33 The Clown And The Owl

Over the past year while Shiki had been isolating himself underground and was busy working on perfecting his serum, Itori had been lonely and was missing his presence dearly. She really didn't know how she'd made it so long without him, she'd already gone through all his clothes and slept with them until they stopped holding his sweet scent. She really couldn't take it anymore and couldn't deal with the fact that he wasn't around. She'd been happy when he came out a few months ago for the Society Gathering massacre but he'd barely stayed a month before returning to the underground 24th ward. She craved his attention and was literally going mad from his absence. She'd tried to distract herself by doing what she normally did to entertain herself before he plowed into her life but it just wasn't the same, it didn't bring the same sensof completion to her as when she was with Shiki. Her day's with Shiki were filled with passion, laughter, music, affection and so much more. Nowadays, She'd been spending most of her time doing business through the dark market and expanding her information network with the help of the grateful Big Madam who opened doors for her in the highest echelons of society. Shiki had left behind information on the financial assets of several of the upper class ghouls who died at the society gathering. She had no idea how he'd gotten the information but she'd used it effectively in covertly acquiring many assets previously owned by the now deceased elite society ghouls. The acquisitions had really increased the cash flow and assets available to the Clowns which allowed them to expand their reach and influence across Japan. Itori was very talented when it came to organizational management and financial matters. She'd always been someone who was able to use her wits and beauty to get what she wanted. She'd grown up with limited education but through the use of her charms, she'd managed to survive and educate herself on many subjects through meeting many businessmen from various sectors of the economy. It was through this she'd acquired the knowledge and skill set to create her own information network and skillfully navigate the treacherous waves of the dark market. Itori knew some men liked to show off their knowledge to beautiful women like her so she'd manipulated many men into falling for her and teaching her all sge wanted to know. As a ghoul who'd always relied on her cunning to survive, she'd had a fascination with acquiring knowledge that gave her an advantage over others. She'd spent many nights hunting for her prey in the bars that many businessmen and college academics frequented. There she'd use her charms to lure them into taking her back to their place where she'd either seduce or torture them into teaching her everything they knew. Afterwards she'd eat them starting with their brains and spend some time going through the books in their residences for any books on subjects she found interesting. She mostly focused on subjects she found she had an affinity with like economics and business with a major in finance. Itori eventually educated herself to a point where she developed the knowledge and wit to effortlessly handle numerous business transactions, financial investments, and the management of a large information network comprised of many personnel. Itori was therefore in charge of all the investments and financial matters as she supplied Shiki with a constant stream of human subjects and whatever illegal commodities he required. She also spent some time relaxing with the other clown members especially Uta and Nico who were her closest companions apart from Shiki. They spent a lot of time drinking at either her bar or Uta's studio. As Itori was busy being depressed at Shiki's prolonged absence, she began to notice Uta and Nico strangely becoming much closer. Of course they were friends but their interactions had never reached the level of familiarity Itori had begun to notice. She didn't really question it or take the matter seriously until one night when she arrived at Uta's studio early to find both men leaving the studio's backroom while pulling up their pants and adjusting their clothing. Itori had looked a bit shocked as both men walked out of the backroom to notice her presence. Nico had ignored the fact that she could have heard something and acted like nothing was wrong before walking up to hug Itori while Uta looked a bit like a deer in headlights before he relaxed and acted like nothing happened. The incident repeated itself on several other occasions with Itori catching both men leaving the backroom in various states of undress whenever they heard the chime sounds of someone walking into Uta art studio. Eventually they seemed to get used to it as both men stopped caring about whether Itori was suspicious of their activities or not. Itori didn't really confront them about it since it wasn't really her business but it only made her more depressed to see her friends having more successful love lives than she was. She felt all alone and abandoned by herself in her large empty bed at night. She even began closing the bar late so she wouldn't have to face a bedroom without Shiki but it never made her feel a bit better. Finally, Itori snapped and felt like she couldn't waste anymore time being away from Shiki's embrace. She dropped her responsibilities and decided to head straight to the 24th ward to find Shiki where she'd never allow him to leave her embrace ever again, damn the consequences.

Itori headed straight to the 20th ward and entered the 24th ward through route V14, the main tunnel of entry for ghouls into the underground 24th ward. She made her way through the underground ward to the Aogiri Tree headquarters as she remembered from the last time she come down here to inform Muri of the Upper class ghoul society threat. As she journeyed across the ward, she noticed many organized constructed settlements each filled with communities of ghouls unified under Aogiri Tree's leadership. She also noticed the large flesh farms where they probably cultivated ghouls and humans which they used to feed the growing population of ghoul members in the Aogiri Tree organization. Itori admired the small established societies from afar as she knew she would be attacked the moment she got close to any of them due to the fact that she was a stranger to them. She eventually found herself at the entrance of the Aogiri Tree headquarters after maneuvering around the various settlements along the way. She came across the ghouls guarding the entrance and showed the security token Shiki had given in case of an emergency in which she needed his help and had to contact him. She was allowed through and directed to the lab due to the token but was stopped at the lab entrance when she got there. She thought she could pass straight through to Shiki with the token but the hooded guards stopped her and asked for the purpose of her visit. Itori felt frustrated at the final blockade just when she was so close to finally reuniting with her beloved Shiki. She stated that an emergency had come up which she needed to personally inform Shiki of immediately. She thought that would cause the hooded guards to immediately step aside and allow her to enter but they remained standing before her, blocking her from her goal. The guard before her stated that Shiki must first be informed of her arrival before she could be let in. The guard closest to the lab entrance door entered to inform Shiki while the rest continued to block Itori. Itori felt impatient and soon enough the guard who went in came back out and stated that Shiki was not currently in the lab. The guard before Itori turned to her and stated that she should come back later since the person she was looking for was apparently not around. Already annoyed, Itori exploded and accused the guards of lying, accusing them of trying to keep her away from her beloved Shiki. Itori got so angry she wanted to force her way into the lab and find Shiki herself, she got into a stance of attack and released her kagune. Itori's kagune was a large dark red thick tail-like kagune that halfway through separated into many individual whip-like finger-width strands with sharp pointed tips. it looked somewhat similar to a cat o nine tails whips except there where many more strands and they all ended in sharp pointed tips. Her kagune base had the thick width of two human waists. The bundle of flagella-like finger-width strands, with sharp pointed tips, were writhing in the air as Itori seemed ready to attack the ghouls blocking her path into the lab where Shiki was. The ghouls guarding the entrance immediately noticed her change in behavior and intent to attack them so they got into formation as they also released their kagune and got ready to take Itori down. Itori's eyes changed to form black sclera with red irises(otherwise known as kakugan) as she got ready to face off against the ghouls in her way and massacre them when suddenly, "I wouldn't do that if I were you Miss Itori, these ghouls were trained by Shiki himself and are tasked with protecting the lab and its contents from anyone who tries to enter without direct authorization. They're not ordinary ghouls but rather Shiki's personal force handpicked and nurtured from the various batches of artificial half-ghouls he'd created during his experiments. He's made sure they're very deadly and well trained so they can take on any threat to his lab whenever he's not present. I am sorry to inform you that they are not lying when they tell you that Shiki is not currently in his lab or even the headquarters. He recently had a breakthrough in his research and decided to take a break to clear his head by leaving for a while. He did not inform me exactly where he was going but I assume the surface since there's been no word of him being sighted anywhere in the 24th ward. I apologize if you feel you came here for nothing but I would very much prefer if Shiki didn't return to find his associate cut down by his own personal force." Tatara said formally as he walked up towards Itori and ghouls standing guard at the lab entrance. Itori paused and calmed down before withdrawing her kagune as the hooded ghouls did the same. Tatara had been in his office when he'd been informed of Itori's arrival, he'd rushed here to meet her since she'd most likely arrived because of an emergency and Shiki had secretly left his lab while only letting Tatara know of his departure. Kanou was still in Germany and was corresponding with them from there as he covertly made contact with his contacts at the ghoul research institute there. Shiki sometimes disappeared like this for a period of time without letting anyone but Tatara know so he'd cover for him. Tatara had only told Itori he wasn't here because he assumed it was an emergency.

Things settled down after Tatara arrived and explained to Itori that he had no idea exactly where Shiki currently was. Itori felt defeated as she requested the directions to Shiki's private quarters. Tatara had someone guide Itori to Shiki's room before speaking to the guards at the lab door and returning to his work. Itori dismissed the guide after she arrived at the entrance to his room. It wasn't guarded so she simply walked in to find a large king sized bed with messy sheets. She was blissful as she jumped into the bed to inhale the sweet scent that was still in the bed covers and pillows, it really was Shiki's scent. Itori lay there in Shiki's bed with his leftover scent making her feel aroused. The scent brought up old memories in her of their past erotic couplings and she soon began touching herself with a spaced out look in her eyes. Itori reached under her clothes to her erogenous zones and began to play with herself in Shiki's bed while repeatedly moaning his name. She spent the next few hours in his bed, breathing in his scent, masturbating, falling asleep, waking up, inhaling his sweet scent and then masturbating again before going back to sleep. Itori woke up very late in the afternoon to find herself still alone. She looked around the room to find no sign of anyone coming in while she was asleep. She later got up from the bed and took a hot soak in the bathroom tub. Afterwards she got dressed in a black leather jacket over a short, black lace dress with a revealing halter-strap neckline. She put on a pair of leather ankle boots before leaving Aogiri Tree headquarters and headed out of the 24th ward to resume her search for Shiki. She decided to start at the 20th ward where Shiki had most likely started his impromptu vacation. She walked the streets of the 20th ward in search of Shiki with little success as the sky began to darken into night. Itori walked the streets aimlessly about to give up her search for the day and was on her way back to the entrance of the 24th ward when she decided to try the nightlife establishments in the 20th ward. With a quick search on her phone, she found a couple of bars and restaurants currently open. Itori thought hard on which kind would Shiki go to at this point of the day, she then searched for the ones with live bands. After getting the locations, Itori set off for the addresses of the different establishments with live bands. It was a long shot but Itori went to the nightlife area of the 20th ward where she began to pop into the different establishments where live bands were playing. Itori searched them one by one until she came across one with a familiar sound. It was the smooth jazzy sound of a saxophone being accompanied by a soft piano. Itori heard the sound as she crossed the street and approached the small dive bar with a sign reading "The Blue Note". She walked in and looked to the source of the smooth saxophone playing to find the person she'd been pining after playing the instrument skillfully. Shiki was dressed in a long black kimono jacket over a white T-shirt, black loose linen harem pants with dark red patterns and flat samurai sandals with black straps. Itori was excited to finally see the person she'd been pining after for so long, she watched as he skillfully played the saxophone and was mesmerized by the smooth sounds the instrument emitted. (A/N: if you're curious, the song is "My One And Only Love" by John Coltrane. Itori's hearing the beginning saxophone solo.) Itori stayed hidden at the back of the crowded bar as she watched Muri perform with the accompaniment of the house jazz band. It wasn't till the end of the performance when the entire crowd bar gave a standing ovation did Itori begin to move towards Shiki so she could properly be reunited with him. She suddenly stopped moving when she saw a short young woman with messy green hair run into Shiki's arms and embrace him before kissing him on the lips. Itori was immediately shocked and felt her body stiffen as it began to fill with rage at the harlot who was assaulting her man. She was about to release her kagune and clear a bloody path to Shiki when she controlled herself, realizing that taking that course of action would only create problems for Shiki and possibly expose both their identities as ghouls. Itori watched the slut encircle her arms around Itori's man as she clenched her fist so tight her fingers pierced into her palm and began drawing blood. She didn't approach Shiki and the green haired stranger anymore but instead observed them from afar as she followed them on their outing as they left the bar and wondered the evening streets of the 20th ward. During the entire period Itori was following the two, she watched in furious jealousy as the green haired witch never stopped embracing Shiki or cuddling up to him as they walked. Itori felt rage well up in her as her eyes became deranged and showed a vicious bloodthirsty look. She followed the two to an apartment building where they went in. Itori assumed this was the residence of the harlot who was trying to steal her beloved Shiki since Itori, as the one taking care of Shiki's finances, had never seen any apartment payments in his account statements. The apartment building was a luxury residence and thus had security measures and personnel set up to safeguard its tenants. Itori felt enraged at the thought of what the green haired skank was probably doing to her Shiki. She waited outside in the shadows of the buildings across the street for about half an hour when Shiki exited from the building. Itori waited until Shiki had put some distance between himself and the apartment before she followed him after she'd memorized the harlot's address. Itori caught up with Shiki when he got close to the entrance to the 24th ward. She called out to him after erasing the rage in her facial expression and ran into his arms before roughly kissing him to erase all traces of the other woman. Shiki seemed surprised, confused and happy at the fact she appeared before him. He asked her why she was there and how she found him but Itori merely lied and said she'd just been looking for him and was just about to return to the Aogiri Tree headquarters when she saw him. She made no mention of the fact that she'd been stalking him all night and that she saw him with another woman. She honestly claimed she'd come to find him because she'd missed him terribly and wanted to be by his side always. Itori didn't ask where he'd been all night or who the green haired girl was, she honestly could say she didn't care to know who she was. As Shiki carried Itori while they made out to his private quarters at the Aogiri Tree headquarters, Itori's mind was focused entirely on Shiki's touch, scent and taste. They stripped each other of their clothes as they sucked faces and caressed each other's naked bodies. Itori lost herself in the pleasure as Shiki elicited orgasm after orgasm from her with his hands, mouth and penis. Her screams of ecstasy filled the room as Shiki pounded Itori into the same bed that she'd been masturbating in hours ago. She held onto Shiki as she felt his hot rod inside her, plowing her insides and reminding her why she needed him in her life everyday. She sought out his lips and sucked on his tongue while he pinched her nipples. She loudly moaned into his mouth as she came the moment she felt his hot stream shooting past her cervix and hitting the walls of her uterus. She squeezed her walls down on him, wrapping her legs around his waist as she used her vagina walls to squeeze as much cum out of him as she could. Itori didn't care anymore, she wanted Shiki's baby, she wanted a part of him growing inside her. As Itori cuddled into Shiki's embrace after their hours long erotic coupling, she felt her mind drift as she imagined a future with Shiki after they had destroyed the CCG and retired from the Clowns. She imagined them living together off the money they made from starting their own Trading company. She imagined the sounds of little feet as their children played in the hall of their home while Itori lay forever in Shiki's embrace watching over them. Itori imagined a lot of things and more about their future together. Finally her mind turned to the messy green haired home-wrecker she saw clinging to Shiki tonight. Her eyes filled with bloodthirsty killing intent as she recalled the features of the whore who was trying to steal Shiki from her. Itori memorized her appearance as she swore to do what she had done to all the females who had previously threatened her future with Shiki, she was going to kill her. The green haired bitch had to die.