seguire il fumo

Based on tokyo ghoul: re's chapter 15 spoilers, so please don't read if you have read the chapter!

Matching color palate ayahina everyone and hefty use of Italian proverbs!~

Also ojou means young lady and cho means butterfly in japanese, if you didn't know.

Italian Translations:

[1]- Friendship acts as a faithful anchor.

[2]- He that has but one pig easily fattens it.

[3]- There are some who see ill, and would like to see worse.

[4]- The melody's changed but the song remains the same.

[5]- Where there are no dogs the fox is a king.

[6]- Even old foxes are caught in the snare.

[7]- Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves.

[8]- Love, smoke and cough are hard to hide.

"Do you hear anything 'floppy'?" asks Ayato leaning against the pastel wall away from all the sickening fancy ghouls glancing at his partner in her a line navy blue dress that was went down to her knees and had thin white vines twist and curled up to the dark teal sash around her stomach.

"No Ayato-kun." Hinami replies in an instant while glancing towards his navy blue pinstripe suit clad figure vaguely wondering if Eto had something to do with the matching colored suit Ayato-kun was wearing. .

"What do we have here?" The duo stilled their conversation as they turned to face the hostess of the auction, Big Madame dresses in her sybaritic clothes with her plump fingers adorned with multiple gold rings holding a glass goblet.

Ayato took a step in front of with a stiff nod greeting the influential ghoul as the crowd whispered in the background, "Madame."

The zaftig woman smiled displaying all her braces and with a charming lure asked, "Why don't you work for me, cho-chan?"

Hinami blink at the sudden offer and the nickname bestowed upon her in reference to the dark butterfly mask she was wearing as Ayato stiffened at the Big Madame's attention on Hinami. Of all the people-!

"Why me?" Hinami asked warily knowing what this plump woman did to humans and ghouls that crossed her.

"My little cho, don't you know your potential? Tsk. Tsk. I'd expect more from Aogiri Eto-san as one of their executives. She's got good taste I'll give her that. " After taking a brown eyeball from a waiter's tray, Madame continued while snacking off the eyeball as she continued, "Your delicate features, your posture as a lady, my dear. Humans would be dancing in the palm of your hand."

Finishing off the eyeball Madame reached out as Hinami and Ayato could do more than freeze in surprise. Hinami forced herself not to back away in disgust as their client touched her cheek with the same plump hand that had the eyeball in it's grasp moments ago.

With a scowl, Ayato grabbed Hinami's wrist and tugged her away not before the Madame grasped Hinami be her chin. Hinami's eyes twitched at the feel of Madame's sharp black painted nails, it was like the plump woman was going to rip off the skin her nails dug into. With a defiant look on his face, Ayato said curtly, "Madame. I'm afraid we have to leave you now we have a perimeter check in a couple of minutes."

Madame's eyes narrowed disapprovingly of Ayato's interference. "Brat-"

"Madame." A man wearing a suit and a clown mask stepped forward and with a bow saying, "Madame, it's time."

The hetaera glanced to the man in the suit with a vicious look on her face before releasing her grasp of Hinami's chin. Ayato held back his sigh of relief. Big Madame smiled with no small amount of malice in her greedy eyes covered the shades she was wearing though it proved futile as Hinami shivered, "I'm afraid i must leave you as well. I do hope to see you again, cho-chan."

With a swish of her fox fur scarf, Madame walked away taking out the skeleton in the closet with her. The duo glanced at each other- nervously on Hinami's part as Ayato was cool as a cucumber and still had his hand around her wrist. Why was she hyper aware of that fact? Hinami thought while pulling on a mask of equanimity

"Are you okay?" Ayato asked rubbing circles on the back of her hand as a means of comfort while Hinami felt blood rush to her cheeks,

"I'm fine, Ayato-kun." Wiping off the saliva from her cheek with the back of her hand, Hinami frowned at what to do with it. There was no way she was going to ruin the rental dress that Eto magically procured an hour ago. The brunette was already indebted to the one eyed ghoul with her generosity. Feeling Ayato grab her hand, Hinami looked up to see him wiping off the saliva from her hand and onto his suit. "A-Ayato-kun!"

He glanced up from her hand, "What?"

"Don't 'what' me! Your suit! It's ruined now!" Hinami exclaimed as Ayato rolled his eyes, "Eto's not gonna have my skin, and beside," Hinami felt the sincerity and seriousness in his next words, "L'Amicizia rimane un ancora fedele." [1]

Hinami was positive now that her cheeks were on fire as she quickly looked for to the auction and blurted out the first thing she could scrabble on, "Chi ha un sol porco, facilmente l'ingrassa." [2]

Ayato smirked before the room went dark and a announcer announced that the auction was starting in five minutes. The light mood between the two turned solemn as the duo took the stairs to the top of the building.

Hinami focused her hearing on the crowd and their movements up to the second floor where the auction was being held while extending it to the whole building and a couple of meters out of the restaurant. The lighting focused on the stage that was set up and tables and sets filled the floors for the participating ghouls who were given paddles.

As the ghoul auctioneer displayed the ghouls Hinami couldn't help but say, "Ci è chi vede male, e vorrebbe veder peggio." [3]

"Cambiano i suonatori ma la musica è sempre quella." [4] Ayato handed her a wineglass filled with coffee. Taking a sip of the bitter drink Hinami watched as a female no older than her in a luxurious red dress smiling at the ghoul bidders, who would no doubt by devouring her piece by piece when this event is over.

"Do you hear any doves?" Ayato glanced

"Dove non sono i cani, la volpe è re." [5] Hinami said absentmindedly while draining the rest of her coffee down her throat

"Ancor le volpi, vecchie rimangono al lacchio. [6] Keep you guard up." Ayato placed his hand on her shoulder Hinami turned her head with a small smile grateful for his comfort. She wasn't use to these kind of events as was he in certain aspects.

"Alrigh-" Hinami stopped picking up a scent that seemed familiar. It clung on to the woman on the stage a wave of nostalgia washed over the brunette as she saw that the a short haired woman with an eyepatch was on the stage. She could never forget that scent. That familiar scent tempting her nose. Tempting her to hope. Bids were ringing against Hinami's ears as her started to move on their own accord, but they didn't go very far.

"Hina." Hinami stilled feeling Ayato's arm wrap around her waist and his breath against her ear. That scent-

"It's not him, Hina." She whipped around to glare at him, but a thought struck her. The eyepatch woman she had the same scent as him. The realization was a large dose of cold water showing against her desires. People that smelled like him weren't they called-

"Quinx." The word immediately pulled them back into the cold hard reality. Ayato released Hinami quickly demanding, "How many?"

Hinami inhaled while extending her senses further straining them to the fullest extent, "Two on this floor, and I hear close to a hundred a block away."

"Tch. Alert Miza and her team quietly. I don't want the crowd to panic."

"Okay." Hinami nodded turning to follow his order before he stopped her.

"Hina." The brunette glanced back to see her partner wearing a solemn look on his face, "Siccome la casa brucia, riscaldiamoci. [7]."

Hinami gave a small smile saying, "Amour, toux et fumée En ne secret sont demeurée.[8]"

Without another word the duo sprinted into action, one had a pair of red cheeks while the other had a smug grin on their face.