Part 35

Music: play track 3

I'm aware of it a little, but everyone else's reactions make me even more conscious of it, and it's a bit troubling.

Arcueid acts just like she normally does, but since I can't help but be overwhelmed by her femininity, I can't seem to make any meaningful conversation.

'overwhelmed by her femininity' sounds like it came right out of an ero scene.

"Hey, do you hear me Shiki? I'm asking you where we're going."
"Ah----um, well most couples here usually go to the movie theater."
I point to the movie theater in front of us.

"Just go in. If you're dissatisfied, we can always split up here."
"I'm not really... dissatisfied."
Giving a sigh, Arcueid follows me.
She slumps her shoulders as if to say "you good-for nothing guy!".

Yeah, Shiki, don't you know girls like her really prefer the back alley?

"I'm going to go buy tickets, but what do you want to see? Let's see, there's a romance, and a romance, and a romance...... this theater kind of stinks."
To be honest, I want to go back too.

"Any one of them is fine. They really all look the same."
"Yeah. Then let's just buy one."

I get in the shortest line and buy two tickets.

"Here you go. Just show this ticket when we go in. They'll take half of the ticket, but that's how it's supposed to be so don't get angry."

"I know that much. You really think I don't know anything, Shiki."
"Ah...... no, that's not it. I just thought maybe you didn't know much about human society."
"I have some knowledge of it stored away. I know at least about a movie theater."

Giving a small "hmph", she turns her face away and walks towards the theater.

----We exit the theater.

We watched a romance... it wasn't exactly boring, but not terribly interesting either.
It was a typical French movie. It focused less on breathtaking scenes and concentrated more on creating a calm atmosphere.
As we leave the theater, Arcueid walks with me wordlessly.

I'm pretty sure in the anime they actually saw a vampire movie.

"Uh, fun, Arcueid?"
"Man, hearing about it and seeing it were two entirely different things. Even though I knew some background information about what a movie theater was, my imagination fell short of reality."
...... Arcueid gives a happy, heart-felt smile.

You know, Shiki, now is when you're supposed to say you knew she would like it and take all the credit...

It really, really is.

Not just surprised, but amazed.
That Arcueid, she looked so not into it, so I thought she was going to complain... but now she's like an excited kid.

"...... Too bad. If it was earlier, we could've seen a better movie. If I knew you would have liked it, I would have taken you."

It's not so she thanks me, but I genuinely do want to make her happy.

That got awfully awfully fast.

Music: stop

------------------------------

Music: play track 3

"............"
I sit down across from her.
After Arcueid looks around quickly, she pops a french fry in her mouth like she's done it before many times.

The following section of conversation is not at all suggestive, and if you think it is you have a dirty, dirty mind. ...yeah, I have a dirty mind, too.

"...... Wow, you seem pretty used to it. I thought maybe it was your first time."

"Yeah, this is the first time I've done it. I've known about places like these, but it was only from information sources."
"Just information...... I see, you watch the news so I guess you read magazines too."

"Hm, not quite like that, I need knowledge to fit in with the times, right? So when I wake up, I study the information of that time and then go into action.
Well, it's usually over in a few days so it usually ends up being useless."
"......?"
She says things that are hard to understand like this from time to time.
"Hmm...... why does it end up useless?"

"I see...... But isn't knowing just enough? Just now, you ordered some food like it was perfectly natural."

"Of course. I studied, so I can act that way.

But, that's all. Experience is far greater than theory. Even if I know about zillions of things, it's useless if I've never done them."
Arcueid sighs.

Well I tell ya what...

That may well be the only time ever that he calls her Arcueid-san.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier. I really am narrow-minded. I can't really see anything else after I make up my mind.
Not needing anyone but myself.
I'm the only one who is right. I can only think in those terms.
----That's right. There are a lot of hearts out there, so there's a lot of people that can do easily what I can't."
She somehow seems very gentle as she contemplates.

"Ah, but, even if I contemplate it, my personality won't change.
I like this me the best, and I believe it is the correct way."

She smiles as she says those courageous words. Then she looks around like before and takes a bite of her hamburger.

Chomp. Chomp.

As if to erase any image of her being a vampire, Arcueid chows down on her junk food.
"............"
How come?
It seems impossible to look elegant while eating a hamburger, but Arcueid makes it look beautiful.

That's right, Shiki is eating a fucking burger. After absent-mindedly saying he just might be a vegetarian since he's only eaten vegetables for the last 8 years, he just grabs a burger and goes to town on it.

"It's an image problem. That small mouth of yours isn't fit to eat fast food. Fries aren't a problem, so you can have my share."
I put my french fries on her tray.

...... I really don't know what I'm doing at all.

Being a rude prick. Don't worry, it suits you.

"I don't want them. I don't feel like eating just those."
After saying that, she brings the hamburger to her mouth once more.

...... She might be worried about my stare, as she eats it more normally. Well, I can live with that.
...... But a hamburger-eating vampire?
All living things need nutrition to live, so they eat.
Before, Arcueid declared she doesn't drink blood.
So, in order to gain that nutrition, does she eat food just like us normal humans......?

Finally eating a burger after all those years must've given Shiki some terrible gas. As you can see, Arcueid noticed.

"Hey Shiki, normally, I don't eat food.
Certainly eating like this allows me to move on my own, but it's more of a mental thing.
For me to eat, in other words,taking in nutrition, is a different process than the one you have.
I do have an appetite, but maybe it's more akin to lust.
If I don't eat, I get irritated, but since I don't put much priority on it, inversion impulses rarely happen."

She easily denies the blood as food theory.
Yeah, that's what it is.
She really seems to be okay with not drinking blood.

Now is the perfect time to conveniently forget the events of two nights ago.

"I see----"
That's good. Arcueid isn't someone that kills humans to feed. It really is a good thing.
...... Geez. If Arcueid just said from the beginning "I'm a vampire that doesn't suck human blood", then I would have agreed to help her from the...... start......

"...... Hey, wait a minute! You don't call that a vampire!"

"You do. Even you can't resist eating for one day, right?
For those vampires who are True Ancestors--like me, the highest class of food, the thing that can satisfy our desires the most is blood.
So in order to "live" and "fulfill our desires", we can substitute blood with other things."
"But when it comes to the Dead Apostles--vampires that were originally human, it is a different matter. In order to maintain their existence, they need the blood of others."

Music: stop

Music: play track 9

"Hey Shiki. What if? What if birds or fish had the same amount of intelligence and life span as you did? Could you eat them? Could you justify it to yourself by saying no matter how much intelligence they have, they are still food? And then eat them?"

"------No, that's..."
Could I----eat them?
I don't know. I don't know, but first off, I'd try and eat other food, things that didn't have intelligence.

If the food on my plate looked up at me and said "Do you mind?", I'm pretty sure I wouldn't eat it.

"See? Just like that. That's why I hate the thought of drinking blood. ...... Well, maybe there are likes and dislikes as you said too.
If I could, I like to avoid the sight of blood.
But----Yes, but if... if humans didn't have the same worth, intelligence, or values than I did, then maybe I would drink blood.
Isn't providence of nature taking the lives of other things to protect your own?"
Right? Arcueid asks me for agreement.
But that--even if Arcueid says it, I can only deny it.
...... I don't want to agree to that.

"Certainly that may be true, but in the first place, humans are like you. ...... So let's just cut short this kind of conversation. I don't like talking about 'what ifs'."

"Really? I like 'What ifs'. Not knowing how things will turn out, yet still having hope at least for that moment."

If...... what if.
Then, what if----she drank blood like other vampires, would we be talking like this?

"What's wrong, Shiki? Your face got dark all of a sudden. Ah, do you have to go to the bathroom?"
"...... Hey. You come up with that when someone is thinking seriously?"

No, it was an educated guess based on past aromas.

I sigh.
Even though I'm seriously thinking about it, Arcueid doesn't seem to think much about drinking blood.

In case you haven't noticed, Shiki isn't manly.

Music: stop

...I think I already know where this one is going.