as there is a chance she might, it will be interesting to see what happens.  Naturally, that would be the most angst-ridden showdown of all and I have no idea what would happen. I wonder if Ms. Hino will go there?  Hm, guess we'll have to wait and see.

I also found it quite sweet that Zero sort of more or less admitted he'd expected Kaname and Yuki to end up together, and that he wanted her to be happy, even when he obviously wasn't acting like it.  It's nice when we get a little glimpse into him like that. You totally felt for his pain through that whole exchange, it's kind of sad and bittersweet that you can tell that even feeling about Kaname like he already did, part of Zero didn't actually want to believe it that he'd done it to them intentionally.  He already knew, but some part of him didn't seem to want to believe until he heard it from Kaname directly, and that just makes me want to hug him tightly. The fact that his anger was mostly on Ichiru's behalf also gave me the same urge.

Moving on to another trio you get to feel kind of bad for this chapter... Aido, Kain and Ruka.  Perhaps because we've been having so much angst all along between the main trio, I found the brief confrontation between our two favorite cousins to be almost the most striking bit of the chapter.  I never really expected to see Kain and Aido turn their powers against each other even just in passing.  Since I have a feeling that everything may hopefully work out okay for them in the end, I have to admit I rather enjoy the angsty drama of it. ;)  And there is of course, the irony that when things finally go down, it's Kain on Kaname's side and not Aido.  Although of course Kain is actually just on Ruka's side and Ruka's on Kaname's, but yeah, we all know that.

And off to yet another brief angsty instance - when Takuma gets between Kaname and Sara - I find it bittersweet that Takuma is trying to use the messed up situation he's in to help Kaname in his own way, or at least wishing it would.  Like hoping that maybe if Sara was trying to kill all the purebloods anyway, it would be enough and Kaname could just disappear with Yuki and not have to follow this destiny that is destroying him. It can't be of course, but it's sweet and sad that Takuma wishes it could.

And speaking of Takuma naturally leads me right into rambling about Chapter 80...

Okay, to be honest, I have a few mixed feelings about this chapter.  A lot of very interesting and very emotional information, but what with hopping back and forth in time and between different people's perspectives and memories it wasn't the easiest chapter to follow.

The first bit with Ruka's memories was really interesting and sad. The way Kaname was holding Yuki so tightly and protectively even as he was obviously making the decision that he had to leave her and return to the course that made her a hindrance for him made me sad, especially as seen through Ruka's eyes. You really have to like Ruka there, like in the other flashback some time ago when she kept Kaname from drinking from Yuki before he really wanted to.  It's sweet that she was able to be happy if she could think that Kaname would be happy with Yuki, and how it distressed her when that didn't work out.

I also like that she was the one trying to tell Kain to wait, wanting to explain what they were doing to Aido and get him on board.  :)  AND I like that she got ticked at Kain for being over protective.  LOL even though I don't blame Kain one bit.  It was cute that that one boy actually remembered her despite his memory wipe and her reaction was sweet.

So, moving back to Takuma whom IMO you feel the most for this chapter.  Oh. Man.  That poor, poor guy. He is so totally messed up by all the purebloods in his life, lol.  The way he is clinging so desperately to the idea that in some twisted way Sara loves him just makes me ache for him. Especially since... okay, I am possibly reading too much into this, but given some of the imagery and the words used it is very easy to kind of assume that Sara has been using him sexually. It may not be the effect Ms. Hino intended, but it is possibly the closest thing to semi-non-con or at least dub-con we'll see in this series. I mean, Sara is touching Takuma pretty familiarly in a lot of the scenes and it could have just been representational of her beauty and power, but ya know... she looked a wee bit impressionistically naked in that one panel where her hair is all around her. She said she always wanted him, and one can take that any way they want to, but the fact that he's trying to turn it into a kind of love confession in his own mind sort of suggests to me that he needs a reason to feel that he's not just completely being used.  Of course, the fact that she was watching him like that since he was a kid is a wee bit creepy. ;)  As is the fact that you also get the feeling she is capable of being quite abusive, especially when made jealous.

That's not to say that he's completely off base either, I wouldn't say love but probably the words Sara herself used are the most apt, she certainly does seem to want him, more than as a passing fancy.  It's kind of ironic and bittersweet that part of it seems to be the way he interacted so casually and without fear with Kaname.  I think in way, she wanted that from someone too, which would make me feel a little sorry for her too if I could stop disliking her for 5 minutes.  Someday I might.  Today is not that day.  ;)

I cannot decide to myself if Takuma actually likes Sara for herself and that hint of loneliness that is in her that he always seems attracted to in people, or if when he says that among purebloods, one belongs only to him... you are sort of getting the hint that there was a different pureblood he wanted who never could belong to him. Of course, as was also clearly stated, a big part of it is the whole draw of the pureblood thing.  I have to say that after having written a lot about the unwanted attraction and confusion created by vampire physiology and having myself liked the whole moth to the flame analogy, I was actually quite amused and tickled to see it used here to describe Takuma's situation.

And of course, we have that lovely panel with Kaname and Takuma facing each other over the sword (and Kaname's hand - ouch! Guess that's what usually happens when Vampires have to touch anti-vampire weapons). They both do the whole I don't want to be here doing this and I don't want to hurt you but I cannot stop and you are in my way resignation with such painful loveliness. They always have, since they always seem to end up somewhat at odds.

Then right about there is where the flow gets kind of choppy for me and I feel like I don't have a totally firm grip on what is going on, but maybe that's the intended effect?  I had to read it a couple times and then I think I mostly got it sorted out.

Looks as if Yuki and Zero have kind of come up with their own plan, so we'll see how that turns out.  It was a nice moment when she told him she wasn't worried about him anymore which also implies she trusts him.  No way to know if I'm reading it right, but if I am, I kind of like the idea that Zero may actually be the one sort of manipulating Sara now, letting her think that she's swayed him while he is actually following along with Yuki's idea. :)

I don't want the series to end and I have a feeling that tragedy of some sort will wait for us there (although, I hold out hope there will be some happiness too), but at the same time I kind of hope that things continue to build and come to a head over the next few chapters. The past couple chapters feel like we're getting fairly close to a final shakeout of events, it would be kind of annoying if things settle down again too much.  We'll see what happens I guess!

Labels: vampire knight chapter 79, vampire knight chapter 80

Posted by Blackened Wing at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Okay, well, you know how New Years resolutions are, they almost always get broken.  I didn't quite get the next chapter of my fic done in January, but it was really close, right??  *cough* okay, well, anyway, I FINALLY got the next chapter of "Secrets in the Dark" done!

As seems to be the norm for this story, it's taking longer than anticipated to cover what needs to be covered, so there may end up being two more chapters instead of just one more.  This one kind of got hi-jacked part way through by a squad of rebel lemons who seemed to think it had been too long since I wrote a love scene. XD  Sooo... yeah, I didn't cover as much ground as I expected and the final revelation of the full truth behind everything that happened this story will be coming next chapter.

Hopefully the wrangling to get them free of the Hunters and all that doesn't come across too dull.  There are bound to be a lot of ramifications because of everything that happened, especially the revelation of Zero's growing power.  I didn't want to belabor the point, but I didn't want to gloss over it either. Ah well, it is what it is, hopefully it's not too bad.

So without further ado, I present to you...

Secrets in the Dark 
Chapter Thirty-Seven: "Surviving the Fallout"


Read it on FFN
Read it on AO3
Read it on VKO


Thank you all again for your patience, support and sweet, wonderful reviews!!!!

P.S. I read Vampire Knight Chapter 79 and I want to ramble about it badly, but wow, there is so much angst for pretty much every single person in the chapter and I don't have time to go into it just now.  I will post more about my impressions of the chapter later.

Labels: lemon, secrets in the dark, secrets in the dark update, vampire knight fanfiction

Posted by Blackened Wing at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hope everyone had a great holiday and that 2012 is treating you all good thus far! My New Years resolution is that I'm going to get the next chapter of Secrets in the Dark done and posted this month even if it kills me, lol. 

In the meantime, I have finally had a chance to catch up on some of my VK reading, such as the cute Volume 15 Bonus story and lovely pictures that Sagakure posted here. (Thanks!!)

SPOILERS BELOW

I find it very interesting that Takuma knew about Kaname being the ancestor, and has apparently known for a long time, maybe since they were kids. He really did know Kaname better than anyone. The way Sara says Kaname "confessed" these things to Takuma gives me all kinds of bunnies for how exactly that information came out... like for instance, I could imagine it possibly being some time when things are bad, and Kaname's lonely and hurting. Takuma's trying to cheer him up and it just makes Kaname ache more because he knows Takuma's relating to someone who doesn't exist, to a Kaname he thinks he knows, but doesn't.  No one really knows him, and no one cares about him for who he actually is, they couldn't, because he isn't worthy of emotions like that.  So to push Takuma away, Kaname tells him the truth. He's steeling himself inwardly for the rejection to follow, but it doesn't come, because Takuma's not like that.  It could be kind of sweet, really.  Of course, I have other bunnies on how it could have happened too... lol all of them angsty of course.

Oh gosh, and I love the awful little doodle Kaname drew of Yuki! XD That was so cute!  *giggles* complete with flowers and a curiously dour, growling little dog!  (At first I thought maybe that was his shade form with Yuki, but it would probably look happy to be with her, so given the expression, I think the doggie in the picture is Zero XD).  For some reason Kaname drawing something like that just cracks me up.  LOL and poor Aido, doesn't Takuma know that Aido probably would have thought anything Kaname drew was better than the Mona Lisa? ;D

Kaname and Zero's semi-cooperation in getting rid of that other unwanted suitor of Yuki's was also cute.  Kaname may have been the one scaring the guy off, but Zero stood there and covered Yuki's eyes so she wouldn't know what was going on.  LOL


I also finally got to read Vampire Knight Chapter 78! There's a scanlation here.  As usual, I don't know if this is the best version of the scan, etc. If you know of others feel free to post them in the comments.

AND MORE SPOILERS...

A lot seems to be happening now!  It was fun seeing Yuki, Aido and the others working together in the beginning.  Nice touch that her blood restores sanity to those who have taken the tainted blood tablets.  Makes sense, but it also sets up an interesting situation reminiscent of the past, depending on how it plays out.

Okay, I just have to say it.  Takuma and Shiki.  I swear, if those two didn't scream "pair me!" already, they most certainly do this chapter (to me, anyway).  There are different ways you could read what Shiki said, but it sure seemed to me that he intentionally took the tainted tablets so he could be by Takuma's side. I also wonder if he has the underlying motive of wanting to try to save Takuma from Sara.  I think Shiki is smarter than most people assume, and just seems otherwise because he was trained to act like a "good little doll" due to his upbringing.

I really feel for Takuma this chapter.  Sara so obviously has him trapped, snared by both his nature and her ability over him as a pureblood and by his good heart.  Takuma seems uniquely able to see buried pain and hurt in others, even (or perhaps especially) in purebloods.  He saw it in Kaname, and I think he sees it in Sara. I don't pity her, but I think he does in a way.  Of course, she's also addicted him to her, creating the kind of servant that she exactly wanted.  *glowers at her*  It's well painted, kind of like an abusive relationship and a drug addiction mixed into one, and exactly how I imagined it would be if an unscrupulous pureblood wished to dominate someone else.  It's a trifle scary that Sara reminds me a wee bit of Nasser from my fics at times.

I like that Yuki wanted to go save Takuma from Sara. I don't know how that's going to work out since things have suddenly taken quite another turn, but I hope that someone does eventually. (Is now having all kinds of angsty bunnies for what might happen if Shiki does stay by Takuma and therefore both of them are with Sara.  The manga keeps things clean, but of course my mind doesn't. So the idea of Shiki witnessing Sara using and abusing Takuma and the whole resulting tangle of angsty emotions is interesting to contemplate.  I wonder what Takuma would do if she started doing the same to Shiki?  I think he would try to stand up for him, but one wonders how far he could... *cough* okay, sorry, back to the actual chapter... *watches the bunnies gnawing away on her carpet* 

I'm glad that Yuki finally learned the truth about Sara being the one to kill that other pureblood and not Kaname. Maybe she'll realize that Sara did Ouri too.

I'm a little worried by some of Zero's actions in this chapter, especially regarding his lying to Cross and that one escaping vampire girl.  Um... Zero... you really don't want to be listening to or protecting Sara, trust me, if you want to talk about people who want to use you for their own purposes, that would be her (by her own very clear admission in this chapter).

I'm not sure if he didn't tell Cross about Sara's connection to the tainted tablets because of Yagari's instructions to keep Cross in the dark about some things and not interfere with Kaname's plans, or because he's temporarily protecting Sara due to whatever she's been telling him.  Or, because he doesn't entirely trust Cross anymore. I think he was trying to find out if Cross knew what Sara told him about Kaname's past actions.  Cross did know a lot about the past that he kept from both Zero and Yuki, so I can see where his suspicion comes from, but I fear that Cross didn't get what Zero was talking about, but that Zero probably takes what was said between them as confirmation of his fears.  He must feel very alone right now and adrift on who to trust.

I'm similarly not sure of Zero's motives for telling Yuki not to touch Sara.  I find it hard to believe that he would really protect any pureblood (other than Yuki) at this point, but I wonder if in his own way he would rather see her stay around as a counter to Kaname and let them deal with each other, or something.  Especially since the association is pressing on him to not interfere with Kaname himself.  So many tangled possibilities, it's all really quite an interesting mess! :)

The ending of the chapter is quite promising for some interesting times next chapter! Zero's interaction with Yuki when he pinned her to the wall and the way he spoke was really angsty and compelling. It was so good to see some of his real emotion on the surface again instead of that mask he's been hiding behind, even if it is hurt and angry emotion.  What he says about Kaname destroying everything definitely reinforces my notions about what Sara probably told him.  Whether or not it's true is another matter we'll have to wait and find out.    Good time for Kaname to show up. :D  Interesting, angsty times possibly just ahead. I know I'm an idiot, but I'm so happy to see Kaname and Zero in the same physical space again, been much too long. XD

Hm, I just had a really disturbing thought.  The way Sara was talking to Takuma about Zero "degrading" (becoming her servant I'm guessing) just like him... and the fact that the Hanadagi guardian seemed to indicate that Zero had come to Sara or visited her combined with the conversation Yuki and Maria had earlier about Zero's probably needing blood... I'm wondering / worrying about whether he's had the tainted tablets too or something.

You know, on a completely unrelated note I wish the Hanadagi guardian and the Hooded woman had names, it would make referring to them so much easier.  lol.

Anyway, it was all around an interesting chapter.  Looking forward to seeing the next one!

Posted by Blackened Wing at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody!  Hope you are all having a good one!  Just wanted to let you all know that due to the natural craziness of the season, it's unlikely I'm going to have time to get the next chapter of "Secrets in the Dark" done and posted until after Christmas. I'm sorry for the continued delay, but I am going to try to work in time to write during the holidays at least, so hopefully I will have something done or at least close to done after New Years.

In honor of the season (yeah right, good excuse anyway lol) I shall share this totally random picture I found that looks kind of like it could be Zero all wrapped up in vines (to the left). XD Unfortunately, it's not Zero, it's from a completely different manga, but it really made me think of Zero.

Actually, the whole manga that this came from keeps giving me these great VK vibes without being at all related to anything LOL.  It's called "The Betrayal Knows my Name" and it's not about vampires, although it is about the supernatural. The very sweet main (guy) character's name is Yuki and he is looked over by a gorgeous, tall, dark beautiful guy named Luca (or Zess) who is very pureblood-like in how strong his power is as compared to others.

Then there's this one guy, Hotsuma who is like a three way cross between Zero, Kain and Aido if you can imagine that mix co-existing. XD That is to say, he looks like Kain and has the ability to burn things, but his temperament is a cross between Zero's stand-off tsunderness and feelings of being a monster and Aido's impulsiveness and tendency to act without thinking. :) The whole thing has distinctly yaoi vibes and several possible couples, although nothing happens (at least not yet anyway).

<= Luca / Zess looks a very little bit like Kaname at times and although Yuki doesn't really look much like Zero most of the time, it's enough to make me like it LOL. Actually, it's amusing because there's yet another boy in the story who looks even more like Zero, carries a gun as a weapon and works closely with his sister, a girl who uses a staff-like weapon which yet again brings my little obsessed brain back to VK (as does the fact that they're usually all running around in school uniforms). ;)

Also doesn't hurt that Luca has a painful history of having been owned by the Demon King (with some non-con hints/overtones), memories  of which seem to be destructive to him, and a fate from which he is apparently saved only by his contract with Yuki. Those scenes totally made me think of Secrets in the Dark. :)

Full cast photo below, although in the actual manga some of the characters look more or less like others, as I mentioned. I think it's an anime too, shall have to try to look it up if I ever have time.


Well, enough rambling for me. Going to go see how much more I can get done on "Secrets" before I have to start picking people up at the airport. :)

Labels: christmas, happy holidays, holidays, manga, merry christmas, rambles

Posted by Blackened Wing at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments