Guns, Bullets & Bones [Tokyo Ghoul]

Ch. 9 ~ Distasteful Jokes

     Once again, Dylan had decided he had nothing better to do than wait for Rio to finish her shift at Cat's Cradle, and stuff his face full of cake in the mean time. If all the extra cake he'd been eating begins to show, he reminded himself to blame it on Rio. He reminded himself to get a gym membership. He knew he was kidding himself.

      He noticed Ayako was about too, brushing past the tables, other workers, gliding behind the counter, balancing plates of deserts up her arms, and trays of delicious drinks, steaming or chilled.

     Dylan sipped at his strawberry milkshake and stirred the twisty straw around in the pink gloop, clanking against the elegant glass. He heaved a heavy sigh and the thought crossed his mind that if he were to fall asleep against the frosted glass window, in the corner just inside the door, he would be quite content if no one noticed him at all.

      "Are you done pretending you're in a dramatic music video, or what?" Rio said, propping herself up against the table, sending Dylan a look which said 'I caught you'.

     "I wasn't," Dylan scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking a large swig of his milkshake before speaking again. "It's just, it's so nice here..."

     "Tell me about it," Rio said, casting her own gaze around the pastel room, perfumed with the scent of the baked goods and which seemed to lull everyone into a dream-like haze.

     "Are we ready?" Another voice chirped, and Dylan caught the subtle eye roll Rio threw in his direction, before turning to face Ayako, who had joined them at the table.

      "We are now," Dylan said after gulping down the last of his milkshake and slamming the glass down on the table just a little too hard, earning a few curious stares. He stood and heaved his school bag up onto his shoulder and smiled weakly at the two girls.

      Rio dug her hands deep into the pockets of her hoodie and was the first one to push out of the doors and into the considerably less sweetly smelling air, and Ayako giggled at something unknown, and followed her with Dylan in tow. He had to resist the urge to sigh out loud and roll his eyes when he noticed who was waiting for them along with Rio, just outside the doors.

      "Hello, mon Cherie," Tsukiyama greeted Rio with an over exaggerated bow and flourish.

     The whole walk was that much more laborious with Tsukiyama there, though Dylan wanted to tell him to get lost, he was rather too polite for that, and much too shy.

    "So, how are things with you and your boyfriend?" Ayako grinned and cast a sneaky eye between Rio and Dylan, and he instantly felt the heat climbing up his throat and cheeks, turning his whole face a very visible shade of red.

    "Nah, I told you, this one is just a snack," Rio replied, her face pulling into a smirk, and both she and Ayako laughed when the colour drained from Dylan's face completely.

     "I-I thought we got past this joke..." Dylan stammered nervously, hoping it really was a joke, however how often it was being mentioned, he began to wonder, and didn't find it nearly as funny as they apparently did.

     "I'm joking, lighten up," Rio snorted, before her face fell into an easy smile, one foreign on her face, usually being substituted out for angry determination or cruel, mocking smirks and grins.

    "If you don't want to eat this one, I will," Tsukiyama hummed, his purple eyes casting over to Dylan, hands dug deep in the pockets of his garish red suit. His face showed no signs of companionable joking, or teasing. He looked serious, and his eyes were sharp, and his posture screamed that he was ready to strike.

      "Quit being weird," Rio rolled her eyes before glancing to Dylan and mouthing 'ignore him'. Dylan nodded, but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. Somehow, he didn't think he dared put the idea past Tsukiyama to actually eat him. Unlike Rio and Ayako, he didn't seem the least bit interested in friendship. His only interest was his flesh.

    "Hm, it's been a couple of days since I feasted, I don't see why you should mind if I took this one human," Tsukiyama hummed, sidling up beside Rio. "Besides, I'm sure you'd love to taste his flesh, too."

     "Guys-" Ayako tried to cut in, the light teasing atmosphere suddenly gone, an air of menace and real danger hanging like a dark cloud as they made their way down the brook, the dark sky looming between the walls on either side of them.

     "I swear, if I find out you've harmed a single hair on his head, you will have hell to pay," Rio hissed, her eyes icy sharp and cutting, and Tsukiyama took a step back, slowly raising his hands in surrender. He gave a slight nod, before disappearing off into the shadows of a break-off path.

     The walk back home was silent.

~