Masquerading Virtuoso【Tokyo Ghoul Fan-Fiction】

i. Clair de Lune

"She dances gracefully, to-and-fro, allowing the whimsical melody to guide her in his arms; he is the marionettist and she is his puppet."

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The excessive, intricately designed ampitheater was filled with silence as the brunette, clad in a smooth, true-red evening gown and snowy flats made her journey across the stage to the white Steinway & Sons grand piano awaiting her touch at the center. Before she took her seat, she bowed sweetly to the eager audience and smiled, then fixed herself in front of the glossy piano.

Lifting up the wooden veil, she admired the monochrome keys with her primped-up chocolate eyes. I will treat you well, fret not, she thought as she caressed them with her slim, ivory fingers.

A few coughs were heard before she closed her eyes and pressed down on the first chord. Everyone listened to the slow, relaxing tempo of her fingers dancing across each key. She had their undivided attention as she continued to play the infamous Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy.

She smiled to herself. As its composer would have it ... so I shall give. she thought, reaching the sweet centre of the melody. Her fingers were in complete harmony with the rhythmic piece. She had listened to the delicate piece many times; she had played the gentle tune in her mind over-and-over.

Her dark eyes fluttered open as she looked through the crowd of shadowed faces. Their eyes being the only thing visible against the three spotlights cascading down upon her. She knew there were those with familiar features hiding amidst them ... and that comforted her. As she was nearing the end of the song, she closed her eyes once more, finishing it effortlessly.

The crowd seemingly leapt to their feet and applauded her with their full-hearted sincerity. They had been astounded by her flawless performance and were rewarding her with their cheers.

"Magnifico!" exclaimed some, while others opted for a more subtle phrase of, "Tremendous!"

She hooded the keys once more, and lowered her head as she inhaled their voices and applauses. It was a satisfying sensation---one she had the honor of feeling after every solo performance. The feeling was overwhelming, yet exhilarating; her heart warmly beat inside of her small chest to their roars of appraisal.

With a smile, she stood and walked to the front center of the stage. Just as she had, the manager of the theatre had stepped out and placed himself beside her; they shared a bow and left the stage so she could change back into her casual attire.

Once she'd said her farewells with the orchestrators of her performance, she headed toward the lobby. There, she was greeted by her parents. Her mother was a slim woman, with long, ebony locks and onyx eyes adorning her pale appearance. While her father possessed a lighter, warmer tone of hair and pale brown eyes, his skin, however, was a beautiful, tanned olive.

Her mother held her small clutch purse at her waist as she smiled from ear-to-ear. "Your focus has improved greatly over the past two years, Tsu-chan."

The forty year old standing next to the woman nodded, his demeanor solid and cool. "Tsu-chan, you brought great joy to them tonight; they were astounded by your talent and happy with your performance." He grinned as his daughter stopped before them. "While you were on stage, we were invited to dinner tomorrow." he said, causing the brunette to cock her head to the side.

"Dinner?" she inquired, her eyebrow raised curiously. "But ... we don't ..."

"A rather ... charismatic man invited us to enjoy his gourmet courses." she interupted in a hushed manner, her dark eyes shining with a suggestive gleam.

She arched her straight brow. "Who was it that invited us?" asked Tsuki, fixing her thin floral raincoat folded over her arms.

"'Twas I who did, mi amore!" exhaled a sultry, eccentric voice from behind her. The man strode over to her parents' side and tilted his head to the side and smiled vivaciously down at Tsuki.

She stared curiously up at the tall, extravagantly clothed fellow, his short violet hair combed to the side and matching eyes returning the gaze. "And who might you be?" she asked, her nose catching wind of his foul scent.

He suddenly touched the tips of his index and middle finger to his forehead, swiveling his right foot a little ways out in front of himself and puffing out his chest, proudly. "Oh, how awful of myself to neglect a proper introduction to such a ... virtuoso!" He brushed back his bangs and flashed her a sly smirk. "My name ... is Shuu Tsukiyama."

She narrowed her chocolate eyes at him before bowing respectfully. "It is nice to meet you, Tsukiyama-san."

Shuu grinned with glee. "Such manners!" he exclaimed as he glanced over at her mother and gestured towards Tsuki. "I look forward to hosting you all at my soirée." His violet eyes slowly shifted over to the brunette adjacent to him. "You will enjoy the show and dinner I have prepared for us, Madame." With a graceful bow, he headed out of the theatre, leaving the family to their night.

Tsuki couldn't help but feel a bit of suspicion from his invitation. From the moment he'd shown himself, she'd known just what he was and his eating habits: a gourmet ghoul.

"Dai, let's head home, now, okay?"

The man affirmed his wife's request and beckoned his daughter along. They'd encountered only a few people wishing to speak with them before they left. Each had only wanted a word with Tsuki, whose mind was not thinking clearly when she spoke to them due to her previous encounter with that odd man.

The nineteen year old, however, couldn't help but wonder just what that subtle, yet delightful scent hiding on Shuu's clothing had been. Deciding it was best that she shove aside her worries to chat with her parents on their way home, they'd left hastily in their car and drove leisurely back home.

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