It's been a little bit, but I finally got around to uploading this. Enjoy. I own nothing but my OCs.

"Akane, how old are you?" I asked, too tired to think of the question as rude.

It was early, about 6 A.M., when I was making coffee for Akane. We were both tempted to simply go back to bed, but Akane said that we needed to be awake early for something she had planned, for something in the 4th Ward.

"Nineteen. What about you?" The noire-haired Ghoul asked.

"Eighteen." I replied, setting the ceramic cup on the table in front of her, "You know, you're pretty mature for your age. I wouldn't expect a nineteen year old girl to be so well off."

"Yeah, I guess I am. Being an only child with a dad like mine, you mature quickly." She explained nonchalantly.

"So what's so important in the 4th Ward that you needed to bring me?" I asked, somewhat nervous.

"Just getting a little something done, for both of us." She replied, leading me down through a door that led to a place labeled HySy ArtMask Studio. Inside were, not entirely surprising, masks of various styles on mannequin heads. They were all on stools, and some were covered by sheets. Curiously, I lifted one of the sheets, and jumped when I saw what was underneath.

"Boo." The man under the sheet said, before I dropped the sheet back. When he threw the sheet away, I got a good look at him. He was, if nothing, punkishly handsome. However, the first thing to catch my attention was his eyes. They were black, with red irises, like Akane's when her kagune was out. His didn't appear to be out, though. His dark grey tank top was under some black sweater, and his harem pants displayed what appeared to be a pentagram.

He sniffed the air and turned to Akane. "Ah, Akane. How can I help you today? And, more importantly, who's your friend?" He asked, his voice calm and smooth.

"I just need a modification. As for him, I got him from The Auction in The 14th Ward. Arata, Uta. Uta, Arata."

"So that Auction ring is still operating. Here I thought the Doves would've swept the place. Anyway, as for the modification, what would you like?"

She took the mask she wore at The Auction, a masquerade mask, painted to look like a sparrow's head, out of her bag and tossed it to Uta. "Just need it repainted. If I could, I'd do it myself. Another thing is, I thought about getting Arata a mask."

Uta and I both gave Akane a strange look.

"What? I don't want the CCG to find him, especially if I take him with me to a place with a high human-to-ghoul population. Besides, with The Doves running around..."

Uta sighed. "Alright, I'll do it. And today was such a blissfully slow day, too."

(Akane's POV)

Once I got my mask repainted, I sat back and watched Uta do his usual thing with Arata, measuring his head and asking personal questions. The questions were part of the reason I brought him, seeing as he probably wouldn't answer much if I asked.

"So, you dating anyone?" Uta asked, concentrating on the measuring tape around Arata's head.

"N-No, not really." Arata answered.

"Allergic to any material, like Latex or whatever?"

"No." He replied.

"I see. What's your favorite color?"

"Black and White are my favorite colors. If I may ask, why are you asking me these questions?"

"Normally, I'd tell you not to question my methods. But I can't help but like you. I design masks for humans and ghouls alike, and I don't do it by simple commission, usually. I prefer making a mask based on a customer's interests, or when they have some deep meaning. Take your mistress's mask, for example. Her mask is the color of her kagune, and the design is based on her family symbol, The Sparrow. What about you, though? What are you about?"

"Ramen and video games." He replied sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Uta and an annoyed growl from me.

"A Joker. Never thought I'd have one like you in here. If you were a Ghoul, you'd be perfect for the Clowns. But maybe...that's it!"

After jotting down what I could only assume were his measurements, he took the notepad into his proper studio and signaled that we were done.

"I'll contact you once I have the mask ready!" Uta called.