"Touka," Haise tested the name out in his mouth, rolling the syllables off the edge of his tongue and trying to identify the familiar taste it brought. He was certain he heard the name before, but no specific memories of the girl came to mind. Perhaps they met in passing, maybe in college?

He gave her features a farther inspection- a soft face, as pale and luminescent as the moon, just losing the round edge of youth and framed in a stark contrast of dark hair that ended smoothly at her waist in a slight point. With a closer look, he decided the strands, while tipping on the edge of black, certainly had a natural violet sheen. Her round eyes were a deep blue, framed in thick lashes while her lips were a gentle pink, giving an overall pleasing affect.

No, he was sure to have remembered such a face. And, upon his second observation, she was a bit to young to have shared classes with if school had been the case.

Haise smiled politely, offering his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Touka stared at the hand in a muddled fashion, making no attempt to reciprocate the action. Seconds ticked by and Haise slowly lowered his arm, an awkward chuckle leaving his lips.

"So, uh," He peeked at the imaginary watch on his wrist, "Would you look at the time? I'm going to be late to work, lovely meeting you, but I'd better get going-"

"Wait!" In an action he nearly missed, her hands were locked onto the fabric of his coat and the desperate plead leaving her mouth. He stared at her in shock.

Another moment passed and her cheeks turned a light pink. She released her hold. "I mean, uh, you, I'll get you some coffee, that's what you came in here for, right?"

"No, I can't have food." He answered before he could stop himself, his eyes widening at his slip up. He tried to turn the panic bubbling out of his throat into a laugh that sounded natural, but it was off, even to his own ears. "I mean, I can't have coffee. I'm, uh, allergic to coffee beans."

She raised an eyebrow. "So, why did you come to a caffe?"

That was a very a good question.

Why had he come in here? It certainly wasn't for the food. But there had been that alluring aroma wafting from the open door hadn't there? There was only one scent he ever found pleasing to that extent and that was something a caffe shouldn't be reeking of. Perhaps the girl, Touka, had walked in front of the air vent stationed above the door just as he was passing by? It was improbable, but not impossible.

Haise glanced out the window, focusing on the curb he had been standing on before coming into the little coffee shop.

Maybe it was the sense of familiarity that brought him in here. The feeling had plagued him for a while now, almost like an uncomfortable itch that became worse the more you ignored it. It was a curiosity that demanded to be scratched.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Touka suggested, ignoring his lack of answer. "And I'll get you some tea."

Haise cringed internally at the thought of choking down the liquid, but he nodded, almost automatically, in response as he moved toward his table again, unsure of why he listened to her commands so readily. The beginnings of deja vu began to creep up his throat once more.

She was back almost as soon as she had left, a clear pitcher of a watery brown fluid in her right hand, and empty glass in her left. He swallowed thickly at the sound of swirling liquid against crackling ice. At least tea came back up easily.

To his surprise, although he really shouldn't be since this girl had only done strange things in the sort time he had known her, she slid into the booth opposite of him once she finished filling the glass, clasping her hands neatly onto the table and peering up expectantly at him. He flashed a weak smile in return.

"So." The intensity of her stare was unnerving and entirely uncalled for in the atmosphere at hand. His eyes averted to the paint on the walls. "How long has this caffe been open? I don't think I've seen it before."

"About a week."

Haise took his first sip from the glass. It was just as awful as he had expected - stale liquid with the thick aftertaste of dirt and mold washed down his throat, his stomach clenching tightly as the unwelcome fluid disrupted the contents.

He coughed into the crook of his elbow. "That's nice. I don't have too many restaurants close to my apartment."

"You okay? You seem a bit sick."

For a second, he could of sworn she knew what he was. With the way her words were said, with an almost teasing undertone, as if she could tell his discomfort was from the incompatibility of the liquid in his system… no, that would be impossible.

"I'm fine, just feeling a bit off today."

Touka nodded, drifting her attention to the window with a slight flash of her eyes. "I was talking about before, when you were rushing out of here. It seemed liked you were going to be sick."

Had it been that obvious?

"I get into these moods sometimes, where I feel like I'm on edge and everything is closing in on me. I don't really know what triggers it, but when it happens I just have to get away from everything. Or," He shot her a pointed look in a playful manner, "I just have to be distracted."

Touka tapped a finger on her chin. "Almost like PTSD."

"Almost," Haise smiled. "But I'm told it has more to do with anxiety."

"Ah," She nodded thoughtfully then leaned forward with a different air about her. "So, you work for the do- the CCG."

"Yeah," he said, slightly unsettled at the intensity of her tone and quick shift in topics. "How did you know?"

Touka tapped on the edge of his brief case, her eyebrows arched with a tight lipped smile. Haise blushed.

"Oh, yeah."

"'Oh, yeah.'" She teased and the blush deepened.

Touka relaxed back into her seat, peering at her nails in an almost uninterested manner. "Is it scary, trying to kill ghouls?"

"Not really," Haise answered. I hate it. "I'm a pretty decent fighter - I mentor a new squad of upcoming investigators. I try to refrain from killing myself though, I don't enjoy killing others, despite being ghouls."

That seemed to catch her interest, her blue eyes wide and her back growing stiff with the same tautness from earlier, from when she had first called him the wrong name. When she offered no reply, he voiced his thoughts.

"What was that name you had called me earlier? Kateki?"

She drew in a deep breath. "Kaneki. He was a… old friend of mine. He was in an accident a few years ago, and you had reminded me of him."

Haise took another swallow of tea. "Really? I don't have the most common appearance." He gestured vaguely at his hair and eyes, struggling to keep the atmosphere light.

"You'd be surprised." Touka laughed humorlessly. "Even now, your personality reminds me of a… version of him."

"'Version?'" He remarked dryly. She laughed again, a happier tone seeping through her demeanor.

"Yeah, that idiot, I swear he had multi-personality disorder."

Haise gave her a sympathetic smile, his eyes soft. "I'm sorry for your loss."

And her attitude did another flip, her eyes narrowing, raking over his face in a searing gaze and sending him reeling. Her shoulders grew tense as she replied in a curt voice. "Yeah, thanks."

Haise turned away from her stare, uncomfortable with the annoying but unidentifiable familiarity it was producing. He downed the rest of his glass with a quick shudder.

"Before you leave," She murmured, eyeing the empty glass on the table with a bare form of fascination, "I wanted to ask you - do you like to read?"

And before he could stop himself, the words poured from his mouth in all forms of honesty, the way they only seemed to do with this girl. "I love to read."

Touka reached beneath the table, dug into the large front pocket of her apron, and produced a paper back pocket-book, tattered and crumbling within her hands. "It was from a friend of mine, but I never could get into it, no matter how hard I tried. I think you should have it."

"I can't accept this." But his fingers were already grazing the cover, taking in the worn edges. He traced the name of the author. "'Takatsuki Sen?' I've never heard of her."

She smiled softly, gently pushing the books in his hands. "I think you'll like her work."

A wide smile of his own appeared, and he bowed his head. "I am grateful."

A hint of red came to her cheeks and then it was gone, covered by a crown of dark hair of her inclined head. "Just one condition."

"Yes?"

"You have to promise to come back here, after work, okay?" Two blue opals shined at him through a curtain of inky tendrils, her expression unreadable.

Haise didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Good." Touka grinned, flicking a lock away from her face with a swipe of her fingers. The clock came into focus from behind her shoulder and a curse came to his lips. He jumped from the booth.

"An hour?! I'm going to be in so much- How much do I owe you? For the tea?" The reminder brought his attention to the full sloshing in his stomach, and he quickly laid his free hand on the table to steady himself as to make sure the dark fluid wouldn't make an unwelcome reappearance.

Touka wavered, her jaw clenched, at the apprehension of the rapidly increasing event of his departure then turned away from him, her shoulders caving in and her face only visible in the slim reflection of the window pane. "It's on the house."

None the less, Haise fished a crumpled ten dollar bill from his coat pocket and set it on the table, tucking the book into it's place.

"I guess I'll see you tonight."

A whisper. "Yeah."

His lips turned down as he stepped away, making his way to the entrance. There was a crutch of glass and he stumbled to a stop, looking down at the left remains of the coffee cup in vague surprise. He shot a sheepish grin over his shoulder, and then immediately lost all ability to breathe.

In Touka's place was another version, a younger version, of the same woman he had just been talking to. Short hair of the same shade was cut harshly to her chin with thick bangs concealing her right eye. Her face was rounder and clothes darker, but the same unmistakable shade of midnight blue peered right back at him.

Kaneki.

Air wasn't reaching his lungs and the world was spinning fast, way too fast. He swiveled on his heel, bile burning the back of his throat and he fled.

Thank you all for the favs, follows, and lovely reviews a got for the prologue. I'd love to hear you guys thought of this chapter as well.