Hi guys! SOrry for the ridiculously long, unannounced hiatus, but I've been a busy bee! it also let me keep up with the Manga, seeing What plot points i might want to acknowledge in the future! any who, you guys aren't here to read my incessant blubbering, you're here to see the new chapter, so enjoy!

The Gourmet didn't even turn his head as his faithful servant was dragged, his hair bunched in the young woman's fist. Touka, with a heave, threw the squirming mass towards the passive ghoul, and she heard a small gurgle emit from the bloody mess on the floor before her. Slowly, and painstakingly, his head turned, and he showed no slight of emotion regarding the sight of poor Kanae, trying to raise himself to his feet. Rather, his gaze was fixed on the younger ghoul, and Touka stood still under his intense stare. His eyes grew impossibly wide at the sight of her.

"Touka…"

It was almost an inaudible whisper, and Tsukiyama slowly stumbled to his feet.

The last person Touka ever thought her heart would bleed for was the Gourmet, but seeing him now was a slap in the face. He wasn't even annoying anymore, he was just…pitiful.

His eyes were sunken into two black holes in his skull, and red, as if he'd been crying, but no tears were present. It seemed they had been long since dried up. In the dark room, he stuck out like a ghost, as he was white as a sheet, and his normally to-tight-for-everyone's-comfort shirt was disgustingly bagged on his skeleton figure.

"Tsukiyama"

The elder ghoul glanced towards the now standing Kanae, who had thrown himself on front of his master,

"You won't lay a single one of you're dirty paws on Master Shuu!" he rasped out, snarling fiercely. Tsukiyama stepped back a touch, face shaped in an aloof expression of surprise. Something itched in Touka. A Beast of sorts, clawing at her skull, as her heart began to beat faster. The servant Ghoul Lunged at her, and she sprung back, Kakugan flickering in her now-cold eyes. Her lips twitched into a sick smile, as she wasted no time charging into her aggressor, slamming him to the ground, the sickening crack of his ribs and his tormented moans played like music to her ears.

Heel sturdily placed on his chest, she bent to look him in the eye, taunting him.

"Stay down, boy. Maybe you'll get a treat "

"You've changed" a smaller voice, which bused to hold so much presence rang out. Tsukiyama walked towards the crazed young woman. She reeked of blood lust, and her eytes were that of a wild beast. "There no warmth in your eyes… nor is there ice... Just… blackness.

Spitting out a giggle, Touka removed her foot from Kanae's shattered ribcage, allowing him to slink far enough away to not be in the way of the pair, but not far enough to leave his master. The rabbit ghoul stood before the Gourmet, a broken smile gracing her graceful, and once-again sane features.

"Noir est tout ce qui reste" she said, not breaking eye contact with the taller ghoul.

"You've been brushing up on your French?"

"Yeah" Touka sucked in a breath, and braced her muscles for a fight. She didn't know hoe the man before her would take the news she bore.

"Kaneki's body is still alive"

His eyes rivaled the moon in size, that dry well once more flowing with a rush of tears wasting no time pouring themselves the Gormet's face.

"A-alive?! Kaneki-kun is-"

"Dead. His body is alive. He no longer remembers us, who he was." She swallowed a lump "he's a ghoul investigator now. He has a family of sorts. He's… happy"

Her muscles tensed as he stared towards her, closing the distance between them tears drifting down his now dreamlike face. To her utter shock, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close to him, envelope her in a warm hug.

"Then there is nothing we can do, then"

Touka's lip twitched as she breathed in his scent. Her stomach was lurching, but she wasn't going to cry. She had to steel her nerves, as her purpose had not been fulfilled yet. Pushing off the ghoul's body, she tilted her head to stare him dead in the eye. Morning light peered in from a nearby window.

"Look, the real reason I'm here is too..."

Tsukiyma tilted his head curiously, eyes encouraging her to proceed.

"Tskiyama Shuu, I'm here to offer you a job."

"Are you coming, Amon-kun?"

"Remind me why I'm doing this again?"

"C'mon, Amon-kun! Touka-chan's been nice enough to give us a job, a place to stay, and a meal plan! We're doing this to pay her back!"

The dark haired half-ghoul scratched the back of his head warily

"I don't see how dying our hair ridiculous colors is going to help us repay our debt to Touka-san"

"Hey, Touka used to have the prettiest black hair, but since Anteiku, she had to dye it in order to hide! Now, not that is doesn't look good on her, because it looks totally beautiful, but blue is a drastic change, don't you think?" the sunny-haired ghoul asked, knowing full well the answer.

"When it was white, it was bad, but we already dyed it back to how it was!"

"What if someone recognizes us? I hate to say it, but I don't want to run into any of our friends from the CCG friends anytime soon. Or ever"

Amon rubbed his temples, knowing that Hide was right. Touka had given them everything. He couldn't risk on of the investigators coming into the shop and recognizing him on a glance. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if a single ghoul at that shop were hurt because of him. He just wished Hide would tell him what color he was going to dye it.

"Hey, are you Amon?"

The ex-investigator jumped as a pretty young stylist stuck her head into the waiting area.

"I-is it my turn?"

"That's what the schedule says. Right this way!"

Amon felt a stone drop into the pits of his stomach, and he looked back to Hide, who was giving him a duel thumbs up with a big grin.

Great.

If you asked him what he was doing, Mutsuki would tell you he had no fucking idea.

Sasaki was healing from the events at the Auction that happened almost a week prior, but it left him with big emotional welts, that seem to be haunting him so. Mustuki wanted it to die. To all die, for that crazy ghoul to leave her alone, for the image of the huge lady Ghoul to fade.

For him to sleep at night.

He hadn't slept since the auction, and knew that the ghoul that saved him in the alleyway last night wasn't going to leave his mind. He certainly didn't tell anyone about it. He just imagined what the others would say.

"You were saved by a ghoul? Lets kill it!"

"That crazy ghoul is still following you?" let's ramp up your protection!"

"You pissed yourself?"

Groaning, he plopped his hands into his knees, alarming Shirazu in the couch above him.

"You alright man?"

"I could use a coffee, really, so i'm going to get one"

"oh, uhh, want some company?"

"Nah, I'll bring you guys some back. It's still really early, so try get some more rest I guess."

The morning air was fresh outside the bureau, and Mutsuki relished it. His own little slice of peace, walking by himself in the morning.

Sighing to himself, he started in the direction of :Re.

The walk home was a peaceful one. Touka was able to get back in good time, so she was able to help prepare for the day. An orange sun rose and peered through the skyscrapers and into :Re's large front window. She sat down with her coffee. Yomo called from the back room.

"Hide's out of the hospital, him and Amon will swing by later. I'm sure you can get them situated, then."

"Yeah" she called back, "Tsukiyama is coming too, that should be good enough to start us off"

A grunt was her only response, and the silver-haired ghoul traveled to the front of the building, back to that OPEN/CLOSE sign. His hand lingered, as it did every morning, with apparent hesitation.

Touka looked out the window, letting the sunshine in her eyes and caress her soft blue hair. A warm feeling bubbled in her chest, and she smiled again. It was going to be a good day.

Yesterday, she let go.

Today, she'd move on.

Yomo flipped the sign.