Hello, everyone! So, in the theme of trying to speed up the updates, I started this chapter less than twelve hours after posting the last one. But oh boy, I'd forgotten how rough it was to write Ozpin and Kaneki interacting. Getting the characterization just right is tricky. Still, I think less than two months is pretty good for an update, hm? I still want to finish volume 1 by the end of the year, although that might be a little trickier than I originally planned. Still, I'll do my best!
Before I begin, I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who's followed this story so far. Thanks to you, I'm less than thirty follows away from 1000! It's you guys that motivate me and make these updates possible, and your comments that push me to practice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Now, on to COMMENT REVIEW TIME!
Heavy1825: Hehehehehehehe
KhanhM: That's fair, Rize lends herself better to an 'imaginary friend' type character. And sorry for the wait, I'll try and speed these up, I promise.
Cross-Z Magma: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
TheFoxSinofGreed: You're welcome! I'll do my best!
jy24: I'll try!
KuriKiKen00: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
YeTianshi: For the first part of your comment, no spoilers. For the second part, I'd tell you how they'd react, but that would also be spoilers, so no dice. For the third question accounting for Aura, Semblances, and differences in weapons from Huntsmen to Huntsmen, I don't think anyone can accurately guess how he'd do. There are just too many variables. And as for that last question, think of it like this: if you eat a really healthy diet, and exercise regularly, you're gonna be in really good shape. If you swap out the healthy diet for one comprised mostly of junk food, but still exercise, you might not be in bad shape, but you're gonna deteriorate from where you were. That's what ghoul flesh and human flesh are like.
IlliterateLibrarian935: Awwww, thank you! I'm glad you like it! I'll try not to keep you waiting too long!
Marlo Fire: Thank you! I'm so glad you like it!
17konbro: I don't want to lead you on, so I'll tell you that isn't gonna happen. Not because I'm against Snowbug (It's second under Catbug for me) but because I'm awful at writing romance, and frankly, I don't like doing it.
Kuro Torii: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
BreatherOfInsanity: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I'm looking forward to writing these as well, trust me.
Henry: Yeah, I don't really like ripping directly from the episodes to create scenes, but hey, has to be done. As time goes on, it will happen less, I promise. Although who knows, maybe a time will come where you wish I hadn't changed so much...
Lolilord: Hehehehehe
Dounia: Ding ding ding! Got it in one! The other two are references as well. I wonder if you can figure out to what?
DireProphet: I don't like your tone.
CallmeCrazylol: Um...I hate to start a fight, but she definitely has some free will. She runs away from where she's supposed to be, tells Ruby she's a robot, and as far as we know, she doesn't tell him she told. Not saying she's not gonna tell Ironwood (not saying she is, tho), but she definitely has free will.
senpen banka: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
The Perpetual Shadow: Patience, Iago, patience.
Matemeo3: Yeah, getting ready was a struggle, and it took a while to adjust. I've got the hang of it now, though. And I'm glad you liked it!
Im-Bored-and-Gay: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Ender the multiverse Detective: Wait no longer, my friend.
IlluminateAnimeLover789: Yeah, both sides are flawed. Kaneki has a solid middle ground to stand on, though.
Tero7323: Hey, I can't let you guys down! Not before I've passed With Death Comes More Death as most popular fanfic in the section!
Jabb3rw0cky: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Sorry about the line breaks, I'm not sure how I'd really improve them.
Videomaster166: In past drafts of chapters, I had him gave away a lot more. And I'm gonna try and tidy up a few loose ends from the show.
Greer123: Yep
Nobody Important Liz: And as always, your comments are one of the highlights of my day. Thank you so much for the detail, and I'm so, so glad you liked this!
Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
TGnat: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked the chapter!
Beowolfalien: Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
SuperKamiEdgeLord: Same. Honestly, I think that's why the last few chapters took so long—transcribing the dialogue and working around it sucks the motivation right out of me.
Still thinking on a username: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Dickmcgeeze: No problem! I'm glad you liked it!
Guest: Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed my story.
Shade Techni: D'awwww, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!
Ultimate Kuuga: Not sure who you mean, gonna assume Penny. And both sides have their points, but ultimately both of them are too close to the actual problem.
Guest: Eh, quiero responder a todos comentarios. Perdon mí español, no hablo muy bien.
SerpentBane007: Dawww, thank you! I'm really glad you liked it!
Notsae: No spoilers on whether or not any of that will happen, my guy. No spoilers…
Weebo23: That's probably for the best. If I made it happen, you can be sure no one would enjoy it.
MEMENTUM: Yeah, I feel you. I don't like writing them that much. The alternative is skipping the scenes entirely, which I can't do for context, or writing them in a weird "tell don't show" way, which I also don't like to do. I'm glad you enjoyed the snap, I was a little worried people would think it was a stretch, but so far it seems pretty popular. And I promise, I WILL explain that name thing at some point, and the language thing. I have it all planned out, it's just a matter of reaching the right spot in the story. Just bear with me.
A Self-Confessed Fanboy: I'm glad you like this story so much! I've been trying really hard to keep the tension, even though the past few chapters have been calmer. And I might have to make an actual aside note of this or something, because I seem to be answering it a lot. Let's assume ghoul power has a cap. Eating ghoul flesh raises this cap, due to the extra RC cells. However, if the ghoul stops eating ghoul flesh, they burn through the RC cells and are reduced to their human-flesh cap. It doesn't mean they're weak, it means they are weaker in comparison to the ghoul-flesh cap. And no worries, I'm not dropping this story.
BlackStar103: Don't worry, I'm not planning on letting this story die. I have way too many plans for that.
Chaoshadows 0: Right now.
BloodRedJay: Thank you so much! And yeah, I'm a first year. It's taken a bit of adjustment, but I'm getting the hang of it.
Residenthobo: If I did, it would be because you're looking at her from Kaneki's POV. Still, I'm glad you liked it!
Ninjaaa0006: I'm not gonna confirm or deny whether that will happen. It probably will, though.
Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Now, without further ado, LET THE STORY BEGIN!
"Sooo...Whatcha gonna talk to Ozpin about, Marshmallow?"
Kaneki, who had just pushed the button to call the elevator, looked at Nora. She was rocking back and forth on her heels, her arms folded behind her back and an expression of innocent curiosity on her face.
Surprisingly, this was the first thing Nora had said after agreeing to lead Kaneki to Ozpin's office. He'd thought she'd at least make idle chatter, but at the very least, the silence had given him the opportunity to think of a few things. What he'd say to Ozpin—and what he'd say if anyone happened to ask why he wanted to talk to the headmaster.
Now it seemed that thinking up a cover hadn't been wasted effort after all. "I have a question about changing my schedule to get extra class credits," Kaneki answered, rubbing his chin. He knew it wasn't a far-fetched story; other students preferred to spend their later years at Beacon exclusively training in combat, so they took extra credits in their first and second years to get general studies out of the way. Granted, it was usually the whole team that did this, but Kaneki hoped it would be a passable excuse, considering he wasn't technically a part of team RWBY.
Nora stared at Kaneki for several long seconds. Her expression was flat, almost disappointed. Finally, she sighed, her entire body slouching as if she were a deflating balloon. "You're a bad liar, Eyepatch."
That gave Kaneki pause. "Excuse me?" It came out a bit more hostile than he meant it to; the anger from his fight with Weiss was still simmering in his chest, unable to cool without anywhere to direct it.
Thankfully, Nora either didn't notice or didn't mind. She abruptly went from a slouch to a stretch, so quickly that her spine cracked. "You grab your chin when you lie." She snapped back into a slouch, cupping her chin in one hand. "If it wasn't for that, it would be really hard to tell, but once you notice, it's easy." She shrugged. "Sorry."
Kaneki stared, anger forgotten for an instant in the face of Nora's casual attitude. He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed at how easily she'd seen through him. "H-how long have I been doing that?"
There was a ding and a mechanical whoosh as the elevator doors opened. Nora stepped in, turned, and pressed a button. She kept her eyes fixed on the button, refusing to meet Kaneki's eye. "Well, I figured it out after...after that thing with your hands," she mumbled. "You did it when you said you were okay, and it was pretty obvious you were lying."
Kaneki stepped into the elevator and kicked himself mentally. That's just perfect. How long have I been doing that? He grit his teeth, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Still, it's probably better she told me now. I'll know not to do it when I'm talking to Ozpin, or anyone else from now on.
The two stood there for a few seconds, the silence only broken by the elevator doors sliding shut. "You're going to ask if you can swap teams, aren't you?" Nora asked suddenly.
And just like that, Kaneki was off his guard again. "H-How—?" was all he managed to get out.
"—did I know?" Nora smirked. "I know I'm not some kind of super-smart mind-reader like Ren, but I can tell they don't like you, Eyepatch. We all noticed." She rolled her eyes. "Even Jaune noticed. Plus, that fight you guys had earlier was really loud."
Kaneki cringed as he remembered just how loud he'd been. I hope she didn't catch the details. How many other people heard that?
"C'mon, Eyepatch!" Nora urged. "Spill it! Did you break one of their weapons? Steal one of their boyfriends? Their girlfriends? Did you pull out some of Yang's hair? I know Cardin did that once—"
Kaneki tuned out the rest of Nora's chatter as he racked his brain for a proper answer. I could lie, especially now that I know about that tick...But what would I say? If I can't come up with a good excuse, she'll just go to the others, and I'm sure Yang would be happy to let her know if she can tell Ozpin she had no choice.
Kaneki rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly exhausted. I don't care anymore. Ozpin can deal with it if it's a problem. I just...don't care.
"—was walking funny for three days after, and his voice was sooo high you could barely hear him!"
Not even bothering to hide the weariness in his voice, Kaneki cut Nora off and asked, "Did team RWBY ever tell you what happened in the forest, on initiation day? Why Blake had that wound on her shoulder?"
Now Nora was the one thrown for a loop. She blinked stupidly for a few moments, but perked back up almost instantly. "Yeah, they did!" She said proudly, as if she'd just solved a difficult problem. "They got attacked by some whacko with white hair and a weird...eye…"
Nora trailed off, looking Kaneki up and down, lingering on his hair and eyepatch. Kaneki could practically see the puzzle pieces clicking into place in her head. Her face fell, and the temperature in the elevator seemed to fall with it. "...That was you." There was no question in her voice—she stated it as an indisputable fact.
Kaneki nodded. He felt a bitter pang at Nora's imminent repulsion; she had been kind to him during his time at Beacon, and if he was being honest with himself, he'd come to enjoy her company. The idea of her shunning him from now on hurt him more than he had expected.
Nora swallowed audibly. "And...your eye?"
After a moment of hesitation, Kaneki reached up and pulled off his eyepatch. For a moment, he thought his eye might not have changed, but Nora's reaction was all the confirmation he needed. She blanched, and actually took a step back, raising a hand to her mouth.
The horror plainly written on her face stung, even more so because Nora was usually so unflappable. Kaneki slipped his eyepatch back on, ashamed, as if his kakugan were a festering wound or birth defect. "Ozpin...told me not to tell anyone," he muttered. You knew this had to happen eventually. No point in getting too upset about it.
Nora stayed in the same position for a long, silent second. When it had passed, she took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly, clasping her arms as if she were cold. "I think...I think I kinda knew there was something different about you. Ren always acted weird when you were around, and he doesn't usually do that without a reason. Figures he'd get it before anyone else." She looked Kaneki in the eye, her expression a heartbreaking mix of sadness and confusion. "Why did you do it? Yang said that Blake's shoulder...you bit her."
Kaneki winced. "I had...an episode." He wasn't sure what else he could call it. "I was hurt. Badly. When I get like that, I go berserk. It doesn't matter who I'm around."
The explanation didn't seem to cheer Nora up much. "They did say you were really messed up…" Kaneki saw that her knees had started to shake, very slightly. "They're my friends, Eyepatch. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, they're all my friends. But...you're my friend too. I've known you just as long as I've known them." Her voice broke, and she looked away. "I don't know how I should feel."
Underneath the heat of his almost-forgotten anger, Kaneki felt a cold stab of guilt. "I'm sorry, Nora. I didn't want to do it. I'd take it back if I could."
Nora was silent, and for a moment Kaneki didn't think she'd answer. Just as the thought crossed his mind, she looked up. The pained understanding in her eyes was astonishing. "But you can't." Her voice was bleak and colorless.
Kaneki looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "No. I can't."
There was a subtle rocking in the ground beneath their feet as the elevator came to a stop. The doors slid open. "This is your stop." With a pale, weak attempt at her usual bright smile, Nora jerked her head towards Ozpin's office. "Good luck, Eyepatch."
Kaneki stepped out of the elevator, feeling as though some part of him had been torn away and left on the ground floor. "Thank you, Nora," he said quietly.
Nora gave a half-hearted wave as the door slid shut. Her hand was shaking.
Kaneki stared at the closed door for several seconds, before remembering where he was and what he'd come to do. With an almost physical effort, he forced himself to turn around. Once he did, he finally took his first look at Ozpin's office.
The room itself was round, with walls and floors of austere grey stone. The ceiling, which was nothing more than a large glass dome, was propped up by several pillars carved from the same rock as the rest of the room. Through the ceiling, Kaneki could see enormous gears turning. The few decorative motifs in the room were also gear-shaped. At the far end of the room was a large desk, metal-edged with a glass top. Directly behind the desk was what at first glance appeared to be a large window, but upon closer inspection turned out to be the transparent face of the clock on the outside of the tower. Through it, Kaneki could make out a night sky speckled with stars.
And it was in front of that clock that Headmaster Ozpin sat. He looked the same as every other time Kaneki had seen him, right down to his mug of hot chocolate and the little cross pin on his scarf. It was as though he'd been patiently waiting there for Kaneki, untouched by time, like a figure from a historical painting.
It was more than a little intimidating.
"Hello, Eyepatch. I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you again." Ozpin gestured to a chair opposite his with a nod of his head. "Please, have a seat."
Between the elevator ride and the oppressive design of the room, Kaneki realized that he'd completely forgotten what he'd planned to say. Feeling a sudden wrench of apprehension in his gut, he started the walk to the desk. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or something to do with the shape of the room, but his footsteps seemed to echo much louder than they should have. When he took his seat, however, the long silence that followed was far worse.
Ozpin took a long drink from his mug, before setting it down on a coaster and leaning back in his chair. "So, how have you been enjoying Beacon?" he asked, as mildly as if they were old friends having a chat. "It seems you've been doing well in your classes. Is the curriculum similar to the one in your kingdom?"
His nonchalant attitude annoyed Kaneki, which was an impressive feat considering how upset he already was. He didn't answer.
Ozpin seemed to wilt, although there was almost no change in his demeanor. "You aren't here for friendly conversation." He leaned forward, crossing his hands in front of him. "What's bothering you, Eyepatch?"
Good. No more pretenses. "Why did you pair me with team RWBY?"
Ozpin's standard frown lessened in intensity—his version of a coy smile. "I was wondering when you might ask that." He took another sip from his mug before continuing. "To put it simply, Eyepatch, I'm trying to keep you a secret."
Kaneki blinked. Granted, he hadn't been able to come up with a solid reason as to why Ozpin would keep him with RWBY—his most prevalent theory was that it was meant as a punishment—but secrecy being the culprit never once crossed his mind. "What?"
Ozpin's tone was patient, as if he were explaining something he'd explained many times before. "The odds of you being able to stay with another team and not have your nature discovered are slim to none. And the more people that find out about you, the more difficult it would be to hide your existence from those who would do you harm." His gaze darted away, just for a moment. "Or even worse, those who would seek to use you for their own benefit."
Kaneki had plenty of things he wanted to say, but the solemn tone of the headmaster's voice gave him pause. "What do you mean, 'use me'?"
Ozpin didn't answer right away; Kaneki got the impression he was choosing his words carefully. "I'm sure you know what purpose Huntsmen and Huntresses serve by now, Eyepatch." His gaze was unfocused, as if he was looking at something only he could see, a memory from long ago. "They're Remnant's elite, trained to be the strongest line of defense against the dark powers of this world. Even Huntsmen and Huntresses in training are a force to be reckoned with."
In an instant, his eyes focused on Kaneki, so sudden and sharp that they seemed to pin him to his seat. "And yet, with grievous injuries, no Aura, and only your own natural weapons, you managed to hold your own against three Huntresses in training, and incapacitate the fourth almost instantly. Had you been at full strength, I doubt all four of them would have lived to bring you back."
Ozpin paused, as if waiting to see whether or not Kaneki would be offended by the backhanded compliment. He needn't have bothered; Kaneki couldn't be offended by it, not when he knew it was the truth. If he'd met team RWBY at his full strength, there was no doubt in his mind that, even if they took him down, at least two of them would have come with them. If I got Yang first, it might even have been all four.
Ozpin, as if sensing the dark places Kaneki's thoughts were going, quickly continued. "I still believe you are a better person than first impressions might indicate, Eyepatch. But even the best people can be swayed with proper incentive. And I worry about the things you could be swayed to do if you were discovered."
Kaneki waited for Ozpin to continue. When the headmaster stayed silent, he frowned. "That's the reason?" He asked incredulously. There has to be more to it than that.
Ozpin nodded. He looked almost pleased with himself.
Kaneki, on the other hand, felt like he was about to explode. The headmaster's answer wasn't satisfying in the slightest; on the contrary, the more he thought about it, the angrier it made him. The rage in his chest, which had mostly died down during his elevator ride, flared back even hotter.
As if on cue, Yamori stepped into Kaneki's field of vision. He looked just as incensed as Kaneki felt: his mask was pulled up over his head, revealing bulging eyes and a scowl that promised blood. "Are you just going to sit there and take this!?" He bellowed. "You heard him, he's making your life hell because he's scared of you! He's lucky you don't gut him right here!" He glanced at Kaneki from the corner of his eye, scowl twitching into a smirk. "Although that's always on the table..."
In a last, desperate attempt to keep himself in check, Kaneki took a few deep breaths to calm down and ignored Yamori. "I understand you couldn't turn me loose, Headmaster, but you have to see that team RWBY hates me. Leaving me with them is just going to keep causing problems. Why not just lock me up if you want to keep me secret?"
Ozpin tilted his head to the side. His expression was infuriatingly innocent. "Are you saying you would have preferred that?" he asked.
The anger in Kaneki's chest sparked, smoldered, and very nearly ignited. "I'm saying that your first priority is keeping your students safe," he snapped. "Keeping team RWBY and I together is dangerous for all of us."
Ozpin did smile then, although it was more sad than happy. "You're not quite right, Eyepatch. My first priority is to help my students learn. Having you on their team will be a good learning experience, for all of you. They're stubborn girls, more stubborn than I expected, but with Miss Rose's influence, I'm sure they will learn to understand and accept you."
Kaneki could have sworn he heard a snapping sound in his head. He's insane. He's completely insane. "I want to switch teams." Despite the seething cauldron of emotion in his chest, his voice was dangerously flat.
"And who would you stay with?" Ozpin answered. He'd responded almost instantly, as if he'd been waiting for that very demand.
"I don't care. JNPR, CRDL, anyone else. Just not team RWBY."
If Ozpin had pretended to consider it, maybe his answer would have been easier for Kaneki to swallow; that being said, he didn't miss a beat. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Eyepatch." He didn't sound the least bit sorry.
"Why not?!" Kaneki couldn't help but raise his voice, unable to hide his frustration.
Ozpin's mouth twitched. "I believe I spent the last few minutes detailing that in full."
Behind him, Kaneki heard Yamori roaring in outrage. "DON'T LET HIM TALK TO YOU LIKE YOU'RE SOME LITTLE BRAT! TEAR HIM APART!"
Grinding his teeth, Kaneki stood up, nearly knocking his chair over in the process. "We're done, then." His voice was shaking with barely-contained rage. He's not just insane, he's sadistic. He's enjoying this.
Ozpin held up his hand. "Before you leave, Eyepatch, would you be willing to answer some questions for me?" His spoke as if it were the most reasonable request in the world, as if he hadn't just spent the past several minutes treating Kaneki like an impudent child.
Kaneki stared. He's kidding.
Yamori couldn't agree more. "That bastard has some nerve," he snarled, pacing around the side of the desk. He came to a stop behind Ozpin, clawed fingers twitching as though they were itching to grab the headmaster's throat. "Tell him to fuck off."
Kaneki finally took the spectre's advice. "No, I wouldn't. If they're that important, I'm sure you can figure them out yourself." He didn't even try to hide the contempt in his voice.
Ozpin sighed, almost disappointed, and reached for his mug. "Eyepatch—"
His patient, condescending tone was what finally pushed Kaneki over the edge. With a guttural howl of rage, he unleashed his kagune, grabbed Ozpin's mug with a single scarlet tendril, and hurled it through the clock face as hard as he could.
There was a loud crash as the glass shattered on impact. Not even half a second later, Ozpin was on his feet with the end of his cane pointed, sword-like, at Kaneki's throat. His eyes were burning into Kaneki's own with an intensity that nearly made him step back. Nearly.
For a single, tense moment, Kaneki was certain that Ozpin would strike. Even worse, part of him hoped that he would. Do it. Give me a reason to put you through the window, too.
After what felt like an eternity, Ozpin spoke. "I have more mugs."
It was a ridiculously casual statement, yet it was spoken with such a threatening undertone that Kaneki's blood ran cold. "We're done, Ozpin," he said, forcing his voice not to shake. Before the headmaster had a chance to answer, Kaneki whirled on his heel and strode to the elevator, his kagune dissipating like smoke behind him.
It took over a minute for the elevator to reach the top floor. Neither Kaneki nor Ozpin spoke during that time. The silence grew more excruciating by the second. Just when Kaneki thought one of them would have to break, the doors slid open. He quickly stepped inside and jammed a finger against the button for the ground floor.
He made a point not to look up until the doors had slid shut.
When he left the elevator at the bottom of the building, Kaneki saw that Nora was nowhere to be found. I doubt she'd want to walk back with me after what I told her. With no other option, he started the walk back to the dorm by himself. Between his fight with RWBY, revealing his secret to Nora, and now his argument with Ozpin, Kaneki felt completely broken inside.
How am I going to face them? He wondered, reaching Beacon's central plaza. Even if Yang doesn't take my head off, Weiss might do it herself. And Ruby...His heart wrenched unexpectedly. Ruby won't want anything to do with me now.
Kaneki was so distracted that he didn't notice the other people in the plaza until he was nearly halfway across it. As he approached the statue in the center, he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of hushed voices. One was unfamiliar, but distinctly male; the other one was Blake's.
Kaneki felt another twist in his ribs, although this one felt less guilty and more sympathetic. Blake won't want me near her. She's probably terrified right now. He stepped to the side, hoping to quietly circle around the two...Only to stop when he caught sight of Blake around the statue.
She was sitting at the base of the statue, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped tight around herself and head tucked close to her chest. Perched on top of her head, right where her bow would normally be, were two black cat ears.
Although he felt a dull shock, Kaneki couldn't say he was as surprised as he should have been. He'd never seen Blake without the bow, not even when she slept, and he'd often sworn he'd seen it move when she was particularly scared or angry. It was just one more clue he should have noticed.
Once he got over the initial shock, Kaneki noticed the person at Blake's side. It took him a moment, but he soon realized it was the boy from the docks, the Faunus with the blond tail. He was sitting next to Blake, said tail wrapped loosely around her waist, almost comfortingly.
Kaneki couldn't help but feel like he was looking at something private. He tried to keep going as quietly as he could, but he must have made some noise. Blake's ears twitched, and she looked up. Her eyes were red and glossy, as if she'd been holding back tears.
The blond boy followed Blake's gaze and clapped eyes on Kaneki. Instantly, his tail shot straight up, fur bristling. "Whoa, buddy," he said, hurrying to his feet and stepping in front of Blake protectively. "Don't bother her right now, we're busy."
The anger in Kaneki's chest, still hot, threatened to burst into flame. "Does she know you?" he asked snappishly. This is the last thing I need right now.
The blond flushed, ever so slightly. "Yes! I mean, sort of." He scratched the back of his head, tail curling awkwardly around his stomach. "We...know each other's names."
"Leave him, Sun," Blake muttered, grabbing the boy's arm and tugging him back. She sounded exhausted. "What are you doing here, Eyepatch?"
Kaneki saw no reason to lie to her. "Weiss and I had an argument, so I left. I decided to talk to Ozpin and see if I could stay with someone else." Maybe he should have been embarrassed at being so blunt, but he knew that Blake, more than anyone, would understand it was for the best.
To his surprise, Blake didn't look relieved or even curious at the news. In fact, she looked almost...angry. Her ears pressed flat against her skull, and her hair seemed to puff up. "What did she say to you?" She demanded.
Kaneki was so surprised at her reaction that it took him a moment to realize she was referring to Weiss. "She…" He trailed off, glancing sideways at Sun, who was watching him suspiciously. Even without the boy's rude behavior, Kaneki wasn't willing to reveal what had happened in front of an almost-complete stranger.
All of that shot out his head, however, when Blake stood up and started walking towards him. Her steps were slow, trembling, and looked as though they were taking all her willpower to perform; however, when she came to a stop, she was barely an arm's length away. She'd never gotten this close to him of her own volition, not since the day she'd held him close and been bitten in return. "What did she say, Eyepatch?" She repeated.
Kaneki glanced at Sun again, chose his words carefully, and spoke. "She didn't say it outright, but she implied that I…" He swallowed. "Back where I'm from, anyone like me is killed. She said we deserved it."
Sun's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Whoa whoa wait. Killed? 'Anyone like you'?" He looked Kaneki up and down, as if scanning him for secret claws or horns. "You're a Faunus too?"
Kaneki didn't answer him. He was too busy looking nervously at Blake, who seemed on the verge of either crying or killing someone. Her face was slowly going red all the way to her neck, and there was a vein pulsing on the side of her head. "That arrogant, stuck-up, bigoted little—" she seethed, apparently so furious that she was incapable of finishing her own sentence.
After a moment of incomprehensible and frankly unsettling muttering, Blake took a deep breath, clenching her fists tightly at her sides. "I want you to come with us, Eyepatch."
Sun's jaw dropped. "Wait, you're inviting him?"
Kaneki couldn't help but be surprised as well. Although she had grown slightly less scared of him over time, he never got the impression that Blake was comfortable with his presence. "Where are you going?"
"Anywhere but here." Blake turned back to Sun, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her scroll. "I'll tell the others you're with me. I know we can't stay away forever, but for the weekend at least, let's just go." Her voice hitched slightly. "I'm going to go crazy if I don't get out of here."
Kaneki closed his mouth and actually considered Blake's words. On any other day, he would have turned her down. Ozpin wouldn't want him to leave campus with only one of the girls, and if Yang knew he was leaving, her rage would be terrifying. Aside from that, he had no money of his own, no reliable way of getting food, nothing at all but the clothes on his back.
But at that moment, Kaneki couldn't muster up the energy to care. All he knew was that he wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else. His homesickness flared up in that moment, as sharp and sudden as a knife through his heart. He would have given anything to be back in Japan...But for now, he could make do with the girl in front of him.
Kaneki nodded. "Okay."