The sky opened up, mercilessly raging war against all beneath its heavy clouds. Atop a building, Kaneki sat - welcoming the quick sting of cold water. His clothes were in tatters, hands twisting into white hair. They shook and threatened to tear them from his scalp.

Why was he so weak? Why, after all this time was he so completely USELESS to those around him, to those who needed him? Tighter again those fingers pulled and embedded nails into flesh. He needed the pain; he welcomed it. Another howl ripped from somewhere deep inside, hands clawing at something before him – shaking, pleading, for whatever it was to move. To do anything.

Touka started forward until a hand caught her shoulder. Yoshimura silently shook his head and instead motioned for them all to leave. Even he turned to walk away, leaving Kaneki to his grief. This was something they could not help him with. Not until he dealt with it on his own, and so Anteiku's manager gathered their remaining group to carry on. Staying out in the open wasn't safe and wounds needed to be dressed as soon as possible.

"Just wake up… wake up… you need to wake up, please. Please..." Even with all of the rain he could still feel,see, and smell the sickeningly sweet evidence of death. The cold that overcame the other's body - its pallor alone very obviously showed it. Dead. His best friend was dead. His best friend; at one time, his only friend. Dead. Kaneki choked on another sob that threatened to burst from his chest and collapsed over Hide's body.

"Hide, wake up. Wake up! You can't be dead,

don't leave me all alone! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!"

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Their plans against Aogiri and their counter-attacks against the Doves shouldn't have caused this much damage. And by that, Kaneki hadn't anticipated Hide being involved - but he should have known. The signs were there, the way he had always been so curious - too curious, of ghouls. Hide was smart, but he wasn't invincible and he was only human.

He was only human, yet he still felt it necessary to try and help him. Despite seeing him the way he had been; losing himself to his kagune – having lied to him for so long – and the primordial need to DEVOUR whatever he could. Despite knowing, no doubt, for quite some time what he was – he still stayed and cared all the same. Never pushing or prying; always just what Kaneki needed, a friend. Reluctantly, Kaneki sank his teeth into his friend's shoulder, greedily tearing at muscle and tendon. He was so hungry…So hungry, and so alone. This counted as honoring his death, didn't it? He couldn't just leave him here….

Is there nothing good in me?