CHAPTER 18:

BLOOMS

When they got back to their headquarters (though they had Hinami go to her room to do some homework, of sorts), they found an unexpected guest present. It was as if their discussion about Kanae summoned her presence. Then again, she wasn't supposed to know about their hideout, which meant that Tsukiyama had stolen a piece of paper with the location of the house and shown it to her.

Kanae, whose real name they had learned from Tsukiyama was Karren, was an androgynous-looking young woman about their age, albeit with a bearing that made her look older, looking both attractive and yet oddly masculine. She was dressed in a rather severe suit, her short brown hair having a faint blue or purple tint to it, her eyes seemingly brown at first glance, only apparently mahogany on closer inspection. She also had rather thick eyebrows, though they didn't detract much from her looks. She was speaking to Remus and Hermione in German as they arrived, most of the others (aside from Tsukiyama, who had a pleased smile) looking on in bemusement.

She looked up when they entered, and switched to Japanese. "So, you are back? Master Shu tells me you go to meet with Doves," Kanae said, frowning. "You play a dangerous game doing so."

"Of course we are," Touka said, rolling her eyes. "But Aogiri Tree is a mutual foe, and besides, it's Doves we can…dunno if trust is the right word. Allying ourselves with them for mutual gain, more like. A bit like with your master being with us. Though why he let you in on the Fidelius…"

Tsukiyama held up his hands. "Karren was getting worried about me, and my spending time with you all, as were my family and servants. This was the best way to reassure them, and I consulted Monsieur Lupin prior to doing so. In truth, here, she can relax a little, away from the eyes of my family, without being judged. I can even call her by her true name."

"Master Shu, even so…" Karren said, looking a little discomfited.

"Of course, the habits of a lifetime are not an easy thing to shake off," the Gourmet said. "And then, there is the fact that she too has a stake in bringing down the CCG, or rather, the Washuu."

"Matsuri Washuu was the one who exterminated my family," Karren said, gritting her teeth. "If your group does take action against the Washuu, then…I detest being vulgar, but being given his head on a platter would bring a smile to my face."

"That's going to be a long way off," Harry said.

"Yes, I know, but…never mind. I still feel that you all are a bad influence for Master Shu."

Tsukiyama frowned. "Karren, if you are still sore about my participating in their raid on the Ghoul Restaurant…"

Karren said something in German to Tsukiyama, and they briefly conversed in the language, with Tsukiyama apparently rebuking his servant and confidante, albeit gently. Eventually, Karren said, "In any case, Master Shu wishes for me to join this little group. However, I believe I have no fresh information to give the group for now. I doubt Master Shu's little mouse has anything either."

"No, Chie doesn't have much, though she is doing some research on her own," Tsukiyama said.

"And I'm not sure if we have much in the way about the Washuu," Hermione said, pursing her lips. "They have been noted Ghoul hunters for some time. They established the organisation that eventually became the CCG back in 1890, having been enlisted by the Japanese government. Politically, they're virtually unassailable, with fingers in a lot of pies. They ran a number of zaibatsus before they were broken up after the Second World War."

"Do you think Eto was misdirecting us by telling us to look into their affairs?" Ryouko asked.

Ken shook his head. "The truth can be often a more effective weapon than a lie, even if she won't give us a straight answer. We have one possible source of information about the Washuu and this 'V' organisation, namely Yoshimura, but I doubt he'll give us a straight answer, presumably for our own good."

Harry nodded. As much as he was alienated from the elderly Ghoul, he wasn't sure he wanted to go as far as to interrogate him using Veritaserum. "But given that the Washuu have links to V, an organisation that utilised Ghouls, they clearly have pet Ghouls under their control, which is scandalous enough."

"We wouldn't be able to make such an accusation stick without evidence, though," Ken said.

"And I'm sure that the Washuu have disappeared people before who had any, or else attempted to blackmail them," Hermione said. "They probably have allies within the local Ministry of Magic, perhaps even in the DMLE."

"Arima may be the key," Ken said. "Harry, you keep saying he's more than a human. Hermione and I have been looking into him. We found pictures of him from high school. He's thirty years old, and yet…his hair has gone completely and prematurely white. It was originally blue."

"And we think it may be a form of progeria," Hermione said.

"Progeria?" Banjou asked. "The hell is that?"

"It's a type of genetic disorder that causes premature ageing," Hermione pointed out. "Technically, the umbrella term is a progeroid syndrome, with progeria being a specific type of premature ageing in children, while there are other progeroid syndromes that mostly affect adolescents and adults. However, Arima doesn't have the short stature associated with Werner Syndrome or Bloom Syndrome, or indeed many progeroid syndromes. We actually looked into some of the best Doves, particularly those like Arima whose profiles are just a touch too immaculate. And there have been a few that did die prematurely of diseases that generally affect the elderly or immune-deficient."

"…They're engineering Doves through breeding," Touka realised. "But how does that cause premature ageing?"

"It's possible if they are using genetic engineering rather than breeding," Hermione said. "Arima is 30 years old. Genetic modification techniques back then would have been crude and nasty. Even now, they're still troublesome. It could even have interfered with the telomeres of the chromosomes, and…"

"We get the picture," Karren said, waving her hand impatiently. "The CCG, or at least the Washuu, are involved in unethical experiments, yes? That's your hypothesis? They use both Ghouls and genetically-modified humans to do their dirty work. It does sound scarily plausible. Still, you'd think there would be something a little…grander is not the word I am looking for. If this Eto has more of an agenda for Aogiri Tree than causing Unordnung…forgive me, I mean chaos, there must be something more with the Washuu. Actually…that Doctor Kanou…could he have been doing his research on the quiet approval of the Washuu?"

"It may be possible," Ken conceded. "If they are really involved in experimentation like this, covertly helping Kanou wouldn't be out of the question. But if that was the case, why am I still at liberty?"

"Because you're a guinea pig," Touka said bluntly. "Don't get me wrong, the Washuu funding Kanou's experiments doesn't feel right, if only because you're still at liberty, but if they're watching you and trying to figure out your potential…"

"We'll work under the assumption that Kanou funded himself until recently," Harry decided. "Besides, he didn't seem like the sort who liked authority. You know, all that crap about how the world is a birdcage…doesn't that sound like he wants to overturn the existing order? Unless he's decided to betray them, which is more than likely anyway."

"You have a point," Hermione said. "And given that the Washuu are a part of that…"

"In other words, we have one hell of a jigsaw, and not enough pieces," Ken groused. "Damn…"

The meeting of 'Unravel' was adjourned. Tsukiyama and Karren went home for now, as did Banjou and his followers. Ken leaned back on his chair. "God, I'm tired."

"Being a Ghoul and the nocturnal activities that comes part and parcel don't exactly help with the lifestyle," Remus joked.

Ken smiled a wan smile. "…Yeah, I guess. Trying to figure out what's going on with everything, Aogiri, the CCG, the Washuu, V…it's pretty exhausting."

"The fact that you learned one of your favourite authors is a homicidal psychopath doesn't help either, does it?" Touka asked.

Ken shook his head. "Actually, I'm coping a bit better with learning that Sen Takatsuki is actually Eto. Even if we're enemies…there's a sort of understanding. Really, it puts what she wrote about into context. And I have to wonder…if Yoshimura actually raised her himself, or if he gave her to someone else…would she have turned out better? Then again, it's too late to regret anything, or at least wallow in regret. Yoshimura and Eto made their choices, for better or for worse." He shook his head again. "Sorry, I'm getting maudlin. The others aren't here anymore. I should be relaxing."

Hermione nodded, rubbing his back. "Yes, Ken. You've been running yourself ragged, to say nothing of what you've been doing to develop a kakuja. You've managed to stay sane with our help, but still…Ken, I've said it before, and it bears repeating: you're skating close to the edge. Getting stronger doesn't mean anything if you end up hurting or killing those you care about."

"I know, it's just…never mind. I'm glad you all came with me. Ryouko, you and Hinami have been more of a family than…well, anyone. I wish I had a mother like you."

"…Why?" Ryouko asked.

"…When I was being tortured by Jason…Rize appeared to me. I have hallucinated her a couple of times," Ken confessed. "She reminded me that my mother…didn't treat me as well as I wanted to remember. While she was a good person, there were times when she'd snap under pressure, and…attack me. And she gave much of her money to her sister, and my aunt treated me with contempt when I was adopted by her. Some small part of me resents my mother. But you…even though you're a Ghoul, you are one of the most gentle and peaceable people it has ever been my pleasure to know. And Hinami…I wish I had a little sister like her. Remus is the father I never really knew." He then looked to Harry and Touka. "Harry…Touka…thank you, for everything. You helped me come to terms with my situation, for helping me realise that not all Ghouls are monsters. And Hermione…thank you for showing me unwarranted kindness."

"Now listen here, Ken Kaneki!" Hermione snapped. "It is not unwarranted! I know what it's like to be isolated, to feel alone in the world! Even at Hogwarts, it was like that! When people weren't taunting me for being a Muggleborn, they called me a know-it-all instead! I saw a bit of myself in you, as I tell you so often! You've just got this overwhelming self-hatred thing going, and I think you had it even before you became a Ghoul. You're my boyfriend, okay?"

"…Yeah. I'm still trying to believe it," Ken admitted. "I just…"

"You're a former doormat who's had a big wake-up call, and you're still getting used to it," Touka said bluntly. "What Kanou and Jason did to you fucked you up, but you're still you. Listen…life's full of shit, full of horror and tragedy, I get that. I had to kill my first Dove when I was a kid. I've had to hide who I am from the few human friends I've had. My brother has joined a group of psychopaths, and my father is basically armour for the Doves now. But…Yoshimura, Harry, and so many others…there's good stuff in life, they showed me. Ken, you've got us, and you've got Hide supporting you. So stop being such an emo wimp, and just accept some good in your life!"

"…Emo wimp?" Ken asked, a little incredulously, peering at Touka.

"…Really? My entire impassioned speech, totally improvised, by the way, and you focus on me calling you an emo wimp?"

"She's not wrong," Hermione said. "I use it all the time when he's brooding more than Sasuke Uchiha, though don't you get broody, Touka?"

Touka scowled. "Bite me. No, on second thoughts, I'd bite you. Besides, if you think Ken and I are bad, you should've seen my brother. Harry, didn't you say Eto called him a chuunibyo? That'd suit him perfectly if he weren't a bloody Ghoul terrorist as well. I mean, seriously, look at us. The only non-Ghouls in the room are wizards, and of those, one is a werewolf, another's infamous in magic circles because he survived a warlock terrorist, and you, Hermione, you were an outcast who survived a society filled with a bunch of inbred retarded snobs who hated the fact that you were smarter and more competent than the majority of them combined. My point is normalcy is highly overrated. Peace is fine, but normality?" She scoffed.

"That was a nice speech, Touka, even if it was a bit rough," Ryouko said with a smile. "And you're right. Ken, you're amongst friends. Even if any one of us meets a tragic end, it's better to live on. My husband was killed by Doves, though I personally hold Jason more responsible, but…I want to live for Hinami and Harry's sake. And Remus'."

Remus nodded. "And I know what it's like to have my life turned upside down by being made into something monstrous. I was lucky. My parents supported me, even my anti-werewolf father. And you were too. You had friends. Even Hide, working for the CCG, supports you."

"I get it," Ken said quietly. "I just…I just wish I could do more. Be more. To protect those I care about. And I…"

Whatever Ken intended to say was interrupted by a trill from Harry's mobile. He winced, realising he forgot to turn it off before attending the Unravel meeting. He frowned when he saw the number, before answering it. "Eto."

"Ah, my dear Raptor. I'd love to ask how you're doing, but I am sure you want me to get straight to the point. Now, I have a few contacts here and there in the CCG, as you do. And one of them has just gotten back to me. The CCG have decided to target my father, believing him to be the One-Eyed Owl, and purge the 20th Ward. In truth, I think they're trying to lure little old me out. Now, personally, I couldn't give a shit about the weaklings under my sperm donor's aegis, but I know you do. Consider this a favour. I want to see what you and your little band of heroes do. I'll be watching…"

CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:

So, the storm is about to break. Oh dear.

No numbered annotations this time.