Wilting Roses (Arima Kishou fan fiction)

six

    She stepped into her apartment, scanning the area. Just as she had left it. Her papers were piled on her desk, not having moved since she had searched for the ones she needed for that day. She looked at her floors. She needed to clean. Her books had gathered a slim film of dust that yearned for removal. However, her mind was on the outing tonight with her superior. She walked into her closet, looking for something to please the man. She pulled out a pastel colored shirt and some white skinny jeans. Smiling, she went to go change, the cold air in her apartment chilled her skin. She put on her selected clothes and braided her bangs back, pinning them behind her ear. She looked at her porcelain skin and smiled, hoping that he liked the way she looked. She put on some simple heels, scanning her final product in the mirror. She looked at herself one last time before she walked out the door.

     She walked down the street to the agreed spot that they'd meet. Folding her hands in front of her, she waited to see his white hair appear above the heads in the crowd. She watched, and waited, assuming he had butterflies due to this being their first time going out together. This wasn't anything special, but they hadn't really spoken to each other outside of a working environment. After a few minutes of waiting around, she finally saw his hair above the crowd. He wore a simple long-sleeved black tee and some blue jeans. She approached the man and smiled, her dimples becoming prominent, "The man I've been waiting on has finally shown up!" She smiled up at the man, he smiling back to her.

    He looked at her, her tiny frame sporting a pale pink keyhole sweater and some nice white denims. She looked different than what he had expected. He had expected her to wear her regular work clothes, but she looked flirty in a way. He enjoyed this look. He could get used to it. He smiled at her, starting to talk to her, they walking side-by-side.

     After a little while of walking, he found her small, nervous hands slowly finding their way to his arm. He hid the fact that he was grateful she felt the same way he did for her. Peering down at the small woman, he saw that she wore a small smile on her face, pleased with the fact that she had her hands tightly wrapped around his arm. Smiling softly, he pondered about the good times they could possibly have together in the future. He made small talk with her, asking her about things he had pondered on before he left his house to meet her. He asked about her favorites, discovering that she loved the color white because of its pureness and to her, it symbolized freedom from her life on the streets that she once had. He didn't want to pry for more out of her. From his experience, that's all he needed. Someone to mention their life living on the streets and certain aspects telling investigators that a person is suspicious, and more often than not, the person ends up being a ghoul.

       Feeling a pang of guilt and remorse, he realized the woman he was starting to feel rather fond of ended up being a ghoul. He knew that this was his line of work. The work that he's been almost obsessed in since he was sixteen. Looking down at the woman again, it confirmed his theory about her being close to the One Eyed Owl. They looked to be sisters, very close in age. He kept his smile, though, to show her that he was enjoying the time that he was having. He only needed one last piece to prove that he was right. That she was a ghoul, needing to watch her eat was the last step. "Are you hungry, Ukuzen?" he watched her reaction.

      The woman grinned "Yes, actually. I was just about to ask if you'd like to stop somewhere to grab a bite to eat." Looking up at the man, she began to notice a slight bit of shock in his eyes. She had been around him long enough to find the tiniest bit of emotion wander in his eyes on an otherwise stoic face. She wondered if he expected her a ghoul; if he remembers her face from all those years ago. She looked up at him, putting on her widest grin to mask her suspicion on the subject, "Surprise me where we eat. I'll even close my eyes for you." Holding his arm close to her, she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him as he led her down the street.

      Stepping inside a building, the smell of curry filled her now flared nostrils. She didn't open her eyes yet, thinking about how hard it would be to eat the curry, and dreading the feeling of it rampaging in her stomach. "Where are we?" she asked, letting him answer before she opened her eyes.

      "The best curry restaurant on the whole Island of Japan" He responded, knowing that he has men stationed just outside if she confirms his suspicion. Walking to their table, he pulled out her chair, waiting for her to sit.

     "Such a gentleman" Anou smiled and sat, watching him walk around the table and sit across from her. She looked at him, then at the menu. "Do you know what you're going to have, Arima? It seems like you come here often." Looking back down at the menu, she scanned over and wanted to order one of the spiciest things so she could use that to hide her disgust. "The Spicy Chicken Curry looks tasty, I think I'll have that." She smiled at him and watched as he scanned the menu. "I think I'll get the same thing as you, it does sound rather good." He glanced at the woman, trying to get a clear reading of what exactly was going on in her head.

      Watching as the waiter brought their food, he started to believe that his accusation was wrong. She seemed human now that he was talking to her and learning about her life. This was tons more information than what her file held. Maybe it was just a coincidence that she looked like the young girl who he had met ten years prior. That girl wanted to change the world, as does she. They both want peace, they don't want to fight with the other race that so many others have condemned as monsters who will never be able to stand on their own in this world. Sadly, that fact was slowly becoming more and more prominent. Ghouls were quickly taking over the 11th ward, it starting to become inhabitable for the residents that have made their lives there. Anou seemed like the same girl he met. He wondered if he had the heart to tell the ones above him that she was, indeed, a ghoul. Much less tell the organization that had been looking for the twin girls born to one of their members twenty-four years ago. They were the ghouls known as the One Eyed Owl and Little Owl, One SSS rated and the other SS+ rated.

     He watched her start to eat, doing the same as her, keeping a close eye on how she ate and her facial expressions. She seemed normal all except the spiciness of the chicken was making her sip her water and her face to turn a tinge of red that told him that she thought the chicken was spicier than she expected. "Spicy?" he asked, to which was only replied with a nod. He watched her sip her water "So, I'm guessing you don't eat spicy things often?" He quizzed, taking a bite of his curry, and looking up at her, and as she continued to eat normally. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he'd just have to watch her, carefully. He finished his meal and looked at her. "It's good, isn't it?"

      "Spicy, very spicy. I didn't expect this, but the chicken is great" She swallowed hard, trying to keep the food down, careful about not letting him see through her facade. Every time she had trouble swallowing the putrid food, she acted like it was even spicier than the last bite. Her throat burned like flames in a pit. She hated this stuff. It made her stomach churn. It smelt like some sort of putrid roadkill. The taste of the meat was some sort of rancid animal that she despised. She smiled through nausea, making sure to keep a level head, to keep anything from coming up. She looked up at him, smiling. "Arima, What made you want to take me out sometime?" She folded her hands curiously under her chin, interested in why he wanted to learn more about her life"

    "Well, Ukuzen, there is a funny story behind that."

You guys are seriously the best, this is now my most popular book on my account. I feel like I should thank my best friends, who are like sisters, they being @--Moony-- and @Hannah_Lexie. Check out their books too, because to be honest, they write better than I ever will. Thank you guys so so much, This has made my day.

~Wandering-Chan~