Amon, as calm, orderly, and professional as he was, could not quite focus on anything today... He was distracted no doubt about it... But, then who wouldn't be? It had started out as any other end of the work day for him. In the end it was Shinohara's fault, he supposed... For spurring him unto do this.
Amon began to flick his hands, hoping to rid them of the water that clung to them ever so stubbornly. The tall investigator recalled a simpler time when there were no air dryers in every bathroom. They really weren't that great if he had any say in it. Sure, they were impressive way back when, when they first started popping up, but they hardly did their job, Drying his hands, they just moved the water. Koutarou, for one, much preferred paper towels to those machines.
As he exited the restroom, or began to rather, he ended up meeting with, in an informal way, Shinohara, who, due to his immense size almost knocked Amon over. Luckily for Amon, the man was quick enough to grab and balance Amon from falling over.
"Oh, Amon." Shinohara spoke, only just now realizing who he had just stopped from falling on his ass. "You should be more careful than that. In fact, you usually are more graceful than this. Is something wrong?"
Amon was surprised by the question, so much so he almost laughed. How did this go from them bumping into one another to Amon's own mental health check up? But, now that he though about it. This wasn't the first time in the last month or so that Amon found himself being less than all there. He found himself day dreaming, losing time every now and then. Nothing major... but the last time he was off his game like this... Well... Everybody knew what happened.
But yes, now that the idea was on his mind there was something wrong. Amon had never addressed his social problems before. He simply allowed them to pass as time went on. But, he never let anything interfering with his work go by unnoticed... It was Mado, she was insubordination. Actually, that wasn't quite it. She was to eager, If that's how I should put it... He added mentally. She would go and do things without running them by him first. Now, normally, he didn't care too much about social standing among the office... but this, whether it was intentional or not, was disrespectful.
"Actually," began Amon. "It's Akira, she seems to be too liberal in her work."
"And that's a bad thing?" Shinohara raised an eyebrow and folded his arms in amusement.
"No, it's just... She's not very respectful... She seems to think that I'm an inadequate investigator."
"Does she, or do you?" Shinohara asked. "Amon, I realize that ever since Kureo died you've been a bit too reclusive about taking risks, especially with Akira. I understand how you feel. You feel responsible for his death because you couldn't help him and you're afraid of her dying too... But, don't try to keep her leashed. You and Kureo got along because you both put your job first. But, Akira, apart from intelligence, isn't exactly like her father. She also has a social life, even if it's a very restricted one. Take her out to eat, show her you are friendly, and maybe she'll warm up to you."
Amon was afraid he would say something like that. On top of being quite anti-social, Amon was, despite being tall, well built, and handsome, shy around women. Not that he wanted anything other than a platonic relationship with Akira. No, he was scared that she'd get the wrong idea about him.
"I don't think that's-"
"Amon. Listen to me. How many partners do you think I have had?" He began. "I'm telling you working with others ends up in disaster if you don't have a friendly relationship. Why do you think Iwa and I work so well together?"
Amon let out a defeated huff and lowered his head slightly. As much as he hated the idea, Shinohara had a point. Then with a slight nod he agreed.
"Good then. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I have to take a piss."
Akira pushed a lose strand of hair behind her ear, keeping it out of her eye's as she worked on her report for the day. But, there was hardly any work that was done. Just reports of ghouls throughout the ward. One was even a dog growling that an old woman had mistaken for being a ghoul chowing down on someone. Mado almost laughed when she got their, but she kept her composure.
Their target was the binge eater, but whether it was even alive or not was still a question... She'd much rather focus on the rabbit. But, that was obvious to anyone at the office. But, she also know the reason they wouldn't allow her to. Sighing, she glanced at her wrist to her watch. 7:33... she mused to herself. I should probably get something to eat when I get off at eight... Or I'll eat after nine again.
Then, the familiar sound of door hinges squeaking forced her eye's away from her desktop and towards the door. She frowned, but then, she didn't really know who she should have expected. Maybe Juuzou? Seidou even, but not her superior. Recently, their partnership had been strictly business. Not that she didn't want that. That's the only type of familiarity she wanted with Koutarou Amon.
Recently though, he had been very disheveled. He was slow, slacking, and he'd shown up into the office with his normally kempt hair all over the place. It made her wonder, was it really the Rabbit's fault her father had died? Or was it just that Amon was not as good an investigator that they say he is.
"Akira." He spoke, breaking her from herself induced trance.
"Yes?" She noticed he'd bristled at the informal nature of the way she said that. But she was certain that she'd gone over the waste of time it is to use honorifics hadn't she? Yes, she was certain she had.
"I was wondering, since you've been working so hard" he made up a reason, as to not give her the wrong idea, "Why don't we get dinner after work?"
In all honesty, it was perfect timing. Today was their day shift, she got off an hour before nine, and she had already decided she should eat... It was troublesome though, that her superior, who she wasn't entirely sure was a capable investigator, had offered to pay for her... But, in the end, it was free food, right?
"I don't see why not." She forced a smile at him.
Somewhere along the line seidou was dragged into dinner with them. Amon didn't mind though, after all the pay for a First-Class investigator was nothing to scoff at, and it wasn't like they were going to eat anywhere particularly high dollar. It was after all, just the twentieth ward, there wasn't really anything too special about it.
Now though, after his two guests had gotten themselves properly intoxicated, they had reduced their social skills to those of three year olds, spitting insults at one another as Amon slurped down noodles. The affect of alcohol was so clear, in fact, that a sheen of red covered their faces. Amon almost laughed. He for one never drank alcohol, he had once, and he could honestly say he doesn't miss the taste.
As the night ran on, Seidou had been called back to the office, leaving just him and a still quite intoxicated Akira, who now laid her blonde head onto the wooden counter. She was quiet as well, Koutarou found himself wondering if she was sleeping. The only signs she gave of any form of consciousness was the slit between her eyelids that revealed her pink eye's.
It was an eerie silence that fell over the two of them. Over the whole restaurant really. Nothing but the sound of glasses hitting wooden tables and chop sticks scrapping the bottoms of porcelain bowls.
Then she finally spoke.
"I hate you, you know?" The way she said it was cold, but almost like it was part of off hand conversation. Amon wasn't too bothered by it though, he guessed as much. "Because of your inability to do your job my father was murdered... But you got to live... Was it just luck? It was to my understanding that you both fought ghouls. The eyepatch let you live. I guess he's sympathetic." She paused, then began to shut her eye's slowly. "I wish it could have been different..." then she was out like a light.
Amon had taken her home that night, practically giving her a piggy back ride to her apartment and laid her to bed. He was about to make his way back to his own home when she'd stopped him. He was scared at first, as she wrapped her arms around him in rather seductive manner... But in the end, it wasn't her doing it. At least not for him. She was begging for her father.
Koutarou didn't know why exactly, but he was motivated, that night to exercise. Why hadn't he done it at his own home? Even he wasn't quite sure. But, he'd done so even until her waking moments.
She was upset at first. But, in a comedic way, she ended up making him breakfast.
Which led to now.
Amon, as calm, orderly, and professional as he was, could not quite focus on anything today... He was distracted no doubt about it... But, then who wouldn't be? It had started out as any other end of the work day for him. In the end it was Shinohara's fault, he supposed... For spurring him unto do this.
The first-class investigator sat on his knees, hands folded formally onto his thighs as he sat, embaressed in front of the traditional Japanese coffee table in Akira's dining room. He felt increasingly uncomfortable in his damp suit, his sweat leaving an odor that he hoped only he could notice. If it wouldn't be so rude, he would leave at this moment, but it would be rude.
"Koutarou Amon." She began, bringing out a plate with a piece of toast, eggs, and bacon on it. A weird choice, considering that this was japan, but in all honesty it Koutarou didn't mind. "Commended in the academy for ghoul investigators. High marks and exceptional combat ability. Promoted to Investigator First-class by the age of 26, the youngest aside from Kishou Arima." She set the plate down in front of him. "And a perverted man who like to exercise in his sleeping subordinates apartment." She smiled at the end.
He was about to defend himself, even though he knew she was joking, when a sudden beeping noise rang out in unison from the both of them. It was their work phones. Normally these were only called when they had failed to show up to work, or when something important was happening. You weren't necessarily supposed to pick it up, just get to the office as soon as you were able to get there. Amons heart began to race, the last time this happened was around half a year ago... and the entirety of the CCG remembered how literally that came crashing down on them.
Akira on the other hand was already dawning her suit, making herself nice and presentable for work. Amon almost wanted to laugh, She didn't quite get it, if this was what Amon thought it was then they'd be changing pretty soon.
Moments earlier.
Touka watched as the nurse exited the building. To be honest Touka, being as close to it as she currently was, was feeling more than just a bit on edge. They were right outside the 20th wards CCG office. Though, they weren't too close, but still Touka could hardly keep her legs from shaking. She sat on an ordinary brown bench surrounded by various plants potted around it. Making the building seem like a safe haven. In Touka's case it was anything but.
Touka glanced at the manager and Kaneki. They both seemed calm, too calm. That pissed her off immensely, Not so much that they seemed unfazed, but rather that she was so shaken. Touka hated feeling powerless in any kind of situation. She should be as calm as they were. Still, she was just glad the others weren't here to see her, they'd been sent to Okinawa ahead of time to scout it out. Kaneki wanted to join them, but Yoshimura thought it best to keep him here... He knew just as well as anyone that Kaneki wasn't the most patient in the world at the moment. He was afraid he'd rush in. In the end Kaneki listened because it was Eto's father, it was a given that he was just as eager as the white-haired boy.
Taguchi appeared before them then, distracting Touka from her two companions. She kept a straight face, as she looked down at them and kept her voice low, not a whisper, but just low enough to pass as a quiet conversation. "It's done..."
"They believed you?" Yoshimura asked, still keeping a straight face.
Taguchi shrugged, "You'll find out by tonight when you see CCG forced moving up into the building. I'll find out if it comes on the news."
Touka narrowed her eyes. "I know I've said it before, but still: How do we know that you didn't just give us up?"
Taguchi looked at her. It was an understanding look, one that she held a lot. They'd, at least the girl and the old man, had been hunted their entire life, they had a right to be a little uneasy. Then Taguchi smiled. "Kanou is a crazy bastard, but if there's anything that I still agree with him about it's how the world is. We agree for different reasons, him because he wants to eliminate both humans and ghouls and create one race, me because I don't think killing ghouls just because of what they are is right."
Touka looked up at her, and she almost wanted to laugh. Not in mocking, but in happiness. It was people like this that reminded her that living like she did now was better than how she would've if she'd left with Ayato... And they were examples to show Ayato what humans could be.
Then Youshimura groaned and stood up. "Well then, miss Taguchi, Thank you, but this is where we part ways. Take care." He smiled.
Taguchi simply smiled back.
Tatara walked down the halls of the old building, which towered above most of the others in the area,seemingly as if he were a ghost. This image was amplified by that white cloak that he favored so much. His white hair only added to this look as he made his way around. Aogiri had become, in the time since the incident in the 13th ward, more and more powerful. There was Himself, though he hardly counted himself as an asset in terms of strength to Aogiri. Of course he was among the stronger ones of the executives, but he found himself as the brains. There was Orca, There was Ayato, The Bin brothers, and of course the Owl.
She was without a doubt the strongest one there, but at the same time completely at their mercy. All because she wasn't the monster he thought she was. The Owl, who made the entire commission of counter ghoul quake in their boots at her name. The one who had, though failed, hit them at the heart of their organization. Maybe at one point in her life she was the monster that everyone thought she was. Not now though.
Speaking of the Owl. He mused to himself as he found himself at her door... And if he wasn't mistaken... he could hear, humming? It was a tune, some Japanese song that he didn't know. Being from China he didn't know very many of these songs, aside the ones he heard on the radio, or whatever he heard Ayato listening to. But, it was cause of concern. She hardly spoke ever since being brought here.
Tatara opened the door, not bothering to announce himself as he entered.
There he saw the author, sitting at the edge of a balcony, behind the bars, gripping them tightly in an excited manner. Her humming continued as if she didn't hear him enter and watched out the door. At first, Tatara thought she was looking at the crashing waves against the shore at night again. She did that often. Like a caged bird. Or an Owl. But her head was angled a bit further down at the shore.
"What's piqued your interest?" He asked her, remaining still.
He hadn't expected her to answer and almost jumped when she did. That made him angry. "Why don't you come take a look?" she hummed to him.
Tatara obeyed, a little uneasy now. She was acting a little too cheery. Had she just lost it? Or was she just trying to piss him off? In the end either or it didn't particularly matter did it? She wouldn't dare lift a finger against him, not if she valued the life of her child.
The Chinaman peered over the edge and his eye's grew wider. CCG carriers were pilling up in front of the building and there appeared to be almost no end to them.
"That's-"
"Impossible?" Eto finished, now standing behind him. "You'd be surprised how determined Kaneki can be when he wants to."
He turned and found a surprisingly strong, small hand gripping his throat. It was like steel, he couldn't pry it away from his neck. Then she pressed him against the steel bars bending them in the process and making him face the ground.
"You... were dissapointed weren't you?" she asked, "When I wasn't the sadist you were hoping for? Well, I'm going to show you just how much of a sadist I can be."
"You won't hurt me." he told her, "Not if you want that child to live. Kill me, and all of Aogiri will be after you."
"Not very bright are you?" she coed. "Or maybe it's denial? Whatever the case, Aogiri will be more than preoccupied with the CCG. I don't think they'll question a few screams. Do you?"
SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG WAIT AGAIN. But at the moment I'm really busy... Again... So I can really only write whenever I have free time. But, still, like before, don't worry, I have NOT given up on this story at all.