Yo guys! Long time no see! So you see, There's a reason why I'm TWO WEEKS behind schedule *INTENSIVE BOOING AND THE LOUD SOUND OF CHAIRS BREAKING ENSUE* Now, now, the reason for this is because I've been very busy with learning how my job works in the Navy. I haven't had any time to myself during the weekdays and on the weekends I'm stuck doing watches and other stuff. I barely get 5 hours of sleep ;v;, so I apologies for the lateness and will make sure to update as soon as I can. Much love!

A/N END

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Something metallic echoed as it rhythmically tapped against another object. Kaneki was barely aware of himself as he focused on the tapping noise. The sound keeping him conscious.

"Let's enjoy ourselves again, Kaneki~!" He heard the man say as the clinking sound halted and was replaced with footsteps. Kaneki began to shake violently, thrashing about in an attempt to escape his captor. All that did was scratch whatever was holding him in place against his wrists and ankles. "What's one thousand minus seven?" In that instant, all Kaneki knew was pain.

"STOP!" Kaneki yelled as his eyes shot open and he scrambled out of bed. He was drenched in sweat and he could feel his heart beating heavily in his chest. The adrenaline pumped through him so fast that it took him nearly a minute to realize where he was.

"The infirmary…" He thought to himself aloud, trying to calm his beating heart as he gripped the collar of his jacket. "It was all a dream...just a dream…" Though he repeated these words in his mind, he couldn't help but get the feeling that there was something much more to that dream. It just felt too real.

"Kaneki! Are you alright?" Emily asked as she ran to his side. How did he not hear the door open? Even if he was lost in thought, he could always tell when someone was coming towards him. Suddenly, a sharp twinge of pain erupted inside his head, causing him to grip his left eye.

"Here, let me help you up." Emily said, wrapping his right arm around her shoulders. With one big lift, she helped him to his feet and placed him back into the bed. "You have to be more careful, otherwise you'll have a permanent residence here." She laughed to her own joke, Kaneki giving her a small smile of appreciation.

"Thank you." He bowed his head, causing Emily to fluster and move her hands erratically.

"D-Don't worry about it! I'm just doing my job, you see…" She stopped herself, looking away from him slightly. Before he could even say anything, she turned back to him with a serious expression. "Listen. Let me know if you ever feel troubled by anything. I'm always here to help you, no matter the problem."

Kaneki was somewhat caught off-guard. He didn't really expect something like this from someone who was constantly burdened by his mishaps. he couldn't help but smile, but somehow, deep inside him, something was warning him to stay as far away from this person as possible.

"Alright, I'll let you know if something crosses my mind." He said, laying his head back down on the pillow.

"Oh! By the way, are you by chance feeling hungry at all?" Emily asked, Kaneki immediately coming to the realization that he hadn't eaten anything at all since coming here. Normally, a person would've been at the peak of starvation at this point, but here he was, perfectly fine with almost no food to fuel him.

"No, but I wouldn't mind having a quick snack." He said, the sentence left his mouth before he could actually process everything.

"Sit tight for a second then, I'll go grab your meal." Emily said as she walked out the room. A few minutes later, she came back with a plate full of red meat. The aroma made Kaneki's mouth water like no other. In an instant, he felt an unbearable hunger deep inside him. Emily placed the meal in his lap, but before she could even sit down, the meat was already halfway down his throat.

"A quick snack, huh?" She said, her voice full of skepticism at the way Kaneki inhaled his food. The sweet taste danced across his tastebuds as he scarfed it down. It felt like lightning coursed through his body, but there was also another odd sensation. He finished his meal and placed his hand back on his left eye. He could feel it pulsating with his heartbeat. He frowned.

"Was the meat not to your liking?" Emily asked, tilting her head slightly. Kaneki snapped himself out of his thoughts and put back on his previous smile.

"No, it was delicious…" He said, trailing off at the end. Something felt off. He could feel something was wrong, but decided to save it for later.

"I'm glad! I spent quite a while on preparing it, so I definitely appreciate the comment." She stood up and took the empty plate away from him, leaving the room again. Kaneki's eye had stopped throbbing some time ago, but the pressure was still there.

Kaneki's ears picked up soft, but quick, footsteps coming down the hall. He focused as much as he could, the soft tapping coming to a halt in front of his door. A second later, the door swung open with enough force to make a loud smack as the handle hit the wall.

"Kaneki! Thank Brimir you're alright!" Louise screeched as she ran up to him. Kaneki was genuinely surprised by the way she approached him. Her face was filled with worry, causing him to feel a pang of guilt. Even if they didn't get along, he still didn't like seeing her worry.

'After all, where would he go if he lost someone as useful as her?' He thought. As soon as that thought entered his mind, he quickly shut it down.

"Sorry for making you worry." He apologized, giving her one of his signature smiles. Louise quickly took a seat, sitting in silence as she watched him like a hawk.

"Kaneki, listen, I just wanted to…", she paused for a few seconds, taking a deep breath, "apologize for not treating you properly." She basically had to force those words out. Her tiny hands shaking in her lap as she felt her pride as a noble slowly shatter.

Kaneki couldn't believe his eyes. Here Louise was, apologizing to him. Even though it was forced, it was still an apology. It made him a bit uncomfortable.

"I-It's alright. I forgive you." He said, sounding just as embarrassed as Louise. Soon after, an awkward silence fell upon the two, leaving them struggling to find some way some way to break the atmosphere. Louise suddenly shot up, giving Kaneki a surprised look.

"Great Brimir! We have to hurry right now! The Princess is arriving today, and we need to be there to greet her!" Louise quickly grabbed Kaneki by the wrist and dragged him out of bed. He stumbled a bit as she pulled him towards the door.

'Princess?' Kaneki thought to himself as he let Louise take the lead.

{-}

To say Kaneki was annoyed was an understatement. He felt the eyes of almost everyone in the courtyard boring into him. Louise simply ignored them and pushed passed everyone to get to the front. Many dispersed immediately, but a few would try to hold their ground and not let them through. They barely managed to squeeze past the last person before the sound of trumpets announced the princess's arrival. A carriage pulled by a couple of horses stopped in the middle of the crowd, followed by many of her personal guards.

"Look! The Princess is getting out! I hear she's the most beautiful person in all of Tristain!" Someone yelled in the crowd. This caused everyone to mumble and chatter while one of the maids that accompanied the carriage opened one of the doors. Kaneki couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty. Short, purple hair accompanied by smooth, milk white skin. Many cheers were heard throughout the courtyard, but he wasn't bothered by the noise.

"Beautiful…"

"Don't get any ideas." Louise warned, causing him to focus his attention on her. He could see a ghost of a smile adorned on Louise's face, making him slightly suspicious to what she really meant.

{-}

"Kaneki, go take a bath. You stink." Louise stated, pointing her finger at him from across the room. He merely stood still, eyeing her oddly.

"Huh…?"

"I said, go. Take. A. Bath!" She put more emphasis into her words.

"Why? I don't stink that bad, do I?" He said, giving himself a small whiff. Instantly, his nose prickled and he moved his head away. "Okay, yeah. Maybe that's a good idea."

"There's a bathhouse down the stairs and to the right. And for Brimir's sake, make sure to wash your clothes as well." Kaneki nodded, opening the door and following the directions given to him. It didn't take him long to find it, but it made him a bit uneasy. It was separated into two doors, each with different characters inscribed on them. He still couldn't read the country's language, so he was stuck with taking a fifty-fifty chance. He looked left and right, making sure no one was nearby.

"Well, can't get any worse, can it?" He said, walking through the left door and finding a giant bowl of water. Decorations littered the area, with statues of goddesses poring hot water from their vases. It looked like something straight out of the Roman era.

'Not a bad place.' Kaneki thought as he started to undress himself. He folded his clothes and placed them next to a wall. 'Hopefully no one walks in to ruin the mood.'

Hopping in, he laid back and closed his eyes, enjoying the freshness of hot water on his dried and tired skin. It felt like everything was melting away as he sat there and enjoyed himself. He opened his eyes slowly, gazing down into the water at his reflection. He had wrinkles under his eyes, chapped lips, and dirty, white hair. His grey colored eyes looked empty. If one was to say the eyes were the window to the soul, then in his case no one was home.

"Who are you…?" He asked himself, hoping someone or something would give him an answer. he cupped some water and splashed it in his face, taking a deep breath and diving under the water. He didn't know how long he'd been down there, but he enjoyed the feeling. Kaneki stood up, letting the water drip off of him before exiting the bath. He didn't have anything to dry himself off with, but it didn't really bother him. He picked up his clothes, but then noticed something written inside his jacket.

"Avec Amour - Tsukiyama" Kaneki read aloud. Something about that name seemed nostalgic, almost saddening. he continued to stare at the words, hoping to get something, but it never came. He sighed, putting on his clothes, water still dripping from him. He walked out the bath house, continued up the stairs, and rounded the corner to the hall. He stopped, eyeing the suspicious figure that was waiting outside Louise's door. The figure wore a brown cloak that covered its entire body, making it somewhat hard to pick out physical proportions. However, the smell of perfume gave away the gender. As soon as the woman grasped the door handle, Kaneki quickly wrapped his hand over her mouth and pulled one of her arms behind her back.

"Move a single muscle, and I'll snap your neck." He warned, feeling her body shake within his grasp.

"Nod once for yes, and twice for no. Anything else will be seen as hostile." He commanded. The woman nodded once.

"Did someone send you here?"

Two nods.

"Do you have anyone else nearby?"

Two nods.

"Did you come here for Louise?"

One Nod.

Kaneki quickly spun her around, pulling down her hood. He was shocked to see that it was none other than the Princess herself. Kaneki couldn't believe his eyes. Why was the Princess here? He quickly removed his hands from her, taking a step back. She coughed a bit, regaining her breath.

"W-Who are you? How do you know Louise?" She asked, still trembling from his earlier threat.

"I'm her…'familiar'." He said, forcing out the word familiar a bit. He still didn't like calling himself that. It felt wrong, like someone had taken his freedom and his basic rights as a living being. The Princess calmed down a bit, still slightly wary of him.

"I'm Louise's childhood friend." She stated, puffing out her chest a bit. Somehow, that word put Kaneki at ease, even leaving a small smile on his face. He merely nodded and opened the door to Louise's room. She was in her nightgown, tapping her foot with a scowl on her face. As soon as she saw Kaneki, she just about exploded before she noticed the Princess right next to him. Her jaw dropped as she quickly got down on one knee and bowed her head.

"Y-Your Majesty! It's an honor to be in your presence! What business do you have with someone as lowly as I?" Louise quickly stammered off, catching Kaneki off-guard once again. To see Louise on one knee and calling herself lowly made him re-evaluate what he just did not even a few minutes ago.

'Hopefully she'll forgive me for almost breaking her…' He thought as he smiled sheepishly to himself.

"Familiar! What are you doing!? Hurry up and bow!" Louise screamed, grabbing him and pushing his head down. "Please forgive this unsightly familiar of mine! He has no respect for others." Kaneki frowned in annoyance.

"It's alright, Louise Francoise." She said, taking ahold of Louise's hand to help her to her feet. "We have much to discuss." They both eyed Kaneki, hoping he would take a hint. It didn't take him long to pick up what they tossed out. He quietly left the room, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. After what felt like hours to him, the door opened and the two came out of the room.

"Thank you." Henrietta said, giving Louise a small smile. Kaneki merely watched on as they hugged each other and said their goodbyes.

"You're always welcome back, Princess." Louise stated, giving her a warm smile. Henrietta pulled the hood of the cloak over herself and went about her merry way. Kaneki, albeit faint, gave a small smile as well, before turning back to Louise.

"It's always nice having a person who cares for you." Kaneki said, Louise snapping out of her stupor.

"O-Of course it is! Though, it wasn't always like this…" Louise trailed off, finding the floor more interesting. Kaneki was about to ask her what she meant, she grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him back inside.

"We have a very important day tomorrow, so make sure you get enough sleep." She said, hopping into bed and curling herself inside the covers. Kaneki made himself comfortable on his little pile of hay, losing himself in his thoughts. He reached under the pile and pulled out the mask he bought the other day. He examined every inch of it for a name or some type of identifiable marking, but found none whatsoever. He held the mask out in front of him, just staring at the lipless mouth.

"Did you have someone who cared for you as well, Kaneki?" He asked himself, staring at his mask for a few more seconds before placing it back in its previous spot.