wintercrazed | Is it the Man Come to Take Me Away?

Is it the Man Come to Take Me Away?

[3rd rank investigator Juuzou Suzuya on duty! Well, he always considered himself on duty. Aside from official raids and investigations, the CCG appointed Shinohara with the task of keeping Juuzou out of trouble. Other than that, they don't care. Juuzou doesn't care either. Slipping away from his chaperone, Juuzou heads out into the 20th Ward. He got the memo about ghoul activity here. Nasty business there. Can't wait to get his hands on it.

Yes, this place was smack dab in the ward, right near some place called Antieku. The investigator relied on getting his delicious scent and investigator instincts to pull him towards the perpetrator. Yep, just him and his suitcase containing Scorpion.

As he passes by, there's one person that catches his attention: the eyepatched kid, Kaneki. He remembers him easily, how he bumped paths and took his wallet. Something special about that one, he just didn't know the specifics yet. But enough time with the boy and he would soon. Thank goodness he kept it. The investigator made it a game of flipping it in the wait and catching. He waved and yelled to get his attention. He looks blase about the fact he has someone else's wallet.]

Eyepatch! You dropped something!

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[Business at the cafe had been slower than usual, today. Perhaps it was due to the word that some more investigators had been dispatched to the 20th ward recently, and most ghouls were laying low until they thinned out again. Still, Anteiku was arguably one of the safer places they could be. Right now, Kaneki was off of work, and he had been heading out from the building to get some fresh air when he heard the voice hailing him from afar.]

Mm?

[He turns his head slightly, mildly surprised by the fact that the person calling out to him strikes him as familiar almost immediately. What really gets him, though, is the name- Eyepatch. It causes something in the pit of his stomach to tense, but he doesn't have much time to think about it when he notices that the wallet in Juuzou's hand is his.

...And a quick, frantic hand in his back pocket confirms that.

Kaneki sighs and lets a hand wander up to run down the side of his face as he closes the gap between him and Juuzou, reaching out for the wallet without thinking.]

A-ah, thanks...it must have fallen out of my pocket.

[That's certainly easy. Now that Juuzou has a better look at Kaneki, he definitely has a good feeling that Kaneki is connected to something. Maybe it's just a conspiracy involving forgetting rent, but he has a weird vibe.

The stitched investigator holds out the wallet for a brief moment...only to swipe it out of Kaneki's reach. Silly Kaneki, thinking it'd be that easy.

The investigator leans his face in, hand still draping over Kaneki.]

You shouldn't lose such important stuff, you know!

People might think you aren't responsible for anything!

Oi-!

[Kaneki lets out a short, soft exclamation under his breath when Juuzou jerks the wallet back, resulting in his fingers closing on thin air. He leans his head back a little with a terse frown.]

I know...it was an accident. I don't- I don't plan on losing it again.

[...What is with this guy, anyway? Those stitches in his skin...that's certainly nothing like any tattoos that Kaneki has ever seen, even with his prior experience with Uta. Basically, his default reaction is thus: This guy is scary. Scary in a more creepy, offputting sense than anything else, since he's not really so imposing as a lot of others he's encountered.

All the more reason he's reaching out for the wallet again, a bit more tentatively in the event that the stranger feels like snatching it away again.]

[Just a little further, Kaneki...you'll get it soon. For now Juuzou is content to get a good whiff and observation of the stranger. Yeah, there's something under the surface, something the investigator needs to prod at.]

I hope you're right...

[And as he dips to return, he stops. What could he be doing this time.]

...cause you're about to lose it again!

[The investigator tosses said wallet a couple good feet from Kaneki, prompting a good smirk from the human.]

H-hey, wait-!

[Kaneki's reflexes never have been all that good, but now they are better than before, for obvious reasons. There's no way he's catching that, of course, but he does twitch and throw his arm out reflexively, letting his fingertips fall when the wallet hits the ground and skids away.

The look he gives Juuzou can only be classified as 'Really?', but he goes after it anyway. This guy is messing with him, and the sooner he gets his wallet back and gets back into the cafe, the better.]

[He can't be a good fighter, that's for sure. That's just pathetic and all over a thrown wallet. What a loser.

And as Kaneki makes his scramble for the wallet's dominion, Juuzou flips over the barista and lands cross legged in front of Kaneki.]

So you're from around here, right? A college student? Is college fun?

[Gosh crap dangit- OKAY wallet acquired, oh hi there you're still here. He almost asks why he knows that, but then he remembers the wallet in his hand. Figures this kid made it a point to look through it before deciding to give it back.]

Um...yeah. It's okay.

[He worries the leather of the wallet between his hands for a moment, watching Juuzou carefully as he does.]

[Just okay? Juuzou doesn't know much about college, but calling it just ok doesn't seem right, like he's trying to divulge as little as possible.]

What's the hardest thing about it?

[He lets his head rest on his hands.]

I imagine you must work as well, that can't be much fun.

Well, um...

[Kaneki purses his lips a little, thinking. In all honesty, his schooling has been the farthest thing from his mind recently. Not to say he's completely forgotten about it, it just...hasn't been priority, and in the world of Kaneki Ken, that is as abnormal as all get out.]

There is a lot of studying involved. A lot of reading.

[He moves to put the wallet back into his pocket, his gaze drifting to the door of the cafe.]

I work here, actually. And I should probably...be getting back to it, so...

Thanks for giving my wallet back.

[Hesitation. He hasn't been to school lately, oh you naughty boy. Juuzou's eyes follow to the cafe before return to the blank stare at Kaneki.

Getting up, he licks his lips. That's what hungry people do right? Well actually, he could use some snacks.]

Since you're getting back, you should get me something! All this finding wallets gives me a sweet tooth!

[He grins like a kid at a candy store. He's going in there right now and you can't stop him.]

[He can feel his heart sink a bit when Juuzou hops up, requesting that he treat him to something in the cafe. It might not have been such a problem to have him just...come in, usually. After all, Anteiku serves both ghouls and humans alike. This guy has already given himself away as a human, since no ghoul in their right mind would willingly be asking for someone to buy them food, unless they were just that dedicated to the cause or were a special kind of masochist.

At this point, Kaneki just wants to get this kid in and out. If he has to buy him something to do that, then...well, he will.]

..A...alright. I'll get you something.

[He pushes the door open and waits for Juuzou to walk in ahead of him, hoping that he might be able to catch Touka's eye over his shoulder when he does.]

[You have no idea, Kaneki. The human barges in like he was any other boor marching in and demanding to be catered to. In actuality, Juuzou eyeballed every patron and barista he could. The ghouls had a hideout, didn't they? Maybe he could catch his lead while he eats.]

You're so charitable, Kaneki! I bet you're this nice to everyone!

[He already steals a seat, arms draped over the back of the chair.]

[Kaneki doesn't humor that with an answer, instead quickly scooting past Juuzou and the table he sits at, darting to the counter where Touka is standing. He doesn't say anything to her, either, but the look on his face betrays the fact that he's had a really strange encounter just now, and it's starting to get more involved than he would like. That, and he has to rapidly explain under his breath that he needs something on the house for the person he just let in, please just give it to him and don't ask I'll explain later.

Naturally, Touka is having exactly none of that, but before she can protest she is stopped by Yoshimura, who concedes and tells Kaneki to get whatever he needs. Clearly he does need it, and he can let them know what the matter is when he can.

The boy disappears behind the counter for a while before he returns with a plate in one hand. There's a slice of cake there, and he carefully places it on the table in front of Juuzou.]

There. It's on the house.

[How convenient! Despite the quiet altercation between his new friend and the girl, Juuzou gets his cake in good time, which he takes eagerly. Looks like everything tied up nicely. His for picks up a chunk for the investigator to cram down his mouth.]

I must be the luckiest customer ever!

[Except the investigator already is starting to pick apart everything he's seen. The silent exchange between him and the girl, the speed and sudden free cost of the cake. All those little coincidences build up to mean something else...and Kaneki's starting to come to the center of it.

If the eyepatch thought he would get off so soon, he would be sadly mistaken. He signals to Kaneki.]

Come here and watch me eat!

[For a long moment Kaneki falls silent, the only sound being the other patrons talking quietly among themselves and the clatter of silverware on dishes.]

Well, I...I have to get back to work...

[Juuzou makes a disappointed face before he rudely shoves a piece of cake on a fork to his face.]

At least have a bite before you go!

[If Kaneki hadn't been focused on Juuzou like he was, the sudden movement toward him might have caused a more dramatic reaction than he liked. Instead he manages to stay where he is, jerking back only slightly in a way that can easily pass off as surprise at there being a fork a couple inches from his face.

He grunts in the back of his throat, instinctively holding his breath for a moment as he gets a grip on his thoughts again, shaking his head in a quick gesture.]

O-oh no...thank you. That's yours. You- you have it.

[The surprise registers in Juuzou's face with a glimmer of realization. Oh Kaneki, if only you had been more subtle with either surprise of refusal.

Any other person with knowledge of norms or boundaries would have politely put the fork back. But Juuzou, he shoves the cake right in front of Kaneki's nose.]

Just one bite!

[Kaneki goes rigid, feeling his fingers twitch now that the cake is just a hair away from his face. Just the sweet smell of it that would have been irresistible a month ago now causes a cold sweat to spring to life on his forehead, his breath hitching in the back of his throat.

But by now, what with how loud Juuzou is being, others in the cafe are starting to notice. Just one bite, he says.

But if he refused now, then that would really look strange, wouldn't it? And it's clear that Juuzou doesn't seem intent on giving up, so before he can think about it or change his mind, Kaneki leans forward and takes the chunk of cake off of the fork and into his mouth.

Swallow it whole, just- swallow-

He lurches slightly, because almost immediately it's evident that it's not the cake that's going to kill him, but the icing that's like glue sticking to his tongue and the backs of his teeth as he struggles to just swallow it entirely. He doesn't even think about chewing, swallowing hard with the burning of tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.]

...

[...]

........it's....it's good.

[Juuzou, with the fork still pointing to Kaneki, never breaks from the eyepatched one with his intense stare. If a look could be both precociously serene and scream horrible things, that stare was it. He keeps that stare even during Kaneki's performance.

When he finishes, Juuzou smiles with a fox eyed expression.]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Will you please excuse me?

[Dropping the fork and using one hand, Juuzou swipes the rest of the cake straight into his mouth. Yes, the entire slice of cake in one go. And just as he finishes cramming it in his mouth, Juuzou gets up from the chair. He proceeds to leap towards Kaneki, with the intent of shoving him towards the window.

That way he could totally know for sure if his host was a ghoul, right?]

[Kaneki staggers back slightly, too focused on the horrific taste in his mouth to really see much of what Juuzou is doing. It is quite a feat to keep himself together and fight back the nausea threatening to overwhelm him. The only sign he has that something is coming his way is the sound of the chair screeching against the linoleum as Juuzou quickly stands and makes a move for him.

Naturally, Kaneki doesn't have a chance to attempt to dodge, and before he knows it he's staring up at the ceiling as he hurtles backward. His head strikes the window pane with enough force to make it shatter, likely sending both him and the investigator through and onto the pavement outside.

Kaneki hits the ground and rolls over onto his side, his arms burning as he rapidly reaches up to brush the glass away, but it's only then that he remembers there won't be any glass. Like someone throwing a brick into the window, he manages to get through without a scratch. Thankfully, the area just outside this window leads right into the alley, out of direct view of the rest of the patrons or anyone passing by.

With panic causing his heart to flutter, Kaneki immediately springs to his feet and starts to run, booking it down the alley away from the street. In the back of his mind he dimly thinks that maybe somehow Touka and Yoshimura will be able to cover for all of this...and they will, since there had only been ghouls in the cafe when that occurred. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll learn this, later.

Kaneki doesn't make it very far, skirting a corner before he's forced to stop and lean against the brick wall to be sick. He should have just refused.]

[The both of them go through the glass with a heavy shattering noise. As Juuzou lands on the ground, several shards of glass are lodged in his face and arms. But it's ok, he can't feel it at all. He gets up with the same speed of one getting up from a simple grass stain on one's knees.

With suitcase in tow, Juuzou speeds along after the ghoul. It doesn't take much for Juuzou to track where Kaneki fled. Silly ghouls, despite their arrogance they always had certain habits.

His mind turns into a nonstop rollercoaster as he lets the blood craze start putting him on autopilot. The investigator's eyes run wild, his mouth hung open in a grin. This is the part of the job he lives for. Down the alleyway, Juuzou leaps up a brick wall to build momentum, flying right towards Kaneki with a precise suitcase swing at his head.]

Hey, why did you run away?!

[Kaneki doesn't answer as he jerks back up, just in time to barely see Juuzou rushing up on him with his suitcase still in hand. He spins around quickly with his back pressed firmly against the wall, hands scrabbling for purchase as his fingers skid uselessly off of the bricks, unable to find a hold.

His voice has been lost in the scuffle, his eyes wide and staring. What started as a simple encounter and a lost wallet has turned into anything but.]

I- ..e- I-

[Kaneki wheezes, unable to get his mouth to work to form words. He can feel his head pounding violently, as if the Kagune within him is trying to find a way out to defend itself, but cannot get the vessel it is currently inside to cooperate.]

Edited 2014-11-09 07:48 (UTC)

[The investigator swallows the last of his cake, shaking a few shards out of him like a wet dog. Landing nimbly on his feet, he toys with the suitcase.

His face looks deceptively innocent, were it not for the blood and stitches. But those are the breaks, the long and scarring breaks.]

Hmm? You know, you're pretty dumb for a college student.

[And from his case he produces his small quinque Scorpion: two knives. In his hands they become blurs, spinning and flipping in his hands with ease.]

Here, I'll help you. Here's how we say hello: hello!

[Like a charged missile he somersaults like a spinning blade towards Kaneki.]

[Kaneki draws in a sharp breath when Juuzou leaps for him, the soles of his shoes skidding loudly against the pavement as he makes a move to dodge. He ends up being a hair too slow and takes one of the knives through the shoulder, letting out a barking cry of pain.

He staggers away from the wall, blood dripping from his arm in large droplets to splatter against the asphalt, his mind racing. This guy is fast, as fast as or perhaps slightly faster than Touka herself. The only comfort Kaneki can take in that is the fact that he can predict how quickly these attacks will strike him and judge his dodges more accurately if this continues much longer.

All of that runs through his mind in a second as he wheels around with his right leg swinging up and around with a kick aimed at Juuzou's side.]

[Success! Well, partial success. He did manage to get a stab in, not so bad for a third rank investigator.

As his momentum cools down, he doesn't have time to stop the leg swinging into his side. The force of it sends his feet skidding on the ground for a couple feet. But that's how far the effect of it goes. He doesn't feel the crack Kaneki made in the side of his ribs.

With great dexterity, Juuzou goes in for his counterattack by flipping his knife and making a stab towards the offending leg.]

Edited 2014-11-10 18:14 (UTC)

Wha- hhAAUGH!

[Kaneki's exclamation of surprise is abruptly cut off by another outcry as the knife sinks into his leg, causing his body to spasm as he reaches out with both hands to shove against Juuzou and try and push him away. It isn't at all a graceful move, and it's not even an attack besides.]

[Satisfied with getting another hit in, Juuzou doesn't notice the shove much aside from a rough stagger backwards. But quickly he pulls his weapon out from Kaneki's leg. This time the investigator hops to land himself on Kaneki's shoulder and grip him with his legs.]

[Kaneki has little time to react, and before he can get away from Juuzou properly he feels the heavy weight of the investigator landing on his shoulders. It causes him to stagger badly and fall back against the wall, the narrow alley making it nearly impossible to continue dodging. His Kagune still has yet to make an appearance, even though that- in these close quarters- the use of it is likely the only chance he'll have of getting away. ]

[With his legs on the ghoul's shoulders, he bends backwards leaving his upper half hanging over Kaneki. All the while he puts he squeeze on the ghoul.]

Let's see...which one is the Kagune...

Iiiiiis iiiit....here?

[He prods the ghouls's shoulder with his blade.]

HHggkk-!

[Kaneki bites back a strangled noise in the back of his throat as the blade slices through his shoulder deeply, hot blood staining the back of his formerly white uniform. His Kagukan is visible in full force and only masked by the eyepatch somehow still on his face, and he can feel the intensity of its presence causing his entire head to throb.

With Juuzou still perched on his shoulders he tries to spin around and slam him against the wall to knock him off, or at least get him to lose his balance so he can grab him by the arm, or leg.]

[Juuzou's face twists into a smile as he sees the blood drip down his back. Shame the Kagune's not out yet. Maybe he should poke someplace else. The investigator raises his knife.]

Is it h--

[And Juuzou gets thrown off balance, open for any actions that Kaneki may want to take. Distractions sure mislead him.]

[Blood, so much blood. Blood paints the wall at Kaneki's back when he turns and brings Juuzou down hard, but the wound that the Investigator inflicted is already halfway healed. He tries to keep him pinned down as he reaches out and grabs Juuzou by both shoulders, holding him against the wall with his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He just has to be faster. This kid is fast, but not faster than Touka. He can get away, he just needs to hit hard and fast enough...

Desperately, Kaneki brings an elbow around as sharply as he can, aiming to strike Juuzou in the head, to either stun him or knock him out completely so he can have a chance to escape.]

[Juuzou seems entranced by the blood painting the walls to be disturbed. But as fast as the Dove is, Kaneki was a half-ghoul, blessed with the natural speed of most ghouls.

Pinned to the wall, Juuzou makes no reaction other than to lean into the blow to minimize the force of the offending elbow. His head still reacts with a hard smack, blood starting to seep from the impact point.

But the investigator doesn't feel the pain, though he teeters on the verge of unconsciousness. Why, he even chuckles.]

Ohhhh you're not like other ghouls. Yes, yes, you're special!

[With groggy moves only tamed by years of experience, he blindly brings his blade into the direction of Kaenki's upper body.]

I'm not- a GHOUL!

[Kaneki suddenly shouts, his voice punctuated by the blade sinking into him once again. As if to add insult to injury, all of a sudden the small of his back where the blade sunk in seems to explode as the RC cells finally react to all of the stress and injuries, far beyond his control. He's rocked back by the force of his Kagune ripping out of his body, tendrils reaching out on their own accord to push Juuzou away.]

[Oh man, this must be a special prey to so adamantly deny being a ghoul. Juuzou's eyes light up with satisfaction once he sees the Kagune come to life. Why not even getting a forceful shove breaks his delight.

Sure, he's getting woozy and blood now streaks half his face, but he's still got an unholy fascination in bringing down Kaneki.]

You're a bad liar, Kaneki. You're Kagune's right behind you!

[He staggers with his blades pointed to the half-ghoul.]

Ohhh you'd make a good Quinque....

[It's all Kaneki can do to take a few steps back himself as Juuzou starts to advance on him, his Kagune lifting threateningly behind him. He's panting heavily now, his body alive with energy that he didn't have before. All of his wounds are gone, but the fatigue still remains.]

L...leave me...alone...

[Even with the head injury and several small injuries marking him, Juuzou stubbornly wobbles to the ghoul.]

Nope!

[He's a swinging mess of knives and drowsiness, eager to cut down Kaenki.]

[Kaneki bites back a curse as he dodges and sidesteps out of the way, his shoulder hitting the far wall of the narrow alley. His Kagune presses against the ground and wall to keep him from toppling over, waving a moment before shooting out toward Juuzou, trying to knock him down or out of the way.]

[With reflexes slowed down and head trauma, it makes it hard to avoid the flying Kaneki coming at you. With the force of the ghoul knocking him to the ground, that's all it takes to finally knock Juuzou unconscious. Shame, really.]

[It's a good thing that Kaneki's not hungry right now- especially after forcing down that cake from before- or else this could have the potential to get ugly quick. Of course, that doesn't mean he can control the Kagune whipping angrily behind him as he quickly staggers back into the wall, away from Juuzou's body.

He doesn't know what else to do other than escape while he still can, leaving Juuzou prone in the alley. He'll be found eventually, especially after the commotion that was caused back at the cafe. He, meanwhile, rushes further into the alleyways to find somewhere to hide and calm down.

This was bad. This was so bad but he just had no other choice. He'd been seen.]

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Is it the Man Come to Take Me Away?

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