Intoxicated By You

Sayuri Saito






Kisa

It'd been a while Sayuri had gone to Anteiku - ever since her ghoul friend got killed by the CCG, she hadn't been around the small coffee shop. When she entered the shop, she glanced around, noticing that the place had a few new workers. Were they all ghouls?
Her friend had told her that Anteiku was a safe place for ghouls, but he hadn't clarified whether only ghouls worked there or not. At least he had taught her how to notice them, which she assumed was for her own safety. With that knowledge, she didn't understand why the world thought all ghouls were evil.
With a small smile, she sat down and ordered from Touka - definitely a ghoul, according to her friend, but she couldn't let it be known that she knew who some ghouls were. Best to pretend she didn't.

---

Really, Ayato didn't understand why he had to be the one stuck getting this girl to join them. Who cared if he had known Kisa in the past? It was in the past, things were different now. How the hell did members of Aogiri Tree even find out that he had known her back then?
He nearly clenched his jaw in annoyance but he attempted to force it away. There would be no way to talk her into joining if he didn't come up with a good plan. The problem was that he hadn't seen this girl in a few years, much less talked to her. How was he supposed to get her to agree to this when they were essentially strangers?
Another problem was that walking into Anteiku could cause problems. The others would try to get in the way of him getting her to agree. What a hassle that would be.

'Damn Kaneki,' Nishiki thought as he cleaned the table. 'Damn him for doing this to me, making me resort to this.' Nishiki took a deep breath, pushing up his glasses as he walked the dirty dishes to the sink. 'Damn him for beating the shit out of me, making me work at this shit place.' His thoughts were angry and his temper flared slightly. He huffed.
It was so emasculating to not be able to hunt for himself, to not be able to provide for himself. It made him feel lesser and weak.
He heard the telltale chime of someone new walking into Anteiku and he nearly cussed under his breath. Of course they were completely packed the day they were short staffed.
"Welcome," He chorused, though he spoke monotonously, setting down the dishes so he could take her order.
He strolled over, the overwhelming smell of human hitting his nostrils. "What can I get you?" He asked, looking at her carefully. He had never seen her here before, so she must of been new.

---

Kisa walked around the 20th ward, waiting until she could return to Anteiku. Her thoughts were clouded with the proposal that Aogiri Tree offered. It seemed like a decent idea, but at what risk? Sure, she killed people before, but they had attacked her first. She had never sought out people to kill and she hadn't planned to either. She could deal with killing people, but becoming as evil as the CCG wrote her out to be? Hell no, she was not willing to take that chance.

Soft foot falls came from behind Kisa, and she turned her head slightly. No one was out this late at night, especially around here, so that meant someone was definitely following her. She could only make out that they were cloaked, almost completely hidden in the shadows. She sighed, changing her route and leading her follower into a dark alley way. She fastens her mask to her face and turns to face them.
"Who are you?" Kisa asked, tilting her head slightly. There was no malicious look to her, only curiosity.

Blinking, Sayuri lifted her gaze to peer up at the male and, idly, she noticed that he looked a little familiar. Ah, maybe he went to Kamii? Oh well, best not to focus on that when she was meant to order. Mentally, though, she reminded herself to pay a little attention to him, just to see if she could figure out whether he was a ghoul or not. Maybe he wasn’t?
“Ah, just coffee is fine. I really just need to study, so a little caffeine’s the best way to go for that,” she said, though she was aware that she was probably wrong about that. It wasn’t like she actually needed to study, anyways.
But, she did have to keep up with her scores and grades, because falling behind wasn’t an option at Kamii. And, she’d feel pretty annoyed if she ended up making bad grades her first year at the university – it would be a major failure.
“That won’t be too much of a problem, will it? You guys seem pretty busy today, so you don’t have to rush on the coffee or anything.”

---

Ayato nearly rolled his eyes as he leaned against the alley wall. In all honesty, he had been pretty aware of what she had been up to, leading him to an empty, dark area. Was that what Yoshimura at Anteiku was teaching them now? How ridiculous. If this was how they were being taught to protect themselves, it was no wonder that the ghouls in the 20th ward were so weak.
Well, most of them, apparently. Because, Aogiri Tree wouldn’t want Kisa if she was weak. He still wasn’t entirely sure why they wanted her. She wasn’t like them, not when she spent so much time with the human lovers at Anteiku.
“Don’t tell me you can forget people you knew so easily, Kisa,” he drawled out, eying the mask she was wearing for a long moment. “What’s the point in hiding behind a mask when you’re talking to a ghoul, not a human?”
He nearly spat the last word, as his distaste towards them was as strong as ever. Part of him wasn’t even sure if she would remember him, he realized. Oh well, he only had one job here and that was to get her to join Aogiri Tree.

Nishiki copied down her order quickly, writing an h at the top to let the coffee makers know that she wouldn't need anything special in hers.
"That coffee is great," Nishiki wished he had lied when he said that, but it was true. "It definitely helps with studying." He wondered, was this human attending Kamii like he was? If so, he could understand why she needed coffee.
The work at Kamii was extensive, definitely something you had to spend lots of time on.
"It'll be fine. The coffee comes out pretty quick." Nishiki informs her, "Is there anything else you'd like?"
Nishiki could feel his anger quickly dissipating as he talked to her. It was weird, really.

---

Kisa knew who it was instantly. She hadn't seen Ayato in years, but if the blue hair wasn't a dead giveaway, his attire certainly was.
"You find it's pretty easy when it's someone as plain as you." Kisa answers, her voice still calm.
"You don't like it?" She pouts, slightly jutting out her bottom lip, but quickly retracts it. "I like it. It reminds me of my brother."
Kisa arms swing slowly at her sides, thinking back to when her brother had given her the mask. It had been a good day for the most part. At least until she knew who he really was.
"Humans aren't so bad you know." Kisa says, poking at her mask. "I hear they're pretty tasty." She giggles.

Sayuri offered a small grin in response. “I actually haven’t had it in a while. I used to come here quite a bit, just for the extra boost the coffee gave me, though,” she admitted after a few moments.
Hiraku had often teased her about it, in the past, when he had still been alive. He had also made it a point to inform her just how unhealthy it was for humans – then make it a point to drink three times as much as her.
“Just the coffee, though. If I eat, I’ll have a higher chance of getting food or coffee all over my textbooks and notes and that wouldn’t be very good.” With a small smile, she shifted, pulling her bag into her lap for a moment.
She had said that she was planning to study, after all, and she might as well. So, she pulled out a binder and a textbook, figuring she could get started while she waited.

---

“Ah, so are the rumors true? Have you become a cannibal?” Ayato asked in almost a chime, almost mockingly, though he was snorting quietly under his breath. Still ridiculous, he thought, but it meant that he’d have to keep his guard up, if it was actually the case.
He didn’t bother commenting on her mask any further, because what did it matter? Why would she want to be reminded of Uta, anyways? It was easier to just move on, past all of that, and grow up a little.
“Since you now know that it’s me, I’m certain that you know why I’m here, too,” he mentioned casually, though his eyes were fully focused on her. How did Aogiri Tree expect him to talk her into joining them? It wasn’t normally his problem.
“Have you decided on a final answer to joining Aogiri Tree?” he asked, eying her for a moment longer, “Or are you planning to run back to Anteiku, with the cowards?”

"Oh, I see." Nishiki says. So she wasn't new then.
He almost wondered what brought her here before but threw that thought away. What else would bring her here other than the coffee?
Still, he wondered why she had stopped coming. He wondered how long it had been since she had last appeared.
"Ah, I get it. Notes are definitely precious." Nishiki definitely understands. He would be lost, terrified almost, if his notes had become soiled with coffee. "So a coffee will be all then?"
Sadly, her question goes unanswered, because there's the chime of another customer entering. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't one person, but a group of people.
"Nishiki!" Touka calls, "I need your help over here." He could see that she was acting to struggle with all the orders she held.
He gritted his teeth and called back, "Be right there."
"Call me over if you need anything else." Nishiki told the girl, before heading over to help Touka.

---

"Ah, so you heard then?" Kisa responds. "Its extraordinary, the powers that come with eating your own kind." She almost grins, but her mask covered her entire face, so it would be no use.
"The side effects are not so extraordinary," She says after a while, "so I've switched back to the normal diet."
She doesn't really listen to him, really she just wants to rest for a while. She hums quietly to herself, and it's only when he brings up Aogiri that she becomes serious. "I thought I made it very clear that my final answer was no," Kisa raises an eyebrow, though he can't see it. "I'm really only staying at Anteiku until the side effects of the cannibalism fades. I won't lie though, I stay for your sister too. I would almost call us best friends, if she wasn't trying so hard to be friends with a human."

Sayuri glanced over as she watched the male move to help Touka. Still, she fell silent and turned her attention to her textbook and notes in an attempt to focus on them instead of the noise around her.
Honestly, she hadn’t been expecting for it to be so busy today, as she hadn’t remembered it being this busy before. She decided against thinking too much into the past and instead tried to keep her concentration on studying, especially when she had a class in a few hours.
She wondered how long she should stick around. She’d have to leave at a specific time to make it back to the campus to get to class on time, after all. It wasn’t too long of a walk, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
She’d think further on it later, she decided. For now, she really needed to focus.

---

Well, of course he had heard it. Everybody in Aogiri Tree were apparently aware of it. It was why they wanted her, Ayato was sure. Or, at least, the power that her cannibalism came with was why they wanted her.
But, what was the point in pointing all of that out and reminding her that it wasn’t exactly easy to hide cannibalism when it showed in her kagune? Maybe, if she had hidden her kagune better, none of Aogiri Tree would have found out about her and he wouldn’t be stuck here trying to convince her to join.
“You’d rather go back to Anteiku, where you’d more than likely be judged for your cannibalism? That’s a genius idea, Kisa,” he drawled out, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he snorted quietly and narrowed his eyes at her.
“If you don’t have no actual allegiance to Anteiku, you have no reason to avoid joining Aogiri Tree.”

Nishiki wondered how much longer of his shift that he had left. He knew that he had a class within the next couple of hours, so he'd be able to leave. He couldn't wait to leave.
Especially with the amount of people that seemed to be pouring into the shop. It was really weighing down on them. Thankfully, it seemed that people were beginning to leave. It meant that Nishiki could take his break, even though it was an hour later than it was supposed to be.
"Nishiki, coffee for table 3 is ready." Touka says, handing him the coffee from behind the bar. He sighs, grabbing the coffee and takes it to the girl. "Here's your coffee," He approaches her table, "Where do you want it?"

---

"They haven't judged me though," Kisa giggles, "At least to my face. It's really only Yoshimura that's said anything and it was that I should stay until the cannibalism side effects pass." She loosens her mask, getting ready to take it off. "I may not have any allegiance to Anteiku, but I have my reasons for not joining Aogiri Tree." She begins to walk past him.
"Now tell you're boss that I've declined the invite to join Aogiri Tree," Kisa removes the mask, pocketing it into her coat. "It was nice seeing you Ayato. I wish it was under better circumstances."
She glides past him, beginning her journey to Anteiku, knowing that Yoshimura would want her back soon.

Blinking, Sayuri's attention got stolen from her studying in favor of peering up at the male, though her attention soon rested on the coffee. "Ah," she muttered, dropping her gaze back to her textbook and notes for a moment. Eventually, she adjusted them to a safer spot.
"You can set it here," she told him with a smile as she pointed to an area of the small table. "Thank you. I forget, does Anteiku take tips?" It really had been too long since she last came here, she realized.
"And, should I pay now or before I leave?" Another thing that she wasn't sure of anymore. Ah, she really did miss when Hiraku was around to remind her of the simple things that she tended to forget if she didn't repeat them constantly.

---

"What's the point in going back there?" Ayato all but snapped. "What's so great about that place? You talked about power earlier - you can't get power with Anteiku. You can get it with Aoigiri Tree, though. Isn't that better than being stuck there with all the human loving cowards?"
He was nearly fuming, angry that it was so difficult to convince Kisa to join them. He snorted, following after her as she walked away. He couldn't just let her walk away without giving him answers; he wouldn't allow it, he refused.
"What reasons do you have to not join Aogiri Tree? If you don't have an allegiance with Anteiku, then what's the point in going back there like a loyal dog?" Scowling, he picked up his pace, refusing to lose her or to allow her to avoid the conversation.

Nishiki set the coffee on the table, careful not to spill any on her notes.
"Yeah, tips are accepted here." He answers with a nod. He checks the time on his watch and realizes his class is coming up soon. He turns his attention back to her when she asks him another question.
"Most pay afterwards, but they usually get more stuff before they leave." Nishiki says politely. Yeah, he hates this job but he needs it. For now, anyways. "You can pay now if you don't plan on getting anything else."
He waits for her answer, mostly patient.

---

Kisa continues to walk, even as Ayato follows after her. She can see his anger flaring as he questions her. His eyes in a glare and his mouth twisted into a sneer.
A smile comes to her face, "I like the coffee there."
It was a weird reason because really, she did like the coffee. But even more so, she didn't know why she kept going back to Anteiku. At first, she sought out refuge from her brother and Anteiku had been the only place she knew. Now, she only went back because Yoshimura asked.
"I don't want to join Aogir because I won't fit in there." Kisa answers, serious this time. "I have no desire to take territory from humans. I have no anger or want to kill humans. I only attack when I'm feeling threatened or need nourishment, otherwise, what reason is there?"

Sayuri nodded slightly and went ahead to pull out the money, enough for the coffee and a tip. "It'd probably be best to pay now, because I might have to rush out to get to class," she admitted, rather sheepishly.
It wouldn't really matter either way. As long as she made it to class at all, she should be okay. Her professor wasn't too uptight or annoying about attendance - at least, this one wasn't, so she didn't have too much to worry about.
She couldn't miss the class, though, that much was certain.
"Thanks for the coffee," she told him with a smile as she took a sip.

---

"Why wouldn't you want to take territory from them?" Ayato asked, almost in a growl, though he was trying his best to control that because he was sure that losing his control would just give her all the more reason to not join.
"They kill us. I think they deserve whatever the hell they get in return for that." His eyes narrowed, angry with the thought that anybody would be okay with sitting back and letting the humans do as they pleased. They needed to be taught a lesson.
They needed to be shown that they were the true monsters.
And, in his opinion, the members of Aogiri Tree were the best people to teach the humans that lesson.

Nishiki nods, waiting patiently for her to give him the money. "I know what you mean, I have to leave in a little bit to get to one of my classes."
When she hands him the money, he counts through it making sure the amount is right before nodding at her. "You're welcome." He hopes that it doesn't sound sarcastic, but really, he can't help the way his voice sounds. "Enjoy the rest of your day." He says, before turning on his heel and heading to the register.

---

"I see what you mean," Kisa nods, shrugging her shoulders. She doesn't say anything else because what else is there to say? She already told him her reasons and why she's declined them. He'll never understand her reasons.
But really, she does know what he means.
The CCG constantly attack non-hostile ghouls, leaving children without parents and stranded in the streets. They had even attacked and killed her parents. But still, she felt no hostility towards them. If she killed them, who knows what children she would be affecting. What good would that do? She'd be no better than the CCG.

(Finally getting these out, ah!)

Sayuri offered a small nod in response to his words. "You enjoy the rest of yours, too," she told him before she rested her attention on her work.
As she worked on what she needed to, she drank her coffee every now and then. By the time she realized it was time to go, the coffee was gone. Standing, she returned the cup to the counter after gathering her things and left the shop.

---

Ayato frowned slightly as he eyed her. She saw what he meant, yet she still refused to join? How could she agree to understanding, yet continue to be against the idea of joining Aoigiri? It didn't make any sense to him and that was frustrating.
"If you see what I mean, then it shouldn't be so difficult to convince you to join," he reminded with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Nishiki went about his day, tending to customers and dealing with his coworkers. Finally, it was time for him to start heading to his classes. He went to the back to change and grab his stuff. Once he had finished that, he hastily walked out of the shops, not bothering to bid his coworkers a goodbye. He had left at a good time, leaving the perfect amount of time to reach the school and get to class on time.

---

Kisa sighed as Ayato continued pestering her. "Honestly, I don't know why you're still trying to convince me." She kept her walk steady as she continued talking to him. "I do get what you mean, I just don't believe in how you do it. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be changing my mind."