Guns, Bullets & Bones [Tokyo Ghoul]

Ch. 7 ~ The Aftermath

    Suddenly, Dylan was regretting having eaten so many sweet treats, and his stomach rolled in sickness. The coppery whiff of blood was impossible to blot out, creeping in the darkest corner's of Dylan's head. Whether it was the horrific sight, or the sickening smell, dizziness overcame him, and he slid to the floor, legs shaking so persistently he couldn't hold himself up a moment longer. He met the hard ground with a bump, and he stared up at Rio in horror as her eyes swirled back to their icy blue, and the Kagune retracted into her back.

    "I.... How can you...?" Dylan choked on his own words, feeling bile rise up in his throat so that he had to clamp a hand over his mouth and hang his head.

    "Hm?" Rio hummed, swinging back around to face him, as if she'd forgotten he was even there. She didn't seem remotely bothered, let alone remorseful about what she had done, and it made the whole situation ten times more horrible.

    "Y-You just..." Dylan couldn't even bring himself to say it, didn't want to believe he had witnessed it, didn't want to admit someone he wanted to trust was a murderer. All he could do was stutter dumbly. "Th-the blood..."

    "It was self defence, don't forget." Rio gave a nonchalant shrug, while Dylan swore he would pass out any second.

          "You just killed a man!" Dylan spluttered out, but instantly regretted it. She was a ghoul, a dangerous creature who lied and deceived and feasted on human flesh. He could be dead in an instant. But he continued anyway. "The whole street is bathed in blood!"

     "It's blood, not nuclear waste, chill out," Rio simply rolled her eyes and her casual words, dismissing murder, sent Dylan's whole world wobbling on an axis.

    "How..." Dylan trailed away, his head beginning to thump in pain.

    "I think you're overreacting," Rio said. Her face was hard, but not angry. Her voice was neutral, but not quite hollow. Her eyes showed warning.

      "How the hell can you be like that?! What the hell is wrong with you!?" He suddenly burst out, his voice cracking and wavering with the uncharacteristic anger he could barely hold back.

    "Forget what you've seen," Rio commanded sharply, her hands dug deep into the pockets of her hoodie.

     "What...?" Dylan asked, his eyes perfectly round and about as wide as saucers. His blood ran cold as he considered if Rio could in any way be genuine or not.

      "Forget what you've seen here today," Rio said, one foot slowly placing in front of the other, stalking towards him. Her pastel blue hair shadowing half of her face, the other half was set harshly, as unchanging as if she had been made of metal. "Forget what I am, what you've witnessed. Forget that man ever existed. Block it all out, and do not remember. It'll be easier for both you and I,"

     "How could you ask me to do something like that...?" Dylan whispered, feeling himself tremble all over as Rio finally came to a halt just in front of him. Should he be scared of her? Yes. Was he? Terrified.

     "Because we're friends, aren't we?" Her head tilted to the side and the baby blue hair swished to the side. In the faint streetlight, she looked human again, without the violent crimson and black ghoul eyes, or plum Kagune escaping her back. She looked human again. Pale skin, shiny blue eyes. Intimidating, but still human. But it was a mask, a façade a monster was hiding behind. but still, Dylan found he wanted to forgive her, wanted to make excuses.

     She'd killed a man, but it was self-defence. Would it have made a difference if she were human? Would he be holding her in his arm, trying to comfort her, rather than berating her?