Title: Prismatic
Author: Serpent at Sunset
Pairing: Yamori x OC x Tsukiyama
Rating: M
Fandom: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst/Romance
Word Count: 3,230
Summary: Some gardens bloom only at night in deep darkness, and someone has finally noticed Natsuki's bud... Yamori x OC x Tsukiyama
"She's back," Shuu couldn't halt his loud outburst upon entry.
Kanae frowned and lowered his book. "Who's back?"
"A girl that I thought was lost forever," Shuu sighed. Shuu dramatically splayed one hand over his chest.
Kanae wanted to roll his eyes.
"Who?" Kanae eyed him warily. "Is it that Natsumi girl?"
Shuu quirked his mouth. "Silly boy. Her name is Na-tsuki because the moon is in it. Ah, this lifts my spirits tremendously..."
Kanae shook his head. His master had too may favorites. First, there was that doomed boy Kaneki, and now he was mentioning someone else. And still, Kanae was still an unacknowledged servant. Just someone who served him ice water or laid out his toothbrush at night. It had been like that for far too long. And, as he was above all the other servants, there was no one to complain to.
How lucky for him.
"I thought that I saw horrors there in her eyes, but she just served me my coffee and left." Shuu's eyes got hard and cold. "I don't like being ignored."
Kanae could say the same thing, but Shuu wasn't even looking at him. How like him to only think about himself and his desires, and Kanae was still never one of them.
"I will just have to give her time and give Kaneki-kun some time as well. Maybe I'll get them both back. Oh, Kanae, I could just dance!"
In truth, Kanae wanted to scream. Loudly.
"Forget it," he mumbled as he got up out of the leather recliner.
Kanae's footsteps were decidedly heavy as he walked onwards through the mansion. He could have sworn that he heard his name over his shoulder, but he was already gone. At least Shuu was mildly interested about his disappearance.
Kanae slammed the door behind him for good measure as he didn't want to hear the beautiful man's melodic voice anymore.
"Happy New Year, everyone!" Irimi caroled.
Everyone in the room was smiling and laughing although Touka remained remote and away from her, but it was for the best. They were coworkers so what use was it to pretend that they were close friends? Being amiable acquaintances sufficed when the occasion called for it. But, mostly they were at the same party because they worked together.
Thankfully, Tsukiyama wasn't here. It was too complicated. Then, she wondered if he was staying away because of her. She wanted him here, and then she didn't want him here. Natsuki noted that her emotions still hadn't been rehabilitated, but such was the nature of addiction.
It was the New Year of 2012 and supposedly this was the year that the world was going to end although hadn't that already happened to Natsuki in 2010?
She sincerely hoped that this year would be different from the last two. She was going to be twenty-three this year. Natsuki was getting older and her heart was still empty.
A short distance away stood Uta the mask maker. Apparently, he and Yomo were friends. Even though he made masks, Natsuki still didn't know who had made her mask as Yamori had it crafted on his own terms. It would be ironic if Uta's creation had been on her face when she had been a White Suit.
All of a sudden, they caught sight of one other. She hoped that he would look away or at the very least not recognize her. Unfortunately, no one heard Natsuki's hopes anymore. And, if they did, they were cruel.
"Uh-oh, the infamous woman in white is here," Uta uttered when he noticed her approach.
The voices around them quieted down. Suddenly, there was a bit of a spectacle. Natsuki could already feel her cheeks start to burn, but she was unsure if it was from embarrassment or frustration.
Still, she marveled at how perceptive he was. She knew that he had never seen her face. Pray tell, what else did he know?
"I gave that up," she said quickly. "I work at Anteiku now."
"Uh-huh," Uta commented with his hands in his pockets. He seemed incredulous.
She had actually seen Uta at that first party with Yamori, but she had barely met him. All the same, he was aware of her.
With everything he was sure to know, she already knew that she was on dangerous ground. Natsuki had to take care to keep herself as stable as possible. Still, she wasn't obligated to accept his judgments. Ghouls were ghouls.
"My condolences for Jason," Uta said benignly.
She felt a deep chill in her bones at the mention of his name. "Thank you."
She still wasn't quite sure how she even felt about it.
It was late when the festive congregation broke up, and Natsuki was left in a sort of daze. The glass of blood wine that now seemed fused to her hand. She had only meant to toast with it. The blood wine reminded her of Nico, and she wondered how he was spending this evening. Probably like her-close to tears and drinking too much. Like her at the moment.
So, she was nearly drunk when the lights were off. Yet, somehow, she still made it to her door.
Natsuki nearly tripped into her room and luckily landed on the twin bed. Smirking to herself, she sacked out on the bed and knew that the sun would be rising soon. She felt like shit. Perhaps she had drank so much because Yamori wasn't there to stop it. In his home, only he could get drunk.
All that she could do was hope she passed out before the impending hangover...
When she awoke the next afternoon, a young girl was standing over her.
"Hello!" she greeted. "I'm Hinami. Who are you?"
It took Natsuki a while to answer because honestly, she wanted to turn her head and retch. Her head hurt, and it spun in circles.
Hinami's name reminded her of her father's. His name was Haruki which literally meant "sun." So, in a sense, a little sun was shining in her dark bedroom. As for herself, she had been named for the moon. At least all the darkness around in her life helped her to shine.
Still, Natsuki got less lonelier as the says passed as Hinami began to hang around her more and more. She supposed that the girl was just curious about a new face.
Like herself, Hinami loved books. Natsuki had actually taught her a new word: prism. She then learned that Kaneki had taught her the world "cloudburst." As the two read together, Hinami shocked her one day.
"You know, you remind me of Kaneki-kun a bit," she uttered matter-of-factly while reading her book.
Natsuki swore that she saw static. She felt something dark wrap around her, but made no reply. A flash of Kaneki chained to that chair in Yamori's room assaulted her mind. She still remembered his screams...
Now, she was uncomfortable. She shook her head and focused on the words coming in and out of focus. Natsuki had even taken his former job.
Kami-sama, when had she become Kaneki?
Natsuki was now reading The Black Goat's Egg which was ironically a favorite of Kaneki's and though it was a best-seller, Natsuki herself had never read it when she was with Yamori. All she had had were the books that were in his collection.
Hinami was sweet, and Natsuki learned in time that she had recently lost her mother. She so reminded her of herself when she had been that age.
And, it seemed that the longer the girl was in her room, the more she had become entranced by it and the curious objects arrayed on the counter tops along with the clothes that leaked from the closet. She honestly wondered what was around that a child might like.
So, she had settled on her jewelry box. Natsuki had brought all her jewelry. Her plan was to perhaps sell a few pieces for money. Shiny things still sold well, even if they were owned by a ghoul.
"These are pretty!" Hinami cried when Natsuki opened it up on the floor.
Natsuki regarded the pearl earrings nestled in Hinami's palm now. For some reason, it felt good to share her experiences with someone.
"Someone gave them to me," Natsuki revealed.
Hiname looked up into her face with her mouth open. "You had a boyfriend?" she asked.
Natsuki nodded. It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't a lie though. Though, he was more of a master. That term would fit better.
"Yes...but he was a difficult person."
Natsuki knew not to tell her too much as she was too young to know what their relationship really was, and Natsuki didn't want to scar her anymore than life already had. Responsibility was a constant weight on her being. Natsuki had to take special care not to be was so defensive that she would never let anyone in ever again.
"Do you miss him?" Hinami asked innocently.
"He's dead now too," Natsuki replied without really answering the question
The girl's face dropped. "Oh."
Yet, she still mourned him strangely enough. And Naki. Even to this day, she still truly missed Naki. If he missed her or thought about her, she couldn't know either.
Natsuki watched as Hinami's other hand sorted through the wooden box until she suddenly stopped.
"This is so pretty," Hinami gasped. "It sparkles like ice."
She had spied the a diamond choker. The pearl earrings were now forgotten as she now held the glittering necklace in her hands. It was the most expensive piece of jewelry she owned though she had only worn it twice. Her complain that it was a little too tight and therefore reminded her of a collar, but Yamori thankfully never specified that she wear it. Maybe he forgot that she had it. His mind was so inconsistent as his personality was wild.
As Hinami unraveled it and swung it around, Natsuki could see the spangles of rainbow quivering around the room in the stray rays of sunlight, and she became riveted by the sight. It had literally been transformed into a disco ball.
"It's prismatic," Hinami said almost in a wonder.
Natsuki herself had taught her that word.
"This is pretty too!" Natsuki heard Hinami say. "I love purple."
Natsuki turned to watch as the girl trace the edge of the amethyst crescent moon with her finger. Natsuki saw that her attention kept moving from one piece to another.
It was the only possession that she still had from home. Natsuki still harbored such bittersweet memories, but she knew to keep them to herself and simply let Hinami enjoy the necklace.
Natsuki smiled. "This is my favorite necklace too. It was a birthday present from my mother," she revealed.
"Your mother? Where is she?" Hinami tore her eyes away from the purple moon.
Natsuki was already dreading her answer. She had a feeling about Himani wouldn't relish it.
Natsuki's eyes drifted down. "The CCG got her."
She was aware that she wasn't doing anything for her mood, but it was the honest answer.
"It's the same with me." Hinami's bottom lip started to quiver. "It happened last year." Suddenly, the girl remedied her own somberness with a smile. "But it's not all bad! I live here now with you and big sis, Touka."
Natsuki pondered if she wanted to be on the same scale with Touka. That wasn't appropriate, was it?
The loss of parents was the reality for many ghouls. It could have happened to Hinami years ago. Then, the question occurred to her, and Natsuki hoped that she wasn't being too personal.
"How old are you, Hinami?"
I'll be fourteen in May," she replied
So, she was thirteen now. Barely a woman, but not quite a child either. Natsuki never would have guessed that. She would have guessed that she was around eleven.
Hinami announced that she was tired and wanted to go to bed, and Natsuki placidly watched her leave. Once again, she was forced to be alone with her thoughts
Natsuki remembered how she was strangely sober when her father died, but it had impacted her mother hard. She probably should have just run off on her own and let Natsuki be her own person and live her own life. She had been left on her own anyway. Even Yamori had passed now.
So, she was completely unprepared for what was to happen.
Natsuki was wrapped neatly in diamond chains with Yamori looming over her.
She was sparkling in an incandescent prison. The chains were around her arms and thighs and even encircled her breasts.
So, she was unknowingly engaged in some bondage play with someone who was unknown to her. Natsuki nonchalantly lookup up and saw Yamori leering down at her.
"It seems that you're still a prisoner," he remarked idly.
Before, when she had been in his embrace and in his bed, she had been more or less protected. But, she didn't know the situation here had at all. Had she consented to this?
"Or, can you escape?"
She struggled in vain against the beautiful chains. If there was a lesson in this, she was failing to learn it.
"Still weak, little moon."
He sounded so amused even though he was already dead. And, Natsuki still didn't know the damned answer...
But, no matter what she said, she knew that she wasn't leaving. Not by her own strength anyway.
When her eyes flew open at last, she felt horrible. As Natsuki laid there against her pillow, she was left wondered if it was an ill omen for the future. It even occurred to her to throw that sparkling diamond necklace out or better yet sell it if it would continue giving her nightmares.
She wanted to ask someone for their insight, but she then realized that there was no one that she could tell. No one who would care or understand. Hinami was too young, and she didn't want to involve the others in her mess.
In any case, it would take a few days for it to reveal itself. It happened later in the week in a surprise visitor that she recognized in a red mask. Tatara.
He shouldn't be here. Why is he here?
Then, it hit her.
She was sure that he was smirking behind his mask when he sat down at a table by a window waiting for service. Waiting for her.
"Who is he? He looks weird," Enji commented as he stared at him.
Irimi's eyes focused. "Isn't that..."
Yes. It was. And, little wonder who his target was.
Immediately, Natsuki walked over if only to spare everyone else. It was as if the Grim Reaper himself had come inside. Well, she was already a corpse. I was fair.
"I knew that you where here," he said almost lethally when his gaze caught Natsuki. "I didn't even have to find you."
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Natsuki kept her mask on tight because she well knew that fear was just as enticing as blood.
Tatara folded his hands. She knew that he was considering her words. He was even more calculating than she and he far more dangerous.
"If it's not too much trouble then," Tatara intoned.
So. Apparently, he was going to play along.
There was only one reason he was here; to reclaim Aogiri property. In other words, to reclaim her. She should have expected this. So, what was her other options now?
Natsuki went to the kitch gor coffee. The tray of dishes in her hands began to rattle, but Natsuki resolved not to show this fearful reaction in front of him. She was wobbling like water, but she had to be steel.
The other servers were hushed around her. It was a shame that Touka wasn't there as maybe the two of them but could they take him on.
"You think that you've cleaned yourself up," Tatara sounded so mocking when she finally placed the china coffee cup in front of him. "That isn't very rational, Natsuki. It's so unlike to even think to put others at risk."
She kept her head down to hide her guilt. "Did you only come to scold me?"
The thought hovered in her mind that he might eliminate her, but why would he have the desire to destroy such a capable worker? Hell, at this point, she had even infiltrated Anteiku.
Tatara's voice was dangerously low now. "Yamori might be gone, but you are still in Aogiri. I am still your superior and you are still valuable to our cause, Woman in White," he spat.
Well, at least she was still wanted somewhere.
At least he had revealed his reasons for being there. Had she inherited Yamori's position then?
No, Natsuki could never be the leader of the White Suits. That organization needed someone with more power and experience. She wondered if Yamori had a will, but then, he had never expected to die.
The cafe watched as Tatara actually sat there with his cup of coffee and drank it right to the bottom. He had even removed his red mask. Tatara wasn't fooling her or anyone else by being casual, but she knew from experience that he did have patience. With his strength and position and his usually got what he wanted.
At last, he laid the cup aside.
"I advise you leave tonight. I don't want to make a mess. I'm not like Yamori. Come to my office at your earliest convenience."
The bastard didn't even leave a tip. The servers at Anteiku were quite shaken but relieved.
After tonight, they would probably want her gone. No doubt they would blame her, and it would have been the truth.
Well that was a relief as Natsuki really couldn't deal with another Yamori, but Tatara was still her boss. However, as for removing him, she was nowhere near powerful for that feat. Yamori might be gone, but she was still aligned with Aogiri.
In truth, she didn't want to return to Aogiri, but she didn't want anyone in Antiku to be hurt. She couldn't be selfish.
The memories of that dream suddenly came back to her. Yes, she was trapped. Though Yamori wasn't here, his boss was now. Their boss.
Damned Yamori.
It wasn't his fault except that it was.
Natsuki silently walked to her bedroom as she didn't want to be pestered with questions. But as it turned out, no one was following her. She was alone once more.
So, inevitably, she would be leaving again. It hadn't even been her original plan. She could ignore Tatara and his words, but how much longer she could really remain?How long could she live two lives before she would inevitably reap the consequences of her actions?
In the end, this lifestyle had always been achievable, but now, it was too late. Aogiri had found her first. Now, she felt even worse than worse than before.
Natsuki began shedding tears like a flower shedding petals even though she knew that crying never solved anything. Still, Natsuki couldn't resist it at this moment.
She looked out the window and saw the lonely full moon rising as she felt her world splintering apart once more.
Natsuki wondered if anyone else was looking at it too whether it be Uta, Kaneki, or...Shuu.
A/N: To date, this is the longest chapter I've ever written for this fic. :0 Sorry for the delay, but the summer heat and writer's block got to me. Despite this new situation, Natsuki will still continue to heal and eventually reunite with someone from her past. Thanks to all readers! Be safe.