L'amour Macabre
Prologue
Tsukiyama sipped his coffee quietly.
He took a moment to admire its flavor and aroma. He loved the coffee his father made. His brews would definitely give Yoshimura a run for his money, the thought making him smirk. Then there was his beloved Kaneki. What did his brews taste like, he wondered? Were they just as delicious as those of his father and Yoshimura? Or were they more bitter? If he mixed a bit of his blood into the cup, would the coffee take on his exquisite taste? Or maybe if he were to slice off a piece of the boy's flesh, even if it was just a sliver, would it be just like how humans dunked doughnuts and biscuits into their coffee?
Tsukiyama's stomach let out a fierce growl, and he smiled to himself. All these thoughts of coffee and blood and flesh were making him hungry, and dinner was still hours away.
His father, Mirumo, sat beside him, watching him enjoy his coffee. He poured himself a cup and leaned back in his chair.
"Something on your mind, son?" He asked.
Tsukiyama let out a sigh as he elegantly crossed his legs and took another sip from his cup.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how wonderful this coffee is."
Mirumo licked a bit of coffee from the tips of his mustache. He knew better; the whole house knew. Shuu Tsukiyama was obsessed with Ken Kaneki. The bloody napkin he'd sealed away in a sandwich bag and hid away in his pockets was solid evidence of that. Of course, the blood was stale and dried out, losing the interest of every other ghoul in the 20th ward, but Tsukiyama still managed to find the scent that had captivated his senses since the moment he first encountered it in Anteiku.
And that was a bit of a problem.
"I got a call from Chinatsu today," Mirumo finally piped up.
Tsukiyama paused. His appetite flew south. He felt sick; no, it was worse than that. His stomach flipped and his heart fluttered. Excitement and fear enveloped him. Every childhood memory, bizarre fantasy, and horrific nightmare rushed over him just from hearing that name.
"I knew you would be upset when I told you," his father continued, "but I think you'd be even more upset if I hadn't said anything."
Tsukiyama set his cup down on it's saucer.
"I'm not upset," he said calmly, "I'm glad she still keeps in touch."
Both statements were true, and both were false as well. He was upset, to a degree, but both his father and Chinatsu weren't people he could take his anger out on. Then again, he was glad. There were very few people and ghouls in the world who enjoyed his company. Yoshimura and a little Hinami tolerated his presence to a certain extent, and he was pretty popular at the parties he would host, but there weren't a lot of people he could sit down and share his personal interests with. Chinatsu was one of the few people who gave him that.
Despite all of this, though, he was also terrified.
"I'm glad to hear it," Mirumo stated, "Chinatsu plans on coming over for a few weeks spent some time with you. She should arrive sometime later this evening."
Tsukiyama felt his stomach churn as his heart leapt into his throat. Now he really felt like he was going to be sick. He stood up slowly before his queasiness overpowered him.
"Where are you going?" His father asked.
"I just need some fresh air is all," Tsukiyama replied, "I'll be back later."
On an ordinary stroll around town, Tsukiyama would normally change into one of his bright, colorful outfits; something that he could feel visible in, but this wasn't the time for such formalities. Instead, he took off out the door in a dead sprint and nothing but a plain white collared shirt, a pair of slacks, and his indoor shoes.
He flew through the courtyard and out onto the street. He had only ran a couple of blocks when something caught his eye.
He only caught a glimpse as he ran past her; pink frills, white lace, and a pair of bright pink eyes. His heart started beating wildly as he forced himself to run faster.
Somehow he knew she would try to come early.
"Chinatsu . . ."