who are we

Rize

Kaneki first meets Rize at his mother's funeral.

"Hello."

The pretty violet-haired lady looks down at young Kaneki. "Hello."

The boy's critical eye scans her colorful appearance. "You're not dressed for a funeral." Rain beats down on his head and shoulders, soaking his suit to the bone.

She smiles at him in a way that's somewhere between seductive and motherly, completely dry. "Oh, but I am prepared for one. Here, put these white chrysanthemums on her coffin for me, boy."

Kaneki shakes his head fiercely. Light flashes, and thunder booms in the distance.

"Oh? Whyever not?"

"Kaasan doesn't like white chrysanthemums. She wants red spider lilies planted at her grave."

She nods sagely. "Ah, I see. Better to throw these down and crush them under our shoes then--" she does so, a twisted grin spreading across her face, and Kaneki with his wide, sad eyes stomps on the petals too, "--we don't want to ignore the wishes of the dead, after all."

"...You're a rude lady."

"Me?" She puts a hand to her chest, seemingly offended. "Why, I'm nothing of the sort."

Kaneki looks at the lady again. He can hear Hide telling him things. Pointing out the amusement in her eyes, the exaggeration in her stance. Hating her. Grinding her to bits. "You're a liar too. Hide doesn't like you. Go away. We don't like you."

"Oh?" She lays her hands on his shoulders and kneels to his level, stocking-clad knees sinking into the mud. "But you need me, boy. I'm the next step. You can't move on without me, you won't be able to grow alone." She grins sickeningly, lightning reflecting off her glasses and hiding her eyes. "Please take care of me."

Kaneki's aunt drags him away from the grave, scowling at the wasted chrysanthemums Kaneki destroyed; thunder booms overhead, making Kaneki's ears ache, and on top of Kaneki's mother's fresh grave stands Rize, completely mud-free, waving at him. He's unsure how he manages to hear her next words over the ringing in his ears, but they reach him nonetheless.

"I'll be your mother from now on, my darling Ken-chan."

{ a/n: read my comment }