A New Battle

HAIR CUT

~"She's kind of pushy." Kanaki was sitting at the bar table that separated the kitchen from the living room. Hide sprayed water in his hair and started smoothing it out with a comb.

"I usually deserve it. I do look like a grandma with this hair."

Hide laughed. "How did it even turn white anyway?"

"I'm not sure but Kimi thinks it's from Marie Antoinette syndrome."

~ "Can you put that in normal people terms?"

"When Marie Antoinette was captured by the Varennes during the French Revolution she was under such extreme stress that her hair turned a snowy white in the days leading up to her execution. Some scientist dispute whether the condition actually exists because it's rare, but I guess I just love proving people wrong."

~Hide laughed. "You're not wrong. I'm still surprised your alive." He picked up the scissors and began to cut. "How did you and Touka find this house so quickly?"

"It was where Yomo and Touka lived while running 'RE'. We took Yomo's old room and turning Touka's room into a nursery. I felt bad taking it from Yomo but he said wanted to move back into his old apartment anyway." Kaneki laughed. "His old apartment was a storage unit, but we couldn't talk him out of it."

~ "I can't believe you gonna be a dad. It seems like just yesterday we were playing hopscotch in the school yard without a care in the world."

"I don't think I've ever seen you sentimental."

~"And I don't think I heard any details on the first time you fucked a girl."

Kaneki's cheeks went vermilion.

~"Where's the tea Kaneki? Oh my God, did you marry her before you got her pregnant?"

"I mean technically no."

~"Did you even go on a date with her first?"

"Ye-"

~"I mean like an actual date, not reading in the same room."

Kaneki paused. His faced burned a brighter red.

"Kaneki!"

"Can we talk about something else?" He pleaded, but was smiling from ear to ear.

~"Fine, but you should know that this is piping hot tea."

"You need to stop going on Tumblr so much."

~ "And become boring like you? Never. Meme's are required for my survival."

"When's your next meeting at the TSC?"

~"I have one more meeting next week but the TSC and the united front want me to act as an ambassador and spreading the message on everything they stand for. My first trip is to America, so I have two weeks of no meetings before I leave the country."

"How long will you be gone?"

~"Four months. They wanted me to stay for six months-- visiting every major city in North AND South America, but I just have to be here when you become," he wrinkled his nose. "a dad."

"Sounds like their going to work you to the bone. What kind of stuff do they want you to do?"

~ "I have to talk about what the TSC and the United front do, what their core values are, why their important, and help integrate more proactive technologies that can help ghouls live a normal life."

"Oh yeah, I hear Kimi been working on a synthetic meat for ghouls."

~ "Yeah it's super cool. I don't really know how it works and it's still in the testing phases, but they think the formula should be perfected within the next few years."

"Wow. Times really are changing aren't they."

~"Oh my god you already sound like my dad. What's next? Are you reading a book of Dad puns?"

"I can neither confirm or deny those allegations."

~ "I already hate what you've become." Hide gave one final snip near the nape of his neck. "Done." he handed Kaneki a mirror. "What do you think? I tried to cut it like you did back in college."

"I like it."

~"Did you find out the gender of that kid yet?"

"A girl."

~"You two thought of any names yet?"

"No." Ken laughed. "I've never named anything-- not even a pet. How am I supposed to do that for a... person."

~ Hide laughed. "Your just nervous."

"More than you can know."