Diabolik Lovers: Recovery

Chapter 2: Adjustment (All, Ayato)

No! Number four: you don't want to kill anyone!

Right. My mother had taught me that kindness won over violence. Her light blonde hair, always down around her waist like mine, her eyes a seafoam green, just like mine, her petite form, just like mine. 

I wish I had known her.

This thought caught me; all my breath escaped me. My mother... she had died when I was too young to remember her. 

"Are you done, Pancake?" Ayato called through the door and I jumped

"Almost!" I called shakily.

You don't know your mother. How do you remember her? Much less what she taught you?

This was getting more and more confusing by the minute.

Just stick to the knowns, Miyako. Rely on what you know.

Regardless of my mother's state, number four still held true. I didn't want to be violent. 

Another known was that my phone was done for. I hadn't any other way to contact my father that I knew of. Maybe after night school I would be allowed some free time. I would use that to search for any kind of phone. 

What if the vampires kill you first?

I shook the thought from my mind. Of course I'd fight back. Of course I would. I wasn't some helpless idiot. A large, shaky sigh escaped my mouth as I strode across the room to the door. But that would go against the non-violence policy.

Find the best in every situation. Find the silver lining. My mother said that to me once, but then again, I hadn't actually known my mother. So, so weird...

Focus, Miyako. It's a nice sentiment regardless of where it came from.

I wasn't sure what kind of silver lining was to be found among creatures who relished in blood and death, but if I didn't try to find some kind of solace in this madness, I would go insane long before I could contact my father.

As I gripped the door handle and turned, I inhaled deeply to steady myself. 

***

In a long, black limousine we went to school, all seven of us. As I sat at the end closest to the door, I watched the brother's interactions, or rather, lack thereof. None seemed to have any interest in the other, in fact, they could've been ignoring each other's presence for all I could tell.

"What's on your mind, Pancake?" Ayato asked, leaning in close. "You have a lot of guts to defy me, don't you?"

"My name is not Pancake, it's Miyako," I said stubbornly with no attempt to lean away from Ayato. I didn't want to look intimidated. I did, however, look out the window as if disinterested.

"Shut up! Your opinion does not matter to me-"

"You asked what was on my mind, right? That's what's on my mind. I told you."

Ayato bared his teeth and leaned in toward me menacingly, but across from us, Reiji snapped his book closed.

"Ayato, how many times must I tell you? Keep those activities to yourself," Reiji instructed, then his eyes flipped to me without a movement of his chin. It was as if he were stone. "The cranberry juice there-" he indicated to the cupholder "-is for you. It is the best cure for weak blood."

"So I am your food," I surmised, eyeing the cranberry juice uneasily. 

"You must become accustomed to the fact that you are our prey and drink that daily."