Page 28 of Lore and Lust
“A new section? On what?”
“Intent,” Nino says. “We could create a new article focusing on the correlation between a couple’s intent and the number of attempts before a successful bond is activated. I think it would be fairly simple, top-level research on our part. Nothing too invasive. Just asking couples questions and collecting data. How does that sound to you?”
Haruka pauses, genuinely considering. It sounds like a lot of time-consuming work, but intriguing. They could start with vampire couples within the UK, then branch outward to other European countries to acquire a scientifically sound research sample. Eventually, Haruka might even return home to Japan and take a sample there.
“I think it sounds exciting,” he says. He’s never done any of the groundwork related toLore and Lust, only the compilation and arrangement. It would be nice to have his own contribution within his family’s legacy.
“So you accept?” Nino asks. “I’m your new source?”
“Yes, I accept,” Haruka says, a quiet joy spreading in his spirit. He can’t remember the last time he’s felt genuinely happy or excited about anything. “Do you wish to start this weekend? Since our time here has been unexpectedly cut short, we could return to my estate, but only if you are comfortable. Please do not feel any pressure to accompany me. If you wish to begin next weekend that is fine as well, whatever you prefer—”
“Haruka,” Nino interrupts, laughing. “Why are you bumbling?”
“I don’t know,” he says, rubbing his palms against his face. Happiness feels so foreign to him. Awkward—as if he’s suddenly wearing his shoes on the wrong feet. He doesn’t know how to settle into this feeling.
“I’ll follow you back to Sidmouth,” Nino says. “Let’s start this weekend.”
Haruka drops his hands and breathes a sigh of relief. “Okay.”
Mid-January
Sixteen
A month has passed. Nino sits staring out the clear bay window. He loves days like this—when the sky is blue and bright, painted with fluffy, textured clouds. They’re massive. Floating across the sky like celestial islands drifting in the wintery breeze.
Inside, Nino is surrounded by warmth and literature, perfectly comfortable in Haruka’s expansive library. He sits with his legs folded on the cushion and his back straight, resting against the wall enclosing the cozy sill. He turns his head to look down at Haruka sitting on the ornate rug in the middle of the floor. A disarray of books and notes spirals outward from his position—he is the eye of an academic hurricane. Haruka holds a black mug of steaming coffee in one hand while with the other he casually flips through a reference book on qualitative data analysis.
Nino keeps his voice low, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere but wanting to engage with his friend. “Did you talk to Emory last week?”
“Yes,” Haruka says, still focusing on his book.
Nino breathes a clipped laugh through his nose. “Did he spend the first ten minutes of your conversation apologizing profusely and insisting that he didn’t intentionally forget the blood bags last month?”
This time, Haruka rolls his eyes, bringing his cup to his mouth. “Yes.”
“When will he have a list for us?” Nino asks. Haruka lifts his head. The afternoon sunlight does that tricky thing where it catches the rich burgundy glint of his eyes. He looks handsome and Historian-like sitting on the floor with his coffee, but sometimes the outer shell cracks, revealing something tender beneath Haruka’s façade of purebred vampire refinement and prestige.
When their eyes meet, Nino’s stomach clenches. He casually glances down at the book in his lap to avoid Haruka’s lovely gaze.Stop, Nino. Don’t turn into a crazy pervert like everyone else.
“He says he should have the list of contacts for us next week.” Haruka sighs. “We still don’t have a concise way to collect this information. Obtaining quantitative data should be simple enough, but the qualitative piece is challenging. There is so much gray area with intent, Nino. How can we measure something so subjective?”
“With basic questions,” Nino says, refusing to look over at him until the butterflies in his stomach take a rest. “Was your bond initiated as a business transaction—yes or no? Did you love your intended mate at the initiation of your bond—yes or no?”
“How are we defining love?” Haruka asks. “It means different things for different people—are we talking about agape love? Eros? Pragma?”
“I feel like you’re overthinking this,” Nino says, finally meeting his focused gaze.
“I feel that perhaps you are oversimplifying,” Haruka counters. “Some individuals think that they love or are in love, but their actions cause pain. Their harsh expectations and corrupt behaviors are justified in their minds, sometimes under the guise and misrepresentation of love. It does not always mean the same thing to all beings.”
There’s something significant in Haruka’s eyes as he reasons. Nino can’t pinpoint what it is. Like maybe his words aren’t solely conjecture. Maybe they come from a place of experience?
“Okay, I hear you,” Nino says. “What if we keep it simple? Free will versus an arranged bonding. Even if we take love out of the equation, we can still gain a strong understanding of the intent behind the bond if they willingly chose each other versus not.”
“That should produce less ambiguous results,” Haruka agrees. “Has your brother sent another list of contacts?”
“Yes. We have fifty altogether… only nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty more contacts to go before we have a scientifically sound sample,” Nino says brightly, a weak attempt to make the task in front of them seem less insurmountable.
Haruka groans and drops his shoulders. “Will it even be scientifically sound? We cannot be sure of the total population of bonded vampires. This is merely a guess.”
